WO2003006765A1

WO2003006765A1 - Tent

Info

Publication number: WO2003006765A1
Application number: PCT/NL2002/000455
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alexander Christiaan Daniël FOCKEMA WURFBAIN
Original assignee: Fockema Wurfbain Alexander Chr
Priority date: 2001-07-13
Filing date: 2002-07-11
Publication date: 2003-01-23
Also published as: NL1018533C2

Abstract

Tent comprising a substantially rectangular floor of plate material, two substantially flat wall parts connected to two first opposite sides of the floor, and a roof part of flexible material connected to the wall parts for the purpose of covering the floor, wherein the wall parts are each coupled to the floor by means of a first pivotable connection and are movable between a first folded-up position, wherein the wall parts extend over at least a part of the floor, and a second upright position wherein the wall parts at least partly support the roof part, which tent is preferably adapted for erecting of the wall parts, by means of an overpressure to be applied in said tent, from the first folded-up position to the second upright position.

Description

TENT

The invention relates to a tent, comprising a substantially rectangular floor of plate material, two substantially flat wall parts connected to two first opposite sides of the floor, and a roof part of flexible material connected to the wall parts for the purpose of covering the floor. This tent is intended particularly for creating a relatively large, sheltered space for military or civilian activities, for instance for setting up a field hospital, a decontamination area, a waiting room or a temporary accommodation in disasters. Tents are known with floors of plate material and walls and roof of tent-cloth supported by a metal frame. Because these tents are relatively large and must be able to withstand extreme weather conditions, they are generally also robust and heavy, as a result of which erection requires much time and manpower. Deploying a large number of people for a long period of time to erect a tent is perceived as a drawback by the users thereof, in particular by relief workers. It is an object of the invention to provide a tent which is suitable for use for professional purposes and under extreme weather conditions, and which can be erected in a relatively short time by only a few people. This object is achieved with a tent of the type stated in the preamble, wherein according to the invention the wall parts are each coupled to the floor by means of a first pivotable connection and are movable between a first folded-up position, wherein the wall parts extend over at least a part of the floor, and a second upright position wherein the wall parts at least partly support the roof part.

A tent according to the invention can be erected in rapid and simple manner by placing at the location intended therefor the floor of plate material and the wall parts lying thereon in folded-up position, and then folding up the wall parts and placing them in their upright position, wherein the roof part is stretched by the wall parts and thus partly supported by the wall parts. In an embodiment of a tent according to the invention at least one of the wall parts is manufactured from flexible material which is stretched by a peripheral frame of rigid material, which peripheral frame is pivotally connected to the floor. In another embodiment at least one of the wall parts is manufactured from plate material.

In an advantageous embodiment the floor is assembled from at least two floor parts which are mutually connected by means of a second pivotable connection parallel to the first pivotable connections, wherein each of the wall parts in their folded-up position extends over at least a part of the respective floor part connected thereto, these at least two floor parts being movable between a first folded-up position, wherein the floor parts extend substantially one over the other and the wall parts are received between the floor parts, and a second folded-out position wherein the floor parts extend mutually in line.

This embodiment provides the advantage that a tent becomes available which has twice as large a capacity, wherein the maximum peripheral dimensions of the tent in the folded-up position of the wall parts and in the folded-up position of the floor parts can be chosen to be equal to the maximum peripheral dimensions of a tent with undivided floor in the folded-up position of the wall parts, so that to transport the tent with double capacity use can be made of a means of transport suitable for transporting a tent with undivided floor. In a preferred embodiment the floor in a tent according to the invention is assembled from three floor parts . This preferred embodiment provides the advantage that a tent becomes available with three times as large a capacity, wherein the maximum peripheral dimensions of the tent in the folded-up position of the wall parts and in the folded-up position of the floor parts can be chosen to be equal to the maximal peripheral dimensions of a tent with undivided floor in the folded-up position of the wall parts, so that to transport the tent with triple capacity use can be made of a means of transport suitable for transporting a tent with undivided floor. In a tent according to the invention the roof part extends for instance to two second opposite sides of the floor and is connected to this floor.

