U.S. patent application number 11/045695 was filed with the patent office on 2005-09-08 for collapsible fabric structures.
This patent application is currently assigned to Spin Master Ltd.. Invention is credited to Cooper, Andrew, Shinner, Neil.
Application Number | 20050194028 11/045695 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31971669 |
Filed Date | 2005-09-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050194028 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shinner, Neil ; et
al. |
September 8, 2005 |
Collapsible fabric structures
Abstract
A tent having at least a frame and a canopy. The said frame
includes a base member defining an outer periphery, and at least a
pair of arch members spanning the base member. The base member
being captive in the canopy, around a lower peripheral edge
thereof. The arch members being captive in the canopy over the base
member. The canopy being dimensioned so as to maintain tautness
between the base member and the arches.
Inventors: |
Shinner, Neil; (London,
GB) ; Cooper, Andrew; (London, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Edward M. Weisz
Suite 1210
551 Fifth Avenue
New York
NY
10176
US
|
Assignee: |
Spin Master Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
31971669 |
Appl. No.: |
11/045695 |
Filed: |
January 28, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
135/90 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 15/38 20130101;
E04H 15/006 20130101; E04H 15/40 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
135/090 |
International
Class: |
E04H 015/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 29, 2004 |
GB |
0401956.8 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A tent comprising at least a frame and a canopy, said frame
comprising a base member defining an outer periphery, and at least
a pair of arch members spanning said base member, said base member
being captive in said canopy, around a lower peripheral edge
thereof, and said arch members being captive in said canopy over
said base member said canopy being dimensioned so as to maintain
tautness between said base member and said arches.
2. The tent of claim 1, wherein said base member comprises a
resilient loop of spring material.
3. The tent as claimed in claim 2, wherein each said arch member
extends from a first point on said base member, across said base
member, to a second point on said base member opposite said first
point.
4. The tent as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first points from
which each of said arch members extend across said loop are close
together.
5. The tent as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second points to
which said arch members extend are close together.
6. The tent as claimed in claim 5, wherein the arch members diverge
from each other in a V-shape.
7. The tent as claimed in claim 6, wherein said canopy is provided
with a sleeve in its lower periphery for said base member.
8. The tent as claimed in claim 7, wherein said canopy is provided
with sleeves for said arch members.
9. The tent as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tent is provided
with a floor interior of said lower peripheral edge.
10. The tent as claimed in claim 9, wherein further arch members
are provided, captive in said canopy, spaced from said arch members
that diverge from one another in a U-shape.
11. The tent as claimed in claim 2, wherein each said arch member
comprises a series of interconnected rod-like members that together
form an arch-shaped member.
12. The tent as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base member
comprises an inflatable floor panel.
13. The tent as claimed in claim 2, wherein said canopy includes
one or more access doors.
14. The tent as claimed in claim 12, wherein said canopy includes
one or more access doors.
15. A collapsible fabric structure in the form of a dome tent
having a base frame member and at least two additional canopy
supporting frame members extending as arches from points on the
base frame member to support a fabric canopy of the tent, wherein
the canopy supporting frame members each comprise a plurality of
rods that are connected together and fed into means which locate
the fabric to the frame members and force the frame members into an
arcuate form, and wherein the base frame member comprises a
resilient member in the form of a loop which extends around
substantially the perimeter of the structure to expand the base
upon release from a collapsed configuration.
16. The structure as claimed in claim 15, wherein the rods of the
canopy supporting frame members connect together and feed into
sleeves, loops or pockets of the fabric structure.
17. The structure as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a
coilable base frame member in the form of a fibre reinforced resin
wire.
18. The structure as claimed in claim 17, wherein said fibre
reinforced resin wire comprises an epoxy based wire, and wherein at
least a surface layer of fibre is helically wound around the core
of the wire.
19. The structure as claimed in claim 15, including additional arch
or other frame members that are hinged to the base at positions
between a central fold line and an end of the base.
20. A collapsible fabric structure in the form of a dome tent
having at least two canopy supporting frame members extending as
arches from common points on a base of the structure to support the
fabric canopy of the tent, wherein the base comprises an air
chamber.
