Abstract
The present invention contemplates an apparatus for, and methods of, securing a bracket or similar device to a support object, such as a tree trunk or pole or post, for the purpose of using said bracket to hold objects, particularly small portable objects such as canister stoves used as camping equipment by campers, backpackers, or outdoorsmen. Embodiments of the bracket comprise interlocked pieces which form a platform which receives a payload. Embodiments of the apparatus have rotating, pivoting pieces which can hold a payload in place. Notches or slots on the apparatus are usable to tie a rope or cord through, which can become wedged into the notches or slots, and this rope or cord can be wrapped around a support object. Frictional surfaces or protrusions on the apparatus assist in gripping the support object. Embodiments of the apparatus can be either folded or disassembled into flat, stackable pieces.
Claims
1. A method of latching a canister stove or other payload onto a payload-holding device, comprising the steps of: positioning a payload against a set of one or more payload barriers, and engaging a payload latch which secures the payload, wherein one or more payload barriers take the shape of notches, wherein the payload latch is engaged through rotation, and wherein the payload latch is engaged by rotating said payload latch around a hinge.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIGS. 1A through 6C illustrate a first example embodiment of the invention, wherein the invention is implemented in the form of a bracket which is capable of disassembly into flat pieces.
(2) FIG. 1A shows an exploded view of a first example embodiment of a bracket with its pieces disassembled.
(3) FIGS. 1B and 1C show the bracket from FIG. 1A after having been assembled.
(4) FIG. 2 shows the bracket with a canister stove placed on it and locked into place, and also shows a rope which is secured to a hole in the bracket.
(5) FIG. 3A shows a top view of the bracket, depicting an assembly catch piece in an open position.
(6) FIG. 3B shows a top view of the bracket, depicting an assembly catch piece in a closed position.
(7) FIG. 4A shows a close-up view of the bracket, depicting a rotating, pivoting latch piece in a closed position.
(8) FIG. 4B shows a close-up view of the bracket, depicting a rotating, pivoting latch piece in an open position.
(9) FIG. 4C shows a close-up view of the bracket after a fuel canister component of a canister stove has been placed on the bracket, and a rotating, pivoting latch piece has been closed around a bottom rim of the fuel canister.
(10) FIG. 5A shows a top view of the bracket after having been assembled.
(11) FIG. 5B shows a top view of the bracket after having been assembled and after having been secured to a tree trunk by using a rope.
(12) FIG. 6A shows a front perspective view of the bracket after having been assembled and after having been secured to a tree trunk by using a rope.
(13) FIG. 6B shows a front perspective view of the bracket, secured to a tree trunk and with a canister stove placed on it.
(14) FIG. 6C shows a front perspective view of the bracket, secured to a tree trunk and with a canister stove placed on it, and with a pot mounted on top of the canister stove.
(15) FIGS. 7A through 15 illustrate a second example embodiment of the invention, wherein the invention is implemented in the form of a folding bracket which is capable of folding into a flat configuration.
(16) FIG. 7A shows a front perspective view of a second example embodiment of a folding bracket, in an unfolded configuration with a rope attached.
(17) FIG. 7B shows a front perspective view of the folding bracket in an unfolded configuration.
(18) FIG. 7C shows a front perspective view of the folding bracket in a folded configuration.
(19) FIG. 8A shows a side view of the folding bracket in an unfolded configuration with a rope attached.
(20) FIG. 8B shows a side view of the folding bracket in an unfolded configuration.
(21) FIG. 8C shows a side view of the folding bracket in a folded configuration.
(22) FIG. 9A shows a top view of the folding bracket in an unfolded configuration with a rope attached.
(23) FIG. 9B shows a top view of the folding bracket in an unfolded configuration.
(24) FIG. 10A shows a rear perspective view of the folding bracket with a small stove fuel canister placed on it.
(25) FIG. 10B shows a rear perspective view of the folding bracket with a large stove fuel canister placed on it.
(26) FIG. 11A shows a front perspective view of the folding bracket with a small stove fuel canister placed on it.