In yet another embodiment the tent according to the invention is provided with supports for the roof part which are pivotally coupled to the floor and to the roof part.

In a very favourable embodiment the tent according to the invention is adapted for erecting of the wall parts, by means of an overpressure to be applied in this tent, from the first folded-up position, wherein the wall parts extend over at least a part of the floor, to the second upright position wherein the wall parts at least partly support the roof part. It has been found that a relatively low overpressure of about 0.05 bar can suffice to inflate a tent according to the invention like an air balloon, from a situation wherein the wall parts lie folded-up on the floor to a situation wherein the wall parts stand upright from the floor and at least partly support the roof part. If the tent is provided with supports for the roof part which are pivotally coupled to the floor and to the roof part, these supports are largely erected by the roof part to which they are fixed. Once the tent has been partly erected under overpressure, it is accessible to a person who, from the inside, can place the wall parts and the supports in their position of use and then lock them using locking means present for this purpose. This latter embodiment is preferably provided with a closable gas inlet for admitting an overpressure gas, for instance air.

The advantages of a tent according to the invention become particularly manifest if the peripheral dimensions of the floor respectively of the floor parts correspond with the peripheral dimensions of the floor of a transport container, for instance a standardized ISO container.

The invention will be elucidated hereinbelow on the basis of embodiments and with reference to the drawings. Corresponding components are designated in the drawings with the same reference numerals. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective simplified view of a truck in front of a recently unloaded, open removable container and a fork-lift truck, with tents according to the invention,

Fig. 2(a) shows a simplified front view of a first embodiment of a tent according to the invention with three floor parts and two wall parts in folded-up position, Fig. 2(b) is a simplified front view of the tent shown in fig. 2(a) with the floor parts in their folded- out position and the wall parts in their folded-up position,

Fig. 2(c) shows the tent of fig. 2(b) in top view, Fig. 2(d) is a simplified front view of the tent shown in fig. 2(a) with the floor parts in their folded- out position and the wall parts in their upright position,

Fig. 3 shows a cut-away perspective view of a second embodiment of a tent according to the invention with three floor parts in their folded-out position, two wall parts in a not yet fully upright position and two supports in a not yet fully upright position, and

Fig. 4 is a cut-away perspective view of the tent shown in fig. 3 with the three floor parts in their folded-out position and the two wall parts and the two supports in fully upright position.

Fig. 1 shows a truck 1 in front of a recently unloaded, open removable container 2 with two tents 3 and a fork-lift truck 4 with a third tent 3 just unloaded from removable container 2.

Fig. 2(a) shows a tent 3 with three floor parts 5, 5', 5" and two wall parts 6, 6' in folded-up position. Wall parts 6, 6' are coupled to respective floor parts 6, 6' with pivot connections 7, 7', two outer floor parts 5, 5' are coupled with pivot connections 8, 8' to respective strips 9, 9' which are each coupled to the middle floor part 5" via a pivot connection 8".

Fig. 2(b) shows tent 3 with floor parts 5, 5', 5" in their folded-out position and wall parts 6, 6¹ in their folded-up position.

Fig. 2(c) shows tent 3 in top view, with the first pivot connections 7, 7' and second pivot connections 8, 8', 8" running parallel to each other.

Fig. 2(d) shows. tent 3 with floor parts 5, 5', 5" in their folded-out position and wall parts 6, 6' in their upright position.

Fig. 3 shows a cut-away view of a second embodiment of a tent 13 with three floor parts 5, 5', 5" in their folded-out position, two wall parts 6, 6' of plate material in not yet fully upright position and two supports 14, 14' in not yet fully upright position. Supports 14, 14' are pivotally connected on their underside to the respective floor parts 5, 5' and are fixed on their top side to the tent-cloth of the roof part (not shown) . The figure further shows a door 15, 15' in respective wall parts 6, 6' and an air hose 16, using which an overpressure is applied in tent 13, as a result of which the tent 13 is inflated like a balloon, wherein wall parts 6, 6' become erect and supports 14, 14' are largely erected by the tent-cloth of the roof part (not shown) . As soon as sufficient overpressure has developed in tent 13- during erection, tent 13 can be entered via one of the doors 15, 15' by a person who, by exerting limited muscle power, can place wall parts 6, 6' and posts 14, 14' in their upright position and then lock them with locking means (not shown) present for this purpose.

