GB2201703A

GB2201703A - Foldable igloo tent

Info

Publication number: GB2201703A
Application number: GB08804115A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Franklin Fowler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-02-26
Filing date: 1988-02-23
Publication date: 1988-09-07
Also published as: GB8704574D0; GB8804115D0

Abstract

A folding tent is capable of quick erection and taking down. A central support assembly 10 Fig. 1 for the tent has a guide member 11 and a fixed hub 20 at the upper end of the guide member. A movable hub 28 is located on the guide member between an upper folded position 28' and a lower erected position. Struts 13 interconnect the movable hub and flexible support rods 12 and a cover extends over the rods 12. When the movable hub is lowered the rods move outwards to take up an outwardly convex shape and the central support assembly is suspended from the fixed hub. <IMAGE>

Description

Tent This invention relates to tents and in particular to tents comprising a frame about which a covering is located, the frame being foldable to erect and lower the structure.

It has been proposed to provide a tent in which a central ground engaging pole supports frame members.

radiating from the upper end of the pole. A collar is slidable along the pole between a lower folded position and an upper erected position and the collar supports the frame members by means of struts extending between the collar and the frame members. A covering extends over the frame members. Such an arrangement is disclosed in British patent specification No. 2054002.

It has also been proposed to provide a tent in which a short centre pole, which does not engage the ground, supports frame members. Struts extend between a lower end of the centre pole to support the frame members. Such an arrangement is disclosed in British patent specification No. 1502357 but in this arrangement the hub supporting the struts moves upwardly into engagement with an abutment at the lower end of the centre pole to locate the tent in an erected position.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved tent construction which is particularly easy to erect and take down.

According to the invention a tent comprises a central support assembly having fixed to its upper end a hub, an elongate guide member extending downwards from the upper end, a movable hub member guided for movement along the guide member between a lower erected position and an upper folded position, flexible support rods extending downwards from the fixed hub to be engageable with a support surface at their lower ends, struts each pivotally attached at one end to the movable hub and at the opposite end to one of the support rods intermediate its ends, and a covering extending over the flexible rods, whereby to erect the tent on a supporting surface the movable hub is moved downwards along the guide member causing the struts to move outwards to flex the rods to adopt a curvilinear, outwardly convex shape over at least part of their length the covering being tensioned over the flexible rods and the central support assembly being suspended from the fixed hub.

Preferably the lower end of the guide member is located at the level of the movable hub member when the hub member has been moved to its erected position.

Conveniently the support rods are each pivotally attached to the fixed hub and are spaced from one another around the fixed hub.

In a preferred construction the movable hub is attached to a cord downward tension on which causes the movable hub to lower relative to the guide member during erection.

The elongate guide member is conveniently of cylindrical outer cross section and the movable hub is a sleeve slidable along the guide member.

In one arrangement the tent is provided with a vent opening at its upper end which opens as the tent is erected. For this purpose vent support rods are provided pivoted to the fixed hub and extending outwards from said hub. The rods may be supported from the frame support rods by links extending between the vent support rods and the frame support rods.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following description of an embodiment of the invention given by way of example only and with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional drawing of a tent in the erected position, Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 with the tent partially erected, Fig. 3 is a plan view of one kind of tent, Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a central support assembly of the tent of Figs. 1-3, Fig. 5 is a view partly in cross section showing the manner of support of the tent of Figs. 1-3, Fig. 6 is a partial elevation of the upper end of a tent showing roof vents, and Fig. 7 is a view showing more detail of the vent support arrangement.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Figs. 1-3 a tent is shown which includes a central support assembly 10 having a central guide member 11 to the upper end of which are pivotally attached flexible support rods 12. The rods 12 are generally straight when the tent is not erected and when it is partially erected (as in Fig. 2). When erected (as in Fig. 1) the flexible rods take up a curved outwardly convex shape, although in some versions the lower parts of the rods may be straight and relatively inflexible.

The rods 12 are moved to the curved erected position by struts 13 which are pivotally attached at their outer ends to the rods 12 and at their inner ends to a movable hub member (Fig. 4) which is guided for movement up and down the guide member 11. As will be more fully described the movable hub member is located towards the upper end of the guide member 11 in the non-erected position of the tent (Fig. 2) and towards the lower end of the guide member 11 in the erected position.

In the Figs. 1-3 version of the tent six sets of rods 12 and struts 13 are spaced equally around the centre of the tent to provide a tent of hexagon shape in plan view, as seen in Fig. 3, but the tent may have other shapes depending on how many rods 12 are provided.

Thus, for example the tent may be of squarerother rectangular shape using four rods, or may be generally circular using a plurality of rods.

The rods 12 are normally covered with a tent covering 15 of canvas or other fabric, or translucent or transparent plastics material. The covering is attached to the rods by any convenient means such as loops, ties etc. (not shown). The covering 15 may be attached to or integral with a floor (not shown) and the covering may be formed with the usual window and door openings.

In erecting the tent from an initially folded condition, as shown at A in Fig. 2, the tent is placed upright with the ends of the rods 12 engaging the ground, as shown at B. The rods are then splayed apart so that the tent assumes the position C in Fig. 2.

