Patent Application
20120048319
The present invention relates to portable shelters and, more particularly, to reinforced frame structures that support portable shelters.
The evolution of light-weight, easily erected and economical portable shelters has led to the increasing commercial and private use of these structures. Portable shelters typically employ a cloth or plastic material attached to a light-weight, highly foldable skeleton or frame structure. The cloth provides a roof and/or walls for the shelter, and the frame structure provides support for the cloth, for example, the frame structure includes legs to elevate the roof and a system of trusses to support the roof and to generally stabilize the shelter. The frame structure often incorporates a compound, scissor-like, arrangement of a light-weight, tubular material such as aluminum. In order to maximize the usable area under a shelter, the frame structure is often designed so that the roof is supported solely by legs positioned near the perimeter of the roof. Stated alternatively, shelters do not typically employ an interior supporting post or leg such as a leg or post positioned in the center of shelter. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,641,676 to Lynch and 7,367,348 to Tsai et al., the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, are examples of such portable shelters.
Unfortunately, the design objectives of internally unsupported roofs and light-weight and foldable frame structures, often results in portable shelters that are unstable in wind and that suffer from sagging or collapsing roofs and peaks. What is needed in the art is a frame structure for a portable shelter that provides increased stability and prevents sagging and collapsing while maintaining the design objectives of maximizing usable space, foldability, and light-weight.
The object of the present invention is to provide a frame structure for portable shelters that has enhanced stability and resists sagging and collapse. A further objective of the present invention is to achieve the above objectives without sacrificing the usable space under the portable shelter and without adversely affecting the foldability and weight of the portable shelter. These objectives are achieved by employing a frame structure having a peak truss comprising three longitudinal members the longitudinal alignment of which is facilitated by a stopper member that prevents a junction of the three members from pivoting beyond a desired angle.
Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The terminology used in the detailed description of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.
The frame structure for the present portable shelter provides increased stability and prevents sagging and collapsing of the shelter while maintaining the design objectives of maximizing usable space, foldability, and light-weight.
When a portable shelter according to the present invention is in an open, expanded state, the peak junction 24 will be positioned in a location in the approximate center of the horizontal area occupied by the shelter and elevated above the height of the top of the legs 12. In this manner, the peak junction 24 forms a peak or high-point of the roof of the frame 10.
Of particular importance to achieving the objectives of providing a frame structure having increased stability while also preventing sagging and collapsing of the shelter roof is the configuration of the peak trusses 18. As shown in
While the stopper 36 has been described as being attached to the single truss 32, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the stopper may also be attached to the truss pair 34 in order to achieve the same objectives. For example, as shown in
One of skill in the art will also recognize that the frame structure 10 of the present invention may be constructed from a variety of materials known in the art to facilitate light-weight designs and foldability, including tubular or solid aluminum. For example,
The fastener 38 and the stopper fastener 40 may employ a bolt, screw, pin, or other suitable means for attachment known in the art.
Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.