21. A collapsible fabric structure in the form of a dome tent
comprising a fabric canopy, at least two canopy supporting frame
members extending as arches from common points on a base of the
structure to support the fabric canopy of the tent and a base
comprising an inflatable air chamber, wherein the canopy supporting
frame members and the canopy are secured to the base by releasable
connections so that the base can be separated from the frame
members and canopy for storage purposes.
Description
[0001] The present specification relates to collapsible, fabric
structures, for example, tents, children's play structures, tunnels
and shade structures having an igloo/dome tent shape.
[0002] A foldable tent structure having an igloo/dome tent shape is
known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,167,219. It discloses a foldable tent
with a generally circular base made from four rod segments. Two
further arcuate rods are provided hinged to the base rods to
support a fabric canopy. The structure is erected by folding out
the structure like a fan and linking the rods of the base together
to form a continuous loop.
[0003] A problem with the structure is that it is bulky to carry as
the arcuate rods that support the canopy are long, rigid,
semi-circular rods. If the rods were removed from the fabric canopy
then they would be difficult to feed back into their locating
fabric pockets.
[0004] The present invention presents a solution to this problem by
providing a structure of similar external shape that can be readily
assembled from a more compact storage configuration, for example, a
storage configuration suitable for shipping and marketing of the
product.
[0005] Igloo/dome tents which use collapsible rods, for example,
made of fibre reinforced resins, have become popular for camping
and these can take many forms. At a campsite it is necessary to
assemble the collapsible rods into long flexible frame members
which are then fed into sleeves or pockets that connect the fabric
of the tent to the frame members. The fabric induces a curve in the
frame members and it can be difficult to feed these members into
the sleeves or pockets because of friction and snagging. The base
of the structure can also lack form at this stage and this can also
make it difficult to insert the frame members. In some instances,
users may peg out the base of their tent to assist with the
insertion of the frame members.
[0006] Other igloo/dome tents have become available recently that
are based on frame members in the form of coilable loops. In many
instances these can self-erect upon release from their storage
configuration with little or no intervention by the camper. U.S.
Pat. No. 4,858,634, U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,461, U.S. Pat. No.
5,337,772 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,955 are examples of these. These
tent structures, however, are complicated and expensive to
manufacture. In addition, many users are not able to follow the
instructions to collapse these structures back into their most
compact configuration in which they are coiled up into a loop a
third of the size of the expanded loop structure. Users may also
lose the instructions after purchase and not be able to figure out
how to fully collapse the structures. This non-coiling is
particularly a problem with play structures intended for indoor use
that are of a much smaller scale than the adult equivalents, as
their partially folded condition where the frame members are simply
folded together and not coiled may be seen as "small enough", for
example, to store behind a sofa or in a cupboard.
[0007] Therefore a problem recognised in the present invention with
these more technical structures is that their more intricate
construction is often not being used properly by the end user and
so represents unnecessary complication which can confuse the end
user.
[0008] According to a first invention there is provided a
collapsible fabric structure in the form of an igloo/dome tent
having a base frame member and at least two additional canopy
supporting frame members extending as arches from common points on
the base frame member to support the fabric canopy of the tent,
wherein the canopy supporting frame members each comprise a
plurality of rods that are connected together and fed into means
(for example sleeves, loops or pockets) which locate the fabric to
the frame members and force the frame members into an arcuate form,
and wherein the base frame member comprises a resilient member in
the form of a loop which extends around substantially the perimeter
of the structure to expand the base upon release from a collapsed
configuration.
[0009] An advantage of the structure of the present invention is
that the loop base frame member provides form to the structure
prior to the insertion of the canopy supporting frame members. This
makes it easier for the user to locate the frame members in the
sleeves, loops or pockets and slide them into the fabric
structure.
[0010] The user will also be familiar with the way the rods of the
canopy supporting frame members connect together and feed into the
sleeves, loops or pockets of the fabric structure from existing
igloo/dome tent structures. After use, these frame members can be
extracted leaving the fabric structure with just a resilient loop
frame member in its base. The presence of just a single coilable
member, rather than two or more coilable frame members, means that
the tent can be coiled up into a more compact configuration with
greater ease and this may be within the capability of the user even
after the instructions have been lost.
