Swivel Tent Fitting
A tent frame including at least one pivotal coupling for connecting a plurality of structural members is provided. The tent frame includes a plurality of structural members connected together to form a frame for supporting a fabric shell. The tent frame includes at least one coupling for connecting four of the structural members to one another. The coupling includes a plurality of connector portions adapted to engage corresponding connector portions of the structural members. The coupling permits pivotal movement of at least one of the structural members relative to other structural members connected to that coupling to facilitate assembly and erection of the tent frame.
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This invention generally relates to tent frames and, more particularly, to fittings for tent frames.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA tent uses a fabric shell to define a sheltered useable space. Some tents can be extremely large having gabled peaks greater than 20 feet from the ground. To support the fabric shell, the tent incorporates a tent frame, which can be internal or external to the useable space defined by the fabric shell. The individual structural members forming the frame are configured to support the weight of the fabric shell, the weight of other support structural members and, typically, loading that may be provided by exterior environmental conditions such as snow loads, wind loads, and rain loads.
Because a tent can be very large, the frame is typically able to be assembled and disassembled to facilitate easier transportation. Once at the desired location, the tent may be assembled onsite. The frame typically uses, among other things, a plurality of couplings that rigidly connect adjacent structural members to one another. Unfortunately, the use of standard couplings can be problematic as they can inhibit assembly of the frame. Particularly, rigid couplings prevent pivoting or movement of the structural members relative to one another. As such, connection of vertical structural members requires the roof section of the frame to be lifted off of the ground to a height substantially equal to, if not greater than, the length of the vertical structural members. To lift the roof sections, individuals on ladders or gin poles having pulley systems have been used in the past to lift the structural members. However, requiring assemblers to be on ladders or the use of gin poles present several problems.
First, it may be beneficial, if not required due to location constraints, to have one or more of the walls of the tent positioned very close to a vertical obstruction, such as a vertical wall of another tent or another building. However, by being positioned close to the obstruction, assembly of the frame and tent can be difficult. More particularly, there may be insufficient room to position a ladder or gin pole to lift the roof section while connecting vertical structural members.
Additionally, even when the tent is not being assembled proximate a wall and a gin pole can be used to elevate the roof sections prior to attaching the vertical support members, connecting the end of the vertical support members that connect proximate the peak can be difficult because the connection is being made at significant heights above the ground. This can require large ladders. Alternatively, a person standing on the ground may try to manipulate a long awkward pole having an end 15-20 feet above the ground to try to engage the end with an elevated coupling, a difficult task at best.
There exists, therefore, a need in the art for a tent frame and structural member coupling that permits easier assembly and connection of vertical structural members. There also exists a need for a tent frame that can be more easily assembled in tight quarters proximate to obstructions. The invention provides such a tent frame and coupling. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONEmbodiments of the present invention provide a new and improved tent frame that overcomes the above-described and other problems existing in the art. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide a new and improved tent frame that provides easier and simpler assembly. Still more particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide a new and improved tent frame that provides for assembly or interconnection of structural members forming the roof of the tent frame proximate the ground. Even more particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide a new and improved tent frame that allows vertical support members to be connected to coupled to other support members while extending at an angle and then to be pivoted, while being connected to the other members, to a vertical orientation. Other embodiments of the invention provide couplings that facilitate assembly of such embodiments of new and improved tent frames.
One embodiment of the present invention provides a tent frame that provides a plurality of structural members coupled together by a coupling. Preferably, the coupling includes at least four connector portions for connecting to ends of the structural members. Further, the coupling preferably includes a hinge to permit one of the connector portions to pivot relative to the other connector portions. The hinge and connector portions of the coupling are formed independent of the structural members of the tent.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a coupling for connecting a plurality of tent frame structural members. The coupling includes at least four connector portions adapted to mate with mating portions of structural members of a tent frame. The coupling includes a hinge pivotally connecting one of the connector portions to the other connector portions. Preferably, the connector portions and hinge are formed independent of any structural members, and the tent frame need not be assembled to form any parts of the coupling. In a preferred embodiment, three of the four connectors are formed in an integral body and cannot move relative to one another when the connector is in an assembled state.
