FR3106354A1 - FOLDING BARN TYPE FOLDING SHELTER - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a collapsible shelter (1) of the folding arbor type comprising a rigid structure (2) supporting a flexible roof envelope (3) characterized in that the structure (2) comprises a central mast (4) mounted on a plate central (5), at least four arms (6) articulated on the one hand at their lower ends on said central plate (5) and connected on the other hand, in an intermediate zone of the arms (6), to a slide (7) ) movable along the mast (4) by means of at least four respective tie rods (8) combining the rotation of the arms (6) with the displacement of the slider (7), the mast (4) being at its upper end adjusted on the top of the roof envelope (3) while the arms (6) support by their outer ends peripheral corners of the roof envelope (3), the arms (6) being pivotable firstly between a folded down position along the mast (4) and a radially semi-deployed position around the mast (4), in which the arms (6) are seated held at their outer ends by respective corner posts (9) resting on the ground, the arms (6) and the associated posts (9) forming an M, then between the semi-deployed position and a radially deployed position around the mat (4) in a plane substantially perpendicular to the mat (4), this deployment being ensured by the relative displacement between the slider (7) and the central mast (4). Abstract figure: Figure 1

Description

FOLDING arbor-TYPE SHELTER

The present invention relates to the field of collapsible and transportable shelters of the folding arbor type, also referred to as arbors or barnums.

Prior techniques

Known conventional shelters have square or rectangular shapes seen from above. These shelters include a flexible roof supported by a metal structure. The latter traditionally comprises vertical posts in the corners, connected two by two in their upper part by a first series of scissor-jointed rules and forming the sides of the square or rectangle. A central mast is supported in the center of the shelter by a second series of internal rules also articulated in scissors, connected to the first series of rules in the corners of the square or rectangle, or in the middle of the sides. These rules and scissor joints form pantographs whose configuration can be modified manually, so as to deploy the shelter for its use, or to fold it up for storage or transport.

This type of shelter is particularly appreciated for its transportability. However, its metal structure includes many parts to be assembled, in particular the rules and joints and involves labor time, which increases the cost of manufacture. The weight and volume of the components are also penalizing for the supply and the manufacturing. The presence of these many parts increases the risk of breakage or degradation during use. This known type of shelter has a major drawback: deployment and folding require the intervention of two people. These operations are long and tedious for a single person who can only act directly on one pole at a time during deployment.

The object of the present invention is to provide a folding arbor type shelter which overcomes the above drawbacks by its original structure.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a collapsible shelter of the collapsible gazebo type comprising a rigid structure supporting a flexible roof envelope, characterized in that the structure comprises
a central mast mounted on a central plate,
at least four arms articulated at their lower ends on said central plate and connected in an intermediate zone of the arms, to a slider that can be moved along the mast by means of at least four respective tie rods combining the rotation of the arms with the movement of the slider , the arms being arranged in pairs symmetrically on either side of the central mast so as to pivot in the same vertical plane,
the mast being at its upper end fitted on the top of the roof casing while the arms support by their outer ends peripheral angles of the roof casing, the arms being pivotable
- on the one hand between a folded position along the mast and a semi-extended position radially around the mast, in which the arms are supported at their outer ends by respective corner posts resting on the ground, the pivoting of the arms up to the semi-deployed position being ensured by manually lowering the slider along the mast, the latter being held plumb while the central plate is resting on the ground, the arms arranged symmetrically on either side of the central mast having with the associated posts the general shape of an M, when said arms are in the semi-deployed position,
- on the other hand between the semi-deployed position and a radially deployed position around the mat in a plane substantially perpendicular to the mat, this movement being ensured by manually raising the mat relative to the slider.

Thus the shelter has a considerably simplified structure, using a reduced number of parts compared to known shelters. The manufacturing costs are therefore greatly reduced. The installation kinematics is greatly improved since a single person can easily deploy or fold the shelter by acting directly on elements located in the center of the shelter. The structure remains balanced at every stage of deployment. The structure of the shelter perfectly meets the robustness and lightness requirements expected for this type of equipment.

Other advantageous characteristics of the invention are defined below.

The corner posts are hinged to the outer ends of the respective arms via corner connectors, between a folded position along the arm and a position substantially perpendicular to the arm, the corner posts resting on the ground forming with the arms in the half-deployed position an angle of between 45° and 90° and more particularly an angle of between 60° and 90°.

The corner posts are telescopically extendable and configurable selectively in extended mode corresponding to a classic height of the shelter, or in reduced mode corresponding to a lower height, in which they are arranged when they rest on the ground and support arms in semi-deployed position.

Each arm comprises an intermediate connector to which a respective tie rod is articulated, the ratio of the lengths measured along the longitudinal direction of the arm between, on the one hand, the articulation of the arm on the central plate and the intermediate connector and, on the other hand, the articulation of the arm on the central plate and the corner connector is between 1/5 and 1/2, this ratio being in particular between 1/4 and 1/3.

The slider has the general shape of a sleeve provided with a lower base to which the tie rods connected to the arms are hinged, the sleeve comprising an upper collar defining between the collar and the base a gripping zone forming a handle for manipulating the structure.

The slider comprises a locking trigger tilting between a locking position in which a finger controlled by the trigger is automatically inserted, under the influence of return means, into one of the locking orifices provided along the mat, and an unlocking position in which pressure on the trigger opposing the action of the return means releases the finger from the locking orifice, allowing movement of the slider along the mat.

