Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a collapsible shelter, particularly for temporary use on roadsides.

Background to the Invention

On major roads, there are a large number of breakdowns and road traffic accidents. When such an event occurs, general advice is to vacate the vehicle and move away; however, often there is no shelter and it can be cold and wet adjacent the carriageway, thereby potentially putting the vehicle occupants at risk of a climatic injury due to the adverse weather conditions.

"pop-up" tents could be kept in the back of a car to be deployed in such a situation, however, such tents present a risk in that in windy conditions they may blow into the road and cause a secondary problem or accident. Summary of the Invention

Accordingly _* the present invention is directed to a collapsible shelter comprising:

a weather resistant upper section comprising at least one window section and one door section, with the upper section having at least one receiving section aperture to accommodate a collapsible support strut;

a floor section comprising a water-resistant base; and

at least one collapsible support strut;

wherein the at least one support strut is shaped to be received within the at least one receiving section and wherein the shelter comprises a length-adjustable anchor extending from the shelter.

The use of an anchor, or tether, allows the device to be attached to a tree, roadside barrier or other fixed object prior to erection in order to reduce the risk of it blowing into the carriageway. The provision of a window, or plurality of windows, in the upper section of the shelter allows an occupant to see when assistance arrives. The window can be positioned in a side of the upper section that is intended to face the on-coming traffic. A layer of insulation in addition to the water-resistant base may retain heat within the shelter. The aperture for receiving the at least one collapsible strut may be in the form of one or more loops or tubular sections through which the strut can pass,

The anchor may be length-adjustable by looping back and connecting to itself or by being provided with a mechanism to shorten and/or lengthen it. Preferably, the end of the anchor is provided with a first part of a connection mechanism and a second part of the connection mechanism is provided at a position along the anchor such that the first and second parts of the connection mechanism can be connected so that the anchor attaches to itself and creates a loop. Allowing the anchor section to loop back on itself and form a loop allows for a user to pass the end of the anchor through or around a fixed object before creating the loop with which to anchor the shelter. In a preferred arrangement, the anchor is longer than a meter in length, which allows sufficient length for the shelter to be positioned back from the road in a safe location. The connection mechanism may comprise a clip gate connection at the end of the anchor and a loop or plurality of loops located along the length of the anchor. Alternatively, the connection mechanism may be selected from a group comprising: hook-and-eye fastener; poppers; button and hole; clips, for example, a resiliency biased latch clip, such as a resiliency biased latch clip, such as Fastex®-style clips; buckles; and hook and aperture. The second part of the connection mechanism may be provided in plurality to allow the size of the anchor loop to be adjusted depending upon the requirements.

Advantageously, the at least receiving section is internal to the upper section. Having the receiving section, which may be in the form of an aperture or sleeve, internal to the upper section allows the weather resistant upper section to provide an element of protection to the strut. Additionally, any adjustments to the strut can be undertaken without leaving the shelter. It is envisaged that it might be desirable for the strut to locate externally on the upper section in some situations and in such an arrangement, the strut may be provided in an elongate aperture, such as a guide-tunnel or sleeve, to accommodate and retain it therein.

In one construction, the at least one collapsible support strut is inflatable. By providing an inflatable strut, the shelter can be quickly erected, particularly where compressed gas is employed to inflate the strut. Furthermore, it can be readily collapsed for storage, in which state it is relatively compact, There may be more than one inflation valve per strut to allow inflation from different positions,

In an alternative construction, the at least one collapsible support strut is a flexible elongate member that can be either twisted or folded to reduce its length. Using a flexible, resilient elongate member for the strut, which could be in the form of a loop or figure-of-eight, the shelter can 'pop-up' by releasing the stmt from a stowed position. Due to the resilient nature of the strut, it springs to its erect shape once released from a stowed position. The strut may be permanently held within the upper section or it may be removeable therefrom. Where it is retained therein, the stmt may be readily folded, twisted or collapsed to allow the shelter to be reduced in size sufficiently to be stored compactly and conveniently. In a preferred arrangement, the anchor is connected along at least part of the periphery of the shelter and, more preferably, the anchor is connected about the whole periphery of the shelter. It is particularly advantageous that the anchor is attached below the lower third or quarter of the device to retain a low position with which to attach the shelter to an object. Preferably, the anchor is connected at, or adjacent the floor section at, or just above ground level. It is particularly useful that the anchor is connected directly to the material of the shelter. Where the anchor connects to at least part of the periphery, it provides a more secure connection and so is less likely to become detached. Additionally, it provides strength to the periphery of the shelter, which may be particularly advantageous in windy conditions. The anchor and the region of the shelter to which it attaches are, preferably, flexible. As the shelter is intended to be used on the ground, this allows for the shelter to be used on uneven surfaces and to allow for movement of the shelter when in use.

