WO2007060610A1

WO2007060610A1 - A portable shelter

Info

Publication number: WO2007060610A1
Application number: PCT/IB2006/054362
Authority: WO
Inventors: Frank William Ashmore
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-11-24
Filing date: 2006-11-21
Publication date: 2007-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 2008-05-24

Abstract

This invention relates to a portable shelter. The shelter includes a shield member, made of sheet material, and a support structure including first and second parallel rails, each in the shape of a portal frame. The rails extend through two series of holes defined along opposite sides of the shield member with the shield member zigzagging across the rails. The shield member is collapsible and expandable along the rails concertina fashion. The shelter provides an operative configuration in which it is supported on its support structure on the ground and its shield member is at least partially expanded and disposed to provide shelter against the sun.

Description

A PORTABLE SHELTER

THIS INVENTION relates to a portable shelter. It relates, more particularly, to a portable shelter primarily against the sun.

According to the invention there is provided a portable shelter including

a shield member which defines a longitudinal direction and is comprised of a longitudinal series of transverse shield segments that are foldable with respect to each other to permit concertina fashion collapse and expansion of the member in its longitudinal direction, each segment defining through it a first hole and a second hole on opposite sides of the member; and

a support structure, operatively supported on the ground, including a first and a second rail extending through all the first and all the second holes, respectively, of the shield member, at least partially collapsed, the shield member thus being carried by the rails and being collapsible and expandable along the rails,

the shelter providing an operative configuration thereof in which the shield member is at least partially expanded and disposed to provide shelter against the sun. Clearly, the support structure will, in the operative configuration of the shelter, have its rails disposed parallel to each other to permit sliding of the shield member along the rails.

The segments of the shield member of the structure may define a zigzag configuration in transverse view of the member, zigzagging across the rails. Each segment of the shield member may include a size of sheet material. The sheet material may be flexible and, as such, the shield member may include a transverse stiffener rod between each two adjacent segments thereof, extending across at least substantially the entire width of the member. Alternatively, the sheet material may be substantially rigid and hinge formations may be defined between adjacent segments. In this case, the sheet material may, for example, be cardboard or a similar corrugated plastic and the hinge formations may be defined along transverse fold lines.

In the shelter, each of the rails of the support structure may define one of a pair of portal frames. Each portal frame may include an at least substantially straight middle section.

In the case of the rails of the support structure of the shelter defining portal frames, as referred to above, the support structure may include two transverse braces, the one fixedly interconnecting corresponding ends of the portal frames and the other fixedly interconnecting corresponding opposite ends of the portal frames.

Still in the case of the rails of the support structure of the shelter defining portal frames, the support structure may include legs for supporting the portal frames.

The shield member of the shelter may be removable from its support structure. The support structure may be comprised of releasably interconnectable parts permitting it to be disassembled to provide for the parts to be packed together with the shield member, when collapsed, to define a compact storage/transportation configuration of the shelter.

The Applicant envisages that the invention may provide an economical, lightweight, and practical shield against the sun, for example for use on a beach. It may also be operatively positioned to define a shelter against the wind.

The invention is described below by way of an example of an embodiment of a portable shelter, in accordance with the invention, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic front elevation of an embodiment of a portable shelter, in accordance with the invention, in a first operative configuration thereof;

Figure 2 shows a diagrammatic side elevation of the shelter of Figure 1 in the operative configuration of Figure 1 and in the direction of arrows N-Il of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a diagrammatic general view of a part of a shield member of the shelter of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 shows an exploded view of certain parts of a support structure of the shelter of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 shows a diagrammatic side elevation of the shelter of Figure 1 in a second operative configuration thereof;

Figure 6 shows a front elevation of the shelter of Figure 1 in a third operative configuration thereof, in which legs thereof are removed;

Figure 7 shows the shelter of Figure 1 in a forth operative configuration thereof, in which its legs are removed; and

Figure 8 shows a diagrammatic general view of a part of a shield member that can serve as an alternative to the shield member of Figure 3.

With reference initially to Figures 1 and 2, a portable shelter, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The portable shelter 10 includes a shield member 12 and a support structure 14. The support structure 14 includes a first rail 16.1 and an identical second rail 16.2, each defining one of a pair of portal frames disposed in parallel spaced apart vertical planes. The support structure 14 includes also four legs 18, each extending from an end of a rail 16 to effectively form an extension of the portal frame defined by the rail. The portal frames are thus supported on the legs 18 on the ground 20. The support structure 14 includes also two transverse braces 22, the one interconnecting corresponding ends of the rails 16 and the other interconnecting corresponding opposite ends of the rails 16. Each brace 22 is particularly releasably and rigidly joined near each end thereof to a corresponding end of a rail 16 via a threaded combination 24. Details of the joints so defined are matters for design and, as such, are not elaborated on herein.

With reference now particularly to Figure 3, the shield member 12 defines a longitudinal direction 26. The shield member 12 is comprised of a rectangular flexible sheet material member 28, two reinforcement bands 30.1 and 30.2 along opposite sides of the sheet material member 28, and a series of transverse stiffener rods 32, dividing the sheet member 12 into a longitudinal series of rectangular transverse segments 34. The configuration of the shield member 12 permits adjacent segments 34 thereof to fold with respect to each other about the rod 32 between them to permit collapse and expansion, concertina fashion, of the shield member 12 in the longitudinal direction 26.

The shield member 12 defines therethrough a row of first holes 36 through the band 30.1 and a row of second holes 38 through the band 30.2. Particularly, a pair of holes including a first hole 36 and a second hole 38 is defined in each segment 34. The holes 36 and 38 each is in the form of a slot disposed in the longitudinal direction 26 of the shield member 12.

In the first operative configuration of the portable shelter 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first rail 16.1 extends through all the first holes 36 and the second rail 16.2 through all the second holes 38. In front view of the shelter 10, as shown in Figure 1 , in which the shield member 12 is shown in transverse view, the shield member defines a zigzag configuration, zigzagging across the rails 16. This configuration permits the shield member 12 to be expandable and collapsible concertina fashion along the rails 16. It is shown here substantially extended, whereas in Figure 7, a part of the shield member 12 is extended and a part thereof is substantially collapsed, concertina fashion.

With reference particularly to Figure 4, the rail 16.1 comprises a tubular steel middle section 40 and two tubular steel end sections 42 that are releasably and rigidly interconnectable. Particularly, each end section 42 includes a spigot 44 which can fit into the section 40. Each spigot 44 includes a lock pin 46 projecting laterally therefrom, the pin being spring loaded and depressible into the spigot against the resilience of the spring. The middle section 40 defines near each end thereof a hole (not shown) for receiving the corresponding locking pin 46. Insofar as this form of connection is known, it is not elaborated on in detail herein. Each leg 18 further includes a spigot 50 for releasably connecting it to an end section 42 of the rail 16.1 .

In Figure 5, the shelter 10 is shown in a second operative configuration thereof, in which the legs 18 that had been secured to the rail 16.1 have been removed therefrom and inserted into corresponding ends of the respective braces 22 to provide for support of the shield member 12 in this configuration.

In Figure 6, the shelter 10 is shown in a third operative configuration thereof, in which the legs 18 (see Figure 1 and 2) have been removed and the remainder of the support structure 14, carrying the shield member 12, is supported directly on the ground 20.

In Figure 7, the shelter 10 is shown in a forth operative configuration thereof, which is similar to that shown in Figure 6, but with the shield member 12 partially collapsed concertina fashion.

With reference to Figures 1 , 2, 5, 6, and 7, the shelter 10 may clearly be erected in a suitable operative configuration according to the orientation of the sun and the required shade area.

In Figure 8, an alternative shield member, which can be used instead of the shield member 12 of Figure 1 on the support structure 14 of Figure 1 , is designated by the reference numeral 52. The shield member 52 includes many features of the shield member 12 and, as such, will not be described in detail herein. It comprises a single substantially rigid cardboard sheet member 54 defining therein a series of transverse hinge formations along fold lines 56. Rectangular transverse segments 58 are thus defined which are collapsible with respect to each other concertina fashion.

Whereas the shield member 12 of Figure 3 required stiffener rods 32 to give it sufficient bending stiffness to span between the rails 16 (see Figures 1 and 2), the shield member has sufficient inherent rigidity to span in that way.

The exact configuration of the portable shelter of the invention is highly variable and, as such, the invention extends to any variation portable shelter including the essential features of the portable shelter of the invention, as defined and described herein.

Claims

1 . A portable shelter including

the shelter providing an operative configuration thereof in which the shield member is at least partially expanded and disposed to provide shelter against the sun.

2. A shelter as claimed in claim 1 , in which the segments of the shield member define a zigzag configuration in transverse view of the member, zigzagging across the rails.

3. A shelter as claimed in claim 2, in which each segment of the shield member includes a size of sheet material.

4. A shelter as claimed in claim 3, in which the sheet material is flexible and the shield member includes a transverse stiffener rod between each two adjacent segments thereof, extending across at least substantially the entire width of the member.

5. A shelter as claimed in claim 3, in which the sheet material is substantially rigid and hinge formations are defined between adjacent segments.

6. A shelter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which each of the rails of the support structure defines one of a pair of portal frames.

7. A shelter as claimed in claim 6, in which each portal frame includes an at least substantially straight middle section.

8. A shelter as claimed in claim 6 or in claim 7, in which the support structure includes two transverse braces, the one fixedly interconnecting corresponding ends of the portal frames and the other fixedly interconnecting corresponding opposite ends of the portal frames.

9. A shelter as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, in which the support structure includes legs for supporting the portal frames.

10. A shelter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, of which the shield member is removable from the support structure and the support structure is comprised of releasably interconnectable parts permitting it to be disassembled to provide for the parts to be packed together with the shield member, when collapsed, to define a compact storage/transportation configuration of the shelter.

1 1 . A shelter as claimed in claim 1 , substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.