Each corner post is hinged to a corner connector attached to the outer end of a corresponding arm, an upper portion of the corner post forming a lever arm protruding above the hinge and being secured to traction means generating on the corner post a rotary moment around the joint to the position substantially perpendicular to the arm.

The traction means are constituted by the roof casing, the peripheral angles of which are threaded onto the upper parts of the corner posts, the roof casing applying a tensile force on said upper parts by stretching during the pivoting of the arms to the extended position.

The pulling means consist of a spring actuator or cylinder interposed between the corner connector and the upper part, so as to apply a pulling force on the latter. Two springs can be used. Alternatively, a rubber band system can be used.

Each corner connector comprises a strut articulated on the very body of the connector, while the corner post articulated on the corner connector comprises a locking pin cooperating by sliding in a corresponding slot of the strut, the strut being movable under the influence of the pawn moving in the light, between on the one hand a retracted position against the arm when the corner post is in the folded down position along the arm and on the other hand a reinforcement position in which the strut forms an angle of substantially 30° with respect to the corner post when the latter is substantially perpendicular to the arm, a manually reversible locking device being provided to lock the pin at the end of its travel when the strut is tilted at 30°.

Each arm consists of two half-arms fitting into each other telescopically, an inner half-arm located on the side of the central plate being slidably mounted in an outer half-arm, the latter extending between the corner connector and the intermediate connector, the intermediate connector further comprising a locking pin capable of preventing relative sliding between the half-arms when the arm is in its maximum length.

The invention also relates to a method for installing a collapsible shelter of the folding gazebo type having all or part of the preceding characteristics, the arms being initially in the folded-down position along the mast, the method comprising the following successive steps:
- Maintenance of the mast following a substantially vertical plumb while the central plate is resting on the ground
- Unlocking of the slide allowing it to move along the mast
- Lowering of the slider along the mast by manually moving one of the arms away from the central mast to initiate its pivoting, the arms being pivoted from the folded down position along the mast to the semi-deployed position, in which the arms are supported at their outer ends by the respective corner posts in reduced mode resting on the ground, the arms arranged symmetrically on either side of the mast having, with the associated posts, the general shape of an M
- Raising of the mast and the central plate relative to the slider, this relative movement causing the pivoting of the arms from the semi-deployed position to the deployed position, in which the arms are held by an automatic and reversible locking of the slider by relation to matt.

According to other characteristics of the invention, the method comprises a following preliminary step:
- Lengthening of the arms by telescopic means from a reduced configuration to an elongated configuration in which they are held by an automatic and reversible locking mechanism.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of a non-limiting example of the invention, and in the light of the appended drawings.

is a perspective view of a shelter according to the invention in the deployed position, the roof casing and the lower parts of the posts being shown in dotted lines.

is a side view of the shelter of Figure 1, along the arrow F.

is a perspective view of the central plate and adjacent elements of the shelter of Figure 1.

is another perspective view of the central plate and adjacent elements of the shelter of Figure 1.

is a perspective view of the slider and adjacent elements of the shelter of Figure 1.

is a perspective view of the slider of the shelter of Figure 1.

is a top view of the slider of Figure 6.

is a view of a vertical section of the slider of Figure 6, taken along section line AA of Figure 7.

is a perspective view of a corner connector of the shelter of Figure 1, connecting an arm to its corner post.

is a view of a vertical section of the connector of Figure 9 and adjacent elements.

is a perspective view of another embodiment of a corner connector connecting an arm to its corner post, with the post in the folded position against the arm.

is a perspective view of the corner connector of Figure 11 with the post partially extended relative to the arm.

is a perspective view of the corner connector of FIG. 11, the post being fully extended with respect to the arm, forming a right angle with the latter.

is a perspective view of an intermediate connector of the shelter of FIG. 1, connecting an arm to the associated tie rod.

is a perspective view of the structure of the shelter of Figure 1 in the folded configuration for storage and transport.

is a perspective view of the structure of the shelter of FIG. 1, the arms being extended in a preparatory phase for the deployment of the arms.

is a perspective view of the structure of the shelter of Figure 1, the arms being slightly spaced from the central mast while pivoting with respect to the central plate, in an intermediate position between the folded position along the mast and the half position -deployed.

is a perspective view of the structure of the shelter of FIG. 1, the arms being supported in the semi-deployed position by the corner posts, forming with the latter an M arranged symmetrically with respect to the central mast.

schematically represents the geometric shape of a half M of the structure in the semi-deployed position.

is a perspective view of the structure of the shelter of FIG. 1, the arms being pivoted into an intermediate position between the semi-deployed position and the deployed position when the central plate is raised.

is another perspective view of the structure of the shelter of FIG. 1, the arms being pivoted into another intermediate position between the semi-deployed position and the deployed position when the central plate is raised.

shows a perspective view of the structure of the shelter of Figure 1, the arms being in the deployed position in a substantially horizontal plane.

shows a perspective view of the structure of the shelter of Figure 1, the arms also being in the deployed position in a substantially horizontal plane, while the corner posts are partially extended by telescopic means.

is an enlarged view of the central plate and the adjacent elements of the shelter of FIG. 1, the arms being in the folded-down position against the central mast and in a reduced storage configuration.

The expression "substantially" means that a slight deviation is allowed within the scope of the invention with respect to a determined nominal value. For example, "substantially vertical" means that an inclination of the order of 10° relative to a strictly vertical direction is allowed within the scope of the invention.
General presentation of the shelter according to the invention.

