U.S. patent application number 15/686253 was filed with the patent office on 2018-03-01 for outdoor enclosure with natural visual characteristics.
This patent application is currently assigned to Plano Molding Company. The applicant listed for this patent is Plano Molding Company. Invention is credited to Ryan KUBICA.
Application Number | 20180058090 15/686253 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 61240391 |
Filed Date | 2018-03-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180058090 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KUBICA; Ryan |
March 1, 2018 |
OUTDOOR ENCLOSURE WITH NATURAL VISUAL CHARACTERISTICS
Abstract
An outdoor enclosure is disclosed, which includes a wall
structure comprising an opening and a frame that supports the wall
structure. The opening is irregularly shaped to reduce or eliminate
unnaturally pronounced straight lines from an appearance thereof.
The outdoor enclosure may have a wall structure that includes an
outer layer made of a natural fiber. The natural fiber may comprise
a natural fabric, pattern, and/or texture.
Inventors: |
KUBICA; Ryan; (St. Charles,
IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Plano Molding Company |
Plano |
IL |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Plano Molding Company
|
Family ID: |
61240391 |
Appl. No.: |
15/686253 |
Filed: |
August 25, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62381868 |
Aug 31, 2016 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 15/34 20130101;
E04H 15/001 20130101; E04H 15/54 20130101; E04H 15/64 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E04H 15/00 20060101
E04H015/00; E04H 15/34 20060101 E04H015/34; E04H 15/54 20060101
E04H015/54; E04H 15/64 20060101 E04H015/64 |
Claims
1. An outdoor enclosure, comprising: a wall structure having an
opening; and a frame that supports the wall structure, wherein the
opening is irregularly shaped to reduce or eliminate unnaturally
pronounced straight lines from an appearance thereof.
2. The outdoor enclosure of claim 1, wherein the wall structure is
irregularly shaped to reduce or eliminate unnaturally pronounced
straight lines from an appearance thereof.
3. The outdoor enclosure of claim 2, wherein the wall structure has
a shape that is substantially a cuboid.
4. The outdoor enclosure of claim 1, wherein the wall structure
comprises an exterior layer that has a natural fiber.
5. The outdoor enclosure of claim 4, wherein the exterior layer has
a natural texture.
6. The outdoor enclosure of claim 4, wherein the wall structure
further comprises an inner layer that is weather proof, fire
retardant, or light impermeable.
7. The outdoor enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a cover
that covers the opening, wherein the cover is at least partially
removable from the wall structure.
8. The outdoor enclosure of claim 7, wherein the cover is attached
to a cover hold.
9. The outdoor enclosure of claim 8, wherein the cover hold
comprises an opening and the cover comprises a fastener and an
elastic member that attaches to the cover hold.
10. The outdoor enclosure of claim 9, wherein the fastener
comprises a hook.
11. The outdoor enclosure of claim 1, wherein the irregularly
shaped opening comprises a plurality of rounded and semi-rounded
portions.
12. The outdoor enclosure of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a
frame structure having at least one hub and a plurality of
poles.
13. The outdoor enclosure of claim 12, wherein the wall structure
comprises a sheathing that receives and surrounds at least one of
the plurality of poles.
14. The outdoor enclosure of claim 13, wherein the sheathing
comprises: a plurality of fabric layers overlapping each other; and
a rope placed between the plurality of fabric layers to create one
or more cover holds.
15. An outdoor enclosure, comprising: a wall structure having a
sidewall; an irregularly shaped opening formed in the sidewall; and
a frame that supports the outdoor enclosure, wherein the wall
structure includes an outer layer having a natural fiber.
16. The outdoor enclosure of claim 15, wherein the frame comprises
a frame structure that includes a hub and a plurality of poles.
17. The outdoor enclosure of claim 15, wherein the outer layer has
a natural color pattern and texture.
18. An outdoor enclosure, comprising: a frame; and a wall structure
supported by the frame, wherein the wall structure comprises an
outer layer that has a natural fiber.
19. The outdoor enclosure of claim 18, wherein the frame comprises
a hub and a pole, and wherein the wall structure further comprises
an inner layer having a sheathing that surrounds the pole and has a
cover hold.
