WO2003036005A1

WO2003036005A1 - Vehicle-supported tent

Info

Publication number: WO2003036005A1
Application number: PCT/IE2001/000123
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul Christopher Moore
Original assignee: Paul Christopher Moore
Priority date: 2001-09-24
Filing date: 2001-09-24
Publication date: 2003-05-01

Abstract

An open-ended tent (10) for pitching against a side (11) of a vehicle (12), comprises a top section (13), two side sections (14, 15), securing lines (16), (17) for holding the tent (10) against the side (11) of the vehicle (12), each securing line (16, 17) being attached at one end thereof to the top section (13), and retaining means in the form of toggles (18, 19) being attached to the securing lines (16, 17), the securing lines (16, 17) being adapted in use to pass over the roof (37) of the vehicle (12) and be reatained in openable windows (20, 21) on the other side (22) of the vehicle (12). As a result of its design, the tent (10) is easily and quickly deployed, it can be adatped to fit a very wide range of private vehicles of differing widths and heights, and the level of visibility from, and accessibility to, the tent (10) are better than those of a tent of standard design.

Description

Vehicle-Supported Tent

Technical Field

The present invention relates to open-ended tents, and, in particular, to an open-ended tent which is supported by a vehicle and which provides shelter for an occupant from external weather conditions. By "tent" is meant a portable shelter of canvas or cloth, supported by a pole or poles or the like, and stretched by cords attached to pegs driven into the ground.

Background Art

Long road trips are now a common part of the average person's lifestyle, and motoring holidays and countryside or sightseeing trips have become increasingly popular leisure pursuits in recent times. Due to the duration of such journeys it is often necessary for a driver and any other occupants of the vehicle to make a roadside stop for any one of a number of reasons; to avail of restroom facilities, to relieve weariness of the limbs by walking, or to consume a meal.

In a similar fashion many people stop to admire scenic views, and while some of the occupants of the car may want to take a walk, others may desire to simply sit outside the vehicle and enjoy the scenery. In these circumstances an additional form of shelter may be desirable, to avoid the individuals having to endure strong direct sunlight, or wet and perhaps windy conditions. It is quite common that facilities at roadside stopping sites are very basic, and as a result there is often no form of shelter available, apart from the vehicle itself. As weather conditions are not always conducive to spending time external to some form of shelter, and the conditions inside most vehicles are quite confined, it is preferable for the occupants of the vehicle to spend a maximum proportion of the duration of the roadside stop outside the vehicle, protected by a different form of shelter.

At present there are very few if any effective options for providing shelter external to a vehicle, apart from conventional tents, and erecting such tents can be a cumbersome and time-consuming process. Additionally, the levels of visibility from, and accessibility to, conventional tents are not very high.

A vehicle-supported tent is described in Swedish Patent Publication No. SE 9804343-A. The tent includes a zone extending over at least most of the car roof, and down over the windows to fastening points on the opposite side of the car to the tent. However, as disclosed, the tent must be carefully aligned to the vehicle so that the section over the roof fits neatly thereon. The design of the tent in SE 9804343-A also has the drawback that the size of the tent must be matched to a particular vehicle. Also the tent is reasonably difficult to deploy, due to the requirement that the retaining means for the tent be attached to the car at the wheel arches and below the door sills. There is also a significant possibility that the vehicle would be dented and/or scratched as a result of improperly fitted retaining means. It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the tent hereinbefore described.

Disclosure of Invention

Thus, the invention provides an open-ended tent for pitching against a side of a vehicle, comprising a top section, two side sections, a securing line for holding the tent against the side of the vehicle, the securing line being attached at one end thereof to the top section, and retaining means being attached to the securing line, the securing line being adapted in use to pass over the roof of the vehicle and be retained in an openable window on the other side of the vehicle.

Advantages associated with the open-ended tent according to the invention include:

the provision of a form of shelter for an occupant of a vehicle external to the vehicle;

quick and easy deployment;

ready adaptability to fit a wide range of private vehicles of differing widths and heights;

easy accessibility and provision of a good level of visibility of the surroundings for the occupant; and

accessibility to the vehicle from within the tent through the doors of the vehicle on the tent side, which can be opened into the tent as a result of the tent being held against the side of the vehicle by a securing line which passes over the roof of the vehicle.

Suitably, the retaining means is in the form of a toggle attachment.

The advantage of having the retaining means in the form of a toggle attachment is that the toggle attachment distributes the force exerted by any tension in the securing line such that the vehicle window experiences a minimum amount of stress.

Preferably, tension in the securing line is regulated by tensioning means connected thereto.

The advantage of having the tension in the securing line regulated by such tensioning means is that vehicles of different widths can be accommodated by varying the length of the securing line between the top section of the tent and the tensioning means itself, to set a desired tension in the securing line according to the width of the vehicle.

Use of the tensioning means also ensures that the tent, when erected, fits snugly against the side of the vehicle.

Further, preferably, the tensioning means is in the form of a restraining plate, through which the securing line must be moved in order to adjust the tension therein.

The advantage of having the tensioning means in the form of a restraining plate is that the securing line can be easily and quickly moved through the restraining plate, enabling the securing line to be quickly adjusted to fit to vehicles of differing widths.

Suitably, the side sections can be raised or lowered as required, to provide a desired level of ventilation and/or visibility for the occupant.

Where the tent is to be used in regions having a warm climate, and the occupants of the tent expect to use it for a prolonged period of time, the provision of side sections capable of being raised and lowered is advantageous in that it will aid in increasing the comfort of the users of the tent by increasing ventilation, helping the tent users to stay cool, and increasing the level of visibility of the surroundings.

Preferably, the tent is supported at the open end by height- adjustable rigid members so as to accommodate vehicles of differing heights.

The advantage of having the tent supported by height-adjustable rigid members is that the tent will be capable of being fitted to any private vehicle, making the potential customer base as wide as possible.

Further, preferably, a stiffening member is attached to the top section along the edge thereof, adjacent to the roof of the vehicle, such that in use the top section is kept taut at all times.

The advantage of having a stiffening member attached to the edge of the top section of the tent is that the tent has a higher structural integrity as a result, and is consequently more resistant to stormy conditions. Brief Description of Drawings

The invention will be further illustrated by the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of an open-ended tent according to the invention, with the tent supported by a vehicle;

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the open-ended tent of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the area of the open-ended tent encircled in Fig. 2.

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

Referring to Fig. 1 there is illustrated generally at 10, an open- ended tent for pitching against a side 11 of a vehicle 12. The tent 10 consists of a top section 13, two side sections 14, 15 and securing lines 16, 17. The securing lines 16, 17 are attached to the vehicle 12 by retaining means in the form of toggles 18, 19 (Fig. 2), which can be retained in openable windows 20, 21 (Fig. 2) on opposite side 22 of the vehicle 12. The openable windows 20, 21 are closed to a point at which the toggles 18, 19 are retained inside the vehicle 12. Tension in the securing lines 16, 17 is regulated by manipulation of tensioning means in the form of restraining plates 23, 24, through which the securing lines 16, 17, respectively, are moved. Means in the form of a plurality of ties 25, 26 are provided for securing the sides 14, 15, respectively at various heights to provide a desired level of ventilation and/or visibility for the occupant. Two height-adjustable members 27, 28 support the tent 10 at open end 29 of the tent. Front 30 of the tent 10 is further supported by stays 31, 32 which are held in the ground by pins 33, 34, respectively.

Referring to Fig. 2 the open-ended tent 10 is shown from the rear. A stiffening member 35 is attached to the top section 13 along edge 36 thereof, adjacent to roof 37 of the vehicle 12, such that the top section 13 is kept taut at all times. The toggles 18, 19 are shown inserted through gaps 38, 39 at tops 40, 41, respectively, of the openable windows 20, 21.

Referring to Fig. 3 there is illustrated generally at 42, an enlarged view of the area encircled in Fig. 2. The stiffening member 35 is inserted, in use, into a pocket 43, which is incorporated into the top section 13 of the tent 10. An eye hole 44, to which the securing line 16 is attached, is incorporated into a fabric flap 45, which rests on the roof 37 (Fig. 2) of the vehicle.

In use, the tent 10 is erected and secured by means of the following actions. The height-adjustable members 27, 28 are adjusted according to the height of the vehicle 12 and the tent 10 is rested against the side 11 of the vehicle 12. The securing lines 16, 17 are passed over the roof 37 of the vehicle 12, and the toggles 18, 19 are positioned inside the openable windows 20, 21 on the opposite side 22 of the vehicle 12. The openable windows 20, 21 are closed to a point at which the toggles 18, 19 are retained inside the vehicle 12. The stays 31, 32 are attached to the pins 33, 34, respectively, the pins 33, 34 having been secured in the ground on which the tent 10 and the vehicle 12 stand. Tension in the securing lines 16, 17 is then set at a desired level by means of the restraining plates 23, 24. As a result of this, the tension in the securing lines 16, 17, which are connected to eye holes 44 and thereby fabric flap 45, is conveyed to the top section 13 of the tent 10, which is attached to the fabric flap 45, thus ensuring that the tent 10 is securely attached to the vehicle 12. The stays 31, 32 counterbalance the tension in the securing lines 16, 17 such that the height-adjustable members 27, 28, and thereby the tent 10, stand in an upright position, perpendicular to the ground.

Claims

Claims :-

1. An open-ended tent for pitching against a side of a vehicle, comprising a top section, two side sections, a securing line for holding the tent against the side of the vehicle, the securing line being attached at one end thereof to the top section, and retaining means being attached to the securing line, the securing line being adapted in use to pass over the roof of the vehicle and be retained in an openable window on the other side of the vehicle.

2. A device according to Claim 1, wherein the retaining means is in the form of a toggle attachment.

3. A device according to Claim 1 , wherein tension in the securing line is regulated by tensioning means connected thereto.

4. A device according to Claim 3, wherein the tensioning means is in the form of a restraining plate, through which the securing line must be moved in order to adjust the tension therein.

5. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the side sections can be raised or lowered as required, to provide a desired level of ventilation and/or visibility for the occupant.

6. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the tent is supported at the open end by height-adjustable rigid members so as to accommodate vehicles of differing heights.

7. A device according to Claim 6, wherein a stiffening member is attached to the top section along the edge thereof, adjacent to the roof of the vehicle, such that in use the top section is kept taut at all times.

8. An open-ended tent according to Claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described, with particular reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.