초록 ▼

An item securing apparatus and method for securing at least one item in a ground surface at a beach or other location is provided. The item securing apparatus includes a ground engaging member that is insertable into the ground surface and a locking housing that removably attaches to the ground enga

An item securing apparatus and method for securing at least one item in a ground surface at a beach or other location is provided. The item securing apparatus includes a ground engaging member that is insertable into the ground surface and a locking housing that removably attaches to the ground engaging member. The locking housing is secured to the ground engaging member with one or more locking devices. An item securing mechanism attaches the item to the ground engaging member which secures the item to the ground surface.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention is claimed as follows: 1. An item securing apparatus operative to secure at least one item to a ground surface, the item securing apparatus comprising: a locking housing having a body portion and a handle portion extending from said body portion; a ground engaging member including a b

The invention is claimed as follows: 1. An item securing apparatus operative to secure at least one item to a ground surface, the item securing apparatus comprising: a locking housing having a body portion and a handle portion extending from said body portion; a ground engaging member including a body portion having a bottom end having a ground penetrating structure insertable into the ground surface and a top end opposite the bottom end, said body portion of the ground engaging member configured to telescopically receive the handle portion of the locking housing; a locking device positioned in the locking housing, the locking device movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, said locking device configured to (1) engage the top end of the ground engaging member to lock the locking housing to the top end of the ground engaging member in the locked position, and (2) disengage the top end of the ground engaging member to unlock the locking housing from the top end of the ground engaging member in the unlocked position; and at least one item securing mechanism having a first end thereof engageable with the body portion of the ground engaging member and having a second end thereof engageable with the at least one item to operatively secure the at least one item to the body portion of the ground engaging member. 2. The item securing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one item securing mechanism includes a securing member having an opening extending therethrough and wherein the body portion of the ground engaging member is configured to extend through the opening in the securing member to secure the at least one item securing mechanism thereto. 3. The item securing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the securing member is attached to at least one of a securing receptacle and a securing element. 4. The item securing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the securing receptacle includes a bag configured to store the item therein. 5. The item securing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the securing element includes a substantially strong and flexible material configured to attach to the item. 6. The item securing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the top end of the ground engaging member includes a flanged surface and wherein the locking device includes a locking member operable to engage the flanged surface of the ground engaging member when the locking device is moved into the locked position thereof. 7. The item securing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body portion of the ground engaging member defines at least one transversely extending opening therein, wherein prior to telescopically inserting the handle portion of the locking housing into the body portion of the around engaging member, the handle portion of the locking housing can be inserted through the at least one opening such that movement of the handle portion causes the ground engaging member to rotate. 8. The item securing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the body portion of the locking housing has a substantially conical configuration, the conical configuration including an upper portion having a first diameter and a base portion having a second diameter larger than the first diameter. 9. The item securing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the securing member defines an opening therein, the opening having a diameter of smaller size than the diameter of the base portion of the conical configuration. 10. The item securing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking device includes a locking member and at least one locking mechanism movable between locked and unlocked positions when the locking device is moved to respective locked and unlocked positions, wherein the locking member is configured to engage the locking mechanism when the locking device is moved to the locked position and wherein the locking member is configured to disengage the locking mechanism when the locking device is moved to the unlocked position. 11. The item securing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the locking mechanism includes a lock release member and at least one lock activator member positioned in the body portion of the locking housing, at least one movement transfer member configured to engage the lock release member at a first end thereof and configured to engage the lock activator member at a second end thereof and at least one biasing member configured to bias the lock activator member against the movement transfer member toward a locked position thereof. 12. The item securing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body portion of the ground engaging member is substantially tubular and configured to telescopically receive the handle portion of the locking housing so that the locking housing is freely rotatable relative to the ground engaging member. 13. The item securing apparatus of claim 12, which includes a biasing member positioned in the body portion of the ground engaging member, wherein the biasing member is configured to bias the handle portion of the locking housing away from the ground penetrating structure when the handle portion of the locking housing is telescopically received by the body portion of the ground engaging member. 14. The item securing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body portion of the locking housing includes a retractable coiled cable configured to attach to at least one of a securing receptacle and the at least one item. 15. An item securing apparatus operative to secure at least one item to a ground surface, the item securing apparatus comprising: a locking housing having a body portion and a handle portion; a ground engaging member including tubular body having a bottom end insertable into the ground surface and a top end configured to be engaged by the body portion of the locking housing, wherein the tubular body is configured to telescopically receive the handle portion of the locking housing so that the handle portion is freely rotatable relative to the tubular body; a locking device positioned in the body portion of the locking housing and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, said locking device configured to move from the unlocked position to the locked position when the handle portion of the locking housing is telescopically received in the tubular body of the ground engaging member, said locking device configured to (1) engage the top end of the ground engaging member to lock the locking housing to the top end of the ground engaging member in the locked position, and (2) disengage the top end of the ground engaging member to unlock the locking housing from the end of the ground engaging member in the unlocked position; and at least one item securing mechanism engageable with the tubular body of the ground engaging member at one end thereof and engageable with the at least one item at another end thereof. 16. The item securing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the locking device is positioned into the locked position thereof prior to the handle portion of the locking housing being telescopically received in the tubular body of the ground engaging member. 