AU667917B2 - Tent covered swag - Google Patents

Description

1 "TENT COVERED SWAG" This invention relates to an improved tent assembly.

This application is associated with my Australian Provisional Patent Application No. PL3190.

This invention has particular application to a tent assembly which may be stowed in the form of a swag or other rolled up bedding for personal portability and for illustrative purposes particular reference hereinafter will be made to such application. This invention is not limited to a tent assembly suitable for one person only and may by used for foldable bedding, collapsible tents and such like.

At present when hikers, tourists, bush walkers and the like wish to encamp, a tent may be erected and bedding placed inside the tent so erected. Alternatively, where weather o+ a i: permits, bedding is provided without any covering or ii S protection from the weather. The provision of a tent o° separate from the bedding may be bulky, difficult to handle i and inefficient in use.

This invention aims to alleviate one or more of the abovementioned and/or other disadvantages and to provide a t !I r" tent assembly which will be reliable and efficient in use.

g m A With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a tent assembly, erectable from a collapsed position to a supported position and including:a floor panel; bedding means supported by said floor panel; L II 2 canopy means forming an enclosure above the bedding means, said canopy means including ventilated wall panels and support means for maintaining the wall panels in their shielding positions, and and an extension flap secured along the lower edge of the side wall panel, the extension flap extending away from the side wall panel a distance sufficient to extend over the canopy means in the form of a fly.

[1 Preferably one side wall may be opened along its length to form an inlet and the extension flap may be used to weatherproof the tent when used as a fly or to extend away from the side wall panel to form a ground cover adjacent the canopy means.

In a preferred embodiment, the tent assembly is trapezoidal in section and elongate along an elongate axis Ii and the support means supports the tent assembly in its ~t supported position by tensioning the tent along its-.elongate axis. For example, the support means may include portable uprights and elastic stays adapted to maintain the canopy means under tension between the uprights. The support means A may also include a stay engageable with a medial part of the extnsonflap whereby telatter may be stretched to form a peak extending above the canopy means when disposed as a fly.

In a preferred embodiment, the support means further includes stiffening means co-operating with the uprights and elastic stays. The stiffening means is in the form of two stiffening members, each of which engages with the canopy means proximate a respective end wall.

0P 3 It will be appreciated that the support means may be adapted to support the tent assembly between extant upright supports such as trees, fence type posts and such like, or where one such extant upright support is available, the other end of the tent assembly being supportable by or on a portable upright. Alternatively, two portable uprights may be utilised, one for each end of the tent assembly.

Thus, in the supported attitude, the stays are pegged into the ground and tightened to a supporting tension sufficient to support the tent assembly. The tension in the stays is carried over the uprights which carry a compressive load including the weight of the tent assembly and the corresponding supporting tension of the stays. Each respective stay extends from its respective upright to each o0 end of a respective stiffening member, and the tension carried therethrough extends between the respective ends of each stiffening member longitudinally along the tent assembly whereby the tent assembly is supported in its supported n attitude. The stiffening member is thus placed under a 20 compressive load corresponding to the supporting tension in rir the stays, whereby the respetive tent assembly end walls depend downward from the respective stiffening members.

0 Where a substantially straight stiffening member is provided at each end, the tent assembly will be substantially trapezoidal in section. One or both stiffening members may be curved to provide alternative shapes of tent assembly as 4 desired.

In a preferred embodiment, the tent assembly, in the supported attitude, is configured to accommodate a single user such as a person. Additionally, the tent assembly may be configured to accommodate two or more users and the extension flap may be provided on both sides of the tent assembly.

The bedding means may be in the form of padding or such like, or it may be an inflatable bed. Preferably, the bedding means is arranged so as to maintain the lower edges i the floor panel may be adapted to be pegged to the ground to maintain its operative configuration. The free edge of the extension panel may be adapted to be releasably secured to ro the opposite edge of the floor panel as is its fixed edge or o it may be pegged in its fly attitude. Preferably the ri o extension panel extends over the edges of the canopy means with an overlap. Preferably, the overlap is 25 cm.

The bedding means is preferably in the form of a I. 20 resilient layer of padded material, expanded plastics or elastomeric foam or such like. The floor panel is preferably a pocket assembly adapted to receive a mattress means as the S: bedding means, with the pocket means including a resealable closure means along one edge so that the mattress means may be enclosed within the pocket means for use, or removed therefrom for cleaning and/or replacement.

