MULTI-PURPOSE OCST TENTS

TENTES POLYVALENTES DE BRONZAGE EXTERIEUR PAR TEMPS FROID/HIVERNAL

English Abstract

Modern Outdoor Cold/Cool Season Sun-Tanning (OCST) tents have been introduced.
The main
purpose of such tents is to provide heat protection for a sun-tanner in cold
or cool weather
condition. These tents are made by applying modifications on modern camping
tents, and hence
they enjoy structural advances of modern tents, therefore they are
collapsible, low-weight, user-
friendly, flexible, strong, stylish and likeable. With special covers, named
OCST covers, sheets,
and flies, such tents are convertible and can be used for both camping and sun-
tanning in all
seasons.

Claims

CLAIMS

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR
PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1- A sun-tanning or multipurpose sun-tanning/camping tent having a flexible
body which is light
transmitting, over the entire or at least a big portion of the body letting
the sunrays enter the tent,
optionally with breath holes and/or manually controllable apertures or windows
aided with
zippers, Velcros ®, buttons or the like, and having a flexible base panel,
where the tent can
assume any shapes, including dome, tunnel, hoop, single-hoop, geodesic, semi-
geodesic, hybrid,
room, cabin, single or double-wall, umbrella, dome-like umbrella, A-shape,
modified A-shape,
ridge, cylindrical, or spherical shapes, where the structure belongs to at
least one of the following
groups:

i) a structural design having plurality of resiliently flexible poles, where
no support
framing is used in the base panel,

ii) a structural design having plurality of resiliently flexible poles, where
the poles are not
entirely enclosed by sleeve-like portions of flexible materials that are
connected to the
body,

iii) a generally tunnel-like, hoop-like, or single-hoop structural design
having at least one
generally curved resiliently flexible pole(s), each pole standing on its two
ends, at a right
or acute angle with respect to the base panel, held by forces from the base
and the body
of the tent, where the tent may be pegged to the ground or any stable objects
at plurality
of points, where the structure may be of any size for single or multiple
users, and it may
be even large enough to serve as a room-like or cabin tent,

iv) a tunnel-like or hoop-like structural design of part iii, where some poles
may be
longer or higher than the other(s), and/or the poles may have bends along
them,
pronouncing the boundaries or increasing the interior space of the tent,

12




v) a tunnel-like or hoop-like structural design of part iii or iv, where the
cross-section of
the tent may be generally circular, rectangular, trapesoidal, inverted U or
inverted V
shapes or the like,

vi) a generally dome-like or geodesic structure, having two or more crossing
resiliently
flexible poles, each held on its feet where it is connected to the base panel,
in a right or
acute angle with respect to the base panel, where each pole is mainly held by
the forces
applied by: a) the base panel, b) the body of the tent, c) the fly of the tent
(if any), d) the
other pole(s), at their crossing points, if the poles are connected by any
means,

vii) the structure of part vi, where the poles may be or not connected loosely
or tightly
together at their crossing points by any means such as hub(s), connector(s),
tie(s), ring(s),
hook(s), biner(s), or the like,

viii) a room or cabin having at least one dome-like or geodesic section
similar to vi or vii,
plus: a) at least one additional pole, b) proper canopy sections with guy
ropes, that will
add extra room(s), section(s) and/or vestibule(s), that may be used for
sunshade, change
room, privacy, pet room, storage and the like,

ix) a collapsible umbrella type structure of any shapes or configurations,

x) a collapsible umbrella type structure having a collapsible support
structure which
comprises a plurality of pole members that emanate from an upper assembly,
where the
upper assembly has first and second hub members that, when brought into
abutting
contact with each other, cause the structure to assume a fully constructed
configuration
but when separated from each other allow the structure to become collapsed,

13


xi) a collapsible umbrella type structure as in part ix or x, where each pole
member is
further foldable, so that after collapsing the upper assembly, the structure
will be further
folded or collapsed into smaller pieces,

xii) a collapsible umbrella type structure as in ix-xi, that will assume a
generally pyramid
or dome-like structure, at least on top of the tent, after the tent is being
fully expanded,
where the tent may assume a tall, generally cubic or upright cylindrical
figure as well as a
medium-height pyramid or dome like shapes, where the tent may have a generally
square,
pentagonal, hexagonal, polygonal or circular base panel,

xiii) a structure having two generally inverted-U-shape flexible poles, with
or without
other framing poles or members, each said U-shape pole held on its feet where
it is
connected to the base panel, in a right or acute angle with respect to the
base panel, where
each said U-shape pole is mainly held by the forces applied by: a) the base
panel, b) the
body of the tent, c) the fly of the tent (if any), d) the other pole(s), at
their crossing points,
if the poles are connected by any means,

xiv) a generally ridge-like structure resembling a generally A-shape (or more
correctly A
figure) at least at one end portion, having one or more pairs of curved or
straight
resiliently flexible corner posts and a curved or straight ridge pole
positioned between the
top ends of the pair(s) of corner posts and traverse thereto, where hub(s),
connector(s) or
similar aids are used for the connection of the posts to the ridge pole, where
the ridge
pole may be connected to (or meet) the base panel at one or two ends, or
alternatively
may be held elevated from the base panel in one or both ends, by said corner
posts,

xv) a structural design similar to above part xiv, where extra pole(s) or
members may be
arbitrarily added to the structure, for adding the space and/or sturdiness,

xvi) a structure having plurality of resiliently flexible poles, generally
vertical to the base
panel forming corner posts of the tent, each pole having two ends, one lower
end being

14




connected to the base panel with an acute or right angle with respect to the
base panel, the
other ends, on top, being connected together by a hub or arbitrarily by a
combination of
hubs, loop(s), pole segment(s), or similar aids,

xvii) a simple shelter-like structural design having at least one generally
vertical pole(s),
and possibly a few short posts at the corners, supporting a canopy which is
light-
transmitting at least over a large portion of its surface, where guy ropes may
be used for
the balance of the structure at one or plurality of point(s) around the
canopy, and the
canopy may be, arbitrarily, reinforced in plurality of locations such as the
hanging
point(s), ridge lines, peripheral corner lines, guy spots, etc., where the
tent or shelter,
arbitrarily, may include a flexible base panel, permanently or detachably
connected to the
canopy, where the base panel, arbitrarily, may have holes and/or reinforcing
aims at
points where the vertical pole(s) will be erected,

xviii) a simple A-shape shelter, made of a generally tube-like cover hung from
a
generally horizontal rope, where the rope is supported by plurality of posts
at its ends and
possibly along its length, where the tent is secured by guy ropes at plurality
of points
around the canopy,

xix) a structural design of parts i-xviii, where each pole (or post) may be
formed by
plurality of tubular or rod segments, detachably inter-fitted, where each
segment has an
insert element extending from an end portion thereof and adapted to fit within
an end
portion of the adjacent segment,

xx) a structure of part xix, where an elastic or non-elastic flexible cord
will run through
the tubular segments to keep them together to facilitate the storage,
transportation or
construction of the tent,

xxi) a structure of parts i-xx, where the segments, rods or poles are made of
steel,
aluminum, an aluminum alloy, fiberglass, carbon fiber, PVC or other plastics,

15


xxii) a pop-up or self-erectable collapsible structure,
xxiii) a pop-up or self-erectable collapsible structure having at least one
loop of flexible,
coilable, resilient material such as flat spring steel stock,
xxiv) a pop-up or self-erecting collapsible structure as in part xxi, of any
shape including
A-shape, dome-like, saddle-like, pyramid-like, cubic-like shape or classic
double-wall
after being erected,
xxv) a pop-up or self-erecting collapsible structure as in part xxii, where
the structure is
made of at least one loop of a "figure-eight" configuration, after erected,
with the cross-
over of the figure eight as the apex of the structure and the loops of figure
eight extending
downward therefrom,
xxvi) A saddle-like pop-up or self-erecting structure, comprising:
(a) a first continuous resilient substantially closed planar loop base support
member
contacting the surface upon which the tent is resting when erected,
(b) at least a second continuous resilient closed loop support member, secured
to the
closed loop base support member at at least two points, with portions of the
second
closed loop support member positioned apart from and above portions of base
support member,
(c) fabric and flexible light-transparent portions extending around and
enclosing the
base and other continuous support members,

16




xxvii) The structure of part xxvii, wherein there is further included a third
continuous
resilient closed loop support member between the first and second resilient
support
members,
xxviii) A pop-up or self erecting collapsible structure, having three or more
wall
members, each wall member being a flexible frame of a single loop of coilable
material
when expanded and overlapping loops when collapsed, with peripheral hinge-like
channels, rings or wires for constraining the frame into a generally
triangular or
rectangular shape, each wall member having two sides and a base, with the
sides
extending from the top of the tent to said base when the wall panel is
expanded, in which
the sides of each wall member are securely and hingably joined to the adjacent
sides of
adjacent wall members from said top to said base so that the adjacent sides
are held at
least generally parallel to one another when the tent is in its expanded
configuration,
xxix) a pop-up or self-erecting structure as in xxii - xxviii, plus auxiliary
framing poles
that may be used for adding to the sturdiness of the structure, where the
poles preferably
will be installed on the cover, in a crossing configuration as in dome-like
tents, where the
poles may be made of longitudinal connection of segments joining together as
described
in parts xix-xxi,
xxx) a structure similar to a table umbrella with any configuration,
xxxi) a structure as in xxx, with at least one generally vertical center or
side post,
xxxii) a structure having plurality of generally vertical posts supporting a
foldable
overhead framing, through which the posts are indirectly connected, where the
framing
will support a canopy which may be arbitrarily light-transmitting over a large
portion of
its surface, where further the posts may be arbitrarily foldable, collapsible
or expandable,
17



xxxiii) a room-like or cabin structure including plurality of generally
vertical posts,
connected to an overhead framing, e.g. by using hubs, branches, connectors,
that may be
of any type or configurations including tubular, rod, partially tubular,
forming a support
for the canopy, where arbitrarily the poles may be tubular and made of either
steel,
aluminum, aluminum alloy, fiberglass, PVC, where some or all of the poles may
be
arbitrarily collapsible, expandable, or foldable, e.g. made of plurality of
segments,
longitudinally connected by tubular connectors or their insert end portions,
xxxiv) a room-like or cabin structure including plurality of generally
vertical posts,
and/or at least one generally inverted-U shape pole, where the posts or poles
partly
depend on the canopy for keeping their balance, and the tent needs to be
pegged at
plurality of points, when constructed, where the tent can be foldable by
overlaying the
poles together, where the poles may be arbitrarily collapsible or foldable,
where the design may include any of the followings, as well:
i) a base panel that may be of any shapes, e.g. generally square, rectangular,
trapezoidal, triangular, hexagonal, circular, optionally made by nylon or
polyester fabric
with waterproof coating, and may be permanently engaged to the body or
temporarily
connected by using zippers, Velcros ®, buttons or any attachment aids,
ii) transparent, opaque or translucent (possibly made of a vinyl) or
nontransparent flies,
as the tent's accessories, that can be used for multiple purpose of sun-
tanning, private
sun-tanning or camping and also for protection against normal or harsh windy
conditions or for extra heat insulation, and enhanced windproof quality of the
tent,
iii) exchangeable body, and extra sheets as the tent's accessories, that may
be single or
multi-layer transparent, translucent or nontransparent layers, so that the
tent will be
applicable in normal to extreme weather conditions and also useful for camping
in such
conditions,
18


iv) extra sheets as said in part iii, where zippers, Velcros®, buttons, or
other attaching
aid are provided on the boundaries of the sheets for multi-layer applications,
where the
sheets may be transparent, translucent or ordinary textile non-transparent
material,
v) exchangeable body as said in iii, where extra zippers, Velcros®,
buttons, or other
attaching aids are provided on the boundaries of the wall panels and possibly
on the
base panel for multi-layer applications,
vi) one or more layer(s) of floor covering, preferably of soft flexible heat
insulative
material, similar to sleeping bags, that connect to the tent's peripheral
boundaries in a
permanent or detachable manner using zippers, buttons, Velcros ® or
similar aids, to
provide the desired level of heat insulation, depending on the weather
conditions, where
said layers may be provided as tent's accessories or may be conventional
sleeping bags
that would be spread on the floor without engaging to the tent,
vii) heating, ventilation, and/or alarm system that includes any of the
following and does
not exclude other devices nor necessary wirings: batteries, battery chargers,
temperature
sensor, oxygen level detector, carbon dioxide level detector, electronic
circuit boards,
fans, air pumps, panels, fuses, switches, electric heaters, solar collectors
and solar power
supplies, alarm system for reporting hazard conditions, e.g. low oxygen, high
carbon
dioxide or extremely cold conditions where the use of tent may not be safe,
viii) comfort facilities such as sheets, pillows, eye covers and the like,
ix) UV protection sheets, preferably of the quality of passing at least
portions of UV-A
that causes tanning, and blocking UV-B rays that are hazard for health,
x) one or more zippered entrances in D or inverted T shapes or any other
shapes,
19




xi) adjustable window(s) or aperture(s) for manual control of the ventilation
and
possibly plurality of breath holes and breathable fabric windows and/or
sheets,
xii) emergency zipper, button or Velcro-assisted exits, emergency exit
cutters, and/or
emergency alarm to ask for help,
xiii) a steam generator that can turn the tent into a steam-sun sauna,
xiv) tanning blanket(s), where a tanning blanket is a large sheet of thick
aluminum foil,
on which a user will lie beneath the overhead canopy. Sunrays are then
reflected from
the foil to help tan the sides of the tanner's body,
2- A sun-tanning tent as in claim 1, where the light-transmitting sheets are
made of either of the
following: i) clear or non-clear vinyl or PVC, ii) inflatable sheets, iii)
foamed plastics, iv) nylon
sheets with fine encapsulated cells of air within, v) multiple layers of any
of types said in i-iv or
other light-transmitting materials.
3- A sun-tanning tent as in claim 2, where the base panel, and non-
transmitting walls and flies
may be made of nylon or polyester fabrics coated with waterproof materials.
4- A sun-tanning tent as in claims 1-3, where the base is inflatable.
5- A sun-tanning tent as in claims 1-4, where the supporting poles are
inflatable, eliminating the
need of other framings.
6- A light-transmitting sheet or cover, as an accessory for sun-tanning tents,
rooms, or cabins
with attachment aids such as zippers, Velcro tapes, buttons, where the light-
transmitting material
may be made of clear or non-clear vinyl or PVC, and the non-transmitting
portions may be made
of nylon or polyester fabrics preferably coated with waterproof material,
where additional aids
may be included, such as: i) breath holes/vents/ windows, ii) breathable
fabrics, iii) entrance
aided with zippers or said attachment tools,


7- An OCST cover, for a sun- tanning tent, having i) light-transmitting
flexible material(s), such
as clear vinyl or PVC, covering the overall or a large portion of the body,
ii) a flexible panel as
the base, where the walls, ceiling, and the base may be permanently engaged or
temporarily
connected using any attachment aids, such as zippers, Velcros ®, buttons
or the like, where the
base panel and non-transmitting sheets may be made of nylon or polyester
fabrics preferably
coated with waterproof material, iii) entrances aided with said attachment
tools, iv) and
breathable fabrics and/or breath holes/windows/vents in plurality of locations
for proper
ventilation,

8- A cover as in claim 6 or 7, with additional attachment aids, such as
zippers, buttons,
Velcros®, for adding extra layers of light-transmitting material,
nontransparent sheets, reflective
or absorbing tanning blankets and the like.

9- A set of transparent, translucent, nontransparent sheets with attachment
aids, such as zippers,
Velcros ®, or buttons, as an accessory to a multi-purpose camping/ sun-
tanning tent, where the
material used is as mentioned in claim 7.

10- A combination set including a tent of claims 1-5, with any of the
following additional tools:
foldable chairs, tables, beds, cots, light-transmitting or non-transmitting
sheets/ covers/ flies,
comfort sheets, pillows, eye covers, UV protection covers/ sheets, tanning
blankets.

11- A sun-tanning or multi-purpose sun-tanning / sleeping bag, for the use of
one or two people,
including at least: i) a flexible base panel possibly made of polyester or
nylon fabric which may
be arbitrarily coated with water proof material, that may have elevated
boundaries, and may
permanently or detachably engaged with layer(s) of heat-insulative flexible
materials similar to
sleeping bags, where the base panel may arbitrarily include inflatable
layer(s) and/or reflective
tanning blankets or sheets such as a thick aluminum foil that reflects the
sunrays to help tan the
sides of body, where the base panel and any of its layers may be permanently
engaged or
temporarily connected by zippers, Velcros ® or similar aids, ii) at least
one layer of a flexible

21



light-transmitting material, such as clear or non-clear vinyl, for covering
the top and/or the
peripheries of the bag, where the cover may arbitrarily be replaceable making
the bag possibly
useful for normal sleeping bag operation and/or attaching extra layers or
changing the cover, iii)
entrance aided be zippers, Velcros ®, buttons or the like, iv) breathing
provision(s), such as
breath holes, windows or vents aided by zippers or the like, breathable
fabrics, open head or face
compartment, etc.

12- A sun-tanning or multi-purpose sun-tanning / sleeping bag as in claim 11,
with plastic or
metal framing, that may arbitrarily resemble the shape and structural design
of any tent as in the
above claims, e.g. tunnel or hoop-like without guy ropes, supporting the cover
for a large enough
interior space for ease of breathing and movements, where the framing may be
made of thin
shapeable iron rods or resiliently flexible flat spring steel stock, or
resiliently flexible plastic or
metal bars or poles.

13- A bag or micro-tent as in claim 11, having at least one loop of
resiliently flexible coilable
material, that may be used, to add a pop-up or self-erecting feature to the
micro-tent, in a similar
way as claimed for pop-up structures, at least on the head compartment for
ease of breathing, or
alternatively overall the micro-tent for ease of movements and breathing.

14- A bag or micro-tent as in claim 12 wherein plurality of spring-aided
and/or resiliently
flexible coilable plastic or metal bars, poles, rods and/or loops has been
used

15- A bag or micro-tent as in claim 11 with pop-up or self-erectable body
portions, with a
generally tunnel-like configuration, using at least one loop or segment of
resilient, flexible,
coilable materials, such as flat spring steel stock or flexible rubber rods or
the like.

16- A bag or micro-tent as in 11, having a head compartment providing extra
room for
comfortable breathing and movements, where the framing may be made with
resiliently flexible
coilable or non-coilable plastic or metal segments or poles held flexed in
generally curved
shapes.



22



17- A bag or micro-tent as in claim 11, having auxiliary framing to make the
cover held flexed
over the base compartment, giving a box or tunnel-like shape to the tanning
bag, where the head
part may be higher than the feet part, and the frame members may be made of
shapeable,
resiliently flexible, or rigid metal or plastic bars, forming corner posts, or
curved poles as in
cylindrical, tunnel or dome-like tents, where alternatively the framing
material may also be of
resiliently flexible and coilable material, as in pop-up structures, assuming
a saddle-like or
generally rectangular cubic or tunnel like figure.

18- A bag or micro-tent as in claims 11-17, that uses springs in the self-
erectable parts.

19- A bag or tent as in claims 1-18, where the light-transmitting sheets are
made of clear or non-
clear vinyl or PVC, foamed nylon or plastic of light-transmitting quality,
nylon sheets with fine
encapsulated cells of air within, or alternatively inflatable layers of light-
transmitting material.

20- a sun-tanning or mufti-purpose sun-tanning/camping tent or micro-tent of a
proper type as
said in any of the above claims, which includes a cot or bed-like compartment
that holds the tent
or micro-tent above the ground level, where the bed or cot may be arbitrarily
of a foldable
structure and it may be permanently or temporarily engaged with the tent
structure.

21- a greenhouse of arbitrary size and shape for plants, made of a structural
design of parts iii-xvi
of claim 1, where arbitrarily each pole may be formed by plurality of tubular
or rod segments,
detachably inter-fitted, where each segment has an insert element extending
from an end portion
thereof and adapted to fit within an end portion of the adjacent segment,
where arbitrarily an
elastic or non-elastic flexible cord may run through the tubular segments to
keep them together,
facilitating the storage, transportation or construction of the tent, where
each segments, rods or
poles may be made of steel, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, fiberglass, carbon
fiber, PVC or other
plastics.

23



22- a greenhouse cover for greenhouse structure of claim 21 that includes
light-transmitting
flexible material, e.g. clear or non-clear vinyl or PVC, for peripheral walls
and a flexible base
panel made of nylon, polyester, fabric or the like, with proper entrance,
ventilation, auxiliary
sheets similar described for OCST tents and covers.

24

Description

CA 02505778 2005-04-20
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to ColdlCool Season Sun Tanning (OCST) tents.
OCST is an
abbreviation adopted by this inventor and will be conventionally used in the
present application,
where a wide spectrum of tent structural designs will be addressed with
specific arrangements to
optimize the absorption of sunrays, protect the interior heat and maintain the
ventilation.
The tents of the present disclosure allow a user to take a sun tan in cold or
cool but sunny
days of winter, spring or fall. Modern OCST tents of this disclosure will be
user-friendly, stylish
and likeable, as they use the latest structural improvements and advances of
camping and
recreational tents.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The prior arts have not upgraded the structural configuration of such tents
and do not employ
efficient structural deigns. In fact, this art has remained in early stages,
as prior art devices are
not user friendly, flexible, collapsible, light, nor stylish, main reasons
such tents are not popular,
as they deserve, even in cold countries with long winters.
The majority of the prior arts belongs to many years ago and do not apply the
structural
advances of camping tents. Examples are the U.S. patent nos. 407,434 to Evans;
408,204 to
Babbitt; 1,669,484 to Mowry; 1,772,219 to Kempton; 1,946,567 to Braunworth;
2,478,765 to
Kim; 2,493,328 to Wandyak; 2,666,441 to Powers; 3,051,185 to Reynolds;
3,128,781 to
Kirkham; 3,165,110 to Brooks; 3,271,786 to Joy; 3,453,786 to Rebarechk;
2,483,871 to Wilson;
3,812,616 to Koziol; 4,031,674 to Rand; and 4,161,180 to Tiger, 4,320,744 to
Eben V. Fodor;
4,719,935 to Gustanfson.
The prior arts do not modify the modern structural designs for the application
of
coldlcool season sun-tanning. A significant prior art, found in the U.S.
patent no. 4,320,744 to
Eben V. Fodor (1982), has a few major disadvantages that stems from the fact
that the inventor
has suggested his own structural design rather than performing modifications
to the more
advanced structural designs of his time. For instance, the disclosed
structures includes closed
2


CA 02505778 2005-04-20
loop support framings over the boundary of the base panel and right angle
members connected to
and over the base framing that makes the construction difficult and the
structure weaker or less
flexible. Another disadvantage of this prior art is that the framing poles are
passed through sleeve
like portions over all the extents of the poles that makes the construction of
the tent difficult.
Also, because the light-transmitting material is permanently engaged, and the
poles are run
through the sleeves, it is not convenient to replace the cover, add extra
layers, or change the
sheets.
In no structural design of the present disclosure, framing poles are entirely
enclosed by
sleeve-like portions, nor support framings, in the base panels, are being
used, unless in some
pop-up structures that have not been addressed in the prior arts. The covers
and flies of all
presented tents here, except some of the pop-up tents, are easily and
temporarily engaged to the
framing at plurality of points, mainly by using plastic hooks or clamps via
fabric loop portions
connected to the body and are easily attached or detached from the framing.
Therefore, they are
easier to set-up, fold and replace. Furthermore, with the current disclosure,
one may easily
replace the light-transparent sheets, or other fabric parts and flies. These
are only a few of
important improvements over the prior arts of outdoor coldJcool season sun-
tanning tents
(conventionally referred to as OCST tents, by this inventor).
In the present disclosure, popular structural designs of camping tents will be
modified for
OCST application, covering several classes of structural designs, such as
dome, geodesic, tunnel,
hoop, single-hoop, single-wall, double-wall, shelter, cabin, pop-up, room, and
umbrella tents that
have not been modified for such applications, in the prior arts. In the
present disclosure, OCST
tents of such types with the most efficient structural designs will be
addressed and optional
features of electric heating, automatic ventilation, safety and alarm systems,
solar heat collectors
and power supplies will be introduced. Automatic ventilation, auxiliary
apertures, breath holes
and breathable layers are also suggested to ensure a satisfactory level of
oxygen in the interior at
all the times. Oxygen andlor Carbon Dioxide detection and alarm systems may
also be used to
announce hazard conditions.
3


CA 02505778 2005-04-20
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to introduce new types of coldlcool
season sun-
tanning tents formed by modification of popular and effective designs of
camping tents. This
way OCST tents will take the advantage of the structural advances of camping
tents. This is an
important improvement in the art of cold/cool season sun-tanning tents by
which strong, flexible,
wind/shock-proof, user-friendly structural designs will be employed to
increase the popularity
and likeability of such tanning tents. With this objective the following OCST
tents are suggested
as a novel improvement in this era:
i) A-shape, Dome, Hoop, Single-hoop, Tunnel, Geodesic, Hybrid, Single-wall
OCST Tents:
Having at least one resiliently flexible pole of longitudinally connected
tubular segments,
optionally with run-through flexible elastic (or non-elastic) cord(s), is one
distinguished feature
of the members of this class. The cord will keep the segments together when
the tent is being
stored, transported or being constructed and avoid losing the segments and
helps ease of
construction. Another important feature that makes an improvement over the
prior art designs is
that these structures do not use any framing over the ground panel. These
structural designs are
well-known and widely used in camping tents, but have never been introduced
for the
application of sun tanning in cold or cool conditions. In this disclosure,
modifications will be
made on such camping tents to make them specific-for or convertible-to OCST
tents. Figs. S-26
are illustrative and non-limiting examples of such tents.
ii) Pop-up or Self Erectable OCST Tents:
Having at least one loop of resiliently flexible, coilable material such as
flat spring steel stock
is the distinguished feature of all members of this class. These structural
designs have been
widely used in varieties of applications, ranging from beach sun shelters to
kid's playing tents
and even laundry and food baskets, but have never been modified for the
application of sun-
tanning in cold and cool seasons. Figs. 27-35 are illustrative and non-
limiting examples of such
structures, to be modified for OCST applications.
4


CA 02505778 2005-04-20
One way is to use light-transmitting flexible material such as vinyl, to cover
the folding
panels, in the same manner as in normal camping tents. Another method is to
apply the OCST
cover, after the spring structure is erected to its expanded position. For
this purpose as shown in
Fig. 27, rings or sleeve-like portions, made of either rubber, plastic, metal,
resistive fabric or
cords, may be used as hinges to keep the balance of the spring structure, in
the erected position,
after which the OCST cover or transparent sheets may be applied. The base
panel and one or
more side panels) may be covered by normal fabrics permanently. Zippers or
other attachment
tools will be readily available on fabric portions of the skeleton for
connecting the flexible
sheets. To facilitate this, fabric or light-transmitting material may be used
to enclose the panels
boundaries as sleeve-like portions, where zippers or other attachment tools
such as Velcro tapes
are permanently connected, for the application of light-transmitting panels.
In all cases, a
separate OCST cover may be worn on the structure for extra heat protection.
iii) OCST Shelters:
These are the simplest designs of a shelter or tent and usually are consisted
of one or more
vertical posts, and a canopy of light-transmitting flexible material such as
clear vinyl sheets. The
posts may be one or more trekking poles, optionally with adjustable length.
Figs. 24-26 show
examples of such tents.
Similar strategy may be used to make larger cabins or room tents, where each
of the
vertical posts may be foldable, expandable and may have a large heavy base
support, and hence
self standing. Fig. 41 shows a room-like shelter of this type. The
installation process is easy: first
apply the cover, then expanding the posts to its expanded position.
Alternatively the cover may
be permanently engaged on the borders and/or on the ceiling, however the
peripheral covering
may be applied separately, at the time of application, by zippers, Velcro
tapes or other aids.
Therefore, one object of this application is the covering sheets with all
auxiliary attaching aids,
as accessories for the above shelters.
iv) Umbrella OCST tents:
An interesting method of using the sun during cold and cool season is to take
the sun while doing
fun activities, e.g. at a food or card play table in the protection of an
umbrella that will cover the


CA 02505778 2005-04-20
ceiling and peripheries of the interior with light-transmitting flexible
materials such as clear
vinyl, as in Fig 40.
To make such OCST table umbrella tents, any structural design of table-
umbrella may be used.
Examples of such structural designs are available in the following U.S. patent
nos.: 451570 to Painter
(1891), 2905187 to Croce (1959), 3383814 to Rowe (1968), 3765434 to Riggs
(1973), 4586525 to Glatz
et al., 4606366 to Collet, 5785069 to Glatz (1998).
Dome-like umbrella tents that usually are shorter than table umbrellas,
without the main
central post, may also be modified for OCST applications. Fig. 36-39 are
examples of such tents
with structural design of the U.S. patent nos. 2,864,389 to Smith et al.;
3,794,054 to Watts
(1974): Fig.37; 3,8?4,397 to W. Oberhaus (1975): Fig. 36; 4,202,363 to Watts,
Crowford and
Nichols (1980): Fig. 38; 6,854,476 to Chai (2005): Fig. 39.
v) OCST Cabin or Room tents:
Modern camping cabins or room tents have never been modified for the
application of sun-
tanning in cold and cool seasons and are another object of the present
disclosure. As a criterion,
one may recognize such tents by their size however usually they come in
foldable! collapsible
structures, Figs. 11-12 and 41-45. Many of these tents are similar to dome-
like tents with extra
vestibules and/ or rooms, with the applications of extra poles and supported
canopies, as in Fig.
11. Additional room sections may be used as privacy! changing rooms or
sunshades.
Cabin or room tents may weigh a lot but provide a lot of space. Examples of
such
structures with detailed description of parts and methods of construction can
be found in the U.S.
patent numbers: 4607656 to Carter (Fig. 41); 4641676 to Lynch; 4779635 to
Lynch; 5638853 to
Tsai; 5701923 to Losi Jr. et al.; 6772?80 to Price. One step for modifying
such tents for the
purpose of sun-tanning in cold/cool season, is to replace a big portion of the
body that faces the
sun, with a light-transmitting material such as clear vinyl. Other sections
may be made of
breathable heat insulative materials that can be arbitrarily thick depending
on the weather or
applications. Also it is always recommended to have extra sheets for adding to
the layers of the
tents for extra heat protection.
6


CA 02505778 2005-04-20
vi) OCST Cover:
An object of the present disclosure is to introduce an OCST cover that can be
worn on a tent
structure, converting a camping tent to a sun-tanning tent for cool or cold
conditions. The cover
will include the base panel and body that can be partly made of fabrics and
partly made of light-
transmitting material such as clear or non-clear vinyl. Figs.!-4 show examples
of such covers.
All parts may be permanently attached or temporarily engaged by using zippers,
Velcros ~,
buttons or similar aids. All parts may be replaceable and will be available as
accessories.
Zippers, Velcros ~, buttons, or similar aids are provided around the
boundaries for adding extra
layers of heat protection. Manually controlled breathable apertures, and l or
breath holes may
also be added for ensuring the proper ventilation of fresh air. Provisions for
connecting an
automatic air pump may also be considered on the cover.
vii) Multi-purpose Covers and Flies
Another object of this invention is to introduce mufti-purpose exchangeable
flies, body, and
sheets as accessories, with aid for easy replacement and / or installation,
such as zippers, Velcros
~, buttons ar the like. They may be transparent (e.g, clear vinyl),
translucent (e.g. non-clear
vinyl), or nontransparent (e.g. polyester or nylon fabric coated with
waterproof material). With
such accessories the tent may be used for sun-tanning, camping and as a shade.
Translucent
sheets may be used for privacy tanning.
viii) Additional Heating and Ventilation Devices:
Another object of this invention is to introduce the optional application of
electric heaters, mat
heating elements, automated ventilation, solar heat collectors and solar power
supplies.
ix) OCST Tanning/ Sleeping Bags or Micro-tents:
Illustrative and non-limiting examples of OCST tanning! sleeping bags are
shown in Figs. 46-47.
These bags are similar to normal sleeping bags and after replacing their cover
may function as
sleeping bags. In fact any types of a sleeping bag may be modified to make
OCST tanning or
mufti-purpose OCST tanning! sleeping bags, which by convention of this
application, are called
micro-tents also. The body or top compartment may be replaceable so that a
user can add one or
7


CA 02505778 2005-04-20
more layers) of light-transmitting material when tanning, where the sheets
will be available as
accessories to the bag. The sheets may be transparent, translucent, single-
layer, multilayer,
foamed arid may be replaced with similar materials as in the base for heat
protection when used
as a normal sleeping bag. Accessory covers or sheets may be connected to the
base using zippers
provided at the peripheral borders of the bag, where zippers may be concealed
and protected
under extensions of the heat insulative layers. Additional framing may be
added for ease of
breathing and movement, in which case the tent may look like a small tunnel
tent.
FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF OCST TENTS
In geographical high-width locations with cold long winters, inhabitants have
minor
exposure to the sun during long cold winters. The inventor's idea of Outdoor
Cold/Cool Sun-
Tanning (OCST) is an effort to increase the exposure of users to the sun
during cold and cool
seasons.
As proved both scientifically and experimentally, the sunshine in the winter
is strong
enough to warm up a solar radiator up to about 80°C. The key point is
to absorb the rays and
keep the heat insulated from outside. This is a fundamental thermodynamic
principle. However,
for human beings, fresh air and ventilation are important factors to be
considered, in relation
with the use of the sun energy.
Along the line of OCST idea, special tents have been presented, in this
disclosure, to
facilitate the use of sun in cold seasons. In winter the sun shines in an
oblique angle, scanning a
horizontal angle from the sunrise to the sunset. Therefore, an OCST tent
should be light-
transmitting, at least on the peripheral sides facing the sun and may be light
absorbing or
reflective on the sides opposite to the sun. The OCST tents and cabins,
disclosed here, will
provide for appropriate ventilation, warmth, and sunshine with safety and
health-care provisions.
More design objectives are cost-effectiveness, portability, user-friendliness,
ease of set up and
style.
8


CA 02505778 2005-04-20
OCST Tentlcabin
A basic OCST tent or cabin, applicable in rather warm sunny days of fall or
spring, is consisted
of the followings:
i) Light-transmitting material, such as vinyl, over a large portion of the
body
ii) A fabric base panel, preferably waterproof attached to the body in a
waterproof
manner. The fabric may be nylon coated with waterproof material.
iii) Additional heat-insulative, flexible, low-weight, floor insulation
layers) similar
to sleeping bags that can be attached to the base panel permanently or
temporarily by using zippers, Velcros ~, buttons, or similar aids.
iv) Optional openings (such as zippered windows or breathable sheets) for
ventilation
v) Optional UV protection coating or sheets
vi) Optional sheets, eye-covers, pillows
vii) Optional thermometers
The interior temperature and ventilation can be controlled manually by using
zippered windows)
andlor entrance(s). Breathable sheets, optionally multi-layer, may be used on
the walls opposite
to the sun to provide for appropriate ventilation.
Automatic Temperature Control System
An automatic ventilation and temperature control system, aimed for fresh air
and controlled
temperature, consisted of a sensors, adjustable potentiometer, fan (or air
pump), battery,
electronic circuit board, relays and wirings may be included in an OCST tent.
The battery may be
rechargeable, in which case a charger, a panel with a fuse and an electric
cord will be added to
the system. The ventilation of this tent may work for a few hours because of
the low power
consumption of the controlled fan. A solar electric power supply can also be
used to feed the
battery charger. Figs. 21-22 show OCST tents with automatic ventilation. An
alarm system may
be included when the application of the tent is not safe.
9


CA 02505778 2005-04-20
OCST Tent/ Cabin in Cold Conditions:
In many cases, by using one or more extra layers) of heat- protection over the
base panel, and
adding one or more layers to the body, an OCST tent will function properly, in
cold conditions.
These extra sheets will be available as accessories to the tent and may be
connected by using
zippers, buttons, Velcros ~, or similar aids. However, an electric or solar
heater may also be
used. In case an electric heater is being used, a generator, municipal power
supply or a solar
electric generator may be necessary for long lasting operation of the heater,
however a battery
can function for a few minutes as the start up heating of the tent. A solar
heat collector may also
be used. The mat or the base panel insulative layers) may be equipped with
heating wires or
elements, optionally controllable by a remote control consul.
More Provisions:
i) UV protection layers or coatings may be applied on the body of OCST tents
or
cabins. Alternatively, UV protection sheets and or cotton eye protections may
be
used.
ii) Moisture absorber agents may be implemented in the tents (or cabins) to
avoid
extra humidity.
iii) Cutters and/or emergency exit zippers for ensuring the safety.
Greenhouse Applications and OCST Tents:
Any type of OCST tent after some modifications may be used as a greenhouse.
The basic
properties and features of a greenhouse is well known and is not a subject
matter of this
disclosure, however, the structural designs of available greenhouses, to this
date, does not
include some of the structural designs of OCST tents, introduced here.
Pop-up tent structures and variety of room-type or cabin tents are well-known
and being
used for greenhouse applications. Umbrella structures are also introduced for
this purpose, (U.S.
patent nos. 4,033,366 to Forget and 4,068,421 to Marovich). Also, an
inflatable-pole dome-like
structure has been introduced for this purpose, by Fritts et al. (1991) in the
U.S, patent no.


CA 02505778 2005-04-20
5,007,212. Non-collapsible geodesic greenhouses with rigid structures have
been introduced in
the U.S. patent nos.: 5,996,288 (Aiken-1999) and 4,075,813.
However, collapsible dome-like and geodesic structures, introduced here for
OCST
applications, are novel in the art of greenhouse. Also the application of
thin, light collapsible
aluminum or fiberglass poles with some structural designs, e.g. tunnel-like,
hoop, single hoop, is
also novel in the art of greenhouse.
11

Representative Drawing