Tent Hub Assembly

Abstract

A tent hub assembly has a hub, a base, and a biasing member. The hub has a central member in a central aperture and a plurality of arms pivotally connected to tent poles. The base has a shaft and a plurality of walls, with the central member slidably disposed in the shaft. Each wall has an elongated guide slot for receiving a pin which passes through a second hole of a respective pole in the pole slot. The biasing member is disposed in the shaft to bias the central member upward to bias the hub upward from the base. With the poles in an open configuration, the pins are in a locking position in the elongated slot; and, when the poles are moved to a closed configuration, the pins are moved from the locking position to an unlocked position in the elongated slot.

1 . A hub assembly for a tent having a plurality of poles, the hub assembly comprising:
 a hub having a central member in a central aperture and a plurality of arms, each arm having a fastener aperture for receiving a fastener which pivotably connects a first hole of a respective pole to the arm;   a base having a shaft and a plurality of walls, with the central member slidably disposed in the shaft, with pairs of the walls forming pole slots each for receiving a respective pole, each wall having an elongated guide slot for receiving a pin which passes through a second hole of a respective pole in the pole slot;   a biasing member disposed in the shaft to bias the central member upward to bias the hub upward from the base;   wherein, with the poles in an open configuration, the pins are in a locking position in the elongated slot; and   wherein, when the poles are moved to a closed configuration, the pins are moved from the locking position to an unlocked position in the elongated slot.   
     
     
         2 . The hub assembly of  claim 1 , wherein with the poles in the open configuration, the hub abuts the base. 
     
     
         3 . The hub assembly of  claim 1 , wherein when the poles are moved to the closed configuration, the hub is moved upward from the base. 
     
     
         4 . The hub assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the central member is slidable between an open position where the biasing member is compressed and a closed position where the biasing member is more compressed. 
     
     
         5 . The hub assembly of  claim 4 , wherein a force from the biasing member in its more compressed state pushes the central member upward relative to the shaft, thereby driving the hub arms and the poles to the closed position. 
     
     
         6 . The hub assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is a spring. 
     
     
         7 . The hub assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated guide slot has a non-linear shape. 
     
     
         8 . A hub assembly for a tent having a plurality of poles, the hub assembly comprising:
 a hub having a central member in a central aperture and a plurality of arms, each arm having a pivotal connection with a first portion of a respective pole;   a base having a shaft and a plurality of walls, with the central member slidably disposed in the shaft, with the walls including a guide slot having a pivotal connection with a second portion of a respective pole; and   a biasing member disposed in the shaft to bias the central member upward to bias the hub upward from the base.   
     
     
         9 . The hub assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the guide slot has a non-linear shape. 
     
     
         10 . The hub assembly of  claim 9 , wherein, with the poles in an open configuration, the pivotal connection of the second portion of the pole is in a locking position in a curved portion in the non-linear guide slot; and
 wherein, when the poles are moved to a closed configuration, the pivotal connection of the second portion moves from the locking position to an unlocked position in an elongated portion in the non-linear guide slot.   
     
     
         11 . The hub assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the central member is slidable between an open position where the biasing member is compressed and a closed position where the biasing member is more compressed. 
     
     
         12 . The hub assembly of  claim 11 , wherein a force from the biasing member in its more compressed state pushes the central member upward relative to the shaft, thereby driving the hub arms and the poles to the closed position. 
     
     
         13 . The hub assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the biasing member is a spring. 
     
     
         14 . A tent comprising:
 a plurality of poles;   a hub having a central member in a central aperture and a plurality of arms, each arm having a fastener aperture for receiving a fastener which pivotably connects a first hole of a respective pole to the arm;   a base having a shaft and a plurality of walls, with the central member slidably disposed in the shaft, with pairs of the walls forming pole slots each for receiving a respective pole, each wall having an elongated guide slot for receiving a pin which passes through a second hole of a respective pole in the pole slot;   a biasing member disposed in the shaft to bias the central member upward to bias the hub upward from the base;   wherein, with the poles in an open configuration, the pins are in a locking position in the elongated guide slot; and   wherein, when the poles are moved to a closed configuration, the pins are moved from the locking position to an unlocked position in the elongated guide slot.   
     
     
         15 . The tent of  claim 14 , wherein with the poles in the open configuration, the hub abuts the base. 
     
     
         16 . The tent of  claim 14 , wherein when the poles are moved to the closed configuration, the hub is moved upward from the base. 
     
     
         17 . The tent of  claim 14 , wherein the central member is slidable between an open position where the biasing member is compressed and a closed position where the biasing member is more compressed. 
     
     
         18 . The tent of  claim 17 , wherein a force from the biasing member in its more compressed state pushes the central member upward relative to the shaft, thereby driving the hub arms and the poles to the closed position. 
     
     
         19 . The tent of  claim 14 , wherein the biasing member is a spring. 
     
     
         20 . The tent of  claim 14 , wherein the elongated guide slot has a non-linear shape.