AU2021107147A4 - Shade tent - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provide a shade tent comprising a roof, a plurality of open walls covered by the roof, at least one of the walls being closable by a repositionable wall panel wherein the repositionable wall panel is positionable to close off one of the open walls, and removable and repositonable to close off another of the open walls as desired. 18 10 12 16 26 24 20- 14 20 22 Figure 1

Description

18 10 12

16

26

24 20-

14

22

Figure 1

Shade tent

Technical field

The present invention relates to shade tents used to provide shade to persons underneath. In embodiments, the shade tents are intended for use on e.g. the beach or near a swimming or wading pool and are referred to as a cabana or a beach cabana.

io Background

When the sun shines, people like to be able to relax and swim in the sunshine. The sun can be hot and in some countries is associated with a high UV factor, so typically people search for shade and relaxing spaces when outside. A shade tent can provide a shady space for people to rest under when there is sunshine. When a shade tent is used near a pool or on the beach or in a private garden it can be referred to as a cabana. A cabana structure typically has a roof and up to three closed walls with typically the open side(s) facing the beach, pool or features of the garden area to accommodate the view. The cabana structure usually has curtains, shade cloth or drapes covering at least some of the walls to "close" them off from the outside surrounding area. Once closed off, the walls can provide shade from sun, protection from the wind and or some privacy from surrounding people.

The cabana structure can be seasonal. In some instances, the cabana structure is permanent. Inside the cabana there can be day beds and other facilities usable by the person(s) when inside. A cabana structure can be temporary and portable. A beach cabana can be portable and assembled and disassembled while at the beach. These portable beach cabanas tend to be lightweight and easy to use. A portable beach cabana typically has one central strut and an umbrella like canopy with the open walls being formed between long fabric panels at each corner of the structure.

Given the prevalence and popularity of the cabana like shade tent there is a need for improvements to the structure; or structures that offer an alternative to what is already on the market. In Australia, any shade tent structure that increases the likelihood that a shade tent will be used (and used properly to provide shade from the sun) is desirable. Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Most skin cancers in Australia are caused by exposure to UV radiation in sunlight.

Summary of invention In a first aspect there is provided a shade tent comprising: a roof, io a plurality of open walls covered by the roof, at least one of the walls being closable by a repositionable wall panel, wherein the repositionable wall panel is positionable to close off one of the open walls, and removable and repositonable to close off another of the open walls as desired.

The shade tent according to the present invention can provide a structure by which the location of the wall of the structure can be changed according to the place where the shade tent is initially setup. The wall can be located to provide shade, protection from breeze/wind/rain or it can be to provide privacy. The wall can be repositioned as the requirements change for the structure possibly throughout the day as the sun moves, as the wind changes and or as persons relocate around the structure.

In embodiments, where the user is setting up the shade tent as a temporary structure, the user has the option of where to first position the repositionable wall. The user can position the repositionable wall at a location in the shade tent structure to block the most sun to optimise shade. It can be advantageous to have shade in the tent to stay cool and protected from the sun's rays. As the sun moves, the user can remove the repositionable wall then reposition it to continue to take advantage of the shading properties.

The user can position the repositionable wall at a location in the shade tent structure to block wind or breeze to optimise shelter from the elements. On a windy day, it can be advantageous to stop the wind from entering the structure so as to increase the internal temperature and or to prevent things from blowing around and away from the structure. If the wind changes, the user can reposition the wall to stop or reduce wind coming into the shade tent from another direction.

Alternatively, the user can position the repositionable wall to provide optimum privacy from persons or passers-by. As people move or circumstances change throughout the day, the repositionable wall can be moved to continue to optimise privacy.

The shade tent has a roof over the top of the structure. The roof can be a flat piece of material stretched over the top surface. The roof can be pitched to allow run-off of any water or debris that lands on the roof. The roof can have a skirt that depends around the edge of the top surface to provide a short banner covering around the side edge. The skirt can be about 10 to 20 cm in depth and can be used to display words or images.

When viewed from above the roof can have any shape including round, square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal. The roof can be supported by a central strut. A central strut can make the structure easy to assemble and disassemble. Alternatively, the roof can be supported by upright struts at corners of the structure. In embodiments, where the roof of the shade tent is substantially square, there can be four upright struts, one in each corner supporting the roof. An open wall can be defined between each upright strut. It should be understood that while the structure can be cuboidal with a square footprint, the roof need not necessarily be square and can instead have another shape, if required, provided that the roof covers the open walls of the structure. If the roof is square and there is a central strut, there need not be rigid upright struts at each corner of the roof. Instead, the fabric of the roof can be modified so as to provide long extensions that depend to the ground (or just above the ground) at each corner, thereby providing the appearance of four corner struts that are made from fabric.

