Patent ID: 8256443

Claim:
A collapsible privacy shelter comprising: a lower section including— a generally-rigid back wall, a pair of generally-rigid opposing side walls pivotally connected to the back wall, the side walls operable to fold inward, a generally rigid front wall pivotally connected to the side walls, and a door pivotally connected to the front wall; an upper section including— a generally rigid back wall that can be disposed on an edge of the back wall of the lower section and operable to engage the back wall of the lower section, a pair of generally rigid opposing side walls pivotally connected to the back wall of the upper section, the side walls operable to fold inward and each operable to engage a corresponding side wall of the lower section, a generally rigid front wall pivotally connected to the plurality of side walls of the upper section and operable to engage the front wall of the lower section, and a door pivotally connected to the upstanding front wall of the upper section and operable to engage the door of the lower section; and a unitary elongated brace for stabilizing the privacy shelter, wherein a first end of the brace is disposed along an inner surface of the back wall of at least one of the upper section and the lower section, a second end of the brace is disposed along an inner surface of the front wall of at least one of the upper section and the lower section, and an edge of the brace is disposed along an inner surface of at least one of the side walls of at least one of the upper section and the lower section, wherein the brace is pivotally attached to at least one of the walls of at least one of the upper section and the lower section, wherein the upper and lower sections are shiftable between a first collapsed configuration and a second expanded configuration, wherein the brace is configured to prevent at least one of the side walls of at least one of the upper section and the lower section from folding inward in the second expanded configuration and is operable to pivot into a position that allows at least one of the side walls of at least one of the upper section and the lower section to fold inward to be placed into the first collapsed configuration.