Retractable Tree-Mounted Roof Assembly for Fast Shelter Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hunting blinds and temporary shelters are often cumbersome to install and store, leading to damage from weather exposure when left up continuously, and there is a need for a portable and retractable solution that can be easily set up and taken down.
Innovation Solution
A portable roof assembly comprising a case with a retractable cover, a spindle mechanism, and a collapsible frame that can be mounted to a tree trunk, allowing the cover to be extended and supported by a frame assembly, with optional side skirts for enhanced protection and versatility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a portable roof assembly is designed to be easily set up and stored, then ease of operation is improved, but structural strength and stability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The roof assembly is divided into separate modular components including a collapsible frame structure, a retractable cover, and a mounting system. These segments can be independently assembled and disassembled, enabling easy setup and storage while maintaining structural integrity when deployed through proper connection mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame components are designed to nest within each other when not in use, with the collapsible structure fitting inside the mounting housing. This nesting capability enables compact storage and portable transport while allowing rapid deployment when the frame is expanded to its full structural configuration.
2Ease of operation
If the roof assembly is made retractable and portable, then ease of storage is improved, but protection from weather exposure when left up continuously deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The roof assembly incorporates dynamic elements including a retractable cover that can be extended or retracted, and a collapsible frame that can be deployed or stored. This dynamic capability allows the structure to transition between a protected stored state and a deployed protective state, enabling easy storage while providing weather protection when needed through controlled extension of the cover and frame.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable and retractable roof having a rotatably retractable cover housed inside a case and attached to a spindle rotatably housed inside the case. The case is removably affixed to a tree trunk by a tree mount disposed as a frame attached to the case and attached to the trunk by a strap. The cover, when extended, is attached to and supported by a frame assembly attached to both the cover and to either the case or the tree mount. A skirt portion removably affixed to the frame assembly is also provided. In use, the cover is rotatably extended out so as to serve as a roof and rotatably retracted to store in the case. A method of use is also provided.