20. The outdoor enclosure of claim 19, wherein the natural fiber
comprises at least one of: cornstalk; grass; pine; burlap; and
jute.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit thereof
from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/381,868 filed on
Aug. 31, 2016, titled RAPIDLY-DEPLOYABLE ENCLOSURE WITH NATURAL
FIBER OUTER MATERIAL AND/OR IRREGULAR OPENINGS, the entirety of
which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to an outdoor
enclosure, and more specifically it relates to an outdoor enclosure
with irregular shaped openings and/or a wall structure having an
outer layer that comprises a natural fiber.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0003] In hunting or other outdoor/wildlife activities, it is
difficult to blend in with the natural surroundings. One main
reason is that virtually every man-made outdoor enclosure, such as,
a hunting tent or blind, tends to have shapes, colors and/or
textures that do not naturally occur. These unnatural visual
characteristics of outdoor enclosures are easily detected by wild
animals, which typically results in the animals becoming alarmed
and discourages from approaching the outdoor enclosure.
[0004] Accordingly, an unfulfilled need exists for an outdoor
enclosure that blends into the natural surroundings and is not
easily detected by animals.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0005] Accordingly, one aspect of the present disclosure provides
an outdoor enclosure, comprising: a wall structure having an
opening; and a frame that supports the wall structure, wherein the
opening is irregularly shaped to reduce or eliminate unnaturally
pronounced straight lines from an appearance thereof. The outdoor
enclosure may further comprise a cover that covers the opening,
wherein the cover is at least partially removable from the wall
structure.
[0006] The wall structure may be irregularly shaped to reduce or
eliminate unnaturally pronounced straight lines from an appearance
thereof.
[0007] The wall structure may have a shape that is substantially a
cuboid.
[0008] The wall structure may comprise an outer layer that has a
natural fiber. The natural fiber may comprise at least one of:
cornstalk; grass; pine; burlap; and jute.
[0009] The outer layer may have a natural texture.
[0010] The outer layer may have a natural color pattern.
[0011] The wall structure may further comprise an inner layer. The
inner layer may be water resistant, weather proof, fire retardant,
or light impermeable.
[0012] The cover may be attached to a cover hold. The cover hold
may comprise an opening.
[0013] The cover may comprise a fastener and an elastic member that
attaches to the cover hold.
[0014] The fastener may comprise a hook.
[0015] The irregularly shaped opening may comprise a plurality of
rounded and semi-rounded portions.
[0016] The frame comprises a frame structure that may include at
least one hub and at least one pole. The frame structure may
include five hubs and a plurality of poles, wherein each hub may be
connected to at least two of the plurality of poles.
[0017] The wall structure may comprise a sheathing that receives
and surrounds at least one of the plurality of poles. The sheathing
may be attached to or integrally formed with the wall
structure.
[0018] The wall structure may include an inner layer, and the
sheathing may be attached to or integrally formed with the inner
layer of the wall structure.
[0019] The sheathing may comprise: a plurality of fabric layers
overlapping each other; and a rope placed between the plurality of
fabric layers to create one or more cover holds.
[0020] According to another aspect of the disclosure, an outdoor
enclosure is provided that comprises: a wall structure having a
sidewall; an irregularly shaped opening formed in the sidewall; and
a frame that supports the outdoor enclosure, wherein the wall
structure includes an outer layer having a natural fiber. The frame
comprises a frame structure that may include a hub and a plurality
of poles.
[0021] According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, an
outdoor enclosure is provided that comprises: a frame; and a wall
structure supported by the frame, wherein the wall structure
comprises an outer layer that has a natural fiber.
[0022] Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the
disclosure may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the
following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it
is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the
disclosure and the following detailed description are exemplary and
intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope
of the disclosure as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the disclosure, are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of
the disclosure and together with the detailed description serve to
explain the principles of the disclosure. No attempt is made to
show structural details of the disclosure in more detail than may
be necessary for a fundamental understanding of the disclosure and
the various ways in which it may be practiced.
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example of an outdoor
enclosure, constructed according to the principles of the
disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 2A shows an example of a cover material, constructed
according to the principles of the disclosure.
[0026] FIG. 2B shows an example of an exterior texture of the cover
material in FIG. 2A.
[0027] FIG. 3A shows a side view of another example of the outdoor
enclosure, constructed according to the principles of the
disclosure.
[0028] FIG. 3B shows a top view of the outdoor enclosure of FIG.
3A.
[0029] FIG. 4 shows an example of a cover for an opening of the
outdoor enclosure in FIGS. 3A and 3B, constructed according to the
principles of the disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 5 shows an example of a portion of a wall structure,
constructed according to the principles of the disclosure.
