STRUCTURE WITH CHANGEABLE EXTERIOR PANELS

Abstract

There is provided a collapsible structure including a plurality of collapsible walls. A respective one of the plurality of walls is connected to at least one adjacent one of the plurality of walls. Each wall defines an internal wall face and an opposing external wall faces. The collapsible structure further includes a panel having a panel contact face and an opposing panel exposed face. The panel includes a display portion disposed on the panel exposed face. The panel is engageable to a respective one of the plurality of collapsible walls.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a collapsible structure, and more specifically to a collapsible structure having a wall being engageable for supporting and displaying a display panel.

2. Description of the Prior Art

It is believed that an individual's behavioral, social, and intellectual development begins at an early age. Although the rate of such development may vary among individuals, it is believed that the development process for most individuals beings shortly after birth. During a child's early years, the child may not be exposed to formal, structured education (e.g., school). However, that does not mean that a child should be deprived of any development until formal schooling begins. Rather, simple lessons and concepts may be introduced to the child outside of formal schooling to begin the child's development.

Although children tend to benefit from such early stimulation, it may be difficult to maintain a child's attention for extended periods of time. Unless a child is completely engaged in the activity, the child's attention may wonder. As such, efforts may be made to provide a device and/or activity that captures the child's attention, while at the same time intellectually and socially stimulating the child. To this end, it is recognized that incorporating intellectually and socially stimulating devices and activities into a child's play may be an effective method of keeping the child's attention directed toward such stimulation. In this manner, the stimulating activity may become part of the child's everyday life.

There are several educational strategies and schools of thought in relation to early childhood development. Many people believe that auditory stimulation is desirable to hone a child's ability to recognize and distinguish sounds. This may be critical to the child's speech development, as well as their ability to comprehend verbal commands.

In addition to auditory stimulation, it is also believed to be important to visually stimulate a child to develop visual recognition skills. Primary visual recognition skills may include the ability to identify certain colors, numbers, letters, shapes, etc. A common visual stimulation strategy employed by parents includes adorning the walls of a children's bedroom and/or playroom with colorful paint, as well as letters, numbers and shapes. Therefore, whenever the child is in the room, the colors, letters, numbers, shapes, etc. will constantly be presented to the child.

It is also important to create an environment which allows a child's imagination and creativity to develop. To this end, the playroom and/or bedroom may be decorated in a theme, such as cartoon characters, animals, western, or nautical themes. The themes may allow the child to create his or her own story. Furthermore, the themes may allow the child to begin exploring the world through pictures and illustrations.

Although decorating a child's playroom or nursery may visually stimulate the child, the parent may not want to adorn their walls with bright colors and/or cartoon characters. Such interior decorating may clash with the aesthetic desires of the parent. Furthermore, the cost of incorporating such a theme may be too expensive for a parent. However, even if the parent decides to decorate the room, such visual stimulation may be short lived. In particular, the child may become tired or bored of the theme used within the room. As the child matures, the child's interests begin to vary. Therefore, the theme may quickly become out-dated in the eyes of the child. Consequently, the parent may be required to change the theme in order to keep the child interested. However, continually changing the theme within the room may be too time consuming and/or too expensive.

A child's visual recognition skills may also be stimulated and developed through computers. Traditional computers include a monitor that is capable of displaying images to the child. For instance, the computer may display images from a website or digital file located on the computer. The images may be easily changed by visiting a different website or opening a new digital file. However, computers may be very confining for the child. In other words, the child may be required to remain behind the computer monitor to view the images. As such, the child may become restless and quickly lose interest in the images displayed on the computer monitor.

Another approach for educating the child is to provide the child with exciting, real-life experiences. A common childhood experience is camping. In this regard, the child may experience nature first hand. However, in many cases, children (and some adults) desire some of the modern amenities, even while camping. Such modern amenities generally require electricity, which is typically unavailable in remote camping locations.

