Patent Application
20240151061
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The disclosure relates to modular floor devices and more particularly pertains to a new modular floor device for facilitating a flat surface upon which to pitch a tent. The device includes a plurality of floor panels that each has fastening elements which engage fastening elements on respective floor panels. In this way the floor panels can be assembled to define a floor upon which a tent can be pitched. Each of the floor panels has a plurality of stake holes for insertably receiving a stake to secure the floor panels to the support surface.
The prior art relates to modular floor devices including a foldable dance floor which comprises a panel with a plurality of fold lines. The prior art discloses a tent floor system that includes a pair of inflatable bladder. The prior art discloses a modular tent platform that includes a foraminous panel and a plurality of runners attached to the foraminous panel to support the foraminous panel over a support surface. The prior art discloses a tent platform which includes a flexible sheet, legs attached to the flexible sheet and a plurality of anchors that are extendable through a respective sheet. The prior art discloses a palletized tent platform that includes a plurality of pallets that are slidable together and a plurality of U-shaped clips for attaching the pallets together. The prior art discloses a portable elevated platform that includes a series of decks with foldable legs.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a plurality of floor panels that each has a plurality of fastening elements. Each of the fastening elements on each of the floor panels releasably engages respective fastening elements on a respective floor panel such that the plurality of floor panels defines a floor is positionable on a support surface thereby facilitating a tent to be pitched upon the floor defined by the floor panels. Respective ones of the floor panels has a pair of stake holes extending through the respective floor panels thereby facilitating each of the stake holes to insertably receive a stake for securing the floor defined by the floor panels to the support surface.
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 plurality of fastening elements 14 includes a set of male fastening elements 26 and a set of female fastening elements 28. Each of the male fastening elements 26 comprises a stem 30 extending away from a perimeter edge 32 of a respective one of the floor panels 12 and a head 34 that is transversely oriented with the stem 30 such that the stem 30 is spaced from the perimeter edge 32 of the respective floor 16 panel. Each of the female fastening elements 28 comprises a pair of legs 36 each extending away from the perimeter edge 32 of a respective one of the floor panels 12 and a pair of feet 38 each extending away from a respective foot 38. Furthermore, each of the feet 38 is directed toward each other thereby defining a stem space 40 between the feet 38 and a head space 42 between each of the feet 38 and the perimeter edge 32 to which the female fastening elements 28 are attached. Each of the male fastening elements 26 releasably engages a respective female fastening element 28 having the stem 30 being positioned in the stem space 40 and having the head 34 being positioned in the head space 42.
The plurality of floor panels 12 includes a first corner panel 44, a second corner panel 46, a third corner panel 48 and a fourth corner panel 50. Additionally, the plurality of floor panels 12 includes a plurality of middle floor panels 52. A pair of the male fastening elements 26 is disposed on a front side 54 of the perimeter edge 32 of the first corner panel 44 and a single male fastening element 26 is disposed on a first lateral side 56 of the perimeter edge 32 of the first corner panel 44. A single female fastening element 28 is disposed on a second lateral side 60 of the perimeter edge 32 of the second corner panel 46 and a pair of male fastening elements 26 is disposed on the front side 54 of the perimeter edge 32 of the second corner panel 46. The male fastening element 26 on the first lateral side 56 associated with the first corner panel 44 engages the female fastening element 28 on the second lateral side 60 associated with the second corner panel 46.
A pair of the female fastening elements 28 is disposed on a rear side 62 of the perimeter edge 32 of the third corner panel 48 and a single male fastening element 26 is disposed on the first lateral side 56 of the perimeter edge 32 of the third corner panel 48. A single female fastening element 28 is disposed on the second lateral side 60 of the perimeter edge 32 of the fourth corner panel 50 and a pair of female fastening elements 28 is disposed on the rear side 62 of the perimeter edge 32 of the fourth corner panel 50. The male fastening element 26 on the first lateral side 56 associated with the third corner panel 48 engages the female fastening element 28 on the second lateral side 60 associated with the fourth corner panel 50.
A pair of female fastening elements 28 is disposed on the rear side 62 of the perimeter edge 32 of each of the middle floor panels 52 and a pair of male fastening elements 26 is disposed on the front side 54 of the perimeter edge 32 of each of the middle floor panels 52. Each of the male fastening elements 26 on a respective one of the middle floor panels 52 engages respective ones of the female fastening elements 28 on a respective one of the third corner panel 48 and the fourth corner panel 50. Furthermore, each of the female fastening elements 28 on a respective one of the middle floor panels 52 engages respective ones of the male fastening elements 26 on a respective one of the first corner panel 44 and the second corner panel 46. Each of the male fastening elements 26 on each of the middle floor panels 52 that are attached to the first corner panel 44 and the second corner panel 46 engages respective ones of the female fastening elements 28 on each of the middle floor panels 52 that is attached to the third corner panel 48 and the fourth corner panel 50.
