US20050000555A1

US20050000555A1 - Camping tent with improved ventilation

Info

Publication number: US20050000555A1
Application number: US10/881,857
Authority: US
Inventors: Stephane Besse
Original assignee: Application des Gaz SA
Current assignee: Application des Gaz SA
Priority date: 2003-07-01
Filing date: 2004-06-30
Publication date: 2005-01-06
Also published as: GB2403487B; FR2857046A1; FR2857046B1; GB2403487A; NL1026531C2; DE102004028853A1; GB0412279D0

Abstract

The tent (1) according to the invention comprises a frame supporting:

- an inner wall (3) defining with a groundsheet (5) a room, the inner wall having in its upper part an air-permeable zone (7), and an outer wall (2) superposed on the inner wall (3) and defining with the latter a layer of air, the outer wall having at least one opening (9) facing the air-permeable zone (7) of the inner wall (3), characterized in that the lower border (13) of the outer wall (2) is provided with raising means for moving the lower border from a position in which the border is in contact with the surface to a position in which the lower border (13) is raised to a distance from this surface.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application claims the benefit of French Application number 03.07980, filed Jul. 1, 2003, incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a camping tent and more particularly to an arrangement for controlling the circulation of air inside the tent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventionally, a camping tent is composed of at least one wall of textile material supported by a frame. The frame generally consists of hoops over which the wall is stretched.
In the usual way, the tent may also include a part in which two walls, namely an inner wall and an outer wall are superposed.
In such a case, the inner wall together with a groundsheet defines a closed space which forms a room. The inner wall consists at least in part of an air-permeable textile material. This air-permeable part is generally situated in the upper part of the tent.
The outer wall is made of a completely impermeable material, as the function of this outer wall is to protect the occupants from the weather. The material employed is usually a fabric coated with PVC or poly-urethane which is totally impermeable not only to water but also to air. As a consequence, the exchange of air between the interior and exterior of the tent is extremely limited.
The temperature can therefore rise to quite uncomfortable levels for the occupants of the tent. A large amount of condensation also forms inside the tent.
This condensation is due to the respiratory gas exchanges of people present inside the room. It is also due to the condensation of ambient water vapor which is accentuated by the high temperature inside the tent.
The making of openings in the upper part of the outer wall has, it is true, been considered in the case of both single- and double-walled tents. These openings, which in the case of a double-walled tent are opposite the air-permeable zone of the inner wall, are supposed to ventilate the room.
In use, it must be observed that these openings do not work very well and the ventilation effect which they provide is insufficient for the occupants of the tent.
It is therefore an object of the invention to improve the ventilation of a tent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a manner known per se, a tent comprises a frame that supports a weather-resistant outer wall containing at least one opening in its upper part.
According to the invention, the outer wall comprises at least one sleeve perpendicular to the lower border of the outer wall, through which it is possible to run a cord, which is attached at one end to the outer wall, and at the other end passes freely out of the sleeve, so that pulling the free end of the cord raises the lower border of the outer wall.
Since the lower border of the outer wall can be raised it is possible to create a chimney effect inside the tent. A suction effect is set up in the openings of the inner wall by which the interior of the tent is ventilated.
In one possible embodiment, the tent also comprises an inner wall defining with a groundsheet a room, the inner wall comprising in its upper part an air-permeable zone.
In accordance with one possibility, the cord is attached to the outer wall at the lower border thereof and passes out at the top end of the sleeve.
In accordance with another possibility, the cord is attached to the outer wall at the top end of the sleeve and passes out of it at the lower border of the outer wall.
In one simple embodiment, the sleeve and the cord are situated on the outer face of the outer wall.
In an embodiment that allows the lower border to be raised from inside the tent, the sleeve and the cord are situated on the inner face of the outer wall and the inner wall has an opening facing the free end of the cord.
One advantageous feature is that the outer wall is provided with at least one zone of elastic deformation.
To secure the cord in a position in which the sleeve is contracted, the cord is provided with a stop piece.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be understood clearly, it is described with reference to the appended drawings showing by way of non-limiting example an embodiment of a tent according to the invention.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show in perspective a tent in the non-ventilation and ventilation positions respectively;
FIGS. 3 and 4 show in section an embodiment of the means for raising the lower border of the outer wall of the tent;
FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of this raising means;
FIG. 7 shows in section the ventilation effect;
FIG. 8 shows another possible embodiment of the raising means; and
FIG. 9 shows an embodiment in which the tent has only a single outer wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first of all to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that the tent comprises a frame that supports an outer wall 2 and an inner wall 3, these two walls being superposed and defining a layer of air between themselves.
The frame of the tent is not the subject of the invention and will not be described in further detail. Usually, the tent is also provided with a door shown in dashes in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Note also that the tent is equipped with a groundsheet 5, which, with the inner wall 3, defines a room in the tent.
Referring to FIG. 7, it can be seen that a large part of the inner wall 3 is an air-permeable zone 7.
It will also be observed that the outer wall 2 has two openings 9, these openings 9 also being formed in the upper part of the outer wall 2 so that the openings 9 face the air-permeable zone of the inner wall 3.
These openings 9 which are shown schematically can be opened or closed at will.
Notice too that the outer wall 2 is provided with two sleeves 12; these two sleeves 12 are perpendicular to the lower border 13 of the outer wall 2 and each receive a cord 14.
In FIGS. 1 to 4 it can be seen that one end of the cord 14 is permanently attached to the lower border 13 of the outer wall 2; the other end of the cord 14 passes out of the outer wall 2 at a distance of about 15 to 20 cm from the lower border 13. The cord 14 may, for example, be provided with a stop piece 15 for securing the cord 14 when the sleeve 12 is contracted.
Returning to FIG. 1, it will also be seen that the outer wall 2 has, on each side of the sleeves 12, an elastic deformable zone 16. This elastic zone 16 consists of an elastic tape that has been sewn to the outer wall 2 in an extended state, so that gathers are created.
The operation of the tent is therefore as follows.
When an occupant of the tent wishes to obtain maximum aeration of the tent, he raises the lower border 13. To do this, he grasps the end of each of the cords 14 and pulls them. This raises the lower edge 13 of the outer wall 2. This is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. This raising is assisted by the elastic zones 16, which permit a local extension of the outer wall 2 and allow its lower border 13 to be raised.
FIG. 7 shows the ventilation effect obtained by raising the lower border 13 of the outer wall 2.
As can be seen on the right-hand side of this figure, a chimney effect is set up and the air is set in motion throughout the tent.
It can be seen that FIGS. 3 and 4 present an embodiment in which the tent is provided with skirts 17 along the lower border of its outer wall.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show another possible embodiment in which the cord 14 passes out of its sleeve at the lower border 13.
Also to be observed in FIG. 8 is another possible embodiment in which the cord 14 is located on the inside face of the outer wall 2.
In this embodiment an opening 20 is made in the inner wall 3 of the tent through which the free end of the cord 14 can be passed. This arrangement therefore allows the lower border 13 of the outer wall 2 to be raised from inside the room of the tent.
FIG. 9 shows an embodiment in which the tent comprises a single outer wall 3. In this particular case, the chimney effect is set up between the lower part of the tent which is raised and the upper part containing openings 9.
The tent according to the invention therefore has the numerous advantages described above because in particular it allows the aeration in its inner space to be controlled.
The invention is not of course limited to the embodiments described above by way of non-limiting examples but rather encompasses all embodiments thereof.