(27) FIG. 11B shows a front perspective view of the folding bracket with a large stove fuel canister placed on it.
(28) FIG. 12 shows a top view of a payload latch positioned on the folding bracket.
(29) FIG. 13A shows a top view of the folding bracket with a payload of a camping stove fuel canister, as well as a payload latch in an open position.
(30) FIG. 13B shows a top view of the folding bracket with a payload of a camping stove fuel canister, as well as a payload latch in a closed position.
(31) FIG. 14A shows a perspective detail view of an upper attachment piece of the folding bracket.
(32) FIG. 14B shows a rear perspective view of the folding bracket in a folded position.
(33) FIG. 14C shows a rear perspective view of the folding bracket in an unfolded position.
(34) FIG. 15 shows a top perspective view of a lower frictional gripping component of the folding bracket.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(35) The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying figures. The description and drawings do not limit the invention; they are meant only to be illustrative of example embodiments. Other embodiments are also contemplated without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
(36) Referring now to the drawings, embodiments of the invention are shown and disclosed.
(37) FIGS. 1A through 6C illustrate a first example embodiment of the invention, wherein the invention is implemented in the form of a bracket which is capable of disassembly into flat pieces.
(38) FIG. 1A shows an exploded view of a first example embodiment of a bracket with its pieces disassembled. The bracket comprises a main body 100, an upper rope attachment piece 110, a crossbar 120, a lower frictional gripping piece 130, two rotating, pivoting latch pieces 101 and 121, two latch pivot bolts 102 and 122, an assembly catch piece 111, and an assembly catch pivot bolt 112. A platform for holding canister camping stoves or other payloads can be created by attaching the crossbar 120 to a bottom bar 104 on the main body 100, which is accomplished by interlocking a slot of the crossbar 120 with another slot 105 on the bottom bar 104. The resulting platform will comprise two bars arranged crosswise, one of which is the bottom bar 104 and the other one of which is the crossbar 120. In like manner, slots on the upper rope attachment piece 110 and the lower frictional gripping piece 130 can be interlocked into matching slots on the main body 100. Additionally, the rotating, pivoting latch piece 101 can be secured to the main body 100 by inserting the latch pivot bolt 102 through matching holes in the rotating, pivoting latch piece 101 and the main body 100; in like manner, the rotating, pivoting latch piece 121 can be secured to the crossbar 120 by inserting the latch pivot bolt 122 through matching holes in the rotating, pivoting latch piece 121 and the crossbar 120. Additionally, the assembly catch piece 111 can be secured to the upper rope attachment piece 110 by inserting the assembly catch pivot bolt 112 through matching holes in the assembly catch piece 111 and the upper rope attachment piece 110. Finally, a protrusion 113 on the assembly catch piece 111 is adapted to go into a notch 103 on the main body 100 after the bracket has been assembled. Note that various pieces of the bracket, when separate, can be stacked together in a compact manner due to their flat design and this can greatly facilitate storage and transport. Note also in this embodiment that the various pieces comprise holes and empty space, which results in lighter weight and enhances portability.
(39) FIG. 1B shows a view of the bracket from FIG. 1A after having been assembled. The upper rope attachment piece 110, the crossbar 120, and the lower frictional gripping piece 130 have all been attached to the main body 100 by interlocking their respective slots with matching slots on the main body 100. Additionally, the rotating, pivoting latch pieces 101 and 121 have been secured to the main body 100 and the crossbar 120, respectively, with the two latch pivot bolts 102 and 122. Additionally, the assembly catch piece 111 has been secured to the upper rope attachment piece 110 with the assembly catch pivot bolt 112. Finally, the assembly catch piece 111 has been rotated about assembly catch pivot bolt 112 in a manner that places the protrusion 113 into the notch 103 which is adapted to receive it; this provides an additional measure to secure the upper rope attachment piece 110 to the main body 100. Finally, the bottom bar 104 and the crossbar 120 now constitute a platform onto which canister stoves or other objects or payloads may be placed.
