EP0030398A2

EP0030398A2 - Front-tent construction

Info

Publication number: EP0030398A2
Application number: EP80201045A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Louis Marcel Brutsaert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-11-09
Filing date: 1980-11-04
Publication date: 1981-06-17
Also published as: EP0030398A3; BE885600A

Abstract

Front-tent construction characterized in that it mainly consists of a first stretching arm (8), one end of which is freely rotatable around a spindle (7); at least two additional stretching arms (12-13) either of them also being freely rotatable around a spindle (14-27-28); in every of the aforesaid two or more additional stretching arms (12-13) an outward pivoting support (19), wherein the hinged joint (18) between this support and the stretched arm referred to lays close to the free end of this stretching arm (12-13) and is connected to the aforesaid stretching arms (8-12-13) and to a fixed part of the construction with which the front-tent roof, i.e. the front-tent roof proper (10), has to co-operate.

Description

This invention relates to a front-tent construction, more especially to a front-tent roof such as those that can be used for vehicles, house-fronts and the like.
Several of such front-tent constructions or front-tent roofs are known, but they are formed by a roller on which the tent is rolled up in retained position and wherein, in order to bring the front-tent roof in service position, either certain systems are to be provided that pivot the front edge of such tent to the vehicle or house-front referred to, or supports are provided, which are applied to at least the free corners of the tent after the latter has been unwound and which rest on the ground with their free end.
Especially in the case of vehicles, i.e. vehicles for recreational purposes such as mobil homes, caravans and the like as well as utility vehicles such as used e.g. by market-men, it is clear that a tent with folding arms, pivot arms or the like in general is not desirable since it is not only expensive but also bulky.
A disadvantage of the known front-tent constructions with separate standards or supports is that they not only require a rather expensive winding-up mechanism, but that placing such a tent by one person, especially when it is relatively long, is hardly possible since the afore-mentioned supports have to be mounted separately.
If in addition one desires a set up roof with these known tents, it should be added thereto that separate tubes have to be applied, which involves very cumbersome and intricate operations.
The present invention relates to a front-tent roof construction that can be used in a very simple way in combination with any vehicle whatsoever, against house-fronts and the like, wherein a device making use of pivot arms as are usual with tents to be applied to house-fronts is without any necessity, and wherein bringing the tent into service position can be done by one single person, as the afore-mentioned supports that hold the tent at the front-side in the suitable position during unfolding automatically fold open and support the tent, everything in such a way that setting up such tents is extremely simple.
The front-tent construction according to the present invention showing the aforesaid and other advantages mainly consists of a first stretching arm, one end of which is freely rotatable around a pin; at least two additional stretching arms either of them also being freely rotatable around a pin; in every of the aforesaid two or more additional stretching arms an outward pivoting support, wherein the hinged joint between this support and the stretching arm referred to lays close to the free end of this stretching arm and is connected to the aforesaid stretching arms and to a fixed part of the construction with which the front-tent roof, i.e. the front-tent roof proper, has to co-operate.
In a first embodiment the aforesaid arms together with the box wherein they are retained are fixed to the side of the vehicle or the like, whereas in another embodiment they are mounted on the roof so that among other things the overall width of the vehicle is not interfered with.
In order to better set forth the characteristics of the present invention a preferred embodiment is described below by way of example without limiting it thereto. It refers to the accompanying drawings wherein :

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a caravan provided with a front-tent construction according to the present invention;
Figure 2 represents a top view of the part indicated by F2 on Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4 represent larger-scale sections according to the lines III-III and IV-IV respectively of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 but with the front-tent roof in service position;
Figure 6 represents a view according to arrow F6 in Figure 5;
Figures 7 and 8 represent larger-scale sections according to the lines VII-VII and VIII-VIII respectively of Figure 6;
Figure 9 represents a larger-scale view of the part indicated by F9 in Figure 8;
Figure 10 represents a schematical top view of another embodiment;
Figure 11 represents a perspective view of a caravan provided with a front-tent construction according to the present invention;
Figure 12 represents a larger-scale view according to arrow F12 of Figure 11;
Figure 13 represents a larger-scale view of the part indicated in Figure 12 by F13;
Figure 14 represents a section according to line XIV-XIV of Figure 13;
Figure 15 represents a view similar to that of Figure 12, but after the front-tent has been unfolded;
Figure 16 represents a larger-scale section according to line XVI-XVI of Figure 15.

