Abstract:
A shelving device comprising: shelves having an outer shell enclosing a grid of shelving units so as to be erectable from a collapsed configuration of the shelving device, in which the shelves are in an accumulated condition, to an erected configuration of the shelving device, in which the shelves are stretched out to define the shelving units. A structure mechanism stretches the shelves to the erected configuration. The structure mechanism has a pole hub. Poles each have a top end pivotally connected to the pole hub and a body longitudinally connected to the outer shell of the shelves. A stretch mechanism is operatively interconnected to the poles and is manually displaceable to pivot the body of the poles away from one another about the pole hub so as to have the poles stretch the shelves to the erected configuration.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This patent application claims priority on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/786,404, filed on Mar. 28, 2006, by the present applicant. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention generally relates to camping equipment and, more particularly, to a portable shelving device. 
         [0004]    2. Background Art 
         [0005]    Whether it be in sports, leisure, or work-related activities, temporary housing is commonplace. Tents, rudimentary shelters and the like are associated with wilderness, in sport/leisure activities such as camping, and work-related activities, such as cutting, tree planting. Although tents and shelters are used on a temporary basis, campers may stay on a same site for several days. 
         [0006]    These activities have evolved to enhance the comfort of campers, especially when camping trips are over a few nights. Therefore, domestic tools that used to be confined to the comfort of the home, have now reached the wilderness, and have become an essential part of camping. In addition to classic camping items such as flashlights and insect repellent, campers often carry around reading lights, books and other reading material, tissue and toilet paper, alarms, cameras, portable music players and a plurality of such accessories. 
         [0007]    However, tents and shelters remain rudimentary, and often simply consist of a floor surrounded by walls. Therefore, the above-enumerated camping accessories are typically all over the floor, if not all mixed up in a bag. This is a nuisance to campers in many instances. For example, campers may lose some time and sleep trying to find accessories such as the flashlight, without which the camper may have problems exiting the tent at dusk. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is an aim of the present invention to provide a collapsible shelving device that addresses issues associated with the prior art. 
         [0009]    Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a shelving device comprising: shelves having an outer shell enclosing non-rigid vertical panels interconnected with non-rigid horizontal panels to form a grid of shelving units so as to be erectable from a collapsed configuration of the shelving device, in which the shelves are in an accumulated condition, to an erected configuration of the shelving device, in which the shelves are stretched out to define the shelving units; and a structure mechanism to stretch the shelves to the erected configuration, the structure mechanism having: a pole hub, poles each having a top end pivotally connected to the pole hub and a body longitudinally connected to the outer shell of the shelves, and a stretch mechanism operatively interconnected to the poles and manually displaceable to pivot the body of the poles away from one another about the pole hub so as to have the poles stretch the shelves to the erected configuration. 
         [0010]    Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for erecting a shelving device, comprising the steps of: providing non-rigid shelves secured to poles of a structure mechanism, with ends of the poles being pivotally connected to a pole hub, and with a cable of a stretch mechanism associated with the pole hub and poles; positioning a first hand on the hub; grasping a free end of the cable with a second hand; pulling the free end of the cable away from the hub whereby the poles stretch the shelves to an erected configuration. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration a preferred embodiment thereof and in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of a collapsible shelving device constructed in accordance with the present invention, in an erected configuration; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view, fragmented, of a structure mechanism of the collapsible shelving device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the collapsible shelving device of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view, fragmented, of the collapsible shelving device of  FIG. 1 , in a collapsed configuration as being fitted in to a pouch. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , a collapsible shelving device in accordance with a preferred embodiment is generally shown at  10 . The collapsible shelving device  10  is in an erected configuration in  FIG. 1 . The shelving device  10  has shelves  12  and a structure mechanism  14 . 
         [0017]    The shelves  12  are made of a canvas, cloth, fabric, or the like, and are non-rigid. The shelves  12  are made of various panels interrelated (i.e., sewn) to define the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 1  when erected. 