There is shown in Figure 1 a shelter 1 according to the invention in a fully deployed configuration. This comprises a structure 2 made up of metal sections interconnected by connectors making it possible to fold up and deploy the shelter 1 according to a particular kinematics specific to the invention. The structure 2 supports in its upper part a flexible roof envelope 3 typically made of textile and/or plastic material, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 is deployed. For the clarity of the illustrations, the roof envelope 3 is not shown in the other figures but it is understood that the latter remains present on the structure 2 and follows the kinematics making it possible to pass from the folded shelter to the shelter. deployed and vice versa. It is therefore not necessary to remove the roof casing 3 to manipulate the structure.

The example shown in the figures relates to a shelter 1 forming a square seen from above, the sides of which have a length of the order of 3 meters. The invention is however not limited to this example and relates to shelters whose shape or dimensions differ in other embodiments not shown, for example a shelter of more than 3 meters per side, or of rectangular shape, or comprising a number of arms greater than 4.

FIG. 2 represents another view of the structure 2 of the shelter according to the invention, along the arrow F of FIG. 1. This view illustrates the proportions of the structure 2. Examples of dimensions according to indicated in the description below After.

The structure 2 comprises a central mast 4 mounted on a central plate 5 (FIGS. 1 to 4).

Four arms 6 are articulated on the one hand at their lower ends on said central plate 5 and are connected on the other hand, in an intermediate zone of the arms 6, to a slider 7 (FIGS. 1, 2) movable along the mast 4 above the central plate 5. The arms 6 are connected to the slider 7 via four respective tie rods 8 combining the rotation of the arms 6 with the movement of the slider 7 (FIG. 5). The connection of the arms 6 to the same slider 7 ensures a synchronized deployment of the arms 6 with respect to the central plate 5.

The arms 6 pivot in planes arranged radially around the central mast 4 and passing through the latter. In the example shown, the radial deployment planes of the arms 6 are regularly distributed around the central mast 4, that is to say they form the same angle seen from above between two adjacent arms 6.

The arms 6 are of the same length and constitute the semi-diagonals of the square shape seen from above the shelter 1.

The arms 6 are arranged in pairs symmetrically on either side of the central mast so as to pivot in the same vertical plane.

The arrangement of the arms 6 aims to ensure perfect balancing of the masses around the central mast 4 during the deployment of the arms 6, the mast 4 being held vertically.

The mast 4 is at its upper end adjusted on the top of the roof casing 3. The arms 6 support by their outer ends peripheral angles of the roof casing 3. The ends of the arms 6 are called “outer ends”. which are remote from the central plate 5. The lower ends of the arms 6 being articulated on the central plate 5, they are therefore located on the inside in the case of the invention.

The deployment of the structure 2 takes place by extending the elements and by pivoting the arms 6. The sequence of deployment of the arms by pivoting around the central plate 5 is carried out in two successive phases.

In a first phase, the arms 6 first pivot between a folded position along the mast 4 (illustrated in Figure 16) and a semi-extended position radially around the mast 4 (illustrated in Figures 18 and 19), in which the arms 6 are supported at their outer ends by respective corner posts 9 resting on the ground. The pivoting of the arms 6 to the semi-deployed position is ensured by manually lowering the slider 7 along the mast 4. The mast 4 is held plumb vertically while the central plate 5 is resting on the ground. An intermediate position between the folded position and the semi-deployed position is illustrated in FIG. 17, where the arms 6 are slightly separated from the central mast 4 to initiate deployment. To do this, one of the arms 6 is moved away manually from the central mast 4. The semi-deployed position of the arms 6 is remarkable in that the arms 6 arranged symmetrically on either side of the central mast 4 present with the posts 9 associates the general shape of an M. The shape of this M is illustrated in dotted line in Figure 18. We therefore identify in the illustrated example two pairs of symmetrical arms 6 each forming an M with the corner posts 9 correspondents.

In a second phase, the arms 6 pivot between the semi-deployed position (FIG. 18) and a radially deployed position around the mast in a plane substantially perpendicular to the mast (illustrated in FIG. 22). This movement between the semi-deployed position and the deployed position is ensured by manually raising the mast 4 and the central plate 5 with respect to the slider 7. In this phase, the central plate 5 is therefore raised and leaves the ground. Intermediate positions between the semi-deployed position and the deployed position are shown successively in Figures 20 and 21.

Corner posts.

During this sequence illustrated by figures 16 to 22, the corner posts 9 are held in a reduced length compared to their conventional length corresponding to the normal height of the shelter 1.

The corner posts 9 are extendable telescopically and selectively configurable in elongated mode corresponding to a classic height of the shelter 1, as shown in Figure 1, or in reduced mode corresponding to a lower height, in which they are arranged when they rest on the ground and support the arms 6 in the semi-deployed position. As seen in Figure 1, the corner posts typically consist of three sections 91, 92, 93, the lower section 91 sliding telescopically in the middle section 92 which itself slides in the upper section 93.

The post 9 in reduced mode corresponds to a maximum insertion of the lower 91 and middle 92 sections into the middle 92 and upper 93 sections. The length of the corner posts 9 in reduced mode corresponds substantially to 1/3 of the length of the posts in elongated mode.

Pin locking means are provided at the lower ends of the middle 92 and upper 93 sections to prevent the lower 91 and middle 92 sections from sliding, both when the post 9 is in extended mode and in reduced mode.

It is noted that the M-shape of the arms 6 in the semi-deployed position supported by the corner posts 9 in reduced mode provides balance and stability to the structure 2 in an intermediate stage of the deployment. The posts 9 provide support for the arms 6 and are distributed around the central mast 4 with a wheelbase ensuring this stability.

