Tent Hub Assembly

Abstract

A hub assembly for opening and closing a tent between an open configuration and a closed configuration has a base with a plurality of pairs of radial walls forming slots, each radial wall having an engageable surface and a plurality of outer walls positioned at an outer end of a respective slot and forming a lip. A plurality of engagement members positioned in a corresponding slot pivotally engage a respective pair of the engageable surfaces of the walls of the respective slot in a snap-fit configuration. A plurality of poles pivotally engage a respective engagement member with an intermediate portion of each pole resting on a corresponding lip of the slot in the open configuration, and each engagement member and the corresponding first end of each pole pivots to rest within a respective slot in the closed configuration.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hub assembly for opening and closing a tent between an open configuration and a closed configuration comprising:
 a base;   a plurality of pairs of radial walls peripherally positioned around an outer portion of the base, each pair of radial walls forming a slot, each radial wall having an engageable surface;   a plurality of outer walls peripherally positioned around the outer portion of the base, each outer wall positioned at an outer end of a respective slot and forming a lip;   a plurality of engagement members each positioned in a corresponding slot and pivotally engaging a respective pair of the engageable surfaces of the walls of the respective slot in a snap-fit configuration;   a plurality of poles having a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion therebetween, each pole pivotally engaging a respective engagement member at a first end, the intermediate portion of each pole resting on a corresponding lip of the slot of the respective outer wall in the open configuration;   wherein each engagement member and the corresponding first end of each pole pivots to rest within a respective slot in the closed configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The hub assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each pole pivotally engages the respective engagement member with a pin. 
     
     
         3 . The hub assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each engagement member has a longitudinal length less than a radial length of the respective slot to entirely fit within the slot in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The hub assembly of  claim 1 , wherein only the first end of each pole is within the slot in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The hub assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a first surface of each first end of each pole is substantially flush with a corresponding inner surface of each outer wall in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The hub assembly of  claim 5 , wherein each outer wall and the inner surface thereof extends substantially perpendicular to a bottom surface of the base. 
     
     
         7 . The hub assembly of  claim 6 , wherein each first end of each pole is substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the base when the first surface of each first end of each pole is substantially flush with a corresponding inner surface of each outer wall in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         8 . A hub assembly for opening and closing a tent between an open configuration and a closed configuration comprising:
 a substantially circular base having a bottom surface;   a plurality of pairs of radial walls peripherally positioned around the circumference of an outer portion of the base, each pair of radial walls forming a slot, each radial wall having an engageable surface;   a plurality of outer walls peripherally positioned around the outer portion of the base, each outer wall positioned at an outer end of a respective slot and forming a lip substantially parallel to the bottom surface;   a plurality of engagement members each positioned in a corresponding slot and pivotally engaging a respective pair of the engageable surfaces of the walls of the respective slot in a snap-fit configuration;   a plurality of poles having a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion therebetween, each pole pivotally engaging a respective engagement member at a first end, the intermediate portion of each pole resting on a corresponding lip of the slot of the respective outer wall in the open configuration, with the intermediate portion oriented substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the base;   wherein each engagement member and the corresponding first end of each pole pivots to rest within a respective slot in the closed configuration.   
     
     
         9 . The hub assembly of  claim 8 , wherein each pole pivotally engages the respective engagement member with a pin. 
     
     
         10 . The hub assembly of  claim 8 , wherein each engagement member has a longitudinal length substantially equal to a radial length of the respective slot to entirely fit within the slot in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The hub assembly of  claim 8 , wherein only the first end of each pole is within the slot in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The hub assembly of  claim 8 , wherein a first surface of each first end of each pole is substantially flush with a corresponding inner surface of each outer wall in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The hub assembly of  claim 12 , wherein each outer wall and the inner surface thereof extends substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the base. 
     
     
         14 . The hub assembly of  claim 13 , wherein each first end of each pole is substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the base when the first surface of each first end of each pole is substantially flush with a corresponding inner surface of each outer wall in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         15 . A method for folding a tent between an open configuration and a closed configuration, with the tent in the open configuration having a base, a plurality of pairs of radial walls peripherally positioned around an outer portion of the base, each pair of radial walls forming a slot, each radial wall having an engageable surface, a plurality of outer walls peripherally positioned around the outer portion of the base, each outer wall positioned at an outer end of a respective slot and forming a lip, a plurality of engagement members each positioned in a corresponding slot and pivotally engaging a respective pair of the engageable surfaces of the walls of the respective slot in a snap-fit configuration, and a plurality of poles having a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion therebetween, each pole pivotally engaging a respective engagement member at a first end, the intermediate portion of each pole resting on a corresponding lip of the slot of the respective outer wall in the open configuration, comprising:
 pivoting each pole to move each respective intermediate portion off of the corresponding lip; and   pivoting each engagement member to move the engagement member to rest within a respective slot in the closed configuration.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 pivoting each first end of each pole to rest within the slot in the closed configuration.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each pole pivotally engages the respective engagement member with a pin, and each pole pivots about the respective pin. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each engagement member has a longitudinal length less than a radial length of the respective slot to entirely fit within the slot when pivoted to rest within the respective slot in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 pivoting the first end of each pole to be positioned within the slot in the closed configuration.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein pivoting the first end further comprises:
 moving a first surface of each first end of each pole to be substantially flush with a corresponding inner surface of each outer wall in the closed configuration; and   pivoting each pole to be substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the base when the first surface of each first end of each pole is substantially flush with a corresponding inner surface of each outer wall in the closed configuration.