Therefore, as is apparent from the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a play environment for a child that is adaptable to repeatedly stimulate a child throughout a child's maturation process.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The invention generally includes a collapsible structure capable of easily displaying various panels. The panels may include designs intended to stimulate a child's imagination as well as educate the child. The panels may also include marketing or advertising material. Furthermore, the panels may be configured to include solar panels for collection solar energy. As such, the panels may be employed for a wide range of applications depending on the intended usage of a particular user.

A collapsible structure is provided including a plurality of collapsible walls. A respective one of the plurality of walls is connected to at least one adjacent one of the plurality of walls. Each wall defines an internal wall face and an opposing external wall faces. The collapsible structure further includes a panel having a panel contact face and an opposing panel exposed face. The panel includes a display portion disposed on the panel exposed face. The panel is engageable to a respective one of the plurality of collapsible walls.

It is contemplated that the collapsible structure may provide a safe and adaptable play environment for a child. To this end, the display portion of the panel may include various colors, shapes, letters, numbers, and/or respective themes designed to stimulate the child's imagination and creativity. In this manner, the child's intellectual and social development may begin at an early age outside of formal classroom instruction.

The panel may be engageable to a collapsible wall via static electricity forces between the panel and the collapsible wall. The panel may also be engageable to a respective collapsible wall via a wall connector and a corresponding panel connector. In particular, at least one of the plurality of collapsible walls may include a wall connector and the panel may include a panel connector being engageable with the wall connector. The wall and panel connectors may be corresponding hook and loop fasteners.

The plurality of collapsible walls may include at least one spring element moveable between a collapsed position and an erect positions. The at least one spring element may be biased toward the erect position. The collapsible walls may define an upper wall face and a lower wall face. A wall height may be defined as the distance between the upper wall face and the lower wall face. Each collapsible wall may be moveable between a storage position and a deployed position, wherein the wall height increases as the collapsible wall moves from the storage position to the deployed position. The plurality of collapsible walls may also be inflatable and deflatable to move between the storage and deployed positions.

At least one of the collapsible walls may include a wall cutout extending from the internal wall face to the external wall face. The wall cutout defines a wall cutout periphery. Similarly, the panel may include a panel cutout extending from the panel contact face to the panel exposed face. The panel cutout may define a panel cutout periphery that is at least as large as the wall cutout periphery.

The present invention is best understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a collapsible structure constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the collapsible structure having a panel disposed on a collapsible wall;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the collapsible structure shown in FIG. 1 without the panel disposed on the collapsible wall;

FIG. 3 in an upper perspective view of the collapsible structure being inflated from a storage position to a deployed position;

FIG. 4 is an upper perspective view of the collapsible structure of FIG. 3 in the deployed position;

FIG. 5 is an upper perspective view of a collapsible structure having a spring element being moveable from a collapsed to an erect position;

FIG. 6 is an upper perspective view of the collapsible structure of FIG. 5, wherein the spring element is in the erect position; and

FIG. 7 is an upper perspective view of a collapsible structure having a solar panel and a digital display.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is believed that a individual's intellectual and social development may begin at an early age. In this manner, it may be beneficial to intellectually and socially stimulate the child during the child's early years. This may be especially true outside of a child's structured education, which may include the time period between the child's birth and the beginning of the child's formal schooling, as well as periods between the child's formal schooling (e.g., winter break and summer break). A child's early years may be valuable for initiating the social and intellectual development of the child. Although there may be various ways to achieve such stimulation, an effective method may include visual stimulation. In this manner, the child may be introduced to various visually stimulating items such as different colors, shapes, objects, and/or themes to initiate thought and creativity.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a collapsible structure 10 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the collapsible structure 10 includes a plurality of collapsible walls 12 arranged to form an enclosure. Each wall 12 defines an internal wall face 14 and an opposing external wall faces 16. The walls 12 additionally define an upper wall face 13 and an opposing lower wall face 15. The distance between the upper and lower wall faces 13, 15 is referred to herein the wall height, “H.” Each wall 12 is connected to adjacent ones of the plurality of walls 12. It is contemplated that the walls 12 may be permanently connected, or detachably connected to each other.

It is also contemplated that the walls 12 may be configured to form a partial enclosure. In this manner, at least one wall 12 may be connected to only one adjacent wall 12 as opposed to two adjacent walls 12. In embodiments where the walls 12 are permanently connected to each other, the walls 12 may be sewn, welded, or attached by other means known by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The specific material used to construct the walls 12, may dictate the manner in which the walls 12 are connected. Alternatively, in embodiments where the walls 12 are detachable connected to each other, adjacent walls 12 may be connected via hook and loop fasteners, zippers, straps, buckles, and other detachable connectors known by those skilled in the art.

The enclosure (or partial enclosure) created by the plurality of walls 12 defines a space where the child may play and treat as his or her own. As such, the child may experience a sense of freedom, which may enable further creativity and imagination. The space may also encourage a child to engage with his or her peers. In this regard, the children may begin to learn the concepts of sharing and interaction with others.

It is contemplated that the structure 10 may be disposed inside or outside of a home. When disposed inside of a home, the structure 10 may take up a considerable amount of space. In addition, when disposed outside, the structure 10 may be exposed to the natural elements (e.g., wind, rain, snow, etc.), thereby increasing the risk of tearing/breaking. Consequently, it may be desirable to store the structure 10 between uses thereof. Therefore, according to one embodiment, each wall 12 is moveable between a storage position and a deployed position. The wall height H may decrease as the wall 12 moves from the deployed position towards the storage position. In the storage position, the collapsible structure 10 may not occupy as much space relative to the collapsible structure 10 when in the deployed position. In embodiments wherein the collapsible structure 10 forms a full enclosure, such as the collapsible structure shown in FIG. 1, the volume of the enclosure decreases as the collapsible structure 10 moves from the deployed position to the storage position. In other words, the collapsible structure 10 defines a volume that is larger when the structure 10 is in the deployed position than the volume it defines when in the storage position. Such a decrease in volume may facilitate storage of the collapsible structure 10. For instance, the collapsible structure 10 may be placed under a bed, in a closet, or in a storage chest when moved into the storage position. The collapsible feature of the structure 10 may further enable easy transportation thereof. For example, a child may desire to bring the collapsible structure 10 to a friend's house. As such, the collapsible structure 10 may be placed in the storage position for transport to the friend's house.

In one embodiment, and referring now specifically to FIGS. 3 and 4, each wall 12 is configured to be inflatable and deflatable to move between the storage and deployed positions. As such, each wall 12 may include an internal bladder which may be filled with a fluid to dispose the wall 12 in an inflated, deployed position. The fluid may be removed from the bladder to allow the respective wall 12 to deflate to the storage position. It is contemplated that each wall 12 may include its own internal bladder, or one or more walls 12 may include bladders fluidly connected to each other. Fluid may enter each bladder through a valve fluidly connected thereto. A pump 32 may be fluidly connected to the valve to pump fluid into the bladder. Alternatively, the wall 12 may be blown up by an adult.

