Umbrella type collapsible shelter

• US 4,202,363 A
• Filed: 10/10/1978
• Issued: 05/13/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Ecosystems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: American Ecosystems, Inc.
• Inventors: Crawford, Lynn D., Nichols, Philip T., Watts, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Machado, Reinaldo P.
• Application Number:
  US05/950,028
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 135/2, 135/3 E, 135/4 R, 135/1 D, 135/3 C, 135/4 B, 135/4 C
• US Class Current: 135/98
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/28 Umbrella type tents
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/322 Stretching devices
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/40 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/42 external type, e.g. frame outside cover
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/62 Pegs, stakes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/64 Tent or canopy cover fastenings
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 2015/326 Frame members connected by elastic cord
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 24/53 Projection or cavity rotates about axis of cavity access opening to interlock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45099 Resilient element [e.g., snap type]

Abstract

A collapsible shelter of the umbrella-tent type including a foldable frame and a cover of sheet material affixed to the frame. The frame comprises a plurality of support members having mutually respective ends pivotally connected to a central hub. The central hub is mounted on elongate erecting guide means located at the apex of the frame. A second hub is mounted on the guide means below the central hub, and a plurality of rib members are pivotally connected at mutually respective ends to the second hub, with the other ends of the rib members being pivotally connected to corresponding, respective support members, so that when the shelter is in its erected form, the support members extend outwardly and downwardly from the central hub, the second hub is positioned adjacent or proximate to the central hub, the rib members extend substantially radially outwardly from the erecting guide, and the cover is held tautly affixed to the frame. Means are provided for releasably connecting and holding the second hub and the central hub together as a rigid unit to avoid untimely collapse of the shelter by inadvertent, undesired, downward movement of the second hub away from the central hub. The shelter can be collapsed, when desired, by disengaging the second hub from the central hub and moving the second hub downwardly away from the first hub. When the shelter is collapsed, the support members extend downwardly as a bundle from the central hub, the ribs are folded to positions substantially within the bundle of collapsed support members, and the cover is loosely affixed to the frame. In a preferred embodiment, the support members are segmented and can be folded upon themselves to greatly shorten the length of the collapsed bundle thereof.

Claims

1. In a collapsible shelter of the umbrella-tent type wherein the shelter includes a foldable frame and a cover of sheet material affixed to the frame, with said frame comprising an elongate erecting guide;

a plurality of support members for supporting said cover when said frame is erected;

a first hub mounted on said erecting guide;

first pivotal connecting means for pivotally connecting mutually respective ends of said support members to said first hub, so that when the shelter is erected, the support members extend outwardly and downwardly from said first hub, and when the shelter is collapsed, the support members extend downardly as a bundle, with the support members being in proximate side-by-side relationship;

a second hub mounted on said erecting guide below said first hub, said first and second hubs being adjustable between a collapsed position in which said first and second hubs are located remote from each other, and an erected position, in which the first and second hubs are proximate each other;

a plurality of rib members, equal in number to the number of support members;

second pivotal connecting means for pivotally connecting mutually respective ends of said rib members to the second hub;

means for pivotally connecting the other mutually respective ends of said rib members to corresponding support members, such that when the shelter is erected, said rib members extend substantially radially outwardly from said erecting guide and when the shelter is collapsed, said rib members extend downwardly, substantially within said bundle of collapsed, support members, the improvement comprising;

providing a cylindrical bore through said first hub from the upper end to the lower end thereof, with said erecting guide passing longitudinally through said bore in said first hub;

at least one of said first and second pivotal connecting means is adapted to allow rotational movement of the respective hub associated therewith about the longitudinal axis of said guide member; and

means are provided for releasably connecting and holding said first and second hubs together as a rigid unit when said first and second hubs are located proximate each other in the erected position, thereby avoiding untimely collapse of said shelter by inadvertent, undesired movement of said first and second hubs to a position separate and apart from each other, said means for releasably connecting said first and second hubs together as a rigid unit comprising;

