US3162377A

US3162377A - Collapsible lantern structure

Info

Publication number: US3162377A
Application number: US181602A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ozeki Hidetaro
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-03-24
Filing date: 1962-03-22
Publication date: 1964-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 1981-12-22

Description

Dec. 22, 1964 HIDETARO OZEKI COLLAPSIBLE LANTERN STRUCTURE Filed March 22, 1962 FIG. I

FIG. 2

FIG. 4

FIG. 5

INVENTOR Hidetoro Ozeki ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,162,377 COLLAPSIBLE LANTERN STRUCTURE Hidetaro Ozeki, Oguma-cho 1-7, Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan Filed Mar. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 181,602 Claims priority, application Japan, Mar. 24, 1961, 36/ 14,452 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-36) The present invention relates to a collapsible lantern structure for a lantern commonly known as a Japanese lantern.

Heretofore a particular type of such a lantern has had upper and lower frames between which are arranged a series of horizontal rings made of split bamboo and covered with paper or cloth. Alternatively, instead of a series of separate horizontal rings, the lantern has had a coil made of a piece of split bamboo which extends in a continuous piece from the top frame to the bottom frame, and which coil is covered with paper or the like. These lanterns, while they are easily collapsible by exerting pressure on the top and bottom, are rather fragile, and are diflicult to make because of the difficulty in manipulating the parts thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lantern structure for a Japanese lantern in which there are ribs extending substantially vertically of the lantern from the top frame to the bottom frame such that the lantern is collapsible into a long thin collapsed condition when it is not in use.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification and claim, taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing a lantern structure in a partially collapsed condition;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view, also partly broken away, of a portion of the lamp structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the lantern structure according to the present invention in the fully expanded condition;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the lamp as shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lantern structure in the fully collapsed condition.

As seen in the figures, the framework for the lantern structure has a top end frame 2 and a bottom end frame 2', each of which are in the form of a closed figure here shown as a metal ring. Secured between these end frames at points equidistantly spaced around the end frames are a plurality of longitudinal ribs 1 which are resilient so as to permit of being bent from their slightly outwardly curved relaxed shape as shown in FIG. 1 to a relatively sharply bent shape as shown in FIG. 3. The longitudinal ribs 1 can be of split bamboo, wire, or plastic. Resilient connecting members 3 and 3' are secured to each end of each rib 1 and connect the ribs to the

end frames

2 and 2. The connecting members are here shown in the form of coil springs 311 having a hook 3b on one end thereof which is hooked around the end frame, and the other end of the coil spring being secured to a rib 1, for example by passing the end of the spring through the rib.

Over the outside of the ribs 1 is placed an expansible covering 4 having a high tenacity, such as stretchable paper, cloth or plastic sheet material, which is secured to the ribs along the length of the ribs and which in the relaxed condition has a shape as shown in FIG. 1. The edge of the covering 4 is placed along the connecting

members

3 and 3.

To expand the lantern fully to give it the shape in which it is to be used, the

end frames

2 and 2 are pressed toward each other until the ribs 1 are bent outwardly 3,162,377 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 to the point where the expansible covering 4 reaches the limit of its expansion, at which point the lantern structure will have the shape as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The resilient connecting members 3 and 3' will permit the positions of the ends of ribs 1 to shift relative to the end frames 2 and 2' so that the ribs 1 can adjust their positions according to the expansion of the ex-pansible covering 4. The end frames can then be held in the pressed in positions, for example by connecting a tension member (not shown) between them.

In order to col-lapse the lantern structure completely for transportation and storage, the

end frames

2 and 2 are twisted in opposite directions relative to each other, whereupon the ribs 1 with the expansible covering 4 thereon are twisted around one another until they reach the position a shown in FIG. 5. During this collapsing operation, the resilient connecting members 3 and 3' can stretch to accommodate the varying movements of the different ribs 1, so that the connections between the ribs 1 and the end frames 3 and 3' are not unduly stressed.

It will be understood that the ribs 1 need not necessarily be equidistantly spaced around the

end frames

2 and 2, the equidistant spacing shown and described merely being the preferred embodiment. Likewise, the coil spring members 3 and 3' are the preferred form of resilient connecting members, other forms being possible.

Thus there is provided a very simple collapsible lantern structure which is easily constructed with readily available materials and is durable and collapsible for taking up minimum storage space. The resilient connecting members which connect the ribs to the end frames are such that they not only take up any unduly large stresses between the ribs and the end frames, but they also permit the use of slightly varying lengths of ribs 1 since the resilient nature of these connecting members makes them adjustable in length.

It is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the pants without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

A collapsible lantern structure for a Japanese lantern, comprising two spaced aligned end frames in the form of closed figures, a plurality of resilient ribs extending between said end frames and adapted to curve outwardly with respect to the central axis through the two spaced aligned end frames, a connecting means at each end of each rib connected to the rib and the end frame adjacent thereto and connecting said ribs to said end frames at points spaced around the peripheries of said end frames, each of said connecting means being a coil spring having a hook on one end hooked around an end frame for providing a rotatable connection of the coil spring to the end frame, and having the other end secured to a rib, whereby the coil spring tends to assume a position substantially coaxial with the line between the end of the rib and the end frame and to expand and contract along this line, and an expansible covering secured to the ribs along the length of the ribs and being expansible to the fully outwardly curved condition of said resilient ribs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 410,613 Sprague Sept. 10, 1889 2,732,489 Leech Jan. 24, 1956 2,796,517 Herzfelder June 18, 1957 2,819,386 Linderoth Jan. 7, 1958