Patent Application
20220316230
The present disclosure relates to a multi-purpose shelter, and more particularly, a shelter having a covering being expanded and suspended above a surface. The multi-purpose shelter comprises a rod member receiving within a pocket for supporting a covering and a plurality of cords coupled with a plurality of corners of the covering in order to expand the covering for creating a shaded area.
Generally, the use of shelter of known designs and configuration is known in the prior art and include various forms of support structure for supporting the materials of the covering in the desired configuration. The shelter generally comprises a plurality of elongate longitudinal support rods, a plurality of one elongated transverse support rod, and a plurality of sleeves longitudinally and transversely arranged on the covering. In this respect, the longitudinal support rods and the transverse support rods may be received within the longitudinally arranged sleeves and the transversely-arranged sleeves of the covering respectively and the covering is expanded and suspended above a shaded surface.
To overcome this known problem, past solutions has involved using a single longitudinal or transverse support rod and a single cord coupled with the covering of the shelter to minimize the total weight of the shelter and facilitate the user for assembling or disassembling. However, it may cause the overall configuration of the shelter without having a reliable supporting structure.
Although present shelters are functional, they are not sufficiently efficient or otherwise satisfactory. Accordingly, a shelter which is simple to fabricate, assemble and package, is needed to develop and such a novel shelter is disclosed and claimed herein.
In a general implementation, the multi-purpose shelter for covering a surface comprises a first rod member having a forward end and a backward end, the forward end and the backward end concavely extending at an acute angle with the surface; a covering having a plurality of corners and a plurality of side edge, each of the corners formed by two adjacent side edges of the side edge of the covering; a middle pocket transversely formed across the covering, the middle pocket which bisects the covering; a plurality of loop straps spacedly formed along each of the side edges of the covering and formed at the each one of the plurality of corners; a plurality of cords, each of the cords having a first end and a second end, each of the first end coupled with the loop strap formed at each one of the plurality of corners and the second end being affixed on the surface at an angle respect to the surface; wherein the first rod member is loosely received within the middle pocket.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the multi-purpose shelter further comprises a plurality of side pockets, wherein each of the side pockets is arranged along one of the side edges of the covering.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the side edges further comprises a right side edge vertically extended to a front side edge to form a first corner, the front side edge vertically extended to a left side edge to form a second corner, the left side edge vertically extended to a rear side edge to form a third corner, and the rear side edge vertically extended to the right side edge to form a fourth corner.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the plurality of cords further comprises a first cord having a first end coupled with the loop strap formed on the first corner and a second end secured on the surface, a second cord having a first end coupled with the loop strap formed on the second corner and a second end secured the surface a third cord having a first end coupled with the loop strap formed on the third corner and a second end secured on the surface, and a fourth cord having a first end coupled with the loop strap formed on the fourth corner and a second end secured on the surface.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the multi-purpose shelter further comprises at least one supporting cord having a first supporting cord being longitudinally coupled on each of the second ends of the second cord and the third cord and a second supporting cord being longitudinally coupled on each of the second ends of the first cord and the fourth cord.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, wherein the first rod member is sufficiently flexible to permit the forward end and the backward end to be bent down and secured on the surface.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the multi-purpose shelter further comprises a second rod member having a forward end and a backward end, wherein the forward end of the second rod member and the backward end of the second rod member are concavely extending at an acute angle with the surface.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the side pockets comprises a left side pocket arranged along the left side edge of the covering and a right side pocket arranged along the rear side edge of the covering, wherein the second rod member is loosely received within the right side pocket or the left side pocket.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the plurality of cords comprises a first cord having a first end coupled with the loop strap formed on the first corner and a second end secured on the surface, a second cord having a first end coupled with the loop strap formed on the second corner and a second end secured on the surface, a third cord having a first end coupled with the loop strap formed on the third corner and a second end secured on the surface, and a fourth cord having a first end coupled with the loop strap formed on the fourth corner and a second end secured on the surface.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, a first supporting cord is longitudinally coupled on each of the second ends of the second cord and the third cord and a second supporting cord is longitudinally coupled on each of the second ends of the first cord and the fourth cord.