17. The item securing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the locking device includes a locking member and a locking mechanism movable between locked and unlocked positions when the locking device is moved to respective locked and unlocked positions, said locking member configured to engage the locking mechanism when the locking device is moved to the locked position and wherein the locking member is configured to disengage the locking mechanism when the locking device is moved to the unlocked position. 18. The item securing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the locking mechanism includes a lock release member and a lock activator member positioned in the body portion of the locking housing, a movement transfer member configured to engage the lock release member at a first end thereof and configured to engage the lock activator member at a second end thereof and a biasing member configured to bias the lock activator member against the movement transfer member toward a locked position thereof. 19. The item securing apparatus of claim 18, wherein when the locking member is positioned in the unlocked position, the lock release member is configured to move from a locked position to an unlocked position and movement of the lock release member into the unlocked position thereof applies a force to the movement transfer member to move the lock activator member into an unlocked position thereof from the locked position thereof. 20. The item securing apparatus of claim 19, wherein when the locking member moves into the locked position, the locking member is configured to engage the lock release member to move the lock release member into the locked position thereof. 21. The item securing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the movement transfer member is configured to move away from the lock activator member when the lock release member is moved into the locked position thereof and wherein the biasing member is configured to bias the lock activator member into the locked position thereof. 22. A method of securing at least one item to a ground surface, the method comprising: providing a locking housing having a body portion and a handle portion; providing a ground engaging member including a tubular body having a bottom end insertable into the ground surface and a top end configured to removably receive the handle portion of the locking housing; providing at least one item securing mechanism engageable with the tubular body of the ground engaging member at one end thereof and engageable with the at least one item at another end thereof; enabling the tubular body of the ground engaging member to telescopically receive the handle portion of the locking housing therein such that the handle portion is freely rotatable relative to the tubular body; and providing a locking device positioned in the body portion of the locking housing and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, said locking device configured to move from the unlocked position to the locked position when the handle portion of the locking housing is telescopically received in the tubular body of the ground engaging member, said locking device configured to (1) engage the top end of the ground engaging member to lock the locking housing to the top end of the ground engaging member in the locked positions, and (2) disengage the top end of the ground engaging member to unlock the locking housing from the top end of the ground engaging member in the unlocked position. 23. The method of claim 22, which includes enabling the handle portion to engage the ground engaging member to apply a rotational force to the ground engaging member to effect insertion of the ground engaging member into the ground surface. 24. An item securing apparatus operative to secure at least one item to a ground surface, the item securing apparatus comprising: a locking housing having a body portion and a handle portion extending from said body portion; a ground engaging member including a substantially tubular body portion having a bottom end insertable into the ground surface and a top end opposite the bottom end, said bottom end including a ground penetrating structure attached configured to penetrate the ground surface upon application of a predetermined rotational force to the body portion of the ground engaging member, said substantially tubular body portion configured to telescopically receive the handle portion extending from said body portion of the locking housing so that the locking housing is freely rotatable relative to the ground engaging member; a biasing member positioned in the substantially tubular body portion of the ground engaging member, said biasing member configured to bias the handle portion of the locking housing away from the ground penetrating structure when the handle portion of the locking housing is telescopically received by the substantially tubular body portion of the ground engaging member; a locking device positioned in the locking housing, the locking device movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, said locking device configured to (1) engage the top end of the ground engaging member to lock the locking housing to the top end of the ground engaging member in the locked position, and (2) disengage the top end of the ground engaging member to unlock the locking housing from the top end of the ground engaging member in the unlocked position; and at least one item securing mechanism having a first end thereof engageable with the body portion of the ground engaging member and having a second end thereof engageable with the at least one item to operatively secure the at least one item to the body portion of the ground engaging member. 25. The item securing apparatus of claim 24, wherein the at least one item securing mechanism includes a securing member having an opening extending therethrough and wherein the body portion of the ground engaging member is configured to extend through the opening in the securing member to secure the at least one item securing mechanism thereto. 26. The item securing apparatus of claim 24, wherein the substantially tubular body portion of the ground engaging member defines at least one transversely extending opening therein, wherein prior to being telescopically inserted into the substantially tubular body portion of the ground engaging member, the handle portion of the locking housing can be inserted through the at least one opening so that the handle portion can be moved to cause the ground engaging member to rotate. 27. An item securing apparatus operative to secure at least one item to a ground surface, the item securing apparatus comprising: a locking housing; a ground engaging member including a body portion having a bottom end insertable into the ground surface and a top end opposite the bottom end; a locking device positioned in the locking housing, the locking device movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, said locking device configured to (1) engage the top end of the ground engaging member to lock the locking housing to the top end of the ground engaging member in the locked position, and (2) disengage the top end of the ground engaging member to unlock the locking housing from the top end of the ground engaging member in the unlocked position, and wherein the body portion of the locking housing defines a secure compartment that can be locked or unlocked with the locking device; and at least one item securing mechanism having a first end thereof engageable with the body portion of the ground engaging member and having a second end thereof engageable with the at least one item to operatively secure the at least one item to the body portion of the ground engaging member. 28. The item securing apparatus of claim 27, wherein the locking device includes a locking member and at least one locking mechanism movable between locked and unlocked positions when the locking device is moved to respective locked and unlocked positions, wherein the locking member is configured to engage the locking mechanism when the locking device is moved to the locked position and wherein the locking member is configured to disengage the locking mechanism when the locking device is moved to the unlocked position. 29. The item securing apparatus of claim 28, wherein the at least one locking mechanism includes a lock release member and at least one lock activator member positioned in the body portion of the locking housing, at least one movement transfer member configured to engage the lock release member at a first end thereof and configured to engage the lock activator member at a second end thereof and at least one biasing member configured to bias the lock activator member against the movement transfer member toward a locked position thereof.