As represented in Figures 1 to 4 the front-tent construction according to the invention mainly consists of a closed box 1 consisting of two parts 2 and 3 respectively the first of which is rigidly attached, in this case, to the side-wall of a caravan 4, whereas part 3 is fixed to part 2 by means of a pivot 5, e.g., and can be locked in any suitable way with respect to this part 2 when the front-tent roof is retained.
It should be remarkerd that for a tent that will be used over the whole length of the caravan 4 (in this case), box 2 has a length somewhat larger than half the overall length of the tent.
To one end of the thus formed box a channel section 6 is fixed to part 2, e.g. by means of screws, in which section a stretching arm 8 is mounted freely rotatable by means of an axle 7. Said stretching arm over its whole length and on top of it has a slot 9 or the like to which one end of the front-tent 10 is suitably attached. The second end of this front-tent 10 is fixed in a slot or groove 11 which over the whole length is provided with part 2 of box 1.
When the unfolded tent 10 makes a straight angle, which is mostly the case, one will connect two arms 12 and 13 respectively to the aforesaid tent 10 under angles of 60°, one end of which arms is pivoted to a common axle or spindle 14, which is mounted coaxially with respect to said spindle 7 and is bearing-mounted in a framework 15, which by means of a hinge 16 is fixed to a built-on block 17 with which the whole construction 12 to 16 is attached to part 2 of box 1 by means of screws that are not shown.
Each of the stretching arms 8, 12 and 13 is preferably made of a hollow profile with square section, the bottom wall of the stretching arms 11 and 12 (especially see the Figures 8 and 9) being removed for the greater part, in order to obtain at these places channel sections whose opening faces downward and wherein in each of these stretching arms 12 and 13 a support 19 is pivoted by means of a spindle 18, which at its free end is provided with a device (not shown) that can co-operate with small holes 20 in an extensible foot 21 in order to adapt the length of the support 19. In this case this support is made of channel section.
Every support 19 can be mounted relatively simply in the stretching arms 12 and 13 respectively referred to by pivoting the arm simply as far as into the profile of the stretching arm referred to and then extending the foot 21 until it enters the part formed by the completely closed tube.
Obviously in this way a front-tent construction is obtained with which an automatic folding out and set up of the front-tent is achieved in one single rotating movement.
Starting from figure 4 it suffices indeed to open box 1 by pivoting downward cover 3, whereupon the arm 8 is pivoted outward until it butts against (in this case) the outer wall of the caravan 4 and this arm is connected suitably in this place (not shown).
By this movement the tent 10 is automatically unfolded and brought into the position as represented in Figure 5, the stretching arms 12 and 13 being pulled out automatically from the box by the tent 10 itself so that they support the tent in the front after the supports 19 proper have been pivoted out of the arms 12 and 13, occasionally after a suitable length regulation of these supports 19 by means of the feet 21.
By folding open in this way, unfolding, stretching and supporting of the tent is achieved automatically.
As appears from the Figures 8 and 9 it is obtained automatically that the central part of the tent lays somewhat lower than the outer parts owing to the fact that this central part is attached to the lowermost stretching arms 12 and 13, whereas the outer parts are connected on the one hand to box 2 and on the other hand to the stretching arm 8 laying on top.
Obviously a right-hand front-tent construction can be made from a left-handed one and inversely in a simple way.
Indeed, it suffices to fix the support 6 on the one hand and the built-on block 17 to the proper end of part 2 of box 1 on the other hand, which has to be provided beforehand by suitably providing screw-thread holes or the like, whereas the tent 10 itself is mounted thereupon between the grooves 9 and 11.
Finally, the inclination of the tent is also obtained thereby that the support 15 of the stretching arms 12 and 13 is pivotally fixed to the built-on block 17.
In a special embodiment the edges 22, 23 and/or 24 respectively of the front-tent roof are provided with zip-fasteners in order to make possible the attachment of side walls to this front-tent roof and so to from a real completely closed front-tent.
In a special embodiment the front-tent construction is attached to the rear-wall of a vehicle or the like, wherein, in that case, the tent roof can be provided with at least one additional stretching arm 25 in order to obtain a tent roof that can be opened over an angle of 270°. Optionally, a further support 26 can be provided for still enlarging the tent roof.
Obviously, in order to obtain determined inclinations in the tent roof, spindle 7 can be placed under an angle, e.g. by mounting it in support 6 with much clearance. Every arm 12-13 too can be mounted to a separate spindle and/or the spindles of each stretching arm can be shifted with respect to each other.
The construction as represented in the Figures 11 to 16 broadly outlined can be compared with the foregoing embodiment so that reference is made thereto as far as the details are concerned.
Indeed, this construction consists of a closed box 1 consisting of two parts, viz. a fixed part 2 and a cover 3, part 2 in this case being fixed to the roof of the caravan or the like and wherein this box, in the case the tent is used over the whole length of the caravan or the like, has a length that is only a little larger than half the tent's overall length.
In this case too, a support 6 is suitably fixed to one end of box 2 wherein a stretching arm 8 is mounted freely rotatable by means of an axle 7, to which one end of the front-tent 10 is suitably fixed and whose other end is fixed in a slot or groove 11 that has been provided for that purpose in box 2.
The aforesaid tent is connected to two arms 12 and 13 respectively, but in this embodiment either of them is pivotally mounted to a separate spindle 27 and 28 respectively, which in their turn are fixed in a common support 29, which by means of a hinge 16 is connected to a built-on block 17 with which the whole construction 12 to 16 is fixed to the box 1 by means of suitable screws or the like.
The stretching arms 8, 12 and 13 preferably are also made of hollow profiles, wherein in lengthwhise controllable support 19 is pivotally provided in the arms 12 and 13 by means of an adequate spindle 18.
Obviously it suffices in this case, for bringing the front-tent into service position, to open box 1 and then to pivot the arm 8 outward until it lays in the extension of box 1, whereupon this arm is adequately connected (not shown) to the roof of the caravan.
By this movement the tent 10 is automatically unfolded and brought into the position as represented in Figure 15, the hinge 16 providing therefor that the tent obtains a determined inclination.
In this embodiment too, the tent is additionally supported by the supports 19.
The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described hereinbefore and represented in the accompanying drawings. As a matter of fact such front-tent construction can be realized in all sorts of forms and dimensions without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1.- Front-tent construction characterized in that it mainly consists of a first stretching arm (8), one end of which is freely rotatable around a spindle (7); at leats two additional stretching arms (12-13) either of them also being freely rotatable around a spindle (14-27-28); in every of the aforesaid two or more additional stretching arms (12-13) an outward pivoting support (19), wherein the hinged joint (18) between this support and the stretching arm referred to lays close to the free end of this stretching arm (12-13) and is connected to the aforesaid stretching arms (8-12-13) and to a fixed part of the construction with which the front-tent roof, i.e. the front-tent roof proper (10), has to co-operate.

