Abstract:
The invention relates to a car tent comprising a tent cloth, which is intended to be stretched up on the ground next to a car, in direct connection to one side of the car, whereby the inner compartment of the car is accessible from the tent and consequently constitutes a weather-protected compartment together with the tent, wherein the tent cloth comprises a field extending over at least the larger part of the roof of the car and arranged to be attached to the second, opposite side of the car, and whereby the tent is standing alone from the car in such a way that the car can be removed from the tent, without needing to bring the tent down, whereby a section of the tent cloth is arranged to extend between the threshold of the car and the ground and also up over the wheel housing of the car, and thereby constitute a draught protection and that the tent is provided with tent cloth stretching arches, which are partly arranged to be firmly fastened into the ground.

Description:
[0001]     TECHNICAL AREA  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a car tent independent of a car, comprising a tent cloth being intended to be stretched upon the ground next to a car, in direct connection to one side of the car, whereby the inner compartment of the car is accessible from the tent and consequently constitutes a weather-protected compartment together with the tent.  
         [0003]     In the present application, “car” relates to all types of passenger cars, both sedan models and estate cars, mini-vans, delivery vans, smaller trucks and mobile homes. The type of vehicle is not essential for the function of the invention.  
       THE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     When a tent of the type mentioned above is attached to a car, drawings forces in the tent are directed away from the car. Simultaneously, the joint between the car and the tent must be tight and weather resistant.  
         [0005]     This problem has previously been solved, for instance by means of the arrangement being shown in FR-79 02694, showing a tent construction intended to be attached onto a car. The car is provided with attachments for the object, in which a rigid position can be arranged, on which a tent cloth may finally be stretched.  
         [0006]     The construction is unwieldy since it only can be folded together partially, and furthermore requires an adjustment of the car in form of mounted roof standards.  
         [0007]     A more handy construction is shown in DE-883 707. In said patent publication the car is provided with a profile bar running along one side of the car, above the doors. The tent has a cable arranged in the cloth margin, which is intended to be brought into the profile moulding and thereby attach the tent to the car.  
         [0008]     Thus, the construction requires a special adjustment of the car as well, and the tent can not be mounted on any car. Further, the cable arranged in the tent is not as easy to handle and foldable as the remaining tent material, and thereby renders the stowing of the tent difficult in a limited space.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 2,480,509 describes a car tent extending over the roof of the car and down over the window of the car. The tent cloth is attached at the far side of the car, such as with hooks, at the mud guards. The tent is stabilised by means of the car in such a way that the car is connected to a ground plate on which the car is placed. This implies that the car can not be released, standing alone from the tent, but the raising of the tent is completely dependent of the car. Thus, it is not possible to drive away from the tent without bring it down.  
         [0010]     JP-A -5125859 also describes a car tent extending over the roof of the car, whereby the attachment means is constituted of rubber bands. It is not evident if the cloth can be stretched over the windows of the car. Also in this case the raising of the tent seems to be completely dependant of the car standing on a support plate for the tent, which implies that it is not possible to drive away from the location without the tent is pulled down.  
         [0011]     U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,007 also describes a car tent but with a sleeping accommodation accessible on the roof of the car. This tent is completely dependent of the car since it is attached onto the roof of the car in its load carriers. This patent publication shows a way to detachable attach a ground cloth to the frame of the car by means of a spring fittings. Hereby, the object is to eliminate draught. The drawback is that the ground cloth will be considerably soiled with dirt from the frame of the car/vehicle.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     A first object with the present invention is to achieve a car tent, which is stable and weatherproof.  
         [0013]     An additional object of the invention is to achieve a car tent remaining stretched even if the vehicle to which it is coupled/connected is moved away, whereby the tent also shall be able to act as a tent with closed walls in this latter situation.  
         [0014]     Another object of the present invention is to achieve a car tent being mountable on an optional car, except the needs to adjust the car.  
         [0015]     Another object of the present invention is to achieve a car tent, which may be stowed in a satisfying way.  
         [0016]     These objects can be obtained with a car tent of the initially mentioned type, being characterised in that a section of the tent cloth is arranged to extend between the threshold of the car and the ground and also up over the wheel housing of the car and thereby constituting a draught protection, and that the tent is provided with tent cloth-strecthing arches, which are partially arranged to be firmly fastened into the ground.  
         [0017]     Since the contact surface between the tent cloth and the car is large, substantially as large as the roof of the car, the tent is steadily arranged at the car in this way. The need of attachment means on the side of the car facing the tent is eliminated, since the attachment instead occur at the second side of the car.  
