The present disclosure relates to a ground blind, and more particularly, to a foldable ground blind configured for hunting birds.
Ground blinds are commonly used by hunters or other outdoorsman to conceal themselves and their movements from the observation of wild animals. Specifically, ground blinds are used by hunters and other outdoorsman to avoid scaring away wild animals. Typically, a hunter or other outdoorsman sits within or behind a ground blind that is camouflaged on its outer surface to blend in with the surrounding environment. Ground blinds can be used for a variety of purposes, such as hunting wild animals, viewing wild animals, and photography of wildlife. No matter the use, it is desirable that the ground blind be lightweight, portable, and easy to assemble/disassemble.
There are many different styles of ground blinds that have been made that are lightweight, portable, and easy to assemble/dissemble. One such ground blind is a hub style ground blind, which typically consists of a canvas cover and a hub assembly making up each wall of the ground blind. Each hub assembly includes flexible rods extending from a center hub to the corners of the canvas cover. When the ground blind is in an open position the hub assembly is inverted into a concave orientation, creating tension in the canvas cover and holding each wall in place. Hub style ground blinds are typically made from 2 or more hub assemblies attached to one another, with each hub assembly constituting a single wall of the ground blind.
Typical hub style ground blinds are not configured to allow a hunter to effectively and safely hunt birds. Therefore, there is a need for improvement in the art of ground blinds such that the ground blind is configured to be suitable for safely and effectively hunting birds.
According to one aspect of the disclosure, a foldable shelter includes a front wall, a first side wall coupled to the front wall, a second side wall coupled to the front wall, and a hub assembly. The first side wall includes a first side support and the second side wall includes a second side support. The hub assembly includes a hub attached to a center of an inner surface of the front wall and a plurality of rods extending from the hub to each corner of the front wall. The hub assembly is configured to transition from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration in which the plurality of rods are bowed to cause the inner surface of the front wall to be concave.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, a method of assembling a foldable shelter includes laying an outer surface of a front wall of the foldable shelter on a plurality of corners of the front wall; applying pressure to an inner surface of a hub assembly to invert the hub assembly into a tensioned concave position from an inside of the front wall, wherein the hub assembly includes a hub attached to an inner surface of the front wall and a plurality of rods extending from the hub to each corner of the front wall; rotating a first side wall and a second side wall away from the inner surface of the front wall, wherein the first side wall includes a first side support, and the second side wall includes aft a second side support; standing the foldable shelter on a bottom edge of the front wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall; loosening a first clamp positioned on the first side support and loosening a second clamp positioned on the second side support; extending the first side support and the second side support from a shortened position to an extended position; and tightening the first clamp positioned on the first side support and tightening the second clamp positioned on the second side support.
Foldable blind 10 is a hunting blind that is configured to fold into a collapsed configuration, allowing the user to easily transport foldable blind 10 to a desired location with minimal difficulty. As shown in
As shown in
Door 34, which includes door opening 34A and door cover 34B, is positioned below hub 28 of hub assembly 14 and near bottom edge 18C of front wall 18. Door 34 is also positioned in the center of front wall 18 widthwise and door opening 34A extends through front wall 18. In the embodiment shown, door cover 34B can be rolled up in an open position or door cover 34B can be unrolled in a closed position. In another embodiment, door 34 can use any suitable means to hold door 34 in the open and closed positions. Door 34 is configured to be a dog door, in which a dog can enter and exit foldable blind 10 by passing through door 34. Door 34 allows a dog to quickly and easily enter or exit foldable blind 10 when retrieving birds. Further, door 34 allows foldable blind 10 to be placed close to or within natural vegetation, in which entering or exiting foldable blind 10 from the open side is difficult, to better conceal the user while still allowing a dog to easily enter and exit foldable blind 10. Rod pockets 36A-36D are attached to inner surface 18A of front wall 18 and adjacent to each corner of front wall 18. Each rod pocket 36A-36D is configured to encompass an end of one of the rods 30A-30D, securely holding each rod 30A-30D when in both the setup and collapsed configurations of foldable blind 10. In the embodiment shown, there are four rod pockets 36A-36D but in other embodiments there can be as many rod pockets as there are corners to front wall 18. Shown in
Shown in
First side sleeve 40 is positioned along and extends the entire length of the outside edge of first side wall 20. First side support 42 is a telescoping rod that is positioned within and fixedly attached to first side sleeve 40 at one end of the rod and securely held in place by first side sleeve 40 at the other end of the rod. In the embodiment shown, first side support 42 is fixedly attached to first side sleeve 40 using a screw or bolt. In another embodiment, first side support 42 can be fixedly attached to first side sleeve 40 using any other suitable means, such as (but not limited to) a clamp, a clip, or a strap. First side support 42 is configured to telescope between a shortened position and an extended position. With first side support 42 in the shortened position first side wall 20 is able to fold in against inner surface 18A of front wall 18, between rods 30A and 30B. This allows foldable blind 10 to fold into the collapsed configuration in which rods 30A-30D and first side support 42 are parallel to each other. When first side support 42 is in the extended position, foldable blind 10 can stand in its upright setup configuration. First side support 42 provides stability and support to foldable blind 10.
