US 6,199,572 B1Granted

Collapsible shelter/tent with frame locking mechanism

AssigneeNegocios de Estela S.A.

InventorsGisele B. Rousselle, Dennis C. Surrendi

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Abstract

A collapsible shelter/tent, such as for example an umbrella tent, has a collapsible frame with a plurality of legs that are erected by manually moving two clevises toward one another. The shelter/tent includes an improved locking mechanism that very securely maintains the structure in an erected position. The improved locking mechanism includes a generally vertical pin extending from one of the clevises that is received inside a socket supported on the other of said clevises. The socket has an engaging member therein that can engage a groove in the generally vertical pin after said generally vertical pin has been inserted into said socket. Preferably, the engaging member is spring biased into the groove. The shelter/tent also includes a variety of novel frame structures. An erection device for erecting a collapsible tent is also included. The erection device includes an elongated pole and a slide member that can be used to control relative movement of the clevises toward and away from one another.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A collapsible shelter/tent, comprising:

a first clevis;
three or more legs pivotally connected to said first clevis;
a second clevis;
three or more support bars, each pivotally connected with respect to one of said legs at an outer end of said support bar and pivotally connected to said second clevis at an inner end of said support bar, said legs, said support bars, and said first and second devises forming a collapsible frame;
a generally vertical pin extending from one of said first and second clevises, said generally vertical pin having a groove on a side thereof;
a socket disposed on the other of said first and second clevises, said socket having a receiving bore formed therein which is aligned with said generally vertical pin, said socket having an engaging member supported therewithin, said engaging member being constructed and arranged to firmly engage said groove in said generally vertical pin after said generally vertical pin is inserted into said bore of said socket to thereby lock said first and second clevises together and to be manually disengaged from said groove to permit said first and second clevises to be separated from one another;
and
a plurality of sheet-material walls supported on said collapsible frame in collapsed and uncollapsed states of said frame, said plurality of sheet-material walls being constructed and arranged to apply pressure to portions of said collapsible frame as said collapsible frame is moved from said collapsed state to said uncollapsed state to cause portions of said collapsible frame to flex and thereby urge one of said first and second clevises toward the other when said collapsible frame is in the uncollapsed state.

5 more elements

A method of erecting a collapsible tent, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a collapsible shelter/tent having:
a collapsible frame that includes:
a) three or more legs pivotally connected to a, first clevis;
and b) three or more support bars pivotally connected with respect to said legs at an outer end of said support bars and pivotally connected to a second clevis at an inner end of said support bars;
one of said first and second devises having a generally vertical pin extending therefrom, said generally vertical pin having a groove on a side thereof;
the other of said devises having a socket which has a receiving bore aligned with said generally vertical pin, said socket having an engaging member supported therewithin, said engaging member being constructed and arranged to firmly engage said groove in said generally vertical pin after said generally vertical pin is inserted into said bore of said socket to lock said first and second clevises together and to be manually disengaged from said from said groove to permit said first and second clevises to be separated from one another;
and
a plurality of sheet-material walls supported on said collapsible frame in collapsed an uncollapsed states of said frame, said plurality of sheet-material walls being constructed and arranged to apply pressure to portions of said collapsible frame as said collapsible frame is moved from said collapsed state to said uncollapsed state to cause portions of said collapsible frame to flex and thereby urge one of said first and second clevises toward the other when said collapsible frame is in the uncollapsed state,
b) placing said collapsible shelter/tent in a collapsed condition;
c) moving said first and second clevises towards one another against a biasing force tending to separate said clevises created by said legs and said sheet-material walls;
d) upon reaching a certain position, having said legs and said sheet-material walls switch the direction of force on said second clevis so as to force said clevises toward one another;
and
e) after reaching said certain position, locking said first and second clevises together by inserting said generally vertical pin into said bore of said socket.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.