Tent – canopy – umbrella – or cane – Portable shelter
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-29
2001-06-26
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3635)
Tent, canopy, umbrella, or cane
Portable shelter
C135S118000, C135S119000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250320
ABSTRACT:
I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cover system and more specifically relates to a cover system for providing an easily deconstructed and constructed cover for a boat, jet ski, or other personal item. Said cover system comprises a lightweight square or rectangular cover, said cover being fabricated of a breathable type water resistant fabric or solar screen material, four hollow tubular support poles, and four solid steel ground spikes.
II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In the prior art, there exists plenty of cover systems that are presently available for use. One such example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,402, issued to Clary, which discloses a portable shelter having a frame whose members freely move between a maximum and a minimum dimension to enable selectively applied, various size shelter skins to the frame and to tautly stretch the shelter skin thereon. The skin also comprises slidable tension means that stretch the skin over a portion of the frame. The upper portion of the shelter is partially supported by a lifting force applied thereto. The first end of each post is connected to the first ends of the other posts, and the second ends of each post engages a support surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,194, issued to Kaye, discloses a securing structure that comprises a first ring member, second and third ring members adjacent to the first ring member, a locking member, a cord insertible through the second and third ring members, respectively, and engageable by a locking member. The first, second and third ring members sit in a panel, form a triangular relationship and are formed with openings, with the opening in the first ring member larger than the openings in the second and third ring members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,181, issued to Liberman et al., discloses a pole and fabric body assembly for beach use, requiring only three support poles for providing the fabric body with what is applicably recharacterized as a shallow triangular shape, wherein the angular orientation of each of the supported sides of the fabric body is adequate to reflect the wind, and wherein the windward side thereof is nevertheless perceived as a rectangular display in which indicia, preferably provided by color but possibly also consisting of word messages or the like, is readily observed and thus functions as a visual signal for locating the device, particularly on a crowded beach.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,508, issued to Tatoian, discloses a collapsible sunshade for erecting on a sandy beach. Said sunshade includes a polygonal sail member and a compliment of supporting poles corresponding to the comers of the sail member, said poles being particularly flexible for maintaining a desired tension in the sail member without requiring accurate positioning of the poles in the sand. The poles each have a triangular trough shaped blade member for securely anchoring in wet or dry sand with a low level of downwardly directed force being required for penetration of the poles into the sand.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,761, issued to Winant, discusses a shelter which comprises panels of fabric which are innerconnected in their upper part along an edge of curvilinear shape whose concavity faces outwardly and is adapted to receive support posts at the outer ends of this edge, and tensioning means extending from the lower edge of the panels at two points spaced apart a distance less than that between the points receiving the posts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,673, issued to Bernardi, discloses and awning type sunshade particularly for beaches, gardens and the like, comprising a supporting frame associated with a support member. At an intermediate point of the supporting frame the ends of a pair of telescoping arms are articulated. At the other ends, the arms are connected with the ends of a front member which is movable with respect to the supporting frame. The arms are pivotable at an intermediate point about a substantially perpendicular axes with respect to the front member direction of movement.
As can be seen by the prior art, there is no prior art which substantially features all of the individual characteristics of the present invention. None of the prior art contains a cover which is mountable on support poles in a non-tying fashion, as is present in the current invention. In addition, none of the prior art contains spikes or support means that include a spike driver or other similar mechanism to assist a user in inserting a spike into the ground and later removing said spike from the ground.
III. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a lightweight square or rectangular cover fabricated of a breathable type water resistant fabric or solar screen material, said cover having a metal grommet installed into each comer. The type of fabric could actually vary, depending on the climate of the area in which it is being used. For instance, in Arizona the user might want a fabric that would include more UV protection, in Louisiana a user might want more rain resistant protection in a fabric, and in Nevada, a user might want fabric that provides additional dust protection.
The present invention also includes four hollow tubular support poles to support said cover, each of said poles having a top mounted flange to keep the grommet in position at the top of the assembly, and also including a pivoting two sided toggle which would prevent the grommet from slipping off the pole after installation. Said invention would also include four solid steel ground spikes, each of said spikes having a top mounted bar with a spring loaded lock tab and a side mounted spike driver flange. The spike driver flange would be used to hammer the spike into the ground and could also serve to aid in removing the spikes with the claw of the hammer. Each of the comer poles would fit snugly over the top mounted bar that is located on the top of each spike, and locking tab on said top mounted bar would mate with a hole in the side of the pole, serving to lock the components together.
Said invention would come in a wide variety of sizes. Larger units of said invention would include a sewn pocket running from one side to the other and the center of said cover, allowing a fiberglass reinforcing rod to be inserted to prevent bowing from collected rain water or for preventing excessive flapping due to high winds. The fiberglass rod would be slightly curved to hold the cover up higher in the center, resulting in the rain water immediately running off.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a lightweight tarpaulin type cover that would be held in the air by means of four comer support poles.
It is another object of this invention to provide a lightweight tarpaulin type cover that would be held in the air by means of four comer support poles that contain a mechanism to prevent the cover from being detached from the support poles.
It is another object of this invention to provide adequate anchoring and supporting means to the support poles, while also allow the support poles to be easily moved if so desired by a user.
It is another objection of this invention to provide extra support to said lightweight tarpaulin type cover to insure rainwater or wind will not knock over or affect said cover.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2130919 (1938-09-01), Erickson et al.
patent: 3093874 (1963-06-01), Rapata
patent: 3866619 (1975-02-01), Per Frisk
patent: 4068673 (1978-01-01), Bernardi
patent: 4367761 (1983-01-01), Winant
patent: 4750508 (1988-06-01), Tatoian
patent: 4966181 (1990-10-01), Liberman et al.
patent: 5080123 (1992-01-01), Stein
patent: 5415194 (1995-05-01), Kaye
patent: 5487402 (1996-01-01), Clary
patent: 5881495 (1999-03-01), Clark
Anderson & Morishita
Cuomo Peter M.
Fisher Michael J.
Morishita Robert Ryan
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