Patent Publication Number: US-2004050413-A1

Title: Cabana structure

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention relates generally to portable and collapsible beach and/or pool-side cabana huts, and more particularly to such huts which provide tautness for the sides thereof and yet which can be collapsed for providing portability and ease of assembly.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] It is common to think of a cabana or a cabana hut as a relatively permanent structure found normally at pool and beach clubs. Such permanent structures offer the ability of the user to sit or lie down at the beach, camping or at a pool. With respect to sitting or lying down in collapsible or portable structures, other than a tent-like structure, no existing portable structures have the structural ability to effectively provide the option of use on a beach, camping, at a picnic or at pool-side, as does the present invention.  
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a structurally efficacious cabana, which is collapsible and thereby portable;  
       [0004] A further and more particular object is to provide a collapsible and portable cabana structure, which is light-weight and easy to assemble and disassemble; and  
       [0005] A still further object of the present invention is to provide a portable and collapsible cabana which presents the capability of being large enough in size to provide room for two users to do those things commonly done at the beach, camping, picnic and at pool-side, and yet which is sturdy enough to withstand beach winds and other like beach hazzards.  
       [0006] These and other objects of the present invention are provided in a portable, easily assembled and disassembled structure which is generally comprised of nine panels, the first three of which are larger than the others and rectangular in shape to form in sequence the back, the sloping top and the top front of the cabana structure. The other six panels are triangular in shape and three are fully connected to the edges at the left side of the aforementioned three rectangular panels; and the other three are at the right side edges, also fully connected to the first three rectangular panels. The six triangular panels are isosceles triangles and connected to the adjacent triangular panel, fully along the edge of one of the two equal sides. The point connecting the two equal sides of each triangle are coincident, for each triangle, with the two other triangular panels, at which point there is a means for anchoring the cabana in the sand or grass. Stakes are also used to anchor the structure at the two back corners of the cabana. The middle triangular panel on each side of the structure is made of the same plastic or synthetic light-weight material envisioned for the whole structure, and includes small openings to let in air and light. The structure of the cabana of the present invention is assembled by means of the various channels provided on the cabana inside of the light-weight plastic or synthetic material forming the “skin” of the cabana. Into such channels are fitted poles, and/or other stiffeners, some or all of which are movable and/or removable to disassemble the cabana for placement in a carrying bag, also made of light-weight plastic or synthetic material. Critically, at least two stiffeners are provided to make the entire structure taut and sturdy by supporting and expanding the triangular panel sides. Channels may be non-elongated loops, and the two critical stiffeners end in pockets. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0007] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiment of the present invention, with alternatives and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
     [0008]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a carrying bag for the disassembled cabana structure;  
     [0009]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the carrying bag and the disassembled structure of the cabana;  
     [0010]FIG. 3 shows the unfolding of the disassembled cabana, as the first step for assembly thereof;  
     [0011]FIG. 4 shows the second step of unfolding, following the FIG. 3 unfolding step, for assembling the cabana for use;  
     [0012]FIG. 5 shows one side of the cabana structure using one set of three triangular panels, further advancing toward complete assembly;  
     [0013]FIG. 6 shows the complete expansion step for the rectangular panels and the six side triangular panels;  
     [0014]FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line  7 - 7  of FIG. 6 and showing the taut-providing critical stiffening poles being placed into channels to give efficacy to the portable cabana, when it is assembled;  
     [0015]FIG. 8 shows the fully assembled cabana with both critical poles in place, adjacent the side triangular panels of the structure;  
     [0016]FIG. 9 shows the detail of the critical pole structure and assembly at one side of the collapsible cabana;  
     [0017]FIG. 10 is a sectional view, taken along the line  10 - 10  of FIG. 9, showing a representative connecting and stiffening structure for the intersection of the rectangular with triangular panels of the cabana; 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED, ILLUSTRATIVE AND REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
     [0018] Referring to the drawings, the carrying bag  10  for a cabana structure according to the present invension is shown in FIG. 1, as including a handle  12  or other convenient means for carrying the disassembled cabana.  
