Waterproof system for attaching an anchor member to a portion of a tent and related method
A system for providing an anchor member on a fabric portion of a tent, such as a tent body or a tent fly, includes an anchor member and an anchor patch sewn to at least a portion of the anchor member with threads. The anchor patch is laminated to the fabric portion of the tent without the threads extending through the fabric portion of the tent. A tent including such a system is also disclosed, as well as the method of providing the anchor member on the fabric portion of the tent.
Latest The North Face Apparel Corp. Patents:
The present invention relates generally to tents, and more specifically, to systems for anchoring a support member to a portion of a fabric sheet of a tent, and methods of forming such systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe large segment of society that enjoys outdoor camping seeks a tent construction that provides increased portability and durability under extreme weather conditions. Campers seek not only shelter from external elements of wind, rain or snow, but they also desire adequate ventilation within the internal environment of the tent. To meet these needs, the typical tent construction includes a fabric tent body that is supported by a plurality of poles, with the tent body commonly having one or more mesh windows or vents, and a door. In order to maximize both the tent's weather resistance and ventilation, tents also commonly include a tent fly. A tent fly is an additional layer of fabric that is attached to the tent body and/or tent poles, with an open space formed between the tent body and the tent fly to provide for ventilation. The tent fly forms the outermost layer of the tent, and thus it is important that the tent fly is impervious to wind, rain, snow or any other external elements.
Tent flys are commonly attached to the tent poles using anchors such as loops of hook-and-loop fastener material, or clips attached to a length of webbing. Regardless of the specific type of anchor used, the anchor must be attached directly to the tent fly. This is commonly done by sewing a portion of the anchor directly to the tent fly. Direct sewing creates thread holes through the tent fly which may allow rain, melted snow, or wind to penetrate the tent fly. To minimize the adverse effects of the thread holes, tent manufacturers commonly apply one or more layers of waterproof fabric, commonly referred to as “seam tape”, over the stitches. Providing seam tape over the stitches, however, does not always provide a sufficient barrier against the elements, especially in view of the high stresses that may be applied to the stitches in high wind conditions, which may cause the stitches to enlarge and/or tear the thread holes in the tent fly.
Thus, there remains a need in the art for a system that will permit stitchless, waterproof attachment of an anchor member to a tent fly or other portion of a tent. Additionally, such a system must maintain an adequate seal when the tent fly is subject to variable multi-axial load conditions, such as may be experienced during high winds. Finally, the system must be light weight, pliable, easily administered, strong, and must not unduly interfere with the transmission of light into the tent enclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a system for providing an anchor member on a fabric portion of a tent. The system includes an anchor member, and an anchor patch sewn to at least a portion of the anchor member with threads. The anchor patch is laminated to the fabric portion of the tent without the threads extending through the fabric portion of the tent. The anchor patch may be laminated to the fabric portion of the tent with an adhesive, such as a polyurethane-based or polyester-based adhesive, disposed between the anchor patch and the fabric portion of the tent.
According to one aspect of the invention, a reinforcement patch may be disposed between the anchor patch and the fabric portion of the tent, wherein the anchor member is sewn to the anchor patch with threads that extend through the anchor patch and the reinforcement patch. In addition, the reinforcement patch may be laminated to the anchor patch with a layer of polyurethane-based or polyester-based adhesive disposed between the anchor patch and the reinforcement patch. The reinforcement patch may be smaller than the anchor patch, and may also be in shapes that adequately distribute stress and allow proper surface area for bonding, such as, for example, ellipses, circles or the like.
According to another aspect of the invention, the anchor member may be provided on a fabric tent body or tent fly. The tent body or tent fly may be constructed of a material that is lightweight, pliable, waterproof and/or translucent.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the anchor patch may be laminated over a seam in the fabric portion of the tent, and a continuous layer of seam tape may extend along the seam and over or under the anchor patch.
The present invention is also directed to a method of attaching an anchor member to a tent. The method includes the steps of sewing the anchor member to an anchor patch, and laminating the anchor patch to a portion of the tent without creating any thread holes through the portion of the tent. For example, the step of laminating may include providing a layer of adhesive between the anchor patch and the portion of the tent, and heat welding the anchor patch and the portion of the tent together.
The method may also include the step of providing a reinforcement patch between the anchor patch and the portion of the tent, wherein the step of sewing the anchor member to the anchor patch comprises sewing through the anchor patch and the reinforcement patch. In addition, the reinforcement patch may be laminated to the anchor patch.
