Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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_ENT POSITIONABLE BETWEEN COI,LAPSED AND ERECT
CONDITIONS
Backaround of th QInvention:
Field of the Invention:
This invention relates generally to tents,
and more particularly to a tent having an improved
skeleton support means to facilitate movement of a
tent between collapsed and erect conditions.
Description of the Prior Art:
One of the most enjoyable and relatively
inexpensive recreational pursuits indulged in by
families is camping. In addition to family
camping, children generally love to indulge in
organizational camp outings arranged, for example, ~ -~
by scout groups. When not indulging in the real
thing, children love to act out camping in the
backyard of the home. The need constantly exists -
for tents that can be erected in a short period of
time, and when the camping is over, conveniently
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collapsed for storage.
Summary of the Invention:
An object of the present invention is to
provide a tent that is readily positionable
between collapsed and erect conditions. The tent ~ ;~
comprises~
; a flexible tent body; i
~ skeleton support means for supporting the -~
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tent body, the skeleton support means comprising
tent poles and apex junction means for pivotally
30 ; ,isupportling first` ends of each of the tent poles,
means for coupling each of the opposite f~
second ends of the tent poles to the tent body;
means for connecting the tent body to the ~ ~-
skeleton support means; and ~ -
one-way joint means on each tent pole movable ~ ~
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between a first position for allowing pivotal
movement of the tent pole to facilitate movement
of the tent to its collapsed condition, and a
second position in which the tent pole is
releasably held in a tensioned non-pivotal
position for holding the tent in its erect
condition.
~nother object of the invention is to provide
the tent skeleton support means with an apex
10 junction means comprising a base member having a
plurality of sockets. Each socket is adapted to
receive a ball portion adjacent the cylindrical
end of one of the tent poles for allowing pivotal
movement of the tent pole relative to the base
15 member to facilitate movement of the tent to its
collapsed condition. The base member further has
a partially blind elongated slot merging with each
socket for receiving the cylindrical end of the
tent pole for limiting pivotal movement of the
20 tent pole in a direction for collapsing the tent,
Still another object of the invention is to
provide a one-way joint means for each tent pole
formed of first and second pole sections
comprising a block secured to a tip of the first `~
pole section, the block having a shoulder and a
pair of spaced apart walls extending from the ~;
shoulder forming a first elongated slot, parallel
to the pole, for receiving a tip of the second
~ pole section. A pivot pin extends through the ~ p~
~ pair of~walls~and the tip of the second pole `for
providing a pivot about which the first and second
pole sections pivot.
Brief Description of ~he Drawinas~
In the detailed description of the invention
presented below, reference is made to the
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accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a segmental side-elevational view
of a preferred embodiment of the tent of this
invention in its erect condition;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the
apex junction means of the skeleton support, with
a portion thereof broken away and showing two
empty sockets and two sockets fitted with ball
portions at the ends of two tent poles;
Fig. 3 is a side-elevational view of the apex
junction means of Fig. 2 with a portion of the
cover broken away; -
Fig. 4 is a segmental section view taken -
substantially along line 4-4 of Fig. 2;
Fig. 5 is a segmental section view taken ~ -
substantially along line 5-5 of Fig. 2;
Fig. 6 is a segmental section view similar to
Fig. 5 showing pivotal movement of the ball i
portion end of a tent pole relative to the base
member to facilitate collapsing and folding the
tent into a small compact package;
Fig. 7 is a segmental side-elevational view ` -~
of an adapter for releasably securing a tent pole
end to the tent body;
~5 Fig. 8 is an enlarged side-elevational view
~; ~ of the one-way joint means in a position for
allowing pivotal movement of the joint means and
tent into its collapsed condition; ~ ;
Fig. 9 is an end view of the joint means of
i~ ~ 30 ~ Fig. 8 taken substantialIy along ~line 9-9 ofi Fig
8; and ~ ~
Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing -
the one-way joint means in a non-pivotal position
for holding the tent pole in a tensioned position ~ ,
for supporting the tent in its erect condition, as ~ ~;
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seen in Fig. 6.
Detailed Description of the Invention:
Because tents and par-ts thereof are well
known, th present description will be directed in
particular to elements forming part of, or
cooperating directly with, -tent apparatus in
accordance with the pres~nt invention. It is to
be understood that elements not specifically shown
or described may take various forms well known to
those skilled in the art.
With reference to Fig. 1, a preferred
embodiment of a tent 10 of this invention is
disclosed, comprising a tent body 12, only a part
of which is shown, formed from any suitable fabric
material, canvas or the like. The tent body 12
has angularl~ spaced elongated sleeves 14
extending outwardly from the body for receiving
flexible tent poles 16 of plastic or the like.
The tent poles are part of a skeleton support
means 18 for supporting the tent body. The
skeleton support means 18 further comprises an
apex junction means 20 at the tent apex for ~ ~.
pivotally supporting one of the ends 22 of each of
four tent poles 16, only one of which is shown
fully in Fig. 1.
With reference to Figs. 2 - 6, the apex
junction means 20 comprises a base member 24
having four sockets 26 for receiving adapters 28
at the ends 22 of each tent pole 16. Each adapter
30~ ` 28 comprises!a ~ylindrical end portion 30 merging
with a ball portion 32, as best seen in Figs. 5
and 6. The cylindrical end portion 30 has a blind
bore 34 for receiving end 22 of tent pole 16. The
adapter 28 is secured to the tent pole by an -
arcuate washer 36 that is insertable through an ~
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elongated slo-t 38 in the ball portion 32 and
pressed into locking engagement with the periphery
of the tent pole. A substantially similar adapter
28, as best seen in ~igs. 1 and 7, is provided at
the opposite end 40 of each tent pole 16, in which
similar parts are denoted by the same numerals
primed. In these adapters 28', the cylindrical ;
end portion 30' is provided with a pair of opposed
detents 42 extending laterally outwardly from the
periphery of the cylindrical end portion, only one ~-
of which is shown in Fig. 7. The adapters 28'
further have an annular stop ring 44 to limit the
insertion of cylindrical end portion 30' into
openings in circular grommets at the end of
outwardly extending tent flaps 46, as seen in
Fig. 1. When an end portion 30' is inserted, the ~
detents 42 are initially depressed upon passage -
through the opening in the grommet and then expand
for releasably securing the adapter end portion
30' and tent pole 16 to the tent flap 46.
The base member 24 further has a partially
blind elongated slot 48 on the undersurface
thereof, merging with each socket 26 for receiving
the cylindrical end portion 30 of each adapter 28
for limiting pivotal movement of the tent pole 16
in one direction, as best seen in Fig. 5. The one
dirertion is indicated by arrow A in Figs. 1 and -
5, and occurs when the tent poles 16 are tensioned ~ ;
for supporting the tent 10 in its erect
;condition~ The apex junction means 20 further
comprises a square cup-shaped cap member 50, which
is secured by screws 52 or the like, to the base
member 24 for holding the ball portions 32 within ~ ;
the sockets 26.
With reference to Figs. 8 - 10, a tent
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one-way joint means 54 is disclosed for joining
the tips 56, 58 of two tent pole sections 60, 62
forming each tent pole 16. One tip 56 of tent
pole section 60 is rotatably secured to a block
member 64 of the joint means 54. The block member ~ -
64 has a blind bore 66 for receiving the tip 56 of
tent pole section 60, and further has a recess 68
in the block member 64 in register with the tent ~;
pole section tip 56. The section tip is secured
to the block member 64 by an arcuate washer 70
insertable th~ough the recess 68 and pressed into ~ ;~
locking engagement with the tent pole section tip
56. The block member 64 also has a shoulder 72
and a pair of spaced apart walls 74 extending from
the shoulder forming a slot 76 parallel to the ~ -
section pole tip 56. The slot 76 receives a
sleeve 78 having a blind bore 80 for receiving the
tip 58 of tent pole section 62, which is rigidly
a secured thereto by a press fit or the like. A
; ~ 2Q pivot pin 82 extends through the pair of walls 74,
and through an opening in the sleeve 78 to provide
a pivot about which the tent pole section 62
pivots. The block member 64 additionally has a ;~ `~
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collar 84 for receiving one end of a strap 86 for
securing the block member 64 to the tent body 12.
The sleeve 78,further has a hook finger 88 to
which laces, on corners of a rain fly, not shown,
are secured for covering the top of the tent in
the event of rain.
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; Th,e t,ent,body 12 is~normally,in its col,lapsed
condition, with the joint means 54 in the position
` shown in Fig. 8. In this position, one end 22 of
each of the tent polès 16 is pivotally secured to
the apex junction means 20, and the opposite tent '~ "
; 35 pole end 40 is releasably secured to the body tent
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flap 46. To place the tent 10 in its erect
condition, the apex junction means 20 is raised
upwardly and each tent po'e section 62 is rotated
in a clockwise direction in Fig. 8, until sleeve -
78 engages the shoulder 72 on the block member
64. The tent block member is then rotated in
either direction of rotation approximately 180
into the position illustrated in Fig. 10. -In this
position, the pole sections 60, 62 are tensioned
and exert a force in the direction of arrow A,
causing the shoulder 72 to exert a force against
the sleeve 78 for releasably holding the tent in
an erect condition, as seen in Fig. 1.
To collapse the tent 10, each block member 64
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~ is grasped and rotated approximately 180 in
either direction into the position illustrated in
Fig. 8, allowing the tent pole sections 60, 62 to
pivot towards one another for collapsing the tent.
While a preferred embodiment of the invention
has been shown and described with particularity,
it will be appreciated that various changes and
modifications may suggest themselves to one having l;
ordinary skill in the art upon being apprised of
the present invention. It is intended to
encompass all such changes and modifications as
fall within the scope and spirit of the appended
claims.
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