Abstract:
A self-draining canopy that includes a covering, an orthogonal support structure, and a drainage system. The covering can have a substantially quadrilateral shape in a horizontal plane. The orthogonal support structure can be coupled to the covering. When erected, non-vertical elements of the orthogonal support structure that the covering rests upon can be positioned substantially orthogonally within the horizontal plane. A natural contour of the formed canopy can automatically direct environmental substances deposited upon the top surface toward the corners of the canopy where the drainage system is installed. The drainage system can transport environmental substances from the top surface of the canopy to an outlet location. Transportation of the environmental substances can be provided by the force of gravity. The drainage system can prevent the accumulation of environmental substances on the top surface of the canopy and deformation of the canopy due to such accumulations.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to the field of shelters and, more particularly, to a self-draining canopy. 
     Portable shelters like the “pop-up” or portable canopy  105  shown in illustration  100  of  FIG. 1  are owned and used by many people to provide protection from sun and rain during outdoor activities, such as parties and bar-be-ques. The portability of the portable canopy  105  is provided by a light-weight and collapsible support structure  115  with an attached covering  110 . When the support structure  115  is locked into place, the edges of the covering  110  are stretched along the sides of the support structure and the center of the covering is lifted upwards to create the canopy  105  shape. Generally, conventional canopy&#39;s establish a 45 degree (from horizontal) angle of the covering  110  in that the canopy&#39;s structural support (peaking at an apex) form an upwardly sloping 45 degree angle. The result of this arrangement is that once weight is added to the sloped covering portions, the fabric of the covering will generally deform to create a pocket (see depressed area  135  and water pool  140 ). This pocket traps water during raining events, which becomes standing water that runs downward in a somewhat chaotic manner. Hence, the periphery of the canopy  105  “drips” due to this run-off causing humans seeking shelter under the canopy to get abnormally soaked when entering/exiting the canopy  105 . Further, when multiple canopy&#39;s are combined to increase area of protection, the edges where these canopies meet are highly subject to water run-off leaking between the joined canopies. This is an unresolved problem that has not been highly recognized in the field nor corrected, which is a recognized (by our inventors) shortcoming overcome by this disclosure. 
     Many support structures  115  are configured to produce a quadrilateral (e.g., square or rectangular) frame. This results in the covering  110  being formed into the shape of a square or rectangular pyramid (i.e., a square or rectangular base with triangular sides having a common vertex). The corners of the square or rectangular base typically correspond with the vertical supports or legs of the support structure, as shown in illustration  100 . 
     When rain  130  falls on the portable canopy  105 , as shown in illustration  120 , the natural contour of the covering  110  directs the rain  130  towards the base of the triangular side. Over time, the rain  130  accumulates into a water pool  140  and the weight of the water pool  140  creates a depressed area  135  in the covering  110 . Eliminating the water pool  140  requires a person to be able to be under the depressed area  135  and push against the depressed area  135  (i.e., return the depressed area  135  to its original contour). Over time, exposure to the weight of the water pool  140  deforms the contour of the covering  110 , reducing the overall life of the canopy  105 . 
     What is needed is a solution that allows the water pool  140  to drain off of the canopy&#39;s  105  covering  110 . Such a solution would modify the natural contour of the covering  110  to utilize gravity. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     One aspect of the present invention can include a self-draining canopy that includes a covering, an orthogonal support structure, and a drainage system. The covering can be made from a water-resistant material and can have a substantially quadrilateral shape in a horizontal plane. The orthogonal support structure can be coupled to the covering. The orthogonal support structure can vertically position edges of the covering at a first height and can vertically lift a center point of the covering to a second height that is higher than the first height to form a canopy. The orthogonal support structure (at a 90 degree angle) represents a modification of a conventional canopy support structure (at a 45 degree angle) described in the prior art and detailed in the background and in  FIG. 1 . Hence, embodiments of the disclosure modify a conventional roof support structure by rotating support members by 45 degrees (making them substantially orthogonal (+/−5 degrees). When erected, non-vertical elements of the orthogonal support structure that the covering rests upon can be positioned substantially orthogonally within the horizontal plane. A natural contour of the formed canopy can automatically direct environmental substances deposited upon the top surface toward the corners of the canopy&#39;s substantially quadrilateral shape. A drainage system can be installed near the corners of the canopy. The drainage system can transport environmental substances from the top surface of the canopy to an outlet location. Transportation of the environmental substances can be provided by the force of gravity. The drainage system can prevent the accumulation of environmental substances on the top surface of the canopy and deformation of the canopy due to such accumulations. 
     Thus, unlike conventional canopy structures, the disclosed improved canopy ensures no uncontrolled depressed area  135  exists where water is able to pool ( 140 ). Instead, water run-off is directed to a drain (e.g.,  410 ) built onto the top portion of the canopy structure, which mitigates the formation of depressed areas due to water pooling on a top of a canopy. Water (that would otherwise pool) is directed and controlled using an interior channel (e.g.,  417 ) linked to the top drain (e.g.,  410 ), so that humans entering/exiting the canopy do not get wet from water run-off. Further, the drain that prevents a creation of a depressed area on a top of the canopy due to water weight extends the life of the canopy itself by minimizing the weight-induced distortions of conventional designs. 
     Another aspect of the present invention can include a drainage system for a canopy having an orthogonal support structure (e.g., rotated approximately 45 degrees from a conventional canopy structure) that is comprised of multiple drainage apparatuses. The drainage apparatuses can transport environmental substances from a top surface of the canopy to an outlet location. Transportation of the environmental substances can be provided by a force of gravity in conjunction with a natural contour of the canopy. The natural contour of the canopy can be created by the orthogonal support structure and can automatically direct environmental substances deposited upon the top surface toward the drainage apparatuses. Each drainage apparatus can prevent the accumulation of the environmental substances on the top surface of the canopy and deformation of the canopy due to such accumulations. Each drainage apparatus can include a drain and a transport element. The drain can establish one or more apertures through the canopy to allow passage of the environmental substances. The transport element can be connected to the drain and can permit the environmental substances to move from the drain to the outlet location through an enclosed space. 
     Yet another aspect of the present invention can include a method that begins by supporting a canopy with an orthogonal support structure. The non-vertical elements of the orthogonal support structure that the canopy rests upon can be positioned substantially orthogonally within a horizontal plane. Upon exposure of the canopy to rain, rain that has fallen on a top surface of the canopy can be directed toward an installed drainage system using a natural contour of the canopy in conjunction with a force of gravity. The natural contour of the canopy can be induced by the orthogonal support structure. The rain can then be transported from the top surface of the canopy to an outlet location by the drainage system. The outlet location can be proximate to ground level. The drainage system can introduce one or more apertures through the canopy. Further, the drainage system can prevent the accumulation of the rain on the top surface of the canopy and deformation of the canopy due to a weight of such accumulations. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  (Prior Art) illustrates the structure of a conventional portable canopy and how this configuration permits water to pool on the canopy. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram presenting the components of a self-draining canopy in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
         FIG. 3  depicts isometric views of an example embodiment of the self-draining canopy in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
         FIG. 4  presents enlarged illustrations of example embodiments of the drainage system of the self-draining canopy in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention can be a system and/or method that embodies a solution for draining water and other environmental substances from the top surface of a canopy. Such a solution can form the canopy using an orthogonal support structure (rotated 45 degrees from a conventional canopy structure, such as shown in  FIG. 1 ) with a water-resistant covering. The natural contour of the covering, as created by use of the orthogonal support structure, can direct water towards the corners of the covering to a drainage system. The drainage system can then transport the water from the covering to an outlet location. One of ordinary skill recognizes that variations of the respective angles detailed herein as illustrative examples are able to be modified so long as water-run off is controlled to minimize the water pooling problems present in conventional canopies. Thus, in one embodiment, a five degree angle variation (from a 90 degree angle of a true orthogonal support structure) can be implemented in conjunction with the drainage system to an equivalent effect. In other contemplated embodiments, a ten, fifteen, twenty, and twenty five degree angle is able to be utilized. The greater the angle, additional structural elements for drainage direction may need to be provided, such as adding explicit channels or contours for water run-offs into the top portion of the canopy. For simplicity of expression, the disclosure generally refers to the support structure as orthogonal, which is a significant embodiment, while use of other angles as described herein are explicitly contemplated for other embodiments and should be considered within scope of the disclosure. The diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems and/or methods according to various embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram presenting the components of a self-draining canopy  200  in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. The self-draining canopy  200  can conform to the general definition of a canopy, as is understood in the Art. That is, the self-draining canopy  200  can be a covering  205  draped over a support structure  210  to provide shade and/or cover to people and/or things beneath. 
     The covering  205  of the self-draining canopy  200  can be of a size, shape, and materials that is similar to the variety of existing canopies and compatible with the size, shape, and bearing capacity of the support structure  210 . It can be preferred that the covering  205  be of a water-resistant material as rain or water accumulation is of concern. 
     The covering  205  can be coupled to the support structure  210  using conventional means. The support structure  210  of the self-draining canopy  200  can orthogonally support the covering  205 ; a conventional support structure  115 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , can provide diagonal support for the covering  110 . 
