Portable canopies having integrated and inter connectable drainage systems

Abstract

A portable shelter system can be comprised of two or more portable canopies and two or more drainage connectors. Each portable canopy can have an integrated drainage system with a drainage outlet in each vertical support member of its frame. The drainage connectors can link the integrated drainage systems of the portable canopies together. In the installed state, a portable canopy can have a first volume under its roof. When the portable canopies are in an installed state, the integrated drainage systems can transport rain striking each roof to the drainage outlets, allowing the rain collected by each integrated drainage system to be directed through the drainage connectors to one drainage location. In the transport state, each portable canopy can have a second volume that is at least five times less than its first volume.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable shelter system comprising:
 at least two portable canopies, each portable canopy having an integrated drainage system, wherein the integrated drainage system has a drainage outlet in each vertical support member of its frame;   at least two drainage connectors for linking the integrated drainage systems of the at least two portable canopies together, wherein each drainage connector comprises two inlets that receive a drainage outlet from each portable canopy, wherein liquid collected by a first connected drainage system is able to flow through a drainage connector into a second connected drainage system;   an installed state for each portable canopy having a width, a length, and a height, which together establish a first volume under a roof for sheltering objects and persons, wherein, in the installed state, the at least two portable canopies are positioned adjacent to each other at one side, combining their individual first volumes, wherein a proximity of two pairs of adjacent vertical support members of the at least two portable canopies allows attachment of one of the at least two drainage connectors to each pair, wherein, in the installed state, the integrated drainage systems transport rain striking each roof to the drainage outlets, whereby the rain collected by each integrated drainage system is directed through drainage connectors to one drainage location; and   a transport state for each portable canopy having a second volume that is at least five times less than its respective first volume, wherein each portable canopy is a temporary shelter configured to be repetitively altered between the installed state and the transport state, whereby the transport state facilitates transport of the at least two portable canopies between locations and diminishes a storage footprint of each portable canopy while not in use.   
     
     
         2 . The portable shelter system of  claim 1 , wherein the width is at least four feet, the length is at least four feet, and the height is at least six feet for each portable canopy. 
     
     
         3 . The portable shelter system of  claim 1 , wherein a longest linear dimension of the second volume is at most five feet for each portable canopy. 
     
     
         4 . The portable canopy of  claim 1 , wherein a portable canopy further comprises:
 a portable frame comprising vertical support members and roof support members; and   a portable cover made from a flexible, water-resistant fabric structurally supported by the portable frame to create the roof.   
     
     
         5 . The portable shelter system of  claim 1 , wherein the drainage outlets are designed to be attachable to an end of a hose for directing the liquids away from the at least two portable canopies. 
     
     
         6 . The portable shelter system of  claim 1 , wherein the drainage connector includes a drainage outlet that is designed to be attachable to an end of a hose for directing the liquids away from the portable canopy. 
     
     
         7 . The portable shelter system of  claim 6 , wherein the drainage outlet of the drainage connector is a quick connect fitting configured to be paired to a quick connect adaptor of a garden hose, the garden hose, when connected to the drainage outlet via the quick connect fitting and quick connect adaptor, is configured to direct the liquids away from the at least two portable canopies. 
     
     
         8 . The portable shelter system of  claim 1 , wherein, in the installed state, at least one side, referred to as an open-able side, of each portable canopy has an open state and a closed state, wherein, in the open state, the open-able side is not covered by a portion of a canopy cover and material for said portion of the canopy cover is rolled up in a stable position near a portion of the roof , and wherein, in the closed state, the open-able side is covered by the portion of the canopy cover. 
     
     
         9 . The portable shelter system of  claim 8 , wherein one conduit of the integrated drainage system, referred to as a side conduit, linearly extends through the open-able side such that the side conduit does not direct the liquids to the outlet when the open-able side is in the open state, wherein the side conduit attaches to other ones of the conduits when the open-able side is in the closed state such that the side conduit directs the liquids to the outlet when the open-able side is in the closed state. 
     
