EP1147272B1 - Folding shelter with an elastically deformable load bearing structure - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a folding shelter comprising a load bearing structure (1) that can be covered by a tarpaulin (2), in addition to at least two booms (51, ...,5n) that can move in relation to each other along two substantially parallel guide paths (6). Each boom (51, ...,5n) is comprised of an elastically deformable rib (10).

Description

TECHNICAL AREA :

The invention relates to the technical field of removable shelters, intended protect, temporarily, an activity area, such as, for example, a reception or, again, a swimming pool.

PRIOR TECHNIQUE:

It is known, in the above field, removable shelters constituted of a removable tubular metal support structure, on which a roof tarpaulin and side tarpaulins. Such shelters give complete satisfaction with their protective function of an area.

However, the assembly and disassembly operations of such a shelter make it particularly unsuitable for use involving installation and frequent withdrawals, depending on weather conditions in particular.

The prior art has provided a partial solution to this problem by proposing folding shelters whose implementation is particularly suitable for protection outdoor pools, without having to consider that this is their only application possible.

Thus, US Patent 3,469,596 has proposed a swimming pool enclosure having a load-bearing structure comprising a series of metal arches linked to each other two by two successively by foldable metal spacers mounted on carriages cooperating with two substantially parallel guide rails arranged on floor.

Such a shelter gives complete satisfaction with its covering function removable for a swimming pool. However, given the particularly heavy of the metal structure, it is not possible to operate quickly place or withdraw the shelter, so that the shelter is most generally deployed for the duration of the cold season and then folded up and stored throughout duration of the hot season. In addition, given the weight of the supporting structure, a individual alone is not able to assemble or disassemble the shelter. Through elsewhere, such a metallic structure presents, due to its complexity, a cost relatively large cost.

Likewise, document FR 2 255 435 describes a foldable shelter having the same drawbacks. Indeed, such a foldable shelter is constituted by a supporting structure supporting a tarpaulin and comprising a series of rigid members movable with respect to each other along two substantially parallel guide tracks fixed to the base. Each rigid member is retained at each of its ends, by the guideway. The rigid members are slidably mounted along the guide tracks so as to be displaceable in translation to allow the support structure to pass from the folded position to the unfolded position and vice versa. Each member is formed by a rigid hoop held integral with each other by equally rigid spreader bars. The sheet supported by these rigid members is equipped between its members, inflatable tubes which are inflated when the supporting structure is unfolded, so as to increase the tension of the shelter.

PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION:

It therefore appears the need to have a removable shelter, able effectively cover and protect a swimming pool or area activities by not having the disadvantages of shelters according to the prior art and, more particularly, the drawbacks associated with a heavy supporting structure and difficult to maneuver. The invention therefore aims to provide a foldable shelter which has a mass substantially less than that of the shelters according to the prior art and which is easy to fold, unfold and move.

To achieve this objective, the invention relates to a foldable shelter, of the type comprising a supporting structure supporting a tarpaulin and comprising at least two members, at least one of which is retained at each of its two ends, by a guide track and is slidably mounted along the two tracks of substantially parallel guide so as to be movable in translation for allow the support structure to pass from the folded position to the unfolded position and, conversely

According to the invention, each frame comprises an elastically arch deformable.

The foldable shelter according to the invention, using arches elastically deformable, has the advantage of having a deformable nature, so that it can fade under the forces exerted by the wind instead of resisting it, like a rigid structure shelter, and then return to its original shape.

In order to give more rigidity to the structure, while preserving its deformable nature, according to another characteristic of the invention, two members of the structure are linked together, i.e. at the top of their respective arch, either at their ends.

In the same sense, according to yet another characteristic of the invention, a member, inserted between two other members, is connected to one of the two members at the top of its arch and at the other member at its ends.

Various other characteristics will emerge from the description below made with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of non-limiting examples, embodiments of the subject of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

Fig. 1 is a perspective, partially broken away, showing a foldable shelter according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the shelter according to FIG. 1, showing a member constituting the support structure of the shelter according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a partial section along the plane III-III of FIG. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a constructive detail of a frame of a shelter according to the invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic top view showing the structure of the shelter according to the invention fully deployed.

Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations, from the front and from the side, showing another embodiment of a shelter according to the invention according to which the guide tracks of the supporting structure are arranged in height.

BEST WAY TO IMPLEMENT THE INVENTION:

As shown in figs. 1 and 2, a foldable shelter according to the invention has a supporting structure, generally designated by the reference 1 , supporting a sheet 2 made of flexible material, possibly transparent. The shelter according to the invention is intended to cover an area 3 , such as for example a swimming pool delimited by a rim 4 forming a support for the structure 1 . The supporting structure comprises at least two, and according to the example illustrated, a series of members 5 ₁ , 5 ₂ , 5 ₃ ... 5 _n . Preferably but not strictly necessary, the members 5 ₁ to 5 _n are all substantially identical. The members 5 ₁ to 5 _n can be moved relative to each other along two substantially parallel guide tracks 6 , adapted on the support 4 . Preferably, each end of the members is adapted on a guide track 6 to be retained laterally by the latter. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each guide track 6 is constituted by a tensioned cable fixed on anchor points 7 adapted in the ground 4. The members are then slidably mounted on the cables 6. However, the extreme member 5 _n can be immobilized on the guide tracks 6 or their support 4, so as to allow an unfolding of the shelter by simple pulling on the first member 5 ₁ as will emerge below.

As shown more particularly in FIG. 2, and in accordance with an essential characteristic of the invention, each frame 5 ₁ comprises an elastically deformable arch 10 which extends in a plane P illustrated in FIG. 3. By elastically deformable arch means a hoop capable of experiencing temporary deformation, under the effect of stresses, to then return to its original shape when the stresses stop. According to a preferred embodiment, the elastically deformable arch is constituted by a substantially cylindrical tube inflated and constrained in bending. According to the example illustrated, the hoop is constituted by a cylindrical textile envelope inside which is introduced an inflatable bladder, inflated to a pressure of the order of 1 to 1.5 bar. The shape of the arch 10 is then obtained by means of a false-entry 11 exerting on the two branches of the envelope a constraint in the direction of bending of the latter. The false entry 11 can be made in any suitable manner, such as in textile material, such as a strap sewn at its two ends on the textile casing or in the form of a suitable rigid bar, by means of necklaces, on the headband 10 . The elastically deformable arch 10 could also be constituted by a flexible and tight cylindrical envelope or by a cylinder of elastic cellular material, constrained in bending or, again, by a tube or a flexible bar in composite material which would also be constrained in bending. Of course, the arch 10 can also be made of any other suitable elastically deformable material which would be preformed and would not be constrained in bending. Likewise, the bending stress could result from the connection of the members with the guide tracks.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, two successive members of the support structure 1 are linked together, either at the level of the apex 12 of their respective arches 10 , or at their ends 13 .

The connection of two successive members by the top 12 of their respective arches 10 , such as the members 5 ₁ and 5 ₂ , is for example effected, by means of two textile sleeves 14 which each surround two of the tops and which are connected by a textile strip 14 ₁ forming a hinge, as shown in FIG. 3. Of course the connection to the top 12 of the arches 10 could be made in any other appropriate manner leaving, preferably, remain a possibility of relative rotation of the members as will appear later.

When two successive members are linked together at their ends 13, such as members 5 ₂ and 5 ₃ , they are preferably so by means of a slide 15 which is fitted on a guide track 6 and on which are mounted the corresponding ends of the inflatable arches 10 . It should be noted that the same slide 15 then ensures, on the one hand, the adaptation of the members on their guide tracks and, on the other hand, the connection of two successive members by their ends. Preferably, each inflatable arch is mounted on the slider by means of an articulated anchoring head 16 . This head 16 is then likely to experience a rotation along at least one axis x-x ' perpendicular to the guide tracks 6. As shown more particularly in FIG. 4, each slider has a passageway 17 for retaining and holding the cable 6. In addition, when the slider 15 is capable of coming to bear on the support 4 of the guide tracks 6 , as is the case for the example illustrated, it has rollers 18 or pads.