[0031] FIG. 6 shows an example of a hub and an example of a
plurality of poles that may be included in the outdoor
enclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0032] The disclosure and the various features and advantageous
details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the
non-limiting embodiments and examples that are described and/or
illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the
following description. It should be noted that the features
illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and
features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments
as the skilled artisan would recognize, even if not explicitly
stated herein. Descriptions of well-known components and processing
techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the
embodiments of the disclosure. The examples used herein are
intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the
disclosure may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in
the art to practice the embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly,
the examples and embodiments herein should not be construed as
limiting the scope of the disclosure. Moreover, it is noted that
like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the
several views of the drawings.
[0033] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an outdoor enclosure 10,
constructed according to the principles of the disclosure. The
outdoor enclosure 10 may be permanently or temporarily deployed for
outdoor/wildlife activities, such as, for example, hunting,
camping, reconnaissance, researches, rescue and care, and the like.
The outdoor enclosure 10 may be constructed so as not to have any
sharp edges, and to blend in with the environment so as not to be
noticeable to animals in the surrounding areas. The outdoor
enclosure 10 includes a frame and a wall structure 100.
[0034] The outdoor enclosure 10 may be rapidly deployable by
configuring the wall structure 100 and frame to expand and erect
with a single action. In this regard, the frame may include a frame
structure (not shown) that includes a hub and a plurality of
extending poles (e.g., an umbrella-like frame) located on the top
wall (or ceiling) of the outdoor enclosure 10. The hub and
plurality of poles may be constructed such that when a grip portion
11 is grasped by hand and pulled upward and away from the ground,
the poles extend, thereby expanding the top wall of the enclosure
10 to a deployed configuration (as seen, for example, in FIG.
1).
[0035] Alternatively, the outdoor enclosure 10 may be constructed
to rapidly deploy in a plurality of actions by the user. In this
regard, the frame may include a plurality of hubs (e.g., 2, 3, 4,
5, etc.) and a plurality of poles (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10,
12, 15, 16, 18, 20, etc.), depending on the style of the enclosure
10, which may include a wall structure 100 comprising three walls,
four walls, five walls, or the like. Each hub may be located
proximate a wall of the wall structure 100 and operationally
attached to the wall by means of at least one pole, and preferably
by two or four poles that form an x-shape with the hub at the
center, as seen, for example, in FIG. 6. Each wall 12 may be
expanded with a single action of the hub by pushing (or pulling)
the hub to fully extend the pole(s) that are attached to the hub.
The entire wall structure 100 may be deployed by pushing (or
pulling) all hubs of the frame (not shown), thereby deploying the
enclosure 10 into a fully erect configuration (as seen, e.g., in
FIG. 1).
[0036] FIG. 6 shows an example of a hub 150 and an example of a
plurality of poles 155 that may be included in the frame (not
shown) in the enclosure 10.
[0037] The wall structure 100 may include a fastening structure 200
(partially shown in FIG. 5), which may be attached to, or
integrally formed with the wall structure 100. The fastening
structure 200 may attached to, or integrally formed with an inner
layer of the wall structure 100.
[0038] The wall structure 100 may be formed of a foldable material.
The wall structure 100 may have one or more layers. The wall
structure 100 may include an outer layer made of a natural fiber.
The natural fiber may include, for example, cornstalk, grass, pine,
burlap, jute, or the like. The wall structure 100 may include, for
example, one or more natural and/or non-natural fabric layers, an
example of which is described below with reference to FIGS. 2A and
2B.
[0039] As noted above, the frame structure (not shown) may have at
least one umbrella-like folding structure (not shown) that may
include, for example, a hub (not shown) and a plurality of poles
pivotally connected to the hub (not shown), as is known by those
skilled in the art. The frame structure may include one or more
telescopic retraction/expansion frames (not shown), one or more
pivot joints (not shown), and the like, which may allow the frame
structure to be folded, without disassembling or disconnecting any
poles (or the frame) from the wall structure 100, to reduce the
size thereof for easier and more convenient storage or
transportation, or expanded and erected with little effort.