[0011] If preferred, the structure may instead be simply folded in
half for storage purposes. The loop base frame member is
sufficiently resilient to allow the loop to be folded in two. The
arch-like canopy supporting frame members hinge about the fold
line, where the ends of these frame members meet the base frame
member at the common points, so as to fold flat against each other
like the pages of a book. A fastener, for example, in the form of
Velcro, a tie, a buckle, a push fastener, button, etc., may be
provided to secure the structure in this partially collapsed
configuration.
[0012] The resilience of the base loop frame member means that the
structure is self-opening from this partially collapsed
configuration and provides some tension into the fabric canopy.
Preferably this is sufficient to allow the structure to be used
indoors, i.e., without the aid of tent pegs. However, ties or
pockets for sand, for example, may also be provided to secure the
structure to the ground in the case of outdoor use. These may also
serve to pull the structure slightly tauter.
[0013] Preferably the structure has a coilable member in the form
of a fibre reinforced resin wire, more preferably an epoxy based
wire, and in particular one in which at least the surface layer of
fibre is wound helically around the core of the wire. The wire is
preferably between 1 and 4 mm in diameter, more preferably 2-3 mm,
and readily deformable to allow it to be coiled easily. It is also
envisaged that a resilient strip, e.g., of steel can be used to
form the loop, although this is seen as less desirable for play
structures than the fibre reinforced resin wire because it may
present a sharp edge in the base which could hurt a young child and
can be more difficult to coil up.
[0014] The base may be generally circular or a more complex
ornamental shape, for example, including features to replicate the
appearance of a flower, animal, insect, bird etc. However more
preferably the base has a substantially oval perimeter with major
and minor axes. In such arrangements the structure will fold about
the minor axis to bring the ends of the structure (the ends of the
major axis) together. Where a more complex ornamental shape is
adopted, the base frame member may extend around the perimeter of
the design, or more preferably in an oval shape within but still
relatively close to the edge of the structure. For example, petals
of a flower design could be created by providing additional curved
areas of fabric extending out from the base frame member.
[0015] Preferably the base of the structure can be coiled into
three loops once the canopy supporting members have been removed.
This will reduce the base to approximately one third of its size.
Fastening means, for example, snap fasteners, straps, ties, Velcro,
zips etc may be provided to retain the structure in a fully
collapsed configuration. This can help hold the structure in a
compact form for ease of putting it away into a storage bag.
[0016] Preferably the ends of three arch-like canopy supporting
frame members meet substantially where the base frame member
crosses the minor axis of the elliptical base (the "common
points"). The frame members do not need to contact each other,
though they do need to be sufficiently close to transfer forces to
hold the canopy in an expanded configuration. In such arrangements
there would be a central arch disposed substantially perpendicular
to the base and second and third arches disposed to each side
dividing the right angle between the central arch and the base.
[0017] Arrangements are also envisaged where four or more arch-like
canopy supporting members are provided.
[0018] The structure may also include additional arch or other
frame members that are hinged to the base at positions between a
central fold line (the minor axis) and an end of the base (an end
of a major axis), for example, as supports for doorways. Arch frame
members on one side of a centre line, e.g., the minor axis of an
oval base, should all hinge and fold flat in the same direction,
and all arch members on the other side should all hinge and fold
flat in the opposite direction during folding together of the
opposing end portions.
[0019] The arch frame members may be made of a similar material to
the loop frame member. However, conventional fibre reinforced resin
rods, for example, of between 2 to 4 mm in diameter and between 30
to 60 mm in length, are adequate for the purpose and provide a cost
effect solution to supporting the fabric canopy. Connectable rods
of this type, for example, fitted with sleeves to provide
male/female connections are known from existing tent structures and
so will be familiar to the user in terms of assembly and
disassembly of the frame members. The ends of the frame members may
be fitted with pads to reduce snagging and their respective
receiving pockets may be reinforced to prevent wear.
[0020] Preferably the base of the structure includes a floor panel
so that the interior space is enclosed from above and below.
However, for certain applications it may be desirable to dispense
with the whole or a portion(s) of the floor panel, for example, toy
structures where it is desirable to reduce manufacturing costs or
to provide amusement features.
