Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to portable and collapsible shelters for the use by sportsmen and more particularly relates to portable and collapsible blinds for use by hunters and photographers.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Hunters, photographers, bird watchers, etc. often desire or have a need to remain hidden from view of wildlife they are observing or pursuing. Although permanent blinds or shelters have been used for this purpose, the lack of adjustability of the structures is a significant disadvantage.  
         [0003]     The blinds are often placed on rough terrain. The manufacturer does not know whether the occupant will be looking up a hill or down in a valley from inside the blind. The manufacturer does not know the height of the occupants chair or if they are even using one. Moreover, the blind may be placed on ground so rough that the blind rests at an angle. All these factors impact the proper location of the window(s). That is, the location of the occupants eyes inside the blind and the area to be observed outside the blind need to be in a direct line passing through the window.  
         [0004]     In the past, windows have been made large, which has an additional drawback. Game can generally see in the window that the occupant looks out. For the occupant to be truly hidden, the window gap needs to be able to remain small, while in position for observation.  
         [0005]     Game typically moves on game trails. The game tends to follow a known path and crosses expected locations. Not all of these locations are ideal for shooting either a camera or a weapon. The hunter may not need or want windows in locations from which the game is unreachable. In some locations, the game may come from any direction and other times not. However, present blinds lack the ability to laterally enlarge or shrink the window such that it can circumscribe the blind or only provide one small peak hole.  
         [0006]     An example of the shortcomings in the prior art can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,680, which describes a ground tent having four sides and a top, with a plurality of poles having a spring-biased foot subassembly supporting a fabric cover. Such a structure is not practical for use as a blind and it is time-consuming to set up when needed. This tent does not have a variable slot for observation of game through which the hunter may extend a rifle and shoot the game.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,105,505 describes a portable and collapsible tent having four walls, a floor and a dome ceiling. This structure is not suitable for use as a blind. This tent does not have a variable slot for observation of game through which the hunter may extend a rifle and shoot the game.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,026,312 and 3,941,140 describes a foldable free-standing tent having end walls, a floor and side walls which slope upwardly to a peak. This structure is cumbersome to set up and is not suitable as a blind. This tent does not have a variable slot for observation of game through which the hunter may extend a rifle and shoot the game.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,235 describes a portable shelter which is sphere-shaped and requires several supporting poles or rods. It is cumbersome to set up and take down and would not be suitable for use as a blind in the field. This portable shelter does not have a variable slot for observation of game through which the hunter may extend a rifle and shoot the game.  
         [0010]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,809 describes a van tent, i.e., a tent-like extension for attachment to the rear of a van. This structure is useful as a shelter for workmen who require easy access to their van for tools and materials and who do not desire to go out into the elements while working. This structure is not at all suitable as a temporary blind in the field because it requires a van to support it. This tent does not have a variable slot for observation of game through which the hunter may extend a rifle and shoot the game.  
         [0011]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,338 describes a portable blind including an integral fabric forming four walls and top in what is typically referred as a pop-up construction. This blind has four resilient and flexible legs. The blind has at least one window including a flap movable between an open and a closed position. The blind also has a door that may be moved between an open and a closed position. This blind does not have a variable slot for observation of game through which the hunter may extend a rifle and shoot the game.  
         [0012]     There has not heretofore been provided a light-weight, portable, easily collapsible blind or shelter having the combined features of the present invention. What is needed is a portable blind designed for easy set-up with variable windows that may be adjusted to the desired height at the bottom edge and desired height at the upper edge, thus allowing the window itself to be vertically moved to a preferred location with adjustability of the size of the window gap. Desirably, the window should be adapted to circumscribe the blind and be openable in any select portions thereof, while allowing other portions to remain closed.  
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
       [0013]     The present invention is a portable and collapsible blind. A flexible cover may be mounted on a support structure. The cover may have at least one side wall, e.g. perhaps conical, and a top with at least a portion of at least one side wall including first and second opposite edges. The opposite edges desirably cooperatively define a window. An elongated member, perhaps a strap or frame portion, extends across the opposite edges and a selective fastener joins to one edge and adjustably joins to the elongated member. The fastener selectively being fixedly joinable to the elongated member.  
         [0014]     Advantageously, the present invention allows the window to be opened in a parallel or a skewed manner.  
         [0015]     Also advantageously, the present invention allows the opening to be moved up or down the wall.  
         [0016]     As yet another advantage, the present invention allows the window to bend around corners and curves.  
         [0017]     As an even further advantage, the window of the present invention can be opened a user determined amount, in a user determined location, and in a user determined configuration.  
         [0018]     These and other advantages will become clear from reading the below description with reference to the appended drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]      FIG. 1  is an interior view of the side wall showing the straps and fasteners disposed across the opposing edges together with the structure supporting the cover.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the front and side of the blind with the window positioned low and partially shown in phantom.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the front and side of the blind with the window at medium height and partially shown in phantom.  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the front and side of the blind with the window positioned at an elevated height and partially shown in phantom.  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the front and side of the blind with the window with parallel edges and partially shown in phantom.  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the front and side of the blind with the window positioned with skewed edges and partially shown in phantom.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0025]     The present portable and collapsible blind  10  may include a cover  12 , at least one elongated member  40 , and a fastener  50 . The components through interconnections hereinafter described, provides a window that may extend around the blind  10  and is adjustable in a variety of unique manners. Each component will be discussed in serial fashion.  
         [0026]     The flexible cover  12 , which may be made of flexible materials, can be mounted on a support structure  14 . The cover  12  may have at least one side wall  16 ,  18 ,  20 , and  22  together with a top  24 . A single side wall configuration can be used if desired, perhaps in a cylinder shape, which while commonly viewed as one side wall is technically an infinite number of side walls, or as a single flat surface wall. At least one side wall  16 ,  18 ,  20  and/or  22  may include a top edge  26  and a bottom edge  28 , with the top and bottom edges  26 ,  28  cooperatively defining a window  30 . The top edge  26  and bottom edge  28  are terms used relative to the window  30  and not the side walls  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22 . Side walls  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  may cooperatively provide the top edge  26  and  28  such that the window extends across a plurality of the sides.  
         [0027]     At least one, but preferably a plurality of elongated members  40 , which may be straps, poles, cords or other similarly functional structures, extend across/adjacent the top and bottom edges  26 ,  28 . The elongated members  40  may be vertical, perpendicular to the edges  26 ,  28  or in any other functional orientation. The elongated members  40  at each end  42 ,  44  may be secured a distance above the top edge  26  and below the bottom edge  28  of the side walls. The portion of the side walls  16 ,  18 ,  20 , and  22  that is between the ends  42 ,  44  desirably has a surplus of fabric such that the bottom edge  28  may be lifted well beyond the point at which the top edge  26  may reach down. The overlap may appear to be structured as one or more flaps if the window is such that it cannot circumscribe the blind  10 . The elongated member  40  is desirably positioned to be taut and is fastened at fastening point  46  perhaps with stitching to the side walls.  
         [0028]     One may determine the height of the bottom edge  28  of the window  30  or the top edge  26  of the window  30  as shown in  FIGS. 2-5 . The gap  32  of the window  30  may then be determined via adjustment of the opposing edge  26  or  28 . Multiple elongated members  40  allow the user to adjust the window position  34  and gap  32  at varying points along the length of the window  30 , creating either a parallel, skewed or irregular relationship between the top and bottom edges  26 ,  28  of the window  30  as shown in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0029]     A plurality of selective fasteners  50  can be independently and fixedly joined to the top and bottom edges  26 ,  28  of the window  30 . Such fasteners  50  may join to the elongated members  40 , allowing the fastener  50  to selectively secure the top or bottom edges  26 ,  28  at the desired location relative to the elongated member  40 . The preferred fastener is a clip  52  that permanently or fixedly secures to the top or bottom edge  26 ,  28  and slidably engages the elongated member  40  such that it may selectively lock to the elongated member  40  at any desired point. Other fasteners such as ties, hook and loop fabric, snaps, buttons or other suitably arranged fasteners are equivalents. The clips  52  allow independent adjustment of one of the edges  26 ,  28  at a point along the length thereof and securement of that edge at a fixed location relative to the blind  10  at that point.  
         [0030]     The blind  10  has been described with the window  30  oriented a preferred direction, e.g. horizontally. One skilled in the art will realize that orienting the top and bottom edges  26 ,  28  such that they are side edge or angled edges with a corresponding movement of the elongated members  40  allow one to orient the window in any desired direction.  
         [0031]     In operation, the user constructs the blind  10 . The fasteners  50  secured to the bottom edge  28  are fastened to the elongated member  40  at a level where the user would prefer the bottom edge of the window  30 . The user then secures the fasteners  50  joined to the upper edge  26  at a point along the elongated member  40  where the user would prefer to have the top edge of the window  30 . The window  30  maybe lowered via lowering the lower edge  28  and the window may be raised via raising the upper edge  26 . In either case the opposing edge  26  or  28  may be used a corresponding amount to maintain size of the gap  32 . Since each fastener  50  can be moved independently, the user can determine whether the edges  26 ,  28  are parallel, skewed or other arrangement.  
         [0032]     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Category: e