GB2426986A

GB2426986A - Tent having a cover panel mounted on a flexible element

Info

Publication number: GB2426986A
Application number: GB0611346A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Benjamin Mettavant
Original assignee: Promiles SNC
Current assignee: Promiles SNC
Priority date: 2005-06-10
Filing date: 2006-06-08
Publication date: 2006-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 2026-06-08
Also published as: FR2886962A1; ES2306581B1; GB2426986B; ES2306581A1; ITMI20061098A1; GB0611346D0; FR2886962B1

Abstract

The invention concerns a tent (1) in a canvas wall of which an opening (11) is formed, and which comprises a cover panel (8) for said opening (11). This panel (8) is mounted on at least one flexible element (9) able to deflect between a first position in which at least the distal end of the panel is held away from the opening (11) and a second position in which said panel (8) covers the opening (11). Locking means (12) ensure locking of the panel (8) in the second position or in an intermediate position. Preferably the flexible element consists of a hoop (9) whose curved portion corresponds to the distal end of the cover panel (8). Being a tent having a hoop structure in the shape of a continuous upper loop (3), the flexible element is a hoop in the shape of a loop portion which, in its second position, is substantially superimposed upon one of the side portions of the upper loop. In this case, the cover panel is formed by the continuation of the canvas wall which extends between the two free ends (24a, 24b) of the hoop (24) forming a hinge zone (27) for pivoting of the cover panel.

Description

1 2426986 TENT HAVING A COVER PANEL MOUNTED ON A FLEXIBLE ELEMENT, IN

PARTICULAR A HOOP

The present invention concerns a tent in a canvas wall of which an opening is formed, said tent being equipped with a cover panel for said opening.

A multiplicity of tent structures exist depending on whether they have one or more canvas walls, and depending on the type of structural element able to support said canvas walls. In its simplest version, a tent consists of a single canvas wall supported by structural elements which may be vertical poles or hoops.

Irrespective of its structure, a tent comprises one or more openings formed in at least one canvas wall. This opening may either be a door opening, a window opening or an air vent, possibly provided with a mosquito net. Usually each opening is associated with a cover panel enabling the user to shutter said opening if so wished. When not in use, i.e. when the opening remains opened onto the outside, the cover panel is either rolled up and tied back e.g. by means of ties located along the hinge axis of the tent wall, or is folded up and placed in a pocket provided for this purpose. Conversely when the opening is to be closed, the user must necessarily release the cover panel from its storage position, either rolled up or folded away, and then position it so that it covers the opening.

The purpose of the present invention is to propose a tent which overcomes this disadvantage.

It concerns a tent in a canvas wall of which an opening is formed. Characteristically said tent comprises: a) a panel cover to cover said opening, which is mounted on at least one flexible element able to deflect between a first basic position in which at least the distal end of the cover panel is held away from the opening, and a second end position in which said panel covers the opening and, b) means for locking the cover panel in the second position or in an intermediate position between the first and second positions.

Therefore, according to the particular arrangement of the present invention, when the flexible element is not constrained by locking means, i.e. when it is in its normal rest position, it is able to maintain the cover panel in the first basic position in which the opening is cleared towards the outside. The cover panel may be used as awning either above the opening or sideways with respect to the opening, depending upon the general direction of the cover panel and its flexible element.

In one variant of embodiment, the locking means comprise actuating means, which can be actuated from the inside of the tent, e.g. consisting of at least one tie secured to the flexible element towards its distal end, and a locking element able to allow the attaching or locking of said tie inside the tent. Therefore the user can, from inside the tent, fully cover the opening or obtain any intermediate positioning of the cover panel in relation to sun, rain or wind weather conditions.

In one embodiment of the above variant, the actuating means consist of a single tie whose two free ends are attached towards the distal end of the flexible element, said tie passing through two through-holes formed in the canvas wall, below the opening, and also passing inside the tent into a locking element which is able to slide along the two strands of the tie and can lock the two said strands in a determined position. Therefore all that is required by the user is to pull on that part of the tie which is located inside the tent, beyond the two through-holes, then to cause the locking element to slide so that the cover panel takes up the desired position i.e. either total covering of the opening or an intermediate position.

In one variant of embodiment, the flexible element consists of a hoop whose curved portion corresponds to the distal end of the cover panel. This type of flexible element of arched shape is already well known for use in tents. It is an assembly of flexible rods with spring return, formed of cane in a composite, metal or plastic material.

In one variant of embodiment, the tent has a hoop structure of which at least one hoop is in the form of an upper continuous loop defining the structural volume of the tent. Said structure is known in particular from document US 3,490,463 the upper continuous loop being clearly shown in figure 1 of this document as a flexible hoop. According to the variant of the embodiment of the present invention, the flexible element of the cover panel is a hoop which, in its second position, is substantially superimposed upon one of the side portions of the upper continuous loop.

In one particular embodiment of this same variant, the tent has a hoop structure which comprises two upper continuous loops, the first defining the structural volume of the tent, and a side part of the second forming the flexible hoop element of a cover panel.

In one preferred version of this same embodiment, the two side parts of the second upper loop form the flexible hoop elements for two side cover panels. In this version the tent therefore comprises two side openings, an air vent, window or optionally a door bearing in mind that the cover panel of these two openings has its distal end which, in the second end position, comes to lie substantially at the base of the tent.

The first upper loop which defines the structural volume of the tent is preferably housed in a first sleeve added onto or integrated in the canvas wall, and the second upper loop is housed firstly in a second sleeve bordering the cover panel and secondly either in the first sleeve or in a third sleeve joined to the first sleeve. Therefore the second upper loop is indirectly secured to and has substantially the same configuration as the first upper loop, in those sections in which this second upper loop does not act as flexible element for the cover panel or panels.

In one embodiment of this same variant, the canvas wall which extends inside of the second upper loop acts both as roof wall and as cover panel.

Preferably it is a self-erecting tent of hoop structure containing a base loop and a first and second upper loop, the said three loops being able to take up one same circular configuration when the tent is folded up.

Advantageously said self-erecting tent comprises a canvas wall which is joined to the base loop and second upper loop and comprises an inner sleeping compartment arranged under the canvas wall, said sleeping compartment having an upper part which is joined to the first or second upper loop via flexible spacing means and a bottom part which is joined to the base loop; in addition, when in erected position, the tension of the canvas wall and of the inner sleeping compartment is such that the two parts are held away from each other by the spacing means.

For a tent of hoop structure with an upper continuous loop which defines the structural volume of the tent and in which the flexible element of the cover panel is a hoop which, in its second position, is substantially superimposed upon one of the side portions of the upper loop, the cover panel may be used as side door. For this purpose, the flexible element of the cover panel is a hoop in the shape of a loop portion. In addition, said cover panel is formed by the continuation of the canvas wall which extends over the inside of the upper loop so that the area of said canvas wall which extends between the two free ends of the hoop forms a hinge zone for angle pivoting of the cover panel. Since the cover panel is mounted on a hoop in the shape of a loop portion, all the user needs to do is to cause said hoop to pivot about the hinge zone to obtain clearing of the opening formed in the tent wall. When this opening consists of the zone which extends into the side portion of the upper loop on which the cover panel is superimposed, a side door is obtained giving access to inside the tent.

In one variant of embodiment, the first upper loop is housed in a first sleeve added onto or integrated in the canvas wall, and the hoop in the shape of a loop portion, acting as flexible element, is housed in a fourth sleeve. In this case, the locking means comprise first and second assembly elements, the first being integral with the first sleeve and the second being integral with the fourth sleeve.

For example the first and second assembly elements may form a zipper fastening.

In one variant of embodiment, in particular for a self- erecting tent of hoop structure comprising a base loop and a first upper loop, the locking means consist of a clipping element able to clip firstly the distal end of the hoop in the shape of a loop portion and secondly either the distal end of the upper loop or the base loop.

In one variant of embodiment, the tent comprises means for maintaining the cover panel in an intermediate position between the first and second positions, which maintaining means consist in particular of a mast of which one end is able to bear upon the ground and the other end can be secured to the distal end of the hoop in the shape of a loop portion.

Therefore the side door, formed of the cover panel and its hoop in the shape of a loop portion, may be partly opened and be used as awning for that part of the tent located opposite side said door. Optionally the mast may be of telescopic structure making it possible to adjust even more precisely the arrangement of the side door in this partly opened position.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the description given below of an example of embodiment of a self-erecting tent comprising two side openings and two cover panels for said openings, which can be actuated from inside the tent as illustrated by the appended drawings in which: Figure 1 is a very schematic, perspective illustration of the hoop structure of a prior art self-erecting tent, when erected.

Figure 1 is a schematic, perspective view of the inventive tent with a side opening that is cleared, the cover panel being in its first position.

Figure 3 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of the tent in figure 2 showing a first cover panel in the first position and a second cover panel in the second position.

