US20060169312A1

US20060169312A1 - Trut frame of a tent

Info

Publication number: US20060169312A1
Application number: US10/548,789
Authority: US
Inventors: Kwan-Jun Choi
Original assignee: Kwan-Jun Choi
Priority date: 2003-12-17
Filing date: 2004-11-08
Publication date: 2006-08-03
Also published as: AU2004299539A1; JP3131143U; CA2550030A1; AU2004101111A4; WO2005059278A1; CN2675782Y; CA2550030C

Abstract

The present invention provides a tent frame typically comprised of poles and roof braces, and cross bracing struts located between two adjacent poles, and center bracing struts hinged on between the roof brace and the sliding hub of the pole, wherein each roof brace is supported with a center bracing strut, the top end of the center bracing strut is hinged on the roof brace, and the low end is hinged on the cross bracing strut approaching the sliding hub end. The tent frame is more stable and easy to be folding up.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tent frame.
2. Description of Prior Art
In accordance with prior art, the conventional structure of foldable tent, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A, is typically comprised of four poles 1′ and roof cross braces 2′, between two adjacent poles 1′ proper number of cross bracing struts 3′ 3″ are located, wherein the cross bracing struts 3′, as shown in FIG. 1, can be directly connected to said adjacent poles 1′ respectively with the both ends by one hinged on a static hub 7′ located on the tip end of one pole 1′, and another end hinged on sliding hub 5′ fitting on another pole 1′ (as shown in FIG. 3), or three pair of cross bracing struts 6′ are set upon, as shown in FIG. 2 (for meeting to the necessary of big scale frame tent); on the other side, a center bracing strut 4′ supporting the roof brace 2′ is hinged on between the roof brace 2′ and the sliding hub 5 with the both ends respectively (cooperating to refer FIG. 3), so that two cross bracing struts 3′ 3″ and the center bracing strut 4′ are hinged on one sliding hub 5′ at side wall and corner individually.
But there are some shortcomings existing in said tent frame as follows:

- 1. because said center bracing strut 4′ are in a plane structured with said roof cross brace 2′ and said pole 1′, so as pitching or folding up, said center bracing strut 4′ just only exerts supporting effect in this plane, but not generate side supporting force to the roof brace 2′, hence the whole unfolded frame is not stable as expected, especially to the large size tent, this problem is more obviously, due to the more load exerting on the center bracing strut 4′ via the roof brace 2′, the single pressure in this plane often makes the center bracing strut 4′ swing so as to be unstable.
- 2. concerning to the folding-up process, the user just exerts all force on the cross bracing struts 3′ 3″ so that the sliding hub 5′ is indirectly pushed down along the pole 1′, but due to the center bracing strut 4′ hinged on said sliding hub 5′, the moved sliding hub 5′ has to bring the center bracing strut 4′ to draw the roof brace 2′ to fold in this process, so the sliding hub 5′ should be bore exact resistance force coming from the center bracing strut 4′, for this sake, the sliding hub 5′ has to be made of high-strength material, so that the production cost is gone up, on the other hand, even so, the folding force exerting on the roof brace 2′ is not so big that the roof brace 2′ is folded smoothly.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a main object of the present invention to provide a stable tent frame that can be pitched up and folded up easily and smoothly.
For achieving the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a tent frame that is typically comprised of poles and roof braces, and cross bracing struts located between two adjacent poles, and center bracing struts hinged on between the roof brace and the sliding hub of the pole, in which each roof brace is supported with a center bracing strut, the top end of the center bracing strut is hinged on the roof brace, and the low end is hinged on the cross bracing strut approaching the sliding hub end.
Wherein, two center bracing struts are arranged on two opposite sides of the diagonal line of the frame, the both top ends of them are hinged on the roof brace, and the low ends of them are respectively hinged on the two cross bracing struts approaching the sliding hub ends.
Said cross bracing strut is attached with a tip bearing for pivoting the low end of the center bracing strut on.
The low end of the center bracing strut can be hinged on the side wall of the sliding hub beyond the pivoting point of the low end of the cross bracing strut on.
As utilizing above-mentioned project, because the low end of the coordinated center bracing strut is hinged on the cross bracing strut, the center bracing strut is not located in the plane structured by the roof brace and the pole, so that when pitching or folding up, the center bracing strut not only generates support force in the plane structured by the roof brace and the pole, but also exerts side support force to the roof brace so as to keep the roof brace stable without any swinging as in unfolding state, especially to large size of frame tent the support is more stability.
On the other hand, as folding up, the cross bracing strut can directly draw the center bracing strut bending to the inward, but not via the sliding hub, so the sliding hub bears less force, meanwhile exert more force on the roof brace so as to facilitate to fold up more easily. And the requirement of the material of the sliding hub is relatively reduced, and the production cost is gone down too.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a scheme of the prior art.
FIG. 2 is a scheme of another prior art.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing the structure of the sliding hub of the prior art.
FIG. 4 is a scheme of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the hinging method of the center and cross bracing struts of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing another hinging method of the center and cross bracing struts of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 4, a frame tent provided by the present invention is typically comprised of poles 1 and roof braces 2, cross bracing struts 3 located between two adjacent poles 1, and center bracing struts 4 hinged on between the roof brace 2 and the sliding hub 5 of the pole, in which the cross bracing struts 3, as shown in FIG. 1, can be directly connected to said adjacent poles 1 respectively with the both ends by one hinged on a static hub 7 located on the tip end of one pole 1, and another end hinged on sliding hub 5 fitting on another pole 1 (as shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6), or three pair of cross bracing struts 6 are set upon, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 (for meeting to the necessary of big scale frame tent); on the other side, the center bracing strut 4 is hinged on the roof brace 2 with the top end.
Wherein each roof brace 2 is supported with a center bracing strut 4, the low end of the center strut 4 is hinged on the cross bracing strut 3 approaching the sliding hub end.
Referring to FIG. 4, crossing the diagonal line of the frame, the two center bracing struts 4 are hinged on the roof brace 2 with the top ends, but the low ends of them are tilted to opposite side of the diagonal line, and hinged on the coordinated cross bracing strut respectively approaching to the sliding hub 5 end, so that the two center bracing struts 4 support the roof brace 2 from the both sides crossing the diagonal line of the frame to make the frame rigidify without swinging as pitching up.
For making the hinging connection more smoothly, the cross bracing strut 3, as shown in FIG. 5, is attached with a tip bearing 8 for pivoting the low end of the center bracing strut 4 on; also referring to FIG. 6, the low end of the center bracing strut 4 can be hinged on the sliding hub 5 pivoting end of the cross bracing strut 3; or directly hinged on the side wall of the sliding hub 5 (not shown in drawing).
So, as folding up, the cross bracing strut 3 can directly draw the center bracing strut 4 bending to the inward, but not via the sliding hub 5, so the sliding hub 5 bears less load, meanwhile exert bigger force on the roof brace 2 so as to facilitate to fold up more easily.

Claims

1. A tent frame typically comprised of poles and roof braces, and cross bracing struts located between two adjacent poles, and center bracing struts hinged on between the roof brace and the sliding hub of the pole, wherein each roof brace is supported with a center bracing strut, the top end of the center bracing strut is hinged on the roof brace, and the low end is hinged on the cross bracing strut approaching the sliding hub end.

2. A tent frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein crossing the diagonal line of the frame, the two center bracing struts are hinged on the roof brace with the top ends, but the low ends of them are tilted to opposite side of the diagonal line, and hinged on the coordinated cross bracing strut respectively approaching to the sliding hub end.

3. A tent frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cross bracing strut is attached with a tip bearing for pivoting the low end of the center bracing strut on.

4. A tent frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein the low end of the center bracing strut can be hinged on the side wall of the sliding hub beyond the pivoting point of the low end of the cross bracing strut on.