Patent Application
20230258017
The present invention relates generally to tents for providing shelter from weather, and particularly to mounting devices for securing tents in place.
Conventional bleachers include staggered tiers of bench seats provided for spectators of sporting and other events. Such bleachers are common in outdoor areas adjacent local/municipal sports fields where recreational leagues play baseball, soccer, lacrosse, football, and other games. However, these bleachers are typically uncovered, so while in the bleachers (seated or standing), spectators are fully exposed to inclement weather elements, for example sun, heat, rain, wind, cold, snow, etc., which can lessen their spectating enjoyment.
To provide shade and other shelter from the weather, some spectators bring pop-up canopy tents and install them on flat ground adjacent the field. But these spectators are then separated from friends and family seated in the bleachers, and these tents tend to blow away if the wind picks up, all of which can lessen spectating enjoyment.
Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for a way to provide shelter for spectators seated in outdoor bleachers. It is to the provision of solutions to this and other problems that the present invention is primarily directed.
Generally described, the present invention relates to mounting devices that mount a tent to a seat. The mounting devices include a mounting base that retains a leg of a tent in place on a seat pan/plank and a coupling that secures the mounting base to the seat pan/plank to securely mount the tent to the seat. The mounting base includes a mounting plate with an open-ended slot that is sufficiently large to laterally slidingly receive the tent leg and sufficiently small to retain a foot of the tent leg from longitudinally passing through the slot. Typical embodiments include a recessed portion of the mounting base that receives the tent leg foot when the tent leg is in the slot, the coupling provided by a strap that mounts the mounting base to the seat pan, and a closure that closes off the slot to retain the tent leg in the slot, with the strap double functioning as the coupling and the closure in some embodiments.
The specific techniques and structures employed to improve over the drawbacks of the prior devices/methods and accomplish the advantages described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description of example embodiments and the appended drawings and claims.
Generally described, the present invention relates to a mounting device for securing tents to seats. The mounting device can be used to mount various types of tents securely in place, including pop-up canopy tents (aka tailgate tents), beach tents and cabanas, and other tents, canopies, and shelters having a cover supported by adjustable-length legs, for example used for camping, trade shows, festivals, etc. Also, the mounting device can be used to mount tents securely in place to various types of seat pans, including those of bleacher (including grandstand) bench seats, stadium (including arena and theater) individual seats, other arrangements of tiers of bench seats and/or individual seats, and single bench seats (e.g., in parks or gardens, of picnic table sets, adjacent tennis courts, etc.), whether they're made of aluminum, wood, or other materials, whether they include footboards (aka floors) or not, and whether they include backrests and/or armrests or not.
Referring particularly to
In other embodiments, the strap includes two flexible strip segments each having an attached end that is coupled (fixedly or removably) to the mounting base and each having a free end so the two free ends couple together by the fastener (with the strap not extending all the way around the seat pan 12, and instead with the strap and the mounting base together forming the closed loop around the seat pan 12). In yet other embodiments, the strap is not coupled to the mounting base, and instead is completely unattached to the mounting base but simply wraps around it. In still other embodiments, multiple straps are provided for more stability.
Referring further to
The base plate 40 includes a tent-leg slot 42 with that removably receives and retains the respective tent leg 24 in it. The tent-leg slot 42 is open-ended, with an access opening 43 formed through and in communication with a side (e.g., front, rear, left, or right) of the base plate 40, and with the opening 43 receiving the tent leg 24 into and out of the tent-leg slot 42. The tent-leg slot 42 has a width that is large enough to slidingly receive the tent leg 26 but small enough to retain the tent leg 26 in place. That is, the width (front-to-back) of the tent-leg slot 42 is greater than the width of the tent legs 24, but smaller than the width (i.e., footprint) of the leg feet 26, so that one of the tent legs 24 can be laterally (horizontally, in use) received and retained in the slot 42 but cannot be pulled longitudinally/axially (vertically, in use) through the slot 42.
In some embodiments, the mounting device 30 include a closure feature that is selectively repositionable to close off the opening 43 to mechanically retain the tent leg 24 in the slot 42 or to clear the opening 43 so the tent leg 26 can be inserted into or removed from the slot 42. For example, in the depicted embodiment, the tent-leg slot 42 is configured and the strap 34 is positioned so that the strap 34 cooperates with the base plate 40 to retain the tent leg 24 from laterally sliding through the slot opening 43. For example, the depicted tent-leg slot 42 extends laterally (in a direction along the length of the bench-seat pan 12, in use) in the base plate 40, with its opening 43 in communication with a lateral side 44 of the base plate 40 (
In yet other embodiments, the closure feature includes a gate that pivots between an interference position (mechanically retaining the tent leg in the leg-retaining slot, by closing off the slot) and a clearance position (not retaining the tent leg in the slot, clear of blocking/closing off the slot). In some such embodiments, the flexible strip is provided and attached to the free end (opposite the pivot end) of the gate so that the strap secures the mounting plate to the seat pan but does not retain the tent leg in the leg-retaining slot. In still other embodiments, the closure feature includes a latch, slide lock, or other mechanical element that can be repositioned to close off the slot or not to provide the slot closure functionality described herein.
