US20090090406A1

US20090090406A1 - Tent comprising a flexible fabric and a frame, and assembly comprising it

Info

Publication number: US20090090406A1
Application number: US12/294,326
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard Maximilien; Marc LeGrand
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-03-24
Filing date: 2007-03-16
Publication date: 2009-04-09
Also published as: FR2898928B1; EP1999323A1; FR2898928A1; WO2007122306A1

Abstract

The tent (1) comprises a flexible fabric (11) and reinforcing means. This fabric (11) comprises sleeves, each of said sleeves being designed to accommodate a flexible hoop belonging to said reinforcing means. The tent (1) has a deployed position in which it comprises completely rectangular lateral faces (3, 6) arranged in a cylinder whose directrix is a regular polygon having an even number of sides, each of said sleeves extending round the periphery of a said respective face (3, 6), each of said hoops being in a working position in said sleeves, and said tent (1) has a flat position in which said sleeves are superposed.

Description

The invention is generally concerned with tents the fabric of which is tensioned by hoops.
The document GB 2 340 516 discloses a tent of this type, with two slopes, including a fabric delimiting a habitable volume and frame formed of two flexible hoops. This tent has a deployed position and a storage position. In the deployed position, each hoop is disposed in a working position at the perimeter of a sloping panel of the tent. The tent includes in a panel in contact with the ground means for holding apart the two sloping panels. In the storage position, the hoops are folded into loops and superposed on each other. This tent changes from its storage position to its deployed position of its own accord.
Also known is a tent of the above kind including a fabric delimiting a habitable volume and a frame formed of two flexible hoops disposed in sleeves. This tent has a deployed position and a storage position. In the deployed position, the hoops are in a working position with a first portion of each hoop on the ground and a second portion raised from the ground to deploy the fabric. The first portion of one hoop faces the second portion of the other hoop. Once again, in the storage position, the hoops are folded into loops and superposed on each other. This tent also passes from its storage position to its deployed position of its own accord.
The invention aims to improve the capacity and the conditions of use of such tents.
To this end, the invention proposes a tent including a flexible fabric and a frame for tensioning said fabric, said fabric including sleeves, each of said sleeves being adapted to accommodate a flexible hoop forming part of said frame, characterized in that said tent has a deployed position in which it has globally rectangular lateral faces arranged in a cylinder the directrix of which is a regular polygon including an even number of sides, each of said sleeves extending at the perimeter of a respective one of said faces, each of said hoops being in a working position in said sleeves, and in that said tent has a flat position in which said sleeves are superposed.
With the tent in the deployed position, the configuration of its faces imparts to the tent a stability enabling it to remain in this position of its own accord. This configuration also enables the production of tents of large height and large habitable volume.
According to implementation features that are particularly simple and convenient as much for fabrication as for use:
in addition to said deployed position and said flat position, the tent has a storage position in which each of said hoops is in a multiloop position in which it is conformed as a plurality of superposed loops, said hoops being superposed on each other in the multiloop position; and/or
said fabric includes lateral panels and a roof panel, each of said lateral panels including one of said sleeves; and where appropriate
the tent includes a flexible wall for connection to a vehicle and an access opening formed in one of said lateral panels, said wall including means for connection to the panel and to the rear of said vehicle; and/or
the tent includes four similar faces and four hoops, said fabric including four lateral panels and a roof panel; and where appropriate
the tent includes two flexible poles extending in a cruciform arrangement against the inside surface of said fabric in the deployed position of said tent, each leg of one of said poles lying against the junction of two consecutive lateral panels so that said roof panel has the shape of a dome at the center of which said poles cross; and where appropriate
said fabric has at each junction of two consecutive lateral panels, on the side opposite said roof panel, a sleeve for positioning the end of a respective end of one of said legs; and/or
the tent includes two access openings and at least one flap for blocking one of said access openings, each of said openings being provided in a respective lateral panel; and/or
said hoops are in stainless steel and have a rectangular section.
The invention also proposes an assembly comprising a tent as described hereinabove and a cover for transporting said tent in the storage position, with said tent disposed inside said cover.
According to other implementation features, said cover is adapted to envelop said panels and said hoops in a multiloop position and has an insertion slot provided with closure means.

The features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description, given by way of preferred but nonlimiting example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a tent of the invention connected to a vehicle via a connecting wall;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of this tent in its deployed position, the vehicle not being shown;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of this tent from another angle;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of a hoop of this tent;

FIG. 5 is a view in section of the hoop taken along the plane V-V indicated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of part of a hoop and two lateral panels of the tent on each of which a sleeve is represented;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the tent ready to be folded up, with the connecting wall folded;

FIGS. 8 to 15 are perspective views of the tent representing positions assumed by the tent between the deployed position and the storage position, with the flat position shown in FIG. 11 constituting an intermediate position; and

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the assembly of the invention, with the tent stored in the bag.

The tent 1 represented in the figures is here intended to be used in association with a vehicle 2.
The tent 1, which is described first in its deployed position, has four lateral faces 3, 4, 5, 6, a roof face 7, and a ground face 8. Together the faces 3 to 8 form a parallelepiped.
The tent 1 includes four hoops 9, two poles 10 and a fabric 11.
This fabric 11 is of plastic material, here polyester-based, and comprises a plurality of panels that correspond to the various faces 3 to 7 of the tent 1. Thus it includes four lateral panels 12, 13, 14, 15 with the same dimensions. These lateral panels 12 to 15 have the same shape as the lateral shapes 3 to 6, i.e. a globally rectangular shape.
The perimeter of each of the panels 12 to 15 is convex and the four corners of the panel are rounded. Each panel 12 to 15 is sewn along two of its opposite edges to the two adjacent panels.
The fabric 11 also includes a roof panel 16 which has a dome shape with a square base. The four edges of the panel 16 are sewn to the edge of one of the panels 12 to 15.
Each lateral panel 12 to 15 is provided at its perimeter with a sleeve 17 (FIG. 6) in which a hoop 9 is disposed. The sleeve 17 is formed by folding the edge of the panel on itself and sewing it.
The sleeve 17 is also convex and its four corners are rounded.
The sleeve 17 is always flexed outward so that the hoop 9 can permanently tension the fabric in the deployed position.
The sleeve 17 has an opening (not shown) at which the edge is not sewn.
The hoop 9 is in stainless steel and has an overall flexibility. The hoop 9 has a rectangular section with a width much less than the length and a width that extends radially when a hoop 9 is in its working position, the hoop 9 being in its working position when the tent 1 is in its deployed position.
The hoop 9 is formed of a strip with the same section as the hoop 9 and the same length as the sleeve 17.
To place the hoop 9 in the sleeve 17, one end of the strip is inserted and threaded into the sleeve 17 until that end appears at the opening. The two ends of the strip are then placed in a small stainless steel sleeve that is crimped onto the strip to join the two ends and form a hoop 9.
The panels 12 to 15 are provided with openings. The panels 12 and 14 feature an opening 20 with dimensions that are small compared to the dimensions of the panel 12, 14. This opening 20 forms a window for the tent 1. Here the openings 20 are blocked by a transparent plastic material film. In a variant, not shown, the openings 20 are blocked by mosquito netting.
Each of the panels 13 and 15 includes a U-shaped cut-out 21.
Two portions of this cut-out 21 are separated from each other and parallel to the ground, these two portions being connected by a transverse third portion.
This cut-out 21 defines a flap 22 which can be fixed to the remainder of the panel 13, 15 by zip closure means (not shown) along the cut-out 21. By means of these zip closure means, the flap 22 can be separated from the remainder of the panel 13, 15 and the cut-out 21 then defines a large access opening 23 enabling users to enter or leave the tent. The cut-out 21 in the panels 13, 15 enables two tents 1 to be placed one against the other, for example, the openings 23 enabling passage from one tent to the other to provide a larger usable space.
The tent 1 also includes the two poles 10. The poles 10 have a circular section and here are in glass fiber. Each pole 10 includes a number of portions so that the pole 10 can be folded up. The ends of the portions are provided with hinge means (not shown).
Each pole 10 has an inverted U shape. The legs 25 of each of the poles 10 are positioned at the junction of two consecutive panels 12 to 15, each leg extending from the ground face 8 to the roof face 7.
The portion of the pole 10 situated between the legs 25 is rounded. The two poles 10 are positioned in a cruciform arrangement: at each junction between two consecutive panels 12 to 15 there is one leg of one pole 10 and the portions situated between the legs 25 cross at the center of the inside surface of the roof panel 16. These portions support the roof panel 16 and give it its dome shape.
Sleeves 26 are provided at the ground face 8 end of each junction of two consecutive panels 12 to 15. Each free end of a pole 10 is disposed in a sleeve 26 to retain it and can be driven into the ground if it is soft.
The tent 1 also includes an extension for connecting the tent 1 to the car 2. This extension includes a connecting wall 30 produced in the same material as the fabric 11.
When flat this wall 30 has a globally rectangular shape and, when the tent is deployed and the wall 30 is installed between the car 2 and the tent 1, a U-shape defining a short connecting tunnel. The lateral panels of this wall extend to the ground. These lateral panels are connected by a roof panel extending the roof panel 16.
The tent 1 being represented here with a car 2 the height of which is less than the height of the tent 1, the roof panel of the wall 30 is inclined from the roof panel 16 to the roof of the car 2.
The wall 30 is connected to the panel 15 by a zip closure (not shown) so that the wall 30 can be added to the tent 1 if it is to be used in collaboration with a car 2 or if an awning is to be placed in front of the access opening 23 of the panel 15. The wall 30 can also be removed to use the tent 1 independently of a car and the wall 30.
For the connection of the roof 30 to the car 2, connecting means are provided here including two suction cups 31 intended to be used in conjunction with the roof of the car 2. Supplementary suction cups can be provided for fixing the lateral panels of the wall 30 to the sides of the car 2.
In variants that are not shown, the edge of the wall 30 to be connected to the car 2 is elastic and espouses the shape of the roof 2 to facilitate retention of the wall 30 on the roof 2.
Because of the shape of the wall 30, the rear hatch of the car 2 can be opened and come into contact with the inside surface of the roof panel of the wall 30. If the car 2 has two doors opening about a vertical rotation axis, the doors come into contact with the lateral panels of the wall 30.
A system of guy ropes (not shown) formed of cords connected to the fabric 11 and to the wall 30 and formed of tent pegs is provided for fastening the tent 1 to the ground.
The tent 1 in its deployed position is a cylinder the directrix of which is a square.
The tent is described next in its flat position (FIG. 11). In this position, the openings 23 are closed by the flaps 22, the poles 10 have been removed, and the wall 30 is folded onto the panel 15.
The panels 12 to 15 are superposed and laid flat so that the resulting stack is the globally rectangular shape of any of the panels 12 to 15 with a thickness globally corresponding to the thickness of the four panels 12 to 15. The panel 16, which is thinner because it does not incorporate a hoop, is disposed against the outside surfaces of the panel 14 and the wall 30 and the outside surfaces of the panels 14, 15 are disposed face-to-face. In the stack of panels, only the outside surfaces of the panels 12, 13 can be seen.
In the flat position, the hoops 9 and the sleeves 17 are superposed.
The tent 1 is described next in its storage position (FIG. 15).
In this position, the hoops 9 have a multiloop position. Each hoop 9 is folded to form three superposed loops and the four hoops are all superposed on each other, the various panels of the tent 1 taking up positions inside the cylinder formed by the hoops 9. Each loop of a hoop 9 has a circular overall shape. The height of the tent 1 in the stored position is very much less than the diameter.
In this position, the tent 1 can be stored in a transport cover 40 (FIG. 16). This cover 40 includes two circular panels 41 the diameter of which is slightly greater than that of the hoops 9 in their multiloop position. The two panels 41 are sewn together over approximately one half-circumference. The other half-circumference is occupied by a zip closure 42 for opening and closing a slot for inserting the tent in the storage position.
The poles 10 are also placed inside the cover 40 after folding them up.
The cover 40 is provided with carrying handles 43. The cover 40 and the tent 1 form an assembly 44 for transporting the tent 1.
In a different embodiment, the cover 40 includes, between its two panels 41, a cylindrical lateral panel enabling the diameter of the panels 41 to be adjusted to the diameter of the hoops 9 in the storage position of the tent 1.
Installing the tent 1 is described next.
The tent 1 and in particular the poles 10 are removed from the cover 40 by opening the zip closure 42. The tent 1 is deployed simply by releasing the stresses on the hoops 9. These move from their multiloop position to their working position in the sleeves 17, the tent thereby assuming its deployed position. The four hoops 9 enable the tent 1 to be self-supporting. The panels 12 to 15 are then taut and flat and with the panel 16 form the tent 1 in its deployed position.
If, on deployment, the tent 1 remains in its flat position, the lateral panels 12 to 15 are grasped by hand to deploy the tent 1 completely.
The poles 10 are then positioned by placing the ends of the legs 25 in the sleeves 26.
The wall 30 is then positioned by fixing it to the car 2 as described above. The wall 30 is connected beforehand to the panel 15 by the zip closure if the wall 30 is not already associated with the panel 15.
To fix the tent 1 better to the ground, the cords are tensioned and the tent pegs driven into the ground.
In the absence of a car 2, the tent 1 is erected in the same way, with the wall 30 optionally secured by a system of guy ropes (not shown).
Storing the tent, in which it moves from its deployed position to its flat position, is described next.
After the openings 23 have been closed, the tent pegs removed and the wall 30 separated from the car 2, the wall 30 is folded onto the panel 15. The tent 1 is laid down with the panel 13 against the ground (FIG. 7). The panel 14 is then brought against the panel 13 (FIG. 8) so that, at the end of this movement, the panel 16 is folded in two and a double panel 50 formed of the panels 13 and 14 is lying on the ground and another double panel 51 formed of the panels 12 and 15 is positioned transversely to the double panel 50 (FIG. 9).
The double panel 51 is then folded over the double panel 50 so that at the end of this movement the four panels 12 to 15 are superposed on each other and lying on the ground. The panel 16 lies between the double panel 50 and the double panel 51.
The tent 1 is then in its flat position (FIG. 11) formed of a stack 52 comprising the four panels 12 and 15 and the panel 16.
The stack 52 has the same dimensions as the panels 12 to 15. The two widths of the stack 52 are then moved closer together to fold the latter like a wallet (figure 12).
By moving the widths of the stack 52 even closer together, the latter assumes a saddle shape (FIG. 13). The rolling up movement is then continued by pushing a half moon-shaped panel 55 inwards on top of a corresponding half moon-shaped panel 56. At the same time the front 58 and the back 57 of the saddle-shaped stack 52 are moved toward each other (FIG. 14).
In this configuration, independently of the fabric 11, the stacks of hoops 9 form three incomplete circles 60, 61 and 62. The incomplete circle 60 is against the ground and the incomplete circles 61, 62 extend obliquely toward each other. The incomplete circle 61 is then passed under the incomplete circle 62. Then, in a simultaneous movement, the incomplete circle 61 is folded over the incomplete circle 60 and the incomplete circle 62 is moved toward the incomplete circle 61.
Once the hoops 9 are virtually coplanar in the plane of the ground, each hoop 9 is in its multiloop position in which it is folded into three circles. In this position, all the panels of the fabric 11 lie inside a circle formed by the stack of hoops 9.
The circumference of the hoops in the multiloop position is globally one third of their circumference in the working position. The tent 1 can then be stored in the cover 40 after opening the zip closure 42. The poles 10 can also be slipped into the cover 40 after folding them. Thus all the panels of a tent 1 are stored in a compact overall size. To be more precise, the tent in the storage position occupies the area of a circle the perimeter of which is one third the perimeter of one of the panels 12 to 15. The ratio between the overall size in the stored position and the usable volume in the deployed position is particularly advantageous. This tent configuration in particular provides a large height under the roof panel 16.
In a different embodiment, an opening is provided in one of the lateral panels for adding a small tent having an opening corresponding to that of the lateral panel. This small tent is used for storage.
In a further embodiment, the small tent is formed directly from the fabric 11, which has on the lateral panel a surplus of material that can be deployed using a system of cords and tent pegs. This surplus fabric is situated toward the bottom of the panel inside the surface defined by the sleeve.
The tent 1 can then be stored in the flat configuration.
In a further embodiment, the tent 1 has a larger number of lateral panels, for example six lateral panels.