Other embodiments of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
While the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONWith reference now to
The sidewall members 22 form the vertical members of the sidewalls 16, 17 of the tent frame 10. By forming part of the sidewalls 16, 17, the sidewall members 22 provide vertical support for the roof sides 18, 19. More particularly, each sidewall member 22 supports and is connected to a corresponding roof member 28, such as at corner coupling 34. When the fabric shell (not shown) is secured to the tent frame 10, the sidewall members 22 also provide lateral support for the fabric shell. The sidewall members 22 may rest directly on the surface of the ground 32, be staked into the ground 32, or rest on structural members (not shown) connecting bottom ends of adjacent sidewall members 22.
The roof members 28 provide support for the portion of the fabric shell that forms roof sides 18, 19. Typically, each roof member 28 extends at an obtuse angle θ (see also
Individual pairs of the roof members 28 forming portions of the opposed roof sides 18, 19 converge proximate a peak 36 of the tent frame 10 and support one end of a peak member 26. The other end of the peak member 26 is supported by another pair of converging roof members 28. A gable coupling 40 connects the pair of converging roof members 28 that form part of a gabled end wall 14, 15 with a peak member 26 as well as a gable member 24.
A gable member 24 extends vertically between the ground 32 and the peak 36 of the tent frame 10 providing vertical support for the peak 36. The gable members 24 is laterally interposed between a pair of sidewall members 22, and corresponding roof members 28. In the illustrated embodiment, gable members 24 are only included at the opposed end walls 14, 15. Individual gable members 24 are interposed between the sidewall members 22 and roof members 28 that form the corners of the tent frame 10 where the end walls 14, 15 intersect sidewalls 16, 17. However, additional embodiments of the tent frame 10 may include gable members interposed between each converging pair of roof members 28.
Adding further stability to the tent frame 10, tie members 30 are interposed between adjacent vertical members. The tie members 40 may extend horizontally between a pair of adjacent sidewall members 22 forming a portion of sidewall 16 or between a gable member 24 and sidewall member 22 forming a portion of an end wall 14, 15. The tie members 30 of the end walls 14, 15 are interposed between corner coupling 34 and the gable member 24.
The improved tent frame 10 provides pivoting connections between adjacent structural members to make assembly and erection of the tent frame 10 simpler and easier. By allowing selective structural members to pivot, connection of the structural members during assembly can be performed closer to the ground as the vertical member may be connected, oriented at an angle relative to vertical, and then pivoted to a vertical orientation. Additionally, the ability of the structural members to pivot allows easier assembly and erection of the frame proximate obstructions such as other tents or buildings, as will be more fully described below.
The gable coupling 40 includes a plurality of connector portions, namely gable member connector portion 44, a peak member connector portion 46 and a pair of roof member connector portions 48, 49. The connector portions 44, 46, 48, 49 are adapted to releasably mate with corresponding connector ends of the respective structural members (see
In the illustrated embodiment, connector portions 46, 48, 49 are rigidly connected to one another to form an integral body. The gable member connector portion 44 is pivotally connected to the integral body by pivot hinge 50. Thus, connector portions 46, 48, 49 have fixed positions relative to one another, while the gable member connector portion 44 can pivot and alter its position relative to the rest of the gable coupling 40 (i.e. connector portions 46, 48, 49 and the structure interconnecting those connector portions 46, 48, 49). When the tent frame 10 is assembled and erect, the pivot hinge 50 and gable member connector portion 44 are generally positioned below the other connector portions 46, 48, 49.
It should be noted that the term “connected” as used in the present application is broad enough such that two “connected” components do not need to be directly in contact with each other but can be indirectly coupled via intervening structure. Further, an integral body, does not need to be formed from a unitary piece, but can be formed by a plurality of pieces connected together such as by welds, bolts, screws, etc. Additionally, when two components are in fixed positions relative to another, this does not mean that the components are permanently fixed, but two components can be in fixed positions relative to one another such as by being bolted together such that they do not move relative to one another when fully assembled.