Referring to Figure 19, the corner posts 9 resting on the ground form with the arms 6 in the half-deployed position an angle a of between 45° and 90° and more particularly an angle a of between 60° and 90 °. The angle b between the arms 6 and the horizontal plane is of the order of 30°. Two variant embodiments are presented below concerning the angle a and the connection between the arms 6 and the corner posts 9.

Corner connectors.

The corner posts 9 are articulated to the outer ends of the respective arms 6 via corner connectors 10, 11, between on the one hand a folded position along the arm 6 (figure 16), which also corresponds to the folded position of the arm 6 along the central mast 4 and on the other hand a position substantially perpendicular to the arm 6, which corresponds at least to the deployed position of the arm 6 (FIG. 22).

In a first variant embodiment visible in Figures 1,2, 9 and 10, each corner post 9 is articulated on a corner connector 10 fixed to the outer end of a corresponding arm 6, an upper part 94 of the corner post 9 forming a lever arm protruding above the joint 12 ensuring the connection between the post 9 and the corner connector 10. This upper part 94 is subject to traction means generating on the post of angle 9 a rotary moment around the joint 12 up to the position substantially perpendicular to the arm 9. In this variant, the traction means are advantageously constituted by the roof casing 3 whose peripheral angles are shod on the upper parts 94 of the corner posts 9. The roof casing 3 indeed applies a tensile force on said upper parts 94 by stretching during the pivoting of the arms 6 towards the deployed position. In this variant, the roof envelope 3 is therefore used to assist the rotation of the corner posts 9 to the position substantially perpendicular to the arms 6, simultaneously with the pivoting of the arms 6 to their deployed position. In this variant, the effect of gravity is also used to arrange the corner posts 9 substantially vertically during the pivoting of the arms 6 towards the deployed position. The rotation of the corner posts 9 with respect to the arms 6 takes place simultaneously with the pivoting of the arms 6 towards the deployed position. In this first variant, the angle a between the arm 6 and the corner post 9 is of the order of 60° when the arm is in the semi-deployed position (figure 19). The influence of the roof casing 3 on the upper part 94 of the post 9 to ensure the perpendicularity of the posts 9 is decisive when the arms 6 approach the deployed position. This influence is exerted under the tension experienced by the roof casing 3, and more particularly the upper edges 31 (FIG. 1) when the outer ends of the arms 6 reach their farthest point from the mat 4 and stretch the angles of the roof. .

A second alternative embodiment of the corner connectors is visible in Figures 11 to 13. In this case, each corner post 9 is articulated on a corner connector 11 fixed to the outer end of a corresponding arm 6. An upper part 94 of the corner post 9 forming a lever arm also protrudes above the joint 12 ensuring the connection between the post 9 and the corner connector 11. This upper part 94 is subject to traction means also generating on the corner post 9 a rotary moment around the joint 12 up to the position substantially perpendicular to the arm 9.

In this variant embodiment, the corner connector 11 forms a box containing the traction means. These consist of a spring or cylinder actuator 13 interposed between the corner connector 11 and the upper part 94 of the post 9, so as to apply a tensile force on the latter. A system with several springs can be provided. In this second variant, the traction means ensure rotation of the corner posts 9 substantially at right angles relative to the arm 6 from the start of the pivoting of the arms 6 relative to the central plate 5. Indeed, when the arms 6 are in the folded-down position against the central mast 4 (FIG. 16), a strap 32 surrounds the arms 6 as well as the corner posts 9 so as to hold them in the folded-down position against the central mast 4. Removing the strap 32 releases the corner posts 9 which are then arranged perpendicular to the arms 6 under the influence of the traction means mentioned above. In this second variant, the angle a between the arm 6 and the corner post 9 is of the order of 90° when the arm 6 is in the semi-deployed position (figure 19). The spacing of the posts 9 with respect to the central mast 4 creates a distribution of the masses and the rotating moments on the arms 6 which facilitates the pivoting of the arms 6 towards the semi-deployed position, then towards the deployed position.

Referring to Figure 9 and Figures 11 to 13, each corner connector 10, 11 comprises a strut 14 hinged to the very body of the corner connector 10, 11. The corner post 9 hinged to the corner connector 10, 11 comprises a locking pin 15 cooperating by sliding in a corresponding slot 16 of the strut 14. The strut 14 is movable, under the influence of the pin 15 moving in the slot 16, between on the one hand a retracted position against the arm 6 when the corner post 9 is in the folded position along the arm 6 (FIG. 11) and on the other hand a reinforcement position in which the strut 14 forms an angle of substantially 30° with respect to the corner post 9 when the latter is substantially perpendicular to the arm 6 (FIG. 13) . FIG. 12 illustrates an intermediate position of the post 9 with respect to the arm 6. A manually reversible locking device is provided to lock the pin 15 at the end of its travel in the slot 16 when the strut 14 is inclined at 30°. This automatic blocking device is of a classic design. The blocking is effected by lateral offset of the free end of the strut 14. This end tends to move away laterally from the corner post 9 when the strut 14 pivots towards its position at 30° relative to the corner post 9. This spacing is produced under the influence of an inclined sliding plane on the corner connector. The strut 9 therefore tends to leave the pin 15 which is retained by a protruding head. The slot 16 has at the end of its travel a flared opening 17 into which the protruding head of the pin 15 is partially inserted. insertion prevents the pin 15 from sliding in the opposite direction in the slot 16 which is too narrow for the protruding head of the pin 15. The locking of the corner posts 9 relative to the arms 6 is carried out automatically by the strut 14 when the traction means defined above ensure the perpendicularity between the corner posts 9 and the arms 6 after the pivoting of the arms 6. During deployment, the user therefore only has to worry about the complete pivoting of the arms 6 in the deployed position. To fold the corner post 9 against the arm 6, it is necessary to manually push the free end of the strut 14 in the direction of the corner post 9 to release the head of the pin 15 screw- vis-a-vis the opening 17, which allows the pin 15 to engage again in the slot 16. This action simultaneously retracts the strut 14 by aligning it along the corner post 9 (Figures 11 , 12 and 13).