The shade tent can have three open walls and would be seen from above as triangular shaped. Preferably, the shade tent has at least four open walls to maximise the internal space inside the structure. Optionally, there are five, six, seven, eight or more open walls. The shade tent can also be round when viewed from above. Each open wall can be defined as the open space between adjacent upright struts or between long extensions of fabric that extend substantially to the ground.

The edge part of the each of the open wall position can be configured to mate with the repositionable wall panel. The repositionable wall panel can be manufactured to be about the same size as the space defining the open wall. The repositionable wall panel can be manufactured to be slightly larger than the space defining the io open wall so that there is some overlap to provide additional shade/shelter.

In order to join the panel to the structure, the repositionable wall panel can be located in the open wall space, and mated with at least some of the edges of the space. The edges of the space can comprise the roof, the upright struts or the long extensions of fabric. The mating can be with the roof and or with any skirt part that is formed around the periphery of the roof. If the roof is reinforced with an internal structure such as beams, the mating can be with that internal structure.

The mating of the panel with the structure can be by any means that joins the repositionable wall to the structure. The mating can be by complementary zipper parts on the roof structure and the panel, by complementary hook and loop fastener, by press stud fasteners, by ties/hooks and eyes through which the ties/hooks can pass. In an embodiment, the repositionable wall panel is attached to the skirt of the roof by means of a zipper which can be fastened and unfastened. Once fastened along the top using the zipper, the panel can be rolled down to cover the open wall. the edges of the panel can be secured to the sides of the structure. The means of securing the panel to the sides of the open wall space can be the same as the means used at the top edge. Alternatively, a different securing mechanism is used at the side. In some embodiments, the panel can be secured at the sides using ties. By mating the removable wall to the sides of the structure, the wall panel could be 'partially lowered'. A fastener could be added located around the centre of the wall panel to'roll up'and keep the middle fabric of the panel from dropping when suspended in an unrolled or folded position.

The repositionable wall panel can be manufactured from a tough material such as polyester or nylon. In an embodiment, the material is manufactured from Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (RPET). The shade tent roof and wall material can be patterned or plain. The material can have inherent UV blocking properties due to the tight weave of the fabric and or the nature of the fabric threads. Alternatively, or in addition, there can be a UV coating associated with the material to ensure that there is reduced UV sunlight able to penetrate the structure. The UV coating can be to rate the material of the shelter to a UV protection factor of UPF50+. In some embodiments, the repositionable wall panel can be rolled up so that it does not io cover the whole opening. A part of the open wall can be covered by joining the panel at the top and then rolling down some of the panel to cover e.g. a third or half of the opening. In some embodiments, the repositionable wall panel comprises two or more layers of material. A first layer of material can be a first material that provides a first level of screening, a second layer can provide a second, optionally heavier material for blocking sunlight and or wind. There can be a third layer if required to provide different types of protection in different locations. The layers can be removable from one another for separate use, or they can be used together.

To set up the cabana, the user simply assembles the frame. The frame can be constructed using poles. In some embodiments, the frame forms a substantially rectangular structure. Alternatively, the frame is formed by an umbrella which is unfolded to the open portion and the strong metal or fibreglass ribs of the umbrella canopy provide the frame. The central arm or strut of the umbrella can be positioned into the ground. Parts of the shade tent at the corners extend down to the ground. Optionally, there can be sand pockets in each corner which can be filled with sand to hold the fabric of the shade tent in place. There can further be provided stakes for connecting the shade tent to the grass and or dirt of the ground.

In order to apply the repositionable wall panel, the user simply brings the panel into the required open wall space and attaches the panel using the mating mechanism. There can be one repositionable wall. There can be two repositionable wall panels. There can, in some embodiments, be three repositionable wall panels in structure with a square footprint to provide a shade tent with one open face like a cabana. When the user wants to change which of the walls are closed off, the repositionable wall panel can be detached by un-mating the mating mechanism. Once the repositionable wall panel is removed, it can be reattached at the new location. In some embodiments, if the mating system allows, one part of the wall panel to remain attached to the structure while the wall is pivoted around to another open wall space and reattached.