(40) FIG. 1C highlights features of the bracket which are adapted to fit specific payloads, such as standard large-diameter and small-diameter fuel canister components of canister campers' stoves. Larger-diameter fuel canisters may be accommodated through use of an upper notch 106 on the bottom bar 104 and an upper notch 126 on the crossbar 120. Smaller-diameter fuel canisters may be accommodated through the use of a lower notch 107 on the bottom bar 104 and a lower notch 127 on the crossbar 120. Additionally, this figure also highlights frictional protrusions 119 on the upper rope attachment piece 110 and other frictional protrusions 139 on the lower frictional gripping piece 130; these frictional protrusions help the bracket to grip and maintain its position when tied to a tree, pole, or other support object.
(41) FIG. 2 shows the bracket with a canister stove 140 placed on it and locked into place. The canister stove 140 rests on a platform created by components of bottom bar 104 and crossbar 120, as well as components of rotating, pivoting latches 101 (not shown) and 121. The canister stove 140 in this figure comprises a fuel canister, which has a bottom rim 150 which is accommodated by an upper notch 106 on bottom bar 104 and also by a top protrusion 121c on rotating, pivoting latch 121. Note that in the event that a smaller-diameter fuel canister is used, it can be supported by resting directly on upper surfaces of the bottom bar 104 and the crossbar 120, and its bottom rim can fit within lower notches 107 and 127 (shown in FIG. 1C). This figure also shows a rope 160 which is secured to a hole in upper rope attachment piece 110; this can be used to secure the bracket to a tree trunk, stationary post, or other support object.
(42) FIG. 3A shows a top view of assembly catch piece 111 in an open position, and depicts a protrusion 113 which is adapted to go into a notch 103 when the assembly catch piece 111 is rotated about an assembly catch pivot bolt 112.
(43) FIG. 3B shows a top view of assembly catch piece 111 in a closed position, and depicts how the protrusion 113 fits into the notch 103 when the assembly catch piece 111 is rotated about the assembly catch pivot bolt 112. This action provides extra stability by locking the upper rope attachment piece 110 to the main body 100 (shown in FIGS. 1A-1C).
(44) FIG. 4A shows a close-up view of rotating, pivoting latch piece 101 in a closed position. The rotating, pivoting latch piece in this figure comprises a bottom protrusion 101a, a middle protrusion 101b, and a top protrusion 101c, and it is rotatable around a latch pivot bolt 102. In this embodiment, the shapes and positions of the bottom, middle, and top protrusions 101a, 101b, and 101c are chosen so as to accommodate standard large-sized and standard small-sized fuel canisters of canister camp stoves. In this embodiment, rotation of the rotating, pivoting latch piece 101 into a closed position can be accomplished manually; alternatively, it can occur when a large-diameter fuel canister is placed on the bracket and presses down on the middle protrusion 101b, or when a small-diameter fuel canister is placed on the bracket and presses down on the bottom protrusion 101a.
(45) FIG. 4B shows a close-up view of rotating, pivoting latch piece 101 in an open position. In this position, the rotating, pivoting latch piece 101 has been rotated upwards around latch pivot bolt 102. This position can allow the bracket to receive payloads whose shapes allow them to interface with subcomponents of the rotating, pivoting latch piece 101, such as bottom, middle, and top protrusions 101a, 101b, and 101c.
(46) FIG. 4C shows a close-up view of rotating, pivoting latch piece 101 after a canister stove 140 has been placed on the bracket and the rotating, pivoting latch piece 101 has been closed so that a top protrusion 101c now surrounds a bottom rim 150 of a fuel canister component of the canister stove 140. In this view, the canister stove 140, including its fuel canister component, rests on middle protrusion 101b of the rotating, pivoting latch piece 101. In this figure, the use of a canister camp stove with a standard large-sized fuel canister is contemplated. It will be appreciated that a smaller fuel canister can also be used, and in such a case it will rest on the bottom bar 104 (shown in FIGS. 1A-1C) instead of on the middle protrusion 101b (shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B).
