Specification Technical Field

This invention relates to sheltering workpersons in the field and more particularly to providing an enclosure for facilitating controlling the environment around a cabinet housing equipment during maintenance of such equipment.

Background Art

In the past, protection of workpeople has been provided by freestanding structures such as the tents shown in U.S. Patent 3,810,482 for a Collapsible Tent and Frame Therefor issued May 14, 1974. Such freestanding tents are used to protect working areas above open manholes and to prevent rain and snow, etc. from falling into the manhole. However, such tents have been speci- fically designed with four sides so as to be freestanding and, depending on their size, often require two workpersons to deploy them in position relative to the manhole.

Work areas adjacent to vehicles have also been protected by enclosures such as Model Number 6200A Van and Trailer Tents manufactured by T.A. Pelsue Company of Denver, Colorado. However, such enclosures have been specifically designed to be partly supported on the vehicle adjacent to the work space. Moreover, such tents have not been designed for placement on top of the vehicle nor for deployment into a deployed position from a stowed position on top of the vehicle. Rather one or two workpersons deploy the Model Number 6200A Tent from the ground adjacent to the vehicle.

Other structures have been proposed for use in defining an enclosure adjacent to a cabinet for telephone equipment. As an example, U.S. Patent 4,834,129 for Tent Structures For Covering Free-standing Equipment issued May 30, 1989 shows a three dimensional, generally box-like cabinet that houses telephone equipment located in areas remote from a central telephone office. Such cabinets have one or more doors, including doors at the front, sides or rear thereof. Such doors are openable to provide access to the telephone equipment therein to facilitate repair of such equipment. The enclosure shown in patent number 4,834,129 includes a rigid base frame having the dimensions of the entire periphery of the top of the cabinet. Such rigid frame is shown and described as being in a permanent, relatively large configuration conforming to the periphery of the top of the cabinet. Accordingly, unless the structural members of the rigid base frame are detached from each other after use or the separate members are assembled one-by-one into the rectangular rigid base frame prior to use, the van or other vehicle used by the workpersons to travel from cabinet to cabinet must be large enough to receive the entire base frame. Alternatively, such base frame must be stowed in its original large configuration on the top of the vehicle. Since the rigid base frame is relatively large, it is difficult for the workpersons to mount and dismount the rigid base frame for use in connection with forming the enclosure around the work area adjacent to the cabinet. Additionally, the base member is shown in patent number 4,834,129 in connection with pivotable arms that are permanently secured to the rigid base frame. This adds to the weight of the rigid base frame and to the difficulty of stowing the rigid base frame either in or on the vehicle during such time as the rigid base frame and other structure are not being used to form the enclosure around the work area adjacent to the cabinet. Additionally, although in use, such frame may be

preattached to the fabric from which the enclosure is fabricated, in one embodiment such patent teaches the deployment of the rigid base frame into a fully deployed position prior to draping or otherwise placing the fabric thereover to form the enclosure. As a result, many separate operations are required as a part of the deployment of the tent. Such operations require a relatively substantial amount of time and thus reduce the time available for the workperson to actually work on the repair of the equipment. Alternatively, to minimize the deployment time, more than one workperson is required for deploying the enclosure.

Others have provided a variety of tents for use with cars. For example, in U.S. Patent 1,394,579 a rear edge of the roof of a car is used to support the tent after it is erected on the ground near the car. Some have used permanent housings on a car to carry a tent, as in the bumper-mounted housing in U.S. Patent 1,719,055, or in the tray that is shown mounted on the top of a car in U.S. Patent 1,752,571. These tents are not suited for use in the repair of equipment in cabinets since the cabinets are often in locations that are inaccessible to a vehicle. Further, the provision of a tent permanently on every remote cabinet that houses equipment to be serviced would be prohibitively expensive.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure for defining a work volume adjacent to equip¬ ment to be repaired, wherein such enclosure may be deployed by one workperson.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure that includes integral support members and fabric, wherein the enclosure may be

initially stowed in a relatively compact undeployed configuration for placement on top of a cabinet only when equipment in the cabinet is to be maintained or repaired, and wherein the enclosure may be made ready for deployment from the top of the cabinet.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure including integral fabric and supporting members that may be deployed by a single workperson, from a compact undeployed position on top of a cabinet that houses equipment to be repaired, into a fully deployed position defining a work volume adjacent to such cabinet.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a retainer extendable over the top of such cabinet in conjunction with facilities for securing the retainer to the top of the cabinet, wherein the retainer is effective to engage the enclosure and secure same in relation to the cabinet as the enclosure is deployed for defining the work volume adjacent to the cabinet.

Yet another object of the present invention resides in a connector between the previously mentioned retainer and the previously mentioned enclosure, wherein the connector permits the undeployed enclosure to be placed by a single workperson on top of the retainer in a properly balanced position, with part of the enclosure extending beyond the top edges of the cabinet.

An additional object of the present invention resides in a tent for defining a work volume adjacent to a cabinet that houses telephone equipment to be repaired, wherein a connector limits forward motion of the tent relative to the cabinet during deployment of and before the tent is securely fastened to the cabinet.

A related object of the present invention is the provision of a seam joining a free edge of the connector to a rear edge of the tent so that the seam may move forward during deployment of the tent to a position wherein a strap holds the connector and the seam onto the front of the cabinet to prevent the tent from being pushed backward over the cabinet in high wind conditions.

Another related object of the present invention is the provision of a universal tent designed to define a work volume adjacent to many different sizes and types of cabinets, wherein a retainer is designed for each different cabinet and is selectably attached to the universal tent prior to deployment of the universal tent so that one universal tent may be used with many different cabinets.

With these and other objects in mind, the present invention contemplates an enclosure assembly for defining a closed environmental volume adjacent to an equipment cabinet to be serviced by one operator. The enclosure assembly is normally stowed away from the cabinet in a s,.v. _Λ ed configuration and is designed to be placed by the one operator on a top of the cabinet in a pre-deployment configuration. In the pre-deployment configuration, a tent of the assembly is ready for deployment into a configuration for defining the environmental volume. The enclosure assembly includes a retainer for engaging the cabinet to define a fixed support extending transversely across the rear of the cabinet. A connector having a front edge secured to the fixed support extends laterally for a selected distance or length to a free edge. The tent is provided for defining the closed environment. The tent includes a ceiling panel having a rear portion secured to the free edge of the connector. The distance is selected for permitting the tent and its elongated support rods to be placed on the top of the cabinet with

a majority of the weight of the enclosure assembly resting on the cabinet in a properly balanced position. The connector having the selected length also limits the forward movement of the rear portion of the tent during deployment from the pre-deployment configuration into a deployed configuration. In deployment of the tent under windy conditions, this limiting of forward movement stabilizes the tent before it is tightly secured to the cabinet. The connector is also effective during deployment of the tent of the enclosure assembly to position the rear portion of the ceiling panel adjacent to a front of the top of the cabinet.

After the tent is in the deployed configuration, a first skirt secured to the rear portion of the tent overlies at least a portion of the connector. The ceil¬ ing panel has lateral sides. A side panel is connected to each of the lateral sides of the ceiling panel. Each side panel has a second skirt extendable into overlapping relationship with a side of the cabinet. A strap extends over the first skirt and over the second skirts and is secured for holding the free edge of the connector and the rear portion of the ceiling panel in a fixed position relative to the top of the cabinet, and for holding the second skirts tightly against the sides of the cabinet.

In another aspect of the present invention, the top of the cabinet extends a given distance laterally from the front to a rear thereof. The top has a predetermined shape which is usually rectangular. The retainer is in the form of a first fabric unit having that predetermined shape and is adapted to overlie the top for defining a first rear edge that forms the fixed support. The connector is formed by a second fabric unit. In one embodiment, the connector has that predetermined shape and the front edge thereof is attached to the first rear edge to form a first seam. The second fabric unit has

the free edge opposite to the first seam. In the one embodiment, the lateral length of the second fabric unit from the first seam to the free edge is substantially the same as the given distance. The tent has a rear hem attached to the free edge of the connector to form a second movable seam.

The present invention also contemplates a method of stowing the tent assembly. The tent assembly is to be placed on the cabinet in the stowed configuration, is then to be attached to the cabinet in the pre-deployment configuration, and is then to be deployed for defining the work volume. Each of the ceiling panel and the side panels of the tent has a hub. For a given panel, such as the ceiling panel or the side panels, four flexible rods extend from within pockets of the hub. One rod extends to each pocket formed in each corner of the panel. The tent assembly is stowed or collapsed into the stowed configuration by performing the following steps:

(1) supporting the tent (including the panels, the hubs and the rods thereof) spaced from the floor;

(2) extending the connector from the tent to a support surface above the floor;

(3) spreading the retainer over the support surface so that it is extended substantially to its full size with the connector extending from the tent over the spread retainer, with the tent and its hubs, rods and panels st_ 1 supported at one side of the retainer;

(5) collecting the hubs of each panel so that the hubs are aligned, the rods thereof extend away from the hubs in parallel relationship, and the panels thereof are gathered;

(6) placing the collected hubs, the parallel rods and the gathered panels on the spread retainer with the rods in a properly balanced position, which is permitted by the lateral dimension of the connector; and

(7) wrapping the retainer over a portion of the gathered panels and over a portion of the parallel rods to form the tent assembly into the stowed configuration.

The present invention also contemplates a method of deploying a tent assembly that includes the tent for defining a work volume in front of the equipment cabinet. The cabinet has at least one door that swings from a closed position to an open position. The door is to be opened only after the work volume has been established adjacent to the door of the cabinet. The tent assembly in the above-described stowed configuration is placed on the top of the cabinet with the hubs of the panels at the front of the cabinet and the rods and the panels extending to or beyond the rear of the cabinet. The tent assembly is sequentially put in the pre-deployment configuration, and then in the deployed configuration. The method of deploying the tent from the stowed configuration includes the following steps:

(1) unwrapping the retainer from the gathered panels and from the parallel rods;

(2) securing the retainer to the top of the cabinet, whereupon the tent assembly is in the pre- deployment configuration;

(3) arranging the set of rods of the ceiling panel and of the side panels with one set of the side rods on either side of the set of ceiling rods;

(4) from a location in front of the cabinet, lift¬ ing the ceiling set of rods by grasping two marked, front ceiling rods and lifting the grasped rods from the cabinet forwardly and overhead;

(5) moving the two rods to spread the ceiling panel and the ceiling rods into an open position overhead, the lifting and moving also lifting the side panels and the side rods and moving them forward and transversely off the cabinet,

(6) extending the connector into a taut position to limit the forward motion of the ceiling panel;

(7) rendering the ceiling panel and the ceiling rods self-supporting to maintain the side panels separ¬ ated; and

(8) rendering each of the side panels and the side rods self-supporting to vertically support the ceiling panel and to define the environmental volume while the connector prevents further forward motion of the ceiling panel and the side panels.

Brief Description Of Drawings

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from an examination of the following detailed descriptions which include the attached drawings in which:

FIGs. 1A through IF show a variety of cabinets that house equipment that requires servicing and that may be used with the enclosure (or tent) assembly of the present invention, wherein the cabinet of FIG. 1A has doors at the front of the cabinet, and the enclosure assembly is shown being placed on the cabinet; the cabinet of FIG. IB

has doors at the front of the cabinet, but the lower sides are straight without a lip; the cabinet of FIGs. 1C and ID have doors at the left side; the cabinet shown in FIG. IE has doors at the front and the rear; and the cabinet shown in FIGs. IF and 1G is shown provided with a central raised top;

FIG. 2 shows a carry bag containing the enclosure assembly and being carried by one workperson to the cabinet;

FIG. 3 shows the enclosure assembly with a retainer wrapped around a tent and the hands of the operator grasping the retainer;

FIG. 4 shows the tent assembly on the cabinet with the retainer wrapped around the tent, and in dashed lines shows the retainer unwrapped and resting on the top of the cabinet;

FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of a corner of the cabinet covered by the retainer;

FIG. 5B is an enlarged cross sectional view of the front edge of the cabinet showing air outlets;

FIG. 6 is a view of the retainer and a connector that joins the tent to the retainer;

FIGs. 7A through 71 show the deployment of the tent, wherein FIG. 7A shows the operator grasping two rods associated with a ceiling panel; FIG. 7B shows the operator lifting and spreading the two ceiling panel rods; FIG. 7C is a side elevational view of the deploy¬ ment of the tent showing a taut connector limiting forward movement of the tent during deployment; FIG. 7D shows the ceiling panel deployed and separating the side

panels; FIG. 7E shows the operator deploying the left side panel; FIG. 7F shows a strap overlying a skirt on the top of the tent and skirts at the side of the tent for securing the tent to the cabinet; FIG. 7G shows the tent deployed and the operator securing the top skirt and side skirts to the cabinet by tightening a strap; FIG. 7H shows the operator closing the environmental (or work) volume by zipping a front door closed; and FIG. 71 shows the connector held onto the cabinet by the strap, with a movable seam between the tent, the connector and the upper skirt being adjacent to the front of the cabinet;

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the tent assembly spread out on a surface;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a seam of the tent;

FIGs. 10A through 10D are cross-sectional views showing two embodiments of the connector for use with different length rods of the tent, in each case showing the tent assembly properly balanced on the cabinet;

FIG. 11 is a view of a clip for securing the strap to a bottom edge of the cabinet;

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a hub for holding the rods;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the hub and one rod;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the hub with the rods in a deployed configuration defining the letter X;

FIG. 15 is a view of the hub with the rods parallel to each other in a stowed configuration;

FIGs. 16A through 16E, in conjunction with FIGs. 7A and 4, show the sequence of steps for stowing the tent assembly from the deployed configuration to the pre- deployment configuration to the stowed configuration;

FIGs. 17A, 17B, 17C and 17D show other embodiments of the retainer that are adapted to fit cabinets with different size or shape tops; and

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an additional embodiment of the retainer, wherein the retainer is adapted to function with two connectors and with two tents that can be deployed on opposite sides of the cabinet.

Mode(s) For Carrying Out The Invention

The Cabinet 30

An enclosure assembly 29 of the present invention is designed for use with a cabinet 30, such as the cabinets 30A and 30B shown in respective FIGs. 1A and IB. The cabinet 30 may house equipment 31 (FIG. 1C) to be serviced. Access to the equipment 31 is provided by doors, such as doors 32A of the cabinet 30A, doors 32B (FIG. IB) , front doors 32C (FIG. 1C) , a side door 33 on a cabinet 30C (FIG. ID) or doors 34 on the front and rear of another cabinet 30E (FIG. IE) .

The equipment 31 is sensitive to the environment, such as the temperature of the ambient air. The enclo¬ sure assembly 29 is designed to be deployed before opening the doors 32A, 32B, 32C or 34, so that a work volume or enclosed space 36 (FIG. 7G) may be established and, for example, the temperature thereof controlled before the doors 32A, 32B, 32C or 34 are opened. In this manner, the equipment 31, which may be sensitive

telephone switching equipment, for example, is protected from the ambient environment as the equipment 31 is serviced.

For purposes of describing the enclosure assembly 29 of the present invention, the side 35 of the cabinet 30 that has doors, such as the doors 32A, 32C or 34, is referred to as the front side or front 35F of the cabinet 30. The opposite side 35 that generally does not have doors 32A (as in the cabinet 30A) is referred to as the rear side or rear 35R of the cabinet 30. The sides 35 that extend between the front side 35F and the rear side 35R are referred to as the sides 35SL or 35SR according to whether such side is respectively on the left or the right as one faces the doors 32A or 34 of the cabinet 30, for example. In the embodiment of the cabinet 30 shown in FIG. IE, doors 34 are provided in both the front side 35F and the rear side 35R.

Referring to FIG. IB, the depth of the cabinet 30B from the front side 35F to the rear side 35R is referred to as extending in a lateral direction shown by a lateral dimension line 37, whereas the width of the cabinet 30A across the side 35F that has the doors 32B is referred to as extending in a transverse direction shown by a transverse dimension line 38. The cabinet 30A has a top 39 provided with edges 40 that define the perimeter of the top 39. The edge 40 that is at the top of the front side 35F is referred to as the top edge 40F. The edge 40 that is at the top of the rear side 35R is referred to as the top edge 40R. Similarly, the edge 40 that is at the top of the left side 35SL (not shown in FIG. IB - see similar side in FIG. IE) is referred to as the top edge 40SL, and the top edge 40 that is at the top of the right side 35SR is referred to as the top edge 40SR. The doors 32C in FIG. 1C and the doors 34 in FIG. IE are shown in an open position that is more than

90° from the closed position. The open doors 32A, 32B or 34 may extend apart more than the transverse dimension 38 of the top 39 of the cabinets 30.