[0040] The wall structure 100 may be attached to the frame
structure (not shown) with pockets (not shown) on each end of the
frame poles (not shown), eyebolt (not shown) that goes through
grommet(s) (not shown) in the wall structure 100 and attached to a
corresponding hub (not shown), as well as additional hook-and-loop
tabs (not shown) that may attach to the frame poles (not shown), as
understood by those skilled in the art.
[0041] The enclosure 10 may be instantly set up by unfolding the
frame structure, which may be deployably attached to the wall
structure 100. Where the frame structure is not deployably attached
to the wall structure 100, the unfolded frame structure may be
covered with the wall structure 100 after the frame structure is
deployed.
[0042] The wall structure 100 may be pre-attached to the frame
structure by, for example, gluing, sewing, fasteners (e.g.,
hook-and-loop, buckle, clamp, Velcro.RTM., rivet, button, or the
like), or the like, such that the wall structure 100 and the frame
structure may be folded and unfolded together for rapid deployment
and withdrawal.
[0043] The outdoor enclosure 10 may have natural visual
characteristics to make the enclosure 10 blend in with the natural
surroundings. For example, the wall structure 100 may have one or
more irregular-shaped openings 110. Each opening 110 may be used as
a door, a window, or a pass-through for the enclosure 10. As seen
in FIG. 1, the openings 110 may be shaped to reduce or eliminate
unnaturally pronounced straight lines, and/or sharp corners from
appearances thereof, which helps the enclosure 10 blend in better
to the natural surroundings, such as, for example, fields, forests,
mountains, deserts, etc. The openings 110, wall structure 100,
and/or the overall enclosure 10 may be constructed to reflect low
frequency visual signal components and avoid high frequency
components, thereby taking advantage of animal (e.g., mammalian or
fowl) vision systems that have low sensitivity to low frequency
signal components--that is, animal vision systems are typically
very sensitive to high frequency signal components of sharp edges,
but much less sensitive to low frequency signal components such as,
for example, low contrast or blurred edges or transitions.
[0044] The openings 110 may be formed on one or more walls 12 of
the enclosure 10. Some of the walls 12 may have more than one
opening 110 or none at all.
[0045] The outdoor enclosure 10 may have an irregular
three-dimensional (3D) shape. The outdoor enclosure 10 may have an
irregular two-dimension (2D) shape, such as, for example, a single
deployable (or retractable) wall. The enclosure 10 may be shaped to
roughly resemble a cubic (shown in FIG. 1), cuboid, cylindrical,
pyramid (shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B), or spherical shape. The
irregular shape of the enclosure 10 may reduce or eliminate
unnaturally pronounced straight lines or edges from its appearance,
thereby making the enclosure 10 less detectable by animals.
[0046] The enclosure 10 may include one or more covers 120 that
cover the openings 110. Each cover 120 may be shaped to
sufficiently cover one or more openings 110. The wall structure 100
and the cover 120 may be configured such that a user can fully or
partially attach or detach the cover 120 to the wall structure 100
without stepping outside the enclosure 10 and without making a
substantial noise, to avoid disturbing or alarming the animals
nearby.
[0047] The cover 120 may be removably attachable to the wall
structure 100. A non-limiting example of the cover 120 is shown in
FIG. 4, which is constructed according to the principles of the
disclosure. The cover 120 may include one or more fasteners 122,
such as, for example, a hook, a zipper, a hook-and-loop fastener, a
hook-and-eye closure, a button, a buckle, a clip, a ring and/or the
like. Each fastener 122 may be positioned and constructed to engage
one or more cover holds 232 (shown in FIG. 5) or corresponding
fasteners (not shown), such as, for example, rings, slots, hooks,
or the like, formed on the wall structure 100. Alternatively, the
cover 120 may be partially attached to the wall structure 100 by,
for example, gluing, sewing, riveting, and/or the like so as to be
partially removable.
[0048] By cautiously and slowly operating the fasteners 122, the
cover 120 may be attached to or detached from the wall structure
100 virtually without making any noise. The cover holds 232 and/or
fasteners (not shown) of the wall structure 100 may be formed
around the one or more corresponding openings 110 on an interior
surface of the wall structure 100 such that the user may engage or
disengage the fasteners 122 without stepping outside the enclosure
10. By arranging the cover 120 to be attached on the interior
surface of the wall structure 100, the exterior surface of the wall
structure 100 may not show any unnatural shapes or lines of the
cover 120 and fastener 122, and the natural visual characteristics
of the enclosure 10 may be maintained.