In addition to enabling easy movement between the storage and deployed positions, the inflatable walls 12 may also have additional safety benefits. For instance, when inflated, each wall 12 provides a forgiving surface which tends to be beneficial in the context of a child's toy. The inflated walls 12 may mitigate harm to the child. For instance, if the child falls into the wall 12, the wall 12 may bend to cushion the child's fall. The inflatable walls 12 are constructed out of a fluid tight material to mitigate the passage of fluid therethrough. For instance, the walls 12 may be constructed out of vinyl, plastic, rubber, or other fluid tight materials known by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to the embodiment in FIGS. 5 and 6, the plurality of walls 12 include at least one spring element 30 moveable between collapsed and erect positions, wherein the at least one spring element 30 is biased toward the erect position. In one embodiment, the spring element 30 includes spring biased tubing commonly found in conventional sun visors for windshields. Such a spring element 30 may be connected to the outer periphery of each wall 12. Therefore, when the respective spring element 30 is in the erect position, the respective wall 12 is in the deployed position. The spring element 30 may be foldable to move from the erect position to the collapsed position. The collapsible structure 10 may include a strap connected thereto to maintain the spring element 30 in the collapsed position. If the strap is removed, the spring element 30 may move toward the erect position. For embodiments including at least one spring element 30, it may not be necessary for the walls 12 to be constructed out of a fluid tight material. In this regard, the walls 12 may be constructed out of a fabric material. However, if the collapsible structure 10 is intended for use outside, it may be desirable to construct the walls 12 out of a fluid resistant material to protect against rain and/or snow.

In another embodiment, the collapsible structure 10 includes a plurality of poles (not shown) configured to form a skeletal structure, similar to a tent. In this manner, the plurality of poles may be connected to erect the walls 12 in the deployed position. Alternatively, the plurality of poles may be disconnected to move the walls 12 into the storage position. A fabric material may be fitted over the skeletal structure to form the enclosure.

When the walls 12 are in the deployed position, each wall 12 defines opposing internal and external wall faces 14, 16. The internal wall face 14 is disposed in a direction facing the inside of the structure 10, whereas the external wall face 16 is disposed in a direction facing away from the structure 10.

It is contemplated that at least one of the plurality of walls 12 is configured to engage with a panel 18. The panel 18 includes a panel contact face 20 and an opposing panel exposed face 22. The panel 18 is engageable to a respective one of the internal and external wall faces 14, 16 to dispose the panel contact face 20 in a direction facing the respective one of the internal and external wall faces 14, 16. The panel 18 includes a display portion 24 disposed on the panel exposed face 22. The panel exposed face 22 may be deployable between a deployed and stowed position to easily display or hide the design.

According to one embodiment, the panel display portion 24 may be adorned with designs intended to stimulate the child's imagination. Each display portion 24 may relate to a separate theme, each intended to lead the child on an adventure. For instance, one panel 18 may include an animal theme designed to enable the child to set out on an imaginary animal safari. The theme may include animals that may be found in several different eco systems, including but not limited to, mountain, grassland, desert, woodland, rain forest, polar, and fresh water marsh. Other themes may also include, but are not limited to, A Pirates Life for Me, Days of Knights and Damsels, Dinosaur Hunter, and Wild West. The aforementioned themes are intended to be exemplary in nature only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. To this end, other themes known by those skilled in the art may also be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

The different themes may encourage group discussions among the children intellectually engaged with the displays. In this manner, the children may share their own separate adventures with the group. Such an activity may be helpful in developing a child's social skills. Furthermore, the designs may be created to allow the children to control the outcome of their adventure, which stimulates creativity and also provides the child with a sense of achievement. The designs also incorporate learning into the child's play which allows for early intellectual and social development prior to the child's formal education.

The design portion 24 of the panels 18 may include several images, as discussed in more detail above. In this manner, the child may begin to explore the world through pictures and illustrations. This activity may be helpful in developing a child's visual literacy. In today's world, people are constantly bombarded with images, whether it be during their work, education, or entertainment. Therefore, it may be beneficial to develop a child's visual literacy at an early age.

The designs may be created to target a child within a specific age range. It is understood that a child that is three years of age may be interested in something completely different from a child that is eight years of age. As described in more detail below, the panels 18 may be configured to be detachably engaged with a respective wall 12. In other words, the panel 18 may be removed from the wall 12, and another panel 18 having a different design may be connected to the wall 12. In this manner, the panels 18 may be updated as the child's interests change to allow the collapsible structure 10 to grow with the child.

