U.S. patent number 3,699,986 [Application Number 05/104,298] was granted by the patent office on 1972-10-24 for modular shelter system.
Invention is credited to Arthur J. Kirkham.
United States Patent |
3,699,986 |
Kirkham |
October 24, 1972 |
MODULAR SHELTER SYSTEM
Abstract
A number of tent modules are arranged to be interconnected, as
desired, to form various arrangements of combined shelter
configurations. A single modular unit can be used and other modules
can be acquired as necessary to accommodate immediate and
subsequently changing needs or to lay out a shelter structure
conforming to the natural terrain and terrain obstacles.
Inventors: |
Kirkham; Arthur J. (Salt Lake
City, UT) |
Family
ID: |
22299721 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/104,298 |
Filed: |
January 6, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
135/97; 135/116;
135/119; 135/87; 135/117 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H
15/30 (20130101); E04H 15/18 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04H
15/30 (20060101); E04H 15/18 (20060101); E04H
15/00 (20060101); A45f 001/00 (); E04b
001/347 () |
Field of
Search: |
;135/1R,3R,3E,4R
;52/71,79,81 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Caun; Peter M.
Claims
I claim:
1. A modular shelter system comprising
a tent pavilion module having
two generally triangular side walls and two generally triangular
end walls of flexible sheet material, the bases of said adjacent
triangles being connected and the apexes of said triangles engaging
the ground, a top of flexible sheet material fixed to each of said
bases, means stretching said top tautly between said bases, and
means for tautly stretching said walls upwardly from the ground;
and
means for coupling other modular tent components having an apex to
the pavilion module at each opening formed between adjacent
triangular side and end walls with the apex of the other modular
tent component adapted to be coupled at the junction of the
adjacent bases forming the opening.
2. A modular shelter system as in claim 1, further including
at least one closure module coupled to at least one opening, said
closure module including means for selectively opening and closing
passage into and out of the pavilion module through the opening at
which the said closure module is coupled.
3. A modular shelter system as in claim 1, further including
at least one open ended room module coupled to at least one
opening, said open-ended room module including side walls, but
being open at both ends thereof, with one of said ends coupled to
said opening.
4. A modular shelter system comprising
a pavilion module having
generally triangular side and end walls, the bases of said adjacent
triangles being connected and the apexes of said triangles engaging
the ground, a top fixed to said bases and stretched tautly
therebetween; and
means for coupling other modular components to the pavilion module
at each opening formed between adjacent side and end walls;
at least one open ended room module coupled to at least one
opening, said open-ended room module including side walls, but
being open at both ends thereof, with one of said ends coupled to
said opening; and
a closure module coupled to the end of the open-ended room module
remote from the opening of the pavilion module to which the
open-ended room module is coupled, said closure module including
means for selectively opening and closing passage into and out of
the open ended room module through the opening at which said
closure module is coupled.
5. A modular shelter system comprising
a pavilion module having
generally triangular side and end walls, the bases of said adjacent
triangles being connected and the apexes of said triangles engaging
the ground, a top fixed to said bases and stretched tautly
therebetween; and
means for coupling other modular components to the pavilion module
at each opening formed between adjacent side and end walls;
at least one open ended room module coupled to at least one
opening, said open ended room module including side walls, but
being open at both ends thereof, with one of said ends coupled to
said opening;
a closed room module comprising an independently supported shelter
having a door opening in one end thereof and means for coupling the
closed room module with either end of the open-ended room module,
whereby the door opening of the closed room module is adapted to be
positioned at the open end of the open-ended room module remote
from the end connected to the pavilion and the closed room module
is releasably coupled to the open-ended room module.
6. A modular shelter system comprising
a pavilion module having
generally triangular side and end walls, the bases of said adjacent
triangles being connected and the apexes of said triangles engaging
the ground, a top fixed to said bases and stretched tautly
therebetween; and
means for coupling other modular components to the pavilion module
at each opening formed between adjacent side and end walls;
a closed room module comprising an independently supported shelter
having a door opening in one end thereof, and means for engagement
with the coupling means of the pavilion module, whereby the door
opening of the closed room module is positioned within one opening
formed between triangular side and end walls of the pavilion module
and the closed room module is releasably coupled to the pavilion
module.