Fig. 4 is a cut-away view of tent 13 shown in fig. 3 in fully upright position, wherein after uncoupling of air hose 16 a closable air passage 17, for instance a known passage with a standardized diameter of 30 cm, can be seen in side wall 6. The figure further shows a part of tent-cloth 18 which is fixedly connected to wall parts 6, 6' and which extends over supports 14, 14' from the rear side to the front side of floor 5, 5', 5".

If floor parts 5, 5', 5" of tent 13 shown in fig. 4 each have dimensions- of about 2.3 m x 6.0 m, the tent 13 in folded-up situation fits into a standardized 20 feet' container and, in the folded-out position, a total floor surface of about 40 m² is available.

Where according to the prior art the erection of a tent of such dimensions requires the effort of eight persons for one hour, a tent 13 according to the invention as shown in fig. 4 is erected, using an overpressure, in a time period of about 30 minutes by only two persons.

Claims

1. Tent (3, 13), comprising a substantially rectangular floor (5, 5', 5") of plate material, two substantially flat wall parts (6, 6') connected to two first opposite sides of the floor (5, 5'), and a roof part (18) of flexible material connected to the wall parts (6, 6') for the purpose of covering the floor (5, 5', 5"), characterized in that the wall parts (6, 6') are each coupled to the floor (5, 5') by means of a first pivotable connection (7, 7') and are movable between a first folded-up position, wherein the wall parts (6, 6') extend over at least a part of the floor (5, 5'), and a second upright position wherein the wall parts (6, 6') at least partly support the roof part (18) .

2. Tent (3, 13) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the wall parts (6, 6') is manufactured from flexible material which is stretched by a peripheral frame of rigid material, which peripheral frame is pivotally connected to the floor (5, 5') .

3. Tent (3, 13) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the wall parts (6, 6') is manufactured from plate material.

4. Tent (3, 13) as claimed in any of the claims 1- 3, characterized in that the floor is assembled from at least two floor parts (5, 5') which are mutually connected by means of a second pivotable connection (8, 8') parallel to the first pivotable connections (7, 7'), wherein each of the wall parts (6, 6') in their folded- up position extends over at least a part of the respective floor part (5, 5') connected thereto, these at least two floor parts (5, 5') being movable between a first folded-up position, wherein the floor parts (5, 5') extend substantially one over the other and the wall parts (6, 6') are received between the floor parts (5, 5'), and a second folded-out position wherein the floor parts (5, 5') extend mutually in line.

5. Tent (3, 13) as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the floor is assembled from three floor parts (5, 5' , 5") .

6. Tent (3, 13) as claimed in any of the claims 1- 5, characterized in that the roof part (18) extends to two second opposite sides of the floor (5, 5', 5") and is connected to this floor (5, 5', 5").

7. Tent (13) as claimed in any of the claims 1-6, characterized in that it is provided with supports (14, 14') for the roof part (18) which are pivotally coupled to the floor (5, 5') and to the roof part (18).

8. Tent (13) as. claimed in any of the claims 1-7, characterized in that it is adapted for erecting of the wall parts (6, 6'), by means of an overpressure to be applied in said tent (13) , from the first folded-up position, wherein the wall parts (6, 6') extend over at least a part of the floor (5, 5'), to the second upright position wherein the wall parts (6, 6') at least partly support the roof part (18) .

9. Tent (13) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that it is provided with a closable gas inlet (17) for admitting an overpressure gas.

10. Tent (13) as claimed in any of the claims 1-3 respectively any of the claims 4-9, characterized in that the peripheral dimensions of the floor respectively of the floor parts (5, 5', 5") correspond with the peripheral dimensions of the floor of a transport container (2) .