Patent Publication Number: US-6341379-B1

Title: Combination tent-rain cape

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND—FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to tents and rain gear used in outdoor activities where weight savings are advantageous. 
     BACKGROUND—DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART 
     During outdoor activities like hiking, backpacking, and bicycling, the participant carries along garments to keep him dry in case of rain while he is mobile and a tent or tarp to protect him from precipitation if he, either by plan or accident, spends the night out of doors. Because these items may not be needed at all, or if they are, are not needed at the same time; it makes sense to save weight and bulk by combining them. 
     Attempts to combine rain gear and tents date back at least to the civil war and the same basic design used by union soldiers continues to the present. A rain poncho consists of a rectangular, water repellent tarp with an opening near the middle for the head to pass through. To create a tent, two of these ponchos are connected and pitched in an “A.” Bosson in U.S. Pat. No. 1,895,911 and Wigutow in U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,132 improved on this design. There are several disadvantages to this design. It takes two to make a tent. When worn as a rain poncho there is a great deal of material in places where it is not needed and where it is most likely to snag on something. There is not way to adjust if for ventilation, such as in the case of a light drizzle. If flaps in the wind when used as either a rain poncho or a tent. 
     Asher in U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,362 modifies the basic design so that its length is adjustable and makes a provision for using a single poncho as a tent. His design adds even more unwanted material in awkward places and his configuration for a tent does not stretch the fabric tightly making it likely to flap and come loose in a storm. Asher in U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,521 devises a multipurpose garment that can be used as rain gear and a tent. The design appears very complicated to manufacture and use. 
     Shafter in U.S. Pat. No. 2,745,105 and Horn in U.S. Pat. No. 2,093,889 offer simple designs that should work well as rain ponchos and should pitch tightly as tents; but both tents have a large open side which is a disadvantage during windy conditions. 
     Till in U.S. Pat. No. 2,268,317 and Laseman in U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,006 propose combination tent-rainwear that are very long and awkward when worn for rain protection. 
     Rolf in U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,735 modifies the basic design so that it can be pitched alone. The tent it creates is very small and complicated to pitch. The material on top would not be very tight, and it would not be very stable in the wind. 
     Yih et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,034 use the basic rain poncho as the top of a bivouac sack and their design would probably have all of the problems associated with bivouac sacks. It would probably only offer the user comfort under the mildest of weather conditions. 
     Achuff in U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,106 proposes that tents and rain ponchos can be made by fastening square pieces of fabric together. This approach severely limits the design of both items. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention consists of a square tarp of waterproof fabric and a triangular sheet out of breathable material. A hood, straps, and fasteners are attached to the top side of the square tarp along a diagonal. If the tarp is folded along this diagonal, and the hood placed on the users head, the tarp can be worn as a rain cape. On the bottom side of the tarp there are fasteners attached to two adjacent edges. This permits the triangular sheet to be attached to the square tarp. This ensemble can be pitched as a tent by tying only one end to an elevated support such as a tree and staking out the other corners. 
     OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES 
     The object of this invention is to provide backpackers, hikers, bicyclists, hunters and others who have to be prepared for inclement weather with a simple, compact, lightweight item that will keep them dry while they are moving and comfortable if they have to spend the night outdoors. Quite often those engaged in outdoor activities never encounter inclement weather, but they have to be prepared for it. This often requires that they carry rain gear and a tent, even though they may not need either. This invention can save then over half of the weight they would otherwise carry. Furthermore, if offers superior and more versatile rain protection than a conventional rain poncho; and it offers a lighter and easier tent to pitch than most tents on the market. In addition, the tent-rain cape is much simpler to manufacture than comparable items, enabling it to be brought to the market at a lower price. 
     When the tent-rain cape is used as a rain cape it very closely resembles a bicyclists rain cape and can be used as one very effectively. If fits the shoulders and upper arms more closely than a conventional rain poncho making it more effective in a strong wind or when riding a bicycle at high speeds. When standing, it hangs low immediately in front and behind the legs and does not have additional material protruding low and to the sides where it is likely to snag as the traditional rain ponchos does. It also unfastens in the front, making it easier to put on and enabling the wearer to adjust ventilation and protection to meet conditions. There are also straps that allow the wearer to just toss the cape over his back when it is not immediately needed. Although not a functional feature, this invention is more attractive than a conventional rain poncho. It resembles a renaissance cloak. 
     When the tent-rain cape is used as a tent, it has many advantages. It is designed to be pitched by tying one end to a tree and staking the other corners out. If a tree is not available it can be pitched with one pole which is about the height of a typical hikers staff. This eliminates the weight of poles or wands. It is much more spacious than shelters usually created by pitching rain ponchos. The user can sit up or kneel inside the tent and two people can squeeze into it. 
    