In the illustrated embodiment, each of the connector portions 44, 46, 48, 49 includes a mating portion, as illustrated, formed by a pair of cylindrical portions 54. The cylindrical portions 54 of a pair extend substantially parallel to each other and are connected to each other via a base portion 56. The cylindrical portions 54 are sized to be received in the connector end of a structural member.
With reference to
Referring to
In the illustrated embodiment, the base portion 56 of peak member connector portion 46 further forms part of the pivot hinge 50. A portion 65 of the base portion 56 of the gable member connector portion 44 forms a clevis in which a portion 67 of the base portion 56 of peak member connector portion 46 inserts. A hinge pin 66 passes through aligned apertures (not shown) in the mating base portions 56 to connect the two components. The hinge pin 66 allows the gable member connector portion 44 to pivot relative to the other connector portions 46, 48, 49. The hinge pin 66 may be in the form of a bolt or other similar device to pivotally connect the components. Alternative pivotal connections, other than the clevis configuration, may be used to interconnect the gable member connector portion 44 to the rest of the gable coupling 40.
It will be noted that the parts of the gable coupling 40 in an embodiment are formed entirely independent of the structural members of the tent frame 10. As such, the connector portions 44, 46, 48, 49 and hinge 50 are not formed by portions of the structural members. This allows individual structural members to be easily replaced or interchanged and for a plurality of similarly shaped structural members to be easily manufactured.
With reference to
In the illustrated embodiment, the gable member connector 44 and the peak member connector 46 are substantially co-planer. As such, a vertical plane, illustrated by dashed line 76 passing generally through the center of the two connectors 44, 46, generally includes the two connectors 44, 46. Vertical plane 76 is substantially perpendicular to vertical plane 74. In this embodiment, the peak member connector 46 extends substantially perpendicular to the two roof member connector 48, 49.
It will be understood with reference to
With reference to
However, with a gable coupling 40 according to the teachings of the present invention, the roof section does not need to be lifted to its ultimate elevated position to connect the gable member 24 to the rest of the structural members (i.e. peak member 26 and roof members 28). Using the gable coupling 40, the gable member connector 44 can be pivoted so that the gable member 24 can be connected to the peak member 26 and roof members 28 proximate the ground 32. As such, the gable member 24 is connected to the gable coupling 40 while at an angle α relative to its ultimate vertical position. Typically, the angle α is approximately forty-five degrees. However, this angle α can be less or greater depending on the tent configuration. Once the peak member 26, gable member 24, and two roof members 28 are connected together by the gable coupling 40, the gable member 24 can be pivoted via the pivot hinge 50 to the upright position.
The progression of the gable member 24 from an initial position to a fully erect position is illustrated in
Typically, the gable member 24 slides across the ground surface 32 as it is pivoted to the upright position. As such, the gable member 24 includes a boot 90 connected to the end of the gable member 24 (See
While it is beneficial to have at least the gable coupling 40 include a pivotal connector portion, i.e. connector portion 44, other fittings of the tent frame 10 can incorporate a pivotal connector portion. As illustrated in
With further reference to
As illustrated in
A sidewall coupling 112 is illustrated in
With further reference to
With primary reference to
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.
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) is 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. 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 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.
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.
Claims
1. A coupling for connecting a plurality of tent frame structural members, comprising:
- first, second, third and fourth connector portions, each connector portion including a mating portion adapted to mate with a corresponding mating portion of a tent frame structural member;
- a hinge pivotally connecting the fourth connector portion to the first, second and third connector portions, the hinge being independent of any of the tent frame structural members and further including a pivot axis, the fourth connector portion pivoting within a first plane perpendicular to the pivot axis.
2. The coupling of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third connectors are fixed to one another such that the first, second and third connectors are prevented from moving relative to one another forming a rigid body.
3. The coupling of claim 2, wherein the first, second and third connectors are permanently fixed to one another.
4. The coupling of claim 1, wherein the mating portions of the first and second connector portions extend perpendicularly to one another, the mating portions of the second and third connector portions extend perpendicular to one another.