I

lt..

4#*Ii

I,

0t. I di l 446C1 Preferably, the support means supports the canopy means elevated above the floor panel and the bedding means a distance sufficient to accommodate a person. When decamping, the tent assembly may be collapsed and incorporated within the bedding means rolled in the form of a scroll to form a furled swag or the like. The canopy means may be disposed with a roof portion substantially parallel to the floor panel, or the roof portion may taper downwardly from a head end to a foot end.

Preferably, the canopy means and floor panel are attached to or integral with the bedding means in the form of a tent assembly. The canopy means preferably includes binding means extending longitudinally along the edges of the roof portion to take the tension in the tent assembly applied 15 to hold the tent assembly in the supported attitude.

Preferably, the binding means is webbing or such like sewn into to formed integrally with the canopy means. Thus, the preferred tent assembly has no ropes in contact with the canopy whereby it is believed wicking of moisture through the canopy means may be avoided.

Additionally, the webbing is provided along the edges of the inlet, and the inlet is closable with inlet closure means such as a zip fastener or such like.

In a further preferred embodiment, the tent assembly may be collapsed into a roll or a folded attitude for transport by a user, and may be unfurled or unfolded and erected to an t C *r C rC K C I. dl 6 operative attitude for use by a user. Preferably, the bedding means is of a size suitable for a single user, but also may be adapted for use by two or more persons.

Preferably, the canopy means includes a roof panel, two side panels extending from the edges of the roof panel to the sides of the bedding means and two end panels attached to the edges of the roof panels and the side panels and extending to the ends of the bedding means to form a completely enclosed canopy for the bedding means. The roof panel, side panels and end panels, preferably include screen means suitable for a barrier to insects and such like.

The support means may be a frame or such like structure which may be assembled inside the canopy means for supporting t the canopy means above the bedding means. Preferably however, the support means includes a rigid bar or such like integral with each end of the roof panel and tie means extending from each ends of each rigid bar for attachment to a fixed elevate point remote from the ends of the tent covered swag apparatus. The fixed elevated point may be a S, 20 tree or post or such like. Preferably, the elevated fixed points are provided by stake means over which the tie means may extend to pegging means for retaining the tent assembly in an erected attitude.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the 1, 7 invention herein:- FIG.1 is a perspective view of an assembled tent assembly; FIG.2 is a perspective view of an assembled tent assembly with a weatherproof canopy; and FIG.3 is a perspective view of a tent assembly in a collapsed state and coiled up for transport as a swag.

When required during camp, the tent assembly 10 may be It: unrolled along the ground with its waterproof side downward.

A pair of tent pegs is inserted Into the ground spaced apart a distance sufficient to permit the tent assembly to be supported therebetween. A guy line 21 is extended from each tent peg and loosely secured to a pair of extensible straps S 25. Each guy line 21 is then engaged with a notch in the top 0omo°0 of a support post 20 at first one end and then with an engagement notch in another support post 20 at the other end, the base of the support post being moved with respect to the top of the support post to a substantially vertical attitude thus applying tension to the guy lines 21 and the extensible straps 25 to raise the tent assembly to its operative attitude as shown in FIG. 1. The guy lines 21 may be further I II tightened to support the flexible side end at top wall of the tent assembly for use. The tent top wall 14 and the side walls 13 include netting panels 17 for insect and/or vermin proofing the tent assembly. The tent assembly also includes a bed 11 on a floor or base wall panel, the floor or base b 8 wall panel preferably being water proof.

A fly 12 may be left loose beside the tent assembly as shown in FIG.l, or alternatively may be supported across the tent assembly 10 as shown in FIG. 2 by a pair of extensible guy straps 23 which engage with a medial edge of the fly 12.

Alternatively, a fly line may be extended between the support posts 20 and the fly 12 supported thereon.

Entry and egress to and from the tent assembly 10 in its operative attitude may be effected through an opening 18 in the or each end wall 15. The opening is resealable with a closure means such as a zip fastening or such like.

Preferably, a ventilation space is left between the top wall of 14 the tent assembl.y 10 and the fly 12.

r For decamping, the fly is undone and removed from above 15 the tent assembly. The support posts 20 are removed and the top, side and end walls (14, 13 and 15 respectively) are

I:V

collapsed and folded onto of the bed 11. The fly is then folded across the top of the bed 11 to be incorporated ~substantially within the peripheral edges of the bed 11. The support posts 20, guy lines 21 and tent pegs may be coiled up i! in the swag as it is rolled up into its scroll attitude as shown in FIG. 3 for portage.

In another aspect, this invention resides broadly in a tent assembly having a base in the form of a ground sheet, bedding supported by the ground sheet, a canopy held above and spaced from the bedding, side walls extending between end i: 9 walls at the head and foot of the bedding. Preferably, one side wall is includes a sealable opening along its lower edge near the junction with the ground sheet, the opening providing side access to the space under the canopy and the ground sheet extends beyond the side of the tent assembly to provide a verandah extending along the length of the tent assembly.

The base may be pegged out to a rectangular form and/or supported as hereinbefore described. Where portable support poles are provided, it is preferred that the tent assembly be erected between two such support poles and one or each o support pole be spaced from the end walls of the tent *04 assembly. Additionally, the stiffening bars may be inserted into pockets proximate to the intersection between the end walls and the roof portion. Additional pockets of like dimensions may be provided along the base of the end walls so that the stiffening bars may be removed from their pockets °o and inserted into the additional pockets whereby the tent assembly may be used as a stretcher. The stiffening bars may be steel or fibreglass rods. The canopy means may be releasably attachable to the bedding and/or floor panel.

The tent assembly is preferably manufactured from water resistant or water retardant material, with the the floor or base panel under the bedding being of a strong material suitable also for protecting the tent assembly when folded into a swag. Preferably, all tent material for the tent -1 assembly is a pierce resistant textile of woven or warp knitted construction of natural and/or synthetic fibres, with the screen material being textex type screen or such like.

It will of course be realised that while the above has J 5 been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to the skilled addressee in the art are i deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as claimed in the following claims.

I t i t«

I.

I

i e ii;

Claims (8)

1. A tent assembly, erectable from a collapsed position to a supported position and including:- a floor panel; bedding means supported by said floor panel; canopy means forming an enclosure jove the bedding means, said canopy means including ventilated wall panels and support means for maintaining the wall panels in their supported positions, and an extension flap secured along the lower edge of one side wall panel, said the extension flap extending away from the side wall panel a distance sufficient to extend over the canopy means in the form of a fly.

2. A tent assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein one said wall panel may be opened along its length to form access means whereby a user may enter and/or exit the tent assembly in its supported position.

3. A tent assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said floor panel includes a pocket assembly adapted to enclose said bedding means.

4. A tent assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pocket assembly includes resealable closure means along one i i (12 edge and said bedding means is removable from said pocket assembly.

A tent assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said support means includes uprights and elastic stays adapted to maintain the canopy means under tension between the uprights.

6. A tent assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support means includes a stay engageable with a medial part of the extension flap whereby the latter may be stretched to form a peak extending above the canopy means when disposed as a fly.

7. A tent assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding S claims, wherein said bedding means is arranged so as to *maintain the lower edges of the canopy in an operative V configuration when the tent assembly is in its supported position. i cl 13

8. A tent assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said extension panel includes a free distal edge which may be releasably secured to the edge of the floor panel opposite the proximal edge of the extension panel. DATED THIS Ninth DAY OF January, 1996. ANTHONY CAMARONI BY PIZZEYS PATENT TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS I I SI13 ANTHONY CAMARONI i ABSTRACT A tent assembly [10] includes a floor panel, bedding means [11] supported by said floor panel, canopy means [14, 13, forming an enclosure above the bedding means, and support means [20, 21] for maintaining the wall panels in their shielding positions. The canopy means includes ventilated wall panels [17] and in a preferred form one side wall may be opened along its length to form an inlet. The wall panel includes one or two extension flaps [12] secured along the lower edge of one or both side wall panels [14] respectively whereby the or each extension flap [12] may extend away from the side wall panel [14] to form a ground cover adjacent the canopy means. The or each extension flap may be extended :o over the canopy means in the form of a fly for weatherproofing the canopy means. Preferably the tent assembly is supported by portable uprights [20] and elastic stays [21] adapted to maintain the canopy means under tension between the uprights whereby there are no ropes or cords in contact with the canopy means [14, 13, 15] or the extension TO flap The extension flap [12] may be stretched to form a 4 .Ott a peak extending above the canopy means [14, 13, 15] when disposed thereover as a fly. t CI a it It t 4 "4