[0021] In at least one of the ends, and preferably in both ends, an
entrance is provided to give access to the interior. Entrances are
preferably closable with a door that can be fastened in its closed
position. Preferably such an entrance and door has an arcuate edge
with the base of the door remaining connected to the base of the
structure. This creates a partial disc shaped mat when the door is
opened and resting on the ground. In addition to the aesthetics,
such an arrangement avoids the creation of a potential trip hazard
for a young child. This may be important in a structure having
entrances in opposite ends and functioning as a tunnel for the
child to run or crawl down. The floor panel may include additional
detail to continue features provided on the door, for example, to
give the appearance of a full disc at the entrance to the
structure. This may incorporate a spiral pattern as an amusement
feature for a child. A zip may be provided as a means for closing
the door or other fastening means such as Velcro, snap fasteners,
ties, etc., may be used instead. A second entrance and door may be
provided of the same or a different shape. An additional resilient
member, e.g., in the form of an arch, may be incorporated into the
door entrance to support the fabric when the door is open.
[0022] The term "fabric" is intended to cover any sheet-like
flexible material that might be used for such a structure, for
example, a woven fabric, film, netting, transparent or coloured
sheet material. The structure may include windows of transparent or
coloured material and may include openings and other features as
amusement features.
[0023] The new structure has great applicability for use as play
structures, for example, in the form of play tents or tunnels. The
structure can also be used in full size structures for
grown-ups.
[0024] The first invention uses the resilience of a flexible
coilable frame member in the base of the structure to open up the
structure into an erected configuration. The present specification
also concerns other structures having substantially the same shape,
which through a function of the base, also expand into an erected
structure.
[0025] One problem identified with the structures of U.S. Pat. No.
4,858,634, U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,461 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,772 is
that because of the position of the frame members and the
distribution of forces within the fabric of structure, the
entrances have to be located within the saddle of the upper frame
member. As a result, the base of the entrance can present a trip
hazard, for example, when the structure is being used by a young
child.
[0026] A solution to this problem is taught in U.S. Pat. No.
6,363,955. This discloses a further self-erecting fabric structure
having a coilable loop frame member in a base and two additional
frame members extending at right angles to the base to support an
upper canopy of fabric. The two additional supports are also in the
form of loops and hinge with respect to the base during erection of
the structure. The resilience of the base loop frame member is
sufficient to extend the end portions into a substantially planar
arrangement, and in so doing pulling the additional loops upright
and the fabric of the tent taut. The base of the structure is
elliptical and the two additional frame members hinge about axes
which are parallel to the minor axis but spaced approximately
midway between the minor axis and the ends of the structure that
extend in the direction of the major axis. Straps or webs of fabric
connecting these additional loops to the ends of the base pull the
loops into their substantially upright configuration to hold the
fabric in a tunnel shape.
[0027] However a problem with this arrangement is that it still
requires straps to be present and a hinge to extend across the
entrance to the structure which could pose trip hazards for young
children or be uncomfortable on their knees as they are crawling
through the structure.
[0028] Thus from a second invention disclosed herein, there is
provided a collapsible fabric structure in the form of an
igloo/dome tent having at least two canopy supporting frame members
extending as arches from common points on a base of the structure
to support the fabric canopy of the tent, wherein the base
comprises an air chamber. Preferably the base can be inflated to
expand the structure from a storage configuration to an erected
configuration. In all the embodiments of this invention, the
inflated base acts as a tensioning element to pull the fabric
canopy taut. It is also comfortable on the knees of young children
as they are crawling through the structure and provides an
amusement feature. For the embodiments where poles are inserted
after inflation of the base, the air chamber provides the base with
necessary form and rigidity to make insertion of the rods simpler,
as with the first invention.
[0029] The air chamber is inflated to give the base rigidity. It is
this rigidity and form that pulls the rest of the structure into an
erected configuration in a similar way to inflatable bouncy
castles. The air chamber also acts as a mattress to provide a play
structure in the form of a tent that children can sleep in or play
in comfortably.
[0030] Apart from the replacement of the coilable base frame member
with an inflatable mattress, the second invention is substantially
the same as the first invention and the comments made above in
relation to the first invention apply equally to the second.
