Shelter construction and method of erecting same

Abstract

A shelter construction shelters users and vehicular or vehicular-sized gear. The shelter construction comprises a central canopy assembly and one or more laterally-situated collapsible/expandable enclosures. The central canopy assembly comprises a canopy and canopy-elevating structure. The canopy comprises an outer canopy surface, an inner canopy surface, longitudinally-opposed gates, and at least one set of laterally opposed portholes. The gates and portholes let users and gear therethrough. The enclosure(s) are attached to the outer canopy surface adjacent the portholes for enclosing users and gear as let through the portholes. The enclosures each comprise a roof section, a floor section, a wall section, and enclosure-elevating structure. The floor and wall sections are sized and shaped to as to enable a novel method of erecting the shelter construction and for maintaining the enclosures in a neat, compact assemblage when in a collapsed state.

1 . A shelter construction, the shelter construction for sheltering users and gear, the shelter construction comprising:
 a central canopy assembly, the central canopy assembly comprising a canopy, canopy-elevating means for elevating the canopy above a ground surface, and a longitudinal canopy axis, the canopy comprising an outer canopy surface, an inner canopy surface, longitudinally-opposed gates, and laterally-opposed portholes, the gates and portholes for letting users and gear traverse intermediate space defined by the inner and outer canopy surfaces, the gates each comprising a gate-defining tie member, the tie members extending intermediate laterally-opposed portions of the gates at the ground surface; and   laterally-opposed enclosures, the enclosures being attached to the outer canopy surface adjacent the portholes for enclosing users and gear as let through the portholes, the enclosures each comprising a roof section, a floor section, a wall section extending intermediate the roof and floor sections, and enclosure-elevating means for elevating the roof and wall sections above the ground surface, the floor section for blanketing portions of the ground surface in lateral adjacency to the central canopy assembly.   
   
   
       2 . The shelter construction of  claim 1  wherein the wall sections each comprise a far wall section and longitudinally-opposed near wall sections, the near wall sections extending intermediate the far wall section and the outer canopy surface. 
   
   
       3 . The shelter construction of  claim 2  wherein the far wall sections each comprise a substantially uniform floor-to-roof section height and the floor sections each comprise a substantially uniform far wall-to-canopy section width, the section height and section width being substantially equal in magnitude. 
   
   
       4 . The shelter construction of  claim 3  wherein the roof section comprises a canopy-to-far wall roof section length, the roof section being attached to the outer canopy surface at a roof attachment junction, the distance intermediate the roof attachment junction and the ground surface being no less than the roof section length. 
   
   
       5 . The shelter construction of  claim 4  wherein the enclosures are each collapsible against the outer canopy surface, the floor sections and far wall sections being foldable upon one another such that the section height and section width are coextensive and lesser in magnitude than the roof section length, the roof section length for sandwiching and concealing the wall and floor sections against the outer canopy surface. 
   
   
       6 . The shelter construction of  claim 5  wherein the roof sections and the outer canopy surface comprise cooperable zipper mechanisms, the zipper mechanisms enabling users to zipper attach the roof sections to the outer canopy surface when the enclosures are in a collapsed state. 
   
   
       7 . The shelter construction of  claim 6  comprising section-hanging means for hanging the floor and wall sections, the floor and far wall sections being joined at a section boundary, said section boundary being cooperable with the section-hanging means for coextensively hanging the floor and far wall sections intermediate the roof section and outer canopy surface when the enclosures are in a collapsed state. 
   
   
       8 . The shelter construction of  claim 1  wherein the enclosure-elevating means function to impart laterally and downwardly directed tensile forces on the canopy via the roof sections, the enclosure-elevating means thus for fixing the canopy axis. 
   
   
       9 . A shelter construction, the shelter construction for sheltering users and gear, the shelter construction comprising:
 a central canopy assembly, the central canopy assembly comprising a canopy, canopy-elevating means for elevating the canopy above a ground surface, and a longitudinal canopy axis, the canopy comprising an outer canopy surface, an inner canopy surface, longitudinally-opposed gates, and a laterally-situated porthole, the gates and porthole for letting users and gear traverse intermediate space defined by the inner and outer canopy surfaces; and   a laterally-attached enclosure, the enclosure being attached to the outer canopy surface adjacent the porthole for enclosing users and gear as let through the porthole, the enclosure comprising a roof section, a floor section, a wall section extending intermediate the roof and floor sections, and enclosure-elevating means for elevating the roof and wall sections above the ground surface, the floor section for blanketing portions of the ground surface in lateral adjacency to the central canopy assembly.   
   
   
       10 . The shelter construction of  claim 9  wherein the enclosure is collapsible against the outer canopy surface such that the roof section and canopy sandwich the floor and wall sections therebetween thereby camouflaging the enclosure. 
   
   
       11 . The shelter construction of  claim 10  wherein the roof section and outer canopy surface comprise a cooperable zipper mechanism, the zipper mechanism enabling users to zipper attach the roof section to the outer canopy surface for enhancing enclosure camouflage. 
   
   
       12 . The shelter construction of  claim 9  wherein the gates each comprising a gate-defining tie member, the tie members extending intermediate laterally-opposed portions of the gates at the ground surface. 
   
   
       13 . The shelter construction of  claim 9  wherein the wall section comprises a far wall section and longitudinally-opposed near wall sections, the near wall sections extending intermediate the far wall section and the outer canopy surface. 
   
   
       14 . The shelter construction of  claim 13  wherein the far wall section comprises a substantially uniform floor-to-roof section height and the floor section comprises a substantially uniform far wall-to-canopy section width, the section height and section width being substantially equal in magnitude. 
   
   
       15 . The shelter construction of  claim 14  wherein the roof section comprises a canopy-to-far wall roof section length, the roof section being attached to the outer canopy surface at a roof attachment junction, the distance intermediate the roof attachment junction and the ground surface being no less than the roof section length. 
   
   
       16 . The shelter construction of  claim 15  wherein the enclosure is collapsible against the outer canopy surface, the floor section and far wall section being foldable upon one another such that the section height and section width are coextensive and lesser in magnitude than the roof section length, the roof section length for sandwiching and concealing the wall and floor sections against the outer canopy surface. 
   
   
       17 . The shelter construction of  claim 16  comprising section-hanging means for hanging the floor and wall sections, the floor and far wall sections being joined at a section boundary, said section boundary being cooperable with the section-hanging means for coextensively hanging the floor and far wall sections intermediate the roof section and outer canopy surface when the enclosures are in a collapsed state. 
   
   
       18 . The shelter construction of  claim 9  comprising laterally-opposed enclosures, the enclosures each comprising enclosure-elevating means for imparting laterally and downwardly directed tensile forces on the canopy via roof sections of the enclosures, the enclosure-elevating means thus for fixing the canopy axis. 
   
   
       19 . A shelter-erecting method, the shelter-erecting method comprising the steps of:
 elevating a central canopy assembly about a longitudinal canopy axis;   defining longitudinally-opposed gates to the canopy assembly via ground-located tie members;   pivoting laterally-opposed room-enclosing roof sections from a collapsed position to an expanded position about a roof-to-canopy junction parallel to the canopy axis;   pivoting coextensive room-enclosing wall and floor sections about a floor-to-wall junction while pivoting the room-enclosing roof sections;   forming user-gear letting portholes via pivoting action of the wall and floor sections; and   maintaining the roof sections in the expanded position.   
   
   
       20 . The shelter-erecting method of  claim 19  comprising the step of releasing the wall and floor sections from a hanging position before pivoting the far wall and floor sections. 
   
   
       21 . The shelter-erecting method of  claim 20  wherein the step of maintaining the roof sections in the expanded position fixes the longitudinal canopy axis. 
   
   
       22 . A shelter-erecting method, the shelter-erecting method comprising the steps of:
 elevating a central canopy assembly about a longitudinal canopy axis;   laterally raising a first roof section from a collapsed position to an expanded position;   unfolding wall and floor sections while raising the first room-enclosing roof section; and   maintaining the first roof section in the expanded position.   
   
   
       23 . The shelter-erecting method of  claim 21  comprising the step of forming user-gear letting portholes while unfolding the far wall and floor sections. 
   
   
       24 . The shelter-erecting method of  claim 22  comprising the step of unzipping the first roof section from the canopy assembly before laterally raising the first roof section. 
   
   
       25 . The shelter-erecting method of  claim 22  comprising the step of defining longitudinally-opposed gates to the canopy assembly via ground-located tie members while elevating the central canopy assembly. 
   
   
       26 . The shelter-erecting method of  claim 22  comprising the step of releasing the wall and floor sections from a hanging position before unfolding the wall and floor sections. 
   
   
       27 . The shelter-erecting method of  claim 22  comprising a series of steps after maintaining the first roof section in the expanded position, the steps comprising:
 laterally raising a second room-enclosing roof section from a collapsed position to an expanded position;   unfolding second wall and floor sections while raising the second room-enclosing roof section; and   maintaining the second roof section in the expanded position.   
   
   
       28 . The shelter-erecting method of  claim 27  wherein the steps of maintaining the first and second roof sections in the expanded position fixes the longitudinal canopy axis.