     [0019]FIG. 2 shows the carrying bag  10 , in an exploded view, with respect to the cabana structure generally designated  14 . Critical stiffening poles  16  are elongated, with a female, inside threaded opening defined at one end, and a male outside threaded surface at the other end. Sleeves  18  are usually of a flexible material such as plastic or rubber and are intended to cover (in a press fit) the junction point between two critical stiffening poles  16 , as would occur when one stiffening pole is screwed into another. Such a use of critical stiffening poles  16  and sleeves  18  are shown, particularly in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9, whereby four critical stiffening poles  16 , and at least two sleeves  18  are used to provide a tautness and a stability to the entire structure by use of a side construction, generally designated  20 , at each side of the cabana as is particularly shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings.  
     [0020]FIG. 3 illustrates the removed cabana structure, with respect to bag  10 , and is to show specifically that the removed structure  10  is capable of folding and unfolding at its center point generally designated  22 , with the unfolding or initial assembly step for the cabana structure being in directions shown by arrows  24  in FIG. 3. The unfolding at center point  22  is facilitated by means of rigid insert stiffening poles  26  (FIG. 4), and the use of skin  28  of the cabana structure acting as a hinge, between insert stiffening poles  26  at the center point.  
     [0021] Particularly in FIGS. 6, 8 and  9 , it may be seen that the assembled cabana structure includes three rectangular panels  30 ,  32 ,  34 , from front to back of the assembled cabana, each arranged between insert stiffener poles  26 . Each of those insert stiffener poles for the long sides of rectangular panels  30 ,  32 ,  34  is generally described as in two inline parts, each part being of approximately equal length. As previously noted, parts of poles  26  extend generally rightwardly and leftwardly in the finished structure, and before assembly, have a space therebetween at approximately center point  22 . Upon assembly, one of the steps is to join the two parts of each generally horizontal insert stiffening pole  26  to the other inline part. This is accomplished, also as described previously, by reference to the most-forward (in the orientation of the assembled cabana; e.g. FIG. 6) insert stiffening pole  26 ′. That forward pole  26 ′, in two parts, near center point  22 , has a female threaded end and the other part has a male threaded end. Upon assembly, they are joined by simply grasping the skin  28  covering the insert pole stiffening area and moving the two parts of pole  26 ′ to thread one part into the other. Other stiffening poles  26 , bordering the long sides of the rectangular panels, are assembled in the same manner. Of course, the skin  28  is permanently sewn to form channels  27  defined by skin  28 . Such channels, as to rectangular panels  30 ,  32 ,  34  are formed for holding insert stiffening poles  26  and  26 ′, two parts of a pole in each panel, a first pole at the most forward (cabana orientation) long side of panel  30 , a second pole at the rearward long side of panel  30 , a third at the rearward long side of panel  32 , and a fourth at the bottom-most (see FIG. 6) long side of panel  34 , all such channels formed by skin  28 . In each panel, an important step in the assembly is to join the two parts of each horizontally oriented (see FIG. 6) insert stiffening pole  26 . Such joining is as previously described by threading one part into the other by the user manipulating such parts by grasping the pole parts through the portion of the skin  28  used to form channels  27 .  
     [0022] As was mentioned previously herein, the sides of this cabana construction are made taut, and are provided with a stability for themselves and the entire structure by means of critical stiffening poles  16 . Each side construction is made up of three triangular panels, FIG. 4 showing each moved into assembly position in the direction of arrows  20 ′ early in the assembly process, and then spread in the direction of arrow  20 ″, as shown in FIG. 5. That spreading and the aforementioned tautness and stability are accorded the assembly by means of the insertion of critical stiffening poles  16 , which slide through channels  36  in the direction of arrow  38 , as shown in FIG. 7 (of course, channels  36  may also be formed as loops, or completely foreshortened channels). Sleeves  18 , which are shown in FIG. 2, as well as FIG. 7, are flexible, and yet sturdy enough, to align all four critical stiffening poles  16 , for each side construction by press-fitting those poles  16  for holding end to end, four such poles in a row for each side. Another construction would be similar to the end to end threaded joining of insert stiffener poles  26 . In any event, the ends of the four pole alignment, for each side construction, conveniently fit in sewn pockets  40  clearly shown in FIG. 7. The triangular panels, designed from bottom to top  42 ,  44 ,  46 , made from skin  28 , are joined by channels  48  into which are permanently sewn the same type of insert stiffener poles  26  as were used at the juncture of rectangular panels. As is shown clearly in FIG. 7, the lowermost portion of insert stiffener poles  26  are exposed through a circular cutout  29  of skin  28 . The purpose of cutout  29  is to enable even easier manipulation of poles  26 , for instance when assembling or disassembling the cabana, simply by touching pole  26  in cutout  29  and lifting it out of the pocket  31  for the four poles  26  for that side. Similarly, FIG. 9 shows an alternative for cutout  29  whereby poles  26  protrude below channels  48  sewn at various places on the skin  28  of the cabana. This also gives access for removal of poles  26  on each side from the four holding channels provided by pocket  31 .  
