Privacy tent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9856672-B2
Application number	US-201615263099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2016
Priority date	Sep 11, 2015
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

Various implementations include a fully collapsible and portable tent. For example, in various implementations, the tent includes a frame assembly that includes two or more frame members and two hubs spaced apart from each other. Ends of the frame members are coupled to the hubs. At least one of the frame members is pivotably coupled to the hubs via pivotable brackets. The pivotably coupled frame member pivot about a first axis extending through each end of the pivotably coupled frame member and the respective pivotable bracket, and the pivotable brackets pivot about a second axis extending through the pivotable bracket and the respective hub, wherein the first axis is spaced apart from the first axis. The pivotable brackets allow the tent to be moved between the collapsed and expanded positions quickly and with minimal effort.

First claim

The invention claim is:

1. A tent frame assembly comprising:
a first hub comprising a first pivotable bracket;
a second hub comprising a second pivotable bracket, the second hub being separate and spaced apart from the first hub; and
at least a first frame member, a second frame member, and a third frame member, each frame member having a first end and a second end, the first ends of at least the second and third frame members being coupled to the first pivotable bracket, and the second ends of at least the second and third frame members being coupled to the second pivotable bracket,
wherein:
each pivotable bracket is pivotable relative to the first and second hubs, respectively, between an extended position in which at least a portion of each of the second and third frame members are spaced apart from each other and the first frame member and a collapsed position in which the frame members are stacked adjacent each other,
each pivotable bracket comprises a first V-shaped plate and a second V-shaped plate, the V-shaped plates being spaced apart, each plate defining openings that align with corresponding openings in the other plate and with a corresponding opening defined through each of the second and third frame members,
each of the second and third frame members are pivotably coupled between the V-shaped plates via a frame member fastener, each frame member fastener extending through the corresponding aligned openings in the plates and the respective frame member, the respective frame members being pivotable about the respective frame member fastener, and
each pivotable bracket is pivotably coupled to the respective hub via a bracket fastener, wherein each pivotable bracket pivots about the respective bracket fastener.

2. The tent frame assembly of claim 1 , wherein a cover is coupled to the frame members.

3. The tent frame assembly of claim 2 , wherein the frame members and the cover define an interior volume in the expanded position for housing, wherein the interior volume has a height, width, and length, and wherein each of the height, width, and length is a minimum of sixty inches.

4. The tent frame assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth frame member and a fifth frame member, the fourth and fifth frame members each having a first end coupled to the first pivotable bracket and a second end coupled to the second pivotable bracket, wherein in the extended position, adjacent frame members are expanded to be disposed between 30° and 60° away from each other.

5. The tent frame assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first end of the first frame member is statically coupled to the first hub, and the second end of the first frame member is statically coupled to the second hub.

6. The tent frame assembly of claim 4 , wherein:
each V-shaped plate further defines openings that align with corresponding openings in the other plate and with a corresponding opening defined through each of the fourth and fifth frame members, and
each of the fourth and fifth frame members are pivotably coupled between the V-shaped plates via a respective frame member fastener.

7. The tent frame assembly of claim 6 , wherein:
at least one of the second, third, fourth, or fifth frame members defines a pin opening,
at least one of the hubs defines a pin opening, and
the tent frame assembly further comprises a removable pin, wherein the pin opening in each frame member and the corresponding pin opening in the hub are aligned in the expanded position, and the removable pin is engageable through the pin openings to prevent the frame members from pivoting relative to the hub.

8. The tent frame assembly of claim 6 , wherein each V-shaped plate comprises a first end that defines an opening for receiving the respective bracket fastener and a second end, the second end of each V-shaped plate comprises a lower surface, a first tab extends between the lower surfaces of the second ends of the first and second V-shaped plates of the first pivotable bracket, and a second tab extends between the lower surface of the second ends of the first and second V-shaped plates of the second pivotable bracket, the tabs being adjacent the fifth frame member in the expanded position.

9. The tent frame assembly of claim 8 , wherein each hub defines a pin opening, the pin opening being spaced above a portion of the hub that is adjacent the fifth frame member in the expanded position, wherein a removable pin is engagable through the pin opening and above the fifth frame member in the expanded position, and the fifth frame member is statically disposed between the removable pin and the tab in the expanded position, preventing the pivotable bracket from pivoting relative to the hub.

10. The tent frame assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
each frame member comprises a first end support, a second end support, a first central support, and a second central support, wherein the first end support comprises the first end of each frame member at a proximal end thereof, and the second end support comprises the second end of each frame member at a proximal end thereof,
each of the first end support and the second end support have a distal end,
a first central plate is coupled to a first end of the first central support, and a second central plate is coupled to a first end of the second central support, the first and second central plates being hingedly coupled to each other,
a first end plate is hingedly coupled to a second end of the first central support and is statically coupled to the distal end of the first end support, and a second end plate is hingedly coupled to a second end of the second central support and is statically coupled to the distal end of the second end support, and
in a folded position, the central supports and the end supports are stacked adjacent each other, and in an unfolded position, the central supports extend away from each other and the end supports.

11. The tent frame assembly of claim 10 , wherein the central supports pivot upwardly about the central plates and downwardly about the end plates in the folded position.

12. The tent frame assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth frame member, the fourth frame member being pivotably coupled to one of the first, second, or third frame members.

13. The tent frame assembly of claim 1 , further comprising wear pads coupled to facing surfaces of each pair of the V shaped plates, wherein a portion of the second frame member and a portion of the third frame member are disposed between the wear pads coupled to each pair of V-shaped plates.

14. The tent frame assembly of claim 1 , wherein each frame member has a first end support and a second end support, the first end being a proximal end of the first end support, and the second end being a proximal end of the second end support, wherein each of the first end support and the second end support comprise a first telescoping segment and a second telescoping segment, wherein the first telescoping segment slides within the second telescoping segment between a shortened position and an elongated position.

15. The tent assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one wheel coupled to each of the first hub and second hub wherein the wheels allow the tent assembly to be moved along the ground in an expanded or collapsed position.

Assignees

• Univ Alabama

Inventors

• Allen Jeff
• Powell Thomas Patrick
• Porteous Jared
• Cassity Jared
• Parris Christian

Classifications

• E04H15/38 Primary

  expansible, e.g. extensible {in a fan type manner} · CPC title

• E04H15/48

  foldable, i.e. having pivoted or hinged means ({E04H15/405 and} E04H15/46 takes precedence) · CPC title