Each of the floor panels 12 has a rod slot 66 that is recessed into a top surface 68 of the floor panels 12. The rod slot 66 associated with each of the floor panels 12 extends between the front side 54 and the back side 64 of the perimeter edge 32 of a respective floor 16 panel. Moreover, the rod slot 66 associated with each of the floor panels 12 is centrally positioned between the first lateral side 56 and the second lateral side 60 of the perimeter edge 32 of a respective floor 16 panel. The rod slot 66 in each of the floor panels 12 has a bounding surface 70 that is concavely arcuate with respect to the top surface 68 of the floor panels 12. The rod slot 66 in each of the first corner panel 44 and the third corner panel 48 and respective ones of the middle floor panels 52 is aligned with each other when the respective middle floor panels 52 are attached between the first corner panel 44 and the third corner panel 48. Additionally, the rod slot 66 in each of the second corner panel 46 and the fourth corner panel 50 and respective ones of the middle floor panels 52 is aligned with each other when the receptive middle floor panels 52 are attached between the second corner panel 46 and the fourth corner panel 50.
Each of the stake holes 22 extends through the top surface 68 and a bottom surface 72 of a respective one of the floor panels 12 and each of the stake holes 22 is angled between the top surface 68 and the bottom surface 72. The plurality of stake holes 22 includes a plurality of sets of the stake holes 23 and respective ones of the sets of stake holes 23 are positioned adjacent to the first lateral side 56 associated with respective ones of the middle floor panels 52. Respective ones of the sets of stake holes 23 are positioned adjacent to the second lateral side 60 associated with respective ones of the middle floor panels 52. Continuing, respective ones of the sets of stake holes 23 are positioned adjacent to the second lateral side 60 associated with the second corner panel 46 and the fourth corner panel 50. Respective ones of the sets of stake holes 23 are positioned adjacent to the second lateral side 60 associated the first corner panel 44 and the third corner panel 48. As is most clearly shown in
Each of the first corner panel 44, the second corner panel 46, the third corner panel 48 and the fourth corner panel 50 has an opening 74 extending through the top surface 68 and the bottom surface 72 of the first corner panel 44, the second corner panel 46, the third corner panel 48 and the fourth corner panel 50. The opening 74 in each of the first corner panel 44 and the third corner panel 48 is elongated to extend along a line bisecting a right angle defined between first lateral side 56 and the front side 54 associated with the first corner panel 44 and the third corner panel 48. Additionally, the opening 74 in each of the first corner panel 44 and the third corner panel 48 is positioned adjacent to the right angle. The opening 74 in each of the second corner panel 46 and the fourth corner panel 50 is elongated to extend along a line bisecting a right angle defined between the second lateral side 60 and the front side 54 associated with the second corner panel 46 and the fourth corner panel 50. Furthermore, the bottom surface 72 of each of the first corner panel 44, the second corner panel 46, the third corner panel 48 and the fourth corner panel 50 has a recess 76 surrounding the opening 74.
A pair of rods 78 is provided and a respective one of the rods 78 is insertable into the rod slot 66 in each of the first corner panel 44 and the third corner panel 48 and the middle floor panels 52 that are positioned between the first corner panel 44 and the third corner panel 48. Additionally, a respective one of the rods 78 is insertable into the rod slot 66 in each of the second corner panel 46 and the fourth corner panel 50 and the middle floor panels 52 that are positioned between the second corner panel 46 and the fourth corner panel 50. Each of the rods 78 is comprised of a rigid material thereby enhancing rigidity of the plurality of floor panels 12 when the rods 78 are slid into respective rod slots 66. As is most clearly shown in
A plurality of anchors 82 is provided and each of the anchors 82 includes a hook 84 that is pivotally coupled to an upper surface 86 of an anchor panel 88. The upper surface 86 of the anchor panel 88 has a ridge 90 surrounding the hook 84. The anchor panel 88 of each of the anchors 82 is insertable into recess 76 in the in the bottom surface 72 of a respective one of the floor panels 12 such that the ridge 90 extends upwardly through the opening 74 in the respective floor panel 12. In this way the hook 84 is exposed with respect to the top surface 68 of the respective floor panel 12.
The hook 84 associated with each of the anchors 82 has a lower end 92 that is pivotally attached to the upper surface 86 of the anchor panel 88. Additionally, the hook 84 associated with each of the anchors 82 is curved between the lower end 92 and an upper end 94 of the hook 84. The upper end 94 of the hook 84 is directed toward the upper surface 86 of the anchor panel 88 when the hook 84 is positioned in a deployed position thereby facilitating a tie down line 96 of the tent 20 to be secured to the hook 84. A plurality of pads 98 is provided and each of the pads 98 is bonded to the top surface 68 of a respective one of the floor panels 12. Each of the pads 98 is comprised of a resiliently compressible material to enhance comfort for lying in the tent 20 when the tent 20 is pitched on the floor panels 12.
In use, the floor panels 12 are assembled in the aforementioned process to define the floor 16. Each of the anchors 82 is positioned in a respective recess 76 and each of the rods 78 is slid into the respective rod slots 66. Furthermore, the stakes 24 are inserted through respective stake holes 22 to secure the floor 16 to the support surface 18. The tent 20 is pitched on top of the floor 16 and the tie down lines 96 for the tent 20 are secured to the hook 84 on a respective one of the anchors 82. In this way the a bottom 100 of the tent 20 rests on top of the floor 16, rather than on the support surface 18, thereby inhibiting the bottom 100 of the tent 20 from being damaged by rocks and debris on the support surface 18. Additionally, the pad 98 on each of the floor panels 12 enhances comfort for lying in the tent 20 while sleeping.
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.