7. A modular shelter system as in claim 1, further including
modular units adapted to be coupled with the coupling means at the
openings of the pavilion module.
8. A modular shelter system comprising
a pavilion module having
generally triangular side and end walls, the bases of said adjacent
triangles being connected and the apexes of said triangles engaging
the ground, a top fixed to said bases and stretched tautly
therebetween; and
means for coupling other modular components to the pavilion module
at each opening formed between adjacent side and end walls; and
modular units adapted to be coupled with the means for coupling
other modular components to the pavilion module, said modular units
comprising
a closed room module, an open-ended room module, and a closure
module, each of said modular units including flaps extending
therefrom to reach past adjacent apexes of the triangular side and
end walls of the pavilion module when they are connected to the
pavilion module.
9. A modular shelter system as in claim 8, wherein the pavilion
module, closed room module, open-ended room module and closure
module are each constructed of tent fabric.
10. A modular shelter system as in claim 8, wherein
the means for coupling on the pavilion module comprise a zipper
track on each side of each opening of the said module one of said
tracks at each opening having a zipper slide thereon, the said
tracks with slides being separated by a track without a slide;
and
the closed room module, open ended room module and the closure
module each include zipper tracks, one track of which has a zipper
slide thereon, said zipper tracks being arranged to mate with the
zipper tracks at an opening of the pavilion module.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tentage and particularly to tentage
selectively providing single or multiple rooms under cover to meet
diverse use requirements.
2. Prior Art
Tents have long been favored temporary shelter. This has been due
to their relative low cost, their lightweight and their ease of
assembly. As is well known, they are available in many different
styles and sizes. Some have even included dividers, whereby a
single tent structure can be compartmentized, if necessary. Dining
flys and overhead shelter constructions have also long been
utilized.
Basically the construction of tents has not changed much over the
many years of their use. However, some different support structures
have been developed, as shown, for example, in my U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,128,781, 3,367,348 and 3,371,671 and changes have been made in
the type of materials sometimes used in their construction.
Generally, tents, dining flys, etc., have provided some sort of
cover for a predetermined ground area. In the case of tents some
form of wall structure has been employed to define and surround the
ground area to be covered.
In the past, if it was desired to cover a large area a large tent
was used. If it was desired to cover a small area a small tent was
used. If it was desired to cover a small area and only a large tent
was available, there may have been wasted space, the load involved
may have been unduly heavy or, because of terrain limitations,
etc., it may not have been possible to set up the large tent that
was available. Conversely, if only a small tent were available,
there was no way to stretch it to make it suitable to meet the
requirement for a large tent. Even if a number of smaller tents
were available they could not be coupled to provide a single larger
structure.
While tents have been and continue to be popular as low cost
temporary shelters it is quite obvious that they have not,
heretofore, been sufficiently versatile to allow for different
needs under differing circumstances.
No one, so far as I am aware, has heretofore developed a tent
system embodying modular units that can be used to form
independent, free standing units or that can be arranged to form
enlarged structures of desired size made up of mutually supported
modular unit components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a tent
system that is sufficiently versatile to allow for its use under a
great many different situations. Thus, it is an object to provide
such a system wherein individual free standing pavilions and tents
and attachable closures can be used in various combinations, or the
tents and pavilions can be used individually, as circumstances
require.
Principal features of the invention include four module units that
form the basic structures of the invention. As will become
apparent, one of the units comprising a closed room module, can be
used individually as a tent, another open-ended module can be
individually used as either an open-ended shelter or a closed tent,
and another of the modules can be used selectively as an open
pavilion or as a tent. The remaining module unit forms a closure
structure useful in converting the otherwise open pavilion and
open-ended modules to closed tents, or of providing closures for
terminal ends of combined modules.
The pavilion module will normally serve as the central or main
structure of any combination of the module units, but some
combinations not involving the pavilion module can be developed.
The pavilion module consists of a generally rectangular top and
four depending side panels of generally triangular configuration.
The bases of the triangular side panels are each secured to a side
edge of the top such that the corners of adjacent triangular panels
meet at the corners of the rectangular top and a fastening means,
such as a zipper track is fixed to each side edge of the triangular
side panels.
When the pavilion is assembled the apexes of the triangular side
panels are secured to the ground, as by stakes, the top is
stretched taut by a central brace having resilient cross arms at
the ends thereof and the pavilion is held in an erect position by
poles extending upwardly from the ground to the ends of the central
brace. The space formed between adjacent side edges of the
triangular side panels and the ground is then of triangular
configuration, especially adapted to serve as a mating opening in
the manner to be hereinafter described in detail.
The open-ended room module is arranged to be connected at the
mating opening and an independently usable closed room module is
adapted to be connected to either the pavilion at the mating
openings or to the open-ended room module.
A closure module can be connected into a mating opening or to
either end of the open-ended room module to thereby close these
otherwise open modules and to serve as reclosable openings.
Additional objects and features of the invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description and drawings,
disclosing what are presently contemplated as being the best modes
of the invention.
THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a prospective view of the central or pavilion module;
FIG. 2, a prospective view of the closure modules;
FIG. 3, a prospective view of the open-ended room module;
FIG. 4, a prospective view of the closed room module;
FIG. 5, a prospective view of the pavilion module with a closure
module in place at one of the pavilion openings;
FIG. 6, a prospective view of an open-ended room module with a
closure module in place at one end thereof;
FIG. 7, a top plan layout of a typical one of the possible
combination of modules erected so as to conform within existing
terrain obstructions;
FIG. 8, a prospective view showing a pavilion module with an
open-ended room module having one end attached to one of the
pavilion openings and with a closure module attached to the other
end, one side of the closure module liner being released to allow
entry to and exit from the open-ended room module;
FIG. 9, an enlarged, fragmentary, exploded view showing the roof
line connection used for coupling the room and pavilion
modules;
FIG. 10, a prospective view of an open-ended room module joined at
one end to a closed room module;
FIG. 11, a prospective view of a closed room module attached to one
of the openings in a pavilion module;
FIG. 12, an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 12--12 of
FIG. 11 and showing a coupling arrangement between a closed room
module and a pavilion module;
FIG. 13, an elevation view of a closure module closing an opening
of a pavilion, taken from beneath the pavilion canopy;
FIG. 14, an enlarged fragmentary section view, taken on the line
14--14 of FIG. 13; and
FIG. 15, a floor plan of a typical layout of the system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawings:
FIGS. 1-4 illustrate the four building modules of the present
invention. The pavilion module 20, shown best in FIG. 1, in its set
up condition consists of four upstanding triangular shaped panels
or walls 21a, 21b, 21c and 21d. Each triangular wall has its apex
secured to the ground and its base connected to an overhead canopy
22. Walls 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d may be connected to the ground by
stakes 23a, 23b, 23c and 23d, for example. Upright support poles
24a and 24b extend upwardly from the ground to hold the walls taut.
The poles extend outside of walls 21a and 21c and preferably rest
on the tops of stakes 23a and 23c so that they counteract any
tendency of the stakes to pull free. The tops of poles 24a and 24b
are inserted into opposite ends of a central rod 25 that extends
above canopy 22. The ends of rod 25 engage and bow resilient cross
arms 26a and 26b, inserted through sleeves 27a and 27b,
respectively, at opposite ends of the canopy, to hold the cross
arms in tension. This stretches the canopy and tensions the walls
such that no additional support structure is required. The openings
formed between adjacent walls and the ground are of generally
triangular configuration. Coupling means are included along each
wall edge defining a mating opening between walls. Preferably, such
coupling means include a zipper arrangement of the type shown.
Thus, a zipper track 28a having a guide for attachment into a
zipper slide runs the length of one edge and a zipper 28b having a
slide mounted thereon runs the length of the other edge. As will be
hereinafter described in detail the other modules have a similar
zipper arrangement and, particularly in FIGS. 1-4 zipper tracks
without slides on the modules will be designated by a (-) while
those with a slide will be designated by a (+).
