GB2362395A

GB2362395A - Tent with side shield

Info

Publication number: GB2362395A
Application number: GB0012062A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ming-Liang Tsai
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-05-18
Filing date: 2000-05-18
Publication date: 2001-11-21
Also published as: GB0012062D0

Abstract

A side shield 20 is releasably attached to the poles 11 of the tent 10. The side shield 20 comprises round tubes 21 connected together by fitting elements 22,23 for forming a U-shaped frame on which a flexible shielding panel 24 is attached for sewing as an awning. Alternatively, the frame may be releasably attached to lower portions of adjacent poles 11 for forming a fence or a wall of the tent 10. The U-shaped frame is fixed to poles 11 of the tent 10 by clips 30.

Description

2362395 TENT WITH SIDE SHIELD

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a tent, and in particular to a tent having a side shield for selectively serving as an awning or a side wall 5 or fence.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tents are commonly used in outdoor activities, such as camping or outdoor exhibition. One of the tents available m the market comprises a plurality of upright poles supporting a canopy thereon for shielding sunlight and rains. However, in a windy and rainy condition, rain may be blown into the tent from open sides of the tent.

Furthermore, some of the tents are provided with side panels for shielding open sides thereof Such side panels, however, hinders people watching articles positioned in the tent during an outdoor exhibition. Although removing the side panel may allow people's observation of the article in the tent, the article is completely accessible by the watching people. This may sometimes cause troubles to the owners of the articles.

Thus, it is desired to provide a tent having a removable side shield for overcoming the above problems.

SUMY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a tent having a side shield which may be selectively attached to an upper portion of the tent to serve as an awning or attached to a lower portion for serving as a fence or a wall.

1 Another object of the present invention is to provide a side shield for a tent, the side shield having a simple structure and being readily removed from the tent and easily broken down for storage.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a tent compnsing a plurality of upright poles supporting a canopy. A side shield is releasably attached to the poles of the tent. The side shield comprises a plurality of round tubes connected together by fitting elements for forming a U-shaped frame on which a flexible shielding panel is attached for serving as an awning. Alternatively, the frame may be releasably attached to lower portions of adjacent poles for forming a fence or a wall of the tent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tent compnsing a side shield serving as a rain shied in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a tent compnsing a side shield serving as an awning in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a tent comprising a side shield serving as a fence in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; 2 Figure 4 is a perspective view of a tent comprising a side shield serving as a wall in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a clip of the side shield of the 5 present invention fixing the side shield to the tent; Figure 6 is an exploded view of the clip.

Figures 7 and 8 are perspective Views showing attachment of a flexible shielding panel to fitting elements of the side shield; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a T-shaped fitting element of the side shield; and Figure 10 is a perspective view of a right-angled fitting element of the side shield.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIlvENT

With. reference to the drawings and in particular to Figure 1, wherein a tent constructed in accordance with the present invention, generally designated with reference numeral 10, is shown, the tent 10 comprises four upright poles 11 supporting a canopy 12 and a removable side shield 20 attached to adjacent poles 11 of the tent 10. The side shield 20 may be selectively located at an upper portion of the tent 10 and substantially horizontally extending as shown in Figures 1 and 2 for shielding rains. Alternatively, the side shield 20 may be located at a lower portion of the tent 10 in a vertical direction for serving as a side fence or wall as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

As shown in Figure 1, the side shield 20 comprises a plurality of round tubes 21, a plurality of first (right-angled) fitting elements 22 and T-shaped fitting elements 23, a flexible shielding panel 24 and a pair of clips 30. The round tubes 21 are connected together by the fitting elements 22, 23 to form a U-shaped frame with the shielding panel 24 attached to and arranged in the frame. The U-shaped ftame is fixed to the poles I I of the tent 10 by the clips 3 0.

Figures 9 and 10 respectively illustrate the second, T-shaped fitting element 23 and the first, right-angled fitting element 22, the first and second fitting elements 22, 23 have a similar structure. The first fitting element 22 comprises a cylindrical body defining a central bore 25 and two projections 26 perpendicularly extending from an outer surface of the cylindrical body of the first fitting element 22. The projections 26 extend in substantially normal directions thereby fon-ning a right-angled fitting.

