US3929145A

US3929145A - Collapsible shelter

Info

Publication number: US3929145A
Application number: US550141A
Authority: US
Inventors: Allen J Schroeder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1975-02-14
Filing date: 1975-02-14
Publication date: 1975-12-30
Anticipated expiration: 1992-12-30

Abstract

A collapsible, tubular shelter adjustable between a stretched or extended form in which it can accommodate a sleeping hiker on level ground and a compressed or contracted form in which it can be easily carried on the hiker''s back. The shelter is formed from a tubular cover of lightweight, weatherproof nylon tenting reinforced by axially spaced hoops of flat spring steel strip which serve as ribs for holding the shelter in its tubular shape. The cover is permanently enclosed at one end and has zippered opening flaps at the other end to permit entry to and exit from the shelter. The shelter is stretched apart axially for use and is tied to a ground-anchored peg at each end by means of a line affixed to the top of the nearest hoop so that the two lines exert stretching force on the cover to hold it in its tubular shape. The lines also pull downwardly on the shelter to flatten it somewhat so that it can more readily accommodate a sleeping bag, the hoops being sufficiently resilient to permit this. The pitched shelter can be easily converted to its compressed form for carrying by disconnecting the lines from the anchored pegs and pushing the hoops together to collapse the cover, in accordion-like fashion, into a relatively flat, lightweight bundle.

Description

Unite States Patent [1 1 Schroeder Dec. 30, 1975 [54] COLLAPSIBLE SHELTER [76] Inventor: Allen J. Schroeder, 1001 E. 12th St.,

Beaumont, Calif. 92223 [22] Filed: Feb. 14, 1975 [21] Appl. No.: 550,141

[52] US. Cl 135/1 R; 5/113; 5/128; 5/343; 135/3 R [51] Int. Cl. A45F 1/16; E048 U347 [58] Field of Search 5/113, 128, 343; 135/DIG.1, 5 B, 1 R, 3 R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,284,900 6/1942 Henderson et a1... 5 343 3,198,200 8/1965 Sanders 52/2 3,240,217 3/1966 Bird et al. 135/3 R 3,800,468 4/1974 de Graff t 135/3 R 3,800,814 4/1974 l-Iibbert 135/1 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,249,978 10/1971 United Kingdom 135/1 R Primary ExaminerWerner l-I. Schroeder Assistant Examiner-Conrad L. Berman Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John H. Crowe [57] ABSTRACT A collapsible, tubular shelter adjustable between a stretched or extended form in which it can accommodate a sleeping hiker on level ground and a compressed or contracted form in which it can be easily carried on the hikers back. The shelter is formed from a tubular cover of lightweight, weatherproof nylon tenting reinforced by axially spaced hoops of flat spring steel strip which serve as ribs for holding the shelter in its tubular shape. The cover is permanently enclosed at one end and has zippered opening flaps at the other end to permit entry to and exit from the shelter. The shelter is stretched apart axially for use and is tied to a ground-anchored peg at each end by means of a line affixed to the top of the nearest hoop so that the two lines exert stretching force on the cover to hold it in its tubular shape. The lines also pull downwardly on the shelter to flatten it somewhat so that it can more readily accommodate a sleeping bag, the hoops being sufficiently resilient to permit this. The pitched shelter can be easily converted to its compressed form for carrying by disconnecting the lines from the anchored pegs and pushing the hoops together to collapse the cover, in accordion-like fashion, into a relatively flat, lightweight bundle.

10 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 FIG. 1.

llllllllllllll. ll

FIG 8.

COLLAPSIBLE SHELTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a portable shelter adapted primarily for use by backpackers or other hikers, and more particularly to such a shelter which can be quickly and easily converted back and forth between a pitched position for use at a campsite and a collapsed condition in which it forms a compact, lightweight bundle for carrying.

Numerous types of tent shelters for use by campers, hikers, hunters, etc., have been heretofore proposed. Most of these have included various parts that require unpacking and assembly for use, sometimes with a fair amount of difficulty, at campsites, and which must, after such use, be disassembled and packed for movement or storage. Moreover, the parts of such tents have often been of such character that they do not lend themselves to compact consolidation into a conveniently lightweight bundle or package for easy carrying by a backpacker, particularly in rough country where steep slopes, rocks, heavy underbrush, and similar obstacles are encountered.

I am aware of US. Pat. No. 2,792,844 to Clark, which discloses a collapsible tent comprising a coil spring frame around which is secured, as by sewing, a cover of water resistant material such as lightweight canvas. The spring is normally extended and has coils of progressively smaller size from front to rear. The extended coil spring frame is shaped and sized primarily to receive a single camper in sleeping position with a sleeping bag or suitable bedding for warmth and protection. The Clark tent is compacted for carrying by compressing its spring frame and drawing a rope or strap around the contracted unit to hold the compressed spring against expansion.

While the Clark tent has advantages over more conventional tents in certain respects, it also possesses some inherent disadvantages. For one thing, its coil spring frame makes the tent somewhat difficult to compress, especially by the average woman or child. Also, the potential energy in the compressed spring frame of the contracted tent represents a hazard which could lead to accident and injury, or at the very least, to spilled or scattered camping gear which would have to be recovered and repacked. Some of this gear might even be lost by such an accident, particularly if it occurred in mountainous terrain, or require cleaning before repacking. Finally, continued usage of the tent over a prolonged period of time would result in repeated compression and relaxation of its spring frame which would tend to weaken the frame, and, in time, even destroy its effectiveness. Conversely, long term storage of the tent, particularly in its compressed form, might, at least in some cases, have a deforming or a distorting effect on its spring frame, a fact of important significance to those persons who do not have occasion to use their tents very often and must store them in compressed form, to conserve space, between periods of use. Thus, the Clark tent is inherently self-deteriorative, an unavoidable result of the limited life of springs that depend upon a particular degree of resiliency for effective usage thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION l have now provided, in the unique collapsible shelter of this invention, a lightweight, relatively inexpensive,

tubular tent which has many of the advantages of the Clark tent but none of the above-noted disadvantages of the latter. Thus, my novel shelter is, like the Clark tent, of generally tubular form when pitched for use, but, unlike the Clark tent, is readily collapsible lengthwise by virtually anyone even a fairly young child, into a relatively flat, lightweight, compact bundle, which can be easily carried on the back of a hiker, or transported in a vehicle with minimal space demands. The shelter, in its preferred form, comprises a lightweight fabric cover which stretches into tubular shape, and a plurality of hoop-shaped ribs or stays which are fastened in position around the inside of the cover to serve as frame means for the shelter when it is extended to its full length, the ribs being positioned in spaced apart, generally parallel relationship, and disposed in planes generally perpendicular to the axis of the cover, when the shelter is so extended. Since the ribs are separate hoops, and not coils of a spring, it is a relatively simple matter to compress the tent into a flattened, compact bundle, with the cover folded in accordion-like fashion between the ribs, for carrying or storage purposes.

Since my novel shelter-has no spring frame, as does the Clark tent, it is not subject to spring fatigue, and resultant weakening or failure of the frame, hence is absent the inherent tendency of the latter toward accelerated self-deterioration and consequent shortening of its useful life span. Moreover, since my novel shelter has no spring under compression in its packed form, it carries no risk of sudden, unexpected spring expansion and the possible physical dangers, equipment loss and- /or clean up work which could result from such expansion. Obviously, the absence of a spring frame contributes to the ease with which the shelter can be set up for use, and, particularly, taken down and compacted for carrying since there is no necessity to compress a spring by physical force during such compacting or to keep it under compression until the compacted shelter is tied or strapped securely enough to retain the spring under compression until it is again time to set up, or pitch, the shelter for use.

To pitch my shelter at a suitable campsite, it is necessary only to pull its ribs apart until the cover is relatively taut and fasten each end rib in position by means of a tiedown rope, or other line, preferably by running the line from the top of that rib to a stake set in the ground fore or aft of the shelter, as the case might be. This simple installation and tie down procedure can be performed easily and rapidly, and yields a shelter of sufficient size, in its preferred form, to accommodate a single individual and one which is firmly anchored against movement by wind or heavy rain, yet which can be shifted to another location with minimal difficulty should this become necessary or desirable. The hoopshaped ribs are formed from strip stock of any suitable type (such as, for example, spring steel stock), and designed with sufficient resiliency to deform easily into an oval shape when standing on edge in the installed shelter and subjected to forces exerted by the abovementioned tie down lines, yet be of adequate strength to serve as a frame adapted to hold the shelter in its proper shape after it is pitched in the above-described manner. The deformation of the hoop-like ribs causes a widening of the shelter so that it provides more room for the accommodation of a backpackers sleeping bag, or other bedding, than would be possible if the ribs retained their normal hoop, or circular, shapes. Moreover, the flattening of the shelter into an oval shape results in the provision of a generally flat support surface for the sleeping bag, or bedding, to the greater comfort of the sleeping hiker than perfectly round ribs would provide. The resilency of the ribs also permits them to give to some extent under the shifting movements of a sleeping occupant of the shelter, to contribute still further to his or her sleeping comfort.

The shelter cover is preferably made from lightweight nylon tenting or other weather resistant plastic material, and provided at its foot end with an enclosure and at its head end with flaps capable of being closed by zipper, or other, means for the protection of its occupant against cold or inclement weather as the occasion demands.

It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide a lightweight, collapsible shelter particularly suitable for use by a backpacker or camper which can be quickly and easily pitched at a campsite or taken down and formed into a compact bundle for easy transportation on the back or storage in a limited space.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a shelter with frame means to hold it in a generally tubular form when it is pitched for use but which exerts no spring tension on the shelter cover to be overcome by compressive force during packing of the shelter for carrying or storage and to create a risk of accidental frame expansion during transportation of said shelter with possible injury to persons and/or scattering or damage of packed equipment.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a shelter having certain of the advantages of a tubular shelter with a compressible spring frame yet absent the inherent tendency of the latter to deteriorate as a result of loss of spring resiliency through repeated compression and expansion of its frame in use or prolonged storage of the shelter in a compressed form.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a shelter which is compressible into a compact form for carrying without the need of physical strength to overcome a resisting spring force (such as required in the case of shelters with spring frames) or to hold the compressed bundle against expansion until it is tied, or otherwise, fastened against such expansion.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the light of the following disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of collapsible shelter in accordance with this invention pitched for use on a level surface.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the pitched shelter, as seen from the line 22 of FIG. 1, with one of a pair of zippered flaps at the front of the shelter being shown in an unzippered position.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the shelter, as seen from the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, with a flap cover for an insect netting window in a rear enclosure of the shelter being shown in partially unopened position to reveal a portion of the window.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view, mostly in section, of the top center of the front portion of the pitched shelter as seen from the line 44 of FIG. 2, and showing the upper end of a front tie down line for the shelter.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but taken at the rear end of the shelter from the line 55 of FIG. 3 and 4 showing the upper end of a rear tie down line for said shelter.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken from a vertical plane passing through the axis of the pitched shelter and showing, in cross-section, one of a plurality of spaced apart ribs serving to hold a lightweight fabric cover forming the main part of the shelter in tubular shape and showing, also in section, a fabric strip sewn to the cover either side of the rib to fasten the latter in a fixed position relative to said cover.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but of an alternative form of the shelter in which the cover is formed from a sheet of lightweight plastic material and a strip of similar plastic material is sealed to the cover, either side of the rib, to hold the latter in proper position relative to said cover.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but of another alternative form of the shelter in which the rib is formed of a suitable plastic material and is sealed directly to the cover rather than being held in position by a strip of plastic such as shown in the latter figure.

FIG. 9 is a slightly enlarged view of the FIG. 1 shelter in a contracted form suitable for carrying, resting on a flat surface with its axis turned from the FIG. 1 axis position.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Considereing now the drawing in greater detail, with emphasis first on FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown generally at 10 a preferred embodiment of a collapsible shelter in accordance with this invention pitched for use in a piece of level ground 11. Shelter 10 is composed of a lightweight cover 12 with a main tubular portion 16 and five ring-shaped supporting ribs or stays fixedly secured in position around the inner wall of said tubular portion 16 to hold that portion in proper shape to serve its function in the pitched shelter. The tubular portion 16 of the cover 12 is formed from a lightweight weatherproof fabric material, preferably lightweight nylon tenting material. The five ribs are of equal diameter in their normal circular shapes, and are spaced equidistantly along the axis of the pitched shelter, with one at each end of the tubular portion of the cover 12, as seen in 14 in FIG. 1, and the other three positioned intermediate the two end ones, as seen at 15 in that figure.

Shelter 10 is preferably sized to comfortably accommodate a single occupant with his sleeping bag, satisfactory dimensions for this purpose being, I have found, a tubular portion 16 length of about 8% feet and a normal rib diameter of about 32 inches. These dimensions can, of course, vary within the scope of my invention, so long as the variance is not so great as to mitigate against satisfactory employment of the pitched shelter for its intended purpose. The

ribs

14 and 15 are sufficiently resilient to flatten somewhat and assume an oval configuration in the pitched shelter, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 showing the front and rear ends of the shelter, respectively. The main reason for this resiliency is to insure a flatter floor or bottom for the support of a hikers sleeping bag, or other bedding, and thus provide greater comfort for the shelters occupant than would be possible if the ribs were rigid enough to retain their normally circular shape in the pitched shelter. The ribs are formed from relatively flat strips of a suitable metal material, such as, for example, spring steel of 18- to ZO-gauge thickness, and are about I% inches wide for a shelter having substantially the dimensions given above. It will be appreciated, of course, that the ribs can vary in width within the scope of my invention. For example, as will be apparent, the larger the rib diameter, the greater will be the rib width, at least in most cases. The ribs for smaller embodiments of the shelter might thus be of %-inch or lesser, width so long as they serve my purpose, as taught herein. While the ribs can be relatively narrow, however, I believe they should be of flat cross-section, rather than of wire-like shape, since wire of sufficient strength for the purpose, would, I feel, be too rigid to assume a properly flattened shape in the pitched shelter for the accommodation of an occupants sleeping bag or bedding. As indicated above, the ribs for my novel shelter can be made of any suitable material, so long as they exhibit properties of resiliency consistent with the teachings herein, plastic ribs which satisfy the necessary resiliency requirements, being, for example, perfectly suitable for the use in the shelter.

The ribs are fastened in position against the inner wall of the tubular portion 16 of cover 12 by means of strips of fabric wide enough to fit over the inner surfaces of the ribs and extend laterally beyond the edges of the latter, one such strip being shown in cross-section at 80 in FIG. 6. The fabric strips are preferably, but not necessarily, made of the same material from which the tubular portion 16 of the cover 12 is formed, and are fastened in position to prevent axial movement of the ribs to any significant extent by means of stitching either side of the rib (see FIG. 6).

The rear end of the cover 12 is protected by a fabric enclosure 18 formed for the most part from a lightweight weatherproof fabric which is preferably, but again not necessarily, the same as the fabric from which the tubular portion 16 of cover 12 is formed. The enclosure 18 has a window with an insect netting screen 20 and an attached flap 24 sized and positioned to normally hang down over the window opening and serve as a cover therefor. The method of attachment of the flap is such as to permit it to be folded up and back against the outer surface of enclosure 18 to expose the window opening when this is desirable. Flap 24 is provided with a pair of ties 26 at its lower corners, and enclosure 18 has two pairs of similar ties 28 and 30, positioned to permit fastening of the flap so as to expose the window opening, or cover the window, respectively. FIG. 3 illustrates these features by showing the flap 24 partially fastened in its window covering position by a knot 29 between one of its ties 26 and one of the ties 30, and partially pulled up to expose a portion of the insect netting window screen 20.

The front end of the shelter cover 12 has a pair of inner flaps, formed from insect netting, and a pair of overlying flaps formed preferably, but once again not necessarily, from the same lightweight fabric material as that from which the tubular portion 16 of cover 12 is formed. FIG. 2, showing the front end of the pitched shelter, reveals one of the inner insect netting flaps at 42 and the two outer flaps at 32 and 34, respectively, flap 32 being shown in a closed, and flap 34 in an open, position (see below). Both the inner and outer flaps are provided with zipper fasteners as illustrated in FIG. 2, so arranged as to permit closure of the front of the shelter completely or closure of only the insect netting flaps from the inside of the shelter.

Each set of overlapping inner and outer flaps encloses half of the front opening of the shelter as FIG. 2

6 makers clear, and where these flaps are fastened to the tubular portion of cover 12, they have inturned edges which fit around the inside of an inturned fold 46 of said tubular portion so that the in turned edge of the inner flap sandwiches that of the outer flap between it and the inturned fold 46 of said tubular portion, all as illustrated in FIG. 4 where the inturned edges of one of the sets of inner and outer flaps are shown at 50 and 56, respectively. The inner and outer flaps, so positioned, are sewn in place to the folded front end of the tubular portion 16 of cover 12 by stitching means as illustrated at in FIG. 4.

The inturned fold 46 of the tubular portion cover 12 extends inwardly far enough to cover the rib 14 at the front end of shelter 10, and is sewn to the wall of said tubular portion, as shown at 48 in FIG. 4, to provide snug encasement of that rib between stitches 60 and 48 all as illustrated in FIG. 4. At its rear, tubular portion 16 of cover 12 is turned inwardly, similarly to the way it is at its front end, and sewn around the rib 14 at the rest of the shelter by means of stitches 74, in front of the rib, and stitches 78, in back of the rib, to provide encasement of that rib for holding it in position similarly to the way front rib 14 is held in position by the inturned front end of said tubular portion. The enclosure 18 at the rear of the shelter has its edge folded toward the front of the shelter far enough to permit it to be sewn to the tubular portion 16 of cover 12 by the stitches 78 passing through the folded end of said tubular portion, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5. It will thus be seen that all of the

ribs

14 and 15 are encased in snug fitting tunnels to keep them properly positioned to provide adequate support for cover 12 when shelter 10 is pitched for use.

Passing through aligned openings in the inturned fold 46 of the tubular cover, the front rib l4 and the outer wall of the cover is a first grommet 64 adapted to receive a front tie-down line 66, knotted at its inner end as shown at 67 in FIG. 4, which serves to anchor the front end of the pitched shelter in position. Passing similarly through aligned openings in the inturned fold at the rear of the tubular portion of cover 12, the rear rib l4 and the outer wall of said tubular portion, is a second grommet 64, adapted to receive a rear tie-down line 71, knotted at its inner end as shown at 73 to prevent the passage of that end through the grommet opening, all as illustrated in FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 shows the shelter in collapsed condition for carrying, with the

ribs

14 and 15 pushed together and the tubular portion 16 of the cover 12 compressed in accordion-like fashion between the ribs. Because of the lightweight character of the fabric from which the tubular portion 16 is made, the shelter folds into a relatively flat and compact bundle which can be tied securely for carrying on the back, or in a vehicle, by means of the tie-down lines 66 and 71. When it is time to pitch the packed shelter for use, it is a simple matter to simply loosen the tie-down lines 66 and 71, stretch the shelter to substantially its full length along the ground with the ribs standing upright, and fasten the tie-down lines 66 and 71 to approriately positioned pegs 79 and 81 driven into the ground generally in line with the center of the shelter and spaced outwardly from the front and rear ends of the latter in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. The tie-down lines are pulled taut enough to exert outward and downward pressure on the two end ribs 14 and cause slight flattening of the shelter to make it more readily receptive of a sleeping body and help hold it formly against the ground so that it will remain in position without danger of movement as a result of inclement weather conditions. When the shelter is occupied, it is, of course, even more firmly anchored in position by the weight of the occupant. The forces exerted by the tie-down lines act on the ribs between the ribs 14 through cover 12, to a certain extent, and, additionally, those ribs, as well as ribs 14, tend to flatten to a certain degree under the force of gravity as a result of their resiliency. These flattening forces combine to compress the shelter into the oval shape shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 which, as previously indicated, is advantageous in providing a roomy and comfortable interior for a sleeping occupant.

When it is time to prepare the pitched shelter for movement, it is only necessary to unfasten the tie-down lines from

pegs

79 and 81, compress the shelter to a form similar to that shown in FIG. 9 and fasten it into a compact bundle with the tie-down lines in any suitable fashion. The resulting bundle, because of its compactness and lightness of weight, can be carried without difficulty, even by a child, or easily stowed in a limited space in a vehicle or on a pack animal.

As previously indicated, the cover for the novel shelter of this invention can be made from a lightweight plastic sheet material, instead of a weatherproof fabric such as nylon tenting, and the ribs can be formed from suitably resilient plastic rather than metal strip stock, if desired. Where both the cover and ribs are made of plastic, the ribs can be welded or glued to the cover in the manner illustrated in FIG. 8 which shows such a construction in which a plastic rib 17 is fastened to a plastic cover 19 at 21 by welding means. Where a combination of metal ribs and sheet plastic cover is employed, the middle ribs can be held in position by means of strips of the sheet plastic similar to the way the rib 15 is held by the nylon strip 80 in FIG. 6. The sheet plastic strips will preferably, however, be welded or glued to the cover, rather than being sewn thereto. This arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 7, which shows a metal rib 85 fastened in position between a sheet plastic cover 86 and a strip of the plastic material 88, the strip being fastened to the cover at 31 and 33 by welding means.

While my novel lightweight shelter has been herein described and illustrated in what I consider to be its preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that my invention is not limited to those embodiments but is broad enough in concept to encompass all modifications thereof incorporative of the structural and functional essence of the invention as taught herein. Certain of these modifications have already been mentioned, and other will occur to those skilled in the art in the light of present teachings. An example of one such modification would be the combined use of plastic ribs, a sheet plastic cover and sheet plastic holding strips in the shelter construction, rather than just the plastic rib and sheet plastic cover construction of FIG. 8. In summary, it is emphasized that the scope of the present invention includes all variant forms thereof encompassed by the language of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. Collapsible shelter means comprising:

a flexible cover of relatively thin, weatherproof, lightweight sheet material adapted to assume a tubular shape when suitably stretched;

a plurality of normally hoop-shaped ribs formed from flat strip material in general conformity with the cross-sectional size and shape of said cover in its stretched, tubular form, said ribs being resiliently deformable under downwardly directed force when standing on edge;

fastening means for securing said ribs in positions adjacent said cover in generally coaxial relationship with, and in spaced apart relationship along the axis of, the cover in its stretched, tubular form, the spacing of the secured ribs being such as to permit them to serve as frame means for the stretched cover; and

removably installable anchoring means for exerting oppositely and downwardly directed pulling force on the upper center portions of the two end ones of said ribs to stretch the rib-reinforced cover into the form of a tubular shelter, and help cause flattening distortion of said shelter to increase its width, on a substantially horizontal support surface;

said shelter means being axially contractable, when free of the pulling influence of the anchoring means, into a compact, lightweight bundle, for easy portability.

2. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 1 adapted primarily for use as a sleeping shelter for a single person and in which the tubular shape of said flexible cover is of normally round cross-section and said ribs are hoops fabricated from spring steel strip stock.

3. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 2, in which said flexible cover has ends disposed in substantially parallel planes generally perpendicular to the axis of the cover in its tubular shape, a separate one of said ribs is secured in position at approximately each end of said tubular shape and said anchoring means comprises a pair of tie-down lines fastenable at their outer ends to pegs anchored in the ground under sufficient tension to exert said pulling force on said upper center portions of said two end ones of said ribs.

4. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 3, in which said sheet material is lightweight nylon tenting material.

5. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claims 3, in which said tubular shelter has a permanent enclosure of flexible sheet material at one end and an opening adapted to permit an occupant to enter or leave the shelter at the other end.

6. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 5, in which said opening at said other end is fitted with flexible closure means which can be opened or closed by said occupant from inside said shelter to permit movement through said opening or provide protection from outside influences to one occupying the shelter, respectively.

7. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 6, in which said closure means comprises flexible flaps fitted with zipper fastening means.

8. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 7, in which said permanent enclosure includes a window opening screened by insect netting.

9. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 7, in which the flexible flaps include an inner pair of insect netting flaps and an outer pair of flaps formed from a relatively thin, weatherproof, lightweight sheet material.

10. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 8, in which said permanent enclosure has a flexi- 3 ,929 l 45 9 10 ble flap attached to proper position to cover said winopening to expose the latter for shelter ventilation purdow opening, the means of attachment being such as to poses. permit temporary folding of the flap away from the

Claims

1. Collapsible shelter means comprising: a flexible cover of relatively thin, weatherproof, lightweight sheet material adapted to assume a tubular shape when suitably stretched; a plurality of normally hoop-shaped ribs formed from flat strip material in general conformity with the cross-sectional size and shape of said cover in its stretched, tubular form, said ribs being resiliently deformable under downwardly directed force when standing on edge; fastening means for securing said ribs in positions adjacent said cover in generally coaxial relationship with, and in spaced apart relationship along the axis of, the cover in its stretched, tubular form, the spacing of the secured ribs being such as to permit them to serve as frame means for the stretched cover; and removably installable anchoring means for exerting oppositely and downwardly directed pulling force on the upper center portions of the two end ones of said ribs to stretch the ribreinforced cover into the form of a tubular shelter, and help cause flattening distortion of said shelter to increase its width, on a substantially horizontal support surface; said shelter means being axially contractable, when free of the pulling influence of the anchoring means, into a compact, lightweight bundle, for easy portability.

10. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 8, in which said permanent enclosure has a flexible flap attached to proper position to cover said window opening, the means of attachment being such as to permit temporary folding of the flap away from the opening to expose the latter for shelter ventilation purposes.