[0049] Still referring to FIG. 4, the fasteners 122 may be
connected at one end to the corners and/or sides of the cover 120
via an elastic member 124, which may include, e.g., an elastic
wire, a rubber band, a bungee cord, etc. The other end of the
fasteners 122 may be designed to engage the cover hold 232 (shown
in FIG. 5) and/or one or more fasteners (not shown) on the wall
structure 100. Once the fasteners 122 are engaged to the
corresponding cover hold 232 and/or fasteners (not shown) on the
wall structure 100, the cover 120 may be pulled by the fasteners
122 and the elastic members 124 to shield the opening 110, which
may block wind, rain, snow or the like from entering though the
opening 110 into the enclosure 10.
[0050] FIG. 2A shows a non-limiting example of a cover material 32,
constructed according to the principles of the disclosure. FIG. 2B
shows a non-limiting example of an exterior (or outer) layer of the
cover material 32 in FIG. 2A, constructed according to the
principles of the disclosure. The cover material may have a single
or multiple layers, including an inner layer and an outer layer.
The cover material 32 may be used for the wall structure 100 and
the cover 120.
[0051] Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the cover material 32 may be
constructed with one or more natural or non-natural fabric layers.
For example, the cover material 32 may include an exterior (or
outer) layer 34 and an interior (or inner) layer 36. The exterior
layer 34 may include a natural fiber, such as, for example,
cornstalk, grass, pine, burlap, jute, or the like. The exterior
layer 34 may have a natural color pattern and/or texture. The color
pattern and/or texture may vary depending on the surroundings. For
example, for use in a densely wooded area or forest, a mixture of
various shades and shapes of brown, black and/or green may be used
as the color pattern of the exterior layer 34.
[0052] The exterior layer 34 may have low reflectivity over a broad
band of visually perceptible frequencies (e.g., of the animals to
be observed, studied, or hunted using the enclosure 10), so as to
minimize reflected light signals. The exterior layer 34 may have
one or more patterns that reflect only low frequency visual signal
components and avoid high frequency components, and that may match
the surrounding environment in which the enclosure 10 is to be
used. The interior layer 36 may be made of a thermo-insulating
material that may have a low thermal conductivity (e.g., high
R-value). The thermo-insulating material may include any flexible,
durable, insulating material, including, for example, but not
limited to, glass wool, canvas, polyester film, or the like. The
interior layer 36 may be constructed to reduce thermal conductivity
from the exterior layer 34, which could become heated under certain
conditions such as exposure to prolonged direct sunlight due to the
low reflectivity of the exterior layer 34 to light signals, or
cooled such as by low temperatures outside of the wall structure
100.
[0053] As seen in FIG. 2B, the exterior layer 34 may include a
natural or natural-looking synthetic fiber layer, such as, for
example, a plant fiber (e.g., a seed fiber (e.g., cotton, kapok,
etc.), a leaf fiber (e.g., abaca, date palm, etc.), a bast fiber
(e.g., flax, jute, etc.), a fruit fiber (e.g., coir, etc.), or a
stalk fiber (e.g., straws of wheat, rice, bamboo, etc.), an animal
fiber (e.g., animal hair (e.g., wool, etc.), a synthetic fiber
(e.g., nylon, modacrylic, olefin, acrylic, polyester, etc.), and/or
the like, which may provide a natural visual and/or tactile
texture. The combination of the natural or natural-looking color
pattern and texture may further enhance the natural visual
characteristics of the enclosure 10, and the enclosure 10 may
seamlessly blend in with the natural surroundings.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 2A, the interior layer 36 may be
waterproof, weatherproof, water resistant, fire-retardant, light
impermeable, and/or the like. For example, the interior layer 36
may include a natural or synthetic fabric that is laminated or
coated with a waterproofing material, such as, for example, rubber,
polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer,
fluoropolymers, or wax.
[0055] The interior layer 36 may include a fire retardant material,
such as, for example, polybenzimeidazole (PBI) fiber, mineral wool,
silicate, calcium silicate, sodium silicate, potassium silicate,
treated vegetable fiber (e.g., cotton, jute, kenaf, hemp, flax,
etc.), magnesium oxide, aramids (para and meta), fire-retardant
cotton, coated nylon, carbon foam, melamine, modacrylic, wool,
leather, or the like.
