COLLAPSIBLE SHELTER ANCHOR

• US 20150040957A1
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Go Papa, LLLP
• Original Assignee: Go Papa, LLLP
• Inventors: Mallookis, Steven E., Mallookis, Steven B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,051,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 135/96
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/32 Parts, components, construction details, accessories, interior equipment, specially adapted for tents, e.g. guy-line equipment, skirts, thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/50 lazy-tongs type
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/62 Pegs, stakes or the like

Abstract

A collapsible shelter anchor can include a container including an opening reinforced about at least a portion of its periphery, a sidewall, and a bottom wall attached to the sidewall. The container can be filled with a material to an adjustable weight level. A coupling mechanism can connect the collapsible shelter anchor to a truss section of a collapsible shelter.

Claims

1. A collapsible shelter anchor, comprising:

a container, wherein the container includes an opening reinforced about at least a portion of its periphery, a sidewall having a bottom edge, and a bottom wall attached to the sidewall;

a base plate reinforcing the bottom wall of the container, the base plate having a top edge; and

a sidewall extension portion having a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the top edge of the sidewall extension portion is directly coupled along the bottom edge of the sidewall of the container and the bottom edge of the sidewall extension portion is directly coupled along the top edge of the base plate.

2. The collapsible shelter anchor of claim 1, wherein the baseplate is made of a different, more rigid, material than a material from which the container is made.

3. The collapsible shelter anchor of claim 1, wherein the baseplate includes a vent configured to provide ventilation to a cavity between the baseplate and the bottom wall.

4. The collapsible shelter anchor of claim 1, wherein the baseplate includes raised ridges arranged circumferentially about the baseplate that encourage the anchor to remain upright.

5. The collapsible shelter anchor of claim 1, wherein the opening of the container is reinforced about at least a portion of its periphery with a portion of material biasing the opening to a closed configuration.

6. A collapsible shelter anchor, comprising:

a container, wherein the container includes;

an opening reinforced about at least a portion of its periphery with a reinforcing material;

a releasable engagement mechanism having a first releasably engageable body and a second releasably engageable body coupled opposite one another about the opening of the container via the reinforcing material;

a first eyelet attached proximal the first releasably engageable body to the reinforcing material;

a second eyelet attached proximal the second releasably engageable body to the reinforcing material;

a sidewall having a bottom edge; and

a bottom wall attached to the sidewall;

a base plate reinforcing the bottom wall, the baseplate having a top edge; and

a sidewall extension portion having a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the top edge of the sidewall extension portion is directly coupled along the bottom edge of the sidewall of the container and the bottom edge of the sidewall extension portion is directly coupled along the top edge of the base plate.

7. The collapsible shelter anchor of claim 6, wherein the first releasably engageable body and a second releasably engageable body are configured to bring the first eyelet and the second eyelet together to receive a coupling mechanism.

8. The collapsible shelter anchor of claim 7, wherein coupling mechanism is configured to couple the container to a truss section of a collapsible shelter.

9. A collapsible shelter anchor system, comprising:

a collapsible shelter anchor including;

a container including an opening reinforced about at least a portion of its periphery, a sidewall having a bottom edge, and a bottom wall attached to the sidewall;

a base plate reinforcing the bottom wall of the container, the baseplate having a top edge;

a sidewall extension portion having a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the top edge of the sidewall extension portion is directly coupled along the bottom edge of the sidewall of the container and the bottom edge of the sidewall extension portion is directly coupled along the top edge of the base plate; and

a coupling mechanism, wherein the coupling mechanism couples the container to a collapsible truss section of a collapsible shelter.

10. The collapsible shelter system of claim 9, wherein the collapsible shelter anchor and the coupling mechanism allow an adjustable anchoring force to be applied to the collapsible truss section of the collapsible shelter according to at least three (3) different weight levels.

11. The collapsible shelter system of claim 10, wherein:

a first adjustable weight level includes an in-the-field of use, adjustable weight to the container by the addition and/or removal of an adjustable volume of material to the container;

a second adjustable weight level includes a weight of the container while supported resting on a surface with the coupling mechanism tethering the container to the collapsible truss section of the collapsible shelter; and

a third adjustable weight level includes at least a portion of the first adjustable weight level of the container by the collapsible truss section of the collapsible shelter.

12. The collapsible shelter anchor system of claim 9, wherein the coupling mechanism is configured to couple to the collapsible truss section at three (3) different positions including an end of the collapsible truss section, a midpoint along a length of the collapsible truss section, and a center of an intersection of a number of collapsible truss sections.

13. The collapsible shelter anchor system of claim 9, wherein the container is waterproof and puncture resistant and is configured to receive an adjustable volume of material.

14. The collapsible shelter anchor system of claim 9, wherein the container includes a portion of the sidewall proximal to the opening having a reinforcing material that provides a crease line configured to be folded over a selectable number of times to create a sealed opening.

15. The collapsible shelter anchor system of claim 9, wherein opposing sides of the opening of the container are configured to be releasably engaged from one another via a buckle mechanism that includes a first releasably engageable body and a second releasably engageable body.

16. A collapsible shelter, comprising:

a collapsible shelter frame including a number of vertical support legs and a collapsible truss section interconnecting the number of vertical support legs;

an anchor including;

a collapsible container having an opening reinforced about at least a portion of its periphery, a sidewall, a bottom wall attached to the sidewall, and

a rigid base plate attached to the collapsible container; and

a coupling mechanism, wherein the coupling mechanism couples the collapsible container at the reinforced opening to the collapsible shelter.

17. The collapsible shelter of claim 16, wherein the anchor comprises:

a first D-ring proximate a first releasably engageable body attached about the periphery of the opening of the collapsible container and a second D-ring proximate the second releasably engageable body attached opposite the first D-ring about the periphery of the opening of the collapsible container and making the first D-ring and the second D-ring adjacent one another when the first releasably engageable body and the second releasably engageable body are releasably engaged.

18. The collapsible shelter of claim 16, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises:

a first end releasably coupled to at least one eyelet attached about the opening of the collapsible container;

a second end releasably coupled to a canopy on the collapsible shelter frame of the collapsible shelter; and

an adjustable tensioning mechanism between the first end and the second end.

19. The collapsible shelter of claim 16, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises:

a first end of a tensioning strap that is releasably coupled to an eyelet of the anchor; and

a second end of the tensioning strap that is releasably coupled to a portion of the collapsible truss section proximal to a lower corner mounting member that is attached to one of the number of vertical support legs.

20. The collapsible shelter of claim 16, wherein the collapsible shelter comprises:

a canopy having a number of connection points affixed to the canopy; and

wherein the coupling mechanism is configured to couple a number of anchors to at least one of the number of connection points, including a connection point proximal at least one of the number of vertical support legs.