Patent Publication Number: US-2015059816-A1

Title: Hiking Stick

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a US national phase of PCT patent Application No. PCT/KR2013/002477 having an International filing date of Mar. 26, 2013, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0043696, filed on Apr. 26, 2012, the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a hiking stick, which enables the lengths of multi-stage support pipes to be quickly and simply adjusted by a simple touch and elastically supports the weight of a user when walking with the stick. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A hiking stick is generally configured to decrease the consumption of physical strength in such a way to absorb about 30% of the total weight applied to user&#39;s legs, while providing a stable hiking by maintaining balanced hiking postures when the user climbs up or down mountain. When the user climbs down mountains, the hiking stick may effectively absorb the impacts applied to the user&#39;s knees, so such a hiking stick is widely used by men and women of all ages because it is regarded as one of the key hiking equipment. 
     The above-described hiking stick is configured in such a way that the length thereof may be adjusted for easier carrying. More specifically, the lengths of the multistage support pipes may be elastically adjusted by tightening or loosening the multistage support pipes in such a way to rotate a nut type tightening member. 
     Since the related length adjustable hiking stick is configured to elastically adjust the length by tightening or loosening the multistage support pipes in such a way to rotate a thread-engaged tightening member, it takes relatively longer time to strongly tighten or loosen the tightening member while causing complicated work. If the tightening member is not tightly engaged, the hiking stick may not withstand strong impacts when touching on the ground, so the support pipes may unintentionally slide into the other support pipes, thus breaking the parts. 
     The hiking stick is generally made from a predetermined material and is configured to have high durability, which are strong and high enough to prevent the hiking stick from bending or breaking when a user touches on the ground. When the force of about 41 kg is applied for 15 seconds to a portion about 10 mm away from the center of the hiking stick, it should not be bent or broken or deformed; however many of the related hiking sticks fail to pass the resistance test based on the materials of the hiking sticks. 
     Due to the above-described problems, if the support pipes slide into the other support pipes or the hiking stick is bent or deformed, the user may lose the center of gravity when climbing down mountains, which results in critical accidents. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view illustrating a state that the length of a hiking stick is extended according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view illustrating a state that the length of a hiking stick is contracted according to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  are partially enlarged cross sectional views illustrating an operation state according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a disassembled perspective view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
       
         
           
             
                 
               
                 
                     
                 
                 
                   [Legend of Reference Numbers] 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
              
                 
                     
                 
              
             
             
                 
                 
                 
              
                 
                     
                   10: hiking stick  
                   11: first support pipe 
                 
              
             
             
                 
                 
                 
              
                 
                     
                   12: second support pipe 
                   12a, 13a: engaging groove 
                 
                 
                     
                   13: third support pipe 
                   20: handle 
                 
                 
                     
                   30: adjusting unit 
                   31: fixing pipe 
                 
                 
                     
                   31a: ball 
                   31b: engaging hole 
                 
                 
                     
                   31c: shoulder 
                   32: operation pipe 
                 
                 
                     
                   32a: expansion groove 
                   33, 44a, 44b: spring 
                 
                 
                     
                   34, 46: snap ring 
                   40: prop 
                 
                 
                     
                   41: first guide pipe 
                   42: second guide pipe 
                 
                 
                     
                   43: third guide pipe 
                   45: support member 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                 
              
             
           
         
       