A closure module 30 is shown best in FIG. 2. This module is used to
close openings formed by the walls of the pavilion or in the other
modules to be hereinafter described in detail. The closure module
is adapted to be connected to each of the other modules and for
this purpose has mating zipper structures. As best shown in FIGS. 5
and 13 zipper track 37d (+) is constructed with a slide and is
arranged to cooperate with zipper track 28a (-) in the pavilion
module, for example. In this arrangement, it can be seen that
zipper track 37a (-) which does not have a slide, is arranged to
cooperate with the slide of zipper track 28b (+) of the pavilion
module. The closure module 30 includes a layer of screen mesh
material 39 to which the zippers 37a and 37b are attached and a
stake loop 38 that is fixed to a central reinforcement strip 38a
and that provides a means whereby the closure module may be
maintained in its spread position. The closure module is provided
with a fabric liner shown generally at 40, and ties 40a, each
having one end secured to the mesh, are provided for tying one half
of the liner to one side of the screen so that an open screen area
is provided by the closure. The liner 40 is made up of liner halves
40b and 40c, each including one half of a zipper track, and one
including a zipper slide so that they can be zippered together. A
hook 41 is secured to one of the fabric liner halves at the bottom
of its zipper track portion and is arranged to be removably
connected to a D-ring 41a secured to the mesh on the side opposite
from stake loop 38. When the hook 41 is connected to the D-ring 41a
and the liner halves are zippered together the fabric liner is held
against the mesh material and is in essentially the same spread
position as the screen. The closure module 30 can be partially
opened by unzipping one of the zippers 37a or 37b and by laying one
half of the module back against the other, or simply allowing it to
sag such that movement past the closure is possible.
A skirt 40e extends downwardly from each of the liner halves and is
angularly cut to extend outwardly beyond the lowermost corners of
the liner halves such that when the skirts are turned in with
respect to the module and the closure module is connected to a
pavilion module the ends of the skirts extend past the apexes of
the adjacent walls of the pavilion. If desired, the skirt 40e can
also be turned outwardly with respect to the closure module for use
as a sod cloth. A similar skirt 39e is fixed to and extends
downwardly from the screen 39 and can also be used as a sod
cloth.
The closure module is also adaptable to close the ends of an
open-ended room module, as shown best in FIG. 6.
The open-ended room module 42 is made to be free standing and has
spaced vertical support poles 43a and 43b extending upwardly from
the ground to opposite ends of a horizontal ridge pole 47. A sheet
of fabric 45 is placed over the ridge pole and is secured to the
ground by stakes inserted through stake loops spaced along lower
edges of the fabric. The structures thus formed has walls 45a and
45b extending downwardly from a common ridge 45c and is essentially
a large open-ended pup tent. If desired, spaced end stakes and guy
lines (not shown) interconnecting the tops of the support poles 43a
and 43b and the ground can be used to make the module into a free
standing shelter unit. As with the closure module, skirts 45d and
45e extend downwardly from walls 34a and 45b, respectively, such
that they can be turned outwardly for use as sod cloths or inwardly
for use with a ground cloth. The ends of the skirts are cut to
extend downwardly from the walls for a purpose to be hereinafter
described in detail.
Zipper track 44a (+) having a slide and a zipper track 44b (-)
without a slide are respectively provided on the opposite ends of
walls 45a and 45b such that a pair of tracks (+) and (-) will be
arranged on each end of the module to match with a corresponding
(-), (+) set of zipper tracks on the pavilion module or the closure
module.
The fourth module of the invention is a closed room module 50 shown
best in FIGS. 4 and 11. This module, like the pavilion module 20
and the extension module 40, can be free standing and can be used
alone as a tent or in conjunction with the other modules of the
invention. The module consists of side walls 51a and 51b connected
along their top edges to a roof panel 52. A floor 53 (FIG. 15) is
attached to the lowermost edges of the side walls 51a and 51b, and
to the lowermost edge of an end panel 54, FIG. 11. A window 55,
made of netting material, is formed in the end panel 54. In
conventional fashion, a covering of the water shedding fabric, not
shown, is arranged to cover the net window 55. The module side
walls 51a and 51b are stretched apart until the floor 53 is taut
and are then staked to the ground. Vertical support is provided by
vertical support poles 56a and 56b. A center ridge pole 58 connects
the tops of poles 56a and 56b through a resilient cross arm 59. The
cross arm is inserted through a sleeve 60 that extends from the
roof panel 52, above the end panel 54. The resilient cross arm 59
is bowed to tension the unit and stretches the roof panel 52 and
the end panel 54 taut. The usual tent door 57, including tie-back
flaps and a net screen cover is provided in the end of the module
opposite panel 54.
Connection means are provided for optionally joining the closed
room module 50 with the pavilion module 20, as seen best in FIG.
11, and with the extension module 42, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10.
