Portable Collapsible Shelter

Abstract

Top and bottom plates, vertically separated when in use, are connected by flexible end and back walls, the user sitting on the bottom plate and the front of the structure being at least partially open for the viewing of a sporting event, the top and bottom plates being held in vertically spaced relation by posts or similar means which are removable for the vertical collapsing of the structure.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Relatively rigid top and bottom plates, which may be made of aluminum, plastic or other material, are connected by end and rear walls to form a shelter for the user of the device who sits upon the bottom plate. An adjustable visor extends forwardly from the forward edge of the top plate and has end wings adapted to swing inwardly adjacent the inner surfaces of the end walls of the structure, spring clips or similar devices being engageable with the visor wings and the respective end walls to support the visor in adjusted position, the user thus being protected in inclement weather while permitting an unobstructed view through the front of the structure beneath the visor.

The end and side walls of the structure are formed of flexible sheets cemented at their upper and lower edges to the upper and lower plates and coveniently may be made of nylon fabric, plastic coated to be rendered water-proof. These end and side walls and the top and bottom plates are collapsible vertically to be moved in close proximity to each other for the carrying of the structure by the user. The top plate is supported in operative position by supporting posts which are quickly and easily arranged in operative position. The upper and lower ends of such posts preferably are provided with rubber or similar feet to frictionally engage the plates to support them in position, the posts being of such length as to support the upper plate with the end and side walls stretched to their full linear heights.

Two posts are preferably provided for the front of the structure, each arranged adjacent one of the end walls, and these posts may be utilized to support a protective apron which is adapted to extend downwardly and outwardly over the knees of the user to protect him from falling weather. This apron has its upper portion vertically adjustable on the front rods so that the upper extremity of the apron may be arranged at a proper height below the visor to provide the user with an unobstructed forward view.

The device is particularly intended for use in the uncovered stands at football fields, especially in high school and college stadiums provided with continuous seat boards rather than individual seats. The bottom plate will be arranged on one of these seat boards to support the weight of the structure and the user. The device is capable of many other uses, for example, as a shelter in duck blinds, in deer hunting, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device in operative condition;

FIG. 2 is a section on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section intermediate the ends of the structure;

FIG. 4 is a face view of a blank plate from which the apron supporting and adjusting structure may be made;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the apron and the supporting rods therefor, showing one of the vertical adjusting means made from the blank in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detailed section on line 6--6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the structure when collapsed and folded for carrying;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section on line 8--8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged section of the lower end of one of the support rods showing the rubber foot thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the numerals 10 and 12 designate, respectively, the upper and lower plates of the structure which conveniently may be made of relatively thick aluminum sheeting, or may be molded of plastic and preferably provided at their forward edges with reinforcing flanges 14. When collapsed and folded, the plates 10 and 12 will be arranged in proximity to each other as will become apparent.

The upper and lower plates are provided with end walls 16 and a back wall 18 preferably formed of a single sheet of tough flexible water-proof sheet material. This material, for example, may be formed of nylon fabric coated with a suitable flexible plastic to render it water-proof. The horizontal edges of the walls are turned over the upper and lower plates 10 and 12 as at 13 and are cemented thereto with a water-proof adhesive. When the device is set up for use as in FIGS. 1 and 3, the top plate 10 will be substantially above the bottom plate 12 and the end and back walls will be stretched into planiform shape as shown, and when the device is folded, as described below, the plate 10 may be moved downwardly into proximity with the lower plate, this being possible because of the flexibility of the end and side walls.

In use, the top wall will be supported, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, by posts 20. As shown in FIG. 2, one of these posts will be arranged adjacent each vertical corner of the device and an extra post will be arranged centrally of the length of the structure, the arrangement of these posts being clear in FIG. 2. Each post is preferably completely removable. The posts are preferably formed of tubular aluminum and each is preferably provided at each end with a rubber or similar foot 22. These feet frictionally engage the underside of the top plate 10 and the upper surface of the bottom plate 12. When positioned as shown, the posts are of such length as to stretch the end walls 16 and back wall 18 to their limits to assume planiform shapes. The stretching of these walls anchors the posts 20 in position.

As previously stated, the device is particularly intended for use in viewing sports events such as football games from uncovered stands. Such stands are common at high schools and colleges, and such stands are provided with seat boards 24 (FIGS. 1 and 3) on which the bottom plate 12 rests. These boards are stepped up from the front of the stands to the rear thereof, as is well known.

From the forward edge of the plate 10 a visor 26 extends forwardly and downwardly relative to the structure. This visor may be made of any suitable material and is relatively rigid, and a strip of flexible material 28 is cemented to the rear end of the visor and along the upper surface of the top plate 10 to form a hinge of the visor. This visor is provided at each end with a wing 30, and a strip of material 32, similar to the strip 28, flexibly connects each wing 30 to the visor. These wings are arranged in contact with the inner surfaces of the end walls 16. A spring clip 34 (FIG. 6) is adapted to slip over each wing 30 and the adjacent portion of the associated wall 16 to frictionally hold the wings and hence the visor in any adjusted position.

In FIG. 3 a figure of a man is shown in position in the shelter. The visor will be adjusted to the proper height to permit an unobstructed forward view, and the user will be protected from cold wind and falling weather by the shelter and visor. Means is provided for protecting the front of the user and his knees and feet from falling weather, this means being in the form of a flexible apron 36. This apron has its upper extremity looped as at 38 around a supporting rod 40, the loop 38 being stitched to the body of the apron as at 42. At a point below the rod 40, a second rod 44 extends along the rear of the apron and a strip 46 surrounds the rod and is stitched as at 48 to the apron.