(47) FIG. 5A shows a top view of the bracket when assembled. An upper rope attachment piece 110 of the bracket comprises multiple slots 180. In this embodiment, the slots 180 have wide entrances and are tapered to become gradually narrower. The slots 180 are oriented in multiple directions, and some of them are oriented in opposite, alternating directions. These slots 180 have a tapered design, which causes a rope which is placed into a slot to wedge in and stay in place if the rope is pulled sufficiently deeply into the slot. The orientation of slots in multiple directions provides extra stability when a rope is wound through multiple slots. An additional feature of the upper rope attachment piece 110 comprises frictional protrusions 119, which can press into whichever tree, pole, or other support object is being used to secure the bracket.
(48) FIG. 5B shows a top view of the bracket when assembled, with a rope 160 having been wound through slots 180 on an upper rope attachment piece 110; said rope 160 is simultaneously being used to secure the bracket to a tree trunk 190. In this figure, one end of said rope 160 is secured to the upper rope attachment piece 110 by having been threaded through a hole 115, looped, and connected to itself with a clasp 170; however, alternate embodiments are also contemplated where the rope can be secured simply by being wound through slots on both sides of the upper rope attachment piece 110.
(49) FIG. 6A shows a front perspective view of the bracket after being secured to a tree trunk. This is accomplished by passing a rope 160 around the tree trunk, and by securing the rope 160 to both sides of an upper rope attachment piece 110, such as by winding the rope 160 through slots on the bracket as shown in FIG. 5B.
(50) FIG. 6B shows a front perspective view of the bracket after being secured to a tree trunk and after placing a canister stove 140 on the bracket and locking said canister stove 140 in place, as depicted in FIGS. 4A through 4C.
(51) FIG. 6C shows a front perspective view of the bracket and a canister stove 140 with a pot 199 placed on top, secure on the tree trunk and ready for use.
(52) FIGS. 7A through 14 illustrate a second example embodiment of the invention, wherein the invention is implemented in the form of a folding bracket which is capable of folding into a flat configuration.
(53) FIG. 7A shows a second example embodiment of a bracket, implemented in the form of a folding bracket 200, shown here in an unfolded configuration with a rope 201 attached.
(54) FIG. 7B shows a front perspective view of the folding bracket 200 from FIG. 7A, which comprises an upper attachment piece 210, vertical supports 220a and 220b, and a platform 230. The pictured embodiment also includes an optional, central connection element 220c which links vertical supports 220a and 220b. Components of the folding bracket in this embodiment include a support string 240a, which has been placed on string attachments 241a and 242a. An opposite side of the bracket has a support string 240b which has been placed on two additional string attachments (not pictured). In some embodiments, support strings 240a and 240b are adapted to be removable. In some embodiments, one or more string attachments can be implemented in the form of knobs. The pictured embodiment includes a hinge 243a, and an additional hinge (not pictured) on an oppposite side of the folding bracket; these hinges allow the folding bracket to be switched between folded and unfolded positions. The pictured embodiment also comprises a hook 235a which is suitable for holding an item, such as a portable bag. Some embodiments will include an additional side hook (not pictured) on an opposite side of the folding bracket.
(55) FIG. 7C shows a front perspective view of the folding bracket in a folded configuration, which includes an upper attachment piece 210 and a platform 230.
(56) FIG. 8A shows a side view of the folding bracket 200 in an unfolded configuration with a rope 201 attached.
(57) FIG. 8B shows a side view of the folding bracket in an unfolded configuration. In this embodiment, the folding bracket comprises an upper attachment piece 210, a vertical support 220a, a corresponding vertical support 220b (not pictured) on an opposite side, a platform 230, a hook 235a, a support string 240a, an additional corresponding support string 240b (not pictured) on an opposite side, string attachments 241a and 242a, a hinge 243a, a payload latch 280, and a lower frictional gripping component 290.
(58) FIG. 8C shows a side view of the folding bracket in a folded configuration, which includes an upper attachment piece 210, a vertical support 220a, a corresponding vertical support 220b (not pictured) on an opposite side, and a platform 230.
