Abstract:
A portable vertically mounted hunting blind which has two plates and straps forming a fastener which is attached to a tree trunk at any desired height by wrapping the straps around the tree trunk and connecting the straps under tension with a connecting means which maintains the tension. The plates have receptacles for the insertion of a holder, with the holder extending away from the tree trunk. A blind cover is attached to the holder and provides a user with complete camouflage as the user sits within the blind cover. The hunting blind is inexpensive, easy to manufacture, light weight, and easily transportable.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of Invention The present invention relates generally to the field of blinds used while hunting, bird watching, or performing some other related outdoor activity, and more particularly to blinds for mounting in a tree or other vertically oriented object.  
           [0002]    2. Technical Background  
           [0003]    When hunting or observing wildlife, hunters or observers (outdoorsmen) must remain completely motionless for long periods of time in order not to scare away animals. In addition, they must be camouflaged to prevent any animals from seeing them, and thus alert the animals of potential danger. These necessary conditions for successfully performing the activity are uncomfortable, especially during inclement weather, and often result in severe muscle cramping.  
           [0004]    Therefore, many outdoorsmen will set up hunting blinds on the ground. The blinds obscure the presence of the outdoorsmen by keeping them hidden from view, particularly if the blind is camouflaged. The blinds permit outdoorsmen some freedom of movement, and also protect them from inclement weather, thereby alleviating some of the problems associated with traditional hunting or wildlife observation.  
           [0005]    Quite often, however, it is preferable for outdoorsmen to have a birds-eye view. Therefore, many outdoorsmen will position themselves in a tree or other suitable object. Generally, outdoorsmen will have a tree stand to mount in the tree to give themselves a place to sit or stand. A tree stand is a platform which is temporarily mounted on a tree trunk to support a hunter, photographer, or other wildlife observer at an elevated position to see the animals without being seen or otherwise detected. Tree stands are often used in combination with camouflaged clothing to further obscure the observer.  
           [0006]    What is needed, therefore, and currently not available in the art, is a portable tree blind which is simple to mount vertically on a tree, is lightweight, and can be assembled quickly and easily.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention is a portable, collapsible, compact, lightweight-hunting blind, which can be mounted vertically on a tree trunk at any desired height to provide camouflage to a user. The blind is constructed of two plates interconnected with one or more straps attached to the plates. The plates also each have one or more straps attached to the plates, these straps wrapping around a tree trunk and connecting with a buckle that allows the user to tighten the straps by pulling on one end of the straps. The buckle has a frictional ridge or lip that maintains the tension created by pulling on the strap. Once tightened and secured, these straps hold the plates tightly against the tree trunk. The plates also have receptacles to reversibly receive a holder, which is held in place by the plates, and which extends away from the tree trunk. A cloth-like device or blind cover can be draped from the holder so that a user, positioned near the tree trunk, is covered and camouflaged by the blind cover. The plates, and therefore the holder and blind cover, are held in place frictionally and reversibly by the tension applied to the straps and maintained by the buckles. Pulling the tip of the buckle away from the tree trunk releases the frictional contact of the ridge of the buckle on the straps and the hunting blind can be easily and quickly removed from the tree trunk and disassembled.  
           [0008]    One advantage of the present invention is a hunting blind, which may be easily and quickly mounted vertically on a tree.  
           [0009]    Another advantage of the present invention is a hunting blind that is safe to use.  
           [0010]    Another advantage of the present invention is a hunting blind that is simple and fast to assemble and dissemble.  
           [0011]    Another advantage of the present invention is a hunting blind that provides its user with complete camouflage.  
           [0012]    Another advantage of the present invention is a hunting blind that is inexpensive and easy to manufacture.  
           [0013]    Another advantage of the present invention is a lightweight, easily transportable hunting blind.  
