Anchoring system for portable shelters and the like

• US 8,439,058 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2011
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glenn E. Doell
• Original Assignee: Glenn E. Doell
• Inventors: Doell, Glenn E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hawk, Noah Chandler
• Application Number:
  US13/187,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20120017960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 135/111, 135/118, 135/140, 135/141, 135/144, 135/120.1, 135/16, 135/96, 160/46, 160/53, 160/127, 248/346.3, 248/519, 248/523, 248/910, 248/346.01, 248/346.5, 248/346.2, 521/63, 521/65
• US Class Current: 135/120.1
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/2246 filled with water, sand or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/58 Closures; Awnings; Sunshades
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/62 Pegs, stakes or the like

Abstract

Disclosed is an anchoring system for a portable shelter that includes a plurality of anchor assemblies each having a support surface for supporting one of the legs of the portable shelter above the ground when the leg rests on the support surface such that the anchor assemblies are positionable under the legs of the portable shelter to support the portable shelter above the ground. Each anchor assembly includes a container, a retainer and an attachment. The container forms a hollow interior space for holding weighting material and has a removable lid forming the support surface. The retainer blocks the leg from sliding off of the support surface. The attachment includes an anchor plate located within the hollow interior space and below the weighting material and a cable extending from the anchor plate and out of the container for attachment to the tensioning line.

Claims

1. An anchoring system for a portable shelter including a support frame having a plurality of legs and a canopy having a plurality of tensioning lines, the anchoring system comprising, in combination:

a plurality of anchor assemblies each having a support surface for supporting one of the plurality of legs above the ground when the leg rests on the support surface such that the plurality of anchor assemblies are positionable under the plurality of legs to support the portable shelter above the ground;

wherein each of the plurality of anchor assemblies includes a container forming the support surface and having a hollow interior space for holding weighting material, a retainer for preventing the leg from sliding off of the container, and an attachment for removably attaching one of the plurality of tensioning lines to the anchor assembly; and

wherein the container includes a bottom wall, a generally cylindrically-shaped side wall extending upward from the bottom wall, and a top wall extending from the top of the side wall such that the bottom, side and top walls form the hollow interior space, and wherein the top wall forms the support surface.

2. The anchoring system according to claim 1, wherein the support surface is substantially planar and horizontally extending.

3. The anchoring system according to claim 1, wherein the retainer extends above the support surface to form an abutment which blocks the leg from sliding off of the support surface.

4. The anchoring system according to claim 3, wherein the retainer substantially encircles the support surface.

5. The anchoring system according to claim 4, wherein the retainer is rectangular-shaped about the support surface.

6. The anchoring system according to claim 1, wherein the top wall is in the form of a removable lid which can be secured and unsecured from the top of the side wall.

7. The anchoring system according to claim 1, wherein the hollow interior space is adapted to hold liquid so that the weighting material can be a liquid.

8. An anchoring system for a portable shelter including a support frame having a plurality of legs and a canopy having a plurality of tensioning lines, the anchoring system comprising, in combination:

a plurality of anchor assemblies each having a support surface for supporting one of the plurality of legs above the ground when the leg rests on the support surface such that the plurality of anchor assemblies are positionable under the plurality of legs to support the portable shelter above the ground;

wherein each of the plurality of anchor assemblies includes a container forming the support surface and having a hollow interior space for holding weighting material, a retainer for preventing the leg from sliding off of the container, and an attachment for removably attaching one of the plurality of tensioning lines to the anchor assembly; and

wherein the attachment includes a cable secured within the hollow interior space and extending out of the container for attachment to the tensioning line.

9. The anchoring system according to claim 8, wherein the attachment includes an anchor plate located within the hollow interior space and below the weighting material and the cable extends from the anchor plate and out of the container for attachment to the tensioning line.

10. An anchoring assembly for a portable shelter including at least one support leg and at least one tensioning line, the anchoring system comprising, in combination:

a container having a bottom wall, a generally cylindrically-shaped side wall extending upward from the bottom wall, and a top wall extending from the top of the side wall such that the bottom, side and top walls form a hollow interior space for holding weighting material;

wherein the top wall forms a support surface for supporting the leg above the ground when the leg rests on the support surface to support the portable shelter above the ground;

a retainer for preventing the leg from sliding off of the container,

an attachment for removably attaching the tensioning line to the container; and

wherein the attachment includes a cable secured within the hollow interior space and extending out of the container through an opening in the top wall for attachment to the tensioning line.

11. The anchoring system according to claim 10, wherein the support surface is substantially planar and horizontally extending.

12. The anchoring system according to claim 10, wherein the retainer extends above the support surface to form an abutment which blocks the leg from sliding off of the support surface.

13. The anchoring system according to claim 12, wherein the retainer substantially encircles the support surface.

14. The anchoring system according to claim 13, wherein the retainer is rectangular-shaped about the support surface.

15. The anchoring system according to claim 10, wherein the top wall is in the form of a removable lid which can be secured and unsecured from the top of the side wall.

16. The anchoring system according to claim 10, wherein the hollow interior space is adapted to hold liquid so that the weighting material can be a liquid.

17. The anchoring system according to claim 10, wherein the attachment includes an anchor plate located within the hollow interior space and below the weighting material and the cable extends from the anchor plate and out of the container through an opening in the top wall for attachment to the tensioning line.

18. An anchoring assembly for a portable shelter including at least one support leg and at least one tensioning line, the anchoring system comprising, in combination:

a container having a bottom wall, a generally cylindrically-shaped side wall extending upward from the bottom wall, and a removable lid secured to the top of the side wall such that the bottom wall, the side wall, and the lid cooperate to form a hollow interior space for holding weighting material;

wherein the removable lid forms a horizontally extending support surface for supporting the leg above the ground;

a retainer substantially encircling the support surface and extending above the support surface to form an abutment which blocks the leg from sliding off of the support surface, and

an attachment including an anchor plate located within the hollow interior space and below the weighting material and a cable extending from the anchor plate and out of the container through an opening in the removable lid for attachment to the tensioning line.