     
         10 . A portable shelter system comprising:
 at least two portable canopies, each portable canopy comprising:
 a portable frame comprising vertical support members and roof support members; 
 a portable cover made from a flexible, water-resistant fabric; 
 an integrated drainage system comprising conduits for transporting liquids and a drainage outlet in each vertical support member; 
   at least two drainage connectors for linking the integrated drainage systems of the at least two portable canopies together, wherein each drainage connector comprises two inlets for receiving the drainage outlet from each portable canopy, wherein liquid collected by a first connected drainage system is able to flow through a drainage connector into a second connected drainage system;   an installed state for each portable canopy having a width, a length, and a height, which together establish a first volume under a roof for sheltering objects and persons, wherein, in the installed state, the at least two portable canopies are positioned adjacent to each other at one side, combining their individual first volumes, wherein a proximity of two pairs of adjacent vertical support members of the at least two portable canopies allows attachment of one of the at least two drainage connectors to each pair, wherein, in the installed state, the integrated drainage systems transport rain striking each roof to the drainage outlets, whereby the rain collected by each integrated drainage system is directed through drainage connectors between the at least two portable canopies to one drainage location; and   a transport state for each portable canopy having a second volume that is at least five times less than its respective first volume, wherein each portable canopy is a temporary shelter configured to be repetitively altered between the installed state and the transport state, whereby the transport state facilitates transport of the at least two portable canopies between locations and diminishes a storage footprint of each portable canopy while not in use.   
     
     
         11 . The portable shelter system of  claim 10 , wherein the width is at least four feet, the length is at least four feet, and the height is at least six feet for each portable canopy. 
     
     
         12 . The portable shelter system of  claim 10 , wherein a longest linear dimension of the second volume is at most five feet for each portable canopy. 
     
     
         13 . The portable shelter system of  claim 10 , wherein the drainage outlets are designed to be attachable to an end of a hose for directing the liquids away from the at least two portable canopies. 
     
     
         14 . The portable shelter system of  claim 10 , wherein the drainage connector includes a drainage outlet that is designed to be attachable to an end of a hose for directing the liquids away from the portable canopy. 
     
     
         15 . The portable shelter system of  claim 14 , wherein the drainage outlet of the drainage connector is a quick connect fitting configured to be paired to a quick connect adaptor of a garden hose, the garden hose, when connected to the drainage outlet via the quick connect fitting and quick connect adaptor, is configured to direct the liquids away from the at least two portable canopies. 
     
     
         16 . The portable shelter system of  claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the conduits are an interior volume of at least a portion of at least one of the vertical support members and the roof support members. 
     
     
         17 . The portable shelter system of  claim 11 , wherein, in the installed state, at least one side, referred to as an open-able side, of each portable canopy has an open state and a closed state, wherein, in the open state, the open-able side is not covered by a portion of the portable cover and material for said portion of the portable cover is rolled up in a stable position near a portion of the roof , and wherein, in the closed state, the open-able side is covered by the portion of the portable cover. 
     
     
         18 . A drainage connector comprising:
 a first inlet for receiving a drainage outlet of a first portable canopy having an integrated drainage system, wherein the first portable canopy is in an installed state that establishes a first volume under a roof for sheltering objects and persons, wherein, in the installed state, the integrated drainage system transports, via conduits, rain striking a roof of the first portable canopy to the drainage outlet;   a second inlet for receiving a drainage outlet of a second portable canopy having an integrated drainage system, wherein the second portable canopy is in an installed state that establishes a first volume under a roof for sheltering objects and persons, wherein the first volume of the second portable canopy is adjacent to the first volume of the first portable canopy, wherein, in the installed state, the integrated drainage system transports, via conduits, rain striking a roof of the second portable canopy to the drainage outlet; and   an interior channel connecting the first inlet and the second inlet, wherein rain is able to flow through the interior channel between the first inlet and the second inlet, wherein the integrated drainage system of the first portable canopy is linked to the integrated drainage system of the second portable canopy.   
     
     
         19 . The drainage connector of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a drainage outlet capable of being attachable to an end of a hose for directing the rain away from the first and second portable canopies.   
     
     
         20 . The drainage connector of  claim 19 , wherein the drainage outlet is a quick connect fitting configured to be paired to a quick connect adaptor of a garden hose, the garden hose, when connected to the drainage outlet via the quick connect fitting and quick connect adaptor, is configured to direct the rain away from the first and second portable canopies.