Flexible Base Structure for Floorless Shelter Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lightweight rain flies or portable shelters without a floor are difficult to set up due to the lack of orientation and resistance provided by a traditional tent floor, making it challenging for individuals to align and flex the support ribs into their desired configuration.
Innovation Solution
A flexible and scalable base structure for floorless portable shelters, featuring a continuous loop with strategically positioned grommets and a fixed junction, allows for easy assembly of the shelter by receiving the ends of flexible support ribs, enabling the setup of a floorless portable shelter without additional assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a lightweight rain fly without a floor is used, then the weight of the shelter is reduced, but the ease of setup deteriorates due to lack of orientation and resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing a floor structure with pre-positioned loops at fixed locations along the perimeter, which are prepared in advance to receive stakes. This pre-arranged configuration provides the necessary orientation and resistance during setup, solving the problem of difficult assembly that occurs with floorless shelters while maintaining the lightweight design.
2Ease of operation
If a conventional tent floor is added, then the ease of setup is improved through provided orientation and resistance, but the weight of the shelter increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the floor into a lightweight base structure with distributed loops positioned at specific intervals along the perimeter. Rather than using a single heavy conventional floor, the segmented approach with strategically placed loops provides necessary support and orientation while minimizing weight, allowing the floor to fulfill its functional role without significant weight penalty.
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple support ribs are used to support the rain fly, then the stability of the shelter is improved, but the complexity of alignment and configuration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by introducing loops as mediating elements between the support ribs and the floor structure. These loops serve as intermediaries that simplify the connection process, providing fixed attachment points that guide the positioning of support ribs and eliminate the complexity of direct alignment, thereby maintaining stability while reducing configuration complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An example method for providing a flexible base structure for a portable shelter includes the steps of forming a continuous loop of a flexible material and attaching a plurality of rib intersections such as grommets at respective locations along the flexible loop. An alternative method for constructing a flexible base structure for a floorless portable shelter includes forming a continuous loop of a flexible material and arranging a plurality of openings at respective locations along the continuous loop. An embodiment of a base structure for supporting the ribs of a portable shelter includes a flexible loop and a plurality of rib intersections arranged along the flexible loop. Each of the plurality of rib intersections forms an opening for receiving a respective end of a rib that supports the portable shelter.