Claims

1. A tent, comprising:

an outer wall comprising:

a lower border;

at least one sleeve extending at least partly upward from the lower border;

a cord extending through the sleeve, the cord having a first end anchored relative to the sleeve and a free end passing freely out of the sleeve, so that pulling the free end of the cord causes the sleeve to contract and raises the lower border of the outer wall.

2. The tent of claim 1, further comprising an inner wall defining with a groundsheet a room, the inner wall comprising in its upper part an air-permeable zone.

3. The tent of claim 1, wherein the cord is attached to the outer wall at the lower border and passes out at a top end of the sleeve.

4. The tent of claim 1, wherein the cord is attached to the outer wall at a top end of the sleeve and passes out of the sleeve at a lower border of the outer wall.

5. The tent of claim 1, wherein the free end of the cord is accessible from an outer face of the outer wall.

6. The tent of claim 1, wherein the free end of the cord is accessible from an inner face of the outer wall.

7. The tent of claim 6, further comprising an inner wall, the inner wall including an opening facing the free end of the cord.

8. The tent of claim 1, wherein the outer wall comprises at least one zone of elastic deformation.

9. The tent of claim 1, wherein the cord is provided with a stop piece.

10. A tent, comprising:

an outer wall comprising:

a lower border;

a cinching mechanism positioned on the outer wall and arranged and configured so that operating the cinching mechanism raises the lower border of the outer wall.

11. The tent of claim 10, further comprising an inner wall defining with a groundsheet a room, the inner wall comprising in its upper part an air-permeable zone.

12. The tent of claim 10, wherein the cinching mechanism is accessible from an outer face of the outer wall.

13. The tent of claim 10, wherein the cinching mechanism is accessible from an inner face of the outer wall.

14. The tent of claim 13, further comprising an inner wall, the inner wall including an opening facing the cinching mechanism.

15. The tent of claim 10, wherein the outer wall comprises at least one zone of elastic deformation.