CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority of and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/890,920, entitled "TRAPPED AIR RELEASE VALVE FOR TENTS," filed October 15, 2013 (Attorney Docket No. Orgtnt-2-6797), and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/936,992, filed February 7, 2014 (Attorney Docket No. Orgtnt-2-6827) the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present disclosure relates to tents, and more specifically to a trapped air release valve for use with a tent or shelter.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Camping is a popular recreational activity enjoyed by many. Some people camp so that they may enjoy the outdoors, and others use camping as an inexpensive alternative to staying in a hotel. Most campers utilize recreational-use tents, such as backpacking and family camping tents, while camping. In general, recreational-use tents are structures made of light weight, often waterproof, fabrics. Typically, a recreational-use tent is a collapsible shelter of canvas, polyester, or other material stretched over and sustained by a frame, such as one or more poles. [0004] Recreational-use tents come in a variety of shapes, including dome and cabin tents. These models are easy to set up and do not require support from tree limbs or other objects— when the tent is set up, the entirety of the pole structure for the tent is attached to the tent. This feature often permits the erected tent to be lifted by one or more campers, without the tent losing its shape. A rain fly may extend over the pole structure of the tent, and may be attached to the tent or may be staked to the ground. The campers may also stake the tent to the ground. [0005] For many free standing tent structures, long poles are used that are flexible and that are extended between opposite comers of the tent. These poles are bent into arcs so that the ends can be attached to the tent comers or elsewhere along the outside edges of the floor of the tent. The fabric of the tent is attached along the arcs, such as by loops, hooks, or sleeves. The ends of the poles that are attached to the corners of the tent (or alternatively at the edges of the floor of the tent), coupled with the attachment of the walls and the roof of the tent to the central portion of the poles, puts the tent fabric in tension, causing the tent fabric to take structure. After all of the poles are put in place, the tent fabric is tensioned to form the free standing tent structure.

[0006] Because a tent is often a closed structure, one or more doors are generally provided through a tent wall to provide ingress or egress from the tent. A tent generally also includes at least one window, which can provide ventilation and/or a line of sight to the outside world for a person inside the tent. Tent windows and doors generally can be zipped shut or otherwise closed from the inside to keep wind, rain, insects, direct sunlight, or other inconveniences out of the tent. [0007] When disassembling a tent, a camper will usually remove the supports and fold up or roll up the fabric portion of the tent. However, when the poles or other supports are removed, air trapped inside the tent may cause the tent to retain some of its assembled shape, which can create difficulties in folding or rolling up the fabric. Experienced campers often will leave doors and/or windows open when disassembling a tent to allow air to escape. However, this approach may permit rain or other elements to enter the tent the next time the tent is being erected.

Additionally, if a camper does not know or remember to leave the doors and/or windows open, the trapped air can cause frustrating delays from re-erecting the tent to open the doors and windows and/or from waiting and hoping that the trapped air will somehow seep out of the collapsed tent through some non-airtight seam. Trapped air may also cause difficulties in packing the fabric portion into a form small enough to fit within a carrying bag or other container for the tent.

[0008] In addition to recreational-use tents, some campers may use a free standing shelter that provides protection from sun, rain, or insects during leisure periods while the camper is not in the tent. Similar to tents, air may become trapped in fabric portions of a shelter when disassembling a shelter, causing similar problems to those encountered when disassembling a tent. BRIEF SUMMARY

[0009] The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0010] In some embodiments, a tent or shelter is provided including a fabric forming a structure for the tent or shelter. The tent or shelter includes a valve assembly having a port, a flap, and a closing mechanism. The port is disposed through the fabric and configured to allow airflow from an inside of the structure to an outside of the structure. The flap is attached to the fabric. The flap is also overlying the port on an exterior of the structure. The flap is adjustable between an open configuration permitting airflow from the inside of the structure through the port to the outside of the structure, and a closed configuration blocking moisture and/or airflow from entering the interior of the structure through the port. The closing mechanism biases the flap toward the closed position when the structure is being erected or is erected. The closing mechanism also permits the flap to move toward the open position in response to air pressure from air trapped inside the structure when the tent is being disassembled. The flap may also be attached to the fabric along a top of the flap and along lateral sides of the flap, and at least a portion of a bottom of the flap may be open.

[0011] In some embodiments, a method is provided. The method includes providing a tent or shelter having fabric that defines a structure of the tent or shelter when the tent or shelter is set up or erected. The method further includes providing a one-way valve in the fabric for releasing trapped air that is trapped in the tent when disassembling the tent. The method may further include providing a one-way valve in the fabric that is biased towards a closed position when the tent or shelter is erected. The method may further include providing a one-way valve having an opening covered by a flap that is biased toward blocking the opening when an air pressure inside the tent or shelter is less than an air pressure outside the tent or shelter. The method may further include providing a one-way valve having an opening covered by a flap that permits airflow through the opening when an air pressure inside the tent or shelter is greater than an air pressure outside the tent or shelter

[0012] In some embodiments, a tent or shelter is provided including a fabric forming a structure for the tent or shelter. The tent or shelter includes a valve assembly having a port, a flap, and a closing mechanism. The port is disposed through the fabric and permeable to airflow. The flap is attached to the fabric and adjacent the port. The closing mechanism biases the flap toward a closed position in which the flap blocks airflow through the port.

[0013] In some embodiments, the closing mechanism may be configured to permit the flap to move to an open position permitting airflow through the port in response to pressure from air trapped within the structure. The closing mechanism can include a material having a resilience that causes the material to return to an original length after being stretched. The closing mechanism can include an elastic band attached with the flap, such as along a bottom open edge of the flap. The closing mechanism can include one or more weights arranged within a cuff of the flap, such as along a bottom open edge of the flap. The closing mechanism may include an elastic cord arranged within a sheath of the flap, such as along a bottom open edge of the flap. The elastic cord may be an adjustable length and may be coupled with a cord lock configured for adjusting a length of the elastic cord.

[0014] For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: [0016] FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a tent having a trapped air release valve in accordance with some embodiments;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of a trapped air release valve in accordance with some embodiments; [0018] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the valve of FIG. 2 in an open position in accordance with some embodiments;

[0019] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the valve of FIGS. 2-3 in a closed position, in accordance with some embodiments; [0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another example of a trapped air release valve in accordance with some embodiments;

[0021] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of yet another example of a trapped air release valve in accordance with some embodiments; and

[0022] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the valve of FIG. 6 in an open position in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described.

[0024] Embodiments herein are directed to trapped air release valves for a tent or shelter (hereinafter "tent"). A trapped air release valve can exhaust trapped air in a first direction out of the tent and protect against passage of moisture and/or other effects in a second, opposite direction into the tent. The valve can open to allow trapped air to escape a tent when the tent is being disassembled and be biased into a closed position to block passage when the tent has been erected or is being erected. The valve can include an air-permeable port and an impermeable flap. The flap can move between an open position permitting passage through the port and a closed position blocking passage through the port. The flap can be biased into the closed position by a closing mechanism such as an elastic cord or weights. Pressure from air trapped in the tent can cause the flap to move to the open position (e.g., overcoming the biasing force toward the closed position) and permit evacuation of the trapped air out of the tent through the port.

[0025] Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a tent 100 having a trapped air release valve 102 in accordance with some embodiments. The tent 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a simplified model, and some poles, windows, doors, and other specific details for the tent 100 are not shown. However, the general configuration and manufacture of tents is known, and thus a specific configuration is omitted or simplified in order to not obscure the embodiments being described. [0026] The trapped air release valve 102 can function as a one-way valve, allowing air trapped in the tent 100 to be evacuated when the tent 100 is being rolled up or folded. The valve 102 may also providing a seal against moisture or other foreign substances from an opposite direction, such as when the tent 100 is being erected. The valve 102 can be formed in a boundary of the enclosure of the tent 100, such as in a fabric of the tent 100. As examples, the valve may be situated in a side wall 104, a rear wall 106, a front wall of the tent (not shown), or a portion of the floor (such as a portion of a tub wall 108 formed by a part of the tent floor extending up along the tent walls 104, 106, etc.). In some embodiments, the valve 102 can be positioned at least one inch above an uppermost edge of a tub floor 108.

[0027] Although only one valve 102 is shown in FIG. 1, the tent 100 can include one or more valves 102. For example, instead of one valve 102 positioned approximately in a center of a side wall 104 of the tent 100 (as depicted in FIG. 1), the tent 100 may include a valve 102 at a first end of the side wall 104 (such as adjacent to the rear wall 106) and another valve 102 can be positioned at an opposite edge of the side wall 104 (e.g., farthest from the rear wall 106).

Various types of the valve 102 can be used alternatively or in combination in the tent 100. [0028] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of a trapped air release valve 202 in accordance with some embodiments. A valve 202 can include a port 204, a flap 206, and a closing mechanism 208. The port 204 allows airflow through the boundary of the tent, such as a tent 100. The port 204 can include slits, holes, mesh, screens, or any other structure permitting airflow therethrough, which may include an opening in the fabric of the tent 200. [0029] The flap 206 can be formed of any material capable of blocking airflow and/or passage of any other material. As illustrative examples, the flap may include canvas or polyester material. The flap 206 can be positioned adjacent to and/or over the port 204. For example, a portion 210 of the flap 206 is shown cut away in FIG. 2 in order to better illustrate the position of the port 204 behind the flap 206. The flap 206 may cover the port 204.