Another embodiment is directed to a multi-purpose shelter for covering a surface, comprising a first rod member having a forward end and a backward end, each of the forward end and the backward end concavely extending at an acute angle with the surface; a second rod member having a forward end and a backward end, each of the forward end and the backward end concavely extending at an acute angle with the surface; a covering having a plurality of corners and a plurality of side edge including a front side edge, a rear side edge parallel with the front side edges, and a left side edge parallel with a right side edge; a plurality of side pockets having a left side pocket formed along the left side edge, and a right side pocket formed along the rear side edge; wherein the first rod member is loosely received within the right side pocket; wherein the second rod member is loosely received within the left side pocket.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the side edges comprises a right side edge vertically extended to a front side edge to form a first corner, the front side edge vertically extended to a left side edge to form a second corner, the left side edge vertically extended to a rear side edge to form a third corner, and the rear side edge vertically extended to the right side edge to form a fourth corner.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the multi-purpose shelter further comprises a plurality of loop straps being spacedly arranged on the side edges and formed at the corners of the covering.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the multi-purpose shelter further comprises a plurality of cords, each of the cords having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled with the loop strap formed at one of the plurality of corners and the second end being secured on the surface being affixed on the surface at an angle respect to the surface.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the plurality of cords comprises a first cord having a first end coupled with the loop strap formed on the first corner and a second end secured on the surface, a second cord having a first end coupled with the loop strap formed on the second corner and a second end secured on the surface, a third cord having a first end coupled with the loop strap formed on the third corner and a second end secured on the surface, and a fourth cord having a first end coupled with the loop strap formed on the fourth corner and a second end secured on the surface.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the plurality of cords further comprises a fifth cord having a first end coupled with a left loop strap arranged on a middle point of the left side edge and the second end secured on the surface, and a sixth cord having a first end coupled with a right loop strap arranged on a middle point of a right side edge and the second end secured on the surface.
Another alternative embodiment is directed to a multi-purpose shelter for covering a surface, comprising a first rod member having a top end, and a bottom end erectly anchored on the surface; a second rod member parallelly arranged with the first rod member, the second rod member having a top end and a bottom end erectly anchored on the surface; a covering having a plurality of corners and a plurality of side edges including a front side edge, a rear side edge parallel with the front side edges, a left side edge vertically arranged with the front side edge and the rear side edge, and a right side edge vertically arranged with the front side edge and the rear side edge; a plurality of loop straps spacedly arranged on the side edges and formed at one of the corners; wherein each of the top ends of the first rod member and the second rod member is coupled with the plurality of loop straps.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, wherein the side edges comprises a right side edge vertically extended to a front side edge to form a first corner, the front side edge vertically extended to a left side edge to form a second corner, the left side edge vertically extended to a rear side edge to form a third corner, and the rear side edge vertically extended to the right side edge to form a fourth corner.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, the multi-purpose shelter further comprises a plurality of cords, each of the cords having a first end and a second end, each of the first ends coupled with one of the loop straps formed at one of the corners and each of the second ends being secured on the surface or a support end.
In another aspect combinable with the general implementation, wherein the plurality of loop straps further comprises at least one middle loop strap, each one of the middle loop straps which bisects any one of the side edges, wherein the top end of the first rod member is coupled on one of the loop straps formed at one of the corners and the top end of the second rod member is coupled with one of the middle loop straps.
The different aspects of the various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description of the embodiments, which are presented as illustrated examples of the embodiments defined in the claims. It is expressly understood that the embodiments as defined by the claims may be broader than the illustrated embodiments described below.
As used herein, the term “support end” in conjunction with an object has a portion able to couple with the cord. For example, the object could be a ground, a vehicle, a building, a streetlamp, trees, house eaves, or beams. It should be noted that the object could comprise the support end which allow the cord being coupled thereon in order to support a multi-purpose shelter for covering a surface/ground.
In some embodiments, the multi-purpose shelter 100 comprises a first rod member 120 having a forward end 121 and a backward end 122, a covering 110 having a plurality of corners and a plurality of side edges, a plurality of side pockets 130 arranged along the side edges of the covering 110, a middle pocket 140 transversely formed across the covering 110, a plurality of loop straps 150 spacedly formed on the side edges or each of the side edges of the covering 110 and formed at the corners, and a plurality of cords coupled on the loop straps 150 formed on the plurality of corners or each of the plurality of corners to expand the covering and secure the covering on the surface, wherein one of the loop straps 150 may be formed at one of the corners of the covering 110 respectively.
It should be noted that in some embodiments, the side edges comprises a front side edge 111, a rear side edge112 parallel with the front side edges 111, a left side edge 113 vertically arranged with the front side edge 111 and a right side edge 114, and the right side edge 114 vertically arranged with the front side edge 111 and the rear side edge 112, wherein each of the corners may be formed at the two vertically-arranged side edges.