Figures 4 and 5 are views from inside the tent of the opening and of the cover panel, in the first position (figure 4) and in the second position (figure 5) Figure 6 is a very schematic perspective view of a self erecting tent with a base loop and a first upper loop, comprising a side swing door.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an example of a side swing door in partly opened position, and Figure 8 is a perspective view of another example of a side swing door in fully open position.

In the example described below the tent is of self- erecting type with hoop structure. This example is evidently not limitative but is shown insofar as it is a preferred embodiment optimizing the concept of the present invention, according to which an opening made in a canvas wall can be covered by a cover panel which is mounted on a flexible element, said element being able to deflect in particular via actuating means which can be actuated from inside the tent between a first position which is its natural basic position in which the opening is cleared towards the outside, the distal end of the panel being held away from the opening, and a second end position in which the panel covers the opening.

In the present example, the self-erecting tent is of hoop structure consisting of a plurality of flexible rods, with spring return formed in particular of cane in composite, metallic or plastic material, said rods being connected to each other to form independent loops, namely a base loop 2, a first upper loop 3 and a second upper loop 4.

The base loop 2 defines the ground surface area of the tent, bordering its outer periphery. This base loop 2 in erected position has a planar position of generally oblong shape. In figure 1 the two axes of symmetry of the base loop are shown, respectively the longitudinal axis XX' and the transverse axis YY'.

The first upper loop 3 defines the inner volume of the tent. When the tent is in erected position, the lower portions 3a of the first upper loop 3 lie immediately close to the base loop at the transverse axis YY', whilst the upper portions 3b of the first upper loop are in line with the longitudinal axis XX' of the base loop 2.

The second upper loop 4 is substantially superimposed on the first upper loop 3.

This hoop structure is used to support and tauten the canvas part which forms the outside of the tent and is generally called the roof canvas 5. It may also give support to an inner sleeping compartment 6 which is also a canvas part independent from the roof canvas and spaced away from the latter by flexible spacing means so as to create an insulating air layer between the roof canvas and the inner sleeping compartment.

In one non-limitative embodiment, the hoop structure is housed in sleeves 7 which are fabric strips folded over and seamed on the outer surface of the roof canvas 5. These sleeves 7 may be continuous or discontinuous, or even be in the form of small tabs.

Instead of sleeves extending outwardly from the roof canvas, the sleeves may be integrated in the roof canvas structure, in the form of a kind of pocket formed by a localized part of the roof canvas with two walls.

The second upper loop 4 is superimposed on the first upper loop 3 but is only joined therewith in a central joining zone 4a either side of the longitudinal axis XX', this central zone 4a being shown in a dashed line in figure 1. In practice this joining is achieved through the fact that the second upper loop 4 in this zone 4a is either positioned in the same sleeve 7 as the first upper loop 3, or in another sleeve 7' joined to sleeve 7. This is the embodiment illustrated figure 2.

Canvas part 8 which extends over the inside of the second upper loop 4 acts globally as roof canvas 5 since it is this canvas part which is the outermost part, exposed to weather conditions. However for a better understanding of the present invention, the term cover panel 8 will be used for the canvas part 8 which extends inside the second upper loop 4 beyond the above-mentioned zone 4a. The term "hoop 9" will be used for the section of the second upper loop 4 which extends beyond zone 4a, this section forming the flexible element in the shape of a hoop 9 on which the cover panel 8 of the present invention is mounted. This hoop 9 is positioned in a sleeve 10 which borders the cover panel 8, a sleeve 10 which may also form the continuation of sleeve 7' beyond the joining zone 4a of the two upper loops 3, 4. On the inside of the first upper hoop 3 an opening 11 is provided i.e. an area that is particularly permeable to air that is either simply devoid of a canvas part, or in which a canvas part is replaced by a mesh or netting of mosquito net type. In the extreme, there could be no canvas part at all on the inside of the first upper loop 3.

Figures 2 and 3 show the cover panel 8 and its flexible hoop 9 in the first basic position i.e. in the position in which the flexible hoop 9 is not subjected to any external constraints. In this first position, the hoop 9 and hence the cover panel 8 have a planar configuration which extends in the continuation of the curved configuration formed by the second upper hoop in the joining zone 4a.

In this first position, the distal part 9a of hoop 9 is very distant from the lower portion 3a of the first upper loop 3, which is joined directly or indirectly to the base loop 2.

Therefore in this first position the opening 11 arranged on the inside of the first upper hoop 3 is fully cleared towards the outside allowing the free passage of air into the inside of the tent 1.

The tent 1 comprises actuating/locking means with which to change the cover panel 8 from this first position to a second end position in which the cover panel 8 covers the opening, and to lock said panel 8 in this second position or in an intermediate position 11. The second end position corresponds to the illustration of the second upper loop 4 in figure 1 and on the left in figure 3.

Figures 4 and 5 show an example of embodiment of the actuating/locking means which can be operated by the user from inside the tent 1.

The actuating means consist of a tie 12 whose two free ends 12a, 12b are attached either side of the distal part 8a of the cover panel 8, e.g. at the sleeve 10. This tie 12 passes through the two through-holes 13, 14 formed in canvas part(s) 15 extending under the opening 11 and/or in the sleeping compartment 6. Preferably these through-holes 13, 14 are formed in reinforced areas 16, 17 of said canvas part 15.

A locking element 18 is arranged on tie portion 12c located inside the tent 1, between the two through-holes 13, 14.

Figure 4 illustrates what can be seen by the user when inside the tent 1 and looking through opening 11 when cover panel 8 is in the first position. To shutter the opening 11, all the user needs to do is to take hold of tie segment 12c which is accessible and to pull on it so as to draw back the distal end 8a of the cover panel 8 which causes deflection of hoop 9 until said hoop 9 substantially bears upon the first upper loop 3. When it has reached this second end position, the user can cause the locking element 18 to slide until segment 12c is brought to maximum tautness between the two through-holes 16, 17 as illustrated figure 5.

In this second end position, the two upper loops 3, 4 are substantially superimposed and the cover panel 8 totally shutters the opening 11. Evidently it is possible to adopt any intermediate position depending upon the desired clearing of opening 11.

This version using a tie and a locking element is preferred insofar as it enables actuation from inside the tent with the possibility of adjusting the position taken up by the cover panel 8 with respect to the opening 11. However this is not exclusive under the present invention and it could quite merely be a single means for locking the cover panel 8 in its second position. This means could for example consist of male and female elements able to cooperate either by self-fastening or press-fit, the first said elements being respectively fixed on the cover panel 8 or sleeve 10 e.g. towards the distal end 8a of said panel, and the second directly or indirectly on the canvas part 15 located below the opening 11 or on the ground sheet extending over the inner part of the base loop 2 or any other part lying close to the lower portion 3a of the first upper loop 3. Preferably the tent 1 comprises both variants of embodiment, the variant with tie 12 and locking element 18 and also the single locking means described above, this said single locking means being used more particularly when folding up the tent to act as a kind of attachment to attach the superimposition of the two upper loops 3 and 4 and facilitate their folding away in circular shape, also superimposing the base loop 2.

If the tent 1 comprises a sleeping compartment 6, it may be desirable for the roof canvas to be pierced with two air vents. In this case, the cover panel 8 may optionally not extend fully as far as the distal part 9a of the hoop, so as to form this air vent enabling the circulation of air between the roof canvas 5 and the sleeping compartment 6.

In the illustrated example, the tent 1 is symmetrical with respect to the median plane passing through the longitudinal axis XX' and comprises two cover panels 8 and two hoops 9. This arrangement is preferred but is not exclusive, it being effectively possible only to separate the upper loops 3 and 4 on one side. Even if the self-erecting tent only comprises a single cover panel for a single side opening, it is nevertheless desirable that the hoop on which the cover panel is mounted should be part of a second upper loop substantially superimposed over the first upper loop as described above. It is this configuration which makes it possible to obtain a self-erecting tent starting from a storage position in which the three loops, base and two upper, have the same circular configuration enabling the tent to be tidied away in a circular bag of relatively narrow thickness.

All that is required of the user is to release the tent from this storage position so that the loops take up the configuration shown figure 1 tautening the canvas part. In practice, in the folded position the three loops, base and two upper, are folded away in the form of six superimposed circles.

In figure 3 the cover panel 8 is relatively angled towards the ground in rest position. As indicated previously this rest position, in the example in hand, depends upon the configuration of sleeve 7, 7' in which the second upper loop 4 is trapped, since the hoop 9 which forms the flexible element on which the cover panel 8 is mounted lies in the continuation of the curved portion of said second upper loop in the joining zone 4a. It is evidently possible to vary the angle of cover panel 8 when in closed position, by moving the joining zone 4a. At the very extreme, the cover panel 8 could be substantially horizontal considering a quasi-point joining zone in the median plane of tent 1 passing through the longitudinal axis XX'.

Figures 6 to 8 show a tent with a swing side door. This tent 20, as previously, comprises a base loop 21 and a first continuous upper loop 22 which defines the structural volume of the tent. In this example the flexible element on which the cover panel 23 is mounted is a hoop that does not form a closed loop but forms a loop portion 24. The assembly formed by this hoop 24 and the cover panel 23 will be called the side door 25 hereunder. The cover panel 23 of the side door 25 consists of the extension of the canvas wall 26 which extends inside of the upper loop 22 so that the zone 27 which extends between the two free ends 24a, 24b of the hoop forms the hinge zone for the side door 25.

The opening 28 formed in the canvas wall of the tent 20 is shown figures 7 and 8. In the illustrated example it corresponds to the entirety of the surface extending inside the first upper loop 22 as far as the hinge zone 27. Therefore the side door 25 in its second position such as illustrated figure 6 fully shutters the opening 28, the hoop 24 shaped like a loop portion of said side door 25 in this second position being substantially superimposed over the corresponding side portion of the first upper loop 22.

The locking of the side door 25 in the second end position in which it covers the opening 28 is obtained using locking means, which may for example consist of elements of zipper fastening or clip-on type.

Figure 7 shows a side door whose hoop 24 is housed at least partly in a sleeve. In the illustrated example there are two sleeves 29, 29' which extend from the free ends 24a, 24b of hoop 24 as far as a median zone leaving accessible the distal end 24c of the hoop 24. Similarly the first upper loop 22 is housed at least partly in a sleeve. Here there are two sleeves 30, 30' leaving accessible the distal ends 22a of the first upper loop 22 making it possible to the connect together the upper loop 22 and base loop 21 in this zone.

on each of sleeves 29, 30 of the side door 25 and of the upper loop 22 a zipper fastening element is added, in particular by seaming, so that the slider, when the zipper elements are assembled, is accessible at the superimposed zones 24c and 22a respectively corresponding to the distal end 24c of hoop 24 and 22a of the first upper loop 22. The user therefore has access from these common zones to the sliders of the two zippers which join together the two sleeves 29,29' and 30,30' of the side door 25 and of the first upper loop 22.

Hence, using these two sliders, the user is able to open the side door 25 to clear the opening 28.

This same figure 7 shows a particular means for maintaining the side door 25 in partly opened position. This means consists of a mast 33 which is mounted vertically with one end 33a bearing on the ground and the other end 33b secured to the side door 25 at the distal end 24c of hoop 24.

The partial opening of door 25 makes it possible to form a kind of awning, protecting the inside of the tent 20 opposite the opening 28.

Preferably, the mast 33 is of telescopic structure so as to be able to adjust the angle positioning of the side door 25 with respect to the hinge zone 27.

Figure 8 shows an example of embodiment in which the cover panel 34 of the side door 35 is not mounted in one or more sleeves but is connected to hoop 36 in the form of a loop portion by ties 37. In this example the cover panel 34 does not extend as far as the distal end 36a of the hoop 36 so as to leave clear an air vent 38 in the lower part of the side door 35 when this door is in its second closed position.

Also in the example figure 8, the locking means of the side door 35 in its second position consists of a clip-on element 39 which is fixed to hoop 36 at its distal end 36a, a clip-on element which is able to clip onto the distal end 22a of the first upper loop 22.

In figure 8, the side door 35 is fully open, having pivoted around the hinge zone 27 until it comes to rest on the upper part of the tent. It is with respect to this extreme possibility that it has been considered that the side door is a swing door since it can be pushed back by the user until it swings by itself, with respect to the hinge zone 27, as far as an end position in which it lies naturally over the upper part of the tent.

The present invention is not limited to the above- described preferred example. The cover panel mounted on a flexible element may equip any type of tent. All that is required and sufficient is that the flexible element should have a joining area with either one of the structural elements of the tent so that this flexible element, when at rest, is able to take up a first position in which its distal end is distant from the opening to be covered. Evidently specific joining means may be provided for joining the proximal end of the flexible element in the joining area. If the tent structure consists for example of an assembly of metal tubes the joining means may consist of a head which can be clipped onto a tubular element, said head being fixed at the proximal end of the flexible element on which the cover panel is mounted.

The flexible element may have a configuration other than that of a hoop. If it is wished that the cover panel should have a rectangular configuration, the flexible element may be formed solely of two rectilinear portions distant from each other and solely bordering the two sides of the cover panel.

Claims

1. Tent (1) in a canvas wall of which an opening (11) is formed, wherein it comprises: a) a cover panel (8) for said opening (11) which is mounted on at least one flexible element (9) able to deflect between a first basic position in which at least the distal end (8a) of the cover panel is distant from the opening (11) and a second, end position in which said panel (8) covers the opening (11), and b) locking means (12, 18) to lock the cover panel (8) in the second position or in an intermediate position between the first and second positions.

2. Tent as in claim 1, characterized in that the locking means comprise actuating means, which can be actuated from inside the tent.

3. Tent as in claim 2, characterized in that the locking/actuating means comprise at least one tie, secured to the flexible element towards its distal end and a locking element able to allow the attaching or locking of said tie inside the tent.

4. Tent as in claim 3, characterized in that the locking/actuating means consist of a single tie (12) whose two free ends (12a, l2b) are attached towards the distal end of the flexible element (9), said tie (12) passing through two through-holes (13, 14) formed in the canvas wall (15) below the opening (11), and also passing inside the tent into a locking element (18) which is able to slide along the two strands of the tie and is able to lock said two strands in a determined position.

5. Tent as in claim 1, characterized in that the flexible element consists of a hoop (9) whose curved portion corresponds to the distal end (8a) of the cover panel (8)

6. Tent as in claim 5 having a hoop structure of which at least one hoop is in the shape of an upper, continuous loop (3) which defines the structural volume of the tent, characterized in that the flexible element of the cover panel is a hoop which, in its second position, is substantially superimposed upon one of the side portions of the upper loop.

7. Tent as in claim 6, characterized in that it comprises two upper loops (3, 4), the first (3) defining the structural volume of the tent, and a side part of the second (4) forming the flexible hoop element (9) of a cover panel (8)

8. Tent as in claim 7, characterized in that the two side parts of the second upper loop (4) form the flexible hoop elements of two side cover panels.

9. Tent as in either of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that the first upper loop (3) is housed in a first sleeve (7') added onto or integrated in the canvas wall, and the second upper loop (4) is housed firstly in a second sleeve (10) bordering the cover panel (8) and secondly either in the first sleeve (7) or in a third sleeve (7') secured to the first sleeve (7)

10. Tent as in claim 9, characterized in that the canvas wall which extends inside of the second upper loop acts both as roof wall (5) and as cover panel (8)

11. Self-erecting tent as in any of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that it has a hoop structure comprising a base loop and first and second upper loops, the three said loops being able to take up the same circular configuration when the tent is folded up.

12. Tent as in claim 11, characterized in that it comprises a canvas wall which is joined to the base loop and to the second upper loop and comprises an inner sleeping compartment (6) arranged under the canvas wall, said sleeping compartment having an upper part which is joined to the first or second upper loop via flexible spacing means, and a bottom part which is joined to the base loop, and in that in erected position, the tension of the canvas wall of the inner sleeping compartment is such that the two parts are maintained at a distance from one another by the spacing means.

13. Tent as in claim 6, characterized in that the flexible element of the cover panel is a hoop (24) in the shape of a loop portion, in that said cover panel (23) is formed by the continuation of the canvas wall (26) which extends inside of the upper loop (22) so that the zone of said canvas wall extending between the two free ends (24a,24b) of the hoop (24) forms a hinge zone (27) for pivoting of the cover panel.

14. Tent as in claim 13, characterized in that the first upper loop (23) is housed in a first sleeve (30) added onto or integrated in the canvas wall (26) and the hoop (24) in the shape of part of a loop, acting as flexible element, is housed in a fourth sleeve (29), and in that the locking means comprise first and second assembly elements, the first being joined to the first sleeve (30) and the second being joined to the fourth sleeve (29), in particular the first and second assembly elements forming a zipper fastening.

15. Tent as in claim 13, characterized in that the locking means consist of a clip-on element able to clip together firstly the distal end of the hoop in the shape of a loop portion and secondly the distal end of the upper loop.

16. Tent as in claim 13 with hoop structure, comprising a base loop and a first upper loop, characterized in that the locking means consist of a clip element able to clip together firstly the distal end of the hoop in the shape of a loop portion and secondly the base loop.

17. Tent as in any of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that it comprises means for maintaining the cover panel in an intermediate position between the first and second positions, which maintaining means consist in particular of a mast (33) of which one end (33a) is able to bear upon the ground and whose other end (33b) is able to be secured to the distal end (24c) of the hoop (24) in the shape of a loop portion.

18. Tent substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.