Abstract:
A solar powered tanning booth or bed includes a wheeled frame and a readily detachable transparent cover. In cold weather, a person can comfortably enjoy solar tanning inside the booth. By detaching the cover, it can be used in cold or inclement weather to protect fragile plants. With the cover detached, a person can comfortably enjoy solar tanning in warm weather by reclining on the booth. The frame includes a peripheral member having a flat upper surface supporting a normally planar body support panel. A brace under the panel is normally spaced from the panel but loading the panel causes it to sag into load supporting engagement with the brace and become upwardly concave which is a more comfortable situation.

Description:
[0001]    This application is partly based on Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/341,697, filed Apr. 5, 2010, priority of which is claimed and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
       [0002]    This invention relates to a tanning booth and more particularly to a solar powered tanning booth which has multiple modes of use. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Most known tanning booths include UV lamps which provide the necessary light to produce tanning of humans. Solar powered tanning booths are known in the prior art as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,653,612; 4,525,884; 4,719,935; 4,739,763; 4,989,600; 5,088,514; 5,387,230; 5,446,580 and 5,733,314. The advantage of solar powered tanning booths is they do not require UV lamps and a convenient power source. Another feature of solar powered tanning booths is they are designed to be used outside in winter during quite cold climates. The sun&#39;s rays, passing through a transparent cover, produce quite pleasant temperatures inside the booth, even when it is very cold outside. 
         [0004]    Other disclosures of interest relative to this invention are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,834,351; 3,170,172; 3,741,218; 4,309,616; 4,660,561; 4,683,886; 4,686,719; 4,881,548; 4,995,067; 5,546,678 5,733,314; 6,478,810 and 7,001,414 along with U.S. Printed Patent Application 2010/0154118 and foreign patents WO 90/12940, GB 2,116,685 and Germany 3,715,725. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The solar powered tanning booths of the prior art have a number of disadvantages overcome by the disclosed device. All of the prior art devices appear to be bulky and awkward to move. This is a particular disadvantage in situations where the tanning booth includes a transparent cover and is alternatively used in winter as a small greenhouse to protect delicate plants or used as a nursery to start young plants grown from seeds or cuttings. The disclosed device is mounted on a wheeled frame, analogous to a chaise lounge frame, which allows simple and expeditious moving. 
         [0006]    Another difficulty with prior art solar powered tanning booths is the transparent cover or lid is not well supported and prone to distort or fail. In the disclosed device, an underlying frame has a flat metal surface supporting a flat metal rim on the lid. Because the frame surface has no upstanding lip, there is no accumulation of rain water as will occur with an upstanding lip or angle. When the lid closes, the metal lid rim is flush with the frame surface thereby stabilizing and supporting the periphery of the transparent lid. 
         [0007]    Another advantage of this invention is the flat body support on which the user lies is somewhat resilient. An underlying support is out of engagement with the flat body support so, when loaded, the underlying support becomes upwardly concave and considerably more comfortable than a rigid planar surface. 
         [0008]    Another advantage of this invention is the transparent lid is detachable from the underlying frame so the lid and frame can be used separately. 
         [0009]    It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an improved tanning booth and, more particular, an improved solar powered tanning booth having multiple modes of use. 
         [0010]    Another object of this invention is to provide a solar powered tanning booth incorporating a improved technique for supporting and stabilizing a transparent cover. 
         [0011]    A further object of this invention is to provide a solar powered tanning booth capable of wheeled movement. 
         [0012]    These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more fully apparent as this description proceeds, reference being made to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a tanning booth, illustrating it a cover closed, as if a person were inside being tanned; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the tanning booth of  FIG. 1 , illustrating the cover open; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the tanning booth of  FIG. 1 , taken substantially along line  3 - 3  thereof as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the tanning booth of  FIG. 1 , taken substantially along line  4 - 4  thereof as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , a tanning booth or bed  10  comprises, as major components, an underlying frame  12  and a transparent cover or lid  14 . The tanning booth  10  can preferably be of the solar powered type in which sunlight passing through the transparent lid  14  provides tanning energy to a person under the lid  14 . In this mode of use, the tanning booth  14  may be used in winter or cold weather because sunlight passing through the lid  14  produces a warm environment inside the booth  10 , despite it being cold outside. 
         [0018]    As will be more fully apparent hereinafter, the lid  14  may be removed from the frame  12  so the frame  12  and lid  14  may be used separately. With the lid  14  detached, the frame  12  may be used during summer where a user lies on the support during daylight to receive tanning rays from the sun because if the user were inside the lid  14 , is would be too warm for comfort. With the lid  14  detached, the lid  14  may be used in winter or cold weather as a small portable greenhouse by placing it over temperature sensitive plants to protect them from cold weather. 
         [0019]    The frame  12  can be of any suitable material and may be of aluminum which may be anodized, painted or unpainted. The frame  12  includes a pair of elongate structural members  16  extending parallel to a long dimension of the booth  10  and one or more structural members  18  extending perpendicular and welded to the structural members  16  so the frame  12  can be of rectangular shape. The members  16 ,  18  may be of any suitable shape such as channel, angle, box or the like and may be similar or different in cross-section. The members  16 ,  18  can provide a flat upper coplanar surface  20  that is free of any upwardly projecting lips or angles which prevents any rainwater from accumulating on the frame  12 . 
         [0020]    The frame  12  can also include at least two wheels  22  at one end of the frame  12  mounted on standards  24  and wheels or a pair of stands  26  at an opposite end of the frame  12 . Suitable spreaders  28  may be provided to strengthen the standards  22  and/or the stands  26 . At least one and preferably two braces  30  can extend across the short dimension of the frame  12  and prevent the frame members  16  from spreading apart when a person is supported in the tanning booth  10 . The braces  30  can provide another advantage of the tanning booth  10  as explained more fully hereinafter. 
         [0021]    A normally planar panel  32  can be provided to support the weight of a person on the frame  12 . The panel  32  may be of any suitable material, including plywood or the like, but may preferably be a polymer sheet known as STARBOARD made by King Plastics Corporation of North Port, Fla. which has the advantage that it does not fade, chalk, discolor, rot or chalk. The panel  32  is of a material and is of a thickness that is somewhat flexible, similar in flexibility to ½″ plywood for purposes more fully explained hereinafter. The panel  32  overlaps the upper surface of the frame members  16 ,  18  and is connected in any suitable manner, as by the use of threaded fasteners  34  at suitable intervals around the periphery of the frame  12 . Because the panel  32  can be normally planar, in an unloaded condition, the bottom  36  of the panel  32  is spaced from and out of load supporting relation to the brace  30 . As shown best in dashed lines in  FIG. 3 , the normal position of the panel  32  is generally parallel to the brace  30 . When a person of normal adult weight, i.e. in excess of 100 pounds, lies on the panel  32 , the top  38  of the panel  32  bows or assumes a slightly upwardly concave shape shown in  FIG. 3  which is considerably more comfortable than a rigid flat bed. As suggested in  FIG. 3 , the amount of concavity is subject to wide variation and depends on the spacing between the brace  30  and the bottom  36  of the panel  32 . This spacing may be preferably in the range of ½-2″. A mat or mattress (not shown) may be provided so the user can be comfortable while reclining in the booth  10 . 
         [0022]    The transparent cover or lid  14  is capable of transmitting most frequencies of sunlight so a session inside the booth  10  is not substantially different than a session of comparable length in direct sunlight. The lid  14  may be made of any suitable transparent or translucent material such as glass, plexiglass and a wide variety of organic polymers such as acrylic. The lid  14  may be of one piece formed on a mold or may be of multiple pieces glued together. The lid  14  can include a generally cylindrical top  40  and a pair of upright ends  42 . Any suitable means may be provided to ventilate the booth  10  such an adjustable shutter  44  closing an opening  46  on each upright end  42  of the lid  14 . The shutters are pivotally mounted on an axis  48  by a suitable fastener. By manipulating the shutters  44 , which may be done from the inside of the booth  10 , it is easy to control the amount of air passing through the booth  10  and thereby substantially affect the temperature inside the booth  10 . 
         [0023]    As a practical matter, the cover  14  is made of materials which are not overly strong. Economics dictate that the cover  14  be relatively thin and of an organic polymer. Such materials tend to warp or distort in response to forces acting on the cover  14 . These forces may be generated by wind, thermal expansion and/or contraction of the cover material, the weight of the cover  14  and the like. 
         [0024]    In some embodiments, the periphery of the cover  14  may be deformed during manufacture to provide a stronger rim. This may be accomplished by doubling over the material of the periphery, providing ridges in the periphery or the like. In a preferred embodiment, a subframe  50  is provided which is affixed to the rim or edge  52  of the cover  14 . The subframe  50  is made of long parallel structural sections  54  welded or otherwise secured to short sections  56  in a box shape of the same length and width as the frame  12 . The subframe  50  may be of the same metal as the frame  14  and aluminum is a preferred material. 
         [0025]    Although the rim  52  may connect to the subframe  50  in a variety of techniques, one preferred arrangement is shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The structural sections  54 ,  56  are illustrated as of box shape having a flat bottom surface  58 ,  60  overlapping the ends of the planar panel  32 . One or more internal gussets  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68  divide the interior of the sections  54 ,  56  into several compartments, at least one compartment  70 ,  72  opening through a slot  74 ,  76  to receive the edge or rim  52 . The edge  52  is secured in the compartments  70 ,  72  by an adhesive  78  of any suitable type such as a silicone caulk adhesive. A foam rope or backer rod  80  may be inserted into the compartments  70 ,  72  to reduce the quantity of silicone adhesive. 
         [0026]    In a closed position of the lid  14 , the subframe  50  sits on the edge of the planar panel  32  and is supported by the planar upper surface  20  of the frame  12 . The frame  12  has no upstanding lip so the user doesn&#39;t have to contend with one when entering or sitting on the edge of the booth  10 . 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the subframe  50  may be connected to the frame  12  in any suitable manner, as by two or more hinges  82  so a user may grasp a handle  84  on the outside of the cover  14  or a handle  86  on the inside of the cover  14  and raise the cover from a closed position to an open position as shown by a comparison of photos  1  and  2 . To partly overcome the weight of the cover  14 , an air or gas cylinder  88  or other suitable counterweight can be provided on one or both ends of the booth  10 . The gas cylinders  88  are of any suitable type such as are available from Grainger Corp. of Tampa, Fla. In this manner, anyone can raise and lower the cover  14  without undue exertion. A handle  90  on an end away from the wheels  24  allows a user to raise one end of the frame  12  and push or pull the booth  10  as it rolls on the underlying surface. 
         [0028]    As disclosed hereinafter, an interesting advantage of the tanning booth  10  lies in the removable nature of the lid  14 . To this end, the hinges  82  can be of a quick disconnect type, such as is available from McMaster-Carr Supply Company of Elmhurst, Ill. and the gas cylinders  88  can include quick disconnect fittings  92  so the gas cylinders  88  can be readily detached from the frames  12 ,  50 . This allows the lid  14  to be easily removed. 
         [0029]    Use of the solar powered tanning booth  10  should now be apparent. A user may elevate one end of the booth  10  using the handle  90  and push or pull the booth  10  to a desired location. The user may then grasp the handle  84  and raise the cover  14  to an open position so the user can enter the booth  10 . The cover  14  is easily closed from inside the booth  10 , partly due to the assistance of the gas cylinders  88 . The shutters  44  may be adjusted to control the amount of air passing through the booth  10  to achieve a comfortable temperature. A user can then enjoy sunlight passing through the transparent lid  14  in moderate temperatures in quite cold weather because the booth  10  acts much like a greenhouse. 
         [0030]    The lid  14  is readily removable which provides two additional techniques for using the components of the booth  10 . In warm weather, e.g. atmospheric temperatures above about 75° F., it becomes unduly warm under the lid  14 . By removing the lid  14 , a person can use the frame  12  on which to recline and enjoy the warm weather and achieve tanning by direct sunlight. In cold weather, e.g. approaching freezing atmospheric temperature, or when wind conditions might suggest protecting fragile plants, the lid  14  can be removed and placed over temperature sensitive plants so the lid  14  acts much like a small greenhouse. The lid  14  can also be used, in warm, cool or cold weather, as a nursery to start or nurture young plants grown from cuttings or seedlings grown from germinated seeds. Thus, the tanning booth  10  can be used in its normal fashion during cool or cold weather and its components can be separated and then used in either cold or warm weather. The reverse is also true, i.e. the frame  12  and lid  14  can be used separately and then joined for tanning use in cold weather. 
         [0031]    Although this invention has been disclosed and described in its preferred forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred forms is only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of operation and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.