2.- Front-tent construction according to claim 1, characterized in that it is applied to the side of the vehicle or the like, the three stretching arms (8-12-13) laying in a vertical plane above each other.

3.- Front-tent construction according to claim 1, characterized in that it is applied to the roof of the vehicle or the like, the three stretching arms (8-12-13) laying in a horizontal plane behind each other.

4.- Front-tent construction according to any of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the first stretching arm (8) over its whole length is formed by a square profile whose top over nearly its whole length has a groove, slot or the like with which one end of the front-tent roof (10) can co-operate in order to join the latter with this stretching arm (8).

5.- Front-tent construction according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that each of the two or more additional stretching arms (12-13) is made of a channel section whose open side faces downward and wherein in the neighbourhood of the pivotally fixed end of these stretching arms (12-13) these latter are made of square tube.

6.- Front-tent construction according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that a support (19) is freely rotatably fixed to the free end of either of the aforesaid additional stretching arms (12-13) by means of a horizontal spindle (18), said support (19) at its free end being provided with a vertically adjustable foot (21).

7.- Front-tent construction according to the foregoing claims, characterized in that the adjustable foot (21) is formed by an element slidable in the aforesaid hollow support, which element is provided with a plurality of small holes (20), wherein a device is provided in the concerned end of each aforesaid support (21), which can co-operate with such holes (20) in order to determine the length of the support.

8.- Front-tent construction according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the common spindle (14) of the said two or more additional stretching arms (12-13) is mounted in a support (15) that at its bottom part is connected to a built-on block (17) by means of a horizontally placed hinge (16), the built-on block itself being attached to a fixed part of the construction with which the front-tent construction has to co-operate.

9.- Front-tent construction according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that a tent-cloth (10) is attached between a fixed part of the construction with which the front-tent construction has to co-operate and the said first stretching arm (8), this tent-cloth (10) in places laying between the said points of attachment at the end of it being attached to the aforesaid additional stretching arms (12-13).

10.- Front-tent construction according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the said first stretching arm (8) in its unfolded position is placed at 180° with respect to the place it occupies in the folded position of the tent, the said additional stretching arms (12-13) being attached to the said tent under angles of 60°.

ll.- Front-tent construction according to any of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the first stretching arm (8) in its unfolded position is placed at 270° with respect to the place it occupies in the folded position of the tent.

12.- Front-tent construction according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the support (6) of the spindle (7) of the first stretching arm (8) and the built-on block (17) to which the support (15) of the two or more additional stretching arms (12-13) are attached, can be fixed by means of screws or the like either at the left-hand end or at the right-hand end of a construction with which the front-tent construction can co-operate.

13.- Front-tent construction according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the said supports (6-15) of the stretching arms (8-12-13) and the attachment at one end of the tent are mounted in a U-shaped box (1) which in itself is fixed to the construction with which the front-tent construction has to co-operate, said U-shaped box (1) being connected to a second U-shaped box (3) by means of a horizontal hinge (5), both U-shaped boxes being capable of co-operating with each other in order to retain the whole of stretching arms (8-12-13) and tent (10) when it is not used.

14.- Front-tent construction according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the vertical spindles (7-28-27) for the stretching arms (8-12-13) are placed behind each other in steps.

15.- Front-tent construction according to claim 14, characterized in that the spindles (27-28) of both back stretching arms (12-13) are mounted to a common support (29), which is pivoted to a fixed part of the construction with which the front-tent construction has to co-operate.