Foldable ground blind

Abstract

A foldable hunting blind uses a hub assembly to easily expand into its final configuration with side supports used to stabilize the blind. Further, the foldable hunting blind includes apertures in each wall configured to hold and direct firearm muzzles away from hunters within the blind and a door through the front wall allowing a dog to easily enter and exit the blind.

1 . A foldable structure comprising:
 a fabric front wall having a first upper corner, a second upper corner, a first lower corner, and a second lower corner;   a fabric first side wall coupled to a first side of the front wall, wherein the fabric first side wall is broader at a bottom of the first side wall than at a top of the first side wall;   a fabric second side wall coupled to a second side of the front wall, wherein the fabric second side wall is broader at a bottom of the second side wall than at a top of the second side wall;   a hub assembly comprising:
 a hub attached to an inner surface of the front wall at a center location of the front wall in both vertical and horizontal directions; 
 a first rod extending from the hub to the first upper corner of the front wall; 
 a second rod extending from the hub to the second upper corner of the front wall; 
 a third rod extending from the hub to the first lower corner of the front wall; and 
 a fourth rod extending from the hub to the second lower corner of the front wall; 
   a first rod pocket positioned on the inner surface of the fabric front wall and adjacent the first upper corner of the fabric front wall, and configured to receive an outer end of the first rod;   a second rod pocket positioned on the inner surface of the fabric front wall and configured to receive an outer end of the second rod;   a third rod pocket positioned on the inner surface of the fabric front wall and configured to receive an outer end of the third rod;   a fourth rod pocket positioned on the inner surface of the fabric front wall and configured to receive an outer end of the fourth rod;   a first side support coupled to the first side wall and extending downward and rearward from the first upper corner of the front wall to a bottom rear corner of the first side wall; and   a second side support coupled to the second side wall and extending downward and rearward from the second upper corner of the front wall to a bottom rear corner of the second side wall.   
     
     
         2 . The foldable structure of  claim 1 , wherein the first side support is removable from the first side wall, and the second side support is removable from the second side wall. 
     
     
         3 . The foldable structure of  claim 1 , wherein the first side support and the second side support are configured to transition between a shortened position and an extended position. 
     
     
         4 . The foldable structure of  claim 1 , wherein the foldable shelter is manually collapsible into a configuration wherein the first rod, the second rod, the third rod, and the fourth rod, the first side support are substantially parallel to each other. 
     
     
         5 . The foldable structure of  claim 1 , wherein the first side wall is triangular, and wherein the second side wall is triangular. 
     
     
         6 . The foldable structure of  claim 1 , wherein the hub assembly further includes a loop attached to an inner surface of the hub, and wherein the loop is configured to pull the hub away from the front wall during disassembly of the foldable shelter. 
     
     
         7 . A foldable structure comprising:
 a fabric front wall including a plurality of rod pockets positioned on an inner surface of the front wall, wherein each of the rod pockets is adjacent a different corner of the front wall;   a hub assembly including a hub attached to the fabric front wall and a plurality of rods, each rod extending from the hub to a different corner of the fabric front wall, wherein each of the plurality of rod pockets of the fabric front wall is configured to receive an end of one of the plurality of rods of the hub assembly, wherein the hub of the hub assembly is attached to the inner surface of the fabric front wall at a center location of the fabric front wall, in both vertical and horizontal directions;   a fabric first side wall coupled to the front wall, wherein the first side wall includes a bottom of the first side wall that is broader than a top of the first side wall;   a fabric second side wall coupled to the front wall, wherein the second side wall includes a bottom of the second side wall that is broader than a top of the second side wall; and   a first side support for supporting the fabric first side wall; and   a second side support for supporting the fabric second side wall;   wherein the fabric front wall, fabric first side wall, and fabric second side wall constitute a unitary fabric body.   
     
     
         8 . The foldable structure of  claim 7 , wherein each of the rods is rotatable within the hub assembly from a collapsed position in which the rods are parallel to each other in an axial direction to an extended position in which the rods form an x shape with the hub at a center of the x shape. 
     
     
         9 . A foldable structure comprising:
 a front wall that includes four rod pockets positioned on an inner surface of the front wall, wherein each of the rod pockets is adjacent a different corner of the front wall;   a first side wall coupled to the front wall, wherein the first side wall includes a first side support;   a second side wall coupled to the front wall, wherein the second side wall includes a second side support;   a hub assembly comprising a hub attached to the front wall at a center location of the front wall in both vertical and horizontal directions, a first upper rod, a first lower rod, a second upper rod, and a second lower rod;   wherein each rod extends from the hub to a different corner of the front wall;   wherein each of the rod pockets is configured to receive an end of a different one of the rods of the hub assembly;   wherein the first side support is connected to the first upper rod and extends downward and rearward from an upper end to a lower end; and   wherein the second side support is connected to the second upper rod and extends downward and rearward from an upper end to a lower end.   
     
     
         10 . The foldable structure of  claim 9 , wherein:
 a bottom of the first side wall is broader than a top of the first side wall; and   a bottom of the second side wall is broader than a top of the second side wall.   
     
     
         11 . A foldable structure comprising:
 a front wall that includes four rod pockets positioned on an inner surface of the front wall, wherein each of the rod pockets is adjacent one corner of the front wall;   a first side wall coupled to the front wall; wherein the first side wall includes a first side support that extends downward and rearward from a first upper corner of the front wall;   a second side wall coupled to the front wall, wherein the second side wall includes a second base support that extends downward and rearward from a second upper corner of the front wall; and   a hub assembly comprising a hub attached to the inner surface of the front wall and four rods, wherein each rod extends from the hub to a different corner of the front wall.   
     
     
         12 . The foldable structure of  claim 11 , wherein each of the rod pockets is configured to receive a different end of one of rods of the hub assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The foldable structure of  claim 11 , wherein the front wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall comprise a fabric, and wherein each of the first side wall and the second side wall has a triangular shape. 
     
     
         14 . The foldable structure of  claim 11 , wherein the hub of the hub assembly is attached to the front wall at a center location of the front wall, in both vertical and horizontal directions. 
     
     
         15 . A foldable structure comprising:
 a fabric front wall having four corners;   a fabric first side wall coupled to the front wall, wherein the fabric first side wall and wherein a bottom of the first side wall is broader than a top of the first side wall;   a fabric second side wall coupled to the front wall, wherein the fabric second side wall wherein a bottom of the second side wall is broader than a top of the second side wall;   a hub assembly comprising:
 a hub attached to an inner surface of the front wall at a center location of the front wall in both vertical and horizontal directions; 
 a first rod extending from the hub to a first upper corner of the front wall; 
 a second rod extending from the hub to second upper corner of the front wall; 
 a third rod extending from the hub to a first lower corner of the front wall; and 
 a fourth rod extending from the hub to a second lower corner of the front wall; 
   four rod pockets, wherein each of the four rod pockets is positioned on the inner surface of the fabric front wall and adjacent one of the four corners of the fabric front wall, each of the four rod pockets being configured to receive an end of one of the four rods;   a first side support coupled to the first side wall and extending between the first upper corner of the front wall and a rear end of the first base support; and   a second side support coupled to the second side wall and extending between the second upper corner of the front wall and a rear end of the second base support.   
     
     
         16 . The foldable structure of  claim 15 , wherein the first side wall is tapered in shape from bottom to top, and wherein the second side wall is tapered in shape from bottom to top. 
     
     
         17 . A foldable structure comprising:
 a fabric front wall having a rectangular shape with four corners including an aperture positioned in a top half of the fabric front wall;   a fabric first side wall coupled to the fabric front wall, wherein the fabric first side wall includes a first side support, wherein a bottom of the first side wall is broader than a top of the first side wall;   a fabric second side wall coupled to the fabric front wall, wherein the fabric second side wall includes a second side support, wherein a bottom of the second side wall is broader than a top of the second side wall;   a single hub assembly comprising a hub attached to a surface of the fabric front wall at a center location of the front wall in both vertical and horizontal directions, and four rods, wherein each of the four rods extends from the hub to one of the four corners of the rectangular shaped fabric front wall, wherein each of the rods is rotatable within the hub assembly from a collapsed position in which the rods are parallel to each other in an axial direction to an extended position in which the rods are non-parallel to each other in an axial direction; and   four rod pockets, wherein each of the four rod pockets is positioned on the inner surface of the fabric front wall and adjacent one of the four corners of the fabric front wall, each of the four rod pockets being configured to receive an end of one of the four rods.   
     
     
         18 . A foldable structure comprising:
 a front wall that includes four rod pockets positioned on an inner surface of the front wall, wherein each of the rod pockets is adjacent one corner of the front wall;   a triangular first side wall coupled to the front wall, wherein the first side wall includes a first side support;   a triangular second side wall coupled to the front wall, wherein the second side wall includes a second side support; and   a single hub assembly comprising a hub attached to the inner surface of the front wall at a center location of the front wall in both vertical and horizontal directions, and a first upper rod, a first lower rod, a second upper rod, and a second lower rod;   wherein each rod extends from the hub to corner of the front wall; and   wherein each of the rod pockets is configured to receive an end of one of the rods of the hub assembly.   
     
     
         19 . A foldable structure comprising:
 a fabric front wall including an aperture positioned in a top half of the front wall and a plurality of rod pockets positioned on an inner surface of the front wall, wherein each of the rod pockets is adjacent one corner of the front wall;   a single hub assembly including a hub attached to the inner surface of the fabric front wall and a plurality of rods, each rod extending from the hub to one corner of the fabric front wall, wherein each of the plurality of rod pockets of the fabric front wall is configured to receive an end of one of the plurality of rods of the hub assembly, wherein the hub of the hub assembly is attached to the fabric front wall at a center location of the fabric front wall, in both vertical and horizontal directions;   a fabric first side wall coupled to the front wall, wherein a bottom of the first side wall is broader than a top of the first side wall;   a fabric second side wall coupled to the front wall, wherein a bottom of the second side wall is broader than a top of the second side wall; and   a first side support extending along and supporting the fabric first side wall;   a second side support extending along and supporting the fabric second side wall;   wherein the fabric front wall, fabric first side wall, and fabric second side wall constitute a fabric body, and wherein the fabric body is a continuous, single piece of fabric.