    
     DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 shows the top side of the square tarp when it is laid flat illustrating the fasteners, straps, and hood which are used to create the rain cape. 
     FIG. 2 shows the bottom side of the square tarp revealing the fasteners that are used to attach the triangular sheet which is used to turn the tarp into a tent. 
     FIG. 3 shows the triangular sheet that is fastened to the square tarp to create the tent. 
     FIG. 4 shows the square tarp folded along a diagonal, forming a rain cape. 
     FIG. 5 shows the rain cape as it is to be worn. 
     FIG. 6 is an isometric view showing the square tarp with triangular sheet attached and pitched as a tent. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                           11, 12, 13, 14 
                 corners of tarp-tent-rain cape 
               
               
                   
                 15 
                 grommets or tie loops 
               
               
                   
                 16, 17 
                 matching fasteners 
               
               
                   
                 18 
                 hood 
               
               
                   
                 19, 20 
                 matching straps 
               
               
                   
                 21 
                 fasteners 
               
               
                   
                 22 
                 fasteners that will mate with 21 
               
               
                   
                 23 
                 matching fasteners 
               
               
                   
                 24, 25, 26 
                 corners of isosceles triangle 
               
               
                   
                 27 
                 rope to tree branch, etc. 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION-MAIN EMBODIMENT 
     The embodiment of the combination tent-rain cape is a square tarp with various fasteners, straps and a hood attached to it, and a triangular sheet with fasteners attached to it. The square tarp is made out of waterproof fabric. The triangular sheet is made out of netting or breathable fabric. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the top side of the square tarp. Its corners are denoted by  11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  14 . A hood  18 , straps  19  and  20 , and mateable fasteners  16  and  17  lie along a diagonal running from corners  11  to  14 . Grommets or ties along the periphery are denoted by  15 . 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the bottom side of the square tarp. On the bottom are fasteners  21 . 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the triangular sheet. Its corners are denoted by  24 ,  25 , and  26 . The fasteners  22  are to mate with fasteners  21  on the square tarp when the two are combined into a tent. 
     FIG. 4 shows the square tarp when it is folded about a line running from corner  11  to corner  14  so that corner  13  lies on top of corner  12  with the hood  18 , the straps  19  and  20 , and the fasteners  16  and  17  exposed. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the raincape. Starting from the configuration in FIG. 4, the fasteners  16  and  17  are brought together and corners  11  and  14  are brought together over corners  12  and  13 . 
     FIG. 6 illustrates the tent. Fasteners  22  on the triangular tarp are fastened to fasteners  21  on the square tarp bringing corners  12 ,  14 , and  13  on the square top to corners  24 ,  25 , and  26  on the triangular tarp respectively. The one guideline,  27 , is running to a tree or some other elevated support. 
     OPERATION-MAIN EMBODIMENT 
     To use the tent-rain cape, start with the square tarp in FIG.  1  and fold it along the diagonal line running from corner  11  to corner  14  so that corner  12  is under corner  13  and the hood  18 , straps  19  and  20 , fasteners  16  and  17  are exposed as in FIG.  3 . Then, with the hood on the users head, fasteners  16  and  17  are brought together along with corners  11  and  14  as illustrated in FIG.  5 . Fasteners  16  and  17  can be fastened and the rain cape can be worn like a conventional rain poncho or bicyclist rain cape. Fasteners  16  and  17  can be left unfastened and straps  19  and  20  can be fastened. Then the cape can be worn open or it can be thrown back over the shoulders. 
     To use the tent-rain cape as a tent, start with the square tarp with its bottom side up as in FIG.  2 . Place the triangular tarp from FIG. 3 on top of it so that corner  24  is on top of corner  12 , corner  25  is on top of corner  14  and corner  26  is on top of corner  13 . Attach fasteners  22  to fasteners  21 . Tie the grommet or tie loop at corner  14  to a tree or pole so that its height above the ground is approximately one half of the diagonal distance between corners  11  and  14 . Stake out corner  11  so that fabric between corners  11  and  14  is tight. Then stake out corners  12  and  13  to maximize tension in the square tarp. Then stake out the other grommets or tie loops on the square tarp. The tent can be entered by either picking up the triangular tarp and crawling underneath it or unfastening it. Tension can be applied to the triangular tarp several different ways. One of the most effective is to curl its lower end into the tent and put extra camping gear or stones on top of it. Tie loops could also be positioned on the inside of the triangular tarp and it could be staked down from the inside. 
     CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE OF THE INVENTION 
     The tent-rain cape can not only provide weight and bulk savings to backpackers, hikers, hunters, and others who might have to spend the night outdoors under adverse conditions, but it is also an improvement in function over the items commonly used. By reducing the weight of the bare essentials that outdoor enthusiasts should carry with them, it makes it more likely that they will be prepared for an emergency. 
     Many modifications can be made to the basic invention that may improve its effectiveness under certain conditions. 
     Provisions could be made for attaching a floor or a floor with short walls to the tent. Provisions could be made to attach both a water repellent and netting triangular sheet to the front of the tent. 
     A tuck or dart could be sewn into the square tarp along the diagonal connecting corners  11  and  14  so that the tent will be more rigid. 
     Fasteners  22  on the triangular sheet could be curved so that the tent will be more rigid. 
     A dart or tuck could be placed in the triangular sheet between corner  25  and the midpoint of the long side so that the tent would be more rigid. 
     The triangular sheet could be made out of a very light material and sewn to the square tarp. Then some provision could be made to hold the sheet and tarp together while they were being used as a rain cape. This could simplify the design and reduce costs.