         [0018]     Further, an advantage is that the joint between the car and tent is bridged over by the field. The field extending across the car follows the shape of the car so that the rounding of the car can be used for drainage of for instance rainwater.  
         [0019]     The fact that the tent is attached to the second side of the car implies a preferred stability as well. The stretch- and drawing forces affecting the tent in direction away from the car, is transferred via the field extending over the roof of the car, to be converted to a drawing force directed upward in the field on the other side. This force being upwardly directed is relatively easy to counteract by attachment in the lower edge of the car body, for instance in fenders or thresholds. The difficulty to counteract a force being directed away from the car is thereby remedied in an effective way, without the need for specially adjusted attachment means onto the car.  
         [0020]     Thus, the attachment of the tent does not need to be done on the side wherein the tent is mounted. This side of the car can be left free from the tent cloth and the attachment means, why the car doors can be opened without difficulty, and thereby attach the room of the tent with the interior room of the car.  
         [0021]     Since it is not required any position or the like for attaching the tent with the car, the tent can be stowed as effective as a conventional tent.  
         [0022]     Preferably, the field is provided with attachment means being arranged to be attached into the car body.  
         [0023]     The attachment means are for instance hooks of an appropriate form and material. In this way, the car tent is easy to dismount off a car or mount onto a car. No specially adjusted attachment means need to be attached to the car, but the hooks can quickly and easily be hooked onto the car body or be released from the car body. This is a great advantage at camping, when it is sometimes desirable to put up or bring down a tent quickly.  
         [0024]     Further, the attachment means can be elastically be attached at the field. Then the function of the tent can be ensured even if variations in the size of the car occur. The hooks can easily be tightened on its location.  
         [0025]     Furthermore, the field extending across the roof of the car can extend further down over the windows of the car, and thereby protect the interior space against sunlight and view. This is a great advantage since the interior room risks to bath in sunlight as the sun rises otherwise. It is also more difficult to view into the car and the tent, whereby items being theft attractive are lesser exposed for the passers-by.  
         [0026]     A section of the tent cloth can suitably extend between the threshold of the car and the ground, and thereby constitute a draught protection, if the draught protection and the sides of the tent are attached to a ground, thereby the interior room of the tent is separated from the outside. 
     
    
     SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0027]     In the following, the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the embodiments of the invention are shown.  
         [0028]      FIG. 1  shows a car tent according the present invention in perspective from above.  
         [0029]      FIG. 2  shows the car tent in  FIG. 1  from behind.  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  shows the car tent in  FIG. 1  from the side.  
         [0031]      FIG. 4  shows the car tent in  FIG. 1  from the side having the half of the opening closed.  
         [0032]      FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of the car tent according to the present invention, seen from an imagined car.  
         [0033]      FIG. 6  shows the embodiment according to  FIG. 5  seen from the front/from the outside.  
         [0034]      FIG. 7  shows a view of a tent without a car, seen from the side of the tent. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0035]      FIGS. 1 and 2  shows how a car tent according to the invention is arranged in connection to a car  2 , being a car of sedan model in the shown example.  
         [0036]     The car tent comprises two semi circle-formed arches  3 ,  4  and a stretched tent cloth in between. The first arch  3  is located next to and along one side  6  of the car  2 , and the second arch  4  is located a part from the car in parallel with the first arch  3 .  
         [0037]     The arch  3  has such a dimension and form that it does not prevent the doors  24  of the car  2  to become opened on the side  6  of the car directed toward the tent.  
         [0038]     From the first arch  3  a field  7  of the tent cloth extends over the car  2  to the second side  8  of the car. In the shown example the field  7  covers the complete roof  14  of the car. In the rear edge  7   a  of the field  7  seen from the arch  3 , elastic belts  9  are arranged, appropriately being firmly tied or fixedly arranged in eyelets  10  in the field  7  in another way. Every belt  9  has an attachment means in its free end  9   a,  preferably a hook  11 , which is adjusted to be attachable in the car body, for instance at a fender  12  or a threshold  13 . The field  7  is adjusted to extend down over the window  18  of the car  2  so that the interior room is protected against sunlight and protected from view. The fitting does not need to be exact, and therefore the field  7  does not need to be specially adjusted for a certain car model.  
         [0039]     Additional eyelets (not shown) can be arranged in the field  7 , nearby the rear edge  14   a  of the roof  14 . From these eyelets ropes can be arranged and be attached in the ground with tent pegs. This shaping allows the car tent to be raised and to be held upright even without the presence of a car. The plurality of the eyelets also implies a larger freedom at the applying of the belts  9  and the hooks  11  so that the attachment is satisfying irrespective of the model and the size of the car.  
