AU671225B2 - Covered swag - Google Patents

Description

1~ Regulation 3.2 671225 13/ 1z /1 2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

96f 1 6r 9 99 t r 9*96 9:1:: p~ r r Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: JOHN KAYSER FLAVEL JOHN KAYSER FLAVEL KEN MADDERN PATENT ATTORNEY, Floor, 150 Grenfell Street, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000 "COVERED SWAG" PM 0169 dated 27th July 1993 Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Application No: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to the applicant.

-1- L i -r .i This invention relates to a swag which embodies a covering which may be erected in a tent like manner over the bedclothes of a swag, or may be dismantled to allow the swag to be rolled.

Swags, of course, are very common and well known, involving primarily bed clothes which are rolled and arranged to be carried on the back. Tents which are readily demountable are also well known, but for outdoor camping most tents are much larger in structure than a swag and are separate from the bed clothes which may be used.

o0. In order to meet a need for protection against weather and insects, and °o 10 at the same time have a self-contained swag which can be easily and quickly erected or folded, in an embodiment of the invention there is provided a rectilinear base panel, a pair of upstanding end panels of inverted U-shape and a rectilinear cover panel, seams joining said end and cover panels to the ends and one side of said base panel respectively, all said panels and seams being of flexible, foldable material, said base panel being formed with four upwardly open sockets adjacent respective corners and two upwardly open sockets adjacent its sides and intermediate its ends, and a frame assembly comprising three resilient hoops also of inverted U-shape retained by the sockets, one hoop at each end and one intermediate the ends, a longitudinally extending central bar joining central portions of the hoops, and slide fasteners joining the ends of the cover panel to edges of the end panels externally f taid resilient hoops and central bar.

The closest prior art know to the applicant is the (now expired) Australian Patent Application No 49503/72 in the name of Visser. That referred to a tent having a frame work having resilient support members of hoop shape, located at their lower ends in loops sewn into opposite edges of a ground sheet, associated with anchor formations which were joined together end-toend in a spigot-socket formation. Such an arrangement would be unsuitable for 2 a swag, which needs to be capable of being carried by a man, because of the weight of the excessive number of bars and connectors.

With this invention, the lower ends of the resilient hoops are carried in upwardly facing sockets, which can be formed by simple sewing seams adjacent the side edges of the base panel, the central bar may comprise three demountable portions joined end-to-end, and the hoops may themselves each comprise two portions joined end-to-end, thus making a foldable assembly of small size which is simply and easily erected and demounted.

*With this invention, the frame members can be readily engaged or Fo-0° 10 disengaged by simple spigot and socket joints, and can be retained together by releasable means, for example, zip fasteners, whereby the whole erection or dismantling of the swag can be effected in just a few minutes. Conveniently the

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shallow mattress which adds considerably to the comfort, so that the swag may be used in more adverse circumstances than the traditional swag.

While the invention need not necessarily include the abovementioned details an embodiment is described hereunder in some further detail with reference to and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 is a perspective view showing a first stage of erection of a swag with the cover laid to one side and two end panels extending outwardly from respective ends; Fig 2 shows the swag with the end panels in their erected positions and the cover panel partly erected; Fig 3 shows the swag when completely erected; Fig 4 is a perspective view of the swag when folded and rolled; and Fig 5 is a fragmentary perspective view which illustrates the spigot-andsocket arrangement of the intermediate hoop and central bar.

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1 I I In this embodiment, a swag 10 comprises a base panel 11, two end panels 12 and a cover panel 13. All panels are formed from water resistant canvas, but clearly other material can be used.

The base panel 11 is provided with six upwardly open sockets 14 sewn into an upstanding flange, two at each end and two at the centre, and these constitute frame retention means. The first stage of erection as illustrated in Fig 1, requires the three hoops 15, each comprising two portions joined together in a spigot-and-socket manner, to be inserted with their ends in respective 1 0 sockets 14, the hoops being normally linear fibreglass reinforced plastics 10 material which are stressed by being curved to the part-round shape as illustrated, this stretching the canvas base panel 11 by the lower ends of the hoo'.-s where they enter the sockets 14. A central bar 16 formed of similar material comprises three portions which are joined end to end also in a spigotand-sock.et manner, by sleeves 17, the ends of the ridge bar 16 being retained in sockets 18 carried centrally on the two end hoops 15, while the centre hoop 15 has a four way socket 19 permanently secured to the end of one of its two portions by a crimped tube, and the centre portion of the three part ridge bar 16 extends through a central aperture in the socket 19. In order to retain the hoops 15 from relative movement, a cord 20 is secured to one end hoop 15 and joins the centre portions of the other hoops against relative displacement away from one another in a longitudinal direction.

