Portable shelter

Abstract

A collapsible shelter structure having a pair of collapsible frame members disposed at opposed ends thereof for supporting panel means which extend therebetween, wherein the collapsible frame means include a braced lazy-tong structure which is designed to maintain the frames in erect disposition, and wherein bracing strut means are pivotally coupled to alternate outer apices of the lazy-tong structure for rendering the frame means both stable and rigid. To further enhance rigidity of the erect structure, the inner apices are normally formed as a straight angle when the shelter structure is in erect form, with these inner apices forming a series of spaced points along a semicircle of fixed radius. The collapsible shelter means may be taken down and stored in collapsed form when desired, with generally rigid or durable base side panels being provided to protect the structure from inadvertent damage during use and during storage. Means may be provided for normally urging the bracing struts into engagement so as to provide a more stable and rigid structure, and furthermore means are provided for selectively disengaging the bracing strut means to enable the user to take the structure down into collapsed form.

I claim: .[.1. In a collapsible shelter means having a pair of collapsible frame means disposed at opposed ends thereof and supporting panel means extending therebetween, said collapsible frame means comprising: 
     
        points and forming an outer compression brace for said strut spans..]. 2. The collapsible shelter means as defined in claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.12 .Iaddend.being particularly characterized in that spring means normally 
     
     
        pivotally urge said strut brace means outwardly. 3. The collapsible shelter means as defined in claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.12 .Iaddend.being particularly characterized in that guide means are provided for said strut brace means for controlling the disposition of said strut brace means and retainably supporting said strut brace means adjacent said strut engaging 
     
     
        surface. 4. The collapsible shelter means as defined in claim 3 being particularly characterized in that said guide means is slotted to permit relatively longitudinal motion of said strut brace pivotal joint relative 
     
     
        to said linkage assemblies. 5. The collapsible shelter means as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that means are provided for pivotally moving each of said strut brace means inwardly as a group. .[.6. The collapsible shelter means as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that the panel means extending along the base of said 
     
     
        shelter means are fabricated from rigid material..]. 7. The collapsible shelter means as defined in claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.12 .Iaddend.being particularly characterized in that the inner apices of adjoining interconnected linkage assemblies form a straight angle when in erect 
     
     
        disposition. 8. The collapsible shelter means as defined in claim 7 wherein said inner apices lie generally along an arc of substantially uniform radius. .[.9. In a collapsible shelter means having a pair of collapsible frame means disposed at opposed ends thereof and supporting panel means extending therebetween, said collapsible frame means comprising: (a) a lazy-tong structure having first and second interconnected linkage assemblies which in erect disposition form alternate inwardly and outwardly disposed structural spans, said inwardly disposed spans comprising a plurality of angularly coupled rigid members pivotally coupled at mutually adjacent ends to neighboring rigid members to form a generally continuous semipolygon structure which in erect disposition is enclosed at the top and open at the bottom, each of said inwardly disposed span systems being interconnected at spaced junction points to longitudinally extending rails for spacing said opposed collapsible frame means one from the other;   (b) said outwardly disposed structural spans comprising a plurality of spanned apart apices; and   (c) strut brace means pivotally coupled to alternate apices of said outwardly disposed spans at a strut brace pivotal joint and having a strut brace extending therefrom, the length of said strut brace means being substantially equal to the length of the span between successive junction points and forming an outer compression brace for said strut spans..].   
     
     
            The collapsible shelter means as defined in claim .[.9.]. .Iadd.14 .Iaddend.being particularly characterized in that said strut brace pivotal joint has a pair of strut brace links pivotally secured thereto and 
     
     
        arranged to extend outwardly therefrom. 11. The collapsible shelter means as defined in claim .[.9.]. .Iadd.14 .Iaddend.being particularly characterized in that said strut brace means includes a strut brace pivotal joint slidably received upon a post extending from said spaced junction points of said inwardly disposed span systems. .Iadd. 12. In a collapsible shelter means having a pair of collapsible means disposed at opposed ends thereof and supporting panel means extending therebetween, said collapsible frame means comprising: (a) a lazy-tong structure having first and second inter-connected linkage assemblies which in erect disposition form alternate inwardly and outwardly disposed structural spans, said inwardly disposed spans comprising rigid members pivotally coupled at mutually adjacent ends to neighboring rigid members to form a generally continuous semipolygon structure which in erect design is enclosed at the top and open at the bottom, each of said inwardly disposed span systems being interconnected at junction points disposed generally midway of the length thereof to longitudinally extending rails for spacing said opposed collapsible frame means one from the other;   (b) said outwardly disposed structural spans comprising a plurality of spanned apart apices; and   (c) strut brace means forming releasable outer compression braces between successive apices of said outwardly disposed spans, each said strut brace means comprising a rigid unitary strut brace having a free end and an end pivotally connected to one of said apices by a strut brace pivotal joint having a strut engaging surface for engagement by the free end of an adjacent strut brace, the length of said strut brace means being substantially equal to the length of the span between successive apices.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd. 13.  In a collapsible shelter means having a pair of collapsible means disposed at opposed ends thereof and supporting panel means extending therebetween, said collapsible frame means comprising: (a) a lazy-tong structure having first and second inter-connected linkage assemblies which in erect disposition form alternate inwardly and outwardly disposed structural spans, said inwardly disposed spans comprising rigid members pivotally coupled at a mutually adjacent ends to neighboring rigid members to form a generally continuous semipolygon structure which in erect design is enclosed at the top and open at the bottom, each of said inwardly disposed span systems being interconnected at junction points disposed generally midway of the length thereof to longitudinally extending rails for spacing said opposed collapsible frame means one from the other;   (b) said outwardly disposed structural spans comprising a plurality of spanned apart apices; and   (c) strut brace means forming releasable outer compression braces between successive apices of said outwardly disposed spans, each said strut brace means comprising a rigid unitary strut brace having a free end and an end pivotally connected to one of said apices by a strut brace pivotal joint having a strut engaging surface for engagement by the free end of an adjacent strut brace, the length of said strut brace means being substantially equal to the length of the span between successive apices, the panel means extending along the base of said shelter means being   
     
     
        fabricated from rigid material. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14.  In a collapsible shelter means having a pair of collapsible means disposed at opposed ends thereof and supporting panel means extending therebetween, said collapsible frame means comprising: (a) a lazy-tong structure having first and second inter-connected linkage assemblies which in erect disposition form alternate inwardly and outwardly disposed structural spans, said inwardly disposed spans comprising rigid members pivotally coupled at a mutually adjacent ends to neighboring rigid members to form a generally continuous semipolygon structure which in erect disposition is enclosed at the top and open at the bottom, each of said inwardly disposed span systems being interconnected at spaced junction points to longitudinally extending rails for spacing said opposed collapsible frame means one from the other;   (b) said outwardly disposed structural spans comprising a plurality of spanned apart apices; and   (c) strut brace means forming releasable outer compression braces between successive apices of said outwardly disposed spans, each said strut brace means comprising a rigid unitary strut brace having a free end and an end pivotally connected to one of said apices by a strut brace pivotal joint having a strut engaging surface for engagement by the free end of an adjacent strut brace, the length of said strut brace means being substantially equal to the length of the span between successive apices.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd. 15.  In a collapsible structure, in combination: a plurality of rigid rods of equal length;   means pivotally connecting said rods medially at sites which are oppositely spaced from the centers thereof by equal amounts;   means pivotally interconnecting the ends of rods of said pairs to form a continuous lazy-tong structure having a succession of outward apices and a succession of inward apices, the distances between adjacent inner and outer apices varying with the angle between the rods of said pairs;   spacer means for fixing said angles to determine said distances, said spacer means being pivoted at said inward apices for releasably fixing said angles; and   strut brace means pivotally connected to said outward apices and having rigid unitary strut braces extending therebetween, the effective lengths of said strut brace means being substantially equal to the distances between successive outward apices so that said strut brace means form   
     
     
        outer compression braces for said structure. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16.  In a collapsible structure, in combination: a plurality of rigid rods of equal length;   means pivotally connecting said rods medially at sites which are oppositely spaced from the centers thereof by equal amounts;   means pivotally interconnecting the ends of rods of said pairs to form a continuous lazy-tong structure having a succession of outward apices and a succession of inward apices, the distances between adjacent inner and outer apices varying with the angle between the rods of said pairs;   spacer means for fixing said angles to determine said distances, said spacer means being pivoted at said inward apices for releasably fixing said angles;   strut brace means including medial hinges and being pivotally connected to said outward apices and having rigid unitary strut braces extending therebetween, the effective lengths of said strut brace means being substantially equal to the distances between successive outward apices so that said strut brace means form outer compression braces for said structure; and   means extending outwardly at the medial pivotal connections between said rods, and means releasably fixing the position of said medial hinges outwardly of said medial pivotal connections. .Iaddend.