As shown, the panel 18 is connected to the external wall face 16 of the wall 12. Each external wall face 16 may be engageable with a separate panel 18 to increase the variety of themes displayed to the child. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the collapsible structure 10 includes four vertical walls 12 each being engageable with a panel 18; however, it is understood that other embodiments of the present invention may include fewer or more than four walls 12. In fact, one particular embodiment includes a single wall 12.

According to various aspects of the present invention, the panels 18 may be configured to engage with the walls 12 via static electricity forces between the panel 18 and the wall 12. The static electricity forces between the panel 18 and the wall 12 may allow temporary engagement therebetween. If a user desires to remove the panel 18 from the wall 12, the user may simply pull on the panel 18 to overcome the static electricity forces between the panel 18 and the wall 12 to remove the panel 18 therefrom.

The panel 18 may also be engaged with the wall 12 via corresponding wall and panel connectors 26, 28. More specifically, a wall connector 26 may be connected to a respective wall 12, and a panel connector 28 may be connected to a respective panel 18. The panel connector 28 may be configured to engage with a corresponding wall connector 26. In one embodiment, the panel and wall connectors 26, 28 are corresponding hook and loop fasteners, as best illustrated in FIG. 1. However, the wall and panel connectors 26, 28 may also include mechanical male and female connectors, buckles, straps, magnets, and other connectors known by those skilled in the art. The panel 18, and/or the wall 12 may also include an adhesive layer configured to enable the panel 18 to be disposed on the wall 12. It is understood that the panels 18 may be disposed on both the internal and external wall faces 14, 16.

According to one embodiment, the panels 18 are configured to enable the child to color or write in the designs shown on the panel 18. In this manner, the designs may be outlined in black over a white background, or other contrasting colors. The child may color in the designs using erasable writing implements, such as erasable markers, to allow the panel 18 to be reused and re-colored.

The foregoing describes panels 12 having static display portions 24. In this manner, the display portions 24 on a respective panel 12 remain the same. However, according to another implementation of the invention, the display portion 24 is dynamic. In other words, the display portion 24 on a respective panel 12 is capable of changing or altering the design. In one embodiment, the dynamic display portion 24 includes a digital display 50 for digitally displaying objects or themes across the panel 18, as best shown in FIG. 7. The digital content displayed on the digital display 50 may include slideshows, movies, pictures, shows, etc. Furthermore, the digital display may be touch sensitive to enable the child to use their finger, or other writing implement to create designs on the digital display 50. The digital display 50 may include a plurality of light-emitting devices (LEDs) for displaying the digital content. The LEDs may be embedded within a flexible LED film. The panel 18 may also employ other digital display means known by those skilled in the art.

The digital display 50 may receive a digital signal containing digital content. As such, the digital display 50 may be connected to a digital receiver, such as a computer, for receiving the digital content. In this regard, the digital display 50 may be programmable to vary the images displayed thereon. Furthermore, the content displayed on the digital display 50 may be varied by inputting a new digital signal. For example, the digital signal may be contained on a DVD, data file, or received over the Internet.

In one particular embodiment, the panel 12 includes a thin-film flexible display. In this manner, the panel 12 includes an easily deployable sophisticated display capable of displaying digital images. There are a variety of thin-film technologies that may be suitable. One particular thin-film technology is the Flexible Display developed by E Ink Corporation. For more information regarding the thin-film technology, visit www.eink.com/technology/flexbile.html. See Also, www.pinktentacle.com/2007/05/flexible-full-color-organic-el-display/; U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,402 entitled Flexible Flat Color Display; U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,020 entitle Flexible Large Screen Display Having Multiple Light Emitting Elements Sandwiched Between Crossed Electrodes.

Accordingly to another implementation, at least one of the plurality of walls 12 may include a wall cutout 34 defining a wall cutout periphery 36. The wall cutout 34 extends from the external wall face 16 to the internal wall face 14 to enable passage through the wall cutout 34. In this manner, children may enter or leave the collapsible structure 10 via the wall cutout 34. A panel 18 may include a corresponding panel cutout 38 defining a panel cutout periphery 40 which may be aligned with the wall cutout 34. In one embodiment, the panel cutout periphery 40 is at least as large as the wall cutout periphery 36 to enable the panel cutout 38 to be placed over and about the wall cutout 34.

The walls 12 may also include windows 46 disposed therein to allow those within the collapsible structure 10 to look out of the collapsible structure 10. In addition, the windows 46 may also allow those located outside of the collapsible structure 10 to look inside of the collapsible structure 10. The windows 46 may be configured in a variety of shapes including various polygons, circles, ovals, rectangles, or other shapes known by those skilled in the art. The windows 46 may include a mesh netting 48 disposed therein to inhibit entry of foreign objects and debris into the collapsible structure 10.

The collapsible structure 10 may also include a roof portion 42 which may define the upper portion of the collapsible structure 10. As shown, the roof portion 42 is substantially orthogonal to the walls 12 when the structure 10 is in the deployed position. However, it is understood that the roof portion may be domed, or have some other configuration that is non-orthogonal to one or more of the walls 12. In addition to the roof portion 42, the collapsible structure 10 may also include a base portion 44 which may define the lower portion of the structure 10.

As described above, the display portion 24 of the respective panel 18 provides its own, individual theme. However, it is also contemplated that adjacent panels 18 may collectively define a specific theme. This may be particularly beneficial for panels 18 disposed within the collapsible structure 10 on the internal wall faces 14. For instance, the panels 18 may include display portions 24 illustrating a railroad traversing across adjacent panels 18. In addition, the interior of the roof portion 42 may include stars or other celestial bodies to provide an astronomy theme.

Although the foregoing describes various embodiments of the collapsible structure 10 having a plurality of walls 12, it is also contemplated that one embodiment of the invention includes a collapsible structure 10 having only one wall 12. The wall 12 may include a support element to maintain the wall 12 in an upright configuration when disposed in the deployed position. Both sides of the wall 12 may be engageable with a panel 18 to provide a number of different themed adventures for a child.

In addition to the foregoing, it is expressly contemplated that various aspects of the collapsible structure 10 may find wide spread use and applicability as a display stand. Such a display stand may be useful in trade shows, sporting events, music events, and other mass gatherings of people. The panel 12 may include message disposed thereon relating to marketing and/or advertising material for the entity operating the display stand. The collapsible aspect of the structure 10 may facilitate transport of the display stand between different events. Furthermore, different panels 12 may be made to represent different products or services being offered or sold by the entity operating the display stand. In this manner, a new display stand may not be required every time a new product or service is offered.

In another embodiment, the collapsible structure 10 may be configured to generate power. As energy costs begin to increase, the need for alternative and/or supplemental power sources also tends to increase. Therefore, the collapsible structure 10 may be configured to engage with a panel 12 having one or more solar panels 52 disposed thereon (e.g., on a roof and/or sides) for receiving solar energy, as depicted in FIG. 7. In this manner, the collapsible structure 10 may be disposed within the sunlight to capture solar energy. The solar panel(s) 52 may be photo-voltaic solar panels capable of converting the solar energy into electrical energy.

The solar panels 52 may be in electrical communication with a power converter to convert the electrical power from the solar panels 52 into a desired electrical form. For instance, the power converter may convert the power into AC voltage or a DC voltage. In addition, the power converter may modify the frequency or other electrical characteristics of the electrical signal into a form desired by the user.

The electrical energy created by the solar panels 52 may be used as an alternative or supplemental power supply. The solar panels 52 may be connectable to various electrical appliances to supply power thereto. Such an energy-generating panel 12 may be desirable on camping trips, where simple appliances (e.g., lights, music players, etc.) may require electricity, which is generally unavailable. Alternatively, the power converter may be connected to a power generator to provide an alternate power supply. Furthermore, the electrical energy may be used by any electrical device that may be embedded or connected to the panel 12. For instance, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the solar generating panel 12 may be in electrical communication with the digital display 50 via an electrical connector 54.

