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Portable adjustable shade structure

  • US 7,703,469 B2
  • Filed: 06/13/2008
  • Issued: 04/27/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
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Petitions
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Forward Citations
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Assignment
First Claim
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1. A canopy structure comprising a frame and a canopy,wherein the frame comprises a central connecting member and four legs, four arms, and four leg connecting members;

  • andwherein each leg comprises an upper section and a lower section, each arm comprises an inner section and an outer section; and

    wherein the outer section of each arm is connected to the upper section of a leg at a leg connecting member, and the inner section of each arm is pivotally connected to the central connecting member; and

    wherein each leg is telescopic; and

    wherein the canopy structure has a top, the top being at least partially defined by a plane created by the arms when the canopy structure is in an expanded state, and wherein the top may be adjusted to an angle other than horizontal through the adjusting of two adjacent telescopic legs to a length that varies from the length of the other two legs; and

    wherein each leg connecting member comprises an arm bracket and a leg bracket, where the outer section of each arm is connected to the upper section of a leg at the arm bracket, and where the upper section of each leg is connected to the leg bracket; and

    wherein each leg and respective leg connecting member remain rigid with respect to one another, where the rigidity between each leg and respective leg connecting member is achieved by inserting the end of the upper section of a leg into the leg bracket of the leg connecting member, and the insertion of at least one rivet,where the leg bracket is an orifice or opening of such complementary shape that the end of the upper section leg may be inserted therein; and

    wherein each arm and respective arm bracket are pivotally connected to one another, where the pivotal connection between each arm and respective arm bracket is defined by the rotation of each arm around an axis within each respective arm bracket, the axis being achieved through a rivet, the rivet connecting the arm and two arm bracket wall surfaces, the arm bracket wall surfaces residing on opposing sides of the end of the outer section of the arm; and

    wherein the central connecting member comprises a releasable canopy locking mechanism and a plurality of central arm brackets, where the number of central arm brackets is equal to the number of arms, and wherein the inner portion of each arm and a respective central arm bracket are pivotally connected to one another, where the pivotal connection between each arm and respective central arm bracket is defined by the pivoting of each of the arms about a respective axis within each respective central connecting member, the pivoting permitting the folding of each of the arms of the frame into substantially parallel positions, where the axis is achieved through the a rivet, the rivet connecting the arm and two respective central arm bracket wall surfaces, the central arm bracket wall surfaces residing on opposing sides of the end of the inner section of the arm; and

    where the frame further comprises four cross arms and four cross arm connecting members, where each cross arm connecting member comprises two cross arm brackets, where the cross arms are structures that extend from one of the cross arm brackets of the cross arm connecting member of one leg, residing below or just below the leg connecting member of that leg, to a cross arm connecting member of an adjacent leg, residing below or just below the leg connecting member of that adjacent leg, and wherein each leg is connected to each adjacent leg by one cross arm, such that the cross arms in aggregate essentially form a perimeter around the canopy structure, when viewed from above, and where each cross arm is substantially parallel to the plane created by the arms of the canopy structure when the canopy structure is fully erected; and

    wherein the releasable locking mechanism on the central connecting member comprises a ring, a cable, a spring and a locking pin, where the ring resides outside of and below the central connecting member and is connected to a cable, the cable being connected to four locking pins, the locking pins residing substantially within the central connecting member, and where each locking pin is pushed by a respective spring away from the center of the central connecting member and into a hollow opening at the end of the inner section of the arm, so as to provide substantially stable support for each arm relative to the central connecting member.

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