Tent Rafter End Cap and Tent Incorporating Same
AssigneeJohnson Outdoors Inc.
InventorAnthony Whitlow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tent including a structural member and an end cap insertable into the structural member and a method of forming a tent are provided. The structural member is preferably a rafter. The rafter has C-channels aligned with support troughs of the end cap. The C-channels and support troughs receive edge portions of a fabric panel therein to secure the fabric panel to the rafter. The end cap supports the weight of the fabric panel during assembly to reduce or avoid engagement of the fabric panel with corners of the C-channel or burs formed in the end of the C-channel of the rafter as the fabric panel is fed through the C-channel. The end cap may also include an optional tension push down bar assembly for providing additional tensioning of the fabric panel.
Claims25
A tent comprising:
- a frame including at least one structural member having a pair of first C-channels extending along a length of the structural member;
- an end cap positioned adjacent to an end of the structural member, the end cap having a main body having an outer face and an inner face, opposite the outer face, the inner face facing the end of the structural member, the main body including a pair of support troughs, one of the support troughs aligned with a corresponding one of the first C-channels and the other one of the support troughs aligned with a corresponding other one of the first C-channels;
- and
- at least one fabric panel including an enlarged edge portion received in one of the first C-channels of the rafter and the corresponding support trough of the end cap.
A method of assembling a tent comprising the steps of:
- positioning an end cap adjacent an end of a tent rafter having a fabric mounting channel;
- feeding an edge portion of the fabric panel through the fabric mounting channel, starting the feeding at the end of the tent rafter;
- and
- supporting at least a portion of the weight of the portion of the fabric panel that is not fed through the fabric mounting channel or resting on the ground by the end cap.
A tent comprising:
- a frame including at least one structural member having a pair of first C-channels extending along a length of the structural member;
- at least one fabric panel including an enlarged edge portion received in one of the first C-channels of the rafter;
- an end cap positioned adjacent to an end of the structural member, the end cap having a main body having an outer face and an inner face, opposite the outer face, the inner face facing the end of the structural member;
- a tensioning device coupled to the end cap engaging a free end portion of the fabric panel, the free end portion of the fabric panel extending substantially perpendicular to the edge portion, the tensioning device vertically adjustable to increasingly pull the fabric panel axially out of the first C-channel, not laterally through a mouth of the C-channel.
An end cap for being positioned proximate an end of a structural member of a tent and for supporting a fabric panel of a tent during assembly of the tent, the end cap comprising:
- a main body having a substantially rectangular periphery and an outer face and an inner face, opposite the outer face, the main body including a pair of support troughs proximate adjacent corners of the main body extending between the outer face and the inner face;
- and
- the support troughs being bounded at least in part by two wall portions defining a mouth therebetween, the wall portions extending from a bottom portion of the support troughs, the bottom portion facing vertically upward.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.