According to another preferred characteristic of the invention, more particularly highlighted by the diagram of FIG. 5 , in order to ensure greater rigidity in the supporting structure 1 , each member, interposed between two other members, such as the member 5 ₂ between the members 5 ₁ and 5 ₃ , is linked to one of the two members 5 ₁ at the top of its arch 10 and at the other member 5 ₃ at its ends 13. This interposed member, for example 5 ₂ , is therefore connected, by its top, to the top of an adjacent member, while the ends of this interposed member are each assembled at one end of another adjacent member. Thus, there is a kind of triangulation of the members of the supporting structure 1 , by the alternation of the connections at the vertices 12 of the arches with the connections at the ends of the members. This triangulation advantageously gives the supporting structure great stability whatever the position taken, from its folded position to that fully deployed.

The cover 2 of the shelter is adapted to the supporting structure 1 thus formed, so as to completely cover the latter. According to a preferred embodiment, the edges of the sheet 1 are adapted to slide on the guide tracks 6 by means of rings 20 , loops or hooks. In addition, the cover 2 is fixed, at regular intervals, to the successive slides and defines their extension or their maximum spacing separating them in the unfolded position. The means defining the maximum spacing of the slides could also be formed by stops limiting the angular travel of the anchor heads 16 or, again, inextensible flexible links connecting two by two the successive slides adapted on a guide track 6 . The sheet 2 is also retained between two members 5 ₂ - 5 ₃ , 5 _4- 5 ₅ linked at their ends by means of an elastic link 21 connecting the two connecting slides between said members. Finally, the end faces of the shelter at the level of the first 5 ₁ and the last 5 _n members are closed by the sheet 2 , the edges of which are held at each of these two members by rings, hooks or the like 22 on a transverse cable 23 connecting the two slides of the frame.

Preferably, the cable 23 is removably attached to at least one of its ends on the slides. The cover 2 then has, at its end faces, means for passage to the protected area 3 , such as, for example, openings 24 closed by means of slide fasteners.

Similarly, the sheet could also have such openings fitted laterally between two successive members.

The unfolding of the shelter, according to the invention and thus constituted, is ensured, from a folded position, as illustrated by part A of FIG. 3, in which the extension planes P have a substantially vertical orientation and the sliders of the same track are placed against one another.

A traction is exerted in the direction of the arrow f ₁ on the first member 5 ₁ by means, for example, of two strands 25 fixed on the slides 15. This traction causes the deployment of the articulated structure formed by the first two members 5 ₁ , 5 ₂ , as shown in part B of fig. 3, until stretching the two opposite edges of the sheet connecting, at each of the tracks 6, the two successive slides. When these two edges are stretched, the continued traction causes the deployment of the following members, and so on, until the complete unfolding of the supporting structure.

When passing from the folded position, as illustrated in part A of FIG. 3, in an unfolded position, as represented by part B of the same fig. 3, each member 5 ₁ , 5 ₂ , 5 ₃ experiences a pivoting of its extension plane P between a substantially vertical orientation and an inclined orientation. This pivoting of the plane P is favored by, on the one hand, the articulation formed by the connecting sleeve 14 between the top 12 of the arches 10 , and on the other hand, the anchoring heads 16 articulated on the slides 15 . Taking into account the triangulation resulting from the alternation of articulated connections at the tops and at the ends of the members, the support structure is advantageously stable, both in the folded or unfolded positions and in the intermediate positions between these two extreme positions .

Once the shelter is fully extended, as illustrated in fig. 5, the first member is immobilized and it is possible to put in place intermediate anchors 26 of the cables 6 on the ground 4 , so as to place the shelter perfectly on its support.

The shelter thus unfolded provides perfect protection of the area to be protected 3 which can be accessed through the openings in the end faces. In order to avoid any obstacle to circulation, the transverse cables keeping the tarpaulin in the closed position, can, after opening of the shelter, be detached by one of their ends and arranged on the side.

When a folding is desired, any intermediate anchors are removed, the first member is released and it can then be exerted on it, a traction in the direction of the arrow f ₂ . This traction then tends to successively bring the sliders against each other, along the guideway. During this folding, the elastic link or tensioner 21 , adapted on the sheet 2 between two members 5 ₂ -5 ₃ , 5 ₄ -5 ₅ linked by their ends, ensures perfect guidance of the latter when it is released by the bringing the members together, as shown in part A of fig. 3.

Once the shelter is folded up, it is possible to detach the cables 6 so as to store them against the shelter so as to leave no obstacle to circulation on the ground 4 .

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, each slider 15 has a brake system 27 making it possible to immobilize the slider in translation on its guide track.

The foldable shelter according to the invention offers, given the lightness of its support structure 1 , a possibility of folding and rapid unfolding by a single person. In addition, the use of two tensioned cables 6 , as guide tracks, allows the shelter to be put in place and adapted without significant modifications to the surroundings of the area to be covered.

In the context of use for covering a swimming pool, the shape of the arches 10 leaves a space between the swimming pool and the cover 2 to allow use of said swimming pool. The foldable enclosure forms an effective protection of the swimming pool against bad weather. Indeed, given the nature of the connections, of the sliding type or sliding pivot, between the members and the guideways, the shelter is perfectly retained by the guideways.

Indeed, the tension of the guide cables 6 ensures, by the connection of the cables with the slides 15 and the rings 20 of the sheet, an effective plating of the edges of the sheet 2 on the ledge or the ground 4 , which prohibits, when the shelter is closed, access to the swimming pool for children, animals and objects of all kinds. In addition, the deformable nature of the supporting structure 1 allows the shelter to be erased under the effect of the wind and thus reduces the stress on the guideways compared to that which a rigid shelter would exert. Furthermore, in the event of an individual falling onto the shelter, the buoyancy reserve offered by the inflatable arches 10 cancels any risk of drowning by imprisonment in the cover 2.

Another advantage of the invention lies in the nature of the hoops 10 which, in their preferred embodiment, allow, by their deflation, to reduce the total volume of the dismantled shelter and thus allow its storage and transport without heavy means Handling. According to a preferred embodiment, the shelter is completely removable and the arches 10 are removably attached to the anchoring heads 16 of the slides so that it is possible to completely disassemble each member of the supporting structure. The assembly of the shelter is then carried out by inflating the arches 10 , then adaptation of the ends of the arches on the anchor heads 16 of the slides 15 , which will have been previously adapted on the guide tracks 6 energized on their anchorages 7 arranged in the ground 4 .

According to the above examples, the guide tracks 6 are fixed to the ground 4. According to another embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the guide tracks 6, constituted by cables, are adapted in height by each being stretched between two posts 30 . Thus, the foldable shelter constitutes a kind of roof, for a play, reception or work area, which can be very easily folded or unfolded along the guide cables, as has been described for the ground shelter. . To this end, the control of the operating strands 25 may be brought back to the ground. In the event of a large span and in order to avoid too great a deflection of the stretched cables 6 forming the guide tracks, the posts 30 can also support recovery lines 31 connected to the cables 6 . To close the sides of the shelter, skirts 33 can also be hung, either on the guide cables, or on the lower bottoms of the cover 2.

As shown in dotted lines in fig. 6 , it is also possible to juxtapose several shelters in accordance with the invention, so as to constitute a cover assembly for an extended activity area.

According to the above examples, the guide tracks are formed by stretched cables, but they could just as easily be made up of rails or "C" grooves in which the slides would be fitted.

Likewise, it could also be envisaged to link together directly the ends of the inflatable arches by means of seams by providing a textile joint. The ends thus connected would then be adapted on the tracks of guidance constituted by cables by means of passers-by arranged in said ends and threaded on the cables.

In the examples above, the members 5 ₁ to 5 _n of the supporting structure are linked to each other alternately by their apex and by their ends. However, another organization of the connection of the successive members of the supporting structure could be envisaged. Likewise, a shelter in accordance with the invention could have a supporting structure, the members of which comprising an elastically deformable arch would be linked together only by means of the sheet.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the articulated carrying structure, as described in relation to FIGS. 1 to 5 , involving alternating links articulated at the tops of the arches and at the ends of the members, advantageously makes it possible to reduce the connecting members between the successive members to a minimum number. Thus, this configuration allows the realization, using rigid hoops, of a foldable rigid support structure lighter than those of known foldable shelters.

POSSIBILITY OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION:

The invention finds a preferred, but not exclusive, application to the creation of a foldable pool enclosure.

Claims (15)

1. Folding shelter of the type comprising a bearing structure (1) supporting a canvas (2) and comprising at least two members (5₁, ..., 5_n) each being held at each of its two ends by a guideway (6) and at least one of the members (5₁) being mounted to slide along the two roughly parallel guideways (6) so that it can be moved in terms of translation to allow the bearing structure to be moved from a folding position into a deployed position, and vice versa, characterized in that each member (5₁ to 5_n) comprises an elastically deformable hoop (10).
2. Folding shelter according to Claim 1, characterized in that two successive members (5₁, 5₂) are connected together, either at the top (12) of their respective hoop, or at their ends (13).
3. Folding shelter according to Claim 1, characterized in that a member (5₂) inserted between two other members (5₁, 5₃) is connected to one of the two members (5₁) at the top (12) of its hoop (10) and to the other member (5₃) at its ends (13), so as to cross-brace the bearing structure.
4. Folding shelter according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that two successive members (5₁, 5₂) are connected at the top (12) of their respective hoop in such a way as to allow relative rotation of the members with respect to each other.
5. Folding shelter according to Claim 1, characterized in that the guideways (6) consist of two stretched cables fixed, by an anchoring system, to a support (4) at their two ends and on which the ends (13) of at least one of the members are slideably mounted.
6. Folding shelter according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the members (5₁ to 5_n) have, at each of their ends, a slider (15) which is fitted onto a guideway (6) and on which the corresponding end (13) of the inflatable hoop (10) is mounted.
7. Folding shelter according to Claim 6, characterized in that each end of each hoop (10) is fitted onto a slider (15) via an articulated anchoring head (16).
8. Folding shelter according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the hoops (10) of two members connected at their ends are fitted onto each guideway on one and the same slider (15).
9. Folding shelter according to one of Claims 6 to 8, characterized in that, between two members (5₂-5_3, 5₄-5₅) connected by their ends, an elastic link (21) connects two member-connecting sliders (15) in order to hold the canvas (2) down.
10. Folding shelter according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that each member (5₁ to 5_n) comprises an elastically deformable hoop (10) consisting of a roughly cylindrical tube inflated and forced into a bow.
11. Folding shelter according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the guideways (6) are fixed to the ground (4).
12. Folding shelter according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the guideways (6) are kept elevated on supports (30).
13. Folding shelter according to Claim 12, characterized in that the canvas (2) is supplemented with skirts (33) that close the sides of the shelter.
14. Application of a folding shelter according to one of Claims 1 to 13 to the covering of a pool the rim (4) of which acts as a support for the bearing structure (1).
15. Application of a folding shelter according to one of Claims 1 to 13 to the covering of an activity area equipped with posts (30) for fitting the guideways (6) in an elevated position.

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