A pair of adjustable split rings 50 are slideable on each front post 20. Each ring 50 is provided adjacent its lower edge with a clip 52 to support the ends of the associated rods 40 and 44. Each sleeve 50 may be formed of a blank 54 (FIG. 4) having a rectangular body and a depending tab 56. The body of the blank may be shaped around a mandrel slightly smaller than each rod 20 to form a slit 58 and the tab 56 will be bent to form the clip 52. The sleeves 50 frictionally engage the associated rods to be vertically adjustable therealong to position the apron 36 and particularly the upper end thereof, thus giving the user protection against the weather while still providing an unobstructed view of a football game or other sporting event. Beneath the lower clip 50 the apron is extended in a long free end 60 to be draped over the lap and knees of the user to protect him.

OPERATION

In carrying the device, the rods 20 will be laid on the bottom plate 12. The rods 40 and 44 will have been removed from the clips 52. The clips 34 will be removed and the wings 30 folded inwardly and upwardly over the visor 26 and turned therewith by the action of the hinge strip 28 to lie on the top of the upper plate 20. The flexibility of the end and side walls permits the upper plate 10 to be moved downwardly making a compact package which may be carried in a flat zippered bag or the like.

When the device is to be used, the top plate 10 will be raised and the posts 20 inserted in position to support the top plate 10 and stretch the side and end walls 16 and 18. When these walls are stretched to their limit, movement of the plates 10 and 12 relatively away from each other will be limited and the rubber feet of the posts will tightly engage the plates 10 and 12. The visor 26 is then swung to operative position and the clips 34 applied to approximately adjust the position of the visor. The user will then sit in the device on the bottom plate 12 and will lift the rod 40 and engage it with the associated clips 52. The ends of the rod 44 will be similarly engaged with its associated clips 52. If the visor 26 is not in the desired position, the user may reach the clips 34 to move them, or may reach out to the ends of the visor 26 to pull it downwardly through the clips 34 to the desired position.

The user will be protected from inclement weather by the plate 10, side and end walls 16 and 18 and by the apron 36 so that he will be kept dry and comfortable within the enclosure. The inside height of the device is preferably such as to provide little clearance between the top of the user's head and the plate 10 to reduce to a minimum any interference with the view of spectators sitting in the next higher seats. The device is far superior to the use of an umbrella since it protects a user on all sides. Moreover, the top plate 10 will be arranged much lower than the central portion of an umbrella which is held higher above the head and will interfere with the view of a spectator in the next higher rear seat. While affording adequate protection on all sides, the device provides an unobstructed view of a sports event such as a football game.

While the device has been particularly described for use as a shelter for sporting events, such as football games, it is highly practicable for other uses. For example, deer hunters taking a stand near a deer trail will be sheltered from the weather. With the upper sleeves 50 arranged somewhat lower than FIG. 3, a deer rifle may project through the front of the structure ready to be fired. Among other uses, the device will form a shelter in duck blinds rendering duck hunting far more comfortable by protecting the user from the weather. The device may be utilized as a shelter for fishermen fishing from piers or boats.

Claims

I claim:

1. A portable temporary shelter of the type described, comprising top and bottom relatively rigid plates, flexible water-proof end and side walls secured at their upper and lower ends respectively to the end edge portions of said plates and the back edge portions thereof, movement of said upper plate upwardly from said lower plate stretching said end and rear walls into substantially planiform shape, separate rigid releasable vertical supporting posts extending between and frictionally engaging said top and bottom plates to maintain said end and side walls in planiform shape and to support said top plate, said bottom plate being adapted to support the user of the device who will have a clear view through the front thereof, a visor connected at one edge to the forward edge of said top plate to swing upwardly and downwardly, and means for adjusting said visor as to its angle relative to said top plate.

2. A device according to claim 1 provided with side wings extending downwardly from the ends of said visor and having their lower extremities lying within the inner surfaces of said end walls, said means for adjusting said visor comprising removable means for relatively fixing said lower extremities of said wings relative to said end walls to adjust the forward and downward angle of said visor relative to said top plate.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein two of said posts are front posts extending between said plates adjacent the front and ends of said plates, and a protective apron carried by said front posts and projecting downwardly and then outwardly and downwardly over the user of the device to protect him from the weather.

4. A device according to claim 6 wherein each of said front posts is provided with a vertically adjustable sleeve having a clip thereon, the upper end of said apron having a horizontal supporting rod the ends of which are engaged in said clips to support said apron, said sleeves frictionally engaging said front posts whereby they may be moved upwardly or downwardly to adjust the height of the upper extremity of said apron.

5. A device according to claim 1 provided with two of said supporting posts being arranged to engage the forward portions of said plates adjacent the ends thereof, and an apron connected to said front posts and extending downwardly over the front of the user and outwardly and downwardly over the legs of the user to protect him from the weather, the user having an unobstructed view forwardly beneath said visor and above the upper end of said apron.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein said visor is provided with end wings hinged thereto and having their lower portions lying inwardly of and adjacent the respective end walls, said means for adjusting said visor comprising friction clips engaging said lower portions of said wings and the adjacent respective end walls whereby the angularity of said visor from the horizontal may be adjusted.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein said apron is provided adjacent its upper end with a horizontal supporting rod, and means for adjustably connecting the end portions of said supporting rod relative to said two posts.