[0056] The exterior layer 34 and the interior layer 36 may be
attached to each other by, for example, sewing, gluing or using one
or more fasteners (e.g., a zipper, a hook-and-loop fastener,
buttons, clips, rivets, etc.). The exterior layer 34 and interior
layer 36 may be formed contemporaneously as a single structure.
Alternatively, the exterior layer 34 and the interior layer 36 may
be separable from each other for replacement, maintenance, storage
or transportation, or for use of the enclosure 10 in different
environments.
[0057] FIG. 3A shows a side view of an outdoor enclosure 10', which
is another non-limiting example constructed according to the
principles of the disclosure. FIG. 3B shows a top view of the
outdoor enclosure 10' shown in FIG. 3A.
[0058] Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the enclosure 10's may be
constructed similar to the enclosure 10 shown in FIG. 1, except for
the exterior shape thereof. For example, the outdoor enclosure 10's
may be constructed to have an irregular shape that roughly
resembles a pyramid shape. The enclosure 10' may include the wall
structure 100 and the frame structure (not shown). The wall
structure 100 may include one or more openings 110, which may be
formed on one or more walls 12 of the enclosure 10. The opening 110
may not be formed on some of the walls 12, as seen in FIG. 3B. The
enclosure 10' may include one or more covers 120. Each cover 120
may be shaped to cover one or more openings 110. An example of the
cover 120 is shown in FIG. 4.
[0059] The enclosure 10' may be constructed to reduce or eliminate
unnaturally pronounced straight lines or edges from its appearance
thereof, which may create smoother transition to the natural
surroundings. For example, as seen in FIGS. 3A and 3B, edge lines
14 between two adjoining sidewalls 12 may be irregularly shaped to
reduce or eliminate any unnaturally pronounced straight lines. The
edge lines 14 may be constructed to reflect only low frequency
visual signal components and avoid reflecting high frequency
components. The edge lines 14 may have any shape that minimizes or
entirely avoids reflecting high frequency visual signal
components.
[0060] According to a non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure,
the irregularly shaped or blurred edges 14 may be created by the
wall structure 100 and/or by the frame structure (not shown) that
may support the wall structure 100. An example of a portion of the
wall structure 100 is shown in FIG. 5. The wall structure 100 may
include frame attachment portions 210. The frame attachment
portions 210 may be positioned on the inner surface of the wall 12
to correspond to the position(s) of the pole(s) 155 (shown in FIG.
6) of the frame structure. For instance, the frame attachment
portions 210 may be positioned on the inner surface of the wall 12
in, for example, a partial x-shape (not shown) so as to receive and
hold corresponding poles 155 of the frame structure. The frame
attachment portions 210 may be provided along the irregular shaped
or blurred edges 14.
[0061] Each frame attachment portion 210 may include a channel 236
to receive and hold a frame pole (e.g., a fiberglass reinforced
pole (RFP)). The wall structure 100 may be configured to receive
and hold frame poles for the entire frame structure. The wall
structure 100 may be configured to receive and hold a frame hub
(not shown), should the frame structure include a frame hub. The
frame structure may include a hub (not shown) and a plurality of
poles (not shown), each of which may diagonally extend from a
corner (e.g., corner 30) of a wall 12, and may be conjoined at the
hub (not shown). The frame structure may support the wall structure
100 to form an irregular shape.
[0062] In the example shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the wall structure
100 may be formed and supported by the frame structure (not shown)
so as form a pyramid-like shape having four walls 12 and a peak
40.
[0063] Referring to FIG. 5, the fastening structure 200 includes a
frame attachment portion 210, which may include the channel 236 to
receive and hold a frame pole 220 (e.g., a fiberglass reinforced
pole (RFP)). The channel 236 may be formed by a sheathing 230 that
surrounds the pole 220. The pole 220 may be formed of, for example,
a metal, an alloy, fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastic,
fiber-reinforced plastic, or the like. The sheathing 230 may
include a single layer of a material, or multiple layers of one or
more materials. The material may include, for example, fabric. The
sheathing 230 may be dual sided. The frame attachment portion 210
may be attached to, or integrally formed with the wall structure
100, such as, for example, attached to, or integrally formed with
the inner layer 36 (shown in FIG. 2A) of the wall structure
100.
