Collapsible shelter/tent with frame locking mechanism

• US 6,199,572 B1
• Filed: 07/24/1998
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Negocios de Estella SA
• Original Assignee: Negocios de Estella SA
• Inventors: Surrendi, Dennis C., Rousselle, Gisele B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Beth A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): A, Phi Dieu Tran, A, Phi Dieu Tran
• Application Number:
  US09/122,115
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 135/126, 135/128, 135/135, 135/136, 135/143, 135/144, 135/147, 135/159, 135/98
• US Class Current: 135/128
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/28 Umbrella type tents
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/44 collapsible, e.g. breakdown type E04H15/42 takes precedence

Abstract

A collapsible shelter/tent, such as for example an umbrella tent, has a collapsible frame with a plurality of legs that are erected by manually moving two clevises toward one another. The shelter/tent includes an improved locking mechanism that very securely maintains the structure in an erected position. The improved locking mechanism includes a generally vertical pin extending from one of the clevises that is received inside a socket supported on the other of said clevises. The socket has an engaging member therein that can engage a groove in the generally vertical pin after said generally vertical pin has been inserted into said socket. Preferably, the engaging member is spring biased into the groove. The shelter/tent also includes a variety of novel frame structures. An erection device for erecting a collapsible tent is also included. The erection device includes an elongated pole and a slide member that can be used to control relative movement of the clevises toward and away from one another.

Claims

1. A collapsible shelter/tent, comprising:

a first clevis;

three or more legs pivotally connected to said first clevis;

a second clevis;

three or more support bars, each pivotally connected with respect to one of said legs at an outer end of said support bar and pivotally connected to said second clevis at an inner end of said support bar, said legs, said support bars, and said first and second devises forming a collapsible frame;

a generally vertical pin extending from one of said first and second clevises, said generally vertical pin having a groove on a side thereof;

a socket disposed on the other of said first and second clevises, said socket having a receiving bore formed therein which is aligned with said generally vertical pin, said socket having an engaging member supported therewithin, said engaging member being constructed and arranged to firmly engage said groove in said generally vertical pin after said generally vertical pin is inserted into said bore of said socket to thereby lock said first and second clevises together and to be manually disengaged from said groove to permit said first and second clevises to be separated from one another; and

a plurality of sheet-material walls supported on said collapsible frame in collapsed and uncollapsed states of said frame, said plurality of sheet-material walls being constructed and arranged to apply pressure to portions of said collapsible frame as said collapsible frame is moved from said collapsed state to said uncollapsed state to cause portions of said collapsible frame to flex and thereby urge one of said first and second clevises toward the other when said collapsible frame is in the uncollapsed state.

2. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 1, wherein said sheet-material walls include sides around a perimeter of said shelter/tent and a ceiling.

3. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 2, wherein said sheet-material walls are supported on an outside surface of said frame.

4. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 1, wherein said socket further includes biasing means for biasing said engaging member into said groove automatically upon engagement of said first and second clevises.

5. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 4, wherein said biasing means includes at least one spring.

6. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 4, wherein said biasing means includes a gravitational force on said engaging member.

7. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 1, wherein said first clevis is above said second clevis and said generally vertical pin extends downward from said first clevis towards said second clevis.

8. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 7, wherein said engaging member is located proximate said second clevis and is manually movable at a position proximate said second clevis and spaced substantially below said first clevis.

9. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 8, wherein said socket is fixed to said second clevis and includes a central bore and a widened opening having a funnel-shape receiving surface.

10. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 9, wherein a diameter across said widened opening having said funnel-shape receiving surface is more than 2 times greater than a diameter across said vertical pin.

11. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 10, wherein said diameter across said widened opening having said funnel-shape receiving surface is more than 2.5 times greater than said diameter across said vertical pin.

12. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 11, wherein said diameter across said widened opening having said funnel-shape receiving surface is more than 3 times greater than said diameter across said vertical pin.

13. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 10, wherein said generally vertical pin is generally cylindrical with a circular cross-section and said diameter across said vertical pin is a diameter across said circular cross-section, and wherein said generally vertical pin has a tapered bottom end.

14. The collapsible shelter/tent of claim 1, wherein one or both of said socket and said engaging member are color coded to identify when said engaging member is in a locked position and to identify when said engaging member is in an unlocked position.

15. A method of erecting a collapsible tent, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a collapsible shelter/tent having;

a collapsible frame that includes;

a) three or more legs pivotally connected to a, first clevis; and

b) three or more support bars pivotally connected with respect to said legs at an outer end of said support bars and pivotally connected to a second clevis at an inner end of said support bars;

one of said first and second devises having a generally vertical pin extending therefrom, said generally vertical pin having a groove on a side thereof;

the other of said devises having a socket which has a receiving bore aligned with said generally vertical pin, said socket having an engaging member supported therewithin, said engaging member being constructed and arranged to firmly engage said groove in said generally vertical pin after said generally vertical pin is inserted into said bore of said socket to lock said first and second clevises together and to be manually disengaged from said from said groove to permit said first and second clevises to be separated from one another; and

a plurality of sheet-material walls supported on said collapsible frame in collapsed an uncollapsed states of said frame, said plurality of sheet-material walls being constructed and arranged to apply pressure to portions of said collapsible frame as said collapsible frame is moved from said collapsed state to said uncollapsed state to cause portions of said collapsible frame to flex and thereby urge one of said first and second clevises toward the other when said collapsible frame is in the uncollapsed state,

b) placing said collapsible shelter/tent in a collapsed condition;

c) moving said first and second clevises towards one another against a biasing force tending to separate said clevises created by said legs and said sheet-material walls;

d) upon reaching a certain position, having said legs and said sheet-material walls switch the direction of force on said second clevis so as to force said clevises toward one another; and

e) after reaching said certain position, locking said first and second clevises together by inserting said generally vertical pin into said bore of said socket.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said step e) of locking said clevises together includes automatically biasing said engaging member into said groove upon engagement of said first and-second clevises.

17. The method of claim 15, further including performing said step of automatically biasing said engaging member by at least one spring.

18. The method of claim 15, further including the step of providing said sheet-material walls on an outside surface of said legs, and further including the step of disassembling said shelter/tent by reaching from inside of said shelter/tent and manually moving said engaging member at a position proximate said second clevis member and spaced substantially below said first clevis member.