TENT SYSTEM AND METHODS

Abstract

A tent has a floor, and a plurality of side walls connected to the floor. The tent additionally includes a plurality of external poles for supporting corners of the tent, and a clip attachable to at least one end of each external pole. The clip also includes a flange for attaching the clip to the tent side walls or floor. The system further includes a stake assembly for securing a lower end of each external pole directly into a ground surface on which the tent is disposed, which includes a sleeve portion having a linear channel for receiving a stake therethrough and a tent pole receptacle connected to the sleeve portion. The tent pole receptacle includes a channel for receiving a bottom end of a tent pole therein, wherein the stake assembly secures the tent pole disposed in the tent pole receptacle directly to the ground surface.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Current beach tents are needlessly cumbersome and expensive, and are difficult to erect. They tend to be hot, and they do not provide an interior space that people can comfortably use to change clothing and the like.

What is needed, therefore, is a new and innovative tent design which is inexpensive, easy to erect, and affords an interior space which is maximized in both area and height, while also being well supported against winds and other weather elements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a tent, which may be a beach tent, but could also be any other type of tent, featuring an elegant design that offers reduced size, weight, and cost, and increased interior space as compared to existing designs, while at the same time allowing for faster, easier set-up.

Current tents, including beach tents, use the spring of bent cross-members (rods or poles) to provide a force that stretches the floor (base) of the tent into a rigid shape, while at the same time providing support for the roof, which typically extends from the floor to the top of the tent, limiting interior head room throughout most of the tent. The improved tent of the present invention uses the geotechnical characteristics of the substrate on which tent is positioned (earth, snow, sand, etc.) to stretch the floor and to provide support for rigid vertical members (poles) that allow for substantially vertical construction and that can include corner-pole clips, each having a flange for tying, that hold the corners of the tent in place, preventing the corners from sliding up or down along their respective corner poles.

The roof of the improved beach tent uses two conventional bent cross-members, typically constructed of hollow flexible tubing, such as fiberglass, the spring action of which presses outwardly on the tent corners at the top of the sidewalls, forming the base of the tent's roof and arching upwardly to a peak at the center of the roof. In some embodiments, particularly those involving larger tents, the cross-members are threaded with elastomeric shock cord, and might be constructed in segments joined by the shock cord, while in other embodiments the shock cord is not necessary.

Advantageously, because the floor of the tent is stretched between poles that are anchored into the sand, rather than being stretched by the torsion of arched bent poles, the side walls of the improved tent of the present invention can be erected vertically, rather than angled inwardly, thereby providing more interior space than current designs, the bent cross members of which run from ceiling to floor.

In other embodiments, rather than securing the bottoms of the corner poles directly into the sand, especially useful when the sand is harder or on soil, the corner poles may be inserted into specialized stakes that are driven vertically into the ground at the outside of each corner of the tent floor. Each of the specialized stakes has a female receptacle at the top into which a corner pole is inserted. In one illustrated embodiment, the diameter of the receptacle at its opening is larger than the diameter of the receptacle at a greater depth. In other words, the pole receiving receptacle tapers at greater depths from the top. This taper allows for easy insertion of the pole and reduces the risk of a pole snapping. Other embodiments may utilize a hook, string, or other manner of fastening to bind the corner pole to the specialized stake to prevent the corner pole and the tent from being lifted by wind. Other embodiments may include a separate panel (a fly) that can be connected between the top of the corner poles so that the fly covers the top of the tent but only touches the roof of the tent at its peak, providing a barrier from the sun's radiant energy, thereby further reducing the buildup of heat in the tent. For tents that are made of light fabric that is not waterproof, the fly can also provide protection against precipitation.

Because it can be difficult to erect the corner poles so that they are perfectly vertical, in some embodiments, the corner poles are made of flexible tubing, like the cross-members, so that they can bend slightly into position to be attached at the top corners of the side walls. These corner poles may also be threaded, and constructed in sections, if desired, and may also be threaded to the cross-members through the pole clip, if desired. An additional benefit provided by the flexible construction of the corner poles is that they can bend in high wind, reducing the aerodynamic drag felt by the tent, while at the same time causing a component of downward pressure (force) on the tent, which downward pressure tends to anchor the tent to the substrate.

Because the improved tent of the present invention has more interior space than conventional tents, air inside the improved tent is less constricted, so that heat builds up within the tent more slowly than in conventional tents that employ two cross-members extending from one corner of the floor through an arch forming the tent ceiling and then to the opposing corner of the floor, as are well known in the art.

In preferred embodiments, the inventive tent has screen windows, one at the bottom of one long wall (front or rear) and the other at the top of the opposing long wall. Typically, the wall having the bottom window is erected to face the wind. Each of the screen windows has a flap that can be lowered over the window to block wind and for privacy.

The inventive tent has a flap on the long wall having the bottom thereof, which flap is integral to the top of the wall except for two feet on one side. In that two foot span and around the rest of the wall, the flap is connected by a zipper, so that the wall can be partially unzipped to provide an approximately two foot by five foot door, or fully unzipped so that the entire sidewall can be rolled up and secured by integrated ties, so that the entire tent side is open. This feature may be particularly advantageous when the tent is on the beach, with the openable side facing the water.

The fabric forming the tent is preferably treated to provide protection against UV rays, is waterproofed, and in some instances may be insulating so as to provide a thermal barrier to extreme temperatures.

Although particularly advantageous for use on sand, as a beach tent, the tent of the present invention can be erected in any environment that will allow poles or stakes to be driven into the surface (sand, soil, snow) upon which the tent is to be erected. Although adapted for recreational use, it can be used as an alternative to conventional tents, providing increased interior space. Because of its increased interior space, and because its corner poles are outside of the boundaries of the tent, the tent is a good choice for storing supplies, allowing for a large storage area and a high ceiling that makes it comfortable to work within.

More particularly, in one aspect of the invention, there is provided an improved tent system, comprising a tent having a floor, and a plurality of side walls connected to the floor. The tent system additionally comprises a plurality of external poles for supporting corners of the tent, and a clip attachable to at least one end of each external pole. The clip also includes structure for attaching the clip to the tent side walls or floor, which in the illustrated embodiment comprises a flange. The system further includes structure for securing a lower end of each external pole directly into a ground surface on which the tent is disposed.

In one embodiment, the structure for securing the lower end of each external pole directly into ground surface comprises a tapered end on the lower end of the external pole. In other embodiments, the structure for securing the lower end of each external pole directly into the ground surface comprises a stake having a tapered lower end and a tent pole receptacle for receiving the lower end of the external pole. In some of these latter embodiments, the receptacle is oriented in a substantially vertical direction, so that a pole inserted into the receptacle extends upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation. The tent pole receptacle, if desired, may be defined by internal walls which taper inwardly as a depth of the receptacle increases, in order to enable easy insertion of the pole into the tent pole receptacle and then to secure the end of the pole therein.

In some embodiments, the tent system comprises four external poles and these four external poles extend upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation. As a result, the side walls of the tent extend upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation. Cross-member rods connect opposing corners of the tent together, the cross-member rods being flexible and disposed in an arcuate configuration to create a maximum internal height at a center portion of the tent.

In other disclosed embodiments, the tent system comprises two external poles, and these two external poles extend upwardly at an angled orientation. In this system, a solid side panel is disposed on one side of the tent, with an ingress/egress flap in that solid side panel.

In disclosed embodiments, the tent pole receptacle comprises a portion of a stake assembly, wherein the stake assembly comprises a stake portion having a channel for receiving the stake therethrough which is connected to the tent pole receptacle. The tent pole receptacle includes a channel for receiving the lower end of the external tent pole. In one of the disclosed embodiments, the receptacle is oriented at an acute angle relative to a vertical orientation, so that a pole inserted into the receptacle extends upwardly at the same angle. In another of the disclosed embodiments, the receptacle is oriented substantially vertically, so that a pole inserted into the receptacle extends upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation. In either embodiment, the tent pole receptacle may comprise an upper portion, having a through channel for receiving a tent pole, and a lower portion, having a channel for receiving a bottom end of the tent pole, wherein both the upper and lower portions are connected to the stake portion and there is a gap between the upper and lower portions.