(59) FIG. 9A shows a top view of folding bracket 200 in an unfolded configuration with a rope 201 attached.
(60) FIG. 9B shows a top view of the folding bracket in an unfolded configuration, said folding bracket comprising upper attachment piece 210 and platform 230. The folding bracket also comprises outer barriers 250a and 250b, as well as inner barriers 260a and 260b. The outer barriers 250a and 250b are positioned to interface with a larger payload, and the inner barriers 260a and 260b are positioned to interface with a smaller payload. In the embodiment shown, the outer barriers 250a and 250b and the inner barriers 260a and 260b take the form of notches, which are adapted to interface with fuel canisters of camping stoves.
(61) FIG. 10A shows a rear perspective view of the folding bracket with a small stove fuel canister placed on it. In this view, a stove attachment 300 is attached to a small fuel canister 310, which in turn is secured by a payload latch 280 and by inner barriers 260b (not pictured) and 260a. In the embodiment shown, these inner barriers take the form of notches which surround a lower rim 311 of the small fuel canister 310.
(62) FIG. 10B shows a rear perspective view of the folding bracket with a large stove fuel canister placed on it. In this view, a stove attachment 300 is attached to a large fuel canister 320, which in turn is secured by a payload latch 280 and by outer barriers 250b (not pictured) and 250a. In the embodiment shown, these outer barriers take the form of notches which surround a lower rim 321 of the small fuel canister 320.
(63) FIG. 11A shows a front perspective view of the folding bracket 200 with a small fuel canister 310 placed on it.
(64) FIG. 11B shows a front perspective view of the folding bracket 200 with a large fuel canister 320 placed on it.
(65) FIG. 12 shows a top view of a payload latch 280 positioned on a platform 230 of the folding bracket. In the embodiment shown, the payload latch comprises a central hinge 281, a cam component 282, and a tab 283. In the embodiment shown, the platform 230 comprises an optional motion stopper 284 which is adapted to block motion of the tab 283 and prevent payload latch rotation past that point.
(66) FIG. 13A shows a top view of the folding bracket, showing a payload of a fuel canister 310, and a payload latch 280 (comprising cam component 282) which is in an open position.
(67) FIG. 13B shows a top view of the folding bracket, showing a payload of a fuel canister 310, and a payload latch 280 which has been rotated into a closed position. After being rotated, a cam component 282 of the payload latch 280 becomes positioned above a lower rim 311 of fuel canister 310, and also presses against a side of fuel canister 310. It will be appreciated that cam component 282 can engage payloads of different sizes and/or different positions, depending on how far the payload latch 280 is rotated.
(68) FIG. 14A shows a perspective detail view of the upper attachment piece 210 and an accompanying rope 201, in which the upper attachment piece has been separated from the rest of the folding bracket. In this embodiment, the upper attachment piece 210 comprises frictional teeth 211. In this embodiment, slots 212a and 212b are positioned on a front side of upper attachment piece 210, while slots 213a and 213b are positioned on a rear side of upper attachment piece 210 and are oriented in alternating, opposite directions from slots 212a and 212b. In this detail view, rope 201 is secured to a hole 214 in upper attachment piece 210, and is capable of being wound through and/or wedged into one or more of the slots.
(69) FIG. 14B shows a rear perspective view of the folding bracket, comprising upper attachment piece 210 and platform 230, when configured in a folded position.
(70) FIG. 14C shows a rear perspective view of the folding bracket, comprising upper attachment piece 210 and platform 230, after having been unfolded and fitted with securing strings 240a and 240b.
(71) FIG. 15 shows a top rear perspective view of a lower frictional gripping component 290 of the folding bracket, said lower frictional gripping component 290 comprising protrusions 291a and 291b which assist with the folding bracket's capacity to grip a tree, a post, or another support object (not pictured). In this embodiment, the lower frictional gripping component 290 also comprises holes 292a and 292b, through which a rope or cord (not pictured) can optionally be placed in order to help secure the folding bracket to a support object.
