Background Of The Invention

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to tents, specifically to an improved tent with supporting poles and mating canvas rings.

Prior Art

Camping or backpacking tents are small, portable shelters that generally include a flexible sheet barrier suspended by several intersecting hoop- shaped poles to form a dome with flat sections (polyhedral shapes). Examples of such tents are shown in U.S. patents 3,863,659 to Gillis

(1975), 4,716,918 to Hayashida et al. (1988), and 4,827,958 to

Cantwell et al. (1989). The poles are bent and extended through rings distributed along the arched sheet barrier or canvas.

A typical tent is stored completely disassembled: the poles are disconnected from the sheet barrier. It is erected by laboriously sliding each of the poles through the rings along a path of rings one ring at a time, much like threading a shower rod through the rings of a shower

curtain. Because the pole or ring paths intersect each other, the poles can be easily threaded through rings on the wrong path. Assembling the tent is thus a confusing and time consuming trial-and-error process. Smooth assembly can only be achieved with enough experience and by remembering the complex pole paths.

My U.S. patent 5,197,504 (1993) shows a tent with poles that each include a retainer or stop member attached to one end for preventing the rings from sliding off. Each pole remains threaded in its rings along the correct pole path, so that the tent can be easily erected by simply sliding the rings along the poles, without having to thread the poles through the rings one at a time. As a result, the speed and ease of erecting the tent are greatly improved. However, this requires the poles and the barrier to be stored together, and therefore transported by a single person.

Objects And Advantages

Accordingly several objects and advantages of the present invention are to provide an improved tent structure, to provide a tent which can be very quickly assembled and erected without requiring a user to remember the pole paths, which have poles separable from the sheet barrier for transportation by more than one person to reduce the load on each person, and also for more compact storage. Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.

Summary Of The Invention

These objects and advantages are achieved with a tent having multiple supporting poles and a flexible sheet barrier having rings distributed along multiple intersecting pole paths. The poles are bent in arches and threaded into the rings to support the tent in an erected condition. The tent is collapsed and disassembled by sliding and locking all the rings along each pole onto a ring holder fitted to an end thereof. The poles are removed from the ring holders - which keep the rings coaxially together -- so that the poles and sheet barrier can be stored and transported separately. The tent can be quickly and easily assembled by sliding the

poles into their respective ring holders, releasing the rings from their holders, and sliding the rings along the poles.

Brief Description Of The Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a tent in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2A is a front perspective exploded view of a support pole, tent rings, and a ring holder of the tent.

Fig. 2B is a front view of the ring holder.

Fig. 3A is a front perspective view of the tent rings fitted onto the ring holder.

Fig. 3B is a front perspective view of the pole fitted into the ring holder and rings.

Fig. 3C is a side sectional view of the tent rings and ring holder.

Drawing Reference Numerals

10. Pole 12. Sheet Barrier

22. Locking Ring 23. D-Ring

24. Ring Holder 25. Bottom Web

26. Tip Member 27. Neck of Tip-Member

28. Finger Grips 29. Leaf Spring Portions

30. Locking Tab 31 . Intermediate Web

32. Tapered Top of Ring Holder 33. Slot on Ring Holder

34. Stop on Ring Holder 35. Rectangular Ring on Ring

Holder

36. Anti-Withdrawal Flaps 37. Grommet On Bottom Web

38. Hole In Anti-Withdrawal Flaps

Description ~ Fig. 1 -- Tent

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the front perspective view in Fig. 1 , a tent includes three flexible poles 10, each of which is inserted through multiple D-shaped rings 23 and one D- shaped locking end ring 22. The rings are attached along three intersecting paths on the surface of a flexible sheet barrier or canvas 12. Each end of each pole 10 is also inserted through a bottom web or strap 25; the webs are distributed along the bottom edge of barrier 12. Each pole 10 also includes a ring holder 24 just above the one end thereof. The normally straight poles 10 are bent in arches to suspend barrier 12 thereunder and to keep it in tension in a polyhedral shape.

Description - Figs. 2A and 2B - Pole, Rings, and Ring Holder

As shown in the exploded view in Fig. 2A, pole 10 includes a button or tip member 26 having a narrow neck 27. Locking ring 22 includes a pair

of finger grips 28 attached to two outwardly bowing leaf-spring portions

29, and a locking tab 30 extending inwardly from the straight side of the

"D." Locking ring 22 is made of a resilient plastic material so that it can

be deformed and lengthened by squeezing finger grips 28. Locking ring

22 and rings 23 are each connected to an intermediate web or strap 31

which is in turn attached to sheet barrier 1 2 (Fig.1 ).

Elongated ring holder 24 has a D-shaped cross section (as shown at its top end) sized for slidably fitting into and aligning locking ring 22 and rings 23. Ring holder 24 has a tapered top end 32, a slot 33 on its flat rear side, a stop member 34 adjacent its lower end, and a rectangular ring

35 extending downwardly from its lower end. Rectangular ring 35

includes a pair of inwardly extending anti-withdrawal flaps 36. Bottom

web 25 includes a grommet 37 disposed thereon.