[0030] The flap 206 can be connected to the tent fabric 200, such as on the outside of the tent. For example, the flap 206 may be stitched along a top 212 and lateral sides 214 of the flap 206, and open along a bottom 215 of the flap 206. The flap 206 can be attached to the tent fabric 200 in a manner that prevents passage of air and/or moisture through the top 212 and sides 214 of the flap 206. Preventing passage through these avenues can prevent passage through the port 204. Although the sides 214 or the flap 206 are shown stitched to the tent fabric 200 along an entire height of the flap 206, other arrangements are possible. For example, the attachment at the sides 214 may extend less than a full height of the flap 206. In an illustrative example, the stitching may extend to a height of the bottom extremity of the port 204 and effectively prevent passage of moisture or other material from the outside of the tent into the port 204 through the sides 214 and top 212 of the flap 206. Furthermore, the flap 206 can be connected to the tent fabric 200 by any suitable connection method or combinations of connection methods including, but not limited to, fusing, melting, mounting, gluing, bonding, hook and loop fasteners, snaps, or sliding rails.

[0031] The closing mechanism 208 biases the flap 206 into a closed position, in which the flap 206 can seal or block the port 204. For example, the closing mechanism 208 may be a band of elastic material attached to the tent fabric 200 and the flap 206, such as along a length of the bottom 215 of the flap 206. The closing mechanism 208 may hold an edge of the flap 206 (such as along the bottom 215) substantially flush against the tent fabric 200 in the absence of air pressure from inside the tent. The closing mechanism 208 can be any other material with a resilience or memory that causes the material to return to an original length after being stretched.

[0032] Although the port 204, the flap 206, and the closing mechanism 208 are all depicted as rectangular in FIG. 2, components of the valve 202 may vary in shape from one another and/or be any shape, including, but not limited to a trapezoid, a triangle, a curved form, or a polygon. Additionally, although the valve 202 is depicted with an open edge along the bottom 215 of the flap 206, the valve 202 additionally or alternatively may have a different edge open. However, having the bottom 215 of the flap 206 as the only open edge can advantageously prevent water moving under the effects of gravity from running down the tent fabric 200 and into the port through the top 212 or sides 214 of the valve flap 206.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the valve 202 of FIG. 2, according to some embodiments. FIG. 3 is taken along the section line A-A in FIG. 2. Trapped air on an inside 228 of the tent fabric 200 may provide a source of pressure when the air is trapped within the tent. For example, as tent poles or other supports are removed, and/or as a person begins folding up the tent fabric 200, the volume inside the tent fabric 200 may decrease, resulting in an increase in pressure. Pressure from an inside 228 of the tent fabric can push air through the port 204, such as through an opening 224 and a permeable layer 220 (such as a mesh or screen) across the opening 224. Airflow passing through the port 204 can push a portion of the flap 206 away from the tent fabric 200, allowing air 226 to escape from an inside 228 of the tent fabric 200 through a space 225 opened by the movement of the flap 206. Movement of the flap 206 can cause the elastic band of the closing mechanism 208 to stretch as a lower end 215 the flap 206 is pulled away from the tent fabric 200. Airflow 226 can pass between the tent fabric 200 and any portion of the flap 206 that is not attached to the tent fabric 200. For example, the airflow 226 may pass through any gaps between the tent fabric 200 and portions 217 (FIG. 2) of the bottom 215 of the flap 206 that are not attached to the tent fabric 200. The airflow may additionally or alternatively pass laterally through any portion of the sides 214 of the flap 206 that are not attached to the tent fabric 200, if present, such as if less than a full height of the sides 214 are attached to the tent fabric 200 (not shown). The airflow 226 through the port 204 and past the flap 206 can evacuate air from an inside 228 of the tent fabric 200, which may reduce an amount of pressure exerted on the flap 206.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the valve 202 of FIGS. 2-3 in a closed position, in accordance with some embodiments. Like FIG. 3, FIG. 4 is taken along the section line A-A in FIG. 2. As described above with respect to FIG. 3, evacuating air from an inside 228 of the tent fabric 200 can reduce an amount of pressure exerted on the flap 206. The reduction in pressure can allow the elastic band of the closing mechanism 208 to retract from a stretched state and pull the bottom 215 of the flap 206 toward the tent fabric 200. Thus, the closing mechanism 208 can bias the flap 206 toward a closed position in response to, or as a result of, the elastic band of the closing mechanism 208 returning to an original length after being stretched. For example, the elastic band of the closing mechanism 208 may bias the flap 206 away from an open position 218 (shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2, and in side view in FIG. 3) and toward a closed position (shown in solid lines 216 in FIG. 2 and in side view in FIG. 4). Such an arrangement may permit a valve 202 to be opened under air pressure from the inside 228 of the tent fabric 200 when the tent is being taken down, yet be biased toward the closed position when the tent is being put up or is already erected.

