US20230050856A1

US20230050856A1 - Table tent

Info

Publication number: US20230050856A1
Application number: US17/817,733
Authority: US
Inventors: James R. Flores; Mari Serrato
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-08-10
Filing date: 2022-08-05
Publication date: 2023-02-16

Abstract

A tent with at least one pole giving structure to a canopy, a fabric of the canopy attached to the at least one pole at at least one point, and a sealable hatch disposed within the fabric near a top of the canopy, operative releasing insects from the tent wherein the tent is configured to be placed on a horizontal surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 63/260,121, filed Aug. 10, 2021, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to tents, and more particularly, to a tent for use on a table or another horizontal surface.
Flies, insects, and debris outdoors may land on food. This may result in bringing disease to food kept outside on a table. Existing solutions provide covers for food, but often bugs find a way under the cover and become trapped with the food. These existing covers lack an option for a bug or another insect to escape once trapped. These products, therefore, become a bug trap where the bug stays in the safety of the tent and contaminates food and beverages therein.
As can be seen, there is a need for a device that covers food to prevent food contamination and includes a means to release a trapped insect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a tent comprising at least one pole operative to give structure to a canopy, a fabric of the canopy attached to at least one pole at at least one point, and a sealable hatch disposed within the fabric near a top of the canopy, operative releasing insects from the tent wherein the tent is configured to be placed on a horizontal surface.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tent according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a section view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 5 is a section view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1 ; and

FIG. 6 is a section view, similar to FIG. 5 , with a first flap and a second flap of the tent open.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims with reference to the drawings.
A general overview of the various features of the invention will be provided, with a detailed description following. Broadly, the invention provides a tent. The tent may be constructed and arranged to be positioned on a horizontal surface, such as a table. The tent may cover and protect food on the table. In some embodiments, the tent may be configured to fully cover a tabletop such as a park bench tabletop of approximately 6′×3′. In use, a user may place food or beverages on a horizontal surface and may position the tent to cover the surface.
In some embodiments, the tent may include one or more doors or flaps configured to function as doors. The doors may be sealable. These doors may be any suitable size, such as approximately 27″×18″.
The tent may be made of any suitable material, such as a fabric sufficient to form an enclosure. Poles may be utilized to give shape or structure to the tent. The fabric or material may be placed around the poles sufficiently to form the enclosure. In some embodiments, a single pole may be used. The pole or poles may attach a structure formed by the poles to the enclosure at at least one point. The pole or poles may be positioned in a variety of ways, such as forming a rounded dome, cube, cuboid, or pyramid for the enclosure.
In some embodiments, the fabric or material may include sleeves to affix, ensnare, or connect the poles to a fixed location or fixed locations on the fabric or material. The sleeve may be affixed to the fabric or material. The pole may slide through the sleeve to hold the fabric or material to the pole. The sleeves may comprise gromets which reduce damage and deterioration to the sleeves. A first gromet may be on a first end of the sleeve, and a second gromet may be on a second end of the sleeve.
Some embodiments of the invention may contain pole pockets. The pole pockets may be a pocket on the fabric or material, forming an enclosure or pocket to insert an end of the pole. Pole pockets may be at each corner of the tent.
Some embodiments of the invention contain fasteners to fasten the tent to a horizontal surface such as a table. Such fasteners may be attached to or be part of the fabric or material used to form the enclosure of the tent. The fasteners may be at each corner of the tent. The fasteners may be a buckle, hook and loop closures, a string, rope, or any other suitable material to fasten the tent to a horizontal surface.
The door or doors of the tent may be sealed by any suitable closure, such as a zipper, a latch, or buttons. In some embodiments, the door or doors may include a magnetic closure to help seal the door or doors when closed. In other embodiments, the door or doors may be sealed by a hook and loop closure.
The tent may also include a top hatch, or fly escape, for occasions wherein a fly or bug may enter the tent. The hatch may be disposed in the fabric or enclosure and may be a flap. A fly or bug may be permitted to escape upon opening of the top hatch. The hatch to be used as a bug or fly escape may be sealed by any suitable mechanism or by a means for sealing the hatch to the enclosure. In some embodiments, the hatch may include magnetic closures to help seal the hatch closed. In other embodiments, the hatch may be sealable or sealed by hook and loop closures such as Velcro™ or by a zipper. The hatch may also be sealed by buttons, buckles, clasps, or latches. The hatch may be approximately 2″×4″.
The top hatch may provide a fly or insect with an escape. If the fly or insect makes it in through a door panel, the user may just open the hatch to let the insect out to prevent the tent interior from becoming a fly trap, as they fly trap holds the fly and enables the fly to contaminate the food.
A magnetic closure may seal the hatch, so flies, bugs, and debris are prevented from entering the interior of the tent. The mechanism to seal the hatch also helps keep the hatch closed in the event of a slight draft or breeze—unlike other previous solutions which would be blown open.
The tent may be illuminated with a light or lights for better viewing. The lighting makes it easier to see the food or other objects inside the tent. The light may be preferably placed at a top of the tent but may be positioned in any manner to adequately illuminate an interior of the tent.
The tent, with or without the poles, may be packaged and may be unpackaged for portable convenience.
In some embodiments, the tent may be constructed and arranged of tensioned poles capable of popping up from a folded conformation or a packaged form. When popped up, they may be ready to use on a horizontal surface such as a table.
A method of using the tent may also include the following: attaching poles, each pole of any suitable size such as approximately 9 feet long, through the corresponding sleeves of the fabric or material of the enclosure, inserting pole ends into corresponding pole pockets, configuring the poles to give structure to the tent, and affixing the tent to a table or horizontal surface using the fasteners.
In some embodiments of this method, the poles may be capable assembly or disassembly separate from the tent. For example, the poles may be assembled or disassembled through a shock-corded means by way of an elastic cord running through the center.
Referring now to FIGS. 1-6 , a tent formed by poles 22 and a canopy 26 sit on a tabletop 32 protecting food 34 from insects and bugs.
The tent includes a first flap 10 covering an opening 14. The first flap 10 may function as a door for the tent. The first flap 10 includes a male clip 18 and a female clip 20 to secure the first flap 10 to the canopy 26. The first flap 10 further includes magnets 16 quickly and conveniently secure the first flap 10 to the canopy 26.
The tent also includes a second flap 12 near a top of the tent. The second flap 12 may open and close, to enable bugs and insects trapped in the tent to escape.
The poles 22 fit into sleeves 24 of the canopy 26. The poles 22 give structure to the canopy 26. The canopy 26 is then affixed to the tabletop 32 by way of straps 30.
Lights 28 may be affixed to an interior of the tent.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A tent comprising:

at least one pole operative to give structure to a canopy;

fabric of the canopy attached to the at least one pole at at least one point; and

a sealable hatch disposed within the fabric near a top of the canopy, operative releasing insects from the tent;

wherein the tent is configured to be placed on a horizontal surface.

2. The tent of claim 1, further comprising a light in an interior of the canopy.

3. The tent of claim 1, further comprising fasteners to fasten the tent to the horizontal surface.

4. The tent of claim 1, further comprising a sealable flap on the canopy configured to function as a door.

5. The tent of claim 1, further wherein the sealable hatch is sealable by magnets.

6. The tent of claim 1, wherein the sealable hatch is sealable by magnets.

7. The tent of claim 1, further comprising a sleeve with a first gromet on a first end of the sleeve and a second gromet on a second end of the sleeve, the sleeve being affixed to an interior of the canopy wherein the at least one pole is inserted into the sleeve.

8. The tent of claim 1, further comprising a pocket on an interior of the canopy, wherein an end of the pole is inserted into the pocket.

9. The tent of claim 1, wherein the sealable hatch is approximately 2″×4″.