As shown in the front view of ring holder 24 in Fig. 2B, an elliptical hole

38 is formed by opposite cutouts in flaps 36.

Operation - Figs. 3A To 3C -- Assembly and Disassembly

As shown in the front perspective view in Fig. 3A, the tent is assembled by inserting bottom web 25 through flaps 36 of rectangular ring 35. Hole

38 in flaps 36 allows grommet 37 to pass therethrough. Once web 25 is inserted, flaps 36 will prevent it from being easily withdrawn. Rings 23 are then pushed onto and around ring holder 24 until the lowermost ring engages stop member 34. When locking ring 22 is pushed onto ring holder 24, inwardly protruding locking tab 30 (Fig. 3C) causes the resilient ring to become slightly deformed when it is pushed past tapered top end 32, until locking tab 30 (Fig. 3C) snaps into the top end of slot 33 (Fig. 3C). Locking ring 22 and rings 23 are thus locked onto ring holder 24. This preliminary assembly process can be done at the factory to reduce the users' work.

When the rings are thus locked in ring holder 24, the tent is collapsed and the sheet barrier (not shown) is crumpled. When poles 10 (Fig 3B) are still separated from the sheet barrier, they can be transported separately by two or more people, thereby lightening the load for each person.

As shown in the front perspective view in Fig. 3B, a user can assemble the tent by inserting pole 10 into ring holder 24 until neck 27 of tip member 26 passes through grommet 37. The center of grommet 37 is

slightly offset from the centerline of pole 10, so that grommet 37 will snap into neck portion 27 when tip member 26 passes through the grommet. In prior-art tents, the poles had to be threaded through one ring at a time along the correct pole path -- a process that was time

consuming and fraught with opportunities for error. In the present tent, pole 10 is inserted through all the rings in one quick and simple step when it is inserted through ring holder 24, which already holds all the rings in a coaxial stack. As a result, the user will not have to remember the pole path to assemble the tent, so that assembly will be greatly facilitated.

When locking ring 22 is installed on ring holder 24, its leaf-spring portions 29 (one shown in Fig. 3B) are spaced apart from the side of ring holder 24. The tent can be erected by squeezing finger grips 28 to flatten leaf- spring portions 29, thereby deforming and lengthening locking ring 22 until locking tab 30 (Fig. 3C) disengages from slot 33 (Fig. 3C) of ring holder 24. Pole 10 is then bent into an arch (Fig. 1 ), and locking ring 22 slid along the pole until it reaches its position at the opposite end of the pole. Sliding locking ring 22 into position will automatically deploy all rings 23 into their respective positions, as shown in Fig. 1.

The tent can be easily collapsed and disassembled by sliding locking ring 22 and all rings 23 along pole 10 and onto ring holder 24. As shown in Fig. 3C, when the rings are being pushed downwardly on ring holder 24,

the ring holder will be pushed downwardly with respect to pole 10. I.e., pole 10 will move upwardly with respect to ring holder 24, so that the edge of neck portion 27 on pole 10 will pull grommet 37 upwardly until it engages the angled bottom end of the ring holder 24, thus temporarily locking the ring holder to the pole. When all the rings are locked in place, pole 10 can be slidably removed from ring holder 24 by first pulling bottom web 25 and grommet 37 so that it is perpendicular to pole 10, thus releasing tip member 26 from grommet 37. The pole can now be removed, transported, and stored separately from sheet barrier 12 (Fig. 1 ) if desired.

Summary, Ramifications And Scope

Accordingly the reader will see that I have provided a tent with tent rings axially held along a tube-shaped ring holder, so that a supporting pole can be quickly inserted into all of the rings in a single step when it is inserted into the ring holder. Several poles are provided for fitting into rings attached to a flexible sheet barrier along several paths. The sheet barrier can be erected by bending the poles into arches, and sliding the rings into position along the poles. As a result, the user can quickly assemble and erect the tent without having to remember the pole paths. The tent can be easily and quickly disassembled by sliding the rings along the poles and locking them onto their ring holders. The poles can be slidably removed from the ring holders, so that the poles and the sheet barrier can

be transported separately by two or more people to reduce the load on each person, and also for more compact storage.

Pole Intersection

Although the above descriptions are specific, they should not be considered as limitations on the scope of the invention, but only as examples of the embodiments. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the invention. For example, the rings can be circular, oval, triangular, polyhedra, etc., instead of D-shaped.

The poles can be triangular, square, etc. in section, in lieu of circular. More or fewer poles and rings can be used. Other structures for locking the top ring in the ring holder can be used, such as a pin pushed through a cross-hold above the top ring in the ring holder. More or fewer rings can be used. The rings can be attached directly to the sheet barrier, without using the intermediate webs. Instead of being secured by flaps, the bottom web can be riveted to the ring holder. Instead of a flexible pole, several short sections of rigid poles can be hingably joined together. The materials of all parts can be changed: e.g., the sheet barrier can be made of plastic, nylon, silk, impregnated paper, etc., instead of canvas; the rings and poles can be made of plastic, wood, metal, etc. Therefore, the reader is requested to determine the scope of the invention by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not by the examples given.