[0035] In some embodiments, the closing mechanism 208 may hold the flap 206 sufficiently close (e.g., substantially flush) to an exterior 230 of the tent fabric 200 to prevent wind coming along the exterior 230 from catching the flap 206 and pulling it open against the resistance of the closing mechanism 208. For example, the flap 206 may prevent wind from passing through the valve 202 into the inside 228 of the tent fabric 200. In some embodiments, an opening 224 in the tent fabric 200 and/or a permeable layer 220 across the opening 224 faces the flap 206 along a direction perpendicular to the tent fabric 200. Airflow through the opening 224 and/or the permeable layer 220 in the direction perpendicular to the tent fabric 200 can be routed in a direction along the tent fabric 200 by the flap 206.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another example of a trapped air release valve 302 in accordance with some embodiments. The valve 302 can include features similar to the valve 202, such as a port 304 covered by a flap 306 attached to tent fabric 300 on an outside. The valve 302 can have a different closing mechanism 308 than the closing mechanism 208 of the valve 202 of FIG. 2. The closing mechanism 308 includes weights 332. The weights 332 can be attached near a bottom 315 of the flap 306, such as within a cuff 334 formed along a bottom 315 of the flap 306. The weights 332 may bias the bottom 315 of the flap 306 toward a closed position, such as into contact with the tent fabric 300. Such a bias may be overcome by air pressure from trapped air on an inside of the tent fabric 300 pushing against the flap 306. For example, the trapped air can provide a sufficient amount of pressure force to move the weights 332 away from the tent fabric 300, opening a space for airflow to escape from the inside of the tent fabric 300 to the outside of the tent fabric 300. In some aspects, the weights 332 can include magnets aligned with magnets and/or other magnetic material (not shown) coupled with the tent fabric 300 along a bottom 315 of the flap 306 to provide an additional biasing force toward the closed position for the flap 306.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of yet another example of a trapped air release valve 402 according to some embodiments. The valve 402 can include a flap 406 covering a port 404 as in the valves 202 and 302 of FIGS. 2-5. The valve 402 of FIG. 6 can include a different closing mechanism 408. The closing mechanism 408 can include an elastic cord 436. The elastic cord 436 can extend through a sheath 434 at a bottom 415 of the flap 406. The cord 436 can be attached to the tent fabric 400 and/or the flap 406, such as at positions at or near sides 414 of the flap 406. The elastic cord 436 can provide a tension force that resists movement of the sheath 434 away from the tent fabric 400. In this way, the elastic cord 436 can bias the flap 406 toward a closed position.

[0038] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the valve 402 of FIG. 6 in an open position according to some embodiments. When air is trapped inside of the tent fabric 400, the pressure can push air through the port 404 with sufficient force to overcome the biasing force of the elastic cord 436. The air pressure can push against the flap 406 and take up any slack in the flap 406 so that the flap 406 takes an expanded shape (such as may be appreciated by comparing the smoothed sheath 434 in FIG. 7 with the bunched sheath 434 of FIG. 6), providing a larger airflow path for air 440 to pass out along the bottom 415 of the valve 402.

[0039] In some embodiments, the elastic cord 436 can be used to provide a variable biasing force. For example, the elastic cord 436 may be fitted with a cord lock 438. The cord lock 438 can be a toggle or any other structure that can releasably lock onto the elastic cord 436 to change a length of the elastic cord 436 that extends beyond the cord lock 438. Changing the length of the cord 436 that extends beyond the cord lock 438 can change a level of tension in the elastic cord 434 and/or an amount of the cord 436 that is within the sheath 434. Hence, adjusting the cord lock 438 relative to the elastic cord 436 can adjust the biasing force provided by the elastic cord 436 for the valve 402. Although the cord lock 438 is shown external to the sheath 434 in FIGS. 6-7, in some embodiments, the cord lock 438 can be located partially or completely within the sheath 434 and/or can be movable in or out of the sheath 438. Additionally, in some embodiments, the cord lock 438 can adjust the biasing force provided by the elastic cord 436 based on design preference. For example, the cord lock 438 may be adjusted by a manufacturer to provide a desired amount of biasing force before the valve 402 is provided to a customer. The cord lock 438 may be sealed within the sheath 434 (e.g., the sheath 434 may be stitched closed around the elastic cord 436 and/or the cord lock 438, encasing either or both features), which reduce a likelihood of a camper inadvertently adjusting the biasing force provided by the elastic cord 434.

[0040] Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

[0041] The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms "comprising," "having," "including," and "containing" are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to,") unless otherwise noted. The term "connected" is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

[0042] Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

[0043] All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.