5. The coupling of claim 4, wherein the mating portions of the first and third connector portions extend within a second plane, the second plane being perpendicular to the first plane.
6. The coupling of claim 4, wherein the mating portions of the first and third connector portions extend within one of the first plane or a second plane that is parallel to the first plane.
7. The coupling of claim 4, wherein the mating portions of the first and third connector portions extend substantially coaxial.
8. The coupling of claim 4, wherein the mating portions of the first and third portions extend at an angle relative to each other of between about 90 and 150 degrees.
9. The coupling of claim 4, wherein the mating portions of the first, second, third and fourth connector portions are male mating portions.
10. The coupling of claim 9, wherein each male mating portion includes a pair of spaced apart parallel extending cylindrical portions.
11. The coupling of claim 1, wherein the mating portions of the first, second, third and fourth connector portions are female mating portions.
12. A tent frame assembly comprising:
- a plurality of structural members including first, second, third and fourth structural members, at least one end of each structural member including a mating portion;
- at least one coupling connecting the first, second, third and fourth structural members comprising: first, second, third and fourth connector portions, each connector portion including a mating portion adapted to mate with a corresponding mating portion of the first, second, third and fourth frame member, respectively; a hinge pivotally connecting the fourth connector portion to the first, second and third connector portions, the hinge being independent of the plurality of elongated frame members and further including a pivot axis, the fourth connector portion pivoting relative to the first, second and third connector portions within a first plane perpendicular to the pivot axis.
13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the first and second connector portions are positioned in a substantially back-to-back relation such that in an assembled state the first and second structural members are positioned within a second plane and generally extend away from each other.
14. The frame of claim 13, wherein the first plane is orthogonal to the second plane, the first plane being at least one of inclusive of or parallel to the third structural member that is connected to the third connector portion.
15. The frame of claim 13, wherein the first and second structural members extend away from one another at an angle between about 90 and 150 degrees within the second plane.
16. The frame of claim 14, wherein the fourth structural member is pivotable via the hinge between a first position wherein a surface of the fourth structural member is positioned substantially within the second plane and a second position wherein the fourth structural member extends at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees to the second plane.
17. The frame of claim 12, wherein the first, second and third connector portions are fixed to one another such that the first, second and third connectors are prevented from moving relative to one another forming a rigid body.
18. The frame of claim 12, wherein the mating portions of the connector portions are male and the mating portions of the structural members are female, each female portion slidingly receiving a male portion of a structural member in an assembled state.
19. The frame of claim 18, wherein each female portion is formed by a pair of cylindrical pockets separated by a common wall, and each male portion includes a pair of spaced apart parallel-extending cylindrical portions sized to be slidingly received in the female portions.
20. The frame of claim 12, wherein the fourth structural member further includes a boot coupled to an end opposite an end that couples to the fourth connector portion.
21. The frame of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of couplings, each coupling connecting one end of four structural members proximate one another.
22. The frame of claim 12, wherein the first, second, and fourth connector portions are aligned such that in an assembled and erect state a surface of the first, second and fourth structural members is co-planar.
23. The frame of claim 22, wherein the co-planar surfaces of the first, second and fourth structural members are co-planar in the first plane.
24. The frame of claim 22, wherein the co-planar surfaces of the first, second and fourth structural members are co-planar in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane.
25. (canceled)
26. A method of assembling a tent frame comprising:
- connecting first, second, third and fourth structural members to a coupling;
- pivoting the fourth structural member through a hinge of the coupling to a vertical position; and
- wherein the first, second and third structural members are lifted from a first position proximate the ground to a second position above the ground as the fourth structural member is pivoted.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 28, 2007
Publication Date: Mar 5, 2009
Applicant: Johnson Outdoors Inc. (Racine, WI)
Inventor: Matthew Hamilton Jones (Endicott, NY)
Application Number: 11/846,257
International Classification: E04H 15/48 (20060101);