Patent Application
20250034902
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The disclosure relates to tent devices and more particularly pertains to a new tent device for sheltering occupants during an outdoor event. The device includes a tent structured to resemble an American football helmet and a balloon which is structured to resemble a facemask of an American football helmet. The device includes a plurality of tent poles integrated into the tent which bias the tent into a deployed position.
The prior art relates to tent devices including a variety of inflatable structures for covering spaces and sheltering occupants. In no instance does the prior art disclose a tent structured to resemble an American football helmet and a balloon which is attachable to the tent and which is structured to resemble the facemask of an American football helmet.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a tent formed to define a dome such that the tent has the ornamental appearance of an American football helmet. A plurality of tent poles is each integrated into the tent for biasing the tent to define the dome. A balloon is attachable to the tent which comprises a plurality of intersecting members to have the ornamental appearance of a face mask of an American football helmet. A fill port is fluidly integrated into the balloon and the fill port can be fluidly coupled to a source of compressed air for inflating the balloon.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The tent 12 has a pair of holes 38 each extending through the top surface 16 and the bottom surface 18 and each of the holes 38 is centrally positioned on a respective one of the pair of lobes 32. The tent 12 has a cut 40 extending through the top surface 16 and the bottom surface 18 and the cut 40 extends from the basal portion 22 of the perimeter edge 20 toward an apex 42 of the dome 13. Furthermore, the cut 40 is centrally positioned between the first lateral leg 28 and the second lateral leg 30 of the basal portion 22. The tent 12 may be comprised of a rip resistant material, including but not being limited to, polyester or nylon. Indicia 44 may be applied to the top surface 16 of the tent 12 and the indicia 44 may comprise a logo, an image or graphics that represent an American football team, for example.
A plurality of tent poles 46 is provided and each of the plurality of tent poles 46 is integrated into the tent 12. The plurality of tent poles 46 biases the tent 12 to define the dome 13 and the plurality of tent 12 pole is disposed on the bottom surface 18 of the tent 12. The plurality of tent poles 46 radiate outwardly from the apex 42 of the dome 13 toward the perimeter edge 20. Each of the plurality of tent poles 46 may be comprised of a resiliently flexible material, including but not being limited to, fiberglass or plastic.
A balloon 48 is provided which comprises a plurality of intersecting members 50 being strategically arranged such that the balloon 48 has the ornamental appearance of a face mask of an American football helmet. The balloon 48 is inflatable thereby lending structural integrity to the balloon 48. The plurality of intersecting members 50 includes a primary member 52 curving between a pair of outward members 54 having the outward members 54 being spaced apart from each other and being oriented parallel to each other. The plurality of intersecting members 50 includes a set of first horizontal members 56 each curving forwardly from a respective one of the outward members 54. The plurality of intersecting members 50 includes a set of second horizontal members 58 each curving forwardly from a respective one of the outward members 54.
Each of the first horizontal members 56 and each of the second horizontal members 58 has a terminal end 60. The first horizontal members 56 curve toward the second horizontal members 58 having the terminal end 60 of each of the first horizontal members 56 being spaced from the terminal end 60 of each of the second horizontal members 58. In this way an entry space 62 is defined between the terminal end 60 of each of the first horizontal members 56 and the terminal end 60 of each of the second horizontal members 58 to facilitate an occupant to pass through the entry space 62. Each of the plurality of intersecting members 50 is substantially hollow and each of the plurality of intersecting members 50 is in fluid communication with each other.
A fill port 64 is fluidly integrated into the balloon 48 and the fill port 64 is in fluid communication with an interior of the balloon 48. The fill port 64 can be fluidly coupled to a source of compressed air 66 for inflating the balloon 48. The source of compressed air 66 may comprise an electric air pump, a manual air pump or any other source of readily available compressed air. The fill port 64 extends through an outer wall 68 of a respective one of the plurality of intersecting members 50 and the fill port 64 has a closure 70 for closing the fill port 64 to inhibit air within the balloon 48 from escaping through the fill port 64.
A pair of clasps 72 is each disposed on the top surface 16 of the tent 12 and each of the clasps 72 is positioned on opposite sides of the opening 14 into the dome 13 defined by the opening portion 34 of the perimeter edge 20 of the tent 12. A pair of buckles 74 is each disposed on a respective one of the pair of outward members 54 associated with the balloon 48. Each of the pair of buckles 74 extends rearwardly from the respective outward member 54. Furthermore, each of the buckles 74 releasably engages a respective one of the clasps 72 for attaching the balloon 48 to the tent 12 such that the balloon 48 wraps around the opening 14 into the dome 13. Each of the clasps 72 and buckles 74 may comprise a female coupler and a male coupler or any other type of multiple use, releasably means of attachment.
A closure 76 is integrated into the tent 12 and the closure 76 includes a first portion 78 and a second portion 80 each extending a long a full length of the cut 40 in the tent 12. The first portion 78 is releasably matable to the second portion 80 for opening 14 and closing the cut 40. In this way the cut 40 facilitates the occupants to pass through the cut 40 when the cut 40 is opened. The closure 76 may comprise a zipper or other type of mechanical closure 76. A plurality of ties 82 is each attached to the bottom surface 18 of the tent 12 and each of the ties 82 can be tied around flaps 84 formed when the cut 40 is opened for holding the cut 40 open.
In an alternative embodiment 86 most clearly shown in
In use, the tent 12 is positioned such that the basal portion 22 of the perimeter edge 20 rests on the ground thereby facilitating the plurality of tent poles 46 to bias the tent 12 to define the dome 13. Each of the buckles 74 is attached to the respective clasp 72 and the fill port 64 of the balloon 48 is fluidly coupled to the source of compressed air 66 to inflate the balloon 48. In this way the tent 12 and the balloon 48 defines the American football helmet to enhance the occupant's enjoyment during tailgate parties and other sporting events that involve being outdoors. The closure 76 is opened and the ties 82 are tied around the flaps 84 to hold the cut 40 open. In this way the occupants can enter or exit the tent 12 either through the opening 14 defined in the dome 13 or through the cut 40.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
