Tent system and methods

Abstract

A tent has a floor, and a plurality of side walls connected to the floor. The tent additionally includes a plurality of external poles for supporting corners of the tent, and a clip attachable to at least one end of each external pole. The clip also includes a flange for attaching the clip to the tent side walls or floor. The system further includes a stake assembly for securing a lower end of each external pole directly into a ground surface on which the tent is disposed, which includes a sleeve portion having a linear channel for receiving a stake therethrough and a tent pole receptacle connected to the sleeve portion. The tent pole receptacle includes a channel for receiving a bottom end of a tent pole therein, wherein the stake assembly secures the tent pole disposed in the tent pole receptacle directly to the ground surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An improved tent system, comprising a tent having a floor, and a plurality of side walls connected to the floor, the tent system further comprising:
 a plurality of external poles for supporting corners of the tent;   a clip attachable to at least one end of each external pole, said clip also including structure for attaching the clip to the tent side walls or floor; and   structure for securing a lower end of each external pole directly into a ground surface on which the tent is disposed.   
     
     
         2 . The tent system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the structure for attaching the clip to the tent side walls or floor comprises a flange. 
     
     
         3 . The tent system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the structure for securing the lower end of each external pole directly into ground surface comprises a tapered end on the lower end of the external pole. 
     
     
         4 . The tent system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the structure for securing the lower end of each external pole directly into the ground surface comprises a stake having a tapered lower end and a tent pole receptacle for receiving the lower end of the external pole. 
     
     
         5 . The tent system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the receptacle is oriented in a substantially vertical direction, so that a pole inserted into the receptacle extends upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation. 
     
     
         6 . The tent system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the tent pole receptacle is defined by internal walls which taper inwardly as a depth of the receptacle increases, in order to enable easy insertion of the pole into the tent pole receptacle and then to secure the end of the pole therein. 
     
     
         7 . The tent system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the tent system comprises four external poles and said four external poles extend upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation. 
     
     
         8 . The tent system as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the side walls of the tent extend upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation. 
     
     
         9 . The tent system as recited in  claim 8 , and further comprising cross-member rods connecting opposing corners of the tent together, the cross-member rods being flexible and disposed in an arcuate configuration to create a maximum internal height at a center portion of the tent. 
     
     
         10 . The tent system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the tent system comprises two external poles and said two external poles extend upwardly at an angled orientation. 
     
     
         11 . The tent system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the tent system further comprises a solid side panel on one side thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The tent system as recited in  claim 12 , and further comprising an ingress/egress flap in said solid side panel. 
     
     
         13 . The tent system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the tent pole receptacle comprises a portion of a stake assembly, the stake assembly comprising a stake portion having a channel for receiving the stake therethrough which is connected to the tent pole receptacle, the tent pole receptacle including a channel for receiving the lower end of the external tent pole. 
     
     
         14 . The tent system as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the receptacle is oriented at an acute angle relative to a vertical orientation, so that a pole inserted into the receptacle extends upwardly at the same angle. 
     
     
         15 . The tent system as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the receptacle is oriented substantially vertically, so that a pole inserted into the receptacle extends upwardly in a substantially vertical orientation. 
     
     
         16 . The tent system as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the tent pole receptacle comprises an upper portion, having a through channel for receiving a tent pole, and a lower portion, having a channel for receiving a bottom end of the tent pole, wherein both the upper and lower portions are connected to the stake portion and there is a gap between the upper and lower portions. 
     
     
         17 . An improved tent system, comprising a tent having a floor, and a plurality of side walls connected to the floor, the tent system further comprising:
 a plurality of external poles for supporting corners of the tent;   cross-member rods connecting opposing corners of the tent together, the cross-member rods being flexible and disposed in an arcuate configuration to create a maximum internal height at a center portion of the tent;   a stake assembly comprising a sleeve portion having a linear channel for receiving a stake therethrough and a tent pole receptacle connected to the sleeve portion, the tent pole receptacle comprising a substantially vertically oriented channel for receiving a bottom end of a tent pole therein, wherein the stake assembly secures the tent pole disposed in the tent pole receptacle directly to the ground surface in a substantially vertical orientation.   
     
     
         18 . A stake assembly for securing tent poles for supporting an erected tent directly to the ground surface, the stake assembly comprising:
 a sleeve portion having a linear channel for receiving a tent stake therethrough and a tent pole receptacle connected to the sleeve portion, the tent pole receptacle comprising a channel for receiving a bottom end of a tent pole therein, wherein the stake assembly secures the tent pole disposed in the tent pole receptacle directly to the ground surface.   
     
     
         19 . The stake assembly as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the tent pole receptacle comprises an upper portion, having a through channel for receiving a tent pole, and a lower portion, having a channel for receiving a bottom end of the tent pole, wherein both the upper and lower portions are connected to the stake portion and there is a gap between the upper and lower portions. 
     
     
         20 . The stake assembly as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the channels of each of the sleeve portion and the tent pole receptacle are oriented substantially vertically.