In the embodiment shown, first side support 42 is fixedly attached to first side sleeve 40 of first side wall 20 and configured to telescope between a shortened position and an extended position. In another embodiment, first side support 42 can be an extendable or fixed-length rod that is removable from first side sleeve 40 of first side wall 20. Removing the rod allows first side wall 20 to fold in against inner surface 18A of front wall 18 and also allows foldable blind 10 to fold into its collapsed configuration. When first side support 42 is fixedly attached to first side wall 20, first side support 42 must be an extendable/retractable rod to allow foldable blind 10 to collapse into the configuration in which all rods and poles are parallel to each other. When first side support 42 is removable from first side wall 20, first side support 42 can be extendable or fixed-length. With the extendable or fixed-length rod removed, foldable blind 10 is able to fold into the collapsed configuration in which all rods and poles are parallel to each other. A fully collapsed foldable blind 10 is essential for easy and efficient transport of foldable blind 10.
First base sleeve 44 is positioned along and extends the entire length of bottom edge 20C of first side wall 20. First base support 46 is a fixed-length rod positioned within and fixedly attached to first base sleeve 44 at one end of the rod and securely held in place by first base sleeve 44 at the other end of the rod. In the embodiment shown, first base support 46 is fixedly attached to first base sleeve 44 using a screw or bolt. In another embodiment, first base support 46 can be fixedly attached to first base sleeve 44 using any other suitable means, such as (but not limited to) a clamp, a clip, or a strap. First base support 46 provides extra support and stability to foldable blind 10 when in the setup configuration. In the embodiment shown, first base support 46 is included in foldable blind 10. In another embodiment, first base support 46 does not need to be included in foldable blind 10.
First clamp 48 is positioned within a notch in first side sleeve 40 and located on first side support 42. First clamp 48 securely holds first side support 42 in both the shortened position and the extended position. In the embodiment shown, first clamp 48 is a thumb screw that is turned by hand to tighten or loosen first clamp 48. In another embodiment, first clamp 48 could be a set screw, a collet, or other locking or clamping device that could secure first side support 42 in both the shortened position and the extended position.
Shown in
Second side sleeve 50 is positioned along and extends the entire length of the outside edge of second side wall 22. Second side support 52 is a telescoping rod that is positioned within and fixedly attached to second side sleeve 50 at one end of the rod and securely held in place by second side sleeve 50 at the other end of the rod. In the embodiment shown, second side support 52 is fixedly attached to second side sleeve 50 using a screw or bolt. In another embodiment, second side support 52 can be fixedly attached to second side sleeve 50 using any other suitable means, such as (but not limited to) a clamp, a clip, or a strap. Second side support 52 is configured to telescope between a shortened position and an extended position. With second side support 52 in the shortened position second side wall 22 is able to fold in against inner surface 18A of front wall 18, between rods 30C and 30D. This allows foldable blind 10 to fold into the collapsed configuration in which rods 30A-30D and second side support 52 are parallel to each other. When second side support 52 is in the extended position, foldable blind 10 can stand in its upright setup configuration. Second side support 52 provides stability and support to foldable blind 10.
In the embodiment shown, second side support 52 is fixedly attached to second side sleeve 50 of second side wall 22 and configured to telescope between a shortened position and an extended position. In another embodiment, second side support 52 can be an extendable or fixed-length rod that is removable from second side sleeve 50 of second side wall 22. Removing the rod allows second side wall 22 to fold in against inner surface 18A of front wall 18 and also allows foldable blind 10 to fold into its collapsed configuration. When second side support 52 is fixedly attached to second side wall 22, second side support 52 must be an extendable/retractable rod to allow foldable blind 10 to collapse into the configuration in which all rods and poles are parallel to each other. When second side support 52 is removable from second side wall 22, second side support 52 can be extendable or fixed-length. With the extendable or fixed-length rod removed, foldable blind 10 is able to fold into the collapsed configuration in which all rods and poles are parallel to each other. A fully collapsed foldable blind 10 is essential for easy and efficient transport of foldable blind 10.
Second base sleeve 54 is positioned along and extends the entire length of bottom edge 22C of second side wall 22. Second base support 56 is a fixed-length rod positioned within and fixedly attached to second base sleeve 54 at one end of the rod and securely held in place by second base sleeve 54 at the other end of the rod. In the embodiment shown, second base support 56 is fixedly attached to second base sleeve 54 using a screw or bolt. In another embodiment, second base support 56 can be fixedly attached to second base sleeve 54 using any other suitable means, such as (but not limited to) a clamp, a clip, or a strap. Second base support 56 provides extra support and stability to foldable blind 10 when in the setup configuration. In the embodiment shown, second base support 56 is included in foldable blind 10. In another embodiment, second base support 56 does not need to be included in foldable blind 10.
