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Chair shelter

Chair shelter description/claims

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/108,333 filed Apr. 18, 2005.

The present invention relates to portable shelters and, in particular, to a collapsible shelter fitted to a collapsible chair for use during outdoor recreation, such as ice fishing, hunting and summer camping or beach recreation.

Portable shelters for ice fishing have been constructed in a variety of designs. Many recent designs provide for rigid walled shelters that mount on trailer frames. Beds, cabinets, stoves, lights, hole covers and other accommodations are permanently mounted to the walls, floors and ceiling. The wheels are rotated down for travel and up when located of a fishing spot.

Some shelter designs are constructed on runners with rigid, windowed walls in the form of small outbuildings. The structures are insulated for heat retention and use for several days. Heating and cooking appliances are added as desired. These shelters are towed on and off the ice each season.

Some designs provide fabric-covered tents that can include sewn floors or open floors. An associated collapsible framework supports the fabric. Associated mechanisms must be included to securely anchor the shelter against wind.

Still other portable designs provide frames that pivot or mount to a rigid base that can comprise a folded floor and/or a sled. Tubular frame members mounted to the floor or sled support a fabric enclosure with sewn windows and zippered doors. The members are typically mounted to pivot at the base/sled. Benches or seats are frequently adapted to the base/sled. Open chairs can be used with the open floor models and can also be set into the larger sleds. Such designs are typically constructed for 1 to 6 or more users.

On occasion buckets and chairs are set on the ice and used without a surrounding shelter, especially on sunny, warm weather days and nights. Each of the foregoing provides advantages and disadvantages in regards to cost, portability and durability; consequently, the large numbers of alternative designs.

A variety of summer assemblies have also been developed for the beach to shade a user from the UV rays of the sun. Some provide chairs with associated umbrellas that can be trained to shade the user. Tent-like assemblies have also been suggested for protecting or controlling exposure to the sun and protection from insects.

A variety of blind assemblies have also been developed for waterfowl and turkey hunters. Many are constructed in the form of tents. Some are configured as animals and some are configured to position the hunter in a reclined or supine posture.

The present invention was developed to provide another alternative portable shelter that finds particular application with winter sports, such as ice fishing, although can be adapted to hunting and summer/beach and camping recreation activities. The assembly provides a low-cost collapsible, portable shelter that is readily deployed and transported. The shelter provides multiple fabric panel walls that are supported to a collapsible shelter framework. The shelter framework, in turn, is attached to a collapsible chair. The collapsible shelter framework presently attaches to a preferred collapsible sling chair, although could be adapted to a variety of rigid or folding chairs. The collapsible chair framework supports fabric seat, backrest and/or armrest supports.

The shelter framework includes a number of hinged frame pieces that pivot to define a rigid support frame for several attached fabric panels that define enclosure walls. With the chair and shelter frameworks expanded, the shelter walls can be rotated between selected partially open and covering conditions to shade or completely shelