Joint assembly

Abstract

A joint assembly is mounted between adjacent supports of a frame of a tent and has a female joint, a male joint and a slide. The male joint covers on the female joint. The slide is mounted slidably between the joints and abuts a resilient member. The female joint has a partition with at least one through hole to allow a protrusion of the slide to selectively pass through. When the slide moves to mount the protrusion in the through hole, the joints are held from rotating relative to each other. When the slide moves to completely retract between the joints, the protrusion leaves the through hole to allow the joints to rotate relative to each other. Therefore, when the frame is folded, the slide is completely retracted to avoid damage other components.

1 . A joint assembly comprising:
 a female joint having
 a partition formed on an inside surface of the female joint and having at least one through hole; and 
 an inner annular channel formed in the inside surface of the female joint; 
   a male joint mounted on and covering the inside surface of the female joint and having
 an inside surface of the male joint facing the inside surface of the female joint; and 
 an opening formed through a sidewall of the male joint; 
   a slide mounted slidably between the female and male joints through the opening and having
 a first side of the slide faces to the inside surface of the male joint; 
 a second side of the slide faces to the inside surface of the female joint; and 
 a protrusion formed on the second side of the slide and selectively mounted in the at least one through hole of the partition; 
   a resilient member mounted between a proximal end of the slide and the sidewall of the male joint; and   two extending tubes formed respectively on and protruding transversely out from sidewalls of the female and male joints.   
     
     
         2 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the male joint has a radial groove formed in the inside surface of the male joint;   the opening of the male joint communicates with the radial groove of the male joint; and   the slide is mounted slidably in the radial groove of the mail joint.   
     
     
         3 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein
 the male joint has multiple guiding ribs formed in the radial groove; and   the slide has multiple guiding grooves are formed in the first side of the slide and mounted movably on the guiding ribs of the male joint.   
     
     
         4 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the female joint has an outer annular channel;   the partition is formed between the inner and outer annular channels of the female joint; and   the male joint has a C-shaped mounting rib formed on the inside surface of the male joint and having a gap aligning with the opening of the male joint.   
     
     
         5 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the male joint has a limiting shaft formed on the inside surface of the male joint; and   the slide has an elongated hole formed through the slide and mounted movably around the limiting shaft.   
     
     
         6 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein
 the female joint has a central pivot formed at a center of the inside surface of the female joint; and   the limiting shaft of the male joint is mounted around the central pivot of the female joint.   
     
     
         7 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein
 the male joint has a limiting shaft formed on the inside surface of the male joint; and   the slide has an elongated hole formed through the slide and mounted movably around the limiting shaft.   
     
     
         8 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein
 the female joint has a central pivot formed at a center of the inside surface of the female joint; and   the limiting shaft of the male joint is mounted around the central pivot of the female joint.   
     
     
         9 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the partition of the female joint has multiple through holes. 
     
     
         10 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each extending tube has
 a C-shaped sliding recess formed in a sidewall of the extending tube; and   a connecting tube mounted rotatably around the extending tube, and each connecting tube has two limiting pins mounted therethrough and sliding in the sliding recess of the corresponding extending tube.   
     
     
         11 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein each extending tube has
 a C-shaped sliding recess formed in a sidewall of the extending tube; and   a connecting tube mounted rotatably around the extending tube, and each connecting tube has two limiting pins mounted therethrough and sliding in the sliding recess of the corresponding extending tube.   
     
     
         12 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a receiving recess and a wedge are formed respectively on ends of the extending tubes, and a length of the wedge is larger than a depth of the receiving recess. 
     
     
         13 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein a receiving recess and a wedge are formed respectively on ends of the extending tubes, and a length of the wedge is larger than a depth of the receiving recess. 
     
     
         14 . The joint assembly as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the slide has multiple knurls formed on a distal end of the slide.