         [0040]     According to an alternative embodiment, which is not shown, the field  7  only extends to the rear edge  14   a  of the car roof  14 . Further, from the edge  14   a  a loosely hanging field extends down over the windows  18 . The belts  9  are arranged to not being stretched in front of the doors  24 , in relation to the opposite side  8  of the tent to the car. The hooks  11  are attached in the front- and rear fender, respectively, and in the corner moulding as well. In this embodiment the doors  24  can consequently be opened without be prevented by the field  7  or by the belts  9 . On the day the field hanging down can be rolled up, so that it does not cover the windows  18 .  
         [0041]     Ropes  15  are arranged to connect the second arch  14  to the ground, and thereby stretch the tent in the direction away from the side  6  of the car. The ropes can be firmly tied in the tent in the recess  6  in a known way, and to be firmly tied in the ground  25  with conventional tent pegs  17 .  
         [0042]     In this way, the tent cloth  5  is stretched between the both arches  3 ,  4 , partly by hooking firmly in the side of the car, partly by attachment into the ground  25 .  
         [0043]     In  FIGS. 3 and 4  the tent is shown from the side, with the opening  19  open and half-open, respectively. The opening  19  is located in parallel to the car, and extends under the complete arch  4 . When necessary, the opening can be closed. A field  20  of the tent cloth is arranged as a protection against draught  21  between the ground  25  and the threshold  22  of the car. Further, the draught protection  21  is arranged to substantially cover the wheel  23  of the car for preventing these from being brought into contact with items being stored in the tent. The wheels of the car are often dirty and muddy. Inside the tent a ground sheet  26  connected with the tent cloth is arranged onto the ground. The ground is suitably arranged to protect the interior room of the tent against damp and moisture from the ground.  
         [0044]     Further, the draught protection  21  is arranged to not being extended over the threshold  22 . Thereby, the doors  24  of the car can be opened without being stopped by the draught protection  21 . This emphasises further how the space of the tent is intended to co-operate with the interior space of the car.  
         [0045]     According to the described embodiment, the interior spaces of the tent and the car, respectively, form a common, larger, completely weather protected room. The car, steadily standing on the ground, gives this space a good stability.  
         [0046]     It is realized that the embodiment described above by the man skilled in the art can be varied within the scope for the present inventive idea. For instance, the arches  3 ,  4  could show a different shape, such as rectangular or triangular. A completely different type of position could also be used.  
         [0047]     Nothing prevents the tent to be brought up behind the car. If the car is an estate car, then the trunk can be opened, and thereby the desired combination of the tent and the interior room of the car can be obtained.  
         [0048]     Naturally, the opening can be shaped in a number of ways, and for instance be smaller or be located in an angle to the side of the car  6 .  
         [0049]     The embodiment according to  FIGS. 5-7  differs from the embodiment according to  FIGS. 1-4  in that the draught protection  21  is divided so that it comprises a first unit  21   a,  which is provided with attachment flaps  31 , which can be displaced along the border of the draught protection  21   a  for being completely adjusted to the car onto which the car tent is arranged. Hereby, the displacement can occur by means of the flaps  31  being adjusted in a groove in the border of the draught protection  21   a,  whereby a continuous displacement can take place, or by means of the flaps being gradually displaceable by attachment in eyelets in the border of the draught protection  21   a.  Further, the member  21   b  of the draught protection  21  intended to cover the wheel housing(s) is free from the draught protection  21  by being attached in the side of the tent cloth and can be freely folded for adjustment to terrain and car, or to be folded up along a long side in the cases where the tent is arranged in connection to the rear part of a vehicle. This member  21   b  is attached inside the car with hooks provided with rubber bands. Normally, only one of the parts  21   b  is used dependant on which side of the car the tent is placed.  
         [0050]     The car tent according to  FIG. 5  shows a covering flap  32  as well, which can be brought down over the side of the tent and to close this in the case when the car is driven away from the tent.  
         [0051]     In  FIG. 7 a  side-view of the tent is shown, without a car located therein. The observer can consider a front or a trunk cover, which projects out of the lower, left open rectangular surface. It is evident from the figure that the part/field  7  covering the roof can be segmented in the parts  7   a  and  7   b,  whereby every part is restricted by a row of eyelets or the like for attachment of for example the part  7   a  for letting light into the vehicle. Further, the border  33  on the field  7  is provided with a drawstring  34 , whereby the field  7  can easily be adapted to and stretched over a body of a vehicle. Thereby, the field  7  shows a surface  35  having excessive material for this object.