Collapsible Enclosure

Abstract

A collapsible enclosure comprising a plurality of support arms, supporting a canopy and movable on a track, from a stored position in which the support arms lie side by side in a substantially horizontal configuration, to an in-use position in which the support arms are erected in spaced apart arrangement in a substantially vertical configuration to define an enclosure, and means to hold the support arms in the spaced apart condition. Preferably the support arms are stored in an underground structure at the location where the enclosure is to be erected.

1 . A collapsible enclosure comprising a plurality of support arms, supporting a canopy and movable on a track, from a stored position in which the support arms lie side by side in a substantially horizontal configuration, to an in-use position in which the support arms are erected in spaced apart arrangement in a substantially vertical configuration to define an enclosure, and means to hold the support arms in the spaced apart condition. 
     
     
         2 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the support arms are stored in an underground structure at the location where the enclosure is to be erected. 
     
     
         3 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein each support arm is of arcuate or substantially arcuate shape and has opposing upright sections, the ends of which are provided with wheeled bogies. 
     
     
         4 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 3 , further comprising a track and guide rails on which the wheeled bogies engage to facilitate movement of the support arms from the stored position to the in-use position. 
     
     
         5 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the canopy comprises a flexible sheet or membrane. 
     
     
         6 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein two or more of said support arms are arranged to lie substantially horizontally in their in-use position to define end regions of the enclosure. 
     
     
         7 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 6 , wherein the ends of the track extend substantially vertically with said underground structure, the track extending substantially horizontally between said end regions of said track between said vertical regions and said horizontal region following a predetermined radius such that the support arms are guided to move between a substantially horizontal, beneath ground storage position and a substantially vertical above ground erected position. 
     
     
         8 . The collapsible structure of  claim 1 , wherein there is provided two sets of support arms, each set stored in a respective underground structure. 
     
     
         9 . The collapsible structure of  claim 8 , wherein the support aims of each set support a part of the canopy such that at least one support arm of each set is in-use engaged with the corresponding support arm of the other set to define an overall structure of the enclosure. 
     
     
         10 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein one or more flexible elongate tensile members extend between adjacent support arms, said tensile members being arranged to be under tension when the supports arms as in their in-use position. 
     
     
         11 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein drive means are provided for moving the support arms between their stored and in-use positions. 
     
     
         12 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 11 , wherein the drive means comprises one or more cables connected to one or more of the support arms and one or more winding mechanisms for pulling the support arms by means of the one or more cables, between their stored and in-use positions. 
     
     
         13 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 12 , wherein said one or more winding mechanisms comprise one or more electrically operated drum winches. 
     
     
         14 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 2 , wherein each support arm is of arcuate or substantially arcuate shape and has opposing upright sections, the ends of which are provided with wheeled bogies. 
     
     
         15 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 14 , further comprising a track and guide rails on which the wheeled bogies engage to facilitate movement of the support arms from the stored position to the in-use position. 
     
     
         16 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 14 , wherein two or more of said support arms are arranged to lie substantially horizontally in their in-use position to define end regions of the enclosure. 
     
     
         17 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 16 , wherein the ends of the track extend substantially vertically with said underground structure, the track extending substantially horizontally between said end regions of said track between said vertical regions and said horizontal region following a predetermined radius such that the support arms are guided to move between a substantially horizontal, beneath ground storage position and a substantially vertical above ground erected position. 
     
     
         18 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 14 , wherein drive means are provided for moving the support arms between their stored and in-use positions. 
     
     
         19 . The collapsible enclosure of  claim 18 , wherein the drive means comprises one or more cables connected to one or more of the support arms and one or more winding mechanisms for pulling the support arms by means of the one or more cables, between their stored and in-use positions.