Lightweight Rooftop Tent Using Fabric Hinges and Honeycomb Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rooftop tents are expensive and heavy, making them costly to produce and ship, and difficult to install on vehicles due to their weight and size.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a fabric shell with fabric hinges and lightweight, stiffened honeycomb structural panels for the upper and lower portions of the tent system, allowing for a cost-effective and lightweight alternative that can be easily assembled and disassembled, with adjustable tension members and a frame to support users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional hard shell rooftop tents are used, then durability and structural strength are improved, but weight and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials combining aluminum extrusions (6063-T5 or 6061-T6) with fabric panels and honeycomb structural panels to create a lightweight yet strong tent structure. This composite approach replaces traditional hard shell materials with a combination that provides comparable strength at reduced weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses fabric panels (214, 216) and flexible honeycomb structural panels (204, 206) instead of rigid hard shells. These flexible elements maintain structural integrity while significantly reducing weight compared to conventional hard shell constructions.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional hard shell rooftop tents are used, then structural stability is improved, but ease of assembly and disassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tent is divided into modular components including upper portion (202), lower portion (208), removable structural panels (204, 206, 212, 214), and fabric panels (216, 218). This segmentation allows individual parts to be easily assembled and disassembled while maintaining overall structural stability when configured.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates movable elements such as telescoping support members (224, 226) and removable structural panels that can be easily inserted and removed. These dynamic components enable quick assembly and disassembly operations while providing stable support when deployed.
3Weight of moving object
If fabric materials and hinges are used instead of hard shell, then weight and cost are reduced, but structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines fabric materials with aluminum extrusions and honeycomb structural panels to create a composite structure that maintains strength while reducing weight. The fabric panels are supported by rigid aluminum frames and stiffened honeycomb panels, achieving a balance between weight reduction and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties to different parts of the structure: fabric for flexible covering, aluminum extrusions for rigid framing, and honeycomb panels for localized structural support. This local differentiation of material quality ensures strength is provided where needed while minimizing overall weight.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are embodiments of roof top tent systems that can have an upper portion and a lower portion attached to the upper portion along a first end portion of the upper and lower portions, at least one hinge that can extend along a length of a first end of the tent system, and a first structural panel in the lower portion of the tent system. In some embodiments, the at least one hinge can hingedly attach the upper portion to the lower portion of the tent system and/or can comprise a flap or web of material that extends from the upper portion of the tent system to the lower portion of the tent system. The at least one hinge can include and/or be made from a fabric material.