The second fitting element 23 comprises a cylindrical body defining a central body 25 and at least two projections 26 perpendicularly extending from an outer surface of the cylindrical body of the second fitting element 23. The two projections 26 extend in opposite directions. In this respect, the second fitting element forms a straight fitting. Preferably and as shown in Figure 9, the second fitting element 23 comprises a third projection 26 perpendicularly extending from the cylindrical body and the third projection 26 is substantially perpendicular to the other projections 26 of the second connector 23 thereby fonnmg a T-shaped fitting.

The first fitting element 22 serve to connect two round tubes 21 in a right angle fashion to forin a comer of the U-shaped frame of the side shield 20, as shown in Figure 7, while the second fitting element 22 serves to connect two round tubes 21 in a straight fashion as shown in Figure 8 or to connect three round tubes 21 in a T-shaped fashion as shown in Figure I The flexible shielding panel 24 comprises a plurality of ribbons 27 spaced along a periphery thereof as shown in Figures 1, 7 and 8. Each 4 ribbon 27 has a first end fixed to the shielding panel 24 and a second end forining a fastening means. An example of the fastening means is the Velcro fastener. The second end of each ribbon 27 extends through the central bore 25 of the corresponding fitting element 22, 23 and is then releasably attached to shielding panel 24 by the fastening means thereby securely fixing the shielding panel 24 to the U-shaped frame.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the clips 30 comprise a fixed base 3 1, an L-shaped bar 32, a movable member 33 and a manual fastening element 34.

As shown in Figure 6, the fixed base 31 of each clip 30 comprises a flat body having a perpendicular flange 36 for fitting over the corresponding pole I I of the tent 10. In this case, the pole I I has a rectangular cross section for being fit in the fixed base 31 of the clip 30. A cylindrical extension 37 defining a central bore (not labeled) is formed on the fixed base 31 for receiving an end of the corresponding round tube 21 of the side shield 20. Preferably reinforcement 38 is formed between the extension 37 and the base 31 for stably supporting the tube 21 received in the central bore of the extension 37. A hole 39 is defined in the fixed base 31 having a central axis extending in a direction substantially normal to the extension 37 for receiving a first branch of the L-shaped bar 32 with a second branch of the L-shaped bar 32 extending in a direction substantially parallel to the flange 36. A tab 40 is formed on the flange 36 defining a notch (not labeled) for interferentially receiving and thus retaining the second branch of the L-shaped bar 32 therein.

The L-shaped bar 32 forms a threaded section 41 in a free end of the second branch thereof The second branch of the L-shaped bar 32 extends through a hole 42 defined in the movable inember 33. The manual fastening element 34 forms an inner-tlueaded hole (not labeled) i engageable with the t1ireaded section 41 of the L-shaped bar 32. The manual fastening element 34 has sideways-extending projections 35 for facilitating hand gnpping.

The movable member 33 forins a retaining section 43 substantially opposing the flat body of the fixed base 31 for receiving the corresponding pole I I therebetween whereby when the manual fastening element 34 is tightened on the L-shaped bar 32, the movable member 33 is forced toward the fixed base 3 1 and thus securing the clip 3 0 to the pole I I as shown in Figure 5.

By manually rotating the manual fastening element 34 that have sidewaysextending projections 35 for hand gripping, the movable member 33 is forced toward the fixed base 31 for fixing the clip 30 to the pole 11. The extension 37 of the clip 30 receives and retains the corresponding round tube 21 of the U-shaped frame of the side shield 20 for fixing the side shield 20 to the poles Ilof the tent 10 in a substantially horizontal fashion. - An awning may thus be forined as shown in Figure 1. The side shield 20 may be readily removed by loosening the manual fastening elements 34. The side shield 20 may then be broken down for storage or re-assembled and attached to different position with respect to the tent 10 as shown in Figures 3 and 4 in which a fence is formed by the side shield 20.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the side shield 20 comprises five round tubes 2 1, two first fitting elements 22 and three second fitting elements 23 for forming a U-shaped frame having substantially the same width as the tent 10. The U-shaped frame is attached to the tent 10 by two clips 30 whereby the side shield 20 is fixed to a4lacent poles I I of the tent 10. The flexible shielding panel 24 is attached to the U-shaped frame by means of the ribbons 27 extending 6 through central bores 25 of the fitting elements 22, 23. A tent 10 with an awning is thus formed in accordance with the present invention and the awning is readily removed for storage or attached to different position with respect to the tent 10.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, a tent 10 has a side panel 14 fixed between adjacent poles 11 with a window 13 formed therein.

An awning constructed in accordance with the present invention is attached to the poles 11 as described with reference to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 and positioned above the window 13 for shielding the window 13 from rain drops.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the side shield 20 comprises five round tubes 21, three second connectors 23 and two clips 3 0, which together form a fence fixed between adjacent poles 11 of a tent 10. A tent 10 with a fence is thus formed in accordance with the present invention. The fence is readily removed for storage or attached to different position with respect to the tent 10.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, a tent 10 is constructed similar to that of Figure 3 for forming a fence between adjacent poles 11.

A flexible shielding panel 24 is attached to the fence by means of the ribbons 27 thereby covering the fence and forming a wall. The wall is readily removed for storage or attached to different position with respect to the tent 10.

Thus, a side shield which is readily mounted to a tent is disclosed.

The side shield may be arranged in a substantially horizontal fashion and positioned at an upper portion of the tent for serving as an awning.

Alternatively, the side shield may be arranged vertically for serving as a fence or a wall of the tent.

7 Although the present invention has been described with respect to the prefer-red embodiments, it is contemplated that a variety of modifications, variations and substitutions may be done without departing from the scope of the present invention that is intended to be defined by the appended 5 claims.

8

Claims

T IS CLAIMED IS

2 7 1 A tent comprising a plurality of upright poles supporting a canopy, a side shield being attached to the poles of the tent, the side shield 3 comprising a plurality of round tubes connected together by fitting elements for forming a frame on which a flexible shielding panel is selectively attached, the frame being releasably attached to the poles by clips whereby an awning and a fence are selectively formed by the side shield.

1 2. The tent as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the frame has a U-shaped 2 configuration, the fitting elements comprising right-angled fitting elements and T-shaped fitting elements.

3 6 7 1 3. The tent as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each fitting element defines a bore, the flexible shielding panel comprising a plurality of ribbons extending through the bores of the fitting elements for fixing the flexible shielding panel to the frame, each ribbon having a first end fixed to the flexible shielding panel and a second end forming a fastening means for releasably attaching the second end to the flexible shielding panel thereby securing the shielding panel to the frame.

1 4. The tent as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the clip comprises a fixed 2 member and a movable member for securing the corresponding pole 3 therebetween, a threaded bar extending from the fixed member with 4 an inner threaded member engageable therewith, the inner threaded member being manually operable for fixing the clip to the pole.

3 1 5. The tent as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the frarne comprises five round tubes, two right-angled fitting elements and three straight fitting elements for forming a U-shaped configuration, the U-shaped frame 9 being attached to the poles by two clips, each fitting element defining a bore through which a ribbon extending from the flexible shielding panel extends for attaching the flexible shielding panel to the U-shaped frame thereby forining an awning.

6 7 6. The tent as claimed in Clairn 5, wherein the tent comprises a side panel fixed between adjacent poles, a window being defined in the side panel, the awning being attached to the poles above the window for shielding the window from rain drops.

3 7. The tent as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the frame comprises five round tubes and three T-shaped fitting elements for forming a fence fixed between adjacent poles of the tent.

2 3 1 8. The tent as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the flexible shielding panel is fixed to the frame for forming a wall of the tent.

9. A tent comprising a canopy supported by a plurality of generally upright poles, and a side shield that can be selectively mounted on the tent in a first position, in which the shield extends outwardly from the canopy to form an awning, and a second position, in which the shield is disposed generally vertically towards the base of the poles to form at least part of a side wall of the tent.

10. A tent substantially as described herein with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

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