Intermediate connectors.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 14, each arm 6 comprises an intermediate connector 18 to which a respective tie rod 8 is articulated. The ratio of the lengths measured along the longitudinal direction of the arm 6 between on the one hand the articulation of the arm 6 on the central plate 5 and the intermediate connector 18 and on the other hand the articulation of the arm 6 on the central plate 5 and the angle connector 18 is between 1/5 and 1/2. In the example illustrated, the intermediate connector 18 is located approximately 1/3 of the total length of the arm measured from the central plate 5. It is noted that the position of the intermediate connector 18 on the arm 6 ensures a greater distribution of the masses of the external side of the intermediate connector 18, by the presence of the corner posts 9 and of the arm portion located on this external side of the intermediate connectors 18. By the effect of gravity, this distribution of the masses favors the tilting of the arms 6 around intermediate connectors 18 to the deployed position and therefore assists the user when deploying the structure 2.

The angle c formed between each tie rod 8 and the arm 6 is typically between 30° and 45° when the arms are in the deployed position (FIGS. 2 and 14).

Telescopic arms.

As can be seen in the example illustrated in Figures 15 and 16, each arm 6 consists of two half-arms 19, 20 fitting into each other telescopically. An inner half-arm 19 located on the side of the central plate 5 is mounted so as to slide in an outer half-arm 20. The latter extends between the corner connector 10, 11 and the intermediate connector 18. The connector corner 10, 11 and the intermediate connector 18 are mounted on the outer and inner ends of the outer half-arm 20. The intermediate connector 18 further comprises a locking pin 21 capable of preventing relative sliding between the inner half-arms 19 and outer 20 when the arm 6 is in its elongated configuration. This lengthening of the arms 6 conversely makes it possible to significantly reduce the length of the arms 6 and therefore of the structure 2 when the shelter 1 is folded up for storage or transport. Thus the extension of the arms 6 is carried out prior to their pivoting with respect to the central plate 5. The expression "half-arm" does not mean that these parts measure half the length of the arm, as indicated above concerning the length ratios between the connectors and the central plate 5.

When the arms 6 are in the folded-down position along the mast (FIGS. 15 and 24), the sliding of the outer half-arms 20 can be carried out simultaneously. From a storage configuration in which the arms 6 are in the reduced configuration (inner half-arms 19 inserted as far as possible into the outer half-arms 20), the outer half-arms 20 can be lifted upwards simultaneously when the central plate 5 retaining the inner half-arms 19 is held in contact with the ground. The arms 6 are then arranged in the elongated configuration by adopting a length corresponding to a half-diagonal of the shelter 1. This elevation of the outer half-arms 20 is carried out until the arms 6 reach their maximum length. The locking pins 21 provided on the intermediate connectors 18 are automatically inserted into the corresponding holes to prevent any reverse sliding and maintain the arms 6 in their maximum length.

The locking pins 21 are arranged on the intermediate connectors 18 so as to be arranged in pairs, so that a hand can simultaneously grasp respective rings of two adjacent pins 21. The pins 21 are therefore arranged facing each other on two adjacent intermediate connectors 18 when the arms are folded down (figure 16). To make it easier to grip the rings and simultaneously pull on two pins 21, the longitudinal axes of translation of two associated pins 21 are arranged on the intermediate connectors 18 forming an angle of between 60° and 90°. Two fingers of the hand enter two rings of pins 21 and exert an outward pull at the same time as a pinching effort of the fingers. Traction in the same median direction generates a component of force on each axis of translation of the pins 21, which facilitates the actuation of the two pins 21 by each hand. Both hands of the user can operate four pins 21, two from each hand, by pulling the pins 21 radially outwards. This manipulation makes it possible to unlock the pins 21 to shorten the arms 6 with a view to regaining the compact configuration shown in FIG. configuration of figure 15.

The elevation of the outer half-arms 20 to lengthen the arms 6 controls the movement of the tie rods 8 which simultaneously push the slider 7 upwards along the central mast 4, until a system locks between the slider 7 and the central mast 4 as explained below.

Slider.

The slider 7 to which the tie rods 6 are connected makes it possible to control the pivoting of the arms 6 in a centralized manner.

The slider 7 visible in Figures 1 and 2 is illustrated more precisely in Figures 5 to 8. The slider 7 has the general shape of a sleeve 22 crossed vertically by the central mat 4. The central opening of the sleeve 22 has a section in square corresponding to the shape of the central mast 4. The sleeve 22 comprises a lower base 23 wider than the diameter of the sleeve 22, to which are articulated the tie rods 8 connected to the arms 6. The sleeve 22 comprises an upper flange 24 defining between the collar 24 and base 23 a gripping zone or handling handle of structure 2.

The upper collar 24 forms an ergonomic edge to facilitate gripping and prevent the hand from releasing the handle.