The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.

Claims

1. A collapsible structure comprising:

a plurality of collapsible walls, a respective one of the plurality of collapsible walls being connected to at least one adjacent one of the plurality of collapsible walls, each collapsible wall defining an internal wall face and an opposing external wall face; and

a panel being detachably engageable to a respective one of the plurality of collapsible walls.

2. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the panel is engageable to the respective one of the plurality of collapsible walls via static electricity forces between the panel and the respective one of collapsible walls.

3. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of collapsible walls includes a wall connector and the panel includes a panel connector being engageable with the wall connector.

4. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 3 wherein the wall connector and panel connector are corresponding hook and loop fasteners.

5. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 1 further including at least one spring element connected to the plurality of collapsible walls, the spring element being moveable between a collapsed position and an erect position, the at least one spring element being biased towards the erect position.

6. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of collapsible walls includes a wall cutout extending from the internal wall face to the external wall face, the wall cutout defining a wall cutout periphery.

7. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 6 wherein the panel includes a panel contact face and a panel exposed face and a panel cutout extending from the panel contact face to the panel exposed face, the panel cutout defining a panel cutout periphery being at least as large as the wall cutout periphery.

8. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the panel includes a digital display capable of displaying digital content.

9. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the panel is a solar panel configured to capture solar energy.

10. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 9 further including a power converter in operable communication with the solar panel, the power converter receiving the solar energy received by the solar panel and converting the solar energy to electrical energy.

11. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 1 wherein each collapsible wall further defines an upper wall face and a lower wall face, a wall height being defined as the distance between the upper wall face and the lower wall face, each collapsible wall being moveable between a storage position and a deployed position, wherein the wall height increases as the collapsible wall moves from the storage position towards the deployed position.

12. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 11 wherein the plurality of collapsible walls are inflatable and deflatable to move between the storage position and the deployed position.

13. A collapsible structure for use with a panel having a panel contact face and an opposing panel exposed face, the collapsible structure comprising:

a collapsible wall defining an internal wall face and an opposing external wall face, at least one of the internal wall face and external wall face being detachably engageable with the panel to dispose the panel contact face in a direction facing at least one of the internal wall face and the external wall face.

14. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 13 wherein the collapsible wall includes a wall connector being engageable with the panel.

15. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 13 wherein the collapsible wall includes at least one spring element moveable between a collapsed position and an erect position, the at least one spring element being biased toward the erect position.

16. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 13 wherein the collapsible wall further defines an upper wall face and a lower wall face, a wall height being defined as the distance between the upper wall face and the lower wall face, the collapsible wall being moveable between a storage position and a deployed position, wherein the wall height increases as the collapsible wall moves from the storage position towards the deployed position.

17. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 16 wherein the wall is inflatable and deflatable to move between the collapsed and deployed positions.

18. The collapsible structure as recited in claim 13 wherein the collapsible wall includes a wall cutout extending from the internal wall face to the external wall face.

19. A panel for use with a collapsible structure including a plurality of collapsible walls, each collapsible wall having an internal wall face and an opposing external wall face, the panel comprising:

a panel contact face and an opposing exposed face, the panel being detachably engageable to a respective one of the collapsible walls to dispose the panel contact face in a direction facing the respective one of the collapsible walls.

20. The panel as recited in claim 19 wherein the panel includes a digital display capable of displaying digital content.

21. The panel as recited in claim 20 wherein the digital display is connectable to a computer to receive digital data relating to the digital content.

22. The panel as recited in claim 19 wherein the panel includes a thin film flexible digital display.

23. The panel as recited in claim 19 wherein the panel exposed face is deployable between a stowed position and a deployed position.

24. The panel as recited in claim 19 wherein the panel is a solar panel configured to convert solar energy into electrical energy.

25. The panel as recited in claim 19 wherein the panel is writable to allow a user to write thereon.