AU2001270346A1

AU2001270346A1 - Portable shelter apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU2001270346A1
Application number: AU2001270346A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Marc Schepis; Darren Selby
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-07-06
Filing date: 2001-07-06
Publication date: 2002-01-21

Description

PORTABLE SHELTER APPARATUS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The field of the present invention relates generally to improvements in portable shelters, and more particularly to a portable shelter that can be easily carried and erected by a user and anchored securely in various outdoor environments.

The use of portable screen apparatuses in various environments is known in the prior art. In an outdoor environment, the use of environmental screens is desirable for providing protection from the sun, wind and from wind-blown sand, dirt and other debris being deposited on or near the user. Additionally, environmental screens may desirably provide a degree of privacy to a user or group of users, may be a security for valuables and a temporary storage site for equipment and personal effects. When used as a sun and wind shelter, these devices are especially useful in beach environments. However, while prior art screen shelters may be effective in providing protection from the environment, they can be difficult to carry, assemble and anchor securely. Many prior art screen shelters, eg, beach umbrellas, contain no effective anchoring means and thus become unstable and potentially hazardous fixtures in windy conditions. Some prior art screen shelters comprise anchoring means which can be difficult or even impossible to employ on ground surfaces of limited penetrability, eg, tents and cabanas comprising ground pegs or stakes, often resulting in damage to the anchoring means and screen shelter. Furthermore, as separate articles such anchoring means can be readily lost and require an additional carry bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one broad form the present invention provides a portable shelter apparatus comprising: a flexible shelter member, or two or more flexible shelter members being attached to at least one other of said flexible shelter members; one or more support members in engagement with one or more of said flexible shelter members supporting said flexible shelter members in an elevated deployed configuration; and one or more ballast members comprising a weighted material permanently extending from one or more of said flexible shelter members to contact with the ground.

In a further broad form the present invention provides a portable shelter, including: a cover formed of substantially flexible material; support means adapted to support and elevate at least part of the periphery of said cover in a manner such as to form an opening; ballast means including a plurality of elongate ballast arms, each arm being spaced about the periphery of the cover, being of length sufficient to contact a substrate surface, and, having a pouch on the remote end thereof adapted to receive sand or other ballast material therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a deployed portable shelter apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the deployed portable shelter apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the portable shelter apparatus of FIG. 1 together with typical dimensions (cm).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a portable shelter for outdoor use which can be stowed and user- carried within a flexible bag. The shelter of the present invention may be easily carried by a user when packaged in a non-functional configuration within the carry bag, and deployed in a functional configuration to adequately protect the user from the environment, eg, sun, wind, blowing sand, grass, dirt and other debris. A banner or other indicia may be associated with the shelter of the present invention. Advantageously, the shelter of the present invention can be easily and quickly erected for use in a wide variety of outdoor settings with various ground surfaces, eg, beaches, sporting events, picnic areas, camping sites etc and is stable in above average winds.

The portable shelter of the present invention comprises a flexible shelter member, or two or more flexible shelter members being attached to at least one other flexible shelter member. The flexible shelter members, or portable screens, may be any size and shape such that when deployed in an elevated configuration they provide a desirable degree of protection for the user or group of users from the environment, eg, sun, wind, wind-blown sand etc. Preferably, the flexible shelter members are substantially square, rectangular, trapezial, triangular or half-domed in shape. Furthermore, the flexible shelter members may be constructed from one or more materials which are flexible. Preferably, the flexible shelter members may be constructed from materials which are also lightweight and tear proof. More preferably, the flexible shelter members may be constructed from materials which also inhibit or prevent the passage of ultraviolet (UV) light. Suitable materials include 190T nylon taffeta with silver coating, nylon 50+ UV protection, shadecloth 70- 90% UFP 50+ UV protection, parachute material, polyester 25-50+ UV protection taffeta, polyethylene HDPE 70-90% UFP 50+ UV protection, oxford polyester, rip-stop polyester and lycra. A netted material may preferably be used for side portable screens providing cool ventilation. In embodiments of the present invention comprising two or more portable screens, the portable screens may be attached to at least one other portable screen by sewing, by being constructed from a single sheet of the same material or by some other permanent fastening structure as readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one or more portable screens may be removably attached to at least one other portable screen, eg, by zippers, buttons, press studs, hook and loop type fastening systems or by other temporary fastening structures as readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

In the present invention, one or more support members engage with one or more flexible shelter members to support the flexible shelter members in an elevated deployed configuration. The support members may be any article capable of interfacing with one or more flexible shelter members to uphold or maintain the flexible shelter members in an elevated deployed configuration. Preferably, the support members are poles constructed from various materials, eg, aluminium telescopic, iron, stainless steel, wooden or fibreglass poles. More preferably, the poles are collapsible multi-part poles which may be deployed from a collapsed storage orientation, eg, two or three section aluminium poles with shock- corded elastic. Furthermore, a variety of pole configurations may be selected, eg, a two- pole pin and ring frame system with shock-corded fibreglass poles may be used for self- erecting half-dome shape configurations.

In the portable shelters of the present invention it is appreciated that the support members may engage with one or more flexible shelter members through a variety of manners. For example, in the case where the support members are poles, the poles may engage with one or more flexible shelter members through sleeves, eg, stainless steel or brass eyelets sewn into the material of one or more flexible shelter members. Furthermore, the support members may engage with one or more flexible shelter members via loops through which the poles are threaded, hook and loop fastener loops or tabs or other securing structures for temporarily maintaining contact between the support structures and one or more flexible shelter members. As a result, a variety of support member/flexible shelter member support interface techniques are appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Characteristically, the portable shelters of the present invention are stabilised by one or more ballast members which may be any receptacle, eg, pouch, pocket, bag, sack etc capable of receiving and holding a weighted material. The ballast members permanently extend from one or more flexible shelter members to contact with the ground. Furthermore, the ballast members may permanently extend from one or more flexible shelter members to contact with the ground in a region which is external and/or internal to the internal region defined by the flexible shelter members in elevated deployed configuration. Preferably, the ballast members permanently extend from one or more flexible shelter members to contact with the ground in a region which is external to said internal region in order to maximise user shelter space. For some environmental shelter configurations, however, permanent extension in an internal direction may provide the most effective stabilisation. In the present invention, the size, configuration, number and positioning of the ballast members may be that which provides the most effective stabilisation for a given portable shelter configuration. The ballast members may permanently extend from any point off the flexible shelter members to contact with the ground. Preferably, the ballast members permanently extend from the peripheries of the flexible shelter members. Furthermore, the ballast members may be any configuration which is capable of receiving and holding a weighted material. Preferably, the ballast members are substantially spherical, square, rectangular, oblong, trapezial or triangular in shape.

In the portable shelters of the present invention the ballast members permanently extend from one or more flexible shelter members by being sewn together or joined by any other permanent fastening means as appreciated by those skilled in the art. The ballast members may be constructed from the same materials as the flexible support members or from one or more different materials. Preferably, the ballast members and flexible shelter members permanently extend from one another as a result of their being constructed from a single sheet of the same flexible material.

The ballast members of the present invention may be filled with any material of sufficient weight to effectively anchor the environmental shelter. Preferably, the weighted materials are those convenient to the outdoor setting of use, eg, one or more of sand, soil, rocks, pebbles, water etc. After filling with a weighted material, the ballast members may optionally be sealed, eg, by a flap of flexible material, by zippers, buttons, press studs, hook and loop type fastening systems or by any other temporary sealing structure as readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The carry bag which allows transport of the shelter has a shape and size corresponding to the folded, minimised geometrical figure of the shelter. The carry bag may be constructed from any flexible material and is preferably constructed from the same material as the flexible shelter members. The carry bag may be used for individual use once the portable shelter has been assembled. In operation, the user may transport the portable shelter in the non-functional configuration in the carry bag to an outdoor location. When desired, the user removes the portable shelter from the carry bag and unfolds or otherwise unaccumulates the flexible shelter members and ballast members upon the ground. The user then fills the ballast members with a weighted material which is preferably convenient to the outdoor location. The user then engages the support structures with one or more of the flexible shelter members to maintain the flexible shelter members in an elevated deployed configuration.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described below, by way of a non-limiting example, making reference to the above mentioned drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 designates the portable shelter apparatus as a whole. The stabilised portable environmental shelter apparatus 1 is illustrated in deployed orientation in FIGS. 1 and 2. The flexible shelter members 2 are supported in an elevated deployed configuration by support members 3, shown here as three piece collapsible poles 3. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 there are three flexible shelter members 2; the main portable screen which is substantially trapezial in shape and two portable side screens which are substantially triangular in shape and attached to the main portable screen by sewing. The portable side screens 2 may be rolled up when less privacy or more ventilation is desired. Furthermore, the interior walls of the flexible shelter members 2 may have a plurality of pockets or enclosures sewn into them for storing valuables and personal effects. The collapsible poles 3, disposed in a substantially upright manner, engage with the main portable screen 2 through sleeves 6, shown here as eyelets 6, sewn into the material of the main portable screen 2. The material surrounding the eyelets 6 may be reinforced with one or more patches of material. The head of each pole 3 is bent to form an angle of 45° to prevent the poles 3 from disengaging from the main portable screen 2. The opposite ends of the poles 3 may be rounded. The ballast members 4, shown here as substantially spherical pouches 4, are filled with a weighted material and permanently extend from the four corners of the main portable screen 2 to rest upon the ground in a region which is external to the interior region 5 defined by the flexible shelter members 2 in elevated deployed configuration. The two pouches 4 which permanently extend from the back two corners closest to the ground of the portable main screen 2 are larger in size than the two pouches 4 which extend from the front two corners of the main portable screen 2 highest from the ground. The four pouches 4 and the flexible shelter members 2 are constructed from a single piece of the same flexible material.

In operation, the user may transport the environmental shelter apparatus 1 in the nonfunctional orientation within a carry bag adapted to carry same to an outdoor location. When desired, the user removes the environmental shelter apparatus 1 from the carry bag and unfolds or otherwise unaccumulates the flexible support members 2 and the pouches 4 out flat upon the ground. The pouches 4 are then filled with a weighted material. Next, the poles 3 are then extended or otherwise manipulated to length and individually inserted into the eyelets 6 of the flexible shelter members 2 in a substantially upright manner. The carry bag may be used separately for storage, transport or another use. Upon departure from the outdoor location, the user may collapse the environmental shelter apparatus 1 by removing the poles 3 from the eyelets 6, emptying the weighted material from the pouches 4 tlirough their respective openings and folding or otherwise accumulating the portable screens 2 and pouches 4 and placing same into the carry bag 7 together with the collapsed poles 3.

The preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS 1, 2 and 3 depending upon the materials used may block out 80-90% of UV rays and may provide 70-97% shade to users. It can be stably located on various ground surfaces including impenetrable grounds and is stable in winds of up to 15 knots. It can be easily stowed and user-carried and expeditiously assembled. Furthermore, its assembly is sufficiently uncomplicated such that it can be easily grasped and its construction entails minimal bulk, weight, complexity and cost. No small separate parts which can be readily lost are required. Moreover, it provides a desirable degree of privacy to a user or group of users and is a security for valuables and a temporary storage site for equipment and personal effects. A banner of other indicia may also be associated with it.

It is understood that the exemplary portable stabilised environmental apparatus 1 described herein and shown in the drawings represents only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Indeed, various modifications and additions may be made to such embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, these and other modifications and additions may be obvious to those skilled in the art and may be implemented to adapt the present invention for use in a variety of different applications.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A portable shelter apparatus comprising: a flexible shelter member, or two or more flexible shelter members being attached to at least one other of said flexible shelter members; one or more support members in engagement with one or more of said flexible shelter members supporting said flexible shelter members in an elevated deployed configuration; and one or more ballast members comprising a weighted material permanently extending from one or more of said flexible shelter members to contact with the ground.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a flexible shelter member which is substantially square, rectangular or trapezial in shape and is the main portable screen.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, comprising two flexible shelter members substantially triangular in shape optionally removably attached to either side of said main portable screen.

4. The apparatus according to either claim 2 or claim 3, comprising two ballast members permanently extending from the back two corners of said main portable screen, and two ballast members permanently extending from the front two corners of said main portable screen.

5. The apparatus according to anyone of claims 1 to 4, wherein said ballast members contact with the ground in a region which is external to the internal region defined by said flexible shelter members in elevated deployed configuration.

6. The apparatus according to anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein one or more of said support members engage with one or more of said flexible support members through sleeves in the material of said flexible shelter members.

7. The apparatus according to anyone of claims 1 to 6, wherein said support members are two poles disposed in a substantially upright manner between the ground and the front two corners of said main portable screen.

8. The apparatus according to anyone of claims 1 to 7, wherein said flexible shelter members and said ballast members are constructed from the same material.

9. The apparatus according to anyone of claims 1 to 8, wherein said flexible shelter members and said ballast members are constructed from a single sheet of the same material.

10. The apparatus according to anyone of claims 1 to 9, wherein said flexible shelter members are constructed from a material which is lightweight and which inhibits or prevents the passage of ultraviolet light.

11. The apparatus according to anyone of claims 1 to 10, wherein said ballast members are substantially spherical pouches.

12. The apparatus according to anyone of claims 1 to 11, wherein said weighted material is one or more of sand, rocks, pebbles, soil or water.

13. The apparatus according to anyone of claims 1-12, further comprising a carry bag defining an interior region sized to receive said flexible shelter members, said support members and said ballast members.

14. A portable shelter, including: a cover formed of substantially flexible material; support means adapted to support and elevate at least part of the periphery of said cover in a manner such as to form an opening; and ballast means including a plurality of elongate ballast arms, each arm being spaced about the periphery of the cover, being of length sufficient to contact a substrate surface, and having a pouch on the remote end thereof adapted to receive sand or other ballast material therein.

15. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 14, wherein said ballast arms are formed integrally with said cover.

16. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein said cover is substantially quadrilateral in shape, said support means being formed by a pair of support posts adapted to elevate a first edge of said cover to form an opening between said support posts, and said ballast means includes four ballast arms, two of said ballast arms adjacent said first edge being substantially more elongate than the other two of said ballast arms.

17. A portable shelter as claimed in anyone of claims 14 to 16, further including side walls attached to at least one part of the periphery of said cover, in a removable or permanent manner.

18. A portable shelter as claimed in anyone of claims 14 to 17, wherein said cover is formed of material which substantially inhibits the passage of ultraviolet light.