TECHN ICAL FI ELD OF TH E I NVENTION AND BACKGROUN D ART

The present invention relates to a tent frame for carrying a tent cloth comprising

• at least five rods each configured to have one end rest- ing on a ground , to extend from that end diverg ingly towards a top of a said tent and to carry a tent cloth bearing outside thereon , and

• an arrangement configured to interconnect said rods so as to hold them in a determined mutual position ,

as well as a tent provided with such a tent frame.

Such a tent frame may be used for various types of tents, but the present invention is especially directed to such tent frames for tents having a substantially conical shape or at least the lower part thereof with the shape a lower part of cone, such as huts and tepees. Thus, "extend from that end divergingly" does not mean that said rods has to meet at the top of such a tent frame, but the upper ends of the rods may have a considerable mutual distance to each other, and the top of the tent may for instance be flat or make a considerable angle with respect to the extension of said rods.

The invention relates in particular but not exclusively to tent frames for the larger so-called "giant tent huts", which may have a top height and base diameter rather often in the region of 7 and 10 meters, respectively.

A tent frame of the type defined in the introduction is known through for example EP 0 579 663 D 1 . Although the tent frame disclosed in that publication is stable there is a desire to improve the stability of tent frames of this type for enabling a tent provided with such a tent frame to withstand strains from extremely strong winds, such as wind velocities of 28 meters/second or even higher. SUM MARY OF THE I NVENTI ON

The object of the present invention is to provide a tent frame of the type defined in the introduction being improved with respect to such tent frames already known with respect to the ability to making tent equipped thereby able to withstand strong winds.

This object is according to the invention obtained by providing such a tent frame with a said arrangement comprising non- stretch ing elements interconnecting every second said rod in the circumferential direction of said frame as seen from above so that each said rod will be internally passed by a said element interconnecting two adjacent rods on both sides thereof.

This feature of said arrangement combined with the feature that the arrangement is configured to interconnect said rods so as to hold them in determined mutual positions resu lts in a tent frame being a very stable unit. When wind and snow apply strains on a rod of the tent frame this strain will be distributed to all other said rods, since the "star" formed by said non-stretching ele- ments as seen from above results in a behaviour of these elements similar to an ordinary bicycle wheel with spokes overlapping each other as said elements and cooperating for preventing the rim from changing shape. Such a construction will be extremely strong and make it possible to obtain tents well able to withstand extremely high wind velocities, such as 28 meters/second .

According to an embod iment of the invention said arrangement comprises rig id members each interconnecting two of said rods and configured to keep said rods at a fixed mutual distance. The presence of such rigid members in combination with said non- stretching elements results in a tent frame being a very stable unit.

According to another embodiment of the invention each said rig- id member extends between and interconnects adjacent said rods. Said non-stretching elements may then be flexible, since they do only have to withstand tension forces applied thereon when loads are applied on a rod forming an apex of a triangle having two sides formed by a said rigid member and the third side by a said element. Said non-stretch ing elements may then be formed by a wire, such as a steel wire.

According to another embodiment of the invention said non- stretching elements are rigid and forms said rigid members. This means that a stable construction may be formed without having any rigid member extending between and interconnecting adjacent said rods, but it is sufficient to have said non-stretching elements as said rigid members. According to another embod iment of the invention said rig id members are provided with a first engaging member at each end and the rods have second engaging members arranged to enter into engagement with a first engaging members arranged on the corresponding rig id members when interconnecting rods by means of the rigid members, and each rigid member is releasa- ble from and removable with respect to the rods by bringing the first and second engaging members out of their mutual engagement. This type of connecting said members to said rods is advantageous, since it means that the tent frame may easily be assembled to form a predetermined shape when pitching the tent and disassembled in a rational way when disassembling a tent.

Accord ing to another embodiment of the invention the tent frame comprises said elements interconnecting every second of said rods at at least one distance being the same or substantially the same to said one end of the those rods. It is preferred to have said non-stretching elements extending on at least one substantially the same height once a tent provided with such a tent frame is pitched . However, if the tent is rather high , such as for example 20 meters, it may be preferred to have such elements forming "stars" as seen from above at different levels, such as for instance a "star" at the heights of 3, 7, 1 1 and 15 meters. The same apply to said rigid members, which may be different or the same as said elements, and each of them does according to another embod iment of the invention connect to a said rod at at least one distance being the same or substantially the same to said one end of that rod .

According to another embodiment of the invention said ar- rangement is configured to be located at a height of 1 .5-40 meters, 1 .8-40 meters, 1 .8-30 meters or 1 .8-10 meters above a said ground onto which the tent frame is intended to rest. These are suitable heights for a said arrangement for obtaining the stability aimed at and allowing comfortable pitching , disassem- bling and use of a tent having such a tent frame. According to another embodiment of the invention the tent frame has at least 5, 5- 15 or 7- 12, such as 5, 6, 8 or 9, said rods. These are suitable numbers of rods for tents to which the present invention applies.

According to another embod iment of the invention the frame is configured to define at least a lower part, such as at least a 1 /3, of a cone by said rods, and according to a further development of this embodiment the frame is configured to substantially de- fine a cone or define a cone and form a frame of a substantially cone-shaped tent of a cone-shaped tent by said rods. The present invention is especially applicable to tent frames for these types of tents. According to another embod iment of the invention the frame is configured to define a diameter of 4-50 meters, 7-20 meters or 8-1 5 meters on the ground by said one ends of said rods. A tent frame according to the invention is particularly well suited for such larger tents. The invention also relates to a tent having a tent frame according to the present invention .

Further advantages as well as advantageous features of the invention will appear from the following description .

BRI EF DESCRI PTION OF THE DRAWI NGS

With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a specific description of embodiments of the invention cited as exam- pies.

In the drawings:

Fig 1 is a simplified view obliquely from above of a tent frame according to a first embodiment of the invention showing a part of a tent cloth carried thereby

Fig 2 is a schematic view from above of a tent frame shown in Fig 1 ,

Fig 3 is a view corresponding to Fig 2 of a tent frame

cording to a second embod iment of the invention ,

Fig 4 is a view corresponding to Fig 2 of a tent frame

cording to a third embodiment of the invention ,

Fig 5 is a view corresponding to Fig 1 of a tent frame according to a fourth embodiment of the invention , and Fig 6 is a view corresponding to Fig 2 of a tent frame

cording to a fifth embodiment of the invention . DETAI LED DESCRI PTI ON OF EMBODI M ENTS OF THE I NVENTION A tent frame according to a first embodiment of the invention is schematically shown in Fig 1 and 2 and comprises nine rods 2 each configured to have one end 3 resting on a ground , to extend from that end diverg ingly towards a top 4 thereof and to carry a tent cloth 5 bearing outside thereon . The rods 2 extend to form a frame of a substantially cone-shaped tent, such as a tepee.

The tent frame has an arrangement 6 located at a height at for example 2 meters above a said ground onto which the tent frame is intended to rest and configured to interconnect the rods 2 so as to hold them in a determined mutual position . This arrangement comprises rig id members 7, which each extends between and interconnects adjacent said rods 2. The arrangement also comprises non-stretching elements in the form of flexible wires 8 interconnecting every second said rod 2 in the circumferential direction of the frame as seen from above so that each said rod will be internally passed by a said element interconnecting the two adjacent rods on both sides thereof. Thus, th is resu lts in a "star"-like appearance of the design formed by said elements as seen from above as in Fig 2 with a point 9 of said star connecting to each rod 2. The elements may be connected to the rods in any suitable way, such as being wound around each rod or introduced through fastening means, such as rings 60 as shown in Fig 1 , secured to each rod .

It is schematically indicated how the rigid members 7 are provided with a first engag ing member 10 at each end and the rods have second engaging members 1 1 arranged to enter into engagement with a first engag ing member arranged on the corre- sponding rigid member when interconnecting rods by means of the rigid members. Each rigid member is releasable from and removable with respect to the rods by bringing the first and second engaging members out of their mutual engagement.

The rods are at the top 4 connected to a top disc 12 or the like.

The function of the arrangement 6 will be as follows. Would a strong force be applied to a rod as illustrated by the arrow F in Fig 2 by a strong wind and/or snow hitting the tent cloth carried thereby, the two rig id members 7' , 7" connecting this rod to ad- jacent rods will ensure that the distance between the rod 2 and these rods 2' , 2" may not be changed , so that the force F will try to increase the ang le a of the apex formed by the two rigid members 7' and 7" . However, the non-stretching element 8 interconnecting the two rods adjacent to the rod 2 will prevent any movement of the rod 2 and keep the tent frame very stable.

It is shown in Fig 3 how the non-stretching elements 18 are formed by rigid members, which means that the stabilising function of said arrangement may be obtained without any rig id members interconnecting adjacent rods as in the embodiments shown in Fig 1 and 2.

Fig 4 illustrates schematically a tent frame according to an embod iment of the invention having only five said rods 32 provided with rigid members 37 interconnecting adjacent rods and flexible non-stretching elements 38 interconnecting every second said rod . This results in the same type of stabilising function of said arrangement formed by the rigid members and the non- stretching elements as for the embod iment shown in Fig 1 and 2.

Fig 5 illustrates a tent frame defining a lower part of a cone by the rods 42 thereof, so that it forms a part of a tent with a shape different from the cone by having another top, such as a su b- stantially flat top. The rigid members 47 and the non-stretch ing elements 48 are arranged as in the embodiment shown in Fig 1 . Finally, Fig 6 illustrates how a tent frame according to an embod iment of the invention may have the rods 52 thereof arranged at different distances to adjacent rods, which means that said arrangement has rigid members 57 of different lengths and also non-stretching elements 58 of different lengths.

The invention is of course not in any way restricted to the embod iments described above, but many possibilities to modifica- tions thereof would be apparent to a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The word "interconnect" as used in claim 1 in the expression "ar- rangement configured to interconnect said rods" is to be interpreted broadly and also comprises an indirect interconnection of said rods, such as by rigid members diverging out from a centre piece to each rod then being interconnected by means of such members secured to the same centre piece.

Each rod may be formed by a plurality of rod pieces connecting to each other for forming a long rod . These pieces are then preferably, but not necessarily, of aluminium . It is then possible to have one said "star" of non-stretching elements connected to each said rod piece for having stabilising "stars" at different levels of the tent. The "stars" are located at heights being correct with respect to the most sensitive spots of the tent frame.