[0031] The base will need to be of about 4 to 15 cm thick,
preferably about 10 cm thick to accommodate the air chamber. In one
embodiment the air chamber is made of plastic and retained within a
fabric pocket of the base of the structure. In another embodiment
the air chamber is an integral part of the structure. In yet
another embodiment, the air chamber is a fabric coated material
that is fixed to the rest of the structure. The air chamber may
also be removable from the rest of the structure and connected to
the structure by a releasable connection, for example Velcro.RTM.,
press fasteners, buttons, ties, straps and buckles, etc. In still
yet a further embodiment, the tent of the first invention is
provided with releasable connections to attach an inflatable
chamber to the base of the structure.
[0032] Such an arrangement can also be achieved without the base
frame member and therefore according to yet a further aspect this
invention there is provided a collapsible fabric structure in the
form of an igloo/dome tent comprising a fabric canopy, at least two
canopy supporting frame members extending as arches from common
points on a base of the structure to support the fabric canopy of
the tent and a base comprising an inflatable air chamber, wherein
the canopy supporting frame members and the canopy are secured to
the base by releasable connections so that the base can be
separated from the frame members and canopy for storage purposes.
In one arrangement, the structure has the canopy supporting frame
members which pivot about the common points in relation to the
base, wherein one side of the fabric canopy (i.e., a portion
extending from one common point around one end of the base to the
other common point) is provided with releasable connections for
detaching the fabric canopy from the base. With one side detached
from the base, the fabric canopy can be folded down onto the base
by rotating the arches about their common points, in a similar way
to folding down a hood of a car.
[0033] An advantage of this embodiment, is that the inflatable air
chamber provides rigidity and form to the structure. Once inflated,
attachment of the additional tent components is a relatively simple
task and it would be easy for the average person to work out how to
erect and disassemble the structure even if the instructions had
become lost. For his invention, preferably the arches are
semi-circular and the base is circular.
[0034] For the second invention it has been found more preferable
to use the helically bound fibre reinforced epoxy wires or rods
described above than the more conventional tent pole materials.
Other variants include making the fabric canopy in two halves that
are connected at a suitable halfway point, for example a central
arch member. In this way, on the second invention, the two halves
can be connected to the inflated base if they are not already
fitted, and the canopy erected through manually pulling together
the two halves of the canopy together until the canopy is pulled
substantially taut against the rigidity of the base.
[0035] A further development disclosed herein provides a
self-erecting, collapsible, fabric structure comprising a base and
a canopy of fabric to define an interior within, the base having a
resilient frame member in the form of a loop extending around a
periphery thereof, the base being substantially elliptical and
foldable about its minor axis such that the end portions of the
structure can be folded together to collapse the structure, wherein
the canopy is supported by at least two additional frame members
which are in the form of arches that extend from the base, the ends
of each arch frame member being positioned substantially on the
minor axis such that the arches are capable of hinging with respect
to the base so that they fold flat when the end portions of the
base are folded together.
[0036] The structure is self-erecting in the sense that it will pop
open into an expanded configuration upon release from a collapsed
configuration. The base loop frame member is resilient and
therefore resists any deflection out of a plane or neutral
position. This resilience provides a force on the rest of the
structure which is sufficient to expand it from a collapsed
configuration into an expanded configuration and to pull the fabric
of the canopy sufficiently taut for use as a play structure. This
development may incorporate any of the features described in
connection with the other tents.
[0037] The present invention, in a broad aspect, then, provides a
tent comprising at least a frame and a canopy, said frame
comprising a base member defining an outer periphery, and at least
a pair of arch members spanning said base member, said base member
being captive in said canopy, around a lower peripheral edge
thereof, and said arch members being captive in said canopy over
said base member said canopy being dimensioned so as to maintain
tautness between said base member and said arches.
[0038] Certain preferred embodiments will now be described in
greater detail by way of example only and with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0039] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred arrangement
of the frame members for the tent with the fabric canopy
removed;
[0040] FIG. 2 shows a side elevation of the tent of FIG. 1 in
cross-section;
[0041] FIG. 3 shows an end view of the tent of FIG. 1;
[0042] FIG. 4 shows a side view of a second embodiment;
[0043] FIG. 5 illustrates the construction of the base of the tent
of FIG. 4;
[0044] FIG. 6 shows the underside of the base of the tent;
[0045] FIG. 7 shows the base with the fabric canopy stowed;
[0046] FIG. 8 shows the erected tent viewed from one end;
[0047] FIG. 9 shows the tent viewed from the other end; and
[0048] FIG. 10 shows the tent from the opposite side to that in
FIG. 4.
