US20060174929A1

US20060174929A1 - Tent assembly

Info

Publication number: US20060174929A1
Application number: US11/055,342
Authority: US
Inventors: Chuen-Jong Tseng
Original assignee: Taiwan Shin Yeh Enterprise Co Ltd
Current assignee: Taiwan Shin Yeh Enterprise Co Ltd
Priority date: 2005-02-10
Filing date: 2005-02-10
Publication date: 2006-08-10

Abstract

A tent assembly includes a leg support frame, a top support frame including at least three angularly spaced-apart top supporting rods extending outwardly from a mid-part thereof, and a tent cover having a cover body covering the top support frame and a plurality of engaging grooves. Each top supporting rod has an inner fixed section, an outer retractable section telescopically connected to the inner fixed section and having an insert end, and a positioning unit for positioning the outer retractable section to the inner fixed section. The outer retractable section of each top supporting rod engages and disengages from a corresponding one of the engaging grooves when the outer retractable section is disposed in extended and retracted positions, respectively.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a tent assembly, more particularly to a tent assembly that is easy to assemble.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional tent assembly 1 includes a leg support frame 10 mounted on the ground, a top support frame 11 connected to the leg support frame 10, and a tent cover 12 mounted on the top support frame 11. The leg support frame 10 includes a plurality of spaced-apart upright posts 101, and a plurality of horizontal rods 102, each of which is connected between two adjacent ones of the upright posts 101. The top support frame 11 includes a central connecting unit 111, a plurality of top supporting rods 112 extending outwardly from the central connecting unit 111 toward top portions of the upright posts 101, and a plurality of reinforcing rods 113 extending outwardly from the central connecting unit 111 toward central portions of the horizontal rods 102. Each of the top supporting rods 112 has an insert end 114 protruding outwardly from the leg support frame 10. The tent cover 12 is made by sewing a canvas or plastic material, and includes a rectangular cover body 121 that covers the top support frame 11, and four sleeve portions 122, each of which is located at a respective corner of the cover body 121 and defines a groove 123 that faces toward a central portion of the tent cover 12.
During assembly, one of the sleeve portions 122 is first sleeved on the insert end 114 of a respective top supporting rod 112 through the groove 123, after which the other sleeve portions 122 are successively sleeved on the insert ends 114 of the corresponding top supporting rods 112, thereby mounting the tent cover 12 on the top support frame 11.
Although the aforementioned conventional tent assembly 1 can achieve its intended purpose, the conventional tent assembly 1 is difficult to assemble, and is not stable after assembly. The resulting dimensions of the tent cover 12 after cutting and sewing are the main cause of these problems. Namely, if the dimensions of the tent cover 12 are approximate to the area of the top support frame 11, when the sleeve portions 122 are sleeved on the insert ends 114 of the top supporting rods 112, the four corners of the tent cover 12 are stretched in such a manner that the tent cover 12 is stably supported on the top support frame 11. However, sleeving the last sleeve portion 122 onto the corresponding insert end 114 is difficult since a significant force has to be exerted to create enough slack in the cover body 12 and to allow the last sleeve portion 122 to be sleeved onto the corresponding insert end 114. If the dimensions of the tent cover 12 are slightly larger than the area of the top support frame 11, on the other hand, although assembly of the tent cover 12 to the top support frame 11 is easy, the tent cover 12 tends to flap when blown by the wind, and experiences other such similar problems as a result of being too loosely mounted on the top support frame 11.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a tent assembly that can be easily assembled and that is stable after assembly.
According to this invention, a tent assembly comprises a leg support frame, a top support frame, and a tent cover. The top support frame includes at least three angularly spaced-apart top supporting rods extending outwardly from a mid-part of the top support frame. Each of the top supporting rods has an inner fixed section, an outer retractable section telescopically connected to the inner fixed section, and a positioning unit for positioning the outer retractable section to the inner fixed section. The outer retractable section has an insert end. The tent cover includes a cover body covering the top support frame, and a plurality of engaging grooves for insertion of the top supporting rods. The outer retractable section of each of the top supporting rods engages a corresponding one of the engaging grooves when the outer retractable section is disposed in an extended position. The outer retractable section of each of the top supporting rods disengages from the corresponding one of the engaging grooves when the outer retractable section is disposed in a retracted position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional tent assembly;
FIG. 2 is a partly exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a tent assembly according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded sectional view of a top supporting rod of the first preferred embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of the first preferred embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the top supporting rod of the first preferred embodiment in a retracted state;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but illustrating the top supporting rod of the first preferred embodiment in an extended state;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a top supporting rod of the second preferred embodiment of a tent assembly according to the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the top supporting rod of the second preferred embodiment in a retracted state; and
FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, but illustrating the top supporting rod of the second preferred embodiment in an extended state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the first preferred embodiment of a tent assembly according to the present invention is shown to comprise a leg support frame 2, a top support frame 3, and a tent cover 4. The leg support frame 2 is adapted to be mounted on the ground, and includes four spaced-apart upright posts 21, and four horizontal rods 22. Each of the horizontal rods 22 is connected between two adjacent ones of the upright posts 21 by welding. Alternatively, each horizontal rod 22 can be connected detachably between two adjacent ones of the upright posts 21. The top support frame 3 is connected to the leg support frame 2, and includes a central connecting unit 31, a plurality of angularly spaced-apart top supporting rods 30, and a plurality of spaced-apart reinforcing rods 35. The central connecting unit 31 has a height higher than a top edge of the leg support frame 2.
Each of the top supporting rods 30 has an inner fixed section 32, an outer retractable section 33, and a positioning unit 34.
The inner fixed section 32 is connected between the central connecting unit 31 and a respective one of the upright posts 21 by welding, and has a peripheral wall 321, and four spaced-apart positioning holes 323 formed in the peripheral wall 321 and extending along the length thereof. The peripheral wall 321 has a rectangular cross section, and defines a passage 322.
The outer retractable section 33 is telescopically connected to the inner fixed section 32, and has a cross section similar to that of the inner fixed section 32. In this embodiment, the outer retractable section 33 is connected slidably and non-rotatably to the inner fixed section 32. The outer retractable section 33 has a peripheral wall 331 defining a passage 332, an inner end portion 333 inserted into the passage 322 of the inner fixed section 32, an outer insert end 334 opposite to the inner end portion 333, and a through hole 335 formed between the inner end portion 333 and the outer insert end 334. The outer retractable section 33 further includes two protruding horizontal pins 336 projecting outwardly from the peripheral wall 331 in opposite directions and proximate to the outer insert end 334.
The positioning unit 34, in this embodiment, is a resilient fastener, and has a biasing portion 341 inserted into and abutting against the peripheral wall 331 of the outer retractable section 33, and an engaging portion 342, in the form of a protrusion, connected to the biasing portion 341 and projecting outwardly from the outer retractable section 33 via the through hole 335 so as to engage one of the positioning holes 323. When the engaging portion 342 engages one of the positioning holes 323, the length of the outer retractable section 33 extending outwardly from the inner fixed section 32 is fixed.
Each of the reinforcing rods 35 is connected between the central connecting unit 31 and a central portion of a respective one of the horizontal rods 22 by welding. When viewed from above, the top supporting rods 30 and the reinforcing rods 35 are spaced apart from each other at equal angles.
In the aforementioned embodiment, the leg support frame 2 and the top support frame 3 are fixed by welding. However, in an alternative embodiment, the top support frame 3 may be mounted detachably to the leg support frame 2. In another alternative embodiment, the top supporting rods 30 may be directly interconnected at upper ends thereof, thereby dispensing with the need for the central connecting unit 31.
The tent cover 4 can be made of a canvas or plastic material that can provide cover from rain and block sunlight. The tent cover 4 includes a cover body 41 covering the top support frame 3, and four corner pieces 42 sewn respectively to four bottom corners of the cover body 41. Each of the corner pieces 42 defines an engaging groove 43 for insertion of a corresponding top supporting rod 30.
Referring to FIG. 5, in combination with FIG. 4, during assembly of the tent assembly of the present invention, the positioning unit 34 is first inserted into the outer retractable section 33 via the passage 332, after which the inner end portion 333 of the outer retractable section 33 is inserted into the inner fixed section 32 via the passage 322 so that the engaging portion 342 of the positioning unit 34 engages the positioning hole 323 that is nearest the central connecting unit 31. In this position, the outer retractable section 33 is in a farthermost retracted state, such that when the tent cover 4 is placed on the top support frame 3, the outer insert end 334 of the outer retractable section 33 is disengaged from the engaging groove 43 in the corresponding corner piece 42 of the tent cover 4.
Referring to FIG. 6, in combination with FIG. 4, when the engaging portion 342 of the positioning unit 34 is pressed inwardly so as to disengage from the positioning hole 323 that is nearest the central connecting unit 31, the outer retractable section 33 can be pulled outwardly so as to increase the length of the outer retractable section 33 that extends out of the inner fixed section 32. The outer retractable section 33 is pulled until the outer insert end 334 engages the respective engaging groove 43 in the tent cover 4, and the engaging portion 342 of the positioning unit 34 engages one of the positioning holes 323 so that the outer retractable section 33 is disposed in an extended state.
Hence, the outer retractable section 33 of each top supporting rod 30 can engage easily the engaging groove 43 in the tent cover 4 without exerting much effort. Furthermore, the length of the outer retractable section 33 can be adjusted by engaging the engaging portion 342 of the positioning unit 34 with one of the positioning holes 323 provided in the inner fixed section 32 so as to obtain the desired length of the outer retractable section 33 that extends out of the inner fixed section 32. Even if the dimensions of the tent cover 4 are changed or are not accurate after sewing, due to the retractable configuration of the outer retractable section 33, the outer retractable section 33 of the top support frame 3 can still engage stably the respective groove 43. Hence, the tent assembly of the present invention can resolve the drawback encountered in the aforementioned conventional tent assembly 1 (see FIG. 1), in which difficulties are encountered in mounting the tent cover 12 (see FIG. 1) to the top support frame 11 when the tent cover 12 is inaccurately sized.
It should be noted that the tent assembly of the present invention can be configured with only one outer retractable section 33, which similarly results in ease of assembly of the tent cover 4 to the top support frame 3. If necessary, the reinforcing rods 35 may have retractable configurations, and the tent cover 4 may be provided with additional engaging grooves 43 to correspond to the locations of the reinforcing rods 35.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the second preferred embodiment of a tent assembly according to the present invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the outer retractable section 33 of each of the top supporting rods 30 is inserted into and is rotatable within the passage 322 of the inner fixed section 32. The positioning unit 34 includes an insert piece 343 fixed to and rotatable along with the outer retractable section 33, and a friction sleeve 344. The insert piece 343 includes an insert portion 345 inserted into the inner end portion 333 of the outer retractable section 33, an eccentric portion 346 opposite to the insert portion 345 and extending into the inner fixed section 32, and an eccentric cam 347 connected between the eccentric portion 346 and the insert portion 345. The friction sleeve 344 is sleeved on the eccentric cam 347.
The friction sleeve 344 is movable between a loose position and a tight position. In the loose position, as shown in FIG. 8, the friction sleeve 344 disengages from the inner fixed section 32 so that the outer retractable section 33 can move within the passage 322, and an extended length of the outer retractable section 33 relative to the inner fixed section 32 is adjustable. In the tight position, as shown in FIG. 9, the outer retractable section 33 along with the insert piece 343 are rotated so that the friction sleeve 344 is pushed by the eccentric cam 347 to engage the inner fixed section 32. At this time, the extended length of the outer retractable section 33 relative to the inner fixed section 32 is fixed, and the outer retractable section 33 is inserted into the respective engaging groove 43 in the tent cover 4. After insertion of the outer retractable section 33 of each top supporting rod 30 into the respective engaging groove 43 in the tent cover 4, the tent cover 4 is stably supported on the top support frame 3.
From the aforementioned description of the tent assembly of the present invention, it is apparent that through the retractable configurations of the top supporting rods 30, which are not present in the aforementioned conventional tent assembly 1, the tent cover 4 can be easily and stably mounted on the top support frame 3. Furthermore, this structure dispenses with the need to make the tent cover 4 with precise dimensions during manufacture.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A tent assembly comprising:

a leg support frame;

a top support frame including at least three angularly spaced-apart top supporting rods extending outwardly from a mid-part of said top support frame, each of said top supporting rods having an inner fixed section, an outer retractable section telescopically connected to said inner fixed section, and a positioning unit for positioning said outer retractable section to said inner fixed section, said outer retractable section having an insert end; and

a tent cover including a cover body covering said top support frame, and a plurality of engaging grooves for insertion of said top supporting rods,

wherein said outer retractable section of each of said top supporting rods engages a corresponding one of said engaging grooves when said outer retractable section is disposed in an extended position, said outer retractable section of each of said top supporting rods disengaging from the corresponding one of said engaging grooves when said outer retractable section is disposed in a retracted position.

2. The tent assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inner fixed section of each of said top supporting rods has a peripheral wall defining a passage, and at least two positioning holes formed in said peripheral wall, said outer retractable section being inserted slidably into said passage, said positioning unit including a biasing portion inserted into said outer retractable section, and an engaging portion projecting outwardly from said outer retractable section so as to engage one of said positioning holes.

3. The tent assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said outer retractable section is connected non-rotatably to said inner fixed section.

4. The tent assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inner fixed section of each of said top supporting rods has a peripheral wall defining a passage, said outer retractable section being inserted into and being rotatable within said passage, said positioning unit including an insert piece fixed to and rotatable along with said outer retractable section, and a friction sleeve, said insert piece including an eccentric cam extending into said inner fixed section, said friction sleeve being sleeved on said eccentric cam and being movable between a loose position, wherein said friction sleeve disengages from said inner fixed section so that an extended length of said outer retractable section is adjustable, and a tight position, wherein said friction sleeve is pushed by said eccentric cam to engage said inner fixed section so as to fix the extended length of said outer retractable section.

5. The tent assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said leg support frame includes at least three spaced-apart upright posts, and a plurality of horizontal rods, each of which is connected between two adjacent ones of said upright posts, said top support frame further including a central connecting unit, said top supporting rods being connected between said central connecting unit and said upright posts and being spaced-apart from each other at equal angles.

6. The tent assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said top support frame further includes a plurality of spaced-apart reinforcing rods connected between said central connecting unit and said horizontal rods.

7. The tent assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said tent cover further includes a plurality of corner pieces connected to said cover body and defining said grooves.