Tent Corner Strut and Arch Pole Structure for Weather Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lightweight tents struggle to balance weight reduction with stability and space efficiency, especially in four-season conditions with snow loading and strong winds, while being practical for three-season use.
Innovation Solution
A corner support structure featuring integrated strut legs forming an inverted V-shape, secured within the fabric walls, combined with a center arch and supplemental arch poles for enhanced stability and space utilization, allowing the tent to be freestanding in severe conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If arch poles are used to maximize interior space and fabric support, then space/weight ratio is improved, but weight increases significantly (arch poles are about 3 times heavier than vertical poles)
Solution Approach 1:
The single arch pole is segmented into multiple vertical poles distributed around the tent perimeter. Each vertical pole is much lighter than a full arch pole, but collectively they provide distributed support that maintains interior space and fabric stability without the weight penalty of a single heavy arch pole.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure transitions from a horizontal arch configuration to a vertical pole configuration. This dimensional change allows the tent to achieve stability and space through vertical elevation rather than horizontal spanning, dramatically reducing individual pole weight while maintaining overall structural effectiveness.
2Weight of moving object
If single vertical pole or single arch is used to minimize weight, then weight is reduced, but useable space at canopy edges is compromised and stability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The single central support is segmented into multiple vertical poles positioned at strategic locations around the tent, including near the canopy edges. This segmentation distributes support across multiple light points, preserving useable space at the periphery while keeping each individual pole lightweight.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple vertical poles are combined with corner struts and guy lines to create a distributed support system. The corner struts integrate with the canopy structure and work together with the vertical poles to lift and stabilize edges, merging multiple lightweight elements into a collectively effective support network.
3Volume of moving object
If single strut is used to raise and stabilize corner edges, then useable space is improved, but stability is insufficient without multiple guy lines
Solution Approach 1:
The corner strut is merged with integrated fabric sleeves and combined with vertical poles and guy lines to form a composite support system. This integration allows the corner structure to achieve sufficient stability through the combined action of multiple lightweight elements rather than requiring heavy reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The corner struts are designed to be pre-integrated into the canopy structure during manufacturing, with fabric sleeves built in. This preliminary integration eliminates the need for separate assembly steps in the field and ensures proper positioning and tensioning before the tent is even erected.
4Reliability
If multi-pole geodesic or paraboloid design is used for four-season stability, then weather resistance is improved, but weight increases and space-to-weight ratio decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than using a heavy multi-pole geodesic design throughout, the patent applies enhanced support structures (corner struts with integrated sleeves and vertical poles) only at critical locations where weather resistance is most needed. The majority of the tent structure uses lighter materials and simpler geometry, achieving four-season capability through localized reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction combining silnylon canopy material with lightweight aluminum or carbon fiber vertical poles and corner struts. This composite approach creates a structure that is both lightweight and sufficiently durable for four-season use, avoiding the need for heavy all-metal pole structures.
Data Source
AI summary
A tent shelter of the type that is erected by at least one arch pole and has multiple fabric walls that intersect to form substantially vertical corners when the shelter is erected. At each corner a strut-and-guy line support structure is provided for supporting and tensioning the fabric walls. Each strut structure includes two strut legs, each leg being integrated with a respective wall of a particular corner. The bottom ends of the strut legs are spread apart in the erected state of the shelter but are interconnected by a flexible strap. The top ends of each set of legs converge to form an inverted V shape. A guy line arrangement tensions each of the corners. The tent body can further be strengthened against severe weather by additional arch poles removably secured to the fabric body in an X configuration crossing the center arch and passing over the corners.