Another cabinet 3OF is shown in Figs. IF and 1G. This cabinet 3OF may be of the type manufactured by Reliance Electric and is provided with central sides 35G that support the cabinet 3OF. The central sides 35G extend transversely along the line 38W that is longer than a transverse line 38C that defines the transverse dimension of the cabinet 30F. The lateral depth 37S of the central side 35G is less than the lateral depth 37C of the cabinet 3OF. Further, the top 39 of the cabinet 3OF is stepped, and is higher at a central section 39C that extends transversely from the central sides 35G. The top 39 also has a front lower section 39F that is lower than the central higher section 39C and that defines the upper surface of the cabinet 3OF. A lower rear section 39R of the top 39 is shown in FIG. 1G. Doors 32G are shown on the front side 35F of the cabinet 3OF, and may also be on the rear side 35R of the cabinet 30F.

It is to be understood, then, that the enclosure assembly 29 may be used to define the work volume 36 adjacent to any side 35 of the cabinet 30 that is provided with the doors 32A, 32B, 32C, 32G, 33 or 34.

General Description of the Invention

Tent Assembly 29

Referring now to FIGs. 6 and 7G, the present inven- tion generally includes the enclosure assembly 29 for defining the work volume 36 (FIG. 7G) , which may be a closed environmental volume adjacent to the equipment

cabinet 30 to be serviced by an operator 41. The enclo¬ sure assembly 29 is normally stowed away from the cabinet 30 in a stowed configuration (FIG. 2) and is designed to be placed by the one operator 41 (FIG. 1A) on the top 39 of the cabinet 30 in a pre-deployment configuration (see dashed lines in FIG. 4) . In the pre- deployment configuration, a tent 42 of the assembly 29 is ready for deployment into a deployed configuration (FIG. 7G) for defining the environmental volume 36 (FIG. 7G) .

In describing the tent assembly 29, the terms "front," "rear" and "sides" are used consistently with the use of those terms to describe the cabinet 30. Thus, a "front" of the tent assembly 29 is in the direction of the front 35F of the cabinet 30, for example. The enclosure assembly 29 includes a retainer 43 (designated 43A in FIG. 6) for engaging the cabinet 30 to define a fixed support 44 (designated 44A in FIG. 6) extending transversely (see line 38 in FIG. IB) across the rear edge 4OR (FIG IB) of the top 39 of the cabinet 30. A connector 45 (designated 45A in FIG. 6) having a front edge 46 secured to the fixed support 44 extends laterally for a selected length or distance (see line 47A in FIG. 6) to a free edge 48. The retainer 43 is identified by dots in the FIGURES for ease in distinguishing it from the connector 45.

The tent 42 is provided for defining the closed work volume 36. The tent 42 includes a ceiling panel 49 (Figs. 6 and 71) having a rear edge 50 secured to the free edge 48 of the connector 45. The distance 47 (FIG. 8) is selected for allowing the tent 42 to be properly balanced or positioned on the top 39 of the cabinet 30 in the pre-deployment configuration prior to deployment. Also, the selected distance 47 enables the connector 45 to limit the forward movement (see arrow 51A in FIG. 7C)

of the rear edge 50 of the tent 42 during deployment from the pre-deployment configuration (FIG. 4) into the deployed configuration (FIG. 7G) . The connector 45 is also effective during deployment of the tent 42 to posi- tion the rear edge 50 of the ceiling panel 49 adjacent to the front edge 4OF of the top 39 of the cabinet 30 (FIG. 71) .

After the tent 42 is in the deployed configuration, a first skirt 51B secured to the rear edge 50 of the tent 42 overlies at least a portion of the connector 45 (designated 45B in FIG. 71) . As shown in FIG. 7F, the ceiling panel 49 has lateral sides 52L and 52R. A side panel 53L and 53R is connected to the respective lateral sides 52L and 52R of the ceiling panel 49. Each side panel 53L and 53R has a second skirt 54 extendable into overlapping relationship with a side 35SL or 35SR of the cabinet 30. Then, a strap 55 that is secured to the first skirt 5IB and to the second skirts 54 is tightened after a clip 56 is secured to an inverted u-shaped channel that forms a lip 57 (FIG. 7G) along each side 35SL and 35SR of the cabinet 30 for holding the free edge 48 of the connector 45 and the rear edge 50 of the ceiling panel 49 in a fixed position relative to the top 39 of the cabinet 30 (FIG. 71) .

In another aspect of the invention, the top 39 of the cabinet 30 extends a distance laterally (see line 37 in FIG. IB) from the front 35F to the rear 40R of the cabinet 30 to define the depth of the top 39. The top 39 has a predetermined shape, which is usually rectangular. In a first embodiment (FIG. 6) , the retainer 43A is in the form of a first fabric unit 59 having that predetermined shape and adapted to overlie the top 39 for defining the first rear edge that forms the fixed support 44A. The connector 45A is formed by a second fabric unit 60, that in the first embodiment has that

predetermined shape. The connector 45A has the front edge 46 (FIG. 6) attached to the rear edge (or fixed support) 44A of the retainer 43A to form a first seam 61 (FIG. 6) . The second fabric unit 60 has the free edge 48 opposite to the first seam 61. The lateral length (i.e., the selected length 47A) of the second fabric unit 60 from the first seam 61 to the free edge 48 is selected as described below, and is preferably the same as the depth 37 of the top 39 of the cabinet 30. The tent 42 has a rear hem 62 attached to the free edge 48 and to the first skirt 51B to form a second or movable seam 63 (FIG. 71) . The length 47 may be marginally less than or longer than the depth 37 as long as the movable seam 63 is at the front edge 4OF of the cabinet 30 when the tent 42 is deployed.

Method of Stowing Tent Assembly 29

The present invention also includes a method of stowing the tent assembly 29 so that the tent assembly 29 can easily be arranged from the stowed configuration (FIG. 2) to the pre-deployment configuration on the cabinet 30 (FIG. 4) to the deployed configuration (FIG. 7G) for defining the work volume 36. The ceiling panel 49 has a hub 64 (FIG. 12) and the side panels 53L and 53R each have one of the hubs 64. For a given panel, such as the ceiling panel 49 or the side panels 53L and 53R, four flexible rods 66 extend from within a pocket 67 (FIG. 12) at the hubs 64. One rod 66 extends to each pocket 68 formed in each corner 69 of the panels 49, 53L and 53R (Figs. 7E and 8) . The tent assembly 29 is collapsed into the stowed configuration (FIG. 2) by performing the following steps:

(1) supporting the tent 42, including the panels 49 and 53, the hubs 64 and the rods 66 thereof, spaced from

the floor, such as the surface on which the operator 41 is standing in Figs. 7D and 7E;

(2) extending the connector 45 from the tent 42 to a support surface (e.g. the top 39 of the cabinet 30) above the floor;

(3) spreading the retainer 43 over the support surface 39 so that it is extended substantially to its full size;

(4) collecting the hubs 64 of each panel 49 and 53 so that the hubs 64 are aligned, the rods 66 thereof extend away from the hubs 64 in parallel relationship, and the panels 49 and 53 thereof are gathered;

(5) placing the collected hubs 64, the parallel rods 66 and the gathered panels 49 and 53 on the spread retainer 43 with the rods 66 properly balanced on the top 39, which is permitted by the lateral dimension 47 of the connector 45; and

(6) wrapping the retainer 43 over a portion of the gathered panels 49 and 53 and over portions of the parallel rods 66 to form the tent 42 assembly 29 into the stowed configuration (FIG. 2) .

Method of Deploying the Tent 42

The present invention also includes a method of deploying the tent 42 for defining the work volume 36 in front of the equipment cabinet 30. The cabinet 30 has at least one of the doors 32A, 32B, 32C, 32G or 34 (see FIGs. 1A through 1G) that swings from the closed position (FIG. 1A) to the open position (FIG. 1C) , the open position being at one side of the work volume 36. The tent assembly 29 in the above-described stowed

configuration (FIG. 2) is placed on the top 39 of the cabinet 30 with the hubs 64 of the panels 49 and 53 at the front 35F of the cabinet 30 and the rods 66 and the panels 49 and 53 extending to or beyond the rear e^ge 4OR of the cabinet 30 (Figs. 10A-10D) . The method of deploying the tent 42 from the stowed configuration is generally described as including the following steps:

Step One unwrapping the retainer 43 from the gathered ceiling panels 49 and 53 and from the parallel rods 66;

Step Two securing the retainer 43 to the top 39 of the cabinet 30 (FIG. 16E) , whereupon the tent assembly 29 is in the pre-deployment configuration (FIG. 4) ;

Step Three arranging the rods 66 of the ceiling panel 49 and of the side panels 53L and 53R with the side panel rods (shown as 66S) on either side of the ceiling panel rods (shown as 66C) (FIG. 4) ;

Step Four from a location in front of the cabinet 30, lifting the ceiling panel rods 66 by grasping two selected ones 66A and 66B of the ceiling panel rods 66 (FIG. 7A) and lifting the grasped rods 66A and

66B from the cabinet 30 forwardly and overhead (FIG. 7B) ;

Step Five moving the free ends 65B of the two rods 66A and 66B apart to spread the ceiling panel 49 and the ceiling rods 66 into an open position (FIGs. 7B, 7C and 7D) over the head of the operator 41 (FIG. 7D) , the lifting and moving of the rods 66A and 66B also being effective to lift the side panels 53L and 53R and the side rods 66 and move them forward and transversely off the cabinet 30 into the position shown in FIG. 7C;

Step Six extending the connector 45 into a taut position (FIG. 7C) to limit the forward motion of the ceiling panel 49;

Step Seven rendering the ceiling panel 49 and the ceiling rods 66 self-supporting to maintain the side panels 53L and 53R separated (FIG. 7D) ;

Step Eight rendering each of the side panels 53L and 53R and the side rods 66 self-supporting (FIGs. 7E, 7G and 7H) to vertically support the ceiling panel 49 and define the work volume 36 while the connector 45 prevents further forward motion of the ceiling panel 49 and of the side panels 53L and 53R; and

Step Nine when the work volume 36 must be an environmental volume having controlled temperature, for example, releasing a front door 70 from fasteners 71, unrolling the door 70, and securing the door 70 to each of the side panels 53, as by the zippering step shown in FIG. 7H.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring now to FIG. 8, the tent assembly 29 is shown in plan view with all of the elements of the tent assembly 29 spread out as if on a flat surface. The tent assembly 29 includes the tent 42, the connector 45 and the retainer 43.

Detailed Description of The Tent 42

In FIG. 8 the tent 42 is shown connected to the connector 45 at the rear edge 50 of the ceiling panel 49 along the second seam 63. The ceiling panel 49 and the side panels 53 L and 53 R of the tent 42 of the present invention may be constructed as disclosed in U.S. Patent

No. 4,285,354 issued on August 25, 1981, to T. A. Pelsue Company for a Multipurpose Tent, which patent is incorporated herein by reference. FIGs. 12 through 15 show the hub 64 that cooperates with opposite ends 65A and 65B of the rods 66 that are respectively received in pockets 67 of the hub 64 and pockets 68 of the corners 69 of the tent 42. FIGs. 12 through 15 show the hub 64 as including a hub base 72 having four of the pockets 67 spaced at ninety degree intervals. Each pocket 67 efines part of a sphere and is adapted to receive a generally spherically-shaped end 73 of a rod terminal 74 that is placed over the ends 65A and 65B of each rod 66. The end 73 of each rod terminal 74 conforms to the shape of the hub pocket 67 to permit the end 73 to rotate freely within the volume of a cone. The rod terminals 74 are retained in the pockets 67 by a hub cover plate 75. The cover plate 75 has four slots 76. Each slot 76 limits the rotation of its respective rod terminals 74 to one plane that is perpendicular to the plane of the hub base 72. Edges 77 of the slots 76 are rounded and extend over the ends 73 of the terminal 74 to retain the ends 73 in the pockets 67 while permitting such rotation. A fastener such as a screw 78 holds the cover plate 75 to the hub base 72. The cooperation of the hub base 72 and the cover plate 75 allows the rods 66 in the terminals 74 to assume a radial orientation (FIG. 14) - which corresponds to the deployed configuration of the tent 42) and to assume a parallel orientation (FIG. 15 - which corresponds to the stowed and the pre-deployment configurations of the tent 42) .

Now considering one hub 64 with its four rods 66 assembled with one of the panels, such as the ceiling panel 49 shown in FIG. 7D, each such panel has one of the tent pockets 68 in each corner 69 thereof as shown in FIG. 8. The pockets 68 are provided on the inside surfaces of the panels 49 and 53. The hub 64 and the

rods 66 are thus located on the inside of the panels 49 and 53 (FIG. 7E) , with the cover plate 75 of each hub 64 facing outwardly. In that position, when the hub base 72 is moved inwardly, the rods 66 are free to "collapse" into the parallel position (FIG.15) . Each panel 49 (and 53) is dimensioned so that the distance from one corner 69 (FIG. 8) to the diagonally opposite corner 69 is less than the aggregate length of the two rods 66 and the hub 64 that extend along the same diagonal path. In this manner, when the hub 64 is pushed outwardly as shown in FIG. 7E (out of the tent 42) , which is toward the viewer as shown in FIG. 8, the fabric of the panel 49 will stretch and allow the hub 64 to move, for example, past the horizontal plane of the fabric of the ceiling panel 49 to form the ceiling panel 49 into a relatively flat pyramidal shape (FIG. 7D) . The side panels 53 also assume a flat pyramidal shape in a similar manner. This flat pyramidal-shape represents the deployed configuration of one of the sides 53 and of the ceiling panel 49. The fabric remains stretched and forces the hub 64 toward the outside of the plane defined by the pockets 68 at the corners 69 of the tent 42. In the deployed configuration, the panel is self-supporting in that, for example, a vertical side panel 53 will remain erect and will support the weight of the ceiling panel 49. Also, the deployed ceiling panel 49 will support itself in _γ the sloped position shown in FIG. 7G and will maintain the side panels 53 spread apart. Force applied by the operator 41 is required to overcome this stretching force, thus the deployed panels 49 and 53 tend to stay in the deployed configuration.

As shown in FIG. 16A, the operator 41 may apply the necessary force to move the hubs 64 inwardly. FIG. 16A shows the hubs 64 of the right side panel 53R and of the ceiling panel 49 having been moved inwardly past the plane of the corner pockets 68 into a "collapsed"

position. The operator 41 in FIG. 16A is starting to move the hub 64 of the left side panel 53L to the right to collapse the panel 53L.

To assist in the deployment of the side panels 53L and 53R, a floor strap 80 is connected to the front of each side panel 53L and 53R. The strap 80 extends between and interconnects the side panels 53L and 53R. After deploying the ceiling panel 49, the operator 41 steps on the strap 80 (FIG. 7E) to prevent the bottom of the side panel 53L from moving outwardly as the operator pushes the rods 66 and the hub 64 outwardly to deploy the side panel 63L. In a similar manner, the strap 80 is used to deploy the side panel 53R.

The ceiling panel 49 and the side panels 53L and 53R are joined along the edges thereof. For example, FIG. 9 shows a bound seam 81 joining the ceiling panel 49 to the side panel 53R. The joined side panels 53L and 53R and the ceiling panel 49 combine with the front 35F of the cabinet 30, the ground in front of the cabinet 30 and the door 70 to define the work volume 36.

Windows 82 (FIG. 8) may be provided in the side panels 53L and 53R, and in the front door "'O, for example, to provide ventilation for the work volume 36, and may be provided (not shown) in the skirt 95R of the retainer 43 to permit equipment ventilation air to flow through the cabinet 30.