[0064] The frame attachment portion 210 may have one or more cover
holds 232. The cover hold 232 may be provided as a ring, a loop, an
opening, or the like, that may be integrally formed with or
attached to the sheathing 230. The cover hold 232 may be formed by
sandwiching portions of a rope (e.g., a paracord type rope), folded
fabric, or the like, between a cover hold fastener 234 (such as,
for example, a fabric) and the sheathing 230, thereby creating one
or more hoops (shown in FIG. 5) that can receive and support a
fastener 122 (shown in FIG. 4). The cover hold fastener 234 may be
attached to the sheathing 230 by, for example, an adhesive, a
stitching, a rivet, or any suitable attachment mechanism. The cover
hold(s) 232 may be configured to have any size or shape, and each
cover hold 232 may have the same or different shape and/or size as
the next cover hold 232.
[0065] The sheathing 230 may be formed of two or more fabric layers
(not shown), which may be sewn or tied together to form the cover
hold 232. As noted above, the cover holds 232 may be formed by
sandwiching a rope (e.g., paracord type rope, etc.), folded fabric,
or the like, between the fabric layers and sewing the fabric layers
together.
[0066] The cover holds 232 may run along a portion or the entire
length of the fastening structure 200.
[0067] Referring to the example of the enclosure 10' in FIGS. 3A
and 3B, although shown as straight lines for convenience, the edges
14 may have any shape consistent with the scope and spirit of the
instant disclosure, including an irregular shape that will minimize
or prevent reflection of high frequency components in the
environment in which the enclosure 10' is to be used, thereby
creating smooth transitions between the edges of the enclosure 10'
and the natural surroundings.
[0068] According to the principles of the disclosure, an
outdoor/wildlife enclosure 10 may be constructed with enhanced
natural visual characteristics to blend in with the natural
surroundings. The enclosure 10 may be constructed for rapid
deployment. The enclosure 10 may be irregularly shaped and may have
irregularly shaped openings and edge lines. The enclosure may have
a natural or natural-looking fiber, color pattern, and/or texture.
Accordingly, the enclosure may be constructed to be substantially
undetectable by animals.
[0069] The term "irregular shape," including derivations thereof,
means an irregular (two-dimensional or three-dimensional) shape in
at least one plane that is formed by a pair of orthogonal axes in
the real-world coordinate system (x, y, z), wherein the shape may
have a shape similar to or substantially the same as that of
naturally occurring geological structures, such as rocks, stones,
boulders, or the like, or plant structures such as, for example,
leaves, tree-trunks, tree branches, tree limbs, bushes, or the
like. The irregular shape, however, does not consist of
non-naturally occurring shapes such as, for example, a square, a
circle, a triangle, or the like. The irregular shape may be
determined using one or more of the following: [0070] Wentworth's
sphericity: .PSI.=(a+b)/2c, where .PSI. is the sphericity, a is the
longest axis diameter of the shape, b is the medium axis diameter
of the shape, and c is the shortest axes diameter of the shape.
[0071] Lee's angularity: Ai=(180-a) x/r, where the degree of
angularity A.sub.i of the irregular shape may be determined based
on the angle a bounding an edge, the distance x from a center of
the maximum inscribed circle to the edges, and the radius r of the
maximum inscribed circle. [0072] Any or more of the methodologies
for determining shape, as described in "Particle Shape Quantities
and Influence on Geotechnical Properties--A Review," by Juan Manuel
Rodriquez Zavala, Division of Mining and Geotechnical Engineering
Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources, Lulea
University of Technology (2012), or "Particle Shape Statistics
Revisited," by Dr. Peter Smart, Glasgow University (first revision
Mar. 11, 2013), both of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
[0073] The terms "including," "comprising" and variations thereof,
as used in this disclosure, mean "including, but not limited to,"
unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0074] The terms "a," "an," and "the," as used in this disclosure,
mean "one or more," unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0075] When a single device or article is described herein, it will
be readily apparent that more than one device or article may be
used in place of a single device or article. Similarly, where more
than one device or article is described herein, it will be readily
apparent that a single device or article may be used in place of
the more than one device or article. The functionality or the
features of a device or article may be alternatively embodied by
one or more other devices or articles which are not explicitly
described as having such functionality or features.
[0076] While the disclosure has been described in terms of
exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that
the disclosure can be practiced with modifications in the spirit
and scope of the appended claim, drawings and attachment. The
examples provided herein are merely illustrative and are not meant
to be an exhaustive list of all possible designs, embodiments,
applications or modifications of the disclosure.
* * * * *