     The orthogonal support structure  210  can include multiple legs  215 , a perimeter frame  220 , and canopy support  225 . As is known in the Art, the legs  215  can be the vertical supports of the canopy  200  with the perimeter frame  220  laterally connecting the legs  215  to provide stability. For simplicity in discussion, the self-draining canopy  200  can have four legs  215  whose positions are the corners of a square in the horizontal plane. In various embodiments orthogonal structure  210  can vary in angle (from 90 degrees) by five degrees, ten degrees, fifteen degrees, twenty degrees, twenty five degrees and angles in between. Additional measures to aid in directing/controlling a flow of water are contemplated for angles that vary from the ninety degree baseline detailed herein. 
     It should be noted that the self-draining canopy  200  can utilize different quantities of legs  215  that are positioned to define other geometrical shapes in the horizontal plane without deviating from the spirit of the present invention. 
     The canopy support  225  can be the component of the self-draining canopy  200  that direct supports (i.e., comes into contact with) the covering  205 . The canopy support  225  of the self-draining canopy  200  can include a vertical support member  230 , angled support members  235 , and planar support members  240 . While similar components are used in the support structures of conventional canopies, the orientation of the non-vertical components  235  and  240  can be unique to the self-draining canopy  200 . 
     As in conventional canopies, the vertical support member  230  can lift a center point of the covering  205  a predetermined height above the height established by the legs  215 . The planar support members  240  can connect the bottom of the vertical support member  230  to the perimeter frame  220 . Unlike similar components of conventional canopies, the planar support members  240  of the self-draining canopy  200  can be orthogonally connected to the perimeter frame  220  with respect to the horizontal plane. Though difficult to visualize, this key point can be graphically illustrated in subsequent Figures. 
     The angled support members  235  can be elements that comprise the hypotenuses of the right triangles that they form with the vertical support member  230  and planar support members  240 . That is, the angled support members  235  can connect the top of the vertical support member  230  to the perimeter frame  220  at a point where the planar support members  240  connect to the perimeter frame  220 . The covering  205  can directly rest upon the angled support members  235 . 
     The orthogonal support of the canopy support  225  can allow the covering  205  to naturally direct rain/water down towards the corners. Conventional canopies with diagonal support of the covering  205  have support components or a natural contour that directs rain/water away from the corners towards the middle of the lateral face where the rain/water accumulates. 
     The components of the orthogonal support structure  210  can be connected to each other using suitable means and can utilize approaches and/or techniques taught by conventional canopies. For example, the collapsible diagonal support structure  115  of  FIG. 1  can be modified to become a collapsible orthogonal support structure  210 . 
     Near the corners where the rain/water is directed, the self-draining canopy  200  can have a drainage system  245 . The drainage system  245  can include drains  250  and transport elements  255 . The drain  250  can be an element that introduces one or more apertures in the covering  205  that allow rain/water to pass through to a connected transport element  255 . 
     The transport element  255  can be the means that allows the rain/water to flow from the drain  250  to a designated outlet location. For example, the transport element  255  can be a piece of tubing connected to the drain  250  with the outlet location being the opposite end of the tubing. As another example, the transport element  255  can be integrated into the legs  215 . That is, the legs  215  can have an interior channel that is connected to the drains  250 . 
     It should be noted that the drainage system  245  can handle substances other than rain/water, including, but not limited to, sand, soil particulates, snow, ice particulates, sleet, dust, ash, liquid solutions, other non-hazardous or non-detrimental liquids, and combinations thereof. 
       FIG. 3  depicts isometric views  305  and  330  of an example embodiment of the self-draining canopy in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. The example embodiment of the self-draining canopy illustrated in views  305  and  330  can represent a physical configuration of the components presented in  FIG. 2 . 
     The example of the self-draining canopy presented in views  305  and  330  can have an orthogonal support structure with a square base; the legs  325  can represent the corners of the square and the perimeter frame  322  can comprise the sides by laterally connecting the legs  325 , as is typical of conventional canopies, see  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in the isometric side view  305 , the vertical support member  315  can lift the center point of the covering  310 , also like conventional canopies. However, unlike conventional canopies, angled support members  320  can be connected to the midpoints of each side of the perimeter frame  322  and the top of the vertical support member  315 . In a conventional canopy, the angled support members  320  can be omitted or connected to the top of the legs  325  to form a regular square pyramid. 
     The connection of the angled support members  320  to the perimeter frame  322  can be aligned with the planar support members  335 , as shown in the top view  330 . In the top view  330 , the canopy support comprised of the vertical support member  315 , angled support members  320 , and planar support members  335  can be fully appreciated. Essentially, the vertical support member  315 , angled support members  320 , and planar support members  335  can represent two king post trusses that orthogonally intersect at the vertical support member  315 . 
     Again, if such a configuration is used in a conventional canopy, the angled support members  320  and planar support members  335  can be positioned on the diagonal of the square base. It is this diagonal alignment that directs rain/water away from the corners of the base towards the middle of the side where it can accumulate and deform the canopy. 