In another aspect of the invention, there is provided an improved tent system, comprising a tent having a floor, and a plurality of side walls connected to the floor. The tent system comprises a plurality of external poles for supporting corners of the tent, and cross-member rods connecting opposing corners of the tent together, the cross-member rods being flexible and disposed in an arcuate configuration to create a maximum internal height at a center portion of the tent. A stake assembly comprises a sleeve portion having a linear channel for receiving a stake therethrough and a tent pole receptacle connected to the sleeve portion. The tent pole receptacle comprises a substantially vertically oriented channel for receiving a bottom end of a tent pole therein, wherein the stake assembly secures the tent pole disposed in the tent pole receptacle directly to the ground surface in a substantially vertical orientation.

In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a stake assembly for securing tent poles for supporting an erected tent directly to the ground surface. The stake assembly comprises a sleeve portion having a linear channel for receiving a tent stake therethrough and a tent pole receptacle connected to the sleeve portion. A tent pole receptacle comprises a channel for receiving a bottom end of a tent pole therein, wherein the stake assembly secures the tent pole disposed in the tent pole receptacle directly to the ground surface. In some embodiments, the tent pole receptacle comprises an upper portion, having a through channel for receiving a tent pole, and a lower portion, having a channel for receiving a bottom end of the tent pole, wherein both the upper and lower portions are connected to the stake portion and there is a gap between the upper and lower portions. The channels of each of the sleeve portion and the tent pole receptacle are oriented substantially vertically in some of the disclosed embodiments.

The invention, together with additional features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a tent constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of a tent stake according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a view of a pole clip according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of one embodiment of a stake and pole anchor which may be used in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the stake and pole anchor shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of another embodiment of a tent constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, in the “pup tent” style; and

FIG. 7 is a view of another embodiment of a combination stake and pole anchor which may be used in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, there is shown in FIG. 1 a tent system 10 constructed in accordance with one particular embodiment of the present invention. The tent 10 comprises a plurality of side walls. As illustrated, the plurality of side walls comprise side walls 12, a rear wall 14, and a front wall 16. A screen window 18, which may be secured in an open or covered configuration, may be disposed on the rear wall 14, as shown. A zippered door 20 and a screen window 22 may be disposed on the front wall 16. The tent additionally includes a roof 24 and a floor 26. The door 20 may have a closure zipper 28, or other suitable closure means, extending about the lower three sides of the door 20, to open and close the door, about the top portion 30 which acts as a hinge. Ties 32 may be provided to tie the door 20 up in an open position.

The walls, ceiling, and floor of the tent are preferably constructed of a suitable fabric, which is preferably treated to be waterproof and UV ray resistant. The illustrated tent 10 is rectangular, but other configurations are feasible as well.

In order to erect the tent, four corner poles 34 are utilized. These poles 34 may comprise a single piece or a plurality of sections, depending upon length and storage considerations. In one embodiment, they have a length of about 6 feet, 8 inches. The poles 34 may be rigid, but are preferably constructed of a hollow tubular flexible material, such as fiberglass, so that they are lightweight and have some flexure. If multi-sectional, they may be threaded together with shock cord, as is known for tent poles. Two cross-member rods 36 are provided to support the roof 24 of the tent. These cross-member rods also may be multi-sectional, are constructed of a hollow tubular lightweight flexible material, such as fiberglass, and may be threaded to be secured together via elastomeric shock cord, if desired. Eight corner pole clips 38 secure the tent together in a manner to be described below.

Ties, loops, grommets, tabs, or similar attaching devices, as are known in the art, are disposed at each outside corner of the fabric of the tent, which devices are used to secure the fabric of the tent to the corner poles. A pocket is provided on the inside of the top corners of the fabric of the tent into which the bent cross-member rods 36 are inserted. There is a tie or similar attaching device at the inside center of the roof, which is used to affix the cross-members 38 to the roof. Fabric sand pockets may be provided on lower portions of the wall of the tent to ballast and anchor the corner poles to the ground surface.

To assemble the tent, a lower portion 40 of each corner pole 34 is driven into the sand, snow, or dirt to secure the tent in place. This pole lower portion 40 may be particularly adapted for insertion into the ground, by having a tapered pointed end, or by being more rigid in construction than remaining portions of the pole, or it may be constructed similarly to remaining portions of the pole 34 if the intended use is in soft sand or snow, or if an optional specialized stake 42, as shown in FIG. 2, is used. The specialized stake 42 comprises a tapered, pointed lower end 44 and a receptacle 46 for receiving the lower end 40 of its corresponding pole 34. The receptacle may be defined by tapering internal walls, as shown to secure the end of the pole firmly in place, and is oriented substantially vertically so that the external pole will extend upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation.