The tether, or anchor, may comprise a tensioning device to allow it to be tightened when attached to an object.

It is advantageous that the anchor is connected to the floor section. Attaching the anchor to the floor section assists with retaining the shelter in an upright position and makes erecting the shelter easier.

In one arrangement, the floor section is integral with the upper section. Having the upper section and the floor section integral with one another reduces the risk of rain penetrating through the shelter. Additionally, the anchor may be integral with the shelter, particularly to the floor section, and may be fixedly connected thereto. Whilst it could be releasable from the shelter, it is advantageous that it cannot be released therefrom.

Preferably, at least one light is connected to the shelter and that light may be detachable unreleasably connected to the shelter. A build-in light source can be used to attract attention, particularly at night. With the light being permanently attached to the shelter, there is a reduced risk of it be removed and not returned to the device. The light may comprise light emitting diodes and it may be provided with batteries, or more preferably, provided with mechanical charging means, for example a flywheel or a crank.

Advantageously, a bag or container is provided on the anchor, the bag comprising at least one aperture through which the anchor passes so that the bag may slide along the anchor and wherein the bag is sized to receive the shelter in a collapsed state, The bag or contain, which may be a soft, or collapsible, container or may be a hard, substantially rigid container, stores the shelter until it is ready to be deployed, at which time the anchor, which protrudes from the bag, can be attached to a fixed object, prior to the shelter being removed from the bag. This allows for the shelter to be readily retained within a convenient storage system, whilst retaining the anchor in a free state to allow it to be set. Once the shelter is erect, the bag may be used to cover the connection mechanism of the anchor, or it can be left at a position along the length of the anchor. When the shelter is no longer required, the bag can slide over the shelter to allow it to be stowed.

The bag may comprise at least one compression strap. The compression strap can be used to ensure that the shelter is stored in a compact state prior to being deployed and, when the shelter is repacked in the bag, it can be used to reduce its size for convenient storage.

The invention extends to a method of erecting a shelter, comprising the steps of

providing a shelter as described herein;

attaching the anchor to a fixed, substantially immovable object; and erecting the shelter.

By attaching the anchor to a fixed objection prior to erecting the shelter, the shelter is less likely to be blown away when being erected, thus reducing the risk of it causing an accident. The anchor is not intended to be fixed by way of a peg, it is intended to be connected to a substantially immovable object, such as a barrier, fence, tree or other fixed object, thereby preventing the shelter from being blown away. Preferably, the shelter comprises a bag or container having at least one aperture through which the anchor passes so that the bag may slide along the anchor shelter, and the shelter is retained within the bag with the anchor protruding until the anchor is attached to a fixed object before erecting the shelter. With the anchor passing through a first aperture in the bag, the anchor can be set prior to the shelter being removed from the bag and erected, thereby reducing the risk of it being blow away. Once the anchor is fixed, the shelter is removed from the bag and the struts are erected. The struts may be stored in situ so that when the shelter is to be erected, the struts do not need fitting into place and the shelter can be erected rapidly. Once erected, pegs can be used to further secure the shelter in position. The pegs are stored in an external pocket of the carry bag.

Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a drawing showing a front view of a shelter in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of the shelter of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of a shelter according to a second embodiment;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a third embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a side view of the embodiment of Figure 4;

Figure 6 shows a further shelter in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 7 shows another shelter in accordance with the present invention,

Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments

Figures 1 and 2 show a shelter 10 comprising an upper section 12 and a floor section 14. The upper section 12 is constructed from weather resistant material in order to protect the internal space of the shelter 10 from wind and precipitation. The floor section 14 comprises a water resistant base layer 14a with a layer of insulation material (not shown) on the internal surface. The insulation material insulates occupants from the ground below to reduce the conduction of cold through the floor section 14. An anchor, or tether, 16, in the form of an elongate length of material, extends from the lower part of the shelter, and in the embodiment shown, from the floor section 14, The anchor 16 is fixedly attached at its first end to the shelter 10 and the other end is provided with a first part 18 of a connection mechanism in the form of a clip-gate hook. Along the length of the anchor 16 are a plurality of spaced-apart loops 20. The gate of the clip-gate hook 18 is sized to be received within the aperture of the loops 20.

A bag 22 is positioned along the anchor 16, wherein the bag comprises an opening 24 and an aperture 26. The anchor 16 passes through both the opening 24 and the aperture 26 such that it is threaded onto the anchor 16 with the opening 24 facing the shelter 10 and the aperture 26 facing the clip-gate hook 18. As a result, the bag 22 can slide along the length of the anchor 16. Internal of the shelter 10 (and shown in dotted lines on Figures 1 and 2) are two struts 28 and 30 in the form of inflatable poles. These pass through internal loops (not shown) on the inside of the upper section of the shelter 10 to retain the struts 28 and 30 in place. The struts pass from one corner to a diagonally opposite corner with one strut 30 passing under the other strut 28 at the top of the shelter 10.

The upper section 12 of the shelter 10 is provided with a window 32 and a door 34. A light (not shown) is provided on the external surface of the shelter 10 to attract attention. Peg loops 36 are provided on the corners of the floor section through which pegs may be pushed to secure the floor section to the ground.

When in a stowed state, the shelter 10 is packed inside the bag 22 in a collapsed manner, for example, folded into a compact shape. When required, the shelter 10 is removed for its storage location and the anchor 16 is attached to a fixed object. This may be undertaken by passing the clip-gate hook 18 around the object and clipping the hook 18 onto one of the loops 20 along the length of the anchor 16. This creates a loop that engages the fixed object.

Once the anchor 16 is attached to an object, the shelter 10 is removed from the bag 22 and the bag 22 is slid down the anchor 16 towards the hook 18. It may be desirable to turn the bag inside-out and cover the hook 18 and loops 20. Having removed the shelter 10 from the bag 22, the floor section 14 is laid out on the ground and pegs are pushed into the peg loops 36 to fix the shelter 10 to the ground. The inflatable struts 28 and 30 are then inflated using an inflation valve and at least one portable CO ₂ canister. Employing a CO ₂ canister allows the struts 28 and 30 to be rapidly inflated. By inflating the struts 28 and 30, the upper section is moved into position due to the struts 28 and 30 changing from a stowed arrangement to an erect arrangement, thus creating the internal cavity, which may then be occupied by one or more people whilst they wait for assistance.

The shelter 10 may be stored in a case (not shown), and the case may be converted into a seat once the shelter 10 has been removed therefrom.

Figure 3 shows a second arrangement, wherein the anchor 16 is attached to all four corners individually in order to make the shelter 10 more secure and more resistant to windy conditions.

Figures 4 and 5 show a shelter 40 comprising a plurality of hoop struts. The struts comprise a rear hoop 42, which extends diagonally across the shelter from a low position at the front of the shelter to a high position opposite therefrom. A door hoop 44, which is low at an opposing side of the floor position 14 to a high position at the front of the shelter 40. A door is positioned in the upper section 12 of the shelter adjacent the door hoop 44. Two base hoops 46 and 48 are positioned to create a floor section 14 that extends upwardly. When the hoops, or poles, are collapsed, they may be twisted and folded to reduce their footprint.

Figure 6 shows a shelter 60 having an outer shell 62 and a floor section 64 in which is located an external looped flexible strut 66. The looped flexible struct 66 is sufficiently flexible to be twisted and bend to allow the shelter 60 to be collapsed into a compact shape for relatively easy storage. A tethering anchor 68 is provided, that extends from the floor section and passes through a storage bag 70. Peg loops 72 are also provided in the periphery of the floor section 64 to allow the shelter to be anchored to the ground, in addition to the tethering anchor 68. Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of the present invention, wherein a shelter 90 comprises flexible struts (not visible) within an outer shell 92. A tethering anchor (not shown) is provided on the lower surface of the shelter 90. Where a 'foldable' pole is used, it may be in the form of a plurality of hoops connected together to collapse and spring into shape, creating an area within the hoops for occupation by a user. There may be a plurality of anchors to allow the shelter to be anchors to more than one fixed object.

The anchor may be provided with a length adjustment mechanism to allow it to be made longer or shorter according to the location where the shelter is to be deployed.

The shelter may be provided with beams connecting the lower ends of the struts. Again, these may be inflatable or collapsible poles. Where such beams are employed, the keep the floor section of the shelter in an open position and may negate the need for pegs to be applied through the peg loops, although one may use both beams and peg loops in combination. Such beams aid with the shelter being rapidly deployed.

The shelter may be of any shape with rectangular, circular or hexagonal being the preferred shape.

The external surface of the shelter may be provided with reflective and/or luminescent material, including fluorescent material. This is particularly advantageous where a party is looking to locate the shelter in order to provide assistance to the user(s).