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Technical Field 
     Accordingly, the present invention is made in an effort to improve the above-mentioned problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a high quality and good function hiking stick characterized in that the length of a hiking stick may be quickly and easily adjusted through simple procedures, and the hiking stick may be prevented from bending in such a way to elastically support the weight. 
     Technical Solution 
     To achieve the above object, there is provided a hiking stick  10  wherein support pipes  11 ,  12  and  13  each having different diameters are engaged to each other, and the length is elastically adjusted by means of an adjusting unit  30 , and a handle  20  and a prop  40  are engaged to the tops and bottoms of the support pipes  11 ,  12  and  13 , comprising the adjusting unit  30  which includes a fixing pipe  31  engaged to bottom of the first support pipe  11 , and an operation pipe  32  which is engaged to the fixing pipe  31  and is elastically supported by means of a spring  33 , wherein a second support pipe  12  on an outer circumferential surface of which a plurality of engaging grooves  12   a  are formed at regular intervals is inserted in the interior of the first support pipe  11  and ascends and descends therein, and an engaging hole  31   b  passing through its side surface is formed at bottom of the fixing pipe  31 , and a stopper ball  31   a  is inserted in the engaging hole  31   b,  and when the ball  31   a  is pressed against the inner diameter of the operation pipe  32 , the ball  31   a  is caught by the engaging groove  12   a  of the second support pipe  12 , and the second support pipe  12  is fixed in the interior of the first support pipe  11 , and the operation pipe  32  ascends, and when the ball  31   a  is positioned in a wider expansion groove  32   a  at bottom of the operation pipe  32 , the ball  31   a  disengages from the engaging groove  12   a  of the second support pipe  12 , and the second support pipe  12  freely ascends or descends in the interior of the first support pipe  11 , and a snap ring  34  is engaged to bottom of the fixing pipe  31  so as to prevent the operation pipe  32  from disengaging. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     In the present invention, the length of the second support pipe  12  may be quickly and easily adjusted through simple procedures of pulling the operation pipe  32  of the adjusting unit  30 . When releasing the pulled operation pipe  32 , the length-adjusted first and second support pipes  11  and  12  are reliably fixed, so the length adjusting work may be simply finished while obtaining enhanced convenience when in use, which leads to the provision of a high quality and good function hiking stick. Also, a pair of springs formed of first and second springs  44   a  and  44   b  of the support unit  40  are provided so as to distribute and support weight, thus stably supporting the weight thanks to a synergic operation of the support force which balances a user&#39;s body and the buffer power, so the center of gravity may be stably maintained, while effectively absorbing impacts and preventing any deformation of the hiking stick, whereby safe mountain hiking may be obtained. 
     MODE FOR INVENTION 
     In order to accomplish the object, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the length of the hiking stick may be adjusted in such a way that support pipes  11 ,  12  and  13  each having different diameters are engaged, and the support pipes  11 ,  12  and  13  are inserted into the interiors of the neighboring support pipes, thus contracting the length, and when they are withdrawn, the length extends. 
     The support pipes  11 ,  12  and  13  are configured for their lengths to be adjusted by an adjusting unit  30 . A handle  20  and a prop  40  are engaged to the tops and bottoms of the support pipes  11 ,  12  and  13 . 
     The construction of the thusly constituted hiking stick  10  is a known art. The most important feature of the present invention lies in the construction of an adjusting unit  30  which is configured to facilitate the lengths of the support pipes to be quickly and easily adjusted when the operation pipe  32  is simply touched. 
     More specifically, the adjusting unit  30  comprises a fixing pipe  31  engaged to bottom of the first support pipe  11 , and an operation pipe  32  which is engaged to the fixing pipe  31  and is elastically supported by the spring  33 . 
     The second support pipe  12  is inserted into the interior of the first support pipe  11  and may ascend and descend therein. A plurality of engaging grooves  12   a  are formed at regular intervals on an outer circumferential surface of the second support pipe  12 . 
     At the bottom of the fixing pipe  31 , there is formed an engaging hole  31   b  which passes through its side surface. A stopper ball  31   a  is inserted in the engaging groove  31   b.    
     In a state that the stopper ball  31   a  is inserted in the engaging hole  31   b,  when the ball  31   a  is pressed against the inner diameter of the operation pipe  32 , it protrudes in an inward direction in the engaging hole  31 , so the ball  31   a  is caught by the engaging groove  12   a  of the second support pipe  12 , and the second support pipe  12  is fixedly inserted in the interior of the first support pipe  11 . 
     When the ball  31   a  ascends in the fixing pipe  31  by pulling the operation pipe  32 , the ball  31   a  is positioned in the wider expansion groove  32   a  at the bottom of the operation pipe  32  and remains free, so the ball  31   a  separates from the engaging groove  12   a  of the second support pipe  12 , and the second support pipe  12  may freely ascend or descend in the interior of the first support pipe  11 . 
     A snap ring is engaged to the bottom of the fixing pipe  31 , thus preventing the operation pipe  32  separating and moving toward the bottom of the fixing pipe  31 , and a shoulder  31   c  is formed at top of the fixing pipe  31 , so the operation pipe  32  may move between the shoulder  31   c  and the snap ring  34  in a state that the operation pipe  32  is elastically supported by the spring  33 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3   a,  in the present invention, the stopper ball  31   a  is engaged to the engaging groove  12   a  of the second support pipe  12 . In a state that the second support pipe  12  is fixedly inserted in the interior of the first support pipe  11 , when the operation pipe  32  is pulled in an upward direction, as illustrated in  FIG. 3   b,  the ball  31   a  is positioned in the wider expansion groove  32   a  at bottom of the operation pipe  32  and remains free. When the operation pipe  32  is released at a predetermined length while freely moving the second support pipe  12 , the operation pipe  32  descends by recovery force of the spring  33 , and the stopper ball  31   a  is pressed against the inner diameter of the operation pipe  32  and is caught by the engaging groove  12   a  of the second support pipe  12 , so the length of the second support pipe  12  is adjusted and fixed. 
     The length of the second support pipe  12  can be quickly and easily adjusted by a simple procedure of pulling the operation pipe  32 . When the pulled operation pipe  32  is released, the first and second support pipes  11  and  12  whose lengths have been already adjusted may be stably fixed, so it is possible to provide a high quality and good function hiking stick whose length may be easily adjusted, while enhancing convenience when in use. 
     Also, the stopper ball  31   a,  the fixing pipe  31 , the operation pipe  32  and the first and second support pipes  11  and  12  are all made from stainless steel, so once the stopper ball  31   a  is caught by the engaging groove  12   a  of the second support pipe  12 , it is stably fixed and won&#39;t easily separate from the engaging groove  12   a,  which makes sure that requirements of the resistance test may be met while substantially supporting the weight. So, the present invention may provide a hiking stick having a high competitiveness and good function by improving the problems encountered in the conventional art wherein the hiking stick is inserted into the interior of the support pipes and is bent or deformed, which causes critical accident when a user climbs down mountains and then loses the center of gravity. 
     The adjusting unit  30  may be also engaged to bottom of the second support pipe  12 , thus adjusting the length of the third support pipe  13  inserted in the second support pipe  12 . The engaging groove  13   a  is also formed at the third support pipe  13 , so the ball  31   a  of the adjusting unit  30  may be engaged thereto. 
     At this time, the lengths of the second support pipe  12  and the third support pipe  13  may be together adjusted by means of two adjusting units  30  for thereby more greatly adjusting the length of the hiking stick  10 . The length of the hiking stick may be adjusted much shorter, thus enhancing convenience when carrying the hiking stick. 
     The prop  40  comprises a first guide pipe  41  fixedly engaged to bottom of the third support pipe  13 , a second guide pipe  42  engaged to the first guide pipe  41 , a third guide pipe  43  engaged to the second guide pipe  42 , and first and second springs  44   a  and  44   b  which are inserted between the first and second guide pipes  41  and  42  and between the second and third guide pipes  42  and  43  for thereby elastically supporting the first guide pipe  41 . To bottom of the third guide pipe  43 , a cemented carbide support member  45  is engaged. 
     To bottom of the first guide pipe  41 , a snap ring  46  is engaged for thereby preventing the second guide pipe  42  from disengaging and moving toward bottom of the first guide pipe  41 . 
     In the above-described construction, since the first guide pipe  41  fixedly against the third support pipe  13  is elastically supported by means of the first and second springs  44   a  and  44   b,  the weight applied when the hiking stick  10  is touched may be elastically absorbed, by means of which it is possible to prevent the hiking stick  10  from bending or breaking or deforming, which results in safe hiking. 
     Since the two springs consisting of the first and second springs  44   a  and  44   b  are configured to support weight in such a way to distribute the weight, the support force maintaining a balance of a user&#39;s body and the buffer powder absorbing the impacts synergically operate, thus implementing a good function hiking stick, so the present invention may absorb impacts while maintaining the center of gravity by stably supporting the weight and prevent any deformation of the hiking stick, which leads to safe hiking. 
     The above-described exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustrative purposes and should understood in such a way that the above-described examples are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the meets and bounds of the claims, or equivalences of such meets and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.