U.S. patent application number 10/332755 was filed with the patent office on 2003-10-02 for foldable tent.
Invention is credited to Viglione, Dean Peter.
Application Number | 20030183263 10/332755 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 3822837 |
Filed Date | 2003-10-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030183263 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Viglione, Dean Peter |
October 2, 2003 |
Foldable tent
Abstract
A foldable self-erecting tent (10) has an elongate shell (1) of
fabric sheet material and frame ribs (16). The tent (10) has an
erect configuration in which the frame ribs (16) of the shell (11)
define an interior space the of tent (10), and a collapsed and
folded configuration in which the shell (11) is compacted and the
frame is manipulated such that the tent (10) is stored in carry bag
(25). The shell (11) includes a floor panel (12) and at least one
upper panel (13) joined thereto, the floor panel (12) being adapted
to be fixed to the ground. The upper panel (13) has sleeves (17)
associated therewith, the sleeves (17) extending from a plurality
of positions adjacent adjoining sides of the upper panel (13) and
the floor panel (12) on one side of the floor panel (12) to a
position on the opposite side of the floor panel (12). The frame
ribs (16) are adapted to be fitted into the sleeves (17) and are
secured at their ends such that ribs (16) are bowed in arcuate
configurations, the ribs (16) being made from a resilient spring
like material urging against the shell (11) of fabric sheet
material to form the interior space. The frame ribs (16) are
moveable from the erect configuration where they are spaced apart
to the collapsed configuration where they adjacent to each other
into a substantially flat arrangement with a diameter of the
transverse cross section being substantially identical to that of
the erect configuration, the ribs (16) being adapted to be
manipulated into a loop arrangement (23) thereby reducing the
diameter in the collapsed and folded configuration, the tent in
flat collapsed and folded configuration being adapted to be stored
in the storage carry bag (25).
Inventors: |
Viglione, Dean Peter;
(Wetherill Park Nsw, AU) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GREENBERG TRAURIG, P.C.
77 WEST WACKER DRIVE
CHICAGO
IL
60601-1732
US
|
Family ID: |
3822837 |
Appl. No.: |
10/332755 |
Filed: |
April 28, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
July 13, 2001 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/AU01/00843 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
135/126 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 15/56 20130101;
E04H 15/40 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
135/126 |
International
Class: |
E04H 015/40 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 13, 2000 |
AU |
PQ 8772 |
Claims
1. A foldable self-erecting tent having an elongate shell of fabric
sheet material and a plurality of frame ribs, said tent having an
erect configuration in which said frame ribs of said shell define
an interior space of said tent, and a collapsed and folded
configuration in which the shell is compacted and the frame is
manipulated such that said tent is stored in a carry bag, wherein
said shell includes a floor panel and at least one upper panel
joined thereto, said floor panel having fixing means being adapted
to be fixed to the ground, said at least one upper panel having
sleeves associated therewith, said sleeves extending from a
plurality of positions adjacent adjoining sides of said upper panel
and said floor panel on one side of said floor panel to a position
on opposite side of said floor panel, said frame ribs being adapted
to be fitted into said sleeves and being secured at their ends such
that said ribs are bowed in all arcuate configuration, said ribs
being made from a resilient spring like material urging against the
shell of fabric sheet material to form said interior space, wherein
said frame ribs are moveable from the erect configuration where
they are spaced apart to said collapsed configuration where they
are adjacent to each other into a substantially flat arrangement
with a diameter of the transverse cross section being substantially
identical to that of the erect configuration, said ribs being
adapted to be manipulated into a loop arrangement thereby reducing
the diameter in the collapsed and folded configuration, and said
tent in flat said collapsed and folded configuration being adapted
to be stored in the storage carry bag.
2. The foldable tent according to claim 1, wherein the floor panel
and the upper panel are formed by an integral construction of the
shell with a portion of the shell being relatively flat and being
adapted to be fixed to the ground.
3. The foldable tent according to claim 2, wherein the sleeves
extend from ground level to ground level over the upper portion of
the shell.