The slider 7 includes a trigger 25 for locking. This is articulated on the body of the sleeve 22. The trigger 25 switches between a locking position in which a finger 26 of the trigger 25 is inserted automatically, under the influence of return means (not shown), in the one of the blocking orifices provided along the central mast 4, and an unlocking position in which pressing the trigger 25 opposing the action of the return means releases the finger 26 from the blocking orifice, authorizing the movement of the slider 7 along the mast 4.

When the ascent of the slider 7 reaches its maximum height taking into account the elongation of the arms 6 mentioned previously (FIG. 16), the finger 26 enters an oblong locking orifice allowing vertical play, so as to ensure that the pins 21 of the intermediate connectors 18 actually penetrate into the corresponding orifices of the inner half-arms 19 and block the arms 6 in the elongated configuration.

The pivoting of the arms 6 from the folded position to the deployed position via the semi-deployed position is then carried out only by moving the slider 7 towards the central plate 5 from the maximum height indicated above.

After removing the retaining strap 32 from the arms 6 holding them against the central mast 4, manual pressure on the trigger 25 releases the finger 26 in order to authorize the pivoting of the arms 6 towards the semi-deployed position. It may be necessary to occasionally oppose the pivoting of the arms 6 at the start, by lifting the slider 7 without actuating the trigger 25, thanks to the oblong hole, to relieve the pressure on the finger 26 so as to facilitate its unlocking.

The slider 7 is oriented in a particular way with respect to the central mast 4 and to the deployment planes of the arms 6. Indeed the trigger 25 is angularly oriented with respect to the mast 4 (seen from above) so that its tilting is inscribed in a vertical plane passing through the central vertical axis of the mast 4. This plane bisects the planes of movement of two adjacent arms 6. This arrangement encourages the user to place himself in the angular sector opposite to the trigger 25 of the slider 7, on the other side of the mast 6, between the planes of movement of two other arms 6. This ergonomic position for the hand of the the user encourages him to position himself in a specific area so as not to interfere with the pivoting of the arms 6 or to be injured by them.

The shape of the slider 7 is therefore designed to hold the mast 4 with one hand vertically during the first pivoting phase of the arms 6 from the folded position to the semi-deployed position, while controlling the unlocking of the finger 26 thanks to the trigger 25 with the same hand.

During the second pivoting phase of the arms 6, the ascent of the mast 4 and the central plate 5 is ensured by directly grasping the mast 4 and/or the central plate 5 until the arms 6 are automatically blocked in the deployed position by means of the locking finger 26 of the slider 7, which is automatically inserted into a corresponding hole in the central mast 4. The reverse pivoting of the arms 6 for folding requires the finger 26 to be unlocked by pressing on the trigger 25, which allows the mast 4 and the central plate 5 to descend relative to the slider 7 and correlatively to the latter to move towards the upper end of the mast 4.

Central plate.

The central plate 5 has the general shape of a disc as shown in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 24. The center of the disc has a bulge or shoulder in which the central mat 4 is fitted and fixed together. The arms 6 are articulated on the peripheral edge of the disk.

The central plate 5 comprises shoes 27 or abutments behind which the intermediate connectors 18 are placed when the arms 6 are in the storage configuration, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 24. These shoes 27 form bosses having a substantially vertical inner face 28 . This inner face 28 borders on the outside a face of the intermediate connectors 18 when the arms 6 are in the reduced storage configuration. The intermediate connectors 18 also cooperate bearing against an upper face of the central plate 5 in the situation shown in Figures 15 and 24, so as to make the structure 2 extremely compact in this configuration. The shoes 27 constitute stops which prevent the pivoting of the arms 6 in this storage configuration. The shoes 27 contribute to the maintenance of the arms 6 in the folded position against the central mast 4, in addition to the peripheral maintenance of the arms 6 by a strap 32 which surrounds the upper parts of the arms 6 and the corner posts 9 when the structure 2 is folded up (figures 15, 16). To free oneself from the constraint of the shoes 27, it is necessary to lengthen the arms 6 prior to their pivoting.

The central plate 5 also comprises windows 29 passing vertically through the disc in one or more angular sectors between the pivot planes of the arms 6. These windows 29 constitute gripping zones for the passage of the fingers facilitating the raising of the mat 4 and the central plate 5. The windows 29 shown are curved to match the circular shape of the peripheral edge of the disc. These windows 29 also lighten the central plate 5. Alternatively, the windows can be replaced by non-through recesses.

On its upper face, the central plate 5 also comprises an indentation 30 located in the angular sector in which the user must position himself to manipulate the structure 2 and deploy the arms 6. This indentation 30 forms a ribbed zone arranged in the angular sector radially opposite to the trigger 25. The imprint 30 allows the user to apply his foot and to maintain the central plate 5 resting on the ground in the phase of pivoting of the arms 6 between the folded down position and the semi-open position. deployed. The imprint 30 also constitutes an artifice encouraging the user to position himself in the correct angular sector between the arms 6.

Roof envelope.

As visible in FIG. 1, the roof casing 3 comprises a zipper 32, extending between a peripheral edge of the roof and a zone close to the central mast 4. The zipper 32 is inscribed in a bisector plane located between the deployment planes of two adjacent arms 6. The zipper 32 is located in the angular sector in which the user must position himself. It allows by opening the roof envelope 3 to get closer to the mast 4 and to access the slider 7 as well as the arms 6 to move them aside and initiate the pivoting.

Dimensions of the structure.