The detailed description will be better understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters represent like elements, as follows:
Referring to
Still referring to
Referring to
Referring now to
Still referring to
Anchor patch 40 may be constructed of 75 to 150 denier nylon or polyester oxford, or any other suitable material known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Reinforcement patch 46 may be constructed of 150 denier nylon or polyester oxford, which provides adequate pull out strength, or any other suitable fabric known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
As shown in
Referring to
A method of attaching the anchor member 30 to a portion of a tent is shown in
Once the anchor member 30 is attached to the anchor patch 40, the anchor patch 40 may be laminated to the tent fly 16, resulting in a stitchless attachment of the anchor member 30 to the tent fly 16. The anchor patch 40 may be heat welded to the tent fly 16 using a layer of adhesive 62, such as the adhesive described above. The adhesive 62 may be a separate strip provided between the tent fly 16 and the anchor patch 40, or may alternatively be pre-laminated to the tent fly 16 and/or the anchor patch 40. According to one embodiment of the invention, the anchor patch 40 may be heat welded to the tent fly using a pneumatic press at a temperature of between about 250° and 450° Fahrenheit at pressures between about 8 psi and 25 psi., for between five and thirty seconds. The pneumatic press may have pressing surfaces that are of substantially the same size and shape as the anchor patch 40. This allows the press to focus heat and pressure evenly over the entire surface of anchor patch 40, while at the same time dramatically reducing the area of the tent fly 16 surrounding the anchor patch 40 that is heat affected by the heat sealing process.
Still referring to
The anchor patch 40 and the reinforcement patch 46 may be heat welded together. For example, they may be heat welded together before the anchor member 30 is sewn to the anchor patch 40, or alternatively, they may be heat welded together at the same time that the anchor patch 40 is laminated to the tent fly 16. In this regard, all of the aforementioned heat welding steps may be performed in one single heat welding process, or alternatively, may be performed as separate discrete steps.
The method may also involve welding the anchor patch 40 directly over a seam 50 in the tent fly. In this instance, an additional layer of seam tape 54 may be applied over the seam 50 and across the anchor member 30 and the anchor patch 40. Alternatively, the seam tape 54 may be applied to the seam 50 first, and the anchor patch 40 may be welded over the seam 50 and seam tape 54, such that the seam tape 54 exists underneath the anchor patch 40. According to yet another embodiment, two separate lengths of seam tape 54 may be applied over the seam 50—one length on each side of the anchor patch 40—with no seam tape extending over or under the anchor patch 40 and anchor member 30.
Although the present invention has been described in the context of an anchor member for attaching a tent fly to a tent pole, the principles of the present invention are not limited to this specific application. Instead, the waterproof system and methods described herein may be used to provide any type of anchor, fixture, attachment member, or other accessory known in the art on a fabric portion of a tent such as a tent fly, tent body, or other part of a tent.
While the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that various additions, modifications and substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, and not limited to the foregoing description.
Claims
1. A tent fly comprising:
- a fabric portion configured and dimensioned to form an outermost layer of a tent spaced from a tent body;
- an anchor member; and
- an anchor patch sewn to at least a portion of the anchor member with threads and adhesively coupled to the fabric portion;
- wherein the anchor patch is laminated to the fabric portion without the threads extending through the fabric portion; and
- wherein the anchor member and anchor patch are discrete from one another;
- further comprising a reinforcement patch disposed between the anchor patch and the fabric portion, wherein the anchor member is sewn to the anchor patch with threads that extend through the anchor patch and the reinforcement patch.
2. The tent fly of claim 1, wherein the anchor patch is laminated to the fabric portion with a Layer of adhesive disposed between the anchor patch and the fabric portion.
3. The tent fly of claim 2, wherein the layer of adhesive is selected from one of the group consisting of polyurethane-based adhesive and polyester-based adhesive.
4. The tent fly of claim 3, wherein the layer of adhesive is pre-laminated onto at least one element selected from one of the group consisting of the anchor patch and the fabric portion.
5. The tent fly of claim 1, wherein the reinforced patch is laminated to the anchor patch with a layer of ashesive disposed between the anchor patch and the reinforced patch, and wherein the adhesive is selected from one of the group consisting of polyurethane-based adhesive and polyester-based adhesive.
6. The tent fly of claim 5, wherein at least one element selected from one of the group consisting of the reinforcement patch and the anchor patch is pre-laminated with the adhesive.
7. The tent fly of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement patch is smaller than the anchor patch.
8. The tent fly of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement patch is formed from a material selected from one of the group consisting of polyester oxford fabric and nylon oxford fabric.
9. The tent fly of claim 1, wherein the anchor patch is formed from a material selected from one of the group consisting of polyester oxford fabric and nylon oxford fabric.
10. The tent fly of claim 1, wherein the fabric portion is selected from one of the group consisting of a portion of a tent body and a tent fly.
11. The tent fly of claim 10, wherein the fabric portion is lightweight, pliable and waterproof.
12. The tent fly of claim 10, wherein the fabric portion is translucent.
13. The tent fly of claim 10, wherein the fabric portion comprises a coating selected from one of the group consisting of polyurethane and silicon.
14. The tent fly of claim 10, wherein the fabric portion is formed from a material selected from one of the group consisting of nylon and polyester.
15. The tent fly of claim 1, wherein the anchor member comprises a form selected from one of the group consisting of a loop of hook-and- loop fastener and a plastic clip.
16. The tent fly of claim 1, wherein the anchor patch is laminated over a seam in the fabric portion, and a continuous layer of seam tape extends along the seam and over or under the anchor patch.
17. A tent fly comprising:
- a fabric portion;
- an anchor member;
- an anchor patch sewn to at least a portion of the anchor member with threads and adhesively coupled to the fabric portion; and
- a reinforcement patch disposed between the anchor patch and the fabric portion;
- wherein the threads extend through the anchor patch and the reinforcement patch;
- wherein the anchor patch is laminated to the fabric portion without the threads extending through the fabric portion;
- wherein the anchor member and anchor patch are discrete from one another; and
- wherein at least one element selected from the group consisting of the anchor patch and the reinforcement patch defines an outer circumference having a shape selected from the group consisting of substantially elliptical and substantially circular.
18. A tent comprising:
- a plurality of poles;
- a tent body attachable to the poles to define a tent enclosure;
- a tent fly attachable to the poles in a spaced relationship to the tent body, the tent fly comprising a fabric portion configured and dimensioned to form an outermost layer of the tent; and
- an anchor member adapted and configured to attach the tent fly to the poles, wherein the anchor member is sewn to an anchor patch with threads, the anchor patch is adhesively coupled to the fabric portion, the anchor patch is laminated to the tent fly such that the threads do not extend through the tent fly, and the anchor member and anchor patch are discrete from one another;
- further comprising a reinforcement patch disposed between the anchor patch and the tent fly, wherein the anchor member is sewn to the anchor patch with threads extending through the anchor patch and the reinforcement patch.
19. The tent of claim 18, wherein the anchor patch is laminated to the tent fly with a layer of polyurethane-based adhesive disposed between the anchor patch and the tent fly.
20. The tent of claim 18, wherein the reinforcement patch is laminated to the anchor patch with a layer of adhesive disposed between the anchor patch and the reinforcement patch, and wherein the adhesive is selected from one of the group consisting of polyurethane-based adhesive and polyester-based adhesive.
21. The tent of claim 18, wherein the reinforcement patch is smaller than the anchor patch.
22. The tent of claim 18, wherein at least one element selected from one of the group consisting of the anchor patch and the reinforcement patch defines a outer circumference having a shape selected from one of the group consisting of substantially elliptical and substantially circular.
23. tent of claim 18, wherein the tent fly is constructed of a light weight, pliable, waterproof material.
24. The tent of claim 18, wherein the tent fly is constructed of a translucent material.
25. The tent of claim 18, wherein the tent fly comprises a coating selected from one of the group consisting of polyurethane and silicon.
26. The tent of claim 18, wherein the tent fly is formed from a material selected from one of the group consisting of polyester and nylon fabric.
27. The tent of claim 18, wherein the anchor member is selected from one of the group consisting of a hook-and-loop fastener material and a clip.
28. The tent of claim 18, wherein the anchor patch is laminated over a seam in the tent fly, and a continuous layer of seam tape extends along the seam and over or under the anchor patch.
1871570 | August 1932 | Weber |
2591829 | April 1952 | Katzenmeyer et al. |
2764765 | October 1956 | Woodruff, Sr. |
3162920 | December 1964 | Durham |
3225408 | December 1965 | Durham |
3496686 | February 1970 | Bird |
3598133 | August 1971 | Abert et al. |
3986519 | October 19, 1976 | Gillis |
4033366 | July 5, 1977 | Forget |
4265259 | May 5, 1981 | Gillis |
4305414 | December 15, 1981 | Bareis |
4308647 | January 5, 1982 | Gillis |
4530868 | July 23, 1985 | Shinmi et al. |
4539255 | September 3, 1985 | Sato et al. |
4569870 | February 11, 1986 | Shinmi |
4768317 | September 6, 1988 | Markham |
4858635 | August 22, 1989 | Eppenbach |
5152018 | October 6, 1992 | Lea |
5205086 | April 27, 1993 | Heim |
5240756 | August 31, 1993 | Finell et al. |
5421355 | June 6, 1995 | Cantwell |
5606986 | March 4, 1997 | Muise |
5638850 | June 17, 1997 | Hazinski et al. |
5642750 | July 1, 1997 | Brown et al. |
5655558 | August 12, 1997 | Child |
5771912 | June 30, 1998 | Swetish |
5778915 | July 14, 1998 | Zheng |
6021796 | February 8, 2000 | Vavra |
6209557 | April 3, 2001 | Zheng |
6219888 | April 24, 2001 | Lynch |
6227218 | May 8, 2001 | Breaux |
6263617 | July 24, 2001 | Turcot et al. |
6279208 | August 28, 2001 | Gillis |
6474022 | November 5, 2002 | Double et al. |
6497934 | December 24, 2002 | Mahn et al. |
6499497 | December 31, 2002 | Swetish et al. |
6681785 | January 27, 2004 | Choi |
20010010232 | August 2, 2001 | Zheng |
20020020439 | February 21, 2002 | Tate |
20040173251 | September 9, 2004 | Cantwell |
2254623 | October 1992 | GB |
WO 03/033796 | April 2003 | WO |
Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 21, 2003
Date of Patent: Feb 3, 2009
Patent Publication Number: 20030178055
Assignee: The North Face Apparel Corp. (Wilmington, DE)
Inventors: Thomas Laakso (Piedmont, CA), Kye-Sun Choi (Yongin-si)
Primary Examiner: A. Joseph Wujciak, III
Attorney: Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Application Number: 10/369,770
International Classification: E04H 15/64 (20060101);