Kit, method and apparatus for constructing a portable outdoor enclosure

• US 20050178420A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Outdoors Incorporated (FeraDyne Outdoors, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Holding Company (Eastman Chemical Company)
• Inventors: Reis, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 7,320,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 135/133
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/44 collapsible, e.g. breakdown type E04H15/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/62 Pegs, stakes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 135/901 Hunting blind or ice-fishing shelter

Abstract

A portable ice fishing enclosure includes a flexible covering cooperatively engaged with a frame, and secured to an ice surface using a plurality of threaded anchor stakes. The frame may include a plurality of sub-frames, each of which includes a central hub and a plurality of semi-rigid poles extending radially outwardly from the central hub. The lower edge of the covering includes a skirt portion having reinforced through holes at outer edges thereof, which receive the anchor stakes therein. Ends of the skirt portions extend beyond the edges of side walls of the covering, so that the skirt portion ends may be placed in an aligned overlapping configuration. A kit is described for providing components of the enclosure, and a method of assembling the enclosure is described. The portable ice fishing enclosure is lightweight, easily assembled and disassembled, and constructed to withstand, and provide protection from, the harsh winter environment.

Claims

1. A portable and collapsible shelter for placement on an outdoor substrate to protect a user from the environment, the portable shelter comprising:

a shell formed of flexible sheet material;

a frame structure for supporting the shell; and

a plurality of anchor stakes for securing the shell to the substrate, wherein

wherein the shell comprises;

a plurality of interconnected sidewalls arranged lateral edge to lateral edge such that each of the plural sidewalls is joined to an adjacent sidewall at respective lateral edges; and

a skirt portion attached to a respective bottom edge of each sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls, wherein the skirt portion comprises an elongated strip of material which is wider than said sidewall, the skirt portion extending substantially continuously along the entire lower edge of the sidewall such that ends of the skirt portion extend beyond both lateral edges of said sidewall, each end of the skirt portion provided with a through hole formed therein;

and wherein each end of the skirt portion is adapted to be arranged in a layered, overlapping relationship with an end of a skirt portion of an adjacent sidewall, such that a through hole of a skirt portion of one sidewall overlies and is capable of placement in stacked vertical alignment with the through hole of a skirt portion of the adjacent sidewall, to form a vertically aligned through hole pair adapted to receive one of said anchor stakes therethrough.

2. The portable shelter of claim 1, wherein the frame structure comprises a plurality of separate sub-frames, each sub-frame comprising plural poles extending from a single central hub, and each sub-frame spaced apart from the remaining sub-frames.

3. The portable shelter of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of sub-frames, and wherein the number of sub-frames corresponds to the number of sidewalls plus one.

4. The portable shelter of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of sub-frames, and wherein each sub-frame comprises plural poles extending from a central hub, the central hub comprising a cylindrical body,

the central hub comprising a substantially flat inner surface, a molded outer surface, and an arcuate edge surface extending between the outer surface and the inner surface,

the central hub having plural shaped through holes extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, the plural shaped through holes positioned so as to be equidistantly spaced and so as to surround a longitudinal axis of the central hub,

the central hub further having plural radial channels formed in the inner surface thereof, each plural radial channel extending from the edge surface and intersecting with a respective shaped through hole,

each pole of the plural poles comprising an elongate rod having a hub end, and a distal end opposed to the hub end,

the hub end of each pole comprising at least one key member adjacent an end of the pole,

the at least one key member shaped to cooperatively interact with one of said plural shaped channels of the central hub to maintain the hub end of the pole within the central hub,

each pole of the plural poles pivotally positioned within the central hub such that the hub end thereof is situated in one of said plural radial channels, and such that the terminus of the hub end resides within the corresponding one of said plural shaped channels,

each of said sub-frames further comprising a cover member attached to said hub.

5. The portable shelter of claim 1, wherein each of said anchor stakes has a threaded end with an arcuate helical tip.

6. The portable shelter of claim 2, wherein the shell comprises a ceiling panel attached to upper ends of said sidewalls, wherein a sub-frame is provided for each sidewall of said plural sidewalls, and wherein a sub-frame is provided for the ceiling panel, wherein each sidewall of said plural sidewalls and the ceiling panel are each provided with a plurality of pockets formed on an inner surface thereof, and wherein

each sidewall of said plural sidewalls and the ceiling is adapted to support a sub-frame by receiving the distal end of each pole within a respective one of said plurality of pockets.

8. The portable shelter of claim 1, wherein the shelter is provided with four anchor stakes, each anchor stake comprising a threaded lower end, wherein when in use the threaded lower end of each anchor stake is adapted to be inserted into a through hole pair of the overlapping ends of adjacent skirt portions.

9. The portable shelter of claim 1, wherein an end of each of the respective skirt portions are reinforced in an area thereof surrounding the respective through hole, using a metal or plastic grommet.

10. The portable shelter of claim 1, wherein a tensioning member is provided for at least one of said plural sidewalls that it extends between opposed edges thereof, the tensioning member comprising a fixed length strap, an adjustable length strap, and a tensioning assembly joining the fixed length strap to the adjustable length strap.