Second clamp 58 is positioned within a notch in second side sleeve 50 and located on second side support 52. Second clamp 58 securely holds second side support 52 in both the shortened position and the extended position. In the embodiment shown, second clamp 58 is a thumb screw that is turned by hand to tighten or loosen second clamp 58. In another embodiment, second clamp 58 could be a set screw, a collet, or other locking or clamping device that could secure second side support 52 in both the shortened position and the extended position.
Stubble straps 38 are located on each of front wall 18, first side wall 20, and second side wall 22. Stubble straps 38 are connected to each wall every few inches to create a plurality of small pockets running across outer surface 18B of front wall 18, outer surface 20B of first side wall 20, and outer surface 22B of second side wall 22. Further, stubble straps 38 are parallel to each of bottom edge 18C of front wall 18, bottom edge 20C of first side wall 20, and bottom edge 22C of second side wall 22. Stubble straps 38 are used to hold natural vegetation to foldable blind 10 to camouflage better with the surrounding environment. Stubble straps are known and will not be discussed further.
Aperture 18D of front wall 18, aperture 20D of first side wall 20, and aperture 22D of second side wall 22 are used as gun rests. The user inserts the barrel of a gun through one of apertures 18D, 20D, or 22D and places the butt of the gun on the ground. Apertures 18D, 20D, and 22D allow a user to store the gun in a safe location and point the muzzle in a safe direction while the gun is not being used. Other ground blinds do not include an aperture specifically for the purpose of safely storing a gun, resulting in the gun being placed on the ground or lap of the user and potentially pointing the muzzle of the gun in a dangerous direction. Apertures 18D, 20D, and 22D allow the user to safely store the gun when not in use and also allows the user to quickly access the gun when it is desired to use the gun. Apertures 18D, 20D, and 22D help a user to safely and effectively hunt birds from foldable blind 10.
Shown in
Transitioning foldable blind 10 from the collapsed configuration to the setup configuration involves the following steps. (1) Stand foldable blind 10 on the corners of outside surface 18B of front wall 18. (2) Spread rods 30A-30D out wide so foldable blind 10 is still standing on the corners of outside surface 18B, but in an expanded configuration. (3) Apply pressure to hub 28 from the inside of foldable blind 10, causing rods 30A-30D to rotate into a tensioned concave position wherein hub 28 and rod pockets 36A-36D securely hold rods 30A-30D in the tensioned concave position. (4) Rotate first side wall 20 and second side wall 22 outward away from inner surface 18A of front wall 18. (5) Stand foldable blind on bottom edge 18C of front wall 18, bottom edge 20C of first side wall 20, and bottom edge 22C of second side wall 22 so foldable blind 10 is standing in the upright position. (6) Loosen first clamp 48 of first side wall 20 and second clamp 58 of second side wall 22. (7) Extend first side support 42 and second side support 52 from the shortened position to the extended position. (8) Tighten first clamp 48 of first side wall 20 and second clamp 58 of second side wall 22. (9) Foldable blind 10 is now in the setup configuration, ready to be used by a hunter or other outdoorsman.
Foldable blind 10 provides many advantages for bird hunters over previous foldable blinds. Foldable blind 10 includes a single hub assembly 14 to provide structure and support to foldable blind 10. Using a single hub assembly 14 reduces the weight of foldable blind 10, making foldable blind 10 easier to transport than previous foldable blinds that use multiple hub assemblies. Further, using a single hub assembly 14 makes it faster to setup foldable blind 10 compared to previous foldable blinds that use multiple hub assemblies. Foldable blind 10 also includes apertures 18D, 20D, and 22D which are used as gun rests. Apertures 18D, 20D, and 22D allow a user to store the gun in a safe location and point the muzzle in a safe direction while the gun is not being used. Previous ground blinds do not include an aperture specifically for this purpose, resulting in the gun being placed on the ground or lap of the user and potentially pointing the muzzle of the gun in a dangerous direction. Apertures 18D, 20D, and 22D allow the user to safely store the gun when not in use and also allows the user to quickly access the gun when it is desired to use the gun. Foldable blind 10 also includes door 34 which is configured to be a dog door. Door 34 allows a dog to quickly and easily enter or exit foldable blind 10 when retrieving birds. Further, door 34 allows foldable blind 10 to be placed close to or within natural vegetation, in which entering or exiting foldable blind 10 from the open side is difficult, to better conceal the user while still allowing a dog to easily enter and exit foldable blind 10.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment(s), it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/567,202 filed Sep. 11, 2019 for “FOLDABLE GROUND BLIND” by Jason Bird which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/730,354 filed Sep. 12, 2018 for “FOLDABLE GROUND BLIND” by Jason Bird, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in its entirety. This application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 10,563,423, filed on Sep. 11, 2019, entitled “FOLDABLE GROUND BLIND,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16567202 | Sep 2019 | US |
Child | 16986842 | US |