By entering the interior of the tent it can now be fully erected by drawing the movable hub down the guide member 11 towards the lower end thereof. As this movement takes place the struts 13 are moved down at their inner ends and outwards at their outer ends thereby tensioning the covering 15 and causing the rods 12 to bend and assume the outwardly convex shape, as shown in Fig. 1. To greatly assist in the erection of the tent there may be provided a cord 16 attached to the movable hub whereby said hub is drawn down along the guide member 11.

when erected it is preferred that the struts 13 and the lower end of the guide member are above normal head height so that the entire area of the inside of the tent remains unobstructed by tent supports.

The tent may be pegged to the support surface by any convenient means after or during erection.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5 further features of the construction will be described, the same reference numbers being used for the same parts described in relation to Figs. 1-3.

The central guide member 11 has at its upper end a fixed hub 20 about which are formed a plurality of brackets 21 for carrying the upper ends of the rods 12 for movement about pivots 22. As shown the pivots 22 may be removed from the brackets 21 along slots 23.

The rods 12 are each formed with a metal sleeve 24 into which the end of the rod is located. A flattened portion 25 of the sleeve carries the pivot 22 and is located in the bracket 21.

The guide member 11 is formed as a tubular rod having a shoulder 27 at its lower end ,the upper end being inserted and fixed in a bore in the fixed hub 20.

A movable hub 28 is located for movement along the guide member 11 between a lower position, shown in full lines in Fig. 4, adjacent the shoulder 27 and an upper position 28', shown in chain lines.

The hub 28 includes a sleeve 29 on which is located an annular member 30 formed with brackets 32 spaced around the member 30. Struts 13 are pivotally attached to the movable hub 28 in a similar manner to the attachment of the rods 12 to the hub 20, the struts 13 having a sleeve 33, flattened inner end 34 and a pivot 35. The flattened end 34 located in the brackets and the pivot 35 locates in slots 36 in the brackets for pivoting of the struts. The struts 13 are shown in full lines in the erect position of the tent and in chain lines 13' in the folded position.

The outer ends of the struts 13 are pivotally attached to the rods 12 at 37 at positions along the rods spaced from the fixed limb 20. For this purpose the rods each carry a sleeve 38 having a pair of flanges 39 at its upper end and at the outer end of each strut 13 is a further sleeve 40 having a flattened portion 42 which locates between the flanges 39 and is held in place by the pivot 37.

To achieve the necessary flexibility and strength the rods 12 may be formed of fibre glass.

It will be seen that in the erected position the movable hub 28 is positioned such that the struts 13 are inclined slightly downwards towards their inner ends relative to the horizontal, see particularly Fig. 5, and the guide member 11 is dimensioned accordingly. To achieve erection as described the curvature of the rods over the upper part of the tent should be great enough that the movable hub is movable upwards a distance to achieve full lowering of the rods'to a folded condition of the tent.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7 the tent may be provided with roof vents 44 for ventilation purposes. Such vents are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5 and the vents each consist of a generally inverted V shape portion of the cover. The apex of the V is supported by a pivoted rod 45 attached at its inner end to the fixed hub 20, in a similar manner to the flexible rods 12, and spaced centrally between adjacent rod connections.

The vent rod 45 is supported in the vent open position by a vent strut 46 pivotally supported on the rod 45 at one end and at the other end having an aperture 48 through which a support cord 47 is located. The cord 47 is located at its middle through the aperture 48 to the lower end of the guide member 11 and at its ends to adjacent rods 12 at either side of the vent rod 45. In this way it will be seen that the vents are moved to an open position as the tent is erected but the vents can be lowered upon sliding the end of the strut 46 along the cord towards one or other of its ends.

It will be seen that the tent described is of simple construction but is easy to erect and fold up. Moreover the construction is adapted to be made up in a variety of different shapes and sizes while remaining, even in its bigger sizes, easy to erect.

Claims

1. A tent comprising a central support assembly having fixed to its upper end a hub, an elongate guide member extending downwards from the upper end, a movable hub member guided for movement along the guide member between a lower erected position and an upper folded position, flexible support rods extending downwards from the fixed hub to be engageable with a support surface at their lower ends, struts each pivotally attached at one end to the movable hub and at the opposite end to one of the support rods intermediate its ends, and a covering extending over the flexible rods, whereby to erect the tent on a supporting surface the movable hub is moved downwards along the guide member causing the struts to move outwards to flex the rods to adopt a curvilinear, outwardly convex shape over at least part of their length the covering being tensioned over the flexible rods and the central support assembly being suspended from the fixed hub.

2. A tent according to claim 1 wherein the lower end of the guide member is located at the level of the movable hub member when the hub member has been moved to its erected position.

3. A tent according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the support rods are each pivotally attached to the fixed hub and are spaced from one another around the fixed hub.

4. A tent according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the elongate guide member is of cylindrical outer cross section and the movable hub is a sleeve slidable along the guide member.

5. A tent according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the movable hub is attached to a cord downward tension on which causes the movable hub to lower relative to the guide member during erection.

6. A tent according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a vent opening towards the upper end of the tent, the vent including a support member which is movable into a vent open position as the tent is erected.

7. A tent according to claim 6 wherein the vent support member is pivotally carried on the fixed hub and is supported on a pivotal strut, the strut having its end remote from the support member supported for movement with the support rods.

8. A tent according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support rods and the struts are each pivotally connected to one another by a sleeve on the rod and a sleeve on the strut, the sleeves being interconnected by a pivot.

9. A tent substantially as described with reference to the drawings.