The corner pole clips 38 comprise a sleeve 48 which extends through the length of the clip, for receiving a corner tent pole therethrough, as shown in FIG. 1. A flange 50 is provided for tying portions of the tent to the clip. Before insertion of the lower end 40 of each corner pole 34 into the ground or stake 42, a corner pole clip 38 is disposed over the lower portion of that pole by inserting the pole through the sleeve 48 of the clip 38. Similarly, clips 38 are disposed over each upper end of corner poles 38, as shown in FIG. 1. Respective corners of the tent 10 are attached to the respective pole clips, at the flanges 50, using provided ties, loops, grommets, tabs, or similar known tent attaching devices, and cross-member rods 36 are disposed as shown from opposing corners of the tent in a crossing fashion, with ends of the cross-member rods being secured in the pockets described above, which are provided at the inside top corners of the tent fabric.

If desired, shock cord could be threaded continuously through both the corner poles and the cross-members, to secure them together for storage and transport, whether or not each individual pole is comprised of multiple segments.

A stake assembly 52, which may be used alternatively to the specialized stake 42 of FIG. 2, is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. The tent stake assembly 52 comprises a body having a hollow, linear sleeve portion 54, which includes a channel 54a for receiving a conventional stake 55, and an attached tent pole receptacle 56. The tent pole receptacle 56, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a lower portion 57 having a blind channel 57a for receiving a bottom end of a tent pole 34, and an upper portion 58 having a channel 58a therethrough for receiving the tent pole 34, as shown in FIG. 4. The stake assembly 52 may be molded of plastic, nylon, or similar material, or could be formed of metal if desired. This arrangement is advantageous in that it allows for the use of conventional stakes of various sizes and materials, as well as ensuring a substantially vertical orientation for the tent pole at the location where the stake is anchored. This design also lessens the snapping point load on the pole where it enters the sleeve 56 because of the gap between upper and lower portions 57 and 58.

An important advantage of the present invention is that, under wind conditions, the tent stakes or poles that are inserted into the ground create a moment arm at the point of insertion into the ground, so that the portion of the stake or pole that is inserted into the ground experiences a twisting force, rather than a pulling force. This results in a much more secure anchoring of the tent than is the case for traditionally constructed tents that tend to exert a pulling force on stakes used to secure them, often using extended ropes or lines, where the poles are not directly anchored into the ground.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, wherein an inventive pup tent 60 is illustrated. In this embodiment, the tent 60 comprises two external poles 62, a floor panel 64, and corner panels 66. The view of the tent 60 is from the windward side. The leeward side is comprised of a solid fabric panel 68 extending the entire length of the tent 60. An ingress/egress flap 69 may be provided in a portion of the solid panel 68 on the leeward side of the tent.

Stake assemblies 70, shown in FIG. 7, which are a modified embodiment of the stake assembly 52 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, are utilized to secure the tent poles 62 to the ground surface, as shown in FIG. 6. These stake assemblies 70 comprise a sleeve 72 which may be constructed of fiberglass, metal, plastic, or the like, depending upon application, size of the tent, and other factors. The sleeve 72 includes a hollow linear portion 74 and a tent pole receptacle 76 branching from the hollow linear portion 74 in an angled orientation, as shown. A conventional stake 78 having a tapered tip 80 may be inserted through the sleeve portion 74 and inserted into the ground. These stake assemblies are used to secure the poles 62 to the ground, as shown in FIG. 6. Upper ends of the poles 62 are inserted through pole clips 81, which are constructed in a manner similar to the pole clips 38 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, wherein the solid fabric panel 68 is secured to a flange on the pole clip 81, and then the lower end of the pole 62 is inserted into a blind channel disposed in the tent pole receptacle 76, as shown in FIG. 7, and in a manner similar to that described and shown in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5.

Conventional stakes 82 may be used to secure lower portions of the tent walls to the ground through provided grommets or the like, as shown also in FIG. 6.

