TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED INFLATABLE TENT

Abstract

A temperature controlled inflatable tent is provided. The tent includes a base and one or more sidewalls forming an interior volume. The base and the one or more sidewalls each include a first layer and a second layer forming an enclosed interior volume disposed therebetween, wherein the interior volume retains air. A valve is in fluid communication with the interior volume of each the base and the one or more sidewalls. A first sidewall includes an opening having an inflatable door, wherein the door is removably secured to a perimeter of the opening via a fastener. A panel is disposed within the interior volume of the base, wherein the panel includes a heating and cooling element that is operably connected to a power source and a thermostat. The thermostat selectively actuates the heating and cooling element, such that an internal temperature of the tent can be set by a user.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/530,509 filed on Jul. 10, 2017. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to tents for camping. More specifically, the present invention provides a temperature controlled inflatable tent for outdoor camping.

Many people enjoy camping during various times of the year. During the summer months, sleeping in a tent may be uncomfortable due to the excessive heat. Conversely, during the fall and winter months, sleeping in a tent may be difficult when subjected to freezing temperatures. Furthermore, many campers have trouble when erecting a standard tent because of the multitude of parts. Therefore, a temperature controlled inflatable tent including inflatable walls for providing an insulation barrier and a thermostat operably coupled to a heating and cooling element for regulating the temperature inside of the tent is needed.

Devices have been disclosed in the known art that relate to tents. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to tents used for camping or outdoor events. Many of these devices include various styles of frames for supporting the walls of the tent. Some tents include an inflatable frame structure. Other tents include removable walls or modules that can be rearranged.

These known art devices have several known drawbacks. These devices fail to include inflatable sidewalls that insulate the tent housing. Further, these devices lack an internal heating and cooling element disposed within the base that controls the internal temperature of the tent housing. Lastly, these devices fail to include a thermostat that can selectively control the internal temperature of the tent.

In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing tent devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of tents now present in the known art, the present invention provides a new temperature controlled inflatable tent wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when regulating an internal temperature of an inflatable tent while camping.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved temperature controlled inflatable tent that has all of the advantages of the known art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a temperature controlled inflatable tent including a base and one or more sidewalls forming an interior volume. The base and the one or more sidewalls each include a first layer and a second layer forming an enclosed interior volume disposed therebetween, wherein the interior volume retains air. A valve is in fluid communication with the interior volume of each the base and the one or more sidewalls. A first sidewall includes an opening having an inflatable door, wherein the door is removably secured to a perimeter of the opening via a fastener. A panel is disposed within the interior volume of the base, wherein the panel includes a heating and cooling element that is operably connected to a power source and a thermostat. The thermostat selectively actuates the heating and cooling element, such that an internal temperature of the tent can be set by a user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a temperature controlled inflatable tent that may be readily fabricated from materials that permit relative economy and are commensurate with durability.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the temperature controlled inflatable tent.

FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the temperature controlled inflatable tent taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a phantom view of an embodiment of the heating and cooling element of the temperature controlled inflatable tent.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the temperature controlled inflatable tent, wherein a hand pump is attached to the valve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the temperature controlled inflatable tent. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for regulating an internal temperature of the temperature controlled inflatable tent while camping. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the temperature controlled inflatable tent. The temperature controlled inflatable tent 11 comprises a base 12 and one or more sidewalls 13 forming an interior volume. In the illustrated embodiment, the temperature controlled inflatable tent 11 includes four sidewalls 13. However, any suitable number of sidewalls 13 may be utilized. A first sidewall 13A of the one or more sidewalls 13 includes an opening 14 having an inflatable door 15 attached thereto. The inflatable door 15 is configured to removably secure to a perimeter 17 of the opening 14 via a fastener 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener 16 is a zipper. However, any suitable fastener configured to close the space between the perimeter 17 of the opening 14 and the door 15 may be used.

In the illustrated embodiment, the temperature controlled inflatable tent 11 further includes one or more adjustable poles 18 removably secured to an outer surface 19 of the one or more sidewalls 13. The adjustable poles 18 are configured to add stability to the one or more sidewalls 13 of the temperature controlled inflatable tent 11 when the tent is fully inflated. In this way, the adjustable poles 18 prevent the tent from collapsing or moving resulting from significant wind or weather. Further the adjustable poles 18 may be utilized to hold the one or more sidewalls 13 of the tent while inflating. In some embodiments, the tent 11 further includes a plurality of stakes, configured to secure the tent to a ground.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the temperature controlled inflatable tent taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1. The base 12 and the one or more sidewalls 13 of the temperature controlled inflatable tent 11 each include a first layer 20 and a second layer 21 having an enclosed interior volume 23 disposed therebetween. The first layer 20 and the second layer 21 are constructed of a non-permeable material, such as neoprene, configured to retain air therebetween. A valve 22 is disposed on the one or more sidewalls 13, wherein the valve 22 is in fluid communication with the interior volume 23 between the first 20 and second layer 21 of both the base 12 and the one or more sidewalls 13. In this way, air can be received through the valve 22 via a pump, such that the one or more sidewalls 13 and the base 12 inflate. When inflated, the air retained in the interior volume 23 in conjunction with the first layer 20 and second layer 21 act as an insulated barrier from the external air temperature outside the temperature controlled inflatable tent 11.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a phantom view of an embodiment of the heating and cooling element of the temperature controlled inflatable tent. The temperature controlled inflatable tent 11 further includes a panel 24 disposed within the interior volume of the base, wherein the panel 24 includes a heating and cooling element 29 therein. The heating and cooling element 29 is configured to control the internal temperature of the tent 11. The panel 24 is operable connected to a power source 25 that supplies power to the heating and cooling element 29. The power source 25 may be any suitable power source, such as, a rechargeable battery, solar panel, or electrical cord.

The panel 24 further includes a thermostat 26 that is operably connected thereto, wherein the thermostat 26 selectively actuates the heating and cooling element 29. In the illustrated embodiment, the thermostat 26 is a digital thermostat comprising a digital screen 27 and a control panel 28. The control panel 28 is configured to allow a user to set the internal temperature of the tent. Further, the thermostat 26 may include a timer to automatically activate or deactivate the heating and cooling element 29. In the illustrated embodiment, the heating and cooling element 29 is disposed in a serpentine pattern to optimally heat or cool the surface area of the base. However, any suitable pattern may be used.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the temperature controlled inflatable tent, wherein a hand pump is attached to the valve. In use, a user 30 inflates the temperature controlled inflatable tent 11 by attaching an air pump 31 to the valve disposed on the tent 11. The air pump 31 can be any suitable air pump, such as a hand pump or motorized pump. In the illustrated embodiment, the user 30 can utilize the adjustable poles 18 by attaching the poles to the outer surface of the tent 11 to provide additional stability to the tent. Once the tent 11 is erected, the user 30 selects a desired temperature via the thermostat which will actuate the internal heating and cooling element. In this way, the heating and cooling element allows the user to warm the tent 11 during low temperatures and cool the tent during high temperatures, thereby providing a comfortable sleeping environment while camping.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1) A temperature controlled inflatable tent, comprising:

a housing having a base and one or more sidewalls forming an interior volume;

wherein each the base and the one or more sidewalls include a first layer and a second layer having an enclosed interior volume disposed therebetween, wherein the first layer and the second layer are configured to retain air therebetween;

wherein a first sidewall of the one or more sidewalls includes an opening having an inflatable door thereon, wherein the inflatable door is removable secured to a perimeter of the opening via a fastener;

a panel disposed within the enclosed interior volume of the base, wherein the panel includes a heating and cooling element;

a thermostat operably connected to the panel, wherein the thermostat selectively actuates the heating and cooling element;

a valve in fluid communication with the enclosed interior volume of each the base and the one or more sidewalls, wherein the valve is configured to receive air therethrough;

a power source operably connected to the panel;

2) The temperature controlled inflatable tent of claim 1, wherein one or more adjustable poles are secured to an outer surface of the sidewall.

3) The temperature controlled inflatable tent of claim 1, wherein the first layer and the second layer are constructed of a non-permeable material.

4) The temperature controlled inflatable tent of claim 3, wherein the non-permeable material is neoprene.

5) The temperature controlled inflatable tent of claim 1, wherein the thermostat is a digital thermostat having a digital screen and a control panel.

6) The temperature controlled inflatable tent of claim 5, wherein the thermostat includes a timer.

7) The temperature controlled inflatable tent of claim 1, wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery.

8) The temperature controlled inflatable tent of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a zipper.