7. The portable shelter of clam 1, wherein each of the plurality of anchor stakes comprises:

a shank comprising;

an upper end, and

a lower end which is tapered and which has screw threads formed on the outer surface thereof;

the lower end terminating at a pointed tip that is oriented at an angle relative to the axis of the shank;

and wherein each anchor stake further comprises a flange extending radially outwardly from a medial portion of the shank,

wherein the lower end of the shank is insertable through aligned ends of the skirt portions and into a substrate, such that a portion of the shell is held between the flange and the substrate.

11. A portable shelter for placement on an outdoor substrate to provide protection from the environment,

the portable shelter comprising a frame, a flexible shell supported by the frame, and a plurality of anchor stakes, the portable shelter configured to be attachable to the substrate using said anchor stakes,

the flexible shell having a lower end and a closed upper end, and comprising a plurality of interconnected sidewalls, and a skirt portion attached to a lower portion of each of said sidewalls,

each skirt portion comprising an elongate flexible band having a first end, a second end, and a body portion, the body portion of the skirt portion extending substantially continuously along the lower edge of the associated sidewall,

each skirt portion having a width such that both the first end and the second end extend beyond the lower edge of the sidewall, and

each first end and second end of each skirt portion having a through hole formed therein and a reinforcement surrounding said through hole,

wherein when the portable shelter is in attached to a supportive substrate and in a fully assembled configuration thereof, each respective sidewall of the plural sidewalls extends upwardly from the substrate, and the skirt portion of each respective sidewall of the plural sidewalls overlies the substrate, with a first end of the skirt portion of one side wall overlying a second end of the skirt portion of an adjacent sidewall so that that the through holes of the respective first and second ends are in alignment, and such that the threaded anchor stake is insertable through the aligned through holes and into the substrate.

12. The portable shelter of claim 11, wherein each of said anchor stakes comprises a shank, the shank having an upper end formed into a handle, the shank having a lower end which tapers to an arcuate helical tip, the lower end of the shank being provided with screw threads on an outer surface thereof, the anchor stake further comprising a medial flange extending radially outwardly from a medial portion of the shank.

13. The portable shelter of claim 11, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of sub-frames, and wherein the number of sub-frames corresponds to the number of sidewalls plus one.

14. The portable shelter of claim 13, wherein the frame structure comprises plural sub-frames, each sub-frame comprising plural poles extending radially outwardly from a central hub, each sub-frame spaced apart and separate from the remaining sub-frames.

15. A method of assembling a portable shelter, the portable shelter comprising

a shell formed of a flexible sheet;

a frame structure for supporting the shell; and

plural anchor stakes for securing the shell to a substrate, wherein

the shell comprises a plurality of interconnected sidewalls arranged lateral edge to lateral edge;

the shell is supported by the frame structure,

the shell comprises a skirt portion attached to a lower end of each sidewall of the plural sidewalls, the skirt portion comprising an elongate rectangular band having a width which is greater than the width of the sidewall to which it is attached, the skirt portion extending substantially continuously along the entire lower edge of the sidewall such that the ends of the skirt portion extend beyond the side edges of said sidewall, each end of the skirt portion provided with a reinforced through hole,

each of said anchor stakes comprising a shank, the shank having

an upper end formed into a handle;

a lower end which is tapered to a point and which has screw threads formed on the outer surface thereof; and

a flange extending radially outwardly from a medial portion of the shank;

wherein the method of assembling the portable shelter comprises the steps of;

(a) positioning the shell on the substrate such that the skirt portion overlies the substrate;

(b) attaching the frame to the shell to support the shell in an upstanding configuration;

(c) placing the skirt portions with adjacent skirt portion ends arranged in a vertically stacked relationship such that a through hole of a skirt portion of one sidewall overlies and is in vertical alignment with the through hole of a skirt portion of an adjacent sidewall to vertically align respective through holes formed in said skirt portion ends;

(d) inserting one of said anchor stakes into the aligned through holes of the skirt portion ends such that the point of the anchor stake contacts the substrate; and

(e) rotating the handle of the anchor stake so that the threads of the lower end draw the anchor stake into the substrate, until the flange of the anchor stake abuts the skirt portion.

16. The method of assembling a portable shelter of claim 16, wherein the through holes formed in the skirt portion are reinforced with grommets.

17. The method of assembling a portable shelter of claim 16, wherein a tensioning member is provided for at least one sidewall or for the ceiling, and wherein method further comprises a step of placing tension on the tensioning member.

18. The method of assembling a portable shelter of claim 17, wherein the tensioning member comprises a fixed length strap, an adjustable length strap, and a tensioning assembly joining the fixed length strap to the adjustable length strap.

19. A kit for use in constructing a portable shelter, the kit comprising a flexible covering, a collapsible frame, a plurality of anchor stakes, and a carrying bag sized to receive the covering, frame, and plurality of anchor stakes therein,

wherein the covering comprises a plurality of interconnected sidewalls arranged lateral edge to lateral edge to form a flexible shell, and a respective skirt portion attached to a lower portion of each of said sidewalls,

each skirt portion comprising an elongate flexible band having a first end, a second end, and a body portion, the body portion of the skirt portion extending substantially continuously along the lower edge of the associated sidewall,

each skirt portion having a width such that both the first end and the second end extend beyond the lower edge of the sidewall, and

each first end and second end of each skirt portion having a through hole formed therein and a reinforcement surrounding said through hole,

wherein each anchor stake comprises a shank, the shank having

an upper end;

a lower end which is tapered and which comprises screw threads formed on the outer surface thereof;

the terminus of the lower end comprising a point that lies at an angle to the axis of the shank.