While this invention has been described with respect to various specific examples and embodiments, it is to be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting the invention, but merely as an exemplification of preferred embodiments thereof and that the invention can be variously practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. An improved tent system, comprising a tent having a floor, and a plurality of side walls connected to the floor, the tent system further comprising:

a plurality of external poles for supporting corners of the tent;

a clip attachable to at least one end of each external pole, said clip also including structure for attaching the clip to the tent side walls or floor; and

structure for securing a lower end of each external pole directly into a ground surface on which the tent is disposed.

2. The tent system as recited in claim 1, wherein the structure for attaching the clip to the tent side walls or floor comprises a flange.

3. The tent system as recited in claim 1, wherein the structure for securing the lower end of each external pole directly into ground surface comprises a tapered end on the lower end of the external pole.

4. The tent system as recited in claim 1, wherein the structure for securing the lower end of each external pole directly into the ground surface comprises a stake having a tapered lower end and a tent pole receptacle for receiving the lower end of the external pole.

5. The tent system as recited in claim 4, wherein the receptacle is oriented in a substantially vertical direction, so that a pole inserted into the receptacle extends upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation.

6. The tent system as recited in claim 4, wherein the tent pole receptacle is defined by internal walls which taper inwardly as a depth of the receptacle increases, in order to enable easy insertion of the pole into the tent pole receptacle and then to secure the end of the pole therein.

7. The tent system as recited in claim 1, wherein the tent system comprises four external poles and said four external poles extend upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation.

8. The tent system as recited in claim 7, wherein the side walls of the tent extend upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation.

9. The tent system as recited in claim 8, and further comprising cross-member rods connecting opposing corners of the tent together, the cross-member rods being flexible and disposed in an arcuate configuration to create a maximum internal height at a center portion of the tent.

10. The tent system as recited in claim 1, wherein the tent system comprises two external poles and said two external poles extend upwardly at an angled orientation.

11. The tent system as recited in claim 10, wherein the tent system further comprises a solid side panel on one side thereof.

12. The tent system as recited in claim 12, and further comprising an ingress/egress flap in said solid side panel.

13. The tent system as recited in claim 4, wherein the tent pole receptacle comprises a portion of a stake assembly, the stake assembly comprising a stake portion having a channel for receiving the stake therethrough which is connected to the tent pole receptacle, the tent pole receptacle including a channel for receiving the lower end of the external tent pole.

14. The tent system as recited in claim 13, wherein the receptacle is oriented at an acute angle relative to a vertical orientation, so that a pole inserted into the receptacle extends upwardly at the same angle.

15. The tent system as recited in claim 13, wherein the receptacle is oriented substantially vertically, so that a pole inserted into the receptacle extends upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation.

16. The tent system as recited in claim 13, wherein the tent pole receptacle comprises an upper portion, having a through channel for receiving a tent pole, and a lower portion, having a channel for receiving a bottom end of the tent pole, wherein both the upper and lower portions are connected to the stake portion and there is a gap between the upper and lower portions.

17. An improved tent system, comprising a tent having a floor, and a plurality of side walls connected to the floor, the tent system further comprising:

a plurality of external poles for supporting corners of the tent;

cross-member rods connecting opposing corners of the tent together, the cross-member rods being flexible and disposed in an arcuate configuration to create a maximum internal height at a center portion of the tent;

a stake assembly comprising a sleeve portion having a linear channel for receiving a stake therethrough and a tent pole receptacle connected to the sleeve portion, the tent pole receptacle comprising a substantially vertically oriented channel for receiving a bottom end of a tent pole therein, wherein the stake assembly secures the tent pole disposed in the tent pole receptacle directly to the ground surface in a substantially vertical orientation.

18. A stake assembly for securing tent poles for supporting an erected tent directly to the ground surface, the stake assembly comprising:

a sleeve portion having a linear channel for receiving a tent stake therethrough and a tent pole receptacle connected to the sleeve portion, the tent pole receptacle comprising a channel for receiving a bottom end of a tent pole therein, wherein the stake assembly secures the tent pole disposed in the tent pole receptacle directly to the ground surface.

19. The stake assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein the tent pole receptacle comprises an upper portion, having a through channel for receiving a tent pole, and a lower portion, having a channel for receiving a bottom end of the tent pole, wherein both the upper and lower portions are connected to the stake portion and there is a gap between the upper and lower portions.

20. The stake assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein the channels of each of the sleeve portion and the tent pole receptacle are oriented substantially vertically.