The dimensions of the structure 2 illustrated in Figure 2 are indicated below, in a non-limiting example of the invention:

L1 = 1836mm

L2 = 520mm

L3 = 1275mm

L4 = 750mm

L5 = 230mm

H1 = 1405mm

H2 = 425mm

H3 = 100mm

H4 = 930mm

H5 = 130mm

C1 = 49.79mm

The metal sections of structure 2 typically have a square cross-section of the order of 29 mm on each side, with a thickness of 1 mm.

The slider 7, the corner connectors 10, the intermediate connectors 18 as well as the central plate are made of fiber-reinforced ABS or nylon-reinforced plastic or equivalent.

Very advantageously, the corner connectors 10 and the intermediate connectors 18 are held by simple tight fitting at the outer and inner ends of the outer half-arms 20 (see for example FIG. 10). The forces present on these connectors are essentially compressive forces tending to bring them closer to the outer half-arm 20, which makes it possible to dispense with any additional fixing means, for example screws.

Installation process.

The procedure for installing Shelter 1 is shown below:

- Extension of the arms 6 from the reduced configuration (Figures 15, 24) to the extended configuration (Figure 16), the arms 6 being held extended by locking pins 21 while the slider 7 locks at its maximum height on along mast 4 via locking pin 26.

- Removal of the strap 32 surrounding the arms 6 and the corner posts 9.

- Maintenance of the mast 4 following a substantially vertical plumb, the central plate 5 resting on the ground. The user can place his foot on plate 5 and more specifically on footprint 30 to ensure better support. He grips the slider 7 at the level of the grip handle, the index finger being ready to activate the trigger 25.

- Unlocking the slider 7 by pressing the trigger 25 allowing it to move along the mast 4. Before activating the trigger 25, the slider 7 can be lifted slightly thanks to the oblong hole to relieve the finger 26 of the pressure of the weight of the structure, which then facilitates the release of the finger 26.

- Lowering of the slider 7 (figure 17) by accompanying it manually along the mast 4 and by spreading one of the arms 6 with the other hand to initiate the pivoting. The arms 6 are pivoted from the folded position along the mast to the semi-deployed position. In this position the arms 6 are supported at their outer ends by the respective corner posts 9 bearing on the ground (figure 18). Structure 2 is in stable equilibrium on the ground. As we have seen, the arms 6 arranged symmetrically on either side of the mast 4 presenting with the associated posts 9 the general shape of an M.

- Raising of the mast 4 and the central plate 5 relative to the slider 7 by raising them manually, this relative movement causing the pivoting of the arms 6 from the semi-deployed position to the deployed position (figure 22). In this position, the arms 6 are perpendicular to the mast 4 and held in this position by the locking of the finger 26 in a corresponding orifice of the mast 4. Simultaneously the posts 9 are deployed automatically perpendicular to the arms 6. The traction means guarantee the perpendicularity to the arms 6. Struts 14 lock automatically at the end of the run of the corner posts 9 to prevent the posts 9 from rotating.

- Closure of the roof envelope 3 by means of the zipper 32.

- Lengthening of the corner posts 9 gradually, section by section and post by post in order to raise the structure 2 and the roof envelope 3 to its normal height of use. Locking pins hold the corner posts in extended mode (figure 1).

The folding of shelter 1 is carried out following the same steps in reverse order.

Advantages of the invention.

1. une structure plus légère,
2. un nombre de pièces réduit, en particulier les éléments de liaison et d’interface entre les éléments de structure,
3. un métrage linéaire de profilés ou tubes significativement réduit (division par 2 environ),
4. moins d’opérations d’assemblage,
5. un coût de fabrication réduit,
6. une structure compacte facilitant le stockage et le transport,
7. une structure auto-déployante profitant de la gravité,
8. une ouverture synchronisée des bras dans toutes les directions,
9. une ouverture et un repliage par une seule personne,
10. une utilisation intuitive nécessitant un apprentissage minimal,

The advantages of the shelter 1 of the invention compared to a conventional shelter having a scissor structure are multiple:

1. a lighter structure,
2. a reduced number of parts, in particular the connecting and interface elements between the structural elements,
3. linear footage of profiles or tubes significantly reduced (division by approximately 2),
4. fewer assembly operations,
5. reduced manufacturing cost,
6. a compact structure facilitating storage and transport,
7. a self-deploying structure taking advantage of gravity,
8. a synchronized opening of the arms in all directions,
9. opening and folding by one person,
10. intuitive use requiring minimal learning,

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments or variants described above and includes all the technical equivalents of these means.

Claims (13)

Foldable shelter (1) of the folding gazebo type comprising a rigid structure (2) supporting a flexible roof casing (3) characterized in that the structure (2) comprises a central mast (4) mounted on a central plate (5),
at least four arms (6) articulated at their lower ends on said central plate (5) and connected in an intermediate zone of the arms (6), to a slider (7) movable along the mast (4) by means of at least four respective tie rods (8) combining the rotation of the arms (6) with the movement of the slider (7), the arms (6) being arranged in pairs symmetrically on either side of the central mast (4) so as to rotate in the same vertical plane,
the mast (4) being at its upper end fitted on the top of the roof casing (3) while the arms (6) support by their outer ends peripheral corners of the roof casing (3), the arms (6) being rotatable
- on the one hand between a folded position along the mast (4) and a semi-extended position radially around the mast (4), in which the arms (6) are supported at their outer ends by corner posts ( 9) respectively resting on the ground, the pivoting of the arms (6) to the semi-deployed position being ensured by manually lowering the slider (7) along the mast, the latter being held plumb while the central plate (5) rests on the ground, the arms (6) arranged symmetrically on either side of the central mast (4) having, with the associated posts (9) the general shape of an M, when the said arms (6 ) are in the semi-deployed position,
- on the other hand between the semi-deployed position and a radially deployed position around the mast (4) in a plane substantially perpendicular to the mast (4), this movement being ensured by manually raising the mast (4) relative to the slider ( 7). Shelter according to claim 1, characterized in that the corner posts (9) are articulated to the outer ends of the respective arms (6) via corner connectors (10, 11), between a folded position along the arm ( 6) and a position substantially perpendicular to the arm (6), the corner posts (9) resting on the ground forming with the arms (6) in the half-deployed position an angle of between 45° and 90° and more particularly an angle between 60° and 90°. Shelter according to Claim 2, characterized in that the corner posts (9) are extendable telescopically and configurable selectively in extended mode corresponding to a conventional height of the shelter (1), or in reduced mode corresponding to a height lower, in which they are arranged when they rest on the ground and hold the arms (6) in the semi-deployed position. Foldable shelter according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that each arm (6) comprises an intermediate connector (18) to which a respective tie rod (8) is articulated, the ratio of the lengths measured in the longitudinal direction of the arm (6) between on the one hand the articulation of the arm (6) on the central plate (5) and the intermediate connector (18) and on the other hand the articulation of the arm (6) on the central plate (5) and the connector of angle (10, 11) is between 1/5 and 1/2, this ratio being in particular between 1/4 and 1/3. Shelter according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the slider (7) has the general shape of a sleeve (22) provided with a lower base (23) to which the tie rods (8) are articulated. connected to the arms (6), the sleeve (22) comprising an upper collar (24) defining between the collar (24) and the base (23) a gripping zone forming a handle for manipulating the structure (2). Shelter according to Claim 5, characterized in that the slider (7) comprises a locking trigger (25) tilting between a locking position in which a finger (26) controlled by the trigger (25) is inserted automatically, under the influence of return means, in one of the locking orifices provided along the mat (4), and an unlocking position in which pressure on the trigger (25) opposing the action of the return means releases the finger (26) from the blocking orifice, allowing the slider (7) to move along the mat (4). Shelter according to any one of Claims 2 to 6, characterized in that each corner post (9) is articulated on a corner connector (10, 11) fixed to the outer end of an arm (6) corresponding, an upper part (94) of the corner post (9) forming a lever arm protruding above the articulation (12) and being subject to traction means generating on the corner post (9) a rotary moment around the joint (12) to the position substantially perpendicular to the arm (6). Shelter according to Claim 7, characterized in that the traction means consist of the roof casing (3) whose peripheral angles are shod on the upper parts (94) of the corner posts (9), the roof (3) applying a tensile force on said upper parts (94) by stretching during the pivoting of the arms (6) towards the deployed position. Shelter according to Claim 7, characterized in that the traction means consist of a spring or cylinder actuator (13) interposed between the corner connector (11) and the upper part (94), so as to apply a tractive effort on the latter. Shelter according to any one of Claims 2 to 9, characterized in that each corner connector (10, 11) comprises a strut (14) articulated on the very body of the connector (10, 11), while the corner post (9) articulated on the corner connector (10, 11) comprises a locking pin (15) cooperating by sliding in a corresponding slot (16) of the strut (14), the strut (14) being movable under the influence of the pin (15) moving in the slot (16), between on the one hand a retracted position against the arm (6) when the corner post (9) is in the position folded down along the arm (6) and on the other hand a reinforcement position in which the strut (14) forms an angle of substantially 30° with respect to the corner post (9) when the latter is substantially perpendicular to the arm (6), a manually reversible locking device being provided to lock the pin (15) at the end of its travel when the strut (14) is inclined at 30°. Shelter according to any one of Claims 4 to 10, characterized in that each arm (6) is made up of two half-arms (19, 20) fitting into each other telescopically, a half-arm inner arm (19) located on the side of the central plate (5) being slidably mounted in an outer half-arm (20), the latter extending between the corner connector (10, 11) and the intermediate connector (18 ), the intermediate connector (18) further comprising a locking pin (21) capable of preventing relative sliding between the half-arms (19, 20) when the arm (6) is in its maximum length. Method of installing a foldable shelter (1) of the folding gazebo type according to any one of the preceding claims, the arms (6) being initially in the folded-down position along the mast (4), characterized in that it comprises the following successive steps:
- Maintenance of the mast (6) following a substantially vertical plumb while the central plate (5) is resting on the ground
- Unlocking of the slider (7) allowing it to move along the mast (4)
- Lowering of the slider (7) along the mast (4) by manually moving one of the arms (6) away from the central mast (4) to initiate its pivoting, the arms (6) being pivoted from the folded down position along the mast (4) to the semi-deployed position, in which the arms (6) are supported at their outer ends by the respective corner posts (9) in reduced mode resting on the ground, the arms (6 ) arranged symmetrically on either side of the mast (4) having with the posts (9) associated the general shape of an M
- Raising of the mast (4) and the central plate (5) relative to the slider (7), this relative movement causing the pivoting of the arms (6) from the semi-deployed position to the deployed position, in which the arms (6) are held by an automatic and reversible locking of the slider (7) relative to the mast (4). Method according to claim 12 of a folding shelter of the folding gazebo type according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises a following preliminary step:
- Extension of the arms (6) by telescopic means from a reduced configuration to an elongated configuration in which they are held by an automatic and reversible locking.