Turning now to
With specific reference to
In some embodiments, the first rod member 120 may be sufficiently flexible to permit the forward end 121 and the backward end 122 to be bent down and secured on the surface, wherein the first rod member 120 comprises a plurality of elongated rod segments in a collapsed or foldable condition. Each of the elongated rod segments may be a hollow tube having a supporting portion and an engaging portion formed at one end of the supporting portion, wherein a diameter of the engaging portion is smaller than a diameter of the supporting portion, wherein the engaging portion is telescopically received within the supporting portion to form the first rod member 120. In this way, an elastic cord extends continuously through the elongated rod segments and is secured to each end of the elongated rod segments.
It should be noted that in some embodiments, the elongated rod segments may be made of a material selected from a group consisting of PVC, CPVC, PEX, copper, iron, polyethylene, ABS, and galvanized steel. The contemplated elongated rod segments can be made of suitable materials to withstand temperature extreme and the chemical environment, such materials include natural and synthetic polymers, various metals and metal alloys, and all reasonable combinations thereof. It should be understood that the above-described materials are exemplary and any other materials can be adopted in various embodiments of this disclosure.
In some embodiments, the covering 110 may be a square or rectangular covering, wherein each of the side edges of the covering 110 is vertically arranged with each other to form a corner, wherein the covering 110 comprises a first corner, a second corned, a third corner, and a fourth corner.
A further feature of the embodiments shown in
A further feature of the embodiment shown in
Referencing to
From the above description, the first rod member 120, the cords, including the first cord 160, the second cord 161, the third cord 162, and the fourth cord 163, and selectively the first and second supporting cord 164, 165 could be employed to support the covering 110 being expanded to create a shaded area without need for any transversely arranged rod member.
In other words, the multi-purpose shelter described in all of the embodiments herein comprises no transversely arranged rod member to support the covering, and the longitudinally arranged first rod member 120 may be employed to bisect the covering 110 and to assist in supporting the covering 110 being located above the surface and the corners of the covering are radially expanded by pulling the cords coupled on the corners of the covering to form the shaded area as see in
Turning now to
In another embodiment, the multi-purpose shelter 100 comprises the side pockets, wherein each of the side pockets is arranged at least one of side edges of the covering 110, wherein the side edges comprises a left side edge 170 and a right side edge 172 parallel with the left side edge 170, wherein the side pockets comprises a left side pocket 180 arranged along the left side edge 170 and a right side pocket 181 arranged along the right side edge 172.
According to the above first alternative embodiment, the covering 110 may be a square or rectangular covering, wherein each of the side edges of the covering 110 is vertically arranged with each other to form a corner, wherein the covering 110 comprises a first corner 115, a second corner 116, a third corner 117, and a fourth corner 118. In this case, as shown in
According to the above first alternative embodiment, the second rod member 120B may be loosely received within the left side pocket 180 or the right side pocket 181. The first rod member 120A may be loosely received within the middle pocket 140A, wherein the forward end 121A and the backward end 121B of the first rod member 120A may be concavely extended at an acute angle with the surface. Also, the first rod member 120A and the second rod member 120B may be made by the same material, have identical dimension, including length, width, height, and diameter, and have the identical structure. In this case, the first rod member 120A may be parallelly-arranged with the second rod member 120B.
The multi-purpose shelter 100 of the above first alternative embodiment, as shown in
Referring now to the detail of
A further feature of the embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, the angles formed by third cord 162 and second cord 161 respect to the surface may be equal or different, and the acute angle formed by the forward end 121A of the first rod member 120A with the surface is equal to the acute angle formed by the backward end 122A of the first rod member 120A with the surface. Also, the acute angle formed by the forward end 121B of the second rod member 120B with the surface is equal to the acute angle formed by the backward end 122A of the second rod member 120B with the surface, wherein the acute angle formed by the forward end 121B of the second rod member 120B with respect to the surface is equal to the acute angle formed by the forward end 121A of the first rod member 120A with respect to the surface.
Optionally, as shown in
According to the above second alternative embodiment, the side pockets comprises a right side pocket 181A formed along the right side edge 114 of the covering 110, and a left side packet 180A parallel with the right side pocket 181A and formed along the left side edge 113 of the covering 110, wherein the first rod member 120C may be loosely received within the left side pocket 180A and the second rod member 120B may be loosely received within the right side pocket 181A. The first rod member 120C comprises a forward end and a backward end and each of the forward end and the backward end is concavely extending at an acute angle with the surface, and the second rod member 120B parallelly-arranged with the first rod member 120C comprises a forward end and a second backward end concavely extending at an acute angle with the surface.
Referring now to the detail of
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
Referring now to the detail of
According to the above alternative embodiment, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
Optionally, as shown in
With specific reference to
In some embodiments, the top end of the first rod member 120D may be coupled on one of the loop strap 150D formed at the corners and the top end of the second rod member 120E may be coupled on at least one of the middle loop strap 151D. In an example, the top end of the first rod member 120D may be coupled at the loop strap formed at the second corner 116D, and the top end of the second rod member 120E may be coupled at the middle loop strap 151D adjacent to/next to the second corner 116D. In this example, the top end of the second rod member 120E may be coupled at the front middle loop strap and/or the left middle loop strap.
According to the above embodiments, the covering described on all of the embodiments of the present invention may comprise the right side edge vertically extended to the front side edge of the covering to form the first corner, the front side edge vertically extended to the left side edge of the covering to form the second corner, the left side edge vertically extended to the rear side edge of the covering to form the third corner, and the rear side edge vertically extended to the right side edge to form the fourth corner, wherein the covering further comprises a plurality of side pockets arranged along at least one of the side edges, including the front side edge, the rear side edge, the right side edge, and the left side edge, and a middle pocket transversely formed across the covering. Alternatively, the middle pocket bisects the covering into two equal area sections.
According to the above embodiments, each of side pockets and each of the middle pockets described in all of the embodiments of the present invention may comprise a portion fabric folded back upon itself and secured to itself to form a hollow space for receiving the first rob member or/and the second rod member.
According to the above embodiments of the covering described in all of the embodiments of the present invention, the front side edge and the rear side edge are the edges without having the side pockets.
According to the above embodiments, the covering described in all of the embodiments of the present invention may be a square or rectangular covering, wherein each of the corners, including the first corner, the second corner, the third corner, and the fourth corner, is formed at the two vertically arranged side edges.
According to the above embodiments, the covering described in all of the embodiments of the present invention may comprise a plurality of loop straps spacedly formed on the side edges or each of the side edges of the covering, including the front side edge, the rear side edge, the right side edge, and the left side edge, and formed at the corners or each of the corners, including the first corner, the second corner, the third corner, and the fourth corner, wherein the plurality of loop straps further comprises at least one middle loop strap, and preferably, the loop straps comprise at least one middle loop strap, wherein each one of the middle loop straps bisects any one of the side edges of the covering. The at least one middle loop straps comprises a front middle loop strap formed on the front side edge of the covering, a right middle loop strap formed on the right side edge of the covering, a left middle loop strap formed on the left side edge of the covering, and a rear middle loop strap formed on the rear side edge of the covering.
According to the above embodiments, each of the first and second rod members described in all of the embodiments of the present invention may comprise the forward end and the backward end opposite to the forward end and be sufficiently flexible to permit the forward end and the backward end to be bent down and secured on the surface, wherein each of the first rod members and the second rod members may comprise a plurality of elongated rod segments in a collapsed or foldable condition. Each of the elongated rod segments may be a hollow tube having a supporting portion and an engaging portion formed at one end of the supporting portion, wherein a diameter of the engaging portion is smaller than a diameter of the supporting portion, wherein the engaging portion is telescopically received within the supporting portion to form the first rod member or the second rod member. In this way, an elastic cord extends continuously through the elongated rod segments and is secured to each end of the elongated rod segments.
According to the above embodiments, each of the first and second rod member described in all of the embodiments of the present invention may be two identical rod which comprises a diameter from three-fourths inches to five-sixteenth inches. It should be noted that the elongated rod segments may be made of a material selected from a group consisting of PVC, CPVC, PEX, copper, iron, polyethylene, ABS, and galvanized steel. The contemplated elongated rod segments can be made of suitable materials to withstand temperature extreme and the chemical environment, such materials include natural and synthetic polymers, various metals and metal alloys, and all reasonable combinations thereof.
Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the embodiments as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the embodiment includes other combinations of fewer, more or different elements, which are disclosed herein even when not initially claimed in such combinations.
Thus, specific embodiments and applications of the multi-purpose shelter have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the disclosed concepts herein. The disclosed embodiments, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalent within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the embodiments. In addition, where the specification and claims refer to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring at least one element from the group which includes N, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.
The words used in this specification to describe the various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus, if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use in a claim must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word itself.
The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims therefore include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