Brief Description of the Figures Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which are not drawn to scale and which are exemplary only and in which:

Figure 1 is a front plan view of an embodiment of the shade tent without the repositionable wall.

Figure 2 is a front plan view of the shade tent of Figure 1 with the repositionable wall panel.

Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention

As can be seen in Figure 1, the shade tent 10 has a roof 12 over the top of the structure. The roof 12 is a flat piece of material that is the stretched canopy of an umbrella having a shaft or strut 14. In order to set up shade tent 10, the user can push up the canopy 12 of the umbrella and lock it into position. When the user wishes to disassemble the shade tent 10, the locking mechanism holding the canopy 12 up can be released and the roof 12 can be collapsed. The roof 12 can be pitched from an apex 18 to allow run-off of any water or debris that lands on the roof in use. The roof can have a skirt 16 that depends around the edge of the top surface of the roof 12 to provide a short banner covering around the side edge. The skirt 16 can be about 10 to 20 cm (or more or less) in depth and can be used to display words or images.

When viewed from above, the roof 12 of the shade tent 10 of Figure 1 will have a square footprint. Each corner of the squared roof is associated with a length of fabric 20 that extends towards the ground 22. Each piece of fabric 20 can extend partway around the side of the shade tent 10. It should be understood that in Figure 1 only one side of the tent 10 is seen, so only the piece of fabric at that side can be seen. However, if the shade tent were to be rotated, the piece of fabric extending along the adjacent side of the tent 10 would also be seen. The fabric 20 is therefore a L-shape in cross-section. Each length of fabric 20 can provide the appearance of four corner struts (only two of which are seen in Figure 1).

io Each open wall 24 in the frame of the structure can be defined as the open space between long extensions of fabric 20 that extend substantially to the ground.

The edge part of the each of the open walls 24 can be configured to mate with a repositionable wall panel 28. The repositionable wall panel 28 as seen in Figure 2 can be located by mating a zipper part 26 along its upper edge 29 with the zipper part of the skirt 16 of the roof 12. The wall panel 28 is slightly larger than the space 24 defining the open wall so that fabric 20 is not seen. Once fastened along the top using the zipper 26, the panel 28 can be rolled down to cover the open wall 24. The edges of the panel can be secured to the sides of the structure.

To set up the cabana shade tent 10, the user simply assembles the frame by opening the umbrella part and then plants the strut 14 into the ground 22. The bottom parts of the elongate fabric extensions 22 can have therein sand pockets which can be filled with sand to hold the fabric of the shade tent 10 down towards the ground. In order to apply the repositionable wall panel 28 to the tent structure 10, the panel 28 is lifted into the open wall space and zipped into position. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, there can be seen one repositionable wall 28. There can be a panel 28 on two of the other of the open walls in the tent structure (not seen). When the user wants to change which of the walls 24 are closed off, the repositionable wall panel 28 can be detached by unzipping the zipper 26. Once the repositionable wall panel 28 is removed, it can be reattached at a new location by reapplying the zipper 26.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Any promises made in the present description should be understood to relate to some embodiments of the invention and are not intended to be promises made about the invention as a whole. Where there are promises that are deemed to apply to all embodiments of the invention, the applicant/patentee reserves the right to later delete them from the description and does not rely on these promises for the acceptance or subsequent grant of a patent in any country.

Claims (5)

1. A shade tent comprising: a roof, a plurality of open walls covered by the roof, at least one of the walls being closable by a repositionable wall panel, wherein the repositionable wall panel is positionable to close off one of the open walls, and removable and repositonable to close off another of the open walls as desired.

2. The shade tent of claim 1, wherein the roof is formed from canopy of an umbrella having a shaft that becomes the support for the shade tent and wherein the roof has a skirt around the peripheral edge.

3. The shade tent of any one of the preceding claims, wherein when viewed from above, the shade tent has a square footprint with 4 open walls.

4. The shade tent of any one of the preceding claims, wherein an edge part of each of the open walls is configured to mate with the repositionable wall panel by means of a zipper.

5. A kit of parts comprising a shade tent frame comprising a roof, a plurality of elongate fabric members extending downwardly from the roof towards the ground, the elongate fabric members defining a space between then that is an open wall, at least one repositionable wall panel mateable with the roof and or the elongate fabric members.

18 10 12

16

26

24 20

14

20

22

Figure 1

10 12 2021107147

16 29 26

28

22

Figure 2