           [0014]    These and additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily available to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the invention as described herein. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary of the invention and are intended to provide an overview of framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide further understanding of the invention, illustrate various embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principals and operations of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 shows a plate of the present invention with a receptacle and strap connections.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 shows a view of the hunting blind fastener of the present invention showing the plates with the associated strap assemblies for reversibly attaching the plates to the trunk of tree.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of the securing buckle of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 shows a view of the hunting blind fastener of the present invention in place on a tree trunk.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 shows the holder of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6 shows the holder inserted into the receptacles of the plates, in position on a tree trunk.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 7 shows the blind cover attached to the holder, the holder being inserted in the receptacles of the plates mounted in a tree trunk, forming the vertically mounted hunting blind of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    Reference will now be made to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures. Where possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing figures to refer to same or like parts.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 shows plate  10   a  of the present invention which can be of any suitable shape but is preferably rectangular and slightly concave (curved), as desired, to fit the contour of a tree trunk, or any similar vertical object. Thus, external surface  11  of plate  10   a  would be slightly convex. Plate  10   a  has a plurality of openings  12 , preferably four, for the attachment of attachment straps  13  and interconnecting straps  14 . Attachment straps  13  are attached to Plate  10   a  in openings  12  on outer edge  7 . Interconnecting straps  14  are attached to plates  10   a  and  10   b  (see FIG. 2) in openings  12  on inner edges  8 . Plate  10   a  also has a receptacle  16  with opening  9  for the insertion of a holder  40  (see FIGS. 6 and 7) to suspend a blind cover  50 . Straps  13  have connecting means, preferably securing buckles  17 .  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of hunting blind fastener  20  of the present invention. Hunting blind fastener  20  has two plates  10   a  and  10   b  which are identical in shape and construction interconnected with interconnecting straps  14 . Plate  10   b  has securing straps  15  attached to plate  10   b  at outer edge  7 . Plates  10   a  and  10   b  may be constructed of any suitable material, preferably metal.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 shows details of securing buckle  17 , which is well known in the art. Securing buckle  17  has openings  18  and ridge  19 . When securing strap  15  is inserted through opening  18  as shown, strap  15  can be pulled through buckle  17  freely, but will not move in the reverse direction when under tension because of frictional resistance produced by ridge  19  against strap  15 . However, rotating the buckle outward towards strap  13  releases this friction provided by ridge  19 , and strap  15  can be withdrawn from buckle  17 . Although buckle  17  is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, any connecting means may be used that will maintain tension created by pulling on securing straps  15 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 4 shows a view of hunting blind fastener  20  secured in position on tree trunk  30 . Hunting blind fastener  20  is secured in place by passing securing straps through securing buckle  17 , as shown in FIG. 3, and pulling strap  15  as tightly as desired. Securing straps  15  thereby create sustained tension along plates  10   a  and  10   b , interconnecting straps  14 , attachment straps  13 , and securing straps  15 . The tension is sustained by connecting means (buckle  17 ). Hunting blind fastener  20  can be positioned on trunk  30  at any height desired, and will be held securely in place by the tension in the straps and plates and the resulting frictional forces between the straps and plates against tree trunk  30 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 5 shows a holder  40  of the portable vertically mounted hunting blind of the present invention. The holder is preferably a unshaped tubular assembly. Each end  41  of the unshaped tubular assembly  40  is bent at approximately right angles to the legs  42  of assembly  40 . Assembly  40  can be made of a plurality of pieces so that it can be assembled and disassembled for portability. Although approximate right angles between ends  41  and legs  42  are preferred, any angle desired may be used.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 6 shows holder  40  inserted into receptacles  16  of plates  10   a  and  10   b . Ends  42  of holder  40  are placed into openings  9  of receptacles  16 . Holder  40 , thus, extends away from tree trunk  30 , at any angle desired, preferably approximately perpendicular to trunk  30 .  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 7 shows the portable vertically mounted hunting blind of the present invention mounted on tree trunk  30 , with a blind cover  50  attached to holder  40  and hanging therefrom. Blind cover  50  can be made of any suitable cloth-like material, preferably made of plastic fibers or sheets, and preferably having a net-like structure. Blind cover  50  can be attached to assembly  40  by any suitable means. For example, blind cover  50  may have a fold or loop on one end into which assembly  40  is inserted. Alternatively, various devices such as clips, buttons, snaps, hook and pile arrangements, and the like, may be used. In addition, blind cover  50  may have some suitable weighted material at its free hanging end  51  to prevent movement of blind cover  50  from the effects of wind.  
         [0030]    The method of use of the hunting blind of the present invention is provided in the following description. Plates  10   a  and  10   b , interconnected by one ore more interconnecting straps  14 , on inner edges  8  are placed on the surface of the trunk of a tree  30  at any desired height. Securing straps  15 , attached at outer edges  7  of plate  10   b  are wrapped around the tree trunk  30  and inserted into the connecting means or buckles  17  on attachment straps  13 , straps  13  being attached to outer edge  7  of plate  10   a . Straps  15  are then pulled with desired tension so that hunting blind fastener  20  is frictionally attached to tree trunk  30 . The tension is maintained by the connecting means (buckle  17 ). Holder  40  is inserted into receptacles  16  on lower edges  5  of plates  10   a  and  10   b . Blind cover  50  is attached to holder  40  and allowed to hang freely. The hunting blind may be quickly removed from tree trunk  30  by reversing the order of steps described above, or by releasing the tension in connecting means  17  by, for example, pulling buckles  17  away from the trunk  30 , thereby releasing the frictional resistance of ridges  19  on securing straps  15 .  
         [0031]    The foregoing description has been limited to specific embodiments of this invention. It will be apparent, however, that variations and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to the disclosed embodiments of the invention, with the attainment of some or all of its advantages and without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the plates may be constructed of wood or plastic. Likewise, the holder may be constructed of wood or plastic. The blind cover may be of any length desired. The connecting means may be loops through which securing straps are inserted, folded over on themselves, and attached to themselves by standard means known in the art, preferably, hook and pile arrangements. The straps may be connected to the edges of the plates by rivets, screws, glue, hook and pile arrangements, and the like, or may be sewn in place.  
         [0032]    It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated above in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as recited in the following claims.