Patent Publication Number: US-11045741-B2

Title: Hurdle structure

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a hurdle and, more particularly, to a hurdle structure for track and field sports. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional hurdle structure comprises two L-shaped racks, and a transverse bar mounted between the two L-shaped racks. Each of the two L-shaped racks includes a vertical section having an upper end secured to the transverse bar, and a horizontal section secured to the lower end of the vertical section. Thus, the user employs the hurdle structure for training purposes. However, the conventional hurdle structure has a fixed height that cannot be adjusted according to users of different height, so that the users of different height have to choose hurdle structures of different sizes, thereby causing inconvenience to the users. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a hurdle structure with an adjustable height. 
     In accordance with one embodiment the present invention, there is provided a hurdle structure comprising a transverse bar, two upright poles, two support rods, and a plurality of hinge mechanisms. The transverse bar has two ends. Each of the two upright poles has an upper end. Each of the hinge mechanisms is mounted between the transverse bar and each of the two upright poles and includes a first pivot member, and a second pivot member pivotally connected with the first pivot member. The first pivot member of each of the hinge mechanisms is provided with a first mounting portion secured on one of the two ends of the transverse bar. The second pivot member of each of the hinge mechanisms is provided with a second mounting portion secured on the upper end of one of the two upright poles. Each of the hinge mechanisms further includes an adjusting unit mounted between the first pivot member and the second pivot member. The adjusting unit of each of the hinge mechanisms includes a locking member and a positioning member. The locking member of each of the hinge mechanisms is provided with a plurality of grooves. The positioning member of each of the hinge mechanisms is provided with a projection positioned in one of the grooves of the locking member, such that each of the two upright poles is locked with the transverse bar, with a predetermined angle defined between each of the two upright poles and the transverse bar. 
     In accordance with another embodiment the present invention, there is provided a hurdle structure comprising a transverse bar, two upright poles, two support rods, and a plurality of hinge mechanisms. The transverse bar has two ends. Each of the two upright poles has a lower end. Each of the two support rods has an end portion. Each of the hinge mechanisms is mounted between each of the two upright poles and each of the two support rods and includes a first pivot member, and a second pivot member pivotally connected with the first pivot member. The first pivot member of each of the hinge mechanisms is provided with a first mounting portion secured on the lower end of one of the two upright poles. The second pivot member of each of the hinge mechanisms is provided with a second mounting portion secured on the end portion of one of the two support rods. Each of the hinge mechanisms further includes an adjusting unit mounted between the first pivot member and the second pivot member. The adjusting unit of each of the hinge mechanisms includes a locking member and a positioning member. The locking member of each of the hinge mechanisms is provided with a plurality of grooves. The positioning member of each of the hinge mechanisms is provided with a projection positioned in one of the grooves of the locking member, such that each of the two upright poles is locked with each of the two support rods, with a predetermined angle defined between each of the two upright poles and each of the two support rods. 
     Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hurdle structure in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the hurdle structure as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a locally enlarged cross-sectional view of the hurdle structure in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the hurdle structure in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a locally enlarged cross-sectional view of the hurdle structure in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a planar operational view showing an angle adjustment between the transverse bar and each of the two upright poles. 
         FIG. 7  is a planar operational view showing an angle adjustment between each of the two upright poles and each of the two support rods. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective folded view of the hurdle structure. 
         FIG. 9  is a locally enlarged cross-sectional view of the hurdle structure in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1-8 , a hurdle structure A in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a transverse bar  1 , two upright poles  2 , two support rods  3 , and a plurality of hinge mechanisms  4 . 
     The transverse bar  1  has two ends  11 . Each of the two upright poles  2  has an upper end  22 . Each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is mounted between the transverse bar  1  and each of the two upright poles  2  and includes a first pivot member  41 , and a second pivot member  42  pivotally connected with the first pivot member  41 . The first pivot member  41  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is provided with a first mounting portion  411  secured on one of the two ends  11  of the transverse bar  1 . The second pivot member  42  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is provided with a second mounting portion  421  secured on the upper end  22  of one of the two upright poles  2 . 
     Each of the hinge mechanisms  4  further includes an adjusting unit  43  mounted between the first pivot member  41  and the second pivot member  42 . The adjusting unit  43  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  includes a locking member  431  and a positioning member  432 . The locking member  431  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is provided with a plurality of grooves  4311 . The positioning member  432  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is provided with a projection  4321  positioned in one of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431 , such that each of the two upright poles  2  is locked with the transverse bar  1 , with a predetermined angle defined between each of the two upright poles  2  and the transverse bar  1 . 
     In adjustment, when the first pivot member  41  and the second pivot member  42  are driven by an external force to rotate relative to each other, the projection  4321  of the positioning member  432  is detached from one of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431  and is received in another one of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431 . Thus, the first pivot member  41  and the second pivot member  42  are rotated relative to each other to adjust the angle between the transverse bar  1  and each of the two upright poles  2  as shown in  FIG. 6  or to fold the transverse bar  1  and each of the two upright poles  2 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is also mounted between each of the two upright poles  2  and each of the two support rods  3 . Alternatively, each of the two upright poles  2  and each of the two support rods  3  are formed integrally. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the projection  4321  of the positioning member  432  is a circular rod, and each of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431  has a shape corresponding to that of the projection  4321 , such that the projection  4321  of the positioning member  432  is locked and secured in one of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431  has two sides each provided with an arcuate face  4312  to guide movement of the projection  4321  of the positioning member  432  along each of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the locking member  431  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is formed on the first pivot member  41 , and the positioning member  432  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is formed on the second pivot member  42 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the locking member  431  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is mounted between the first pivot member  41  and the second pivot member  42 , and the positioning member  432  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is formed on the first pivot member  41  and the second pivot member  42 . Preferably, the locking member  431  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  has two ends each provided with a plurality of grooves  4311 . 
     The hurdle structure A in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a transverse bar  1 , two upright poles  2 , two support rods  3 , and a plurality of hinge mechanisms  4 . 
     The transverse bar  1  has two ends  11 . Each of the two upright poles  2  has a lower end  21 . Each of the two support rods  3  has an end portion  31 . Each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is mounted between each of the two upright poles  2  and each of the two support rods  3  and includes a first pivot member  41 , and a second pivot member  42  pivotally connected with the first pivot member  41 . The first pivot member  41  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is provided with a first mounting portion  411  secured on the lower end  21  of one of the two upright poles  2 . The second pivot member  42  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is provided with a second mounting portion  421  secured on the end portion  31  of one of the two support rods  3 . 
     Each of the hinge mechanisms  4  further includes an adjusting unit  43  mounted between the first pivot member  41  and the second pivot member  42 . The adjusting unit  43  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  includes a locking member  431  and a positioning member  432 . The locking member  431  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is provided with a plurality of grooves  4311 . The positioning member  432  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is provided with a projection  4321  positioned in one of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431 , such that each of the two upright poles  2  is locked with each of the two support rods  3 , with a predetermined angle defined between each of the two upright poles  2  and each of the two support rods  3 . 
     In adjustment, when the first pivot member  41  and the second pivot member  42  are driven by an external force to rotate relative to each other, the projection  4321  of the positioning member  432  is detached from one of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431  and is received in another one of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431 . Thus, the first pivot member  41  and the second pivot member  42  are rotated relative to each other to adjust the angle between each of the two upright poles  2  and each of the two support rods  3  as shown in  FIG. 7  or to fold each of the two upright poles  2  and each of the two support rods  3  as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     In the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is also mounted between the transverse bar  1  and each of the two upright poles  2 . Alternatively, the transverse bar  1  and each of the two upright poles  2  are formed integrally. 
     In the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the projection  4321  of the positioning member  432  is a circular rod, and each of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431  has a shape corresponding to that of the projection  4321 , such that the projection  4321  of the positioning member  432  is locked and secured in one of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431 . 
     In the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431  has two sides each provided with an arcuate face  4312  to guide movement of the projection  4321  of the positioning member  432  along each of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 9  with reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , the positioning member  432  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  is provided with a receiving recess  4323 , and the projection  4321  of the positioning member  432  is mounted in the receiving recess  4323 . The adjusting unit  43  of each of the hinge mechanisms  4  further includes an elastic member  4322  mounted in the receiving recess  4323  and biased on the projection  4321  of the positioning member  432 , to push the projection  4321  of the positioning member  432  toward one of the grooves  4311  of the locking member  431 . 
     Accordingly, the angle between the transverse bar  1  and each of the two upright poles  2  is adjustable, and the angle between each of the two upright poles  2  and each of the two support rods  3  is adjustable, such that the hurdle structure A has a height that can be adjusted according to the user&#39;s requirement, thereby facilitating the user operating the hurdle structure A. In addition, the user only needs to rotate the first pivot member  41  and the second pivot member  42  to adjust the angle between the transverse bar  1  and each of the two upright poles  2 , and the angle between each of the two upright poles  2  and each of the two support rods  3 , such that the height of the hurdle structure A is adjusted easily and conveniently, thereby facilitating the user adjusting the height of the hurdle structure A. Further, the hurdle structure A is folded as shown in  FIG. 8 , thereby facilitating packaging, storage and transportation of the hurdle structure A. 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the invention.