Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TENT
FIELD:
The present invention relates to a tent structure whose top is
supported by a pole resting on a cable network. The cable network is made up
of three cables each attached to a corresponding upper corner of the frame
structure and with the free ends joined to support the pole. The only poles
extending down to the covered area are those at the corners. The shape of the
tent as viewed from the top is triangular which can very efficiently be used
in
conjunction with other shapes to cover irregular areas.
BACKGROUND:
Conventional tents that span large areas depend upon supporting
structures in the form of trusses or arches that extend across the perimeter
frame and upon which the roof fabric is attached. Such structures are
relatively
complex mechanically and take several persons and equipment to set up and
erect. Otherwise such tents require interior poles that extend to the ground,
impede free movement within the tent and lack the necessary level of
pretension
to hold the fabric stable in high winds. A small tent manufactured and
marketed
by International Tentnology Corp. of Surrey, British Columbia sold under the
trade-mark "Marquee" avoids interior poles extending to the ground by
utilizing a
pole supported by a pair of cables connected to diagonally opposite corners of
the frame structure at the top of the vertical support poles. However, such
structures do not permit large spans within a single tent and must be joined
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together to achieve larger spans. It is possible, for example to join a number
of
square tents to cover a large square or rectangular area. However it is more
difficult to cover irregular areas such as a curved or an area with a sharp
bend.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved
tent structure that more effectively allows the coverage of irregular areas.
It is a
further object to provide a tent structure that can be used with other shapes
of
similar tent structures to produce a wide variety of overall shapes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a frame tent having a
triangular-shaped perimeter frame, a flexible roof canopy attached to said
perimeter frame, three corner posts to support the perimeter frame at corners
thereof, three cables each having one end attached to an upper end of an
associated one of said corner posts and a free end removably connectable to a
common junction element, and a flying pole couplable at one end to said
common junction element and at another end to an interior surface of said
canopy.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further features and advantages will be apparent from the
following detailed description, given by way of example, of a preferred
embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
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Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a triangular tent;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a frame element being
threaded by a beaded edge of a portion of a canopy;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a frame member used
for the perimeter frame;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a corner joint with frame elements
attached;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a corner joint without the frame
elements attached
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a lower portion of corner post
attached to a base plate;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a fully tensioned triangular tent;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing how the triangular tents can
be used with square tents and a central hexagonal tent;
Fig. 9 is a top view showing an alternative combination of how the
triangular tent can be used with a square tent;
Fig. 10 is top view showing another alternative combination of how
the triangular tent can be used with a central hexagonal tent to form a star
shape; and
Fig. 11 is a top view of a combination of square and triangular tents
used to follow an irregular shore line.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS
Referring to Figure 1 the assembled triangular-shaped tent 10
consists of a perimeter frame 17 consisting of perimeter frame members 16 and
corner joints 35 supported from the ground by three corner posts 12 each
resting
on a base plate 13. The tent canopy 14 is supported by a flying pole 24
resting
on a junction 11 of cables 29. Guy wires 22 attached between each corner and
the ground offset forces which tend to deform the perimeter frame 17. Peak 20
in the canopy 14 correspond to locations where the flying pole 24 contact the
canopy 14.
Referring to Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, assembly of the tent structure
starts by assembling the perimeter frame 17 (see Fig. 1 ) and concurrently
threading the beaded edge 48 of canopy 14 into the slots 34 of respective
frame
members 16. This process begins at step 1 by threading beaded edge 48 into
slot 34 by moving frame member 16 along the beaded edge 48. Next the
octagonal tubular connector 28 of corner joint 27 is inserted into one end of
the
frame member 16 and an octagonal tubular connector 28 of another corner joint
27 is inserted into the other end of the frame member 16. Proceeding to step
2,
the next frame member 16 is threaded along by the beaded edge 48 of the next
edge of canopy 14 and then its end inserted into another octagonal tubular
connector 28 of the second corner joint 27. A third corner joint 27 on the
opposite end is also put into place. This same process is repeated at step 3
and finally at step 4 except that the final step of the frame assembly is to
bolt the
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mask plate 44 (see Fig. 5) of yet another octagonal tubular connector 28 onto
the first corner joint 27.
Referring to Fig. 6 two corner posts 12 are inserted over respective
octagonal tubular connectors 28 inserted over two of the corner joints 27 (see
Fig. 5) the lower end of the two posts 12 inserted over corresponding
octagonal
tubular connectors 28 which are attached to a base plate 37. Base plate 37 is
bolted to a pad inset in the ground or to another suitable anchor element.
Once
the two posts 12 are mounted on corresponding base plates 37 and affixed to
associated corner joints 27 (see Fig. 5) they cause one end of the perimeter
frame 17 (see Fig. 1 ) to be raised. Cables 29 (see Fig. 4) are connected to
eyebolts 18 affixed to an upper end of associated corner joints 27, with the
free
ends attached to a common junction element. A flying pole 24 (see Fig. 1 ) is
placed on the junction element with its upper end inserted into a canopy cup
(not
shown) at the center of the canopy 14 making the entire structure tensioned as
shown in Figure 7. The end of the perimeter frame 17 resting on the ground is
then raised and the other two corner posts 12 are installed. Each corner post
12
rests on a base plate 37 with an attached octagonal tubular connector 28 as
shown in Figure 6. If the tent is resting on concrete, concrete pins (not
shown)
(one only) are installed through each of base plates 37 to prevent movement.
If
the tent is resting on soil, stakes are used instead of concrete penetrating
pins.
The guy wires 22 (see Fig. 1 ) are then fastened between each corner post 27,
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through eyebolt 18 on the outer side of the corner post 27 and the ground as
shown in Figure 4.
Referring to Figure 8, there is shown a central hexagonal shaped
tent 26 tensioned by a flying pole compressed between a junction of six cables
with each affixed to an upper end of an associated corner post and a center of
the canopy 30. Attached to each side of the hexagonal-shaped tent 26 is a
similarly tensioned square tent 32. The areas between the square tents 32 are
filled with triangular-shaped tents 10, thus producing a substantially
circular-
shaped combined tent structure.
Referring to Figure 9, another structure achieved by combining a
square 32 and triangular-shaped tents 10 is shown. Figure 10 combines a
central hexagonal-shaped tent 26 with triangular-shaped tents 10 to achieve a
star-shaped tent structure 33.
Referring to Figures 11, an alternative combination combining
square and triangular shapes allows placement of the combination tent
structure
so that it follows the shore line. It will be appreciated that any number of
contours are made possible with the use of the triangular-shaped tent than has
been hitherto possible.
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The structure described herein is particularly easy and fast to
assemble requiring only two persons and a lifting device such as a forklift or
tent
jack.
Accordingly, while this invention has been described with reference
to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed
in a
limiting sense. Various modifications of the illustrative embodiments, as well
as
other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the
art
upon reference to this description. It is therefore contemplated that the
appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments as fall
within
the true scope of the invention.
