Tent with a repositionable floor

• US 7,316,238 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Issued: 01/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rec-Out, LLC
• Original Assignee: Wingroup North America, Inc.
• Inventors: Sumner, Bobby G.
• Primary Examiner(s): YIP, WINNIE S
• Application Number:
  US11/063,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20050189010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 135/87, 135 95- 97, 135137-138, 135115-119
• US Class Current: 135/137
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/56 Floors

Abstract

A tent having a repositionable floor, the floor preferably including a pair of subpanels that mate together and form a water-resistant seam. The subpanels can be repositioned within the interior of the tent or exteriorly of the tent. Additionally, each floor subpanel can be retracted and secured to a wall of the tent so as to create a floorless or partially floorless tent.

Claims

1. A tent for assembling on a ground surface, comprising:

at least one wall panel at least partially defining a tent interior; and

a floor made of a flexible material and formed by at least one repositionable floor panel having a wall edge extending from the wall panel and having a freeable edge opposite the wall edge,

wherein the floor panel is movable between a first position and a second position with the tent assembled for use, in the first position the floor is laid out flat covering all of the ground surface that is within the tent interior with the freeable edge fixed in place, and in the second position the freeable edge is unfixed and the floor panel is retracted into a compact arrangement rolled up to adjacent the wall panel with all or substantially all of the ground surface within the tent interior exposed, and

wherein the floor panel is further movable to a third position with the floor panel laid out flat outside of the tent and covering at least a portion of the ground surface that is adjacent the wall panel, with the ground surface covered by the floor panel in the first position now exposed.

2. The tent of claim 1, further comprising at least one fastener, wherein the rolled up floor panel in the second position is secured adjacent the wall panel with the fastener.

3. The tent of claim 1, wherein the at least one wall panel comprises first and second wall panels, and wherein the at least one floor panel comprises first and second floor panels with a closable seam between adjoining freeable edges thereof when the floor panels are extended from the first and second wall panels, respectively, in the first position.

4. The tent of claim 1, wherein the ground surface has an object positioned thereon, and wherein in the second position the tent is assembled with the object positioned within the tent interior.

5. The tent of claim 4, wherein the object is a picnic table.

6. A method of assembling the tent of claim 1, comprising:

(a) locating an object on a ground surface; and

(b) assembling the tent over the object with the floor in the second position so that the object is exposed for use and covered by the tent.

7. A method of repositioning the tent floor of the tent of claim 1, comprising:

(a) assembling the tent with the floor in the first position;

(b) unfixing the freeable edge of the floor panel;

(c) retracting the floor panel into the compact arrangement adjacent the wall panel;

(d) securing the floor panel in the retracted compact arrangement; and

(e) if the floor is provided with an additional floor panel, then repeating steps (a) through (e) for the additional floor panel,

wherein the floor is now in the second position with all of the ground surface that is within the tent interior exposed.

8. A tent for assembling on a ground surface, comprising:

two opposing side wall panels at least partially defining a tent interior; and

a floor made of a flexible material and formed by two repositionable floor panels each having a wall edge extending from one of the wall panels and each having a freeable edge opposite the wall edge,

wherein the floor panels are movable between a first position and a second position with the tent assembled for use, in the first position the floor panels are laid out flat covering all of the ground surface that is within the tent interior with the freeable edges coupled together to form a seam, and in the second position the freeable edges are decoupled and the floor panels are each retracted into a compact arrangement adjacent the respective wall panels with all or substantially all of the ground surface within the tent interior exposed, and

wherein the floor panels are further movable to a third position with each of the floor panels laid out flat outside of the tent on opposite sides of the tent and covering at least a portion of the ground surface that is adjacent the respective wall panels, with the ground surface covered by the floor panels in the first position now exposed.

9. The repositionable floor of claim 8, wherein the seam is water-resistant.

10. The improvement of claim 8, wherein the retractable floor panels are removable from the wall panels.

11. The tent of claim 8, wherein the ground surface has an object positioned thereon, and wherein in the second position the tent is assembled with the object positioned within the tent interior.

12. The tent of claim 8, wherein the floor panels each have opposing front and rear edges extending between the respective wall and freeable edges;

and further comprising a front wall panel and a rear wall panel that cooperate with the two side wall panels to define the tent interior, that removably couple to the front and rear edges of the floor panels when the floor is in the first position, and that decouple from therefrom for moving the floor panels to the second position.

13. A method of repositioning the tent floor of the tent of claim 12, comprising:

(a) assembling the tent with the floor panels in the first position;

(b) decoupling the freeable edges of the floor panels from each other;

(c) decoupling the front and rear edges of the floor panels from the front and rear wall panels;

(d) retracting the floor panels into the compact arrangement adjacent the respective wall panels; and

(d) securing the floor panels in the retracted compact arrangement,

wherein the floor panels are now in the second position with all of the ground surface that is within the tent interior exposed.

14. A tent for assembling on a ground surface, comprising:

at least one wall panel at least partially defining a tent interior; and

a floor made of a flexible material and formed by at least one repositionable floor panel having a wall edge extending from the wall panel and having a freeable edge opposite the wall edge,

wherein the floor panel is movable between a first position, a second position;

and a third position with the tent assembled for use, in the first position the floor is laid out flat covering all of the ground surface that is within the tent interior with the freeable edge fixed in place, in the second position the freeable edge is unfixed and the floor panel is retracted into a compact arrangement adjacent the wall panel with all or substantially all of the ground surface within the tent interior exposed, and in the third position the floor panel is laid out flat outside of the tent and covering at least a portion of the ground surface that is adjacent the wail panel, with the ground surface covered by the floor panel in the first position now exposed.

15. The tent of claim 14, wherein the at least one floor panel comprises first and second floor panels with a closable seam between adjoining freeable edges thereof when the floor panels are in the first position.

16. The tent of claim 14, wherein the ground surface has an object there upon, and wherein in the second position the tent is assembled with the object positioned within the tent interior.

17. The tent of claim 16, wherein in the second position the floor panel is rolled up to adjacent the wall panel.

18. A method of repositioning the tent floor of the tent of claim 14, comprising:

(a) assembling the tent with the floor in the second position;

(b) unsecuring the floor panel from the retracted compact arrangement;

(c) extending the floor panel to outside of the tent and covering at least a portion of the ground surface that is adjacent the wall panel; and

(e) if the floor is provided with an additional floor panel, then repeating steps (a) through (e) for the additional floor panel,

wherein the floor is now in the second position with all of the ground surface that is within the tent interior exposed.