Collapsible shelter apparatus

Abstract

A collapsible, temporary shelter for use by an outdoorsman has a hollow body composed of two mirror image body members hinged to one another for swinging movements from a position in which one member overlies the other to form the hollow body, such body being coupled at a level above ground level to a movable vehicle. One of the body members is swingable to an adjusted position relative to the other about a substantially horizontal axis so as to extend downwardly to ground level. When the body members are in such adjusted position they provide a seat and a foot support for the user and also provide support for an upstanding framework on which a cover may be mounted to provide an enclosure to shelter a person.

1 . Collapsible shelter apparatus for providing temporary shelter to an outdoorsman, said apparatus comprising a pair of body members hinged to one another for swinging movements about a substantially horizontal axis above ground level from a first position in which one of said body members overlies the other of said body members and together therewith forms a closed hollow body, to a second position in which said one of said body members extends downward from the level of said axis a distance corresponding substantially to that between said axis and ground level; and support means for maintaining said other of said body members in a substantially horizontal position above ground level, said body members when said one of said body members is in said second position providing seating for a person.  
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  including a plurality of separable frame elements operable when assembled to form a framework for supporting a cover which encloses said body members when said one of said body members is in said second position.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  including means for pivotally connecting selected ones of said frame elements to said body members for swinging movements of said frame elements from collapsed condition to an erected condition to provide upstanding support for said cover.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein each of said body members is triangular in end elevation.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein each of said body members forms a right triangle in end elevation.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein each of said body members comprises a pair of planar sides joined together along corresponding edges and having free opposite edges, each of said body members having a pair of end members joined to both of said planar sides, each of said end members being triangular.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6  including hinge means hingedly connecting the free edges of said pair of planar sides.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said support means comprises a frame underlying said other of said body members.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8  including coupling means for coupling said frame to a vehicle at a level above ground level.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein said support means includes ground engageable legs carried by said frame and cooperable with said one of said body members when the latter is in said second position to support said frame in said horizontal position above ground level.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein said legs are adjustable in length.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said other of said body members when in said second position extends obliquely from the level of said axis.  
   
   
       13 . Collapsible shelter apparatus for providing temporary shelter to an outdoorsman, said apparatus comprising a pair of substantially uniform, mirror image body members each of which has a main panel having a free side edge and opposite end edges, each of said body members having a side panel joined to and extending from the opposite side edge of the associated main panel, each of said body members having opposite end panels joined to the main panel and the side panel of the associated body member, each of said end panels of each of said body members having a free edge extending diagonally from the free edge of the side panel to the free edge of the main panel of the associated body member; hinge means joining the main panels of said body members at their free edges for enabling swinging movement of one of said body members relative to the other of said body members from a first position in which said one of said body members overlies the other of said body members to a second position, said body members when in said first position forming a closed, hollow body; mounting means for mounting said other of said body members in a position in which the main panel thereof occupies a substantially horizontal position above ground level, said one of said body members when in said second position extending laterally and downwardly to ground level from said free edge of said main panel of said other of said body members, the main panel of said other of said body members when said one of said body members occupies said first position forming a seat for a person and the main panel of said one of said body members when said one of said body members occupies said second position forming a foot support for such person, and separable frame members carried by said body members and forming a framework extending to a level above that of said other of said body members for supporting a cover having substantially vertical sides extending about said framework and enclosing said body members when said one of said body members is in said second position.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein said mounting means comprises a frame on which said other of said body members is supported, and supporting means connected to said frame for supporting the latter in a substantially horizontal position.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein said supporting means comprises frame members for connecting said frame to a vehicle.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein said supporting means comprise ground engageable legs joined to said frame and extending therefrom to ground level.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein said legs are pivotally joined to said frame for swinging movements between substantially horizontal and vertical positions.  
   
   
       18 . The combination of a vehicle having ground engageable traction means; and a shelter support, said shelter support comprising a frame, mounting means mounting said frame on said vehicle at a level above ground level, a first body member supported in a substantially horizontal position from below by said frame, and a second body member coupled to said first body member for swinging movements from a first position in which said second body member overlies said first body member and together with the latter forms a closed hollow body, to a second position in which said first body member remains in said substantially horizontal position and said second body member extends obliquely downward from said first body member to a level corresponding to ground level, said first and second body members having panels which provide sheltered support for a person when said second body member is in said second position.  
   
   
       19 . The combination according to  claim 18  wherein said mounting means is separable from said vehicle and including auxiliary support means carried by said frame and extendable therefrom downwardly to ground level, thereby enabling said first body member to be supported by said frame and said auxiliary support means, and said second body member to be supported by said first body member in ground engagement at said ground level.  
   
   
       20 . The combination according to  claim 19  including multiple, separable frame sections connected to said body members and to one another forming a framework for the support of a cover having multiple sections joined together and forming an enclosure for both of said body members.  
   
   
       21 . The combination according to  claim 18  wherein one of the panels of said first body member provides a seat and one of the panels of said second body member provides a foot support when said second body member is in said second position.  
   
   
       22 . Collapsible shelter apparatus comprising a substantially triangular first body member; a substantially triangular second body member; hinge means coupling said first and second body members to one another for swinging movement of one of said body members about a substantially horizontal axis from a first position above ground level in which said one of said body members overlies the other of said body members and forms with the latter a hollow body, to a second position in which said one of said body members extends beyond and obliquely to one side of said other of said body members and occupies a level different from that occupied by said one of said body members when said one of said body members is in said first position; a cover for enclosing said body members when said one of said body members is in said second position; and mounting means for mounting said cover on at least one of said body members in such position that when said one of said body members occupies said second position said cover forms an enclosure for said body members.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus according to  claim 22  wherein when said one of said body members is in said second position, one of said body members is at a higher level than that of said other of said body members.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus according to  claim 23  wherein it is said second body member which is at the higher level.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus according to  claim 23  including support means for supporting the body member which occupies the higher level when said one of said body members is in said second position.