As shown, the connection means consists of zipper tracks 57a (-)
and 57b (+). Zipper track 57a does not have a slide and is
cooperable with the zipper tracks of the pavilion module and of the
extension module having such slides. Likewise, zipper track 57b,
which does have a slide thereon, is cooperable with the zipper
tracks of the pavilion module of the extension module that do not
have a slide thereon.
Sod cloth extensions 61 are provided at each bottom front corner of
the closed room module. These can be used in conventional fashion
as sod cloths and can be weighted, to help stabilize the unit when
it is used as a free standing tent. When used with the other
modules of the invention however, the extensions, which reach
outwardly beyond sides of the unit overlap with other module sod
cloth portions to underlie a ground cloth, as best seen in FIG.
15.
The ridges of the room modules are easily connected to the tops of
the openings of the pavilion module with attachment means shown
best in FIG. 9. As shown, a fabric loop 63 is provided at each such
opening and hangs beneath the canopy of the pavilion module at the
apex of the opening. A tab 64 having a hole 65 therethrough is
secured to the fabric of the room module and projects from the
ridge such that loop 63 can be inserted downwardly through hole 65.
A hook 66 is then looped through loop 63 to keep it from being
pulled back through the hole. The hook can be used to hang items
from the top of the combined structure and, since the room module
is supported by the loop, tab and hook, the vertical support pole
of the connected end of the room module can be removed, if desired,
to achieve a fully unobstructed passage between the room module and
the pavilion module.
The module units described can be combined in a great many ways. As
shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8, for example, the closure module 30 can
be used to close the openings of each of the pavilion and open end
room modules 20 and 42, respectively, and can be used on the
doorway end of the closed room module 50.
The open ended room module 42 can be attached to the openings of
the pavilion module or to the doorway end of the closed room module
and can also be attached to the end of a similar open-ended room
module.
The closed room module 50 can be attached to the closure module and
the open ended room module as described above and can also be
attached to the openings of the pavilion module.
A great many possible combinations of the modules are possible to
meet particular needs. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a pavilion
module 20 can be used with oppositely arranged closed room modules
50 and 50'. An open-ended room module 42 provides a covered
entranceway to the pavilion and a closure module 30 seals the
open-ended room module while providing access thereinto. Another
open-ended room module 42' has one of its ends connected to the
pavilion opening opposite module 42 and a closed room module 50
connected to the other end. As shown the combined unit fits within
a number of trees T and in a typical arrangement (using standard
production sizes) will provide approximately 320 square feet of
covered area. To provide a comparable covered area in conventional
tenting would require a tent 18 feet square and such a tent in
addition to being heavy and bulky to transport and requiring
extensive support structure could not be used within the terrain
limitations imposed by the trees T. With the arrangement of FIG. 7,
for camping purposes cooking and eating can be done beneath the
pavilion module, the closed room modules can be used for sleeping
and camping equipment can be stored beneath the closed room
modules.
In FIG. 15 another typical layout is shown. In this floor plan
arrangement, a pair of opposed closed room modules 50 and 50'
extend normal to a pair of open ended room modules 42 and 42', each
of which has a closure module 30 connected to the outermost end
thereof. Each of the open ended room modules and the closed room
modules are connected by a pavilion module, 20, only the lowermost
corners of which are visable in the floor plan view. The closed
room modules include floors and the modules all have sod cloth
flaps, i.e. skirts 40e, 43d and 43e and extensions 61, arranged
such that a ground cloth, not shown, can be placed over the flaps
to provide a sealed floor for the area encompassed by the pavilion,
open ended room, and closure modules. The flaps overlap inside of
the ground engaging corners of the pavilion module to thereby
provide a complete seal for the edge of the combined unit.
While specific combinations of modules have been shown it should be
apparent that other combinations can be used to meet other
requirements. More than one pavilion module can be used, for
example, with the pavilion modules used being interconnected by
open ended room modules.
Various materials can be used for the modules of the invention.
Preferably, however, good quality canvas or nylon fabrics of the
type commonly used for tent construction are employed for all
walls, panels and tops and the floors are of a stronger rubberized
or otherwise waterproofed fabric.
Although preferred embodiments of my invention have been herein
described, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is
made by way of example and that variations are possible, without
departing from the scope of the hereinafter claimed subject matter,
which subject matter I regard as my invention.
* * * * *