         [0018]    The structure mechanism  14  is associated with the shelves  12  so as to define the structure of the shelving device  10 . The structure mechanism  14  is manually or automatically actuatable toward a retracted state, in which the shelving device  10  is collapsed. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the shelves  12  have a dome shape in the erected configuration, with an outer shell  20 . A pair of door panels  21  are optionally provided on a front face of the shelves  12 . In  FIG. 1 , one of the door panels  21  is retained by tabs  22  so as to expose the interior of the shelves  12 . The other door panel  21  hangs freely, and therefore covers its part of the interior of the shelves  12 . 
         [0020]    The shelves  12  are provided with horizontal shelf panels  23  and vertical shelf panels  24 , so as to form a grid of compartments (i.e., shelving units) as shown in  FIG. 1 . The horizontal shelf panels  23  and the vertical shelf panels  24  are preferably interconnected (e.g., sewn or seamed), to ensure the structural integrity of the shelves  12  when supporting objects. A zipper closure  25  is provided on the door panels  21  to secure them to one another, and hence conceal the objects supported by the shelves  12  behind the door panels  21 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , pockets  26  are optionally provided on lateral faces of the outer shell  20  of the shelves  12 . In an embodiment, the pockets  26  are made of a mesh fabric, with an elastic band at an upper end thereof to resiliently retain objects in the pockets  26 . Pockets  26  may be provided on any of the surfaces of the outer shell  20 . 
         [0022]    In order to cooperate with the structure mechanism  14 , the shelves  12  are provided with sleeves  30 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , there are sleeves  30  at the four corners of the shelves  12 . The sleeves  30  each have a closed end at the bottom of the shelves  12 , and an open end toward an upper end of the shelves  12 , so as to receive poles of the structure mechanism  14 , as will be described hereinafter. It is considered to use tabs, loops or the like as alternatives to the sleeves  30 . 
         [0023]    Loops  31  are provided adjacent to a central top of the shelves  12 . The loops  31  are each aligned with a respective sleeve  30  and the central top of the shelves  12 . A central opening  32  is defined in the outer shell  20  at the central top of the shelves  12 . Lateral openings  33  are provided in the outer shell  20 , in alignment with the open ends of the sleeves  30  and the respective loops  31 . 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a working portion of the structure mechanism  14  is shown in greater detail. The structure mechanism  14  has a pole hub  40 . Poles  41  project from the pole hub  40 . The poles  41  are pivotally connected to the pole hub  40  by way of hub hinges  42 . The hub hinges  42  enable the pivoting of the poles  41  from a position in which the poles  41  are all generally parallel ( FIG. 4 ), to the position illustrated in both  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in which the collapsible shelving device  10  is erected with the body of the poles  41  being distanced from one another when compared to the collapsed configuration of  FIG. 4 . A central bore  43  is defined in the pole hub  40 , so as to receive a pullable deployment cable for deployment of the structure mechanism  14 , as will be described hereinafter. 
         [0025]    The structure mechanism  14  also has a stretch mechanism that has stretcher hub  50  positioned below the pole hub  40 , and in axial alignment therewith. Stretcher rods  51  are pivotally connected to the stretcher hub  50  by way of hub hinges  52 . The stretcher rods  51  are each pivotally connected to a respective one of the poles  41  by stretcher hinges  53 . A pullable deployment cable  54  extends upwardly from the stretcher hub  50 , and passes through the central bore  43  in the pole hub  40 . A quick-release blocking device  55  is displaceable on the deployment cable  54 . The quick-release blocking device  55  is of the type that is displaceable by pushing its detent and moving it along the cable  54  to select a position of the blocking device  55 . A pullable retraction cable  56  has a free end secured to the stretcher hub  50 . 
         [0026]    Now that the various components of the shelves  12  and the structure mechanism  14  have been described, the correlation between the shelves  12  and the structure mechanism  14  will be described. 
         [0027]    As seen in  FIG. 1 , the structure mechanism  14  is positioned with respect to the shelves  12  in such a way that the stretcher hinges  53  pass through the lateral openings  33  in the outer shell  20  of the shelves  12 , and the poles  41  are received in the sleeves  30  and extend all the way to the closed bottom end of the sleeves  30 . The poles  41  are also threaded through the respective loops  31 . 