[0049] In FIG. 1 there is shown a perspective view of a preferred
tent 1 structure according to the first invention. The fabric
canopy for the tent 1 has been omitted for clarity. The structure
in its most basic form consists of a base frame member 2 and at
least two canopy supporting frame members 3 (in the embodiment
illustrated there are three) extending from common points 4 of the
base frame member 2.
[0050] The base frame member 2 may consist of resilient metal strip
formed into a loop. The nature of the strip profile means that the
loop has a neutral position when it is flat. Bending the loop out
of this plane is resisted by the resilience of the strip, which is
forced to bend and deflect to allow deflection out of the plane. In
the present invention, this resilience provides the force to keep
the structure in its erected or substantially erected
configuration. In other embodiments, a fibre reinforced member
(wire or rod) is used in place of the steel strip. Such members
tend to have a circular profile, which while this has an effect on
the deflection characteristics because of the isotropic properties
of the material, it is preferred from the point of view of not
presenting a sharp edge at a location where a small child could be
crawling over. The most preferred material of this type is
manufactured by a company called Sportex and takes the form of an
epoxy wire reinforced with longitudinal glass fibre or other
material and bound at its surface with a helically wound thread. It
has good all-round bend characteristics without suffering from
delamination after repeated deflection.
[0051] The base frame member 2 is preferably housed within a sleeve
that extends around the periphery of a floor panel that forms the
base of the tent 1. The periphery constrains the base frame member
2 into a circular form, or more preferably an oval shape as shown
with major axis A-A and minor axis B-B. The floor panel (not shown)
is preferably cut so that it is pulled taut by the base frame
member 2.
[0052] Three canopy supporting frame members (arches) 3 are
provided. A central arch 3 is positioned in a substantially upright
configuration and two further arches 3 are positioned either side
inclined at an angle .alpha. to the first one. The angle .alpha. is
preferably between 30 to 60 degrees and more preferably about 45
degrees. All three canopy supporting frame members 3 are preferably
of the same size and arranged to pivot about their free ends 5 at
the common points 4. In this way the two inclined arches 3 can be
pivoted between a storage configuration where they are stacked flat
side by side against the central arch, and an erected configure
ration as shown in FIG. 1 where they are inclined to the central
arch by an angle .alpha..
[0053] The canopy supporting frame members 3 can be made of any
suitable frame material. It is preferred to use conventional glass
fibre rod material which has been cut into transportable lengths
and which can be joined together to form the arches during the
erection of the tent from a cost point of view. Conventional metal
sleeves can be used as suitable connectors for this. A set of rods
may also be joined together by a length of elastic material running
through the middle of the rods. Alternatively more exotic material
such as the helically bound rods described above can be used. In
such an embodiment, due to the bendability of the material, the
frame members 3 may consist of single lengths of wire that remain
housed within sleeves of the structure during erection and
collapsing of the tent into a compact size for shipping.
[0054] Preferably the frame members 2,3 are housed within sleeves
sewn into the fabric canopy. However, as is already known in the
art, loops, pockets or any other suitable feature may be used to
secure the fabric to the frame members 2,3. The sleeves may include
reinforced pockets at their ends to protect against wear from the
free ends 5 of the arches 3.
[0055] The free ends 5 of the arches 3 are shown close together at
the common points 4 so that the points of pivot allow the arches 3
to be folded flat against each other and to provide a neat
arrangement. However the term "common point" 4 is used in a broad
sense, in that it is possible for the free ends 5 to be slightly
more spaced apart and for the arches to fold approximately flat,
but a better effect is achieved when the free ends are positioned
closer together and so this is preferred. To collapse the tent 1
into a storage configuration, the two ends of the base are folded
together like closing a book. If it is desired to collapse the
structure further then the arches 3 can be dismantled and the base
frame member 2 coiled into three loops. In the embodiments where
coilable material is used for the arches, then it may be possible
to leave these arches in place when coiling up the structure.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 1, two additional canopy supporting frame
members 6 are provided spaced from the free ends 5 of the other
three arches 3. These secondary arches 6 provide support to design
features, for example a doorway. These may be made of finer gauge
material than the primary arches 3. The arches are preferably of a
size and in a position where when they fold flat against the
central arch they adopt substantially the same profile to provide a
neat arrangement for storage.
[0057] FIG. 2 is a side elevation viewing the structure in cross
section along the major axis A-A. As shown, the fabric canopy 7 is
supported by the arches to create a dome or igloo shape tent (a
tent of substantially hemispherical shape). The fabric canopy 7 is
pulled taut over the arches 3 by the resilience of the base frame
member 2, the resilience urging the ends of the tent 1 (the portion
of the perimeter lying on the major axis A-A) back into the neutral
planar position. The resilience should be sufficient to provide a
useable structure for indoor use. However, the tent 1 may also be
provided with loops for tent pegs to allow outdoor use too, and
these may pull the fabric canopy tauter. Pockets may also be
provided for filling with sand for use on a beach as an alternative
to tent pegs. The fabric canopy 7 may incorporate different
materials, for example, netting or transparent material to provide
windows, and may incorporate openings for children to view out of
or climb out of.
[0058] FIG. 3 illustrates the tent when viewed from one end looking
down the major axis A-A. In this figure a doorway 8 can be seen,
with the fabric immediately adjacent the doorway 8 supported by one
of the secondary arches 6. As shown, preferably a semi-circular
doorway 8 is provided with a zip fastener 9 extending around the
perimeter to close the door. The door 8, when fully unzipped, can
fold down flat like a draw bridge, hinging about an axis
perpendicular to the major axis along the junction with the base.
Preferably within the tent 1, a design is provided in this doorway
to mimic the semi-circular door shape and create a disc. Preferably
this disc incorporates a swirl pattern which is only visualized
properly when the door 8 is open.
[0059] FIG. 4 shows an alternative tent 11 having a base 12 and
three canopy supporting frame members (or arches) 13. The base 12
comprises an inflatable air chamber 20 which is shown more clearly
in FIG. 5. In the same way as the first embodiment, the three
arches 13 meet at a common point 14 on the base 12. This allows the
arches 13 to pivot with respect to the base 12 so that they can
fold together to collapse the structure. As can be seen in the
figure, the tent 11 may incorporate a range of different materials
to increase interest for a child.
[0060] In one envisaged arrangement, the fabric canopy 17 is
integral with the base 12 and the arches 13 are formed from
helically bound fibre reinforced epoxy rods. The arches 13 are
sufficiently flexible to allow the structure to be folded up
without first having to remove these rods. Erection of the
structure consists of simply inflating the base 12 with a pump, the
air pressure within the base 12 being enough to unfold and expand
the structure, and then pull the fabric canopy 17 taut. It is
possible to use conventional rods if preferred, however these have
the disadvantage that they cannot be coiled up into a smaller size
for storage and therefore would need to be removed to reduce the
collapsed tent to a smaller size.
[0061] An alternative method of erection is illustrated using FIGS.
5 through to 8. In FIG. 5 an inflatable chamber 20 of approximately
circular form is shown in the top of the figure. The base 22 of the
tent 21 is shown in the bottom of the figure in an inverted
configuration. To erect the tent 21, the air chamber is inflated to
create an air mattress. This is then placed within the fabric
envelope of the base 22 through the slot 28 to create the inflated
base as shown in FIG. 6. The base 22 is then flipped over so that
it is the correct way up as shown in FIG. 7. Around a portion of
the perimeter of the base 22 are positioned releasable fasteners 29
in the form of Velcro.RTM. strips To erect the structure, the
fabric canopy 27 is pulled from its collapsed configuration shown
in FIG. 7 in a direction which is perpendicular to the plane of the
arches 23 to cause the arches 23 to rotate about their free ends 25
located at the common points 24, and into the erected configuration
illustrated in FIG. 8. The releasable fasteners 29 are then secured
to corresponding portions of Velcro.RTM. on the fabric canopy 27 to
hold it in position.
[0062] As shown in FIG. 8, the tent 21 may be provided with a
doorway 28 which can be circular, triangular (see FIG. 9) or other
shape.
[0063] FIG. 10 shows the tent 21 from the opposite side shown in
FIG. 4. Access to the valve of the air chamber 20 is provided at
30. In this way it is possible to simply deflate the air chamber
and fold the arches 23 together to fold up the tent 21 for
storage
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