     [0023] Referring particularly to the enlarged intersection of two rectangular panels with two triangular panels, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a right angle double receptor  52 , with internal threading at each end (alternatively) is used to receive insert stiffening poles  26 , one at each end. At least one pole (preferably the lower pole, in the orientation of FIG. 9) is disengaged from each right angle receptor at each of the four intersections (for each side), again to enable the skin  28  to act as a hinge, in order to fold the collapsed cabana assembly from the position in FIG. 4, so that it fits within carrying bag  10 . Actually, as shown in FIG. 10, the right angle receptor  52  has one end internally threaded and one end externally threaded to receive insert stiffening poles  26  at the female end thereof.  
     [0024] Straps  54 ,  56  of FIGS. 6, 7 and  8  are used for staking the four corners of the cabana to provide even further stability.  
     [0025] Lastly, alternatively, a further couple of critical stiffening poles  16  are usable at the center portion (FIG. 6) of the cabana to enable even more stability and width for the final assembly. In this event, two or four critical stiffening poles  16  can be used in line with sleeves  18 , as was indicated for the other critical stiffening poles  16  of FIG. 9.  
     [0026] In order to provide a more complete understanding of the present invention, a brief set of assembly and disassembly steps are now provided. In terms of assembly, the cabana structure stored in carrying bag  10  is removed therefrom, including critical stiffening poles  16  with sleeves  18 . The removed structure is opened at approximately its midpoint  22  by rotating the two halves of the structure in the direction of arrow  24  in FIG. 3, using the skin  28  material as the hinge for such rotations. Again, using skin  28  as the hinges, the side panel constructions  20  are moved in the direction of arrows  20 ′ of FIG. 4, thereby to provide an inverted “U” structure. The channels  27  sewn into skin  28  are manipulated with the four top horizontal insert stiffener poles  26 ′,  26  so that insert stiffener pole  26 ′, and the other insert stiffener poles  26  are joined at approximately midpoint  22 . The bottoms of side panels&#39; insert stiffener poles are then manipulated to join with the bottoms of right angle receptors  52 , and the same four poles  26  are then placed appropriately within the channels  31  at the front bottoms of sides  20 . Most importantly, critical stiffening poles  16  are joined in line with each other and placed through channel  36  for each side  20  of the structure, appropriately fitting in pockets  40 . This provides tautness and strudiness to the entire structure. Stakes may then be place appropriately through straps  54 ,  56  to anchor the entire structure.  
     [0027] Disassembly for storage and carrying in bag  10  is accomplished by first disconnecting critical poles  16  from the sides  20  and then from each other, or in the alternative, bent at sleeves  18 . Either before or after that initial disassembly step, stakes through straps  54 ,  56  are removed.  
     [0028] At the sides of the structure, insert stiffener poles are removed from pockets  31 , and also from right angle double receptors  52 , but only from one bottom end of those receptors. Sides  20  are then folded, first opposite to the direction of arrow  20 ″ (FIG. 5) to collapse sides  20 , in a direction opposite to arrows  20 ′ (FIG. 4), after which the remaining structure is folded at midpoint  22  following disengagement of the parts of poles  26  bordering the rectangular panels. The entire structure and poles  16  are then placed into carrying bag  10 .  
     [0029] The foregoing provides a complete description and understanding of the cabana structure of the present invention; but the scope of the invention is to be accorded only by the following claims: