US20050279393A1

US20050279393A1 - Tent with a skylight opening

Info

Publication number: US20050279393A1
Application number: US10/870,008
Authority: US
Inventors: Chuen-Jong Tseng
Original assignee: Taiwan Shin Yeh Enterprise Co Ltd
Current assignee: Taiwan Shin Yeh Enterprise Co Ltd
Priority date: 2004-06-16
Filing date: 2004-06-16
Publication date: 2005-12-22

Abstract

A tent includes a frame, a tent cover, a screen, and a curtain assembly. The frame is adapted to be mounted on the ground, and defines an interior space. The tent cover is mounted on the frame, and has a skylight opening in spatial communication with the interior space. The screen is connected to the tent cover and covers the skylight opening. The curtain assembly includes a winding shaft mounted on the frame, and a curtain wound around the winding shaft. The curtain is unwindable from the winding shaft so as to cover the screen.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a tent, more particularly to a tent with a skylight opening.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional tent includes a frame mounted on the ground, and a tent cover mounted on the frame. Because the tent cover is usually made of a waterproof and non-transparent material to respectively prevent rain and sunlight from entering the tent, an interior of the tent is not easily ventilated. When the tent is big, and/or the sides of the tent are covered by the tent cover, the interior of the tent becomes dark.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a tent that has a skylight opening to permit ventilation of an interior of the tent and entry of sunlight therein.
According to this invention, a tent comprises a frame, a tent cover, a screen, and a curtain assembly. The frame is adapted to be mounted on the ground, and defines an interior space. The tent cover is mounted on the frame, and has a skylight opening in spatial communication with the interior space. The screen is connected to the tent cover and covers the skylight opening. The curtain assembly includes a winding shaft mounted on the frame, and a curtain wound around the winding shaft. The curtain is unwindable from the winding shaft so as to cover the screen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a tent according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of the preferred embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, illustrating how a curtain of the preferred embodiment is wound;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a curtain assembly of the preferred embodiment; and
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but illustrating the curtain of the preferred embodiment in an unwound state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the preferred embodiment of a tent according to the present invention is shown to comprise a frame 1, a tent cover 2, two curtain assemblies 3, and a top roof 4.
The frame 1 is adapted to be mounted on the ground, and is constructed from a plurality of interconnected upright and horizontal posts that cooperate to define an interior space 11. The frame 1 is a commonly seen structure, and is not a main aspect of the present invention. A detailed description of the frame 1, therefore, will be dispensed herewith for the sake of brevity.
The tent cover 2 is made of waterproof plastic cloth or canvas, and is mounted on top of the frame 1 so as to cover the interior space 11. In this embodiment, the tent cover 2 has two skylight openings 211 in spatial communication with the interior space 11. Two screens 22 are connected to the tent cover 2 to respectively cover the skylight openings 211. Each of the screens 22 is made of ventilating textile material, and is sewn to the tent cover 2 around the corresponding skylight opening 211 so as to permit ventilation of the interior space 11. The screens 22 also prevent objects from entering the interior space 11 through the tent cover 2. The number of the screens 22 corresponds to the number of the skylight openings 211. There may be one, two, three, or more of the skylight openings 211 depending on the size of the tent cover 2, and the number thereof should not be limited to the disclosed embodiment.
The number of the curtain assemblies 3 corresponds to the number of the screens 22. Since there are two screens 22 used in this embodiment, two curtain assemblies 3 are thus provided. Because the curtain assemblies 3 are similar in construction, only one curtain assembly 3 will be described hereinafter. The curtain assembly 3, as best shown in FIG. 4, includes two fixed seats 31, a spindle 32, a winding shaft 33, a torsion spring 34, a curtain 35, a stretching rod 36 (see FIG. 3), and a pull cord 37 (see FIG. 1).
The fixed seats 31 are fixed on a central top portion of the frame 1 proximate to one side of the screen 22.
The spindle 32 is fixed between the fixed seats 31.
The winding shaft 33 is hollow, is sleeved rotatably on an outer periphery of the spindle 32, and is positioned between the fixed seats 31. The winding shaft 33 is parallel to said one side of the screen 22.
The torsion spring 34 is sleeved on the spindle 32, and has two opposite ends 341 fixed respectively to the spindle 32 and the winding shaft 33.
The curtain 35 is made of plastic sheeting material, and has an area larger than that of the screen 22. The curtain 35 is wound around an outer periphery of the winding shaft 33, and has an inner end (not shown) connected to the winding shaft 33, and an outer end 351 opposite to the inner end and located proximate to said one side of the tent cover 2. The curtain 35, in an alternative embodiment, may be made of transparent waterproof cloth, the main purpose of which is to prevent rain from entering the tent. The curtain 35 is unwindable from the winding shaft 33 so as to cover the screen 22.
The stretching rod 36 is connected to the outer end 351 of the curtain 35 for spreading apart the curtain 35 so that the curtain 35 can be smoothly wound around or unwound from the winding shaft 33.
The pull cord 37 has one end tied fixedly to the stretching rod 36, and a free end that hangs downwardly from the tent cover 2 to enable user manipulation of the curtain 35.
Since the curtain assembly 3 is a commonly seen structure, only a brief description of the same has been provided hereinabove. The design of the curtain assembly 3 should not be limited to the disclosed embodiment.
The tent cover 2 further has a cutout part 25 to expose the curtain assembly 3. The top roof 4 extends above the cutout part 25 to cover the curtain assembly 3, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, and includes, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of interconnected posts 41, and a plastic cover 42 mounted on and covering the posts 41. Two posts 41 are fitted respectively into two seats 12 of the frame 1 so that the plastic cover 42 is spaced apart from the tent cover 2, thereby allowing the curtain 35 to extend out between the tent cover 2 and the top roof 4 when unwound from the winding shaft 33.
When the weather is sunny and the curtain assemblies 3 are not needed, the screens 22 are exposed so that air can enter into or exit from the interior space 11 of the tent through the screens 22. Hence, the interior space 11 is cooled by such ventilation. Furthermore, light passes through the screens 22 and into the interior space 11 so as to brighten the interior space 11.
When it is too hot or rainy, the free end of each pull cord 37 is pulled downwardly so as to unwind each curtain 35 from the respective winding shaft 33. As a result, each curtain 35 covers the respective screen 22 so as to shield the tent from the sun and the rain. As each curtain 35 is unwound from the respective winding shaft 33, each winding shaft 33 rotates in a first direction so that each torsion spring 34 stores a force that will bring each winding shaft 33 to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction. When each curtain 35 is pulled to a suitable length or is completely unwound from the respective winding shaft 33, the free end of each pull cord 37 may be tied or hooked to the frame 1, as best illustrated in FIG. 1, or nailed to the ground (not shown) so as to position the respective curtain 35.
When the curtains 33 are not needed, the free ends of the pull cords 37 are untied so that the stored forces of the torsion springs 34 move the respective winding shafts 33 to rotate in the second direction so as to wind the curtains 35 back on to the respective winding shafts 33, thereby exposing the screens 22.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A tent comprising:

a frame adapted to be mounted on the ground and defining an interior space;

a tent cover mounted on said frame, and having a skylight opening in spatial communication with said interior space;

a screen connected to said tent cover and covering said skylight opening; and

a curtain assembly including a winding shaft mounted on said frame, and a curtain wound around said winding shaft, said curtain being unwindable from said winding shaft so as to cover said screen.

2. The tent as claimed in claim 1, further comprising atop roof mounted on said frame for covering said curtain assembly, said tent cover further having a cutout part to expose said curtain assembly, said top roof extending above said cutout part to cover said curtain assembly, said top roof being spaced apart from said tent cover so as to permit said curtain to extend outward between said top roof and said tent cover when unwound from said winding shaft.

3. The tent as claimed in claim 1, wherein said screen is made of ventilating textile material.

4. The tent as claimed in claim 1, wherein said curtain assembly further includes two fixed seats, each of which is fixed on said frame proximate to said screen, a spindle fixed between said fixed seats, and a torsion spring sleeved on said spindle, said winding shaft being hollow and sleeved rotatably on said spindle and being positioned between said fixed seats, said spring having one end fixed to said spindle and the other end fixed to said winding shaft.

5. The tent as claimed in claim 4, wherein said curtain assembly further includes a pull cord tied to one end of said curtain that extends away from said winding shaft for operating said curtain.

6. The tent as claimed in claim 4, wherein said curtain assembly further includes a stretching rod connected to said one end of said curtain for spread apart said curtain.

7. The tent as claimed in claim 1, wherein said screen is sewn to said tent cover around said skylight opening.