Claims

1. Tent comprising a flexible fabric (11) and a frame for tensioning said fabric (11), said fabric (11) including sleeves (17), each of said sleeves (17) being configured to accommodate a flexible hoop (9) forming part of said frame, wherein said tent (1) has a deployed position in which said tent (1) has globally rectangular lateral faces (3-6) arranged in a cylinder, the directrix of which is regular polygon including an even number of sides, each of said sleeves (17) extending at the perimeter of a respective one of said faces (3-6), each of said hoops (9) being in a working position in said sleeve (17), and wherein said tent (1) has a flat position in which said sleeves (17) are superposed.

2. Tent according to claim 1, wherein in addition to said deployed position and said flat position, said tent (1) has a storage position in which each of said hoops (9) is in a multiloop position in which it is conformed as a plurality of superposed loops, said hoops (9) being superposed on each other in the multiloop position.

3. Tent according to claim 1, wherein said fabric (11) includes lateral panels (12-15) and a roof panel (16), each of said lateral panels (12-15) including one of said sleeves (17).

4. Tent according to claim 3, further comprising a flexible wall (30) for connection to a vehicle (2) and an access opening (23) formed in one of said lateral panels (15), said wall (30) including means (31) for connection to the panel (15) and to the rear of said vehicle (2).

5. Tent according to claim 3, wherein said tent (1) includes four similar faces (3-6) and four hoops (9), said fabric (11) including four lateral panels (12-15) and a roof panel (16).

6. Tent according to claim 5, further comprising two flexible poles (10) extending in a cruciform arrangement against the inside surface of said fabric (11) in the deployed position of said tent (1), each leg (25) of one of said poles (10) lying against the junction of two consecutive lateral panels (12-15) so that said roof panel (16) has the shape of a dome at the center of which said poles (10) cross.

7. Tent according to claim 6, wherein said fabric (11) has at each junction of two consecutive lateral panels (12-15), on the side opposite said roof panel (16), a sleeve (26) for positioning the end of a respective end of one of said legs (25).

8. Tent according claim 3, further comprising two access openings (23) and at least one flap (22) for blocking one of said access openings (23), each of said openings (23) being provided in a respective lateral panel (13, 15).

9. Tent according to claim 1, wherein said hoops (9) are in stainless steel and have a rectangular section.

10. Assembly comprising a tent (1) according to claim 1 and a cover (40) for transporting said tent (1) in a storage position, said tent (1) being disposed inside said cover (40).

11. Assembly according to claim 10, wherein said cover (40) is configured to envelop said panels (12-15) and said hoops (9) in a multiloop position and has an insertion slot provided with closure means (42).