Aircraft tent apparatus

Abstract

A tent enclosure includes an airplane-wing-attachment member affixed to a top portion of the tent structure for support by a section of a wing on a parked or grounded aircraft. The attachment member is temporarily fastened in place on the wing section by confronting layers of complementary hook or loop fastener material located on the wing attachment member and the top portion of the tent enclosure, respectively. The tent enclosure then is staked to the ground underneath the supporting wing section thereby providing temporary shelter for emergency or recreational use.

What is claimed as being new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows: 
     
         1 . Tent apparatus capable of being supported below and by the wing of a grounded airplane, comprising:
 an enclosure of flexible material, said enclosure being characterized by conjoined wall panels terminating in a top panel at one extremity of said conjoined wall panels,   an enclosure support member affixed to said top panel,   said enclosure support member arranged to engage a top surface portion of said wing, and   reclosure means on said support member for attaching said support member to said top panel when said top panel engages said top surface portion of said wing and such that said enclosure is situated under said wing between the wing tip of said wing and the fuselage of said airplane.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said support member is a flap of material secured to one end of said top panel and said reclosure means comprises a first layer of hook or loop fastener material secured to another end of said top panel opposed to said one end of said top panel, and wherein said reclosure means further includes a second layer of hook or loop fastener material secured to said flap of material proximal to said another end of said top panel and wherein said first layer of hook or loop fastener material is complementary to said second layer of hook or loop fastener material. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said support member flap of material is permanently secured to said top panel along a seam proximal to said one end thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said top panel and said flap of material forms a sleeve having a through-opening adapted to receive said plane wing when said first layer of hook or loop material on said support member is engaged with said complementary second layer of hook or loop material on said another end of said top panel. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the opening formed by said sleeve is sized and configured to mimic the shape of the wing airfoil of said plane. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further including tent-wall-fold-retainer assemblies affixed to the interior surface of said conjoined wall panels for selectively adjustably emplacing and retaining a pair of juxtaposed folds in said conjoined wall panels, said juxtaposed pair of folds extending substantially horizontally with respect to said conjoined walls when said enclosure is situated under said wing between the wing tip of said wing and the fuselage of said airplane. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein each of said tent-wall-fold retainer assemblies comprises a first patch of hook or loop fastener material secured to said interior wall surface of said conjoined wall panels,
 a second patch of hook or loop fastening material secured to said interior wall surface of said conjoined wall panels in spaced apart disposition relative to said first patch, and 
 a third fold-fastener patch of hook or loop fastening material complementary to the hook or loop fastening material of said first and second patches, 
 wherein said third fold-fastener patch is adapted to be removably fastened to both said first and second patches after emplacement of said pair of juxtaposed folds in said wall panels. 
 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein first patch is located above said second patch on the interior surface of said conjoined wall panels to create a predetermined vertical space therebetween such that said juxtaposed pair of folds is retained in substantially horizontal disposition in said predetermined vertical space upon said third patch being removably fastened to both said first and second patches after emplacement of said pair of juxtaposed folds in said wall panels. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said enclosure further includes a floor panel and said enclosure including said floor panel is water impervious. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least some of said conjoined wall panels has an opening for a mesh window screen, said at least opening further included a roll-up flap for protecting against inclement weather. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said conjoined walls includes a recloseable flap-covered opening for ingress and egress to the interior of said enclosure. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said enclosure of flexible material is foldable in into a compact bundle suitable for storage in a container along with emergency flares and a first-aid kit, and said container is stowable on board said plane.