Patent Application
20070095377
The present invention generally relates to tents, and more particularly to collapsible tents having base poles.
It is known to provide a tent having a base pole that forms a round or curved base of the tent. However, many prior art tents with a round or curved base pole are “self-erecting”, such as U.S. Pat. No. Re. 35,571, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,672,323 and 5,601,105. Such tents are easy to erect because, typically, the frames are made of one or more continuous curved loops of steel wire or the like. These loops enable the tent frame to automatically spring open when released and be easily folded to collapse the tent. Thus, the tent frame is made up of loops, not conventional poles separate from the shell and that typically require assembly of the pole, passing the pole through sleeves or hooking the pole to the tent shell. Among other drawbacks with such self-erecting tents, they are size limited, meaning they have very limited interior space.
There are also other more conventional tents with a curved base pole, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,450,187 and 5,842,495. However, such tents are not easy to assemble and/or are overly complicated in their construction. Thus, there is a need for an easy to assemble, simple tent that has the advantages of curved or round base tents.
Accordingly, one aspect of the invention is a tent comprising a shell and a frame for supporting the shell and including a base pole for at least partially defining a base of the tent. The base is at least partially curved and the base pole includes a curved section for defining a curved section of the base. The shell includes a sleeve having a selectively openable end for receiving the base pole.
In another aspect, the frame includes at least two base poles for defining at least a portion of a base of the tent. The shell includes at least two sleeves spaced from one another to facilitate assembly, each sleeve having a selectively openable end for receiving one of the base poles.
Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the above-mentioned aspects of the present invention. Further features may also be incorporated in the above-mentioned aspects of the present invention as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to any of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present invention, alone or in any combination.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Referring to
A base 33 of the tent 11 is at least partially curved. In this embodiment, the base 33 has an oval shape, though many other shapes are contemplated. The frame 15 of this embodiment includes two base poles 31 for at least partially defining the base 33 of the tent. Each of the base poles 31 extends around a curved portion of the base 33, e.g., around the right and left sides of the tent 11 (as viewed. Base poles 31 of this embodiment do not extend around the entire base 33, e.g., they extend around 40% to 80% of the base. The front and back sections of the shell 13 have no base pole. Thus, the base poles 31 are spaced from one another. However, base poles 31 of other embodiments of the invention may extend around more of the base 33. Also, other embodiments may have any number of base poles 31, including only one.
Upon assembly with the shell 13, each base pole 31 includes at least one curved section, e.g., a curved section fitting the curve of the shell. Each base pole 31 may be made up of separate pole sections (not shown, suitably similar to poles 17 described above). Each pole section may be straight or curved when not joined to the shell 13. In one embodiment, the sections are straight and the pole 31 is sufficiently flexible to bend in its curved section to fit the curve defined by the shell 13, the pole bending as it is attached to the shell 13.
In this embodiment, base sleeves 35 are attached to the base of the shell 13 at each side thereof for receiving the base poles 31. One end 37 of the sleeve is open to receive the pole 31, and the opposite end (not shown) of the sleeve is closed, e.g., by a permanent or a removable closure, so that the opposite end is secured in the sleeve 35. A flap 39 selectively covers or closes the open end of the sleeve 35 for securing the pole in the sleeve. The flap may have a fastener section, e.g. a VELCRO™ patch, on its end for engaging a mating fastener section on the outside of the sleeve. In other embodiments, a pocket (not shown) near the open end of the sleeve may receive one or both ends of the pole 31 for securing the pole in the sleeve 35.
The base sleeves 35 are attached, as by sewing or other suitable means, to the floor of the shell 13 at the seam between the wall and the floor (the outside corner of the shell). The sleeves 35 lie between the ground and the floor of the shell and are thereby hidden from view, or substantially hidden from view, after the tent is assembled. Such positioning makes the tent more aesthetically pleasing while retaining the benefits of a base pole. However, the base sleeves may alternatively be located so as to be more visible, e.g., at the corner but attached to the wall. Also, the base poles and sleeves could be located inside the shell at the corner so that neither can be seen from outside the living space of the tent. Further, the sleeves may be made integral with the shell, rather than being attached to the shell.
In one method of assembling the tent 11, the respective base poles 31 are pushed or inserted into the respective sleeves 35 until the opposite end of the pole engages the closed end of the sleeve. The free end is secured by closing the flap 39 over the end of the sleeve 35, or by insertion in the pocket described above. In this embodiment, there is ample space between the base poles 31 to facilitate easy assembly. Each sleeve 35 and pole 31 may be sized so that the resilient pole must be bent into the curved shape in order to be inserted in the sleeve and secured by the flap pocket 39, the pole thereby exerting an outward force against ends of the sleeve 35 and the flap or pocket when the tent 11 is assembled. This force may assist in further stabilizing the tent. The upper portion of the frame 15 is then assembled, as by sliding the poles 17, 18 through the sleeves 19. Alternatively, the upper portion may be assembled prior to inserting the base poles 31 in the base sleeves 35. The tent may also be staked to the ground. Many other methods of assembly are contemplated within the scope of this invention. Sleeves can be under the tent as shown or placed on the outer side of the corner so as to be visible. The sleeves may alternatively be sewn to the inside of the shell so that the base pole(s) are installed from inside the shell. In this method, the poles would be passed into the living space inside the shell 13 through the door 23, and thereafter inserted in the base sleeves.
Referring to
As will be understood, the tents 11, 11′ are only two embodiments of many possible embodiments of the invention. Embodiments of the invention are advantageous because they enable more interior room due to more vertical walls. The curved base can also increase usable floor space and eliminate sharp corners that reduce usable space in the tent. Embodiments of the invention are advantageous as compared to the prior art because they enable easier, quicker assembly and disassembly of the tent. These embodiments are also simpler constructions than those of the prior art. At the same time, the base pole(s) typically make the tent more stable. The stability is due at least in part to tension in the base poles.
When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiments(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
As various changes could be made in the above constructions, products, and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing[s] shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
