US2785695A

US2785695A - Portable sun bath enclosure

Info

Publication number: US2785695A
Application number: US360765A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles L Carey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-06-10
Filing date: 1953-06-10
Publication date: 1957-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 1974-03-19

Description

Mam}! 1957 c. L. CAREY PORTABLE SUN BATH ENCLOSURE Filed June 10, 1953 Wu F INVENTOR. CHARLES L. CAREY ATTORNEYS United States Patent PORTABLE SUN BATH ENCLOSURE Charles L. Carey, Lawrence, Mass.

Application June 10, 1953, Serial No. 360,765

3 Claims. (Cl. 135-1) This invention relates to sun bath enclosures or cabinets especially for use on the sand at a beach by one or two persons.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a portable, one piece collapsible enclosure that is supported only by flexible, inflatable means and does not require any rigid framework, guy ropes or guy wires.

Another object of the invention is to form such an enclosure entirely of translucent or transparent sheet material panels, except for the floor panel, thereby permitting the occupant to see and be seen while being protected from the wind, sand and rain.

Still another object of the inventionis to form said translucent panels of material capable of transmitting the rays of the sun, either tinted or untinted, thereby enabling the occupant to become tanned.

A further object of the invention is to form the inflatable tube or cell means of the self supporting panels of the enclosure of similar translucent sheet material to that of the panels whereby no tubular or cellular bracing is evident or blocks the view.

A still further object of the invention is to provide novel means for simultaneously inflating all inflatable supports of the enclosure from a single air valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of elongated pockets in the floor panel of the enclosure, each capable of accommodating the adjacent roof and end panels when not inflated.

Another object of the invention is to incorporate anchoring means therein, in the form of corner grommets in the floor panel whereby the enclosure may be staked down on the sand.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a sun bath enclosure constructed according to the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, in section, on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, on a much reduced scale of the device shown in Fig. I spread out flat prior to folding into a compact bundle.

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of a modified form of the invention.

In Figs. 1-3 a preferred form of the invention is illustrated, the collapsible enclosure A being formed from the one piece member shown spread out flat in Fig. 3. Member 10 includes a flat rectangular floor panel 11, which may be of the same material as the remainder of the enclosure plus a backing of any suitable sheet material such as blanketing, a pair of

rectangular panels

12 and 13, called roof panels herein, but each forming a side wall as well as a portion of the roof and a pair of triangular and

panels

14 and 15.

The

roof panels

12 and 13 and the

end panels

14 and 15 are each preferably formed of translucent and preferably transparent sheet material which may be tinted any desired color and may be of flexible sheet plastic such as Vinylite or the like. Each

end panel

14 and 15 is hingedly connected at 16 or 17 to an opposite end of a roof panel such as 12 or 13 and preferably isintegral therewith. Each

roof panel

12 and 13 is hingedly connected at 18 or 19, proximate its lower longitudinal edge, just inside and opposite overfolded longitudinal side edge portion of floor panel 11.

Preferably floor panel 11 extends beyond the

longitudinal lines

18 and 19, on each side thereof and is then bent back upon itself to form .a pair of elongated, narrow strips 20 and 21 extending-longitudinally on each opposite side of floor panel 11. A pair of narrow

elongated pockets

22 and 23 are thus formed by strips 20 and 21 into each of which the adjacent roof and end panel may be tucked, if the enclosure is not to be erected.

Preferably grommets 25, 26, 27 and 28 are provided in or near each of the four corners of floor panel 11, not only serving to join the ends of strips 20 and 21 to form

pockets

22 and 23 but also accommodating stakes such as S by which the enclosure is anchored in the sand.

The flexible translucent sheet material of

roof panels

12 and 13 may be integral with, or attached to floor panel 11 and secured thereto in any conveinent manner, the essential point being that they form one piece therewith and are not separable therefrom.

Each

roof panel

12 and 13 includes inflatable air tight means of the same flexible, transparent or translucent sheet material as the root panel. As shown in Figs. 1-3 the inflatable means is preferably a pair of

tubes

30 and 31 on roof panel 12 and a pair of

tubes

32 and 33 on roof panel 13. Each tube, such as 36), extends diagonally from one opposite corner of a roof panel tov the opposite corner and intersects the other tube of the panel, such as 31, at the central portion thereof. An enlarged air tight chamber 34 or 35 may be provided at the tube intersection to give added support and in any case, air entering one end of a tube on a roof panel will pass to all of the tubes, chambers or cells thereof, inflate the same and make the panel self supporting. An air valve maybe provided on a tube of each roof panel, but preferably as best shown in Fig. 3 a tube or conduit 36 connects the tubes of each

panel

12 and 13, across floor panel 11 and an air valve 37 is mounted therein.

Tube 36 is at one end of floor panel 11 where it may serve as an air pillow for the occupant. By providing only a somewhat skeletonized, inflatable, tubular support such as the

diagonal tubes

32 and 33, for entirely supporting each roof panel, only a minor surface area of each roof panel is occupied by the supporting means, thus avoiding the blocking of the view of the occupant even if the tubes are of non transparent material.

Flaps such as 40 are spaced along the upper longitudinal edge 41 of a roof panel 12, each preferably having a snap fastener 42 which cooperates with corresponding snap fasteners such as 43 spaced along the upper longitudinal edge of a roof panel 13. Similarly each

end flap

14 and 15 is provided with flaps 50 along an upper edge 51, each preferably having a snap fastener 52 which cooperates with corresponding snap fasteners such as 53 on the end edge of the

appropriate roof panel

12 or 13.

The enclosure A is carried in a compact bundle with all of the panels deflated and folded, and the bundle preferably includes the four stakes S. Preferably also the roof and end panels on each opposite side of floor panel 11 are folded into the

adjacent pocket

22 or 23, for protection, while bundled. They may remain in such pockets after the floor panel 11 is spread out if the device is to be used only as a beach blanket, and the stakes S may be conveniently placed in

pockets

22 and 23.

If the enclosure is to be erected, stakes S are passed through the

grommets

25, 26, 27 and 28 in each of the four corners of floor panel 11, thereby anchoring the Patented Mar. 19, 1957 open or one or both may be closed by means of flaps 50 to completely enclose the occupant.

It will be apparent that the one piece sun bath enclosure of this invention, by reason of the inflatable means incorporated into its roof panels, is self supporting when inflated and completely independent of rigid frame work, rigid tent poles or flexible guy wires or ropes. An inflatable shelter tent of the A type is thus formed with the roof and ends made of sheet material, whereby the occupant is protected from the elements. By using transparent or translucent sheet material, capable of transmitting the rays of the sun for such roof panels and for the inflatable portions thereof, a sun bath enclosure is formed which may be folded and carried in a compact package or bundle.

I claim:

1. A unitary collapsible sun bath enclosure comprising a rectangulalr floor panel of flexible, blanket like, sheet material, said floor panel being overfolded along each opposite longitudinal edge to form a pair of integral, inwardly opening, longitudinal pockets and a pair of parent sheet material, each side wall panel having one longitudinal edge attached to said floor panel just inside the opening of the adjacent pocket and having fastening means along the other longitudinal edge thereof for forming an enclosure of triangular cross section when said panels are inflated and erected, said pockets 'being adapted to receive said panels in longitudinally folded, deflated condition.

2. A combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said inflatable rectangular side panels, each include an integral triangular endflap of transparent material, adaptedto be folded therewith into the adjacent longitudinal pocket in said floor panel.

3. A combination as specified in claim 1 plus a single air tube extending laterally across one end of said floor panel and forming an air conduit between said inflatable side wall panels, said tube having an air valve for intlating and deflating said panels simultaneously andbeing adapted to serve as an air pillow. I

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS