Collapsible tent frame

Claim 2

A tent frame readily changeable between a deployed condition and a compact collapsed condition, said tent frame comprising: a central hub having a central axis oriented vertically in said deployed condition of said frame, a plurality of legs spaced angularly of one another about said central axis, each of said legs including a plurality of sections pivotally connected to one another to enable said sections of each leg to be moved between a relatively spread condition and a relatively folded condition, said sections of each leg including an inboard section having an inboard end adjacent said hub and an outboard end remote from said hub, means connecting said inboard end of the inboard section of each of said legs to said hub for movement relative to said hub about a first pivot axis located in a plane perpendicular to said central axis and perpendicular to a radial line to said central axis, a central part carried by said hub and manually rotatable relative thereto, and a mechanism carried by said hub for simultaneously angularly moving all of said inboard sections of said legs relative to said hub about said first pivot axes in a deploying direction, in which said outboard ends of said inboard sections move away from said axis, in response to rotation of said central part in one direction and in a collapsing direction, in which said outboard ends of said inboard sections move toward said central axis, in response to rotation of said central part in the opposite direction.

Claim 3

A tent frame as defined in claim 1 further characterized by each of said legs in addition to said inboard section including an intermediate section and an outboard section, means connecting the outboard end of said inboard section of each leg to the inboard end of said intermediate section of the same leg for movement of said intermediate section relative to said inboard section about a second pivot axis located in a plane perpendicular to said central axis and perpendicular to a radial line from said central axis, whereby said intermediate and inboard sections are movable relative to one another about said second axis between folded and deployed conditions, means associated with said inboard and intermediate sections of each leg for releasably locking said sections in their deployed condition, means pivotally connecting the outboard end of said intermediate section of each leg to the inboard end of the associated outboard section of the same leg for pivotal movement of said intermediate and outboard sections relative to one another about a third pivot axis located in a plane perpendicular to said central axis and perpendicular to a radial line from said central axis, whereby said intermediate and outboard sections are pivotally movable relative to one another about said third pivot axis between folded and deployed conditions, and means associated with said outboard and intermediate sections for releasably locking said intermediate and outboard sections in their deployed condition.

Claim 4

A tent frame as defined in claim 1 further characterized by said hub having a plurality of radially extending ears to each of which ears a respective one of said inboard sections of said legs is pivotally connected, said mechanism including a part moved axially along said central axis relative to said hub in response to rotation of said manually rotatable part, and a plurality of links each connected between said axially movable part and a respective one of said legs for simultaneously moving said inboard sections of said legs about said first axes relative to said hub in response to movement of said part along said central axis.

Claim 5

A tent frame as defined in claim 1 further characterized by said hub including a hollow central body and said manually rotatable part comprising an axially extending member supported for rotation relative to said hub body about said central axis, said manually rotatable part being threaded along a portion of its length within said housing body, a driving part threadably received on said threaded portion of said manually rotatable member, and a plurality of links each connected between said driving part and a respective one of said inboard sections of said legs for pivoting said inboard sections of said legs simultaneously about said first axes relative to said hub in response to axial movement of said driving part resulting from rotation of said manually rotatable part.

Claim 6

A tent frame as defined in claim 4 further characterized by said manually rotatable part at each of its ends including an end portion which projects axially beyond said hub body, each of said end portions of said manually rotatable part being adapted to receive a tool for rotating said manually rotatable part.

Claim 7

A tent frame as defined in claim 4 further characterized by said hub body having a plurality of radially extending ears to each of which ears a respective one of said inboard sections of said legs is pivotally connected and said hub body further having a plurality of longitudinally extending slots therein for accommodating said links, each of said slots being located adjacent a respective one of said radially extending ears.

Claim 8

A tent frame as defined in claim 1 further characterized by a plurality of struts each, in the deployed condition of said frame, extending between a pair of adjacent ones of said legs to aid in controlling the angular spacing of said legs relative to one another.

Claim 9

A tent frame as defined in claim 7 further characterized by each of said struts consisting of two arms pivotally connected to one another and each pivotally connected to a respective one of said legs, said arms in said deployed condition of said frame being generally in line with one another, said arms also being pivotally movable about their common pivot axis to bring said arms into adjacent parallel relationship with one another in said collapsed condition of said frame.

Claim 10

A tent frame as defined in claim 8 further characterized by means associated with each of said struts for releasably holding said two arms of said strut in said aligned condition while said frame is in said deployed condition.

Claim 11

A tent frame as defined in claim 8 further characterized by said struts being pivotally connected to said legs at points close to said third pivot axes about which said outboard sections of said legs are connected to said intermediate sections.