The second stage of erection requires lifting of the end panels 12 over their respective adjacent hoops 15, the end panels 12 having inwardly directed flaps 22 which carry on them respective zip fastener tapes 23 which are complementary to similar tapes on the cover 13. Fig 2 shows the cover 13 partially positioned over the frame, and Fig 3 shows the cover fully positioned.

In its fully positioned location, the fasteners 23 are closed by zip slides, while a further zip fastener 24 extends down one side only of the cover 13 between its

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ends to provide a removable entry flap 25 which can be lifted to provide entry to a space beneath the cover 13. There is also provided a "window" 26 which is formed by an opening in the cover panel i3, and as shown contai s a panel of insect resistant screen, the window 26 being exposed by rolling the portion of cover 13 which overlies it into a roll 27 and being retained in that position by tie cords 28. As shown, the base panel 11 supports a foam mattress 29.

Dismantling is achieved by merely unzipping the zip fasteners at the ends, laying the cover panel 13 to one side as shown in Fig 1 and the end panels 12 outwardly from the ends of the swag, removing the hoops and ridge bar, folding 10 the end panels 12 inwardly over the mattress, and folding the cover panel 13 t also over the mattress and tucking its folded edge underneath the mattress.

Fig 4 illustrates the swag when folded and rolled. After the fasteners 23 and 24 have been opened, the cover panel 13 is folded back over the base a..

panel 11, the end panels 12 folded over the cover panel 13, the swag is rolled, and retained in a cylindrical formation by straps 3"1. The reverse procedure is adopted for erection.

The invention makes available a swag with an attached cover which is C. comfortable, largely waterproof, and insect proof, and which provides an acceptable degree of "air space" above the user when recumbent upon the mattress 11.

Claims (9)

1. A swag which upon erection comprises a rectilinear base panel, a pair of upstanding end panels of inverted U-shape and a rectilinear cover panel, seams joining said end and cover panels to the ends and one side of said base panel respectively, all said panels and seams being of flexible, foldable material, said base panel being formed with four upwardly open sockets adjacent respective corners and two upwardly open sockets adjacent its sides and intermediate its ends, and a frame assembly comprising three resilient hoops of inverted U- 10 shape with their ends in respective said sockets, one hoop at each end and one intermediate the ends, and a longitudinally extending central bar joining I central portions of the hoops, and slide fasteners joining the ends of the cover panel to edges of the o end panels externally of said resilient hoops and central bar.

2. A swag according to claim 1 wherein a curved edge of each said end panel comprises an inwardly directed flap which overlies a said i end hoop.

3. A swag according to claim 1 or claim 2 comprising zip type slide fasteners co-operable between the ends of said cover panel and curved edges of said end panels.

4. A swag according to any preceding ael wherein connections between said hoops and central bar are spigot-and-socket type connections. o\ee cCR ~v4% A swag according to anyprecedingelai.R wherein each said hoop comprises two portions joined end to end with a spigot-and-socket type connection.

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6. A swag according to any preceding~eiff wherein said longitudinally extending bar comprises three portions joined end-to-end with spigot-and-socket type connections. onet e^ We cORwvs

7. A swag according to anypreceding elaif wherein said cover panel comprises a flap portion joined along one side to a said end panel by a said slide fastener and joined along another side to said cover panel by a further slide fastener, upon release of its said slide fasteners said flap portion being openable to provide access to the interior of said swag. 4 one r e c*cs 10

8. A swag according to any precedingei further comprising a window opening in said cover panel, an insect screen over the opening, and a withdrawable cover releasably closing said window opening.

9. A swag substantially as hereinbefore described with •I reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. DATED this 25th day of July, 1994 JOHN KAYSER FLAVEL By his Patent Attorney KEN MADDERN 6<« e I~N Q\ 7 ABSTRACT A covered swag (10) has a rectangular base a pair of U-shaped upstanding end panels (12) sewn to the ends of base a generally rectangular cover panel (13) sewn to one side of the base, all of the panels being of foldable and flexible material, there being three upwardly open sockets (14) along each side of the base (11) and three resilient hoops (15) retained by the sockets, a longitudinally extending bar (16) joining the hoops and zip fasteners (23, 24) joining the ends of the cover panel to the edges of the end panels. I f 1 1 •eel e o