         [0028]    The pole hub  40  and the stretcher hub  50  (not visible in  FIG. 1 ) are opposite one another on opposed sides of the central opening  32 , in such a way that the pull cable  54  passes through the central opening  32 . 
         [0029]    When the collapsible shelving device  10  is in its collapsed configuration, as in  FIG. 4 , the pole hub  40  and the stretcher hub  50  (not seen in  FIG. 4 ) are away from one another. The poles  41  are generally parallel to one another, with the shelves  12  being in an accumulated condition such that the shelving device  10  can be fitted into a pouch  60 . 
         [0030]    In order to deploy the collapsible shelving device  10  to its erected configuration illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the deployment cable  54  is pulled in the direction illustrated by A in  FIG. 2 . The resulting movement of the hubs  40  and  50  toward one another will have the stretcher rods  51  push the poles  41  toward the position illustrated in  FIG. 2 , with the body of the poles  41  being pushed away from one another. It is pointed out that the hubs  40  and  50  contact each other in  FIG. 2 , therefore limiting further movement of the poles  41  away from one another. Therefore, in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , it is the contact between hubs  40  and  50  that delimits the erected configuration. 
         [0031]    Accordingly, as the poles  41  are retained in the sleeves  30  ( FIG. 1 ), the poles  41  will stretch the shelves  12  to the erected configuration of  FIG. 1  of the device  10 , by adopting a curved shape. Therefore, the poles  41  are made of a material rigid enough to maintain the shelves  12  in the erected configuration of the shelving device  10  (and support objects in the shelves  12 ), while being flexible enough to offer a plastic deformation to provide the shelving device  10  with its dome shape. The loops  31  are provided so as to hook the upper portion of the outer shell  20  to the deployed structure mechanism  14 . 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , it is pointed out that the tension, caused by the interrelation between the poles  41  and the shelves  12  in the erected configuration of the shelving device  10 , maintains the structure mechanism  14  in its deployed configuration. The blocking device  55  is displaced to come into abutment with a top end of the pole hub  40 , to ensure that the structure mechanism  14  is locked in the deployed configuration. To release the structure mechanism  14  from its deployed configuration, the hubs  40  and  50  are pulled away from one another. In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the pullable retraction cable  56  is provided to bring the shelving device  10  to the collapsed configuration of  FIG. 4 . It is suggested to pull downwardly on the retraction cable  56 , while exerting a slight upward pull on the deployment cable  54 , to avoid an abrupt contraction of the shelving device  10 . The blocking device  55  must be displaced before pulling on the retraction cable  56  so as not to block the movement of the cable  54  into the hub  40 . 
         [0033]    Although the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 4  has four poles  41 , the collapsible shelving device  10  may be provided with fewer or more poles  41 . The use of four poles however gives the shelving device  10  a dome shape with front, rear and lateral faces, which is well suited to minimize the space taken by the shelving device  10  in a tent. 
         [0034]    The pullable deployment cable  54  may be substituted with a rod or the like. The cable  54  or like substitute guides the stretcher hub  50  toward the pole hub  40 . A cable is advantageously used as excess cable coming out of the pole hub  40  simply falls onto the shell  20 . A rigid actuator (e.g., rod), would typically project upwardly from the pole hub  40  and therefore does not represent an efficient space-saving solution. However, the cable  54  can be replaced by a rod in view of using a mechanism for the automatic deployment of the shelving device  10 . 
         [0035]    In  FIG. 2 , the pullable deployment cable  54  and retraction cable  56  are shown having a handle to facilitate the pulling action. Mechanisms similar to the structure mechanism  14  may be used, but the structure mechanism  14  is advantageous in that the stretcher hub  50  and stretcher rods  51  are not visible from an outside of the collapsible shelving device  10 . The hub  40  and the poles  41  could be within the shell  20  as well. The stretcher hub  50  and the stretcher rods  51  can be replaced with other suitable stretch mechanisms having as a function the exertion of pressure on the poles  41  to stretch the outer shell  20 .