one of said first and second hubs having a counterbore in the end thereof facing the other hub, said counterbore being eccentric with the bore which extends through said first hub, and, therefore, eccentric with respect to the erecting member positioned within said bore; and

the other hub having an upstanding cylindrical portion forming its end which faces the hub having the counterbore, said upstanding cylindrical portion being adapted for sliding engagement within said counterbore, said upstanding-cylindrical portion also being eccentric with respect to the erecting guide which, in turn, extends from the free end of said upstanding cylindrical portion and through the bore in the mutually opposite hub,

whereby, when said upstanding cylindrical portion is engaged in said counterbore and one of the hubs is rotated by about one-quarter to three eighths of a turn about the longitudinal axis of said erecting guide, said first and second hubs are bound together with said erecting guide as a rigid unit.

2. The improved, collapsible shelter in accordance with claim 1, wherein the erecting guide is an elongate rod which is adapted for longitudinal sliding movement through the bore in said first hub.

3. The improved collapsible shelter in accordance with claim 2, wherein the second hub has a cylindrical bore therethrough from one end to the other end thereof, with the erecting rod fitting longitudinally through said bore in said second hub for sliding movement therethrough.

4. The improved, collapsible shelter in accordance with claim 1, wherein the erecting guide is a rope or cord which passes through the bore in said first hub, with the end of said rope or cord which extends from the upper end of said first hub being provided with means whereby it is restrained from being pulled downwardly through the bore in said first hub, and the second hub has a cylindrical bore therethrough from one end to the other end thereof, with the portion of the rope or cord from the lower end of said first hub passing through said bore in said second hub for sliding movement of said second hub along said portion of said rope or cord.

5. The improved, collapsible shelter in accordance with claim 2, wherein the second hub is mounted integrally to the bottom end of the erecting rod.

6. The improved, collapsible shelter in accordance with claim 1, wherein said second pivotal connecting means for pivotally connecting the rib members to the second hub is adapted to allow rotational movement of said second hub about the longitudinal axis of said elongate guide member;

and the means for releasably connecting the first and second hubs together as a rigid unit comprises;

a counterbore in the lower end of said first hub facing said second hub, said counterbore being eccentric with the bore which extends through said first hub, and, therefore, eccentric with respect to the erecting member positioned within said bore; and

an upstanding cylindrical portion forming the end of the second hub which faces said first hub, said cylindrical portion being adapted for sliding engagement within said counterbore, said cylindrical portion also being eccentric with respect to the erecting guide which, in turn, extends from the free end of said cylindrical portion and through the bore in said first hub,

whereby, when said cylindrical portion of said second hub is engaged in the counterbore of said first hub, and said second hub is rotated by about one-quarter to three-eighths of a turn about the longitudinal axis of said erecting guide, said first and second hubs are bound together with said erecting guide as a rigid unit.

7. The improved, collapsible shelter in accordance with claim 6, wherein the means for pivotally connecting the support members to the first hub comprises a neck portion in said first hub formed from a reduced cross section therein intermediate between an upper cap portion and a lower collar portion of said first hub;

a ring member encircling said neck portion for pivotally connecting the mutually respective ends of said support members thereto; and

means for restraining said first hub from rotational movement about the longitudinal axis of the bore therethrough.

8. The improved collapsible shelter in accordance with claim 7, wherein the means for restraining the first hub from rotational movement about the longitudinal axis of the bore therethrough comprises a web or pin member having one end thereof connected to the cap portion on the upper side of the neck portion of said hub and the other end thereof connected to the collar portion on the lower side of said neck portion, so that said pin member bridges said neck portion and wedges between two of the mutually respective ends of said support members, thereby preventing rotational movement of the first hub.

9. The improved collapsible shelter in accordance with claim 8, wherein the means for pivotally connecting the rib members to the second hub comprises a neck portion in said second hub formed from a reduced cross section therein intermediate between an upper and lower collar portion of said second hub;

and a ring shaped member encircling said neck portion of said second hub for pivotally connecting the mutually respective ends of said rib members thereto.