4. The foldable tent according to claim 1, wherein in the collapsed
and folded configuration, the ribs are looped once with the ends of
the ribs facing the same general direction, the ribs being held
against the bias of the ribs by a strap means.
5. The foldable tent according to claim 4, wherein the ends of the
ribs are tucked under the fabric sheet material when in the
collapsed and folded configuration.
6. The foldable tent according to claim 5, wherein the ribs are
looped at least one and a half times.
7. The foldable tent according to claim 4, wherein securing means
are used to secure the ribs together in the collapsed and folded
configuration.
8. The foldable tent according to claim 1, wherein the ribs are
removable from the sleeves in order that they can be replaced when
necessary, and are secured to tags located adjacent adjoining sides
of said upper panel and said floor panel.
9. The foldable tent according to claim 8, wherein the ribs are
secured by means of being received through an eyelet.
10. The foldable tent according to claim 9, wherein the tags are
use to fix the tent to the ground by pegging to the ground.
11. The foldable tent according to claim 10, wherein the pegs are
used through different eyelets to those used by the ribs.
12. The foldable tent according to claim 1, wherein the tent is
elongate with a central upper panel and two oppositely located end
upper panels.
13. The foldable tent according to claim 12, wherein openings are
provided in the end panels.
14. The foldable tent according to claim 1, wherein the ribs are
formed into pairs, wherein a pair of ribs and hence the sleeves
have two cross over points about half the height of the tent with
the upper portion of each rib being located substantially above the
ends of the other rib in the pair whereby adjacent pairs of ribs
and sleeves pull apart from each other when in the erected
configuration to give a taut surface to the fabric sheet material,
due to the bias or spring action of the ribs within the
sleeves.
15. The foldable tent according to claim 14, wherein the crossover
points of the ribs are located at the apex of the tent.
16. The foldable tent according to claim 14, wherein there is no
crossover points of each pair of ribs.
17. The foldable tent according to claim 14, wherein the ribs are
not joined in pairs but are adjacent each other but directed in
opposing directions.
18. The foldable tent according to claim 1, wherein the carry bag
is a substantially flat oval shaped bag.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to tents and, in particular,
to a tent having an integral frame with attached fabric covering,
which is self erecting, collapsible and is easily folded such that
it is stowable in a carry bag or the like.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0002] Self-erecting tents are tents which utilise as a frame, a
number of wire loops which are sewn into a sleeve in the fabric
covering such that when the tent is released form its collapsed
state, it springs into the shape of a tent due to the spring action
of the wire loops.
[0003] However it has been found that prior art tents such as
described above are not relatively easy to stow in a bag to be
carried on one's back or over one's shoulder.
[0004] It is therefore seen to be desirable to have a foldable
self-erecting tent which has the provision of a frame which is easy
to fold into a flat collapsed state such that it is easily stowable
into a carry bag which is suitable to be carried on ones back or
over ones shoulder.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
foldable self-erecting tent and a method of folding same which
substantially overcomes or ameliorates the above mentioned
disadvantages. At the very least, the object of the invention is to
provide an alternative to known foldable self-erecting tents and
their methods of use.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention there is
disclosed foldable self-erecting tent having an elongate shell of
fabric sheet material and a plurality of frame ribs, said tent
having an erect configuration in which said frame ribs of said
shell define an interior space of said tent, and a collapsed and
folded configuration in which the shell is compacted and the frame
is manipulated such that said tent is stored in a carry bag,
wherein said shell includes a floor panel and at least one upper
panel joined thereto, said floor panel having fixing means being
adapted to be fixed to the ground, said at least one upper panel
having sleeves associated therewith, said sleeves extending from a
plurality of positions adjacent adjoining sides of said upper panel
and said floor panel on one side of said floor panel to a position
on opposite side of said floor panel, said frame ribs being adapted
to be fitted into said sleeves and being secured at their ends such
that said ribs are bowed in an arcuate configuration, said ribs
being made from a resilient spring like material urging against the
shell of fabric sheet material to form said interior space, wherein
said frame ribs are moveable from the erect configuration where
they are spaced apart to said collapsed configuration where they
are adjacent to each other into a substantially flat arrangement
with a diameter of the transverse cross section being substantially
identical to that of the erect configuration, said ribs being
adapted to be manipulated into a loop arrangement thereby reducing
the diameter in the collapsed and folded configuration, and said
tent in flat said collapsed and folded configuration being adapted
to be stored in the storage carry bag.
[0007] The floor panel and the upper panel can be formed by an
integral construction of the shell with a portion of the shell
being relatively flat and being adapted to be fixed to the ground.
The sleeves in this construction extending from ground level to
ground level over the upper portion of the shell.
[0008] Preferably, in the collapsed and folded configuration where
the ribs are looped once with the ends of the ribs facing the same
general direction, the ribs are held against the bias of the ribs
by a strap means. Preferably, the ends of the ribs are tucked under
the fabric sheet material when in this configuration. In other
forms of the invention, the ribs can be looped one and a half
times, or more.
[0009] In a preferred form of the invention, the carry bag is a
substantially flat oval shaped bag with two sides joined together.
Preferably, the join of the two sides of the bag is reinforced by
an oval rib. The carry bag preferably has at least one carry
handle.
[0010] In a preferred form of the invention, the ribs are removable
from the sleeves in order that they can be replaced when necessary,
and are secured to tags located adjacent adjoining sides of said
upper panel and said floor panel. They are preferably secured by
means of being received through an eyelet. Preferably, these same
tags have are use to fix the tent to the ground by pegging same to
the ground. Preferably, pegs are used through different eyelets to
those used by the ribs.
[0011] In a preferred form, the tent is elongate with a central
upper panel and two oppositely located end upper panels. Openings
are preferably provided in the end panels.
[0012] In the preferred form, the ribs are formed into pairs
wherein a pair of ribs and hence the sleeves have two cross over
points about half the height of the tent with the upper portion of
each rib being located substantially above the ends of the other
rib in the pair. Adjacent pairs of ribs and sleeves pull apart from
each other when in the erected configuration to give a taut surface
to the fabric sheet material, due to the bias or spring action of
the ribs within the sleeves.
[0013] Naturally this preferred arrangement of the ribs can be
altered whereby the crossover points of the ribs are located at the
apex of the tent or in another alternative, there is no crossover
points of each pair of ribs. A further alternative is where the
ribs are not joined in pairs but are adjacent each other but
directed in opposing directions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The present invention will be now be described with
reference to the accompanying drawing in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a side view of a tent according to one embodiment
of the present invention illustrated in its erect
configuration;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a side view of the tent of FIG. 1 illustrated with
an additional fly sheet;
[0017] FIG. 3 is an end view of the tent of FIG. 1 illustrated in
its erect configuration;
[0018] FIG. 4 is an end view of the tent of FIG. 1 illustrated with
the additional fly sheet;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a series of schematic views of the tent of FIG. 1
illustrated in its collapsed configuration whilst being folded;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a series of schematic views of a tent of another
embodiment illustrated in its collapsed configuration whilst being
folded;
[0021] FIG. 7 is a view of a bag into which the collapsed and
folded tent of FIG. 1 is stowed, and
[0022] FIG. 8 is a series of schematic views of alternative
arrangements of the ribs.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0023] The general arrangement of a self erecting foldable tent 10
of a preferred embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 which show the
tent 10 having an elongate shell 11 of fabric sheet material. The
shell 11 includes a floor panel 12, a central upper panel 13 and
two end upper panels 14 and 15. A number of bowed ribs 16 are
received in corresponding sleeves 17 sewn into the fabric sheet
material of the central upper panel 13, and are used to define an
interior space of the tent as the ribs 16 are bowed in an arcuate
configuration spacing the central upper panel 13 and the two end
upper panels 14 of the shell 11 apart from the floor panel 12. The
ribs 16 are preferably made from a resilient spring like
material.
[0024] The ribs 16 in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4,
are formed in three criss-crossed pairs. The ribs 16 cross at about
half the height of the tent 10 with the top of the ribs 16 being
located approximately above the ends 18 of the other rib 16 in each
pair. The ribs 16 are received in the sleeves 17 which are sewn
into the upper panels 13, 14 and 15 of the shell 11.
[0025] The ends 18 of the ribs 16 are received in eyelets 19
located in tags 20 positioned at the floor panel 12. The tags 20 as
well as receiving the ends 17 of the ribs 16 are used to fix the
tent 10 to the ground by pegging. In this embodiment, other eyelets
21 in the tags 20 receive the pegs.
[0026] As the ribs 16 are formed in the sleeves 18 at angles to the
vertical as seen in FIG. 1, the spring like nature of the ribs 16
forces the ribs 16 in the spaced apart arrangement as seen in FIG.
1. Adjacent pairs of ribs 16 pull apart from each other when in the
erected configuration to give a taut surface to the fabric sheet
material of the shell 11.
[0027] When stowing the tent 10, of the preferred embodiment as
seen in FIGS. 1 to 4, when it is not in use, the ribs 16 are
collapsed together against the bias of the ribs 16 such that the
end panels 14 and 15 are forced together with the central panel 13
being collapsed. This results in the ribs 16 being grouped together
as seen in FIG. 5 of the drawings. Once the ribs 16 have been
grouped together, the ends 18 of the ribs 16 are able to be grasped
and manipulated in a twisting action to form a loop 23 by crossing
over the ribs 16 with the ends 18 generally facing the same
direction. The twisting of the ribs 16 into the loop 23 ensures
that the size of the diameter of the collapsed tent 10 is reduced.
Once the diameter is reduced to an appropriate size, a strap 24 is
fitted over the loop 23 of the ribs 16 to secure same. The strap
can be separate or connected to the material of the tent 10. The
ends 18 of the ribs 16 can then be tucked under the material of the
shell 11.
[0028] The collapsed and folded tent 10 is now able to be stowed in
a carry bag 25 as seen in FIG. 7. The carry bag 25 the carry bag is
a substantially flat oval shaped bag with two sides 26 joined
together. Preferably, the join of the two sides 26 of the bag is
reinforced by an oval beading 27. The carry bag 25 preferably has
at least one carry handle 28 and has a zipper closure.
[0029] The reverse of the above procedure is followed to set up the
tent 10 whereby the tent 10 is removed from the bag 25 and the
strap 24 is released. The bias of the ribs 16 spring the tent 10 to
full size as seen in FIG. 1. The tent 10 is then pegged to the
ground, and a fly sheet 30 and guy ropes 31 are used.
[0030] It is seen that the tent 10 is very easy to erect and also
very easy to collapse and fold. It is also seen that the folded
tent 10 is well adapted to be stowed into the carry bag 25 for easy
storage and transportation.
[0031] In another embodiment of the tent 10 in which the tent 10 is
larger as seen in FIG. 6, when stowing the tent 10 when it is not
in use, the ribs 16 are collapsed together against the bias of the
ribs 16 such that the end panels 14 and 15 are forced together with
the central panel 13 being collapsed. This results in the ribs 16
being grouped together as seen in FIG. 6 of the drawings. Once the
ribs 16 have been grouped together, the ends 18 of the ribs 16 are
fastened together by velcro.RTM. straps 33 adjacent the ends of the
ribs 16. Velcro.RTM. straps 34 are also used to fasten the
midsection 34 of the ribs 16 together to aid in folding the tent
10. The collapsed tent 10 is then laid on the ground and the ends
17 of the ribs 16 are clipped by releasable clips 35 located on the
opposite side of the tent 10 about one third of the way around the
ribs 16. The collapsed tent 10 now is in two loops 37 as seen in
FIG. 6 and then they are brought together and a tension strap 38
ribs is used to hold the two loops 36 together. The tent is now
able to be stowed in a bag in a similar manner to the other
embodiment.
[0032] Alternative arrangements of the ribs 16 are shown in FIG. 8
whereby the ribs 16 are shown in a variety of different types of
pairs.
[0033] The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present
invention, and modifications obvious to those skilled in the art
can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present
invention.
* * * * *