Abstract:
Poles for a tent are attached along edges of sidewalls for the tent and are asymmetrically spaced from the edges. A middle portion of each pole is spaced apart a maximum distance from the central portion of the respective edge. The spacing then tapers down to the top and corner of the tent. In this manner, the pole has a somewhat parabolic shape relative to the edge.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to tents, and more particularly to tent construction.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Tents are portable shelters made of lightweight, often waterproof, fabrics. Typically, a tent is a collapsible shelter of canvas or other material stretched over and sustained by a frame. Tents are used for camping outdoors or as temporary structures. Tents come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most popular shape is the dome, or free standing, model. This model is easy to set up and does not require support from tree limbs or other objects.  
         [0003]     Most contemporary backpacking tents are free standing, in that, when the tent is set up, the entirety of the pole structure for the tent is attached to the tent. This feature permits the erected tent to be lifted by one or more campers, without the tent losing its shape. A rain fly may extend over the pole structure of the tent, and may be attached to the tent or may be staked to the ground. The tent may also be staked to the ground.  
         [0004]     For many free standing tent structures, long poles are used that are flexible and that are extended between opposite corners of the tent. These poles are bent into arcs so that the ends can be attached to the tent corners or elsewhere along the outside edges of the floor of the tent. The fabric of the tent is attached along the arcs, such as by loops, hooks, or sleeves. The ends of the poles that are attached to the corners of the tent (or alternatively at the edges of the floor of the tent), coupled with the attachment of the walls and the roof of the tent to the central portion of the poles, puts the tent fabric in tension, causing the tent fabric to take structure. A rain fly may be extended over the poles to provide protection against the weather.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.  
         [0006]     In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, poles for a tent are attached along edges of sidewalls for the tent. The poles are not evenly spaced from the edges, but instead are asymmetrically spaced from the edges. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a middle portion of each pole is spaced apart a maximum distance from the central portion of the respective edge. The spacing then tapers down to the top and corner of the tent. In this manner, the pole has a somewhat parabolic shape relative to the edge.  
         [0007]     The asymmetrical poles may be attached to the edge utilizing one of many different mechanisms. As nonlimiting examples, the poles may be attached by sleeves, hooks, loops, or other suitable structures. These mechanisms may be configured to position the poles in the asymmetrical fashion with respect to the edge.  
         [0008]     The asymmetrical configuration of poles of the present invention spaces a rain fly further away from the sidewalls of the tent. This feature permits better flow of water off of the rain fly, increases ventilation for the tent, and assures adequate spacing of the bottom edge of the rain fly away from the sidewalls of the tent so that rainwater runoff may be directed away from the tent.  
         [0009]     Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a side perspective view of a tent incorporating an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a partial cut-away side view of a prior art tent;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a tent incorporating a second embodiment of the invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a partial cut-away side view of a tent incorporating a third embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a partial cut-away side view of a tent incorporating a fourth embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]     In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described.  
         [0016]     Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  shows a tent  20  incorporating an embodiment of the invention. The tent  20  shown in the drawings is a free standing model. The tent  20  may also be considered a “dome” style tent, although features of the invention may be used in different models of tents, whether free standing, dome, or not. Thus, although described with reference to the tent  20 , the invention may be utilized with many different types of tent structures.  
         [0017]     The tent  20  includes poles  22  for supporting the tent  20  in an upright, assembled configuration. The tent  20  includes two poles  22 , although another number may be used. Each of the two poles  22  extends between opposite diagonal corners  24  of the tent  20  through sleeves  26  that extend along adjoining edges  30  of sidewalls  28  for the tent. The poles  22  also extend through a loop  32  or other structure at the top of the tent  20  so that the apex of the tent is supported.  
         [0018]     In accordance with a manner known in the art, the poles  22  are typically straight, but are flexible so that they can be bent. When the poles are installed, they are extended through the sleeves  26  and are bent into arcs and are attached at the corners  24  of the tent  20 . Specifically, when assembling the tent  20 , a user inserts one of the poles  22  through one diagonal set of sleeves (e.g., the sleeves  26 ) and attaches one end of the pole to a corner  24 , such as by inserting a pin (not shown, but known in the art) attached to the corner  24  into a hollow end of the pole  22 . Alternatively, the end of the pole  22  may be attached in another manner, such as by inserting the end into a sleeve  132  ( FIG. 3 ) located at the corner  24 .  
         [0019]     In any event, the end of the pole  22  is attached to the first corner  24 . The pole  22  is then pressed from the opposite, distal end, driving the pole  22  into the pin (if used, but not shown), sleeve  132 , or other suitable attachment, and the pole  22  is tensioned against the sleeves  26 . When the pole  22  is suitably tensioned, the distal end of the pole is similarly connected to an opposite corner  24  of the tent  20 .  
         [0020]     The tension in the poles  22  places upward tension on the sleeves  26  and outward tension on the corners  24 . The sleeves  26  cause the tension in the poles  22  to drive the ends of the poles  22  into the corners  24 , forcing the corners downward. The combined tension puts the tent sidewalls  28  and the tent floor in tension, which is counteracted by the inflexible nature of the tent walls. As such, the sidewalls  28  of the tent  20  are forced outward into the assembled position shown in  FIG. 1 . In addition, the tension in the poles  22  presses the corners  24  outward, causing the floor of the tent  20  to be placed under slight tension, removing wrinkles and maximizing floor space within the tent  20 .  
         [0021]     Thus, the connection of the poles  22  provides stability for the tent  20  when the tent  20  is assembled. The poles  22  connect directly to the tent, and the tent may be lifted while maintaining the structure shown in the drawing. Thus, the tent is “free standing,” in that it does not need to be attached to the ground or another structure for stability.  
         [0022]     A tent using such a pole system is known in the art. However, an embodiment of the present invention is directed to a new spacing of poles relative to the tent. Specifically, as described below, the poles are asymmetrically spaced from the tent.  
         [0023]      FIGS. 1 , and  3 - 5  show four different embodiments of tents  20 ,  120 ,  220 , and  320 . Each of these embodiments includes similar features, but has different mechanisms  26 ,  126 ,  226 ,  326  (e.g., sleeves or hooks) for attaching the respective tent  20 ,  120 ,  220 ,  320  to the respective poles  22 ,  122 ,  222 ,  322 . For ease of reference, for each of these embodiments, the last two numbers for like elements are the same, but the first number indicates the element for that specific example. For example, the elements in  FIG. 3  are similar to  FIG. 1 , but they additionally include the reference numeral “ 1 ” in the hundreds place (e.g., in front of the two-digit reference numerals representing like parts to those in  FIG. 1 ). The tent in  FIG. 4  includes the reference numeral “ 2 ” in front of like reference numerals, and the tent in  FIG. 5  includes the reference numeral “ 3 ” in front of like elements.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows a partial cut-away side view of a prior art tent  50 . As can be seen in the figure, for prior art tents, the sleeves  52  are positioned and configured so that poles  54  for the tent  50  are spaced evenly from the adjoining side edges  58  of the sidewalls  56  for the tent  50 . That is, the outer edges of the sleeves  52  are each spaced apart the same distance from the respective side edge  58 , and each of the sleeves  52  is spaced a constant dimension from the side edge  58  for the length the sleeve  52 . This configuration causes a rain fly  60  for the tent  50  to be spaced equally along the pole&#39;s length from the respective side edge  58 .  
         [0025]     Although the prior art tent  50  works well for its intended purpose, in practice, the poles  54  for prior art tents were too close to the side edges  58 , causing the rain fly  60  to be too close to the sidewall  56 . Thus, when winds approach the tent  50 , for example in the direction of the arrow  70  in  FIG. 3 , the portion of the rain fly  60  in-between two adjacent poles  54  may be blown against the side of the tent  50 , reducing the ventilation provided between the rain fly  60  and the tent  50 . In addition, contact of the rain fly  60  with the tent  50  may cause water to drain off the rain fly  60  and onto the tent.  
         [0026]     Applicant has found that increasing the size of all the sleeves  52  that the poles  54  are spaced a greater distance from the side edges  58  adds costs to the tent, because the change adds length to the poles, which are expensive.  
         [0027]     To address the prior art problems described above, without adding significant length to the poles  22 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, as can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the tent sidewalls  28  and tent side edge  30  are contoured inward so that a middle portion  80  of the poles  122  is spaced farther from an adjacent side edge  130  than a top portion  82  or a bottom portion  84 . Thus, the spacing of the poles  122  from the side edges  130  of the tent  120  is asymmetrical. This configuration permits the poles  122  to be anchored to the top of the tent  120  (e.g., to the loop  132 ) and to the corners  124  of the tent  120 , maximizing the tent dimensions in those areas, but also permits the bottom portion of a rain fly  140  to be spaced significantly apart from the sidewalls  128  of the tent  120 .  
         [0028]     In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, relative to prior art tents (e.g., the prior art tent  50 ), the poles  122  remain in the same position (i.e., maintain the same configuration as in the prior art tents), and the body or sidewalls  28  and edges  30  are tapered so that the poles  22  can have the asymmetrical profile. This difference can be seen, for example, by comparing  FIGS. 2 and 4 .  
         [0029]     As can be seen in the drawings, a variety of different mechanisms  26 ,  126 ,  226 ,  326  may be used for asymmetrically spacing the poles  22  from the side edges  30 . For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1, 3 , and  4 , sleeves  26 ,  126 , or  226  may be used. The sleeves  26 ,  126 , or  226  are provided as nonlimiting examples, but illustrate a variety of different arrangements of sleeves that may be used. Each of the sleeves  26 ,  126 ,  226  shown in these figures has inconsistent dimensioning along its length, so that the asymmetrical spacing of the poles  22  relative to the side edges is permitted. The sleeves  26 ,  126 , or  226  may be provided as a plurality of small segments, or may be provided as long continuous segments, and may extend over the top of the tent  20  or along only portions of the side edges  30 . Additional embodiments may be include webbing and pole clips  326  ( FIG. 5 ), or another suitable structure for attaching the poles  22  to the side edges  30  and suitably spacing the poles in the asymmetrical configuration.  
         [0030]     The asymmetrical poles  22  of the present invention provide additional ventilation for a tent, such as the tent  20 . First, the bottom edge of a rain fly such as the rain fly  140  in  FIG. 3  is spaced farther from the sidewalls  28  for the tent  20 . In addition, a wider air gap is provided between the middle portion  80  of the poles  122 , permitting greater air flow between the rain fly  140  and the tent  120 . This additional ventilation and the spacing of the bottom of the rain fly  140  from the sidewalls  128  is provided without sacrificing the stability offered by attachment of the poles  122  to the corners  24  and top  72 .  
         [0031]     If desired, a tent may be configured so that poles  22  may taper inward at the corners only, and the spacing is relatively the same around the rest of the tent. However, in such an embodiment, some interior head space is lost. Similarly, the poles may extend against the top of the tent with the spacing relatively the same around the rest of the tent, including the corners. However, such an embodiment of a tent does not utilize as large of a floor plan as is supported by the pole structure. For either of these structures, however, the pole length is less than if the poles were symmetrically spaced from the side edges.  
         [0032]     Although the invention has been described with reference to the poles being spaced from a juncture of two sidewalls, in practice a tent may have rounded sidewalls, or corners of the tent may otherwise not be well defined. Thus, as used herein and in the claims, “side edges” is meant to be the area of the tent body adjacent to the pole, and may in practice be a side wall. Also, as used herein, the sidewalls are meant to include the surface along which the poles extend, including the top of the tent.  
         [0033]     Also, although the invention is described with reference to the poles being attached to the corners, the poles may alternatively extend to other locations, typically adjacent to floor edges of the tent. However, in accordance with an embodiment, the poles extend from one floor edge, across the sidewalls, to another floor edge, and the poles are attached to the tent and placed in tension. The asymmetrical spacing occurs along that length.  
         [0034]     Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, a certain illustrated embodiment thereof is shown in the drawings and has been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.  
         [0035]     All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.  
         [0036]     The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.  
         [0037]     Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.