     Since the position of the angled support members  320  are orthogonal and not diagonal, the expected pyramidal shape of the covering  310  can be thought of having been rotated 90° in the horizontal plane. That is, the edges of the pyramid, represented by the angled support members  320 , do not align with the corners of the square base as in a square pyramid. Additionally, the lateral sides of the expected pyramidal shape cannot be completely flat due to the legs  325  pulling the midpoint of the base edge of the lateral side to the corner of the square base. As a result, the covering  310  can have a natural contour  312  on the diagonal that slopes downward towards the legs  325 . The force of gravity can direct rain/water that falls on the covering  310  along the natural contour  312  towards the legs  325 . 
     The purpose for having this diagonally-directed the natural contour  312  can be better seen in the isometric top view  330 . Since rain/water is naturally directed towards the corners of the square base, the drainage system  340  can be positioned at the corners to remove the rain/water from the covering  310 . Therefore, rain/water cannot accumulate on top of the covering  310  and deformation to the covering  310  by the weight of accumulated water can be prevented, which can extend the overall life of the self-draining canopy. 
       FIG. 4  presents enlarged illustrations  400  and  425  of example embodiments of the drainage system of the self-draining canopy in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. The example embodiments of the drainage system shown in illustrations  400  and  425  can be used within the context of the self-draining canopy  200  of  FIG. 2  and the example embodiments of the self-draining canopy in  FIG. 3 . 
     Illustration  400  can show an embodiment of the drainage system that utilizes the leg of the orthogonal support structure as the transport element  415 . In such an embodiment, the drain  410  can be installed in the covering  405  above or proximate to the leg  415 . The drain  410  can be as simple as a hole made with a grommet (to keep the edges of the hole from fraying and/or tearing) and can include mesh or other means for preventing debris from passing into, and potentially blocking, the transport element  415 . 
     The legs  415  of the orthogonal support structure can have an interior channel  417  for rain/water to flow through. Thus, the leg can act as the transport element  415  of the drainage system. This embodiment can be particularly suited for orthogonal support structures that are already designed to use hollow legs  415  (e.g., pipes and tubes). 
     The interior channel  417  can be of a diameter to provide a flow rate that reduces the possibility for the rain/water to back-up and accumulate on the covering  405 . The interior channel  417  can run the entire height of the leg  415  with the rain/water exiting at the bottom of the leg and into the surrounding ground. In this case, the bottom end of the leg  415  can be the outlet location  420  of the transport element  415  for the rain/water. 
     Alternately, the outlet location  420  can exist at a point above the bottom of the leg. For example, a hole or spout can pierce through the sidewall of the leg  415  to the interior channel  417  three inches above the bottom of the leg  415 . In such a configuration, it can be preferred that the outlet location  420  include additional means to further transport the rain/water away from the immediate area. 
     For example, a threaded hose connector can be integrated into the outlet location  420 . A standard garden hose can then be connected to the outlet location  420  of the transport element  415  to empty the rain/water at a further distance, reducing the amount of rain/water discharged to the area around the self-draining canopy. 
     Illustration  425  can present a more complex implementation of the drainage system. In this embodiment, the drain  430  can be installed within the covering  405  near to the leg  440  of the orthogonal support structure. Since the leg  440  is not being used as a component of the drainage system, the drain  430  need not be positioned directly above or very close to the top of the leg  440 . Additionally, the leg  440  need not be hollow as in illustration  400 . 
     The transport element  435  can be a length of tubing that is attached to the drain  430  at one end and the open end that can act as the outlet location  450 . As shown in illustration  425 , the end of the transport element  435  that attaches to the drain  430  can require a gradation in size like a funnel. The amount of gradation can depend on the size of the drain  430 . 
     The transport element  435  can be coupled to the leg  440  using one or more securement means  445  to prevent the transport element  435  from being inadvertently moved. The securement means  445  can be implemented in a variety of ways that are commensurate with the leg  440  and transport element  435 . The securement means  445  should not exert undue force upon the transport element  435  that the transport element  435  is deformed or its functionality compromised. 
     In another embodiment, the securement means  445  can be integrated into the leg  440 . 
     The transport element  435  can vary in length, but should be of a length that positions the outlet location  450  near to the ground. An advantage of this embodiment can be the ability to connect the outlet location  450  of the transport element  435  to a suitable container  455 . The container  455  can be of any size or shape, providing it has an opening that allows the outlet location  450  to connect to or be placed within. 
     The use of a container  455  to collect the rain/water from the drainage system can have many benefits. Firstly, the saturation of the ground in the immediate area of the self-draining canopy can be reduced because the rain/water is collected and not discharged. The container  455  can be removed and remotely emptied when full. 
     Secondly, the collected rain/water can be used. In a camping setting, the collected rain can be treated to become potable drinking water. In a backyard setting, the collected rain can be used to water plants and trees, reducing the amount of water paid for to perform that task.