The strap 34 couples to the mounting base 32 by one or more attachment features. In the depicted embodiment, for example, the attachment features are two closed strap slots 46 that each receive the strip 36 through them so that the strip 36 is retained to the mounting base 32 in use, but can still slide longitudinally/axially through the strap-retaining slots 46 for positioning and tightening. Typically, one free end of the strip 36 can slide out through the strap slots 46 so that the strap 34 can be removed/detached from and reattached to the mounting base 32 (e.g., for installing to the bench-seat pan 12 between two laterally spaced bench-seat legs 14). In other embodiments, the attachment features can be clips, slotted protrusions, or other components that provide the attachment functionality described herein.
In addition, the strap slots 46 can be located at peripheral portions of the mounting base 32. In such embodiments, the mounting base 32 at those locations can have strap-receiving recesses 48 in its inner surface (facing and contacting the bench-seat plank 12) and in communication with the strap slots 46, for example as depicted. The depth of the strap-receiving recesses 48 is greater than the thickness of the flexible strip 36. In this way, the strap recesses 48 receive the strip 36 through them without a tight fit in use, so that the strip 36 is not pinched between the mounting base 32 and the bench-seat pan 12 and yet the rest of the base plate 40 (or at least the rest of its periphery) is in contact with the bench seat 10.
Furthermore, the base plate 40 typically has a recessed portion 50 forming a tent-foot recess 51 relative to the rest of the base plate 40. The tent-leg slot 42 is formed (e.g., centrally) in the recessed portion 50 of the base plate 40 (
The recessed portion 50 is configured (shaped and sized) so that the tent-foot recess 51 can receive one of the tent-leg feet 26 and yet that the remainder of the base plate 40 can remain in flush contact with the bench-seat pan 12, thereby providing good retaining and stability functionality. Typical tent-leg feet 26 are rectangular, and so the recessed portion 50 is typically rectangular, as depicted. Also, the depth of the tent-foot recess 51 is greater than the thickness of the tent foot 26, and the width of the tent-foot recess 51 is greater than the width of the tent foot 26. As such, the recessed portion 50 has a depth and width/length selected to be big enough to receive tent-leg feet 26 of conventional tents 20 but small enough to provide good retaining/securing functionality, for example at least about four inches by about four inches wide/long forming a square shape.
In addition, the recessed portion 50 of the base plate 40 is typically offset laterally from the lateral side 44 of the base plate 40 (
The base plate 40 has a size and shape to provide stability to the tent 20 it mounts to the bench seat 10. In the depicted embodiment, for example, the base plate 40 has a rectangular shape, though alternatively it could have a polygonal, circular, or other regular or irregular shape.
As for size, the base plate 40 is typically selected with a width (front to back, with the front side facing and closet to the field of action) and a length (laterally, along the length of the bench) that is larger than, and thus covers, the tent foot 26 it mounts in place to provide stability and resist the wind blowing the tent 20 over. Also, the base plate 40 width is typically less than the width of the bench-seat pan 12 it is to be mounted to, so that the base plate 40 does not extend/protrude beyond the bench seat 10 and create a tripping or snagging hazard. Typical bench-seat pans/planks 12 of bleacher seats are about 10 inches to 12 inches in width (between front and rear minor sides). As such, in example embodiments, the base plate 40 typically has a width of more than (or about) one inch and less than (or about) 10 inches, and a length of more than (or about) two inches. It should be noted that, as in the depicted embodiment, the width can be greater than the length.
To provide further stability, the mounting base 32 can include a clip 52 extending from the front or rear side of the base plate 40. In the depicted embodiment, for example, the clip 52 includes a flange panel 54 that is substantially parallel to the base plate 40 and a connecting panel 56 that extends between and is perpendicular to the base plate 40 and the flange panel 54. The clip 52 defines a channel 58 that receives (and thus clips onto) the bench-seat pan/plank 12, for example with a snug fit. Typical bench-seat pans 12 have a thickness (between top and bottom major sides) of about 2 inches, and so the clip 52 can be dimensioned so the channel 58 height (between the base plate 40 and the flange panel 54) is slightly greater than, or about the same as, the plank thickness (or slightly less for embodiments in which the mounting base 32 is made of a material that enables sufficient resilient deflection of the flange panel 54 relative to the base plate 40).
In typical embodiments, the mounting base 32 can be installed (e.g., clipped) onto the front or rear of the bench seat 10. In other embodiments, the mounting base includes a second clip at the opposite end of the mounting base, and in some such embodiments the second clip can be adjustably positioned for use on different sizes of seat pans 12 and/or the clip/s can function as the coupling that secures the mounting base to the seat pan 12.
In embodiments including the mounting-base clip 52, the closed end of the tent-leg slot 42 (where the tent leg 24 is retained) is positioned at an offset (front-to-back) from the connecting panel 56 of the clip 52. In typical embodiments, this slot offset is about 4.0 inches to about 8.0 inches. This auto-positions the closed end of the tent-leg slot 42 sufficiently away from the edge of the seat pan 12 that the tent leg 24 is retained in place with the leg foot 26 not overhanging the seat pan 12 and provide good stability.
Typical commercial embodiments include the mounting device 30 itself, the mounting device 30 and a tent 20 provided together, a method of installing a tent 20 to a bench seat 10 using the mounting device 30, and the resulting system of a tent 20 mounted to one or more seats 10 by the mounting device 30.
To install the mounting device 30 for use, the tent 20 is deployed with at least one of the tent legs 24 positioned on top of a selected bench-seat pan/plank 12 and the mounting base 32 is positioned on top of the same bench pan/plank 12. The mounting base 32 and/or the tent 20 are moved relative to each other so that the respective tent leg 24 is received into the tent-leg slot 42 of the mounting base 32, and the strap 34 is routed around the bench-seat plank 12 and tightened using the fastener 38 to secure the mounting device 30, and thus the tent 20, to the bench seat 10. The process can then be repeated for more or all of the tent legs 24 to secure the tent 20 in place. When installing the tent 20 to cover multiple tiers/rows of seats 10, the front and rear tent legs 24 are adjusted to different lengths the so that the cover 22 is generally level.
The mounting devices 30 can be partially installed on the seat 10 (e.g., clipped into position by the clip 52 but not strapped down tightly by the fastener 38), then the tent 20 deployed and moved laterally so that it's legs 24 and feet 26 slide into the tent-leg retainer slots 42, and then the mounting devices 30 can be fully secured in place by tightening down the straps 34 to complete the installation. Alternatively, the tent 20 can be fully deployed and then the mounting devices 30 slid onto the tent legs 24 and feet 26 and then secured in place using the strap 34 (e.g., if there is little wind).
In a typical use (
In a related use (not shown), the installation is the same, except reversed, with the rear tent legs 24 secured to one of the bench-seat pan/planks 12 by two of the mounting devices 30 and the two front tent legs 24 resting unattached on one of the footboards 16 (or other bench seats) lower down in the bleachers 8. In another related use (not shown), two of the tent legs 24 are secured to one bench-seat plank 12 by two mounting devices 30 and the other two tent legs 24 are secured to another bench-seat plank 12 by two other mounting devices 30 so that all four tent legs 24 are secured to the bleachers 8.
In yet another use (not shown), the front or rear two tent legs 24 are secured to one bench-seat pan/plank 12 by two mounting devices 30 and the other two tent legs 24 extend down between and below two other bench seats 10 and rest on the ground under the bleachers 8 (without footboards 16), with the front and rear tent legs 24 adjusted to different lengths the so that the cover 22 is generally level. In still another use (not shown), two or more of the mounting devices 30 are secured to two aligned bench-seat pans/planks 12 of adjacent bleachers 8 so that the tent 20 spans the two bleachers 8.
And in still yet another use (not shown), two of the tent legs 24 are secured to one bench-seat pan/plank 12 by two mounting devices 30 and the other two tent legs 24 rest on the ground in front of or behind the bench seat 10, with the front and rear tent legs 24 adjusted to different lengths the so that the cover 22 is generally level.
It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions, and/or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only. Thus, the terminology is intended to be broadly construed and is not intended to be unnecessarily limiting of the claimed invention. For example, as used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “one” include the plural, the term “or” means “and/or,” and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, any methods described herein are not intended to be limited to the specific sequence of steps described but can be carried out in other sequences, unless expressly stated otherwise herein.
While the invention has been shown and described in exemplary forms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/311,244, filed Feb. 17, 2022, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63311244 | Feb 2022 | US |
