Portable structure with linking pole
A portable structure has a first support pole forming a first arc, when ends of the first support pole rest on ground, and a second support pole forming a second arc, crossing the first arc, when ends of the second support pole rest on the ground. A curved linking pole crosses, off of the ground, at least one of the first and second arcs.
This application is a nonprovisional patent application of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/536,095, filed Jan. 12, 2004 which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUNDPortable structures such as tents are used in a variety of recreational and sporting activities. For some activities, the most desirable qualities of a tent are roominess and convenience; for other activities, the most desirable qualities are small size and light weight. Tents are typically supported by poles. For example, a tent made of fabric may be erected with poles either inside or outside the tent; and the fabric may connect with the poles at support points. The flexible fabric of the tent sags between the support points, leading to reduced space and impaired headroom in regions of the tent that are distant from support points.
SUMMARYIn one embodiment, a portable structure has a first support pole forming a first arc, when ends of the first support pole rest on ground, and a second support pole forming a second arc, crossing the first arc, when ends of the second support pole rest on the ground. A curved linking pole crosses, off of the ground, at least one of the first and second arcs.
In one embodiment, a clip attaches a pole to tent fabric. A base member couples with the tent fabric. Two end members and a top member rigidly couple with the base member, wherein a cavity is formed by the members for attachment to the pole.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The use of a linking pole is not limited to a ring form, as in
Other linking pole designs are within the scope of this disclosure. For example,
One skilled in the art of tent design will appreciate that other embodiments of a linking pole may have integrated discontinuous bends, corners, or other features, to lift (or lower) tent fabric in selected regions, as matters of design choice. Tent fabric or other features may also be configured in various ways to match the use of linking poles, including linking poles with integrated bends or corners. For example, a linking pole may extend upward as it traverses a particular region of a tent, and the tent fabric may be configured in this region to match the geometry of the linking pole, creating extra space inside the tent. The extra space inside the tent may be used for increased headroom, or may be used in other ways, such as for storage features.
Integration of bends, corners, and other features into a tent pole (e.g., a linking pole) may require that one or more sections of the tent pole always face a certain direction. However, typical shock-corded tent pole sections are radially symmetric about a cord, and the joints between sections may rotate when a torque is applied. In one embodiment, therefore, a tent pole includes keyed joints, wherein each joint of the pole includes mechanical features that allow assembly of the joint in only one orientation, thereby keeping all sections of the pole in the orientation in which they are assembled. One example of a tent pole with keyed joints is a tent pole in which joints (and optionally sections) are not circular in cross section.
The manner in which a tent fabric connects with a tent pole may affect the structural integrity of the tent.
When a tent uses clip 80, base member 82 may attach to tent fabric in various ways that will be apparent to one skilled in the art of tent design. One way of attaching clip 80 to a tent is to enclose base member 82 within the tent fabric such that substantially all of the length of base member 82 is enclosed, leaving end members 84A, 84B and top member 86C outside the tent fabric. When a tent including clip 80 is erected, a user engages clip 80 to a tent pole (e.g., snaps pole 16 into one of clips 24,
By design, the size of the cavity bounded by end members 84A, 84B matches the size of a tent pole that clip 80 attaches to, so that when engaged to the pole, clip 80 holds the tent pole firmly and does not rotate around the tent pole. As the lengths of base member 82 and top member 86 separate end members 84A and 84B, clip 80 also serves to clasp tent fabric against a tent pole along the length of the clip, instead of at a single point. The length of the clip may vary as a matter of design choice; for example, the distance between the end members may be between about 25 mm and 150 mm. The combination of non-rotation of clip 80 about a tent pole, and the clasping of tent fabric along the length of clip 80, contributes to the structural integrity of a tent.
One skilled in the art of tent design will appreciate that the design of clip 80 may be modified in other ways without departing from the spirit and scope presented herein. For example, if linking poles (or any tent poles) are modified to constrain the orientation of bends and corners in the poles during use, then clip 80 may be modified to clip to the modified poles. Other changes may likewise be made in the portable structures and poles described herein without departing from the scope hereof.
It should thus be noted that the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The following claims are intended to cover all generic and specific features described herein, as well as all statements of the scope of the present method and system, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between.
Claims
1. A portable structure, comprising:
- a first support pole forming a first arc when ends of the first support pole rest on ground;
- a second support pole forming a second arc, crossing the first arc, when ends of the second support pole rest on the ground; and
- a curved linking pole crossing, off of the ground, at least one of the first and second arcs.
2. The portable structure of claim 1, the linking pole being oval-shaped and extending circumferentially about both the first and second support poles.
3. The portable structure of claim 1, the curved linking pole having first and second ends attached to the first support pole such that the curved linking pole crosses the second support pole.
4. The portable structure of claim 1, further comprising tent fabric coupled with the first and second support poles, and the curved linking pole, to form a tent with increased internal volume as compared to a tent without the curved linking pole.
5. The support structure of claim 4, the curved linking pole forming two discontinuous bends such that the linking pole lifts the tent fabric in selected regions.
6. The support structure of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of clips attaching the tent fabric to the poles, each of the clips having (a) a base member, held by the tent fabric, (b) two end members and (c) a top member, the base member, top member and side members being rigidly connected, wherein a cavity is formed by the members for attachment to one of the poles.
7. The support structure of claim 6, the base member, two end members and top member being constructed as a monolithic element of common material bendable to accommodate engagement to, and disengagement from, the one pole.
8. The support structure of claim 7, the common material comprising one of polycarbonate and acetal.
9. A portable structure, comprising:
- a first support pole forming a first arc when ends of the first support pole rest on ground;
- a second support pole forming a second arc when ends of the second support pole rest on the ground; and
- a curved linking pole crossing, off of the ground, at least one of the first and second arcs.
10. A clip for attaching a pole to tent fabric, comprising:
- a base member for coupling with the tent fabric;
- two end members; and
- a top member, the base member, top member and end members being rigidly connected, wherein a cavity is formed by the members for attachment to the pole.
11. The clip of claim 10, the base member, two end members and top member being constructed as a monolithic element of common material bendable to accommodate engagement to, and disengagement from, the pole.
12. The clip of claim 10, the base member and top member having a length that is about two times larger than a width of the pole.
13. The clip of claim 10, the top member being adapted for gripping by human fingers.
14. The clip of claim 10 wherein a distance between the two end members is greater than 25 mm.
15. The clip of claim 10 wherein the base member, top member, and end members are configured with an attachment aspect ratio greater than 1.5:1.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 11, 2005
Publication Date: Jul 14, 2005
Inventor: Michael Scherer (Louisville, CO)
Application Number: 11/033,063