Referring to FIG. 8, the ceiling panel 49 is shown having a trapezoidal shape. A rear edge 83 of the side panels 53L and 53R is shown shorter than a front edge 84. The rods 66 are dimensioned accordingly to maintain these shapes of the ceiling panel 49 and the side panels 53. In this manner the ceiling panel 49 will slope from an upper location at a front 85 (FIGs. 7E and

8) of the tent to a lower position at a rear 86 of the tent 42, and the side panels 53 extend from the rear edge 83 upwardly at an angle to support the sloped ceiling panel 49. Also, a front opening 87 (FIG. 7G) of the tent 42 will be larger in height 88 and width 89 than the height and width of the cabinet 30. This allows easy access to the work volume 36 upon opening of a flap 90 of the door 70 that is connected to a front edge 91 (FIG. 7H) . The flap 90 is opened by releasing fasteners 92 at sides 93 thereof, which fasteners may be zippers, for example (FIG. 7H) . Strap fasteners, such as that sold under the "Velcro" trademark, may be used to maintain the flap 90 in a rolled-up position adjacent to the front edge 91 of the ceiling panel 49 (FIG. 7G) . Upon closing the flap 90, the work volume 36 is fully defined and the environment thereof may then be controlled.

Detailed Description of Retainer 43 and Connector 45

The retainer 43 and the connector 45 may be fabri- cated from tent fabric. Prototypes of the retainer 43 have been fabricated from fabric having a color, such as orange, to distinguish from the white, for example, fabric from which the connector 45 and the tent 42 are fabricated.

The retainer 43 may be designed for use with the various types of cabinets 30 shown in FIGs. 1A through 7G. A first embodiment of the retainer 43 is shown in FIG. 6 and is referred to as the retainer 43A. The retainer 43A has a rectangular shape that conforms to the shape of the top 39 of the cabinet 30A. The retainer 43A is placed on and extends over the edges 4OF, 4OR, 40SL and 40SR of the cabinet 30A. The retainer 43A has the rear edge 44 that is connected to the front edge 46 of the connector 45. As the tent 42 is deployed, the

tent 42 pulls the connector 45 forward from the position shown in FIG. 6 to the position shown in FIG. 71 wherein the connector 45 extends over the retainer 43. For purposes of describing the tent assembly 29 in layout form, the retainer 43A is shown in FIG. 8 rotated around the fixed support 44 out from under the connector 45 into a fully laid-out position. The bottom of the top 94 (FIG. 6) of the retainer 43A is facing up in FIG. 8 and is open to allow the retainer 43A to be placed over the top 39 of the cabinet 30A.

In FIG. 6, the retainer 43A is shown in the normal upright position in which it is placed over the top 39 of the cabinet 30A, and includes the fabric unit 59. The f brie unit 59 includes the fabric top 94 and four shirts 95 that hang or extend downwardly from the top 94. One of the skirts, referred to as a front skirt 95F, is designed to cover an upper rim 96 located at the edge 4OF of the front 35F of the cabinet 30A as shown in FIGs. 5A and 5B. The front skirt 95F extends along the front 35F of the cabinet 30A and joins a side skirt 95S at a corner 97. The corner 97 is held down by a cross corner rubber strap 98 (FIG. 6) .

The side skirts 95S extend along the upper edges 40SL and 40SR of the respective sides 35L and 35R of the cabinet 30A to the rear 35R of the cabinet 30A where they join a rear skirt 95R. As shown in FIG. 6, each side skirt 95S has a discontinuous or two part lower side hem 99 that extends from the rear 35R upwardly to the front 35F of the cabinet 30A under a rim 96 (FIG. 5B) . The rear parts of the lower side hems 99 also extend to a lower rear hem 100 at the bottom of the rear skirt 95R. A space 101 is provided between the two parts of the side hem 953. A first or front belt 102 is received in the front side hems 99 and is long enough to extend around the front 35F of the cabinet 30A under the

rim 96 and rearwardly past the space 101. A second or rear belt 103 is received in the rear part of the side hem 99 and in the rear hem 100. The rear belt 103 is provided with a buckle 104 at each end. The buckles 104 function with the free ends of the first belt so that the two belts 102 and 103 can be tightened at each side 35SL and 35SR to draw the respective side and rear hems 95S and 95R toward the cabinet 30A to hold the retainer 43A on the top 39 of the cabinet 30A. The belts 102 and 103, and the hems 99 and 100 hold the rear edge 44 of the retainer 43 tightly against the rear upper corner or edge 4OR of the cabinet 30A so that the rear edge 44 functions as the fixed support 44 described above. This enables the first seam 61 to be at a fixed location. As shown in FIG. 6, the side hems 99 slope downwardly so that the rear skirt 95R is wider than the front skirt 95F. This provides additional fabric at the rear 35R of the cabinet to withstand the forward force (see arrow 51A in FIGs. 7C and 7F) from the connector 45 on the fixed support 44 of the retainer 43A as the tent 42 is deployed. As shown in FIG. 5B, at the center of the front of the retainer 43A, a narrow (e.g., one inch wide) strap 105 is connected from the front skirt 95F to the front belt 102 to hold the front 95F of the skirt 95 of the retainer 43A down on the top 39 of the cabinet 30A. In the event the cabinet 30A has a ventilation opening (not shown) at the rear side 35R, then the rear skirt 95R is provided with a window or screen vent 106 shown in dashed lines in FIG. 6.

Retainer 43B

In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, the rear edge 44 of the retainer 43A is held by the front and rear belts 102 and 103 respectively against the rear top edge 40R (FIG. 1A) of the cabinet 30A to form the fixed support, identified by the

reference number 44A, coextensively with the rear top edge 4OR of the cabinet 30A. In another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 71, a retainer 43B has a fixed support 44B that extends transversely across the top 94 of the retainer 43B spaced by a distance (see line 107) from the rear 35R of the cabinet 30A. In each embodiment of the retainer 43A and 43B, the front edge 46 of the connector 45 is sewn to the fixed support 44 to form the first seam 61. The first seam 61 is a hinge- like seam around which the front edge 46 of the connector 45 may pivot.

In the first embodiment of the retainer 43A and the connector 45A(FIG. 6) , the selected length 47A of the connector 45 and the lateral length of the retainer 43 are the same and are equal to the depth 37 of the top 39 of the cabinet 30A. In the second embodiment (FIG. 71) , the selected length 47B of the connector 45B is less than the depth 37 of the top 39 of the cabinet 30. In both cases, the free edge 48 of the connector 45 preferably extends to the front edge 4OF of the cabinet 30 as shown in FIGs. 6 and 71.

Also in both embodiments, and as shown in FIG. 71, the free edge 48 of the connector 45 is connected to the tent skirt 5IB and to the rear edge 50 of the ceiling panel 49. This connection is formed by a bound and sewn seam 108. In the deployed configuration of the tent 42, the seam 108 extends downwardly over the front rim 96 of the cabinet 30A. As shown in FIGs. 71 and 7G, a strap 55 is sewn to the tent skirt 51B and to the side skirts 54 to hold the connector 45 and the retainer 43 against the cabinet 30 when the connector 45 is fully extended to the front 35F. The strap 55 provides a tight seal between the tent 42 and the cabinet 30 so that the work volume 36 will be relatively closed for ease of

de¬

controlling the temperature, for example, in the work volume 36.

Referring to FIGs.lOA through 10D, the length or selected distance 47 of the connector 45 varies in the first and second embodiments of the connector 45A (FIG. 6) and 45B (FIG. 71) according to (1) the length of the rods 66 and (2) the location of the first or fixed seam, which has previously been referred to using the reference number 61. Two of the pockets 68 in the ceiling panel 49 are provided adjacent to the bound and sewn seam 108 that joins the connector 45, the retainer 43 and the skirt 5IB, and a rod 66 is received in each of the pockets 68. FIG. 10D shows this relation¬ ship for the first embodiment when the tent 42 is in the deployed configuration, whereas FIG. 10B shows this relationship for the second embodiment in the deployed configuration. FIG. IOC shows this relationship of the connector 45A, the retainer 43 and the skirt 5IB for the first embodiment when the tent 42 is in the pre-deployed configuration on the top 39 of the cabinet 30A, whereas FIG. 10A shows this relationship for the second embodiment. By comparing FIGs. 10A and 10C, it may be observed that the greater selected length 47G (See arrow 47G in FIG. IOC) of the connector 45A of the first embodiment allows the ends 65B of the rods 66G opposite to the hubs 64 to extend over or cantilever beyond the rear edge 4OR of the top 39 of the cabinet 30 for a greater distance (see line HOC) than the distance (see line 111) permitted by the shorter selected distance 47S (see arrow 47S in FIG. 10B) of the connector 45B of the second embodiment. Since it is desirable to position the bound and sewn seam 108 at the front 35F of the cabinet 30 in the deployed configuration, the maximum length 47 of the connector 45 is the depth 37 (FIG. IB) of the top 39 of the cabinet 30. In the first embodiment (FIGs. 10C and 10D) , a connector 45A with that length 47A

is attached to the retainer 43 at the fixed seam 61A, which is located at the rear edge 4OR of the cabinet 30. This provides the greatest distance HOC of overhang of the rods 66G.

The shorter length 47S of the connector 45B is shown in the second embodiment in FIGs. 10A and 10B for use with shorter rods 66SS. The seam 61B is located forward of the rear edge 4OR of the cabinet 30 so that the bound and sewn seam 108 will extend forward (FIG. 10B) to the front edge 4OF of the cabinet 30. The ends 65B of the rods 66SS that are in the pockets 68 are positioned adjacent to the rear edge 4OR of the cabinet 30 in the pre-deployment configuration, yet the hubs 64 may overhang the front rim 96F by a distance shown by line 111A in FIG. 10A equal to the distance shown by line 111C in FIG. IOC. In this manner, the aggregate weight of (1) the hubs 64 for one of the panels 49 or 53 and (2) the portion of the rods 66 that extend over the front edge 35F of the cabinet 30 is less than that required to tip the tent assembly 29 against the weight of the portions of the rods 66 that are resting on the top 39 of the cabinet 30 and the weight of the portions of the rods 66 that overhang the rear edge 35R of the cabinet 30. This is referred to as having the tent assembly "properly balanced" on the top 39 of the cabinet 30. As a result of having the tent assembly properly balanced, there will be no tendency of the hubs 64 and the rods 66 to tip forwardly and fall off the front 35F of the cabinet 30 when the tent assembly 29 is in the pre-deployment configuration. It may be understood that in both embodiments of the retainer 43 and the connector 45, and as shown in FIG. 10C, the connector 45A may extend rearwardly from the first seam 61A beyond the rear edge 40R of the cabinet 30. In the first embodiment, the connector 45A may extend for the distance HOC equal to the depth 37 of the top 39 of the

cabinet 30 so that the rods 66 may be relatively long and may substantially overhang the rear edge 4OR of the top 39 of the cabinet 30. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the connector 45B extends the shorter distance 111 beyond the rear edge 4OR of the cabinet 30, and is a adapted for use with shorter rods 66S. The shorter rods 66SS that cantilever less (or not at all) over the rear edge 4OR, do not position the hubs 64 at a great distance 111A from the front 40F of the cabinet 30, such that the weight of the hubs 64 and the portions of the rods 66 that extend beyond the front 4OF of the cabinet 30 is insufficient to cause the hubs 64 and the rods 66 to tip and fall off the cabinet 30.

It may be further understood that if one were to attempt to place the tent 42 on the cabinet 30 with the rear edge 50 of the ceiling panel 49 secured directly to the front skirt 95F of the retainer 43, the placing of the tent 42 on the top 39 of the cabinet 30 would require the retainer 43 to be loose enough relative to the top 39 of the cabinet 30 to allow the front skirt 95F to move to the rear 4OR of the top 39 of the cabinet 30 into a position where the retainer 43 could not be secured to the top 39 of the cabinet 30. On the other hand, if the retainer 43 were fastened (by the straps 102 and 103) to the top 39 as described, so that the retainer 43 remains in position on the top 39 of the cabinet 30 as secured to the top 39 by the belts 102 and 103, then the tent 42 (as connected directly to the retainer 43) could not be placed on the cabinet 30. Rather, the tent 42 would have to be held in a sufficiently high position as to locate the rear edge 50 of the ceiling panel 49 at the front edge 35F of the cabinet 30 while the retainer 43 is secured to the top 39 of the cabinet 30. It is believed clear that it would be difficult, if not impossible, for one operator 41 to hold the tent 42 in that position and at the same time fasten the retainer 43 to the cabinet 30

as described above. Therefore, by allowing the tent assembly 29 to be properly balanced on the cabinet 30 in the pre-deployment configuration, the connector 43 of the present invention provides an unexpected ease of allowing the tent 42 to be supported on the cabinet 30 while the retainer 43 is being secured to the top 39 of the cabinet 30, and further temporarily prevents the tent 42 from moving too far forward during the deployment of the tent 42. Thus, the tent assembly 29 of the present invention may be deployed by the one operator 41 in conditions, such as windy conditions, that are relatively adverse.

Retainer 43C

Another embodiment of the retainer 43 is shown in FIGs. 17A and 17B for use with different size cabinets 30. In particular, the cabinets 30 may have different depths 58. To provide one retainer that will fit two common depths 58 of the cabinets 30, the retainer 43C shown in FIGs. 17A and 17B has an intermediate skirt 951 spaced from the rear skirt 95R. The intermediate skirt 951 is the same as the rear skirt 95R, except that it is secured to the fabric top 94 of the retainer 43 at a location 113 to provide a shorter selected length 471, as compared to the length 47A provided by the rear skirt 95R. When the intermediate skirt 951 is used, the rear skirt 95R hangs loose (FIG. 17A) at the rear of the cabinet 30 and the intermediate skirt 951 is held tightly by the belts 102 and 103 to the upper rim 96 of the cabinet 30. When the intermediate skirt 951 is not used, and to allow use of the rear skirt 95R, the intermediate skirt is folded flat against the underside of the retainer 43C (FIG. 17B) and the retainer 43C is used as if the intermediate skirt 951 was not there.

Retainer 43D

Another embodiment of the retainer 43 is shown in FIG. 17C and facilitates the use of the tent assembly 29 with cabinets 30 having different size tops 39. This embodiment provides a releasable fastener 114 between the rear edge 50 of the tent 42 and the sewn and bound seam 108C that joins the skirt 5IB to the connector 45. In this manner, if the operator 41 knows that the cabinets 30 to be serviced have a particular size or shape top 39, and knows the retainer 43 and/or the connector 45 that are attached to the tent 42 are not suitable for use with the next cabinet 30 to be serviced, then a new retainer 43D having the appropriate size and shape top 94 may be attached to the same tent 42 after removing the existing retainer 43 and connector 45 by unfastening the releasable fastener 114. The releasable fastener 114 is shown as a zipper, but other fasteners such as those sold under the trademark "Velcro" may be used, for example.

Retainer 43E

FIG. 18 shows another embodiment of the retainer 43 for use with the cabinet 30E shown in FIG. IE as having both front and rear doors 34. Either embodiment of the retainer 43 shown in FIGs. 10A through 10D may be adapted for use with the cabinet 30E. For purposes of illustration, the embodiment shown in FIG. 18 will be described as adapted for use with the cabinet 30E. The object of this embodiment is to allow the one retainer 43E to be assembled with two tents 42E1 and 42E2 so that the two tents 42E1 and 42E2 may be simultaneously placed on the top 39 of the cabinet 30E. The tents 42E1 and 42E2 are then deployed in succession by the one operator 41. To achieve this object, the retainer 43E is provided with two connectors 45E1 and 45E2, each of which is one half the transverse length 38 of the top 39 of the

cabinet 30E. The connector 45E1 is for the tent 42E1 that is to be deployed adjacent to the front 35F of the tent 42E, and faces in a direction suitable for that deployment. The connector 45E2 is for the tent 42E2 that is to be deployed adjacent to the rear 35R of the cabinet 30E and faces in an opposite direction suitable for that deployment. In particular, a fixed support 44E1 of the retainer 45E is at the rear 35E of the cabinet 30E, such that the connector 45E1 is free to rotate forward (see arrow 51) in the deployment of the tent 42E1 at the front 35F of the cabinet 30E. A fixed support 44E2 of the retainer 43E is located at the front 35F of the cabinet 30E, such that the connector 45E2 is free to rotate rearwardly (see arrow 115) in the deployment of the tent 42E2 at the rear 35R of the cabinet 30E. Even though the connectors 45E1 and 45E2 are only half of the transverse length 38 of the cabinet 30E, they function in the same manner as the full-size (full lateral width) connectors 45 shown in FIG. 6. Thus, for example, the connectors 45E1 and 45E2 are effective to prevent the tents 42E1 and 42E2 from moving too far forward and rearward, respec¬ tively, during deployment of the tents 42E1 and 42E2.

Tent Assembly 29F

FIGs. IF, 1G and 17D show the cabinet 3OF with the central raised top section 39C. The retainer 43 is shown in the form of another embodiment 43F having front and rear skirts 95FF and 95FR respectively. No side skirts nor side hems are provided. Rather, a front hem 122

(FIG. 17D) is provided with the front belt 102 (FIG. IF), and the rear hem 100 (FIG. 17D) is provided with the rear belt 103 (FIG. IF) . The buckle 104 is provided on each side 35SL and 35SR of the central section 39C to tightly hold the retainer 43F to the top 39 of the cabinet 3OF.

The retainer 43F is provided with the same fixed support

44, which in this case extends along a rear edge 123 (FIG. 17D) of the central top section 39C.

The cabinet 3OF shown in FIGs. IF and 1G is usually of the type shown in FIG. IE, and has doors 32G at the front 35F and at the rear 35R. When the cabinet 3OF has such front and rear doors 32G, the retainer 43F is fabricated according to the embodiment 43E shown in FIG. 18 wherein two tents 42E1 and 42E2 are provided with two connectors 45E1 and 45E2, respectively. In FIG. IF, such two connectors are shown by the reference numbers 45F1 and 45F2.

To simplify the description, only one of such connectors is described below. Further, such connector is lengthened laterally as described below to cooperate with the cabinet 3OF. FIG. 17D shows the cabinet 3OF extending to the front (to the left) beyond a front edge 40F of the central section 39C. To position a tent 42F of the tent assembly 49F in front of the cabinet 3OF, a connector 45F is secured to the fixed support 44 in the manner of the connector 45A and the retainer 43A. The connector 45F (FIG. 17D) extends forwardly from the fixed support 44 by a lateral depth 37S of the central top section 39F and by a further lateral dimension so that the total lateral dimension (see line 127 in FIG. 17D) of the connector 45F is sufficient to position a bound and sewn seam 108F at the front 35F of the cabinet 3OF. The bound and sewn seam 108F connects a free edge 48 of the connector 45F to the rear edge 50 of the ceiling panel 49. After deploying the tent 42F in the manner described above with respect to the tent 42A, skirts 51F and 54F of the tent 42F are secured as described above. In particular, the skirt 51F is designed to extend over the connector 45F and the skirts 54F extend along the sides 35SL and 35SR of the cabinet 30F. The skirts 51F and 54F are secured to the cabinet 3OF by a strap 55F that

extends over the skirts 5IF and 54F on each side 35SF of the cabinet 3OF.

Other Features of Tent Assembly 29

As shown in FIG. 5B, the cabinet 30 is provided with vents 112 to aid in circulating air through the cabinet 30. The retainer 43 has an opening 113 adjacent to the front skirt 95F to allow air to flow through the vents 112 of the cabinet 30 and through the screen 106 (FIG. 6) of the rear skirt 95R of the retainer 43.

Industrial Applicability

Method of Stowing Tent Assembly 29

The invention of the present invention also includes a method of stowing the tent assembly 29 so that the tent assembly 29 can easily be arranged from the stowed configuration (FIG. 2) to the pre-deployment configuration on the cabinet 30 (FIG. 4) to the deployed configuration (FIG. 7G) for defining the work volume 36. The tent assembly 29 is stowed into the stowed configuration (FIG.2) by performing the following steps: (1) supporting the tent 42, including the panels

49, 53L and 53R, the hubs 64 and the rods 66 thereof, spaced from the floor at one side of a support surface; (2) extending the connector 45 from the tent 42 to a support surface above the floor; (3) spreading the retainer 43 over the support surface so that it is extended substantially to its full size;

(4) collecting the hubs 64 of each panel 49 and 53 so that the hubs 64 are aligned, the rods 66 thereof extend away from the hubs 64 in parallel relationship (FIG. 15) , and the panels 49 and 53 thereof are gathered;

(5) placing the collected hubs 64, the parallel rods 66 and the gathered panels 49 and 53 on the spread retainer 43 in the properly balanced position, in which the rods 66 may be generally centered on the retainer 43 from side-to-side and from front-to-rear, which is permitted by the lateral dimension 47 of the connector 45; and

(6) wrapping the retainer 43 over a portion of the gathered panels 49 and 53 and over a portion of the parallel rods 66 to form the tent assembly 29 into the stowed configuration (FIG. 4, solid lines) .

In greater detail, in the initial manufacture of the tent assembly 29 a cabinet-like or box-like support having a support surface may be available. For purposes of illustrating the method of stowing, the cabinet 30 shown in FIG. IB or 7G will be used to illustrate such a support and the top 39 of the cabinet 30 will illustrate the support surface. In the manufacture of the tent assembly 29, a worker (not shown) , for example, will hold the tent 42, the panels 49 and 53, the rods 66 and the hubs 64 above the floor (i.e., "up").

To stow the tent assembly 29 from the deployed configuration shown in FIG. 7G, it is understood that upon deployment of the tent 42 adjacent to the cabinet 30, the tent 42 itself supports itself on the floor (or the ground) , such that most of the structure of the tent 42 is spaced from the floor (FIG.16B). Thus, the first step of the method of stowing is either performed at the end of the manufacturing process (by a worker not shown) or by having the tent 42 in the deployed configuration (FIG. 7G) .

As to stowing step (2) , in manufacture, with the tent 42 held in the up position, the connector 45 is extended to the top surface 39 of the cabinet 30. For

stowing from the deployed configuration, in FIG. 7G the connector 45 is shown extending from the tent 42 to the top 39 (see also FIG. 71) .

As to stowing step (3) , in manufacture, with the connector 45 extended to the top 39, the retainer 43 is spread over the top 39 (FIG. 4) to its full size. The tent 42 that has been deployed (FIG. 7G) has the retainer

43 spread over and secured to the top 39 (FIG. 5A) .

Stowing step (4) is performed at both the end of manufacture and after deployment as shown in Figs. 16A and 16B. The hub collecting may start in manufacture the same way as the tent 42 is stowed after deployment if the panels 49, 53L and 53R were deployed in manufacture. If so, this step starts by pulling the hub 64 of the side panel 53R into the tent 42 to collapse the side panel 53R. The hub 64 of the ceiling panel 49 is then pulled into the tent 42 to collapse the ceiling panel 49 (as shown in FIG. 16A) . The operator 41 (or worker) then pulls the hub 64 of the left side panel 53L into the tent 42 as shown in FIG. 16A. If during manufacture the panels were not deployed, then the hub gathering starts as shown in FIG. 16C in which the hubs 64 of each panel 49 and 53 are brought together with the rods 66 parallel (FIG. 15) . As the rods 66 move into parallel relationship, the panels 49 and 53 are gathered and extend near the rods 66 (FIG. 16C) .

As to stowing step (5) , and as shown in FIG. 16C, the collected hubs 64, the parallel rods 66 and the gathered panels 49 and 53 are lifted and placed on the top 94 of the spread retainer 43, which is supported by the top 39 of the cabinet 30. With these items placed on the top 94, the tent assembly 29 is thus returned to the pre-deployment configuration (FIG. 4) . Care is taken to position the tent assembly 29 in a properly balanced

location, as discussed above. This is facilitated by the adequate length 47 of the connector 45.

Stowing step (6) is performed by releasing the retainer 43 from the top 39 (FIG. 4) . If the tent 42 was deployed, this step is performed by loosening the two belts 102 and 103 to allow the skirts 95 of the retainer 43 to be removed from the sides 35 of the cabinet 30. The retainer 43 is then moved into the solid line position shown in FIG. 4, by which it is wrapped over the center portion of the gathered panels 49 and 53 and over the center portion of the parallel rods 66. The tent assembly is thus in the stowed configuration (FIG. 4) and may be placed in a carry bag 116 (FIG. 2) .

Method of Deployment of Tent 42

The method of deploying the tent assembly 29 results in the tent 42 defining the work volume 36 in front of the equipment cabinet 30. The cabinet 30 has at least one of the doors 32A, 32B, 32C, 32G or 34 (see FIGs. 1A through 1G) that swings from the closed position (FIG. 1A) to the open position (FIG. 1C) , the open position being at one side of the work volume 36. The tent assembly 29 in the above-described stowed configuration (FIG. 2) is placed on the top 39 of the cabinet 30 with the hubs 64 of the panels 49 and 53 at the front of the cabinet 30 and the rods 66 and the panels 49 and 53 extending to and beyond the rear edge 4OR of the cabinet 30 (FIG. 10C) or to the rear edge 40R (FIG. 10A) . The tent assembly 29 is properly balanced at this time. The method of deploying the tent 42 from the stowed configuration (FIG. 2) includes the following steps:

Step One: Unwrapping the retainer 43 from the gathered ceiling panels 49 and 53 and from the parallel rods 66. The unwrapping step is performed as shown in

FIG. 4, from the solid line position of the retainer 43 to the dashed line position.

Step Two: Securing the retainer 43 to the top 39 of the cabinet 30, whereupon the tent assembly 29 is in the pre-deployment configuration. Such securing is accomplished by tightening the belts 102 and 103 using the buckles 104 (FIG. 5A) , making sure that the skirts 95 of the retainer 43 extend over the upper edges 40 of the cabinet 30. This securing step tightens the center strap 105 to retain the front skirt 95F over the rim 96, and urges the fixed support 44 against the rear edge 4OR of the cabinet 30.

Step Three: Arranging the rods 66 of the ceiling panel 49 and of the side panels 53L and 53R with the side panel rods 66S on either side of the ceiling panel rods 66C (FIG. 4) . If the hubs 64 are not in this arrangement upon unwrapping the retainer 43 (Step 1) , then the hubs 64 are moved to that arrangement. To identify the ceiling hub 64, it may be color coded. Step Four: As shown in FIGs. 7A and 7B, from a location in front of the cabinet 30, the ceiling panel rods 66 are lifted by grasping the two selected ones 66A and 66B of the ceiling panel rods 66 and lifting the grasoed rods 66A and 66B from the cabinet 30 forwardly and overhead. The rods 66A and 66B may also be color coded for ease of identification. FIG. 7B shows the lifting of the rods 66A and 66B and the movement thereof off the top 94 of the retainer 43. (FIG. 7C shows move¬ ment of these elements over the head) of the operator 41. Step Five: The free ends 65B of the two rods 66A and 66B are moved apart to spread the ceiling panel 49 and the ceiling rods 66 into an open position over the head of the operator 41 (FIG. 7D) . The lifting and moving of the rods 66A and 66B is also effective to lift the side panels 53L and 53R and the side rods 66 and move them forward and transversely off the cabinet 30. FIG. 7C shows the spreading of the free ends 65B of the

two rods 66A and 66B, which results in movement of the rods 66A and 66B from the position shown in FIG. 15 to that shown in FIG. 14. As the rods 66A and 66B so move, the rods 66A and 66B spread the ceiling panel 49 and cause the side panels 35L and 35R to fall over the side edges 52 of the ceiling panel 49 into the loose vertical position shown in FIG. 7D.

Step Six: FIG. 7C shows the extending of the connector 45 into a taut position to limit the forward motion of the ceiling panel 49. The connector 45 becomes taut as the tent 42 is pulled off the top 39 of the cabinet 30 and off the top 94 of the retainer 43. This limits the forward motion of the tent 42 even though it has not been tightly secured to the top 39 or to the sides 35 of the cabinet 30. The tent assembly 29 has been deployed in windy conditions. The connector 45 is effective to hold the rear edge 50 of the ceiling panel 49 to the cabinet 30, yet allows the tent 42 to move in varying wind conditions. Step Seven: The rendering of the ceiling panel 49 and the ceiling rods 66 self-supporting to maintain the side panels 53L and 53R separated is shown in FIGs. 7D and 7E. To render the ceiling panel 49 self-supporting, the operator 41 holds the ceiling hub 45 and pushes upwardly against the weight of the side panels 53L and 53R and of the associated rods 66. The operator 41 then holds a rod 66 of the ceiling panel 49 in the right hand and pushes the hub 64 of the side panel 53L outwardly while stepping on the floor strap 80 to deploy the side panel 53L in the manner described above. The operator 41 then moves to the right side of the tent 42 and while stepping on the floor strap 80 pushes the hub 64 of the side panel 53R outwardly to deploy the side panel 53R. As described above, the action of deploying each of the ceiling panel 49 and the side panels 53L and 53R renders such panels self-supporting.

Step Eight: Rendering each of the side panels 53L and 53R and the side rods self-supporting is shown in FIG. 7E. The panels 53L and 53R are deployed and vertically support the ceiling panel 49 to define the work volume 36 while the connector 45 prevents further forward motion 51 of the ceiling panel 49 and of the side panels 53L and 53R. FIG. 7E illustrates the operator 41 holding a rod 66 with the left hand and pushing the rods 66 and the hub 64 outwardly to deploy the left side panel 53L as described above. This renders the side panel 53L self-supporting, and is repeated for the right side panel 53R. FIG. 7F shows the operation of the connector 45 in preventing further forward motion 51 of the tent 42.

After the panels 49 and 53 are deployed, the tent 42 is tightly secured to the sides and top of the cabinet 30. This is done by means of the strap 55 that is secured to the skirts 51B, 54L and 54R and the clip 56. The strap 55 is tightened by drawing on the adjustable buckle after the clip 56 is placed under a ledge or offset lip 119 of the cabinet 30. The clip 56 is shown in FIG. 11 having a generally L-shaped configuration with a lip 120 for engaging the lip 57 of the cabinet 30 (FIGs. 1A and 11) .

Step Nine: When the work volume 36 must be an environmental volume having controlled temperature, for example, the front door 70 is released from the fasteners 71, unrolled, and secured to each of the side panels 53, as by the zippering step shown in FIG. 7H. In this manner, the tent 42, with the ground in front of the cabinet 30 and the front 35F of the cabinet 30, defines the enclosure or work volume 36 within which the operator 41 may work while servicing the equipment 31. In the event of windy weather, the operator 41 may place elongated weights 126 on the bases of the side panels 53S and the door flap 90. The operator 41 then controls the environment within the tent 42, as by supplying warmed air through an inlet 125. To start the servicing, the

operator opens the doors, such as the doors 32A in FIG. 1A. Due to the trapezoidal shape of the ceiling panel 49, the deployed side panels 53S are positioned at an angle 121 (such as 135°) with respect to the front 35F of the cabinet 30 (FIG. 8) . This allows the operator 41 to open the doors 32A as wide as possible to expose the equipment 31 for servicing.

The above described stowing and deploying processes may be performed with each embodiment of the retainer 43 and of the connector 45 since each functions to permit or assist in the stowing according to steps (1) through (6) and the deployment according to steps one through nine. In addition, the deployment may include use of additional straps 117F and 117R that are routed horizontally around the front and the back of cabinet 3OB below the doors 32B (FIG. IB) . Buckles 117B are used to secure the straps 117F and 117R. The buckles 117B are released when the tent assembly 29 is stowed. To assemble the straps 117F and 117R to the tent assembly 29, the skirts 54 are sewn to the front strap 117F near the front corners of the cabinet 30 (at locations 117C in FIG. IB) . A snap connector 118 (such as a Fastex Company clip, Model No. 67SRZ) attached to the strap 117F is used to connect with a mating portion of the connector 118. The mating portion of the connector 118 is secured to the strap 55 (FIG. 7G) . In this manner, the strap 55 and the straps 117F and 117R hold the skirts 51 and 54 securely against the sides 35L and 35R of the cabinet 30B (FIG. IB, for example) . In the case of the cabinet 30E shown in FIG. 18, or the cabinet 3OF shown in FIG. IF as having respective rear and front doors 34 and 32G, one of the tents 42E1 or 42E2 is deployed first, and then the other tent is deployed.

While the preferred embodiments have been described in order to illustrate the fundamental relationships of

the present invention, it should be understood that numerous variations and modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the teachings and concepts of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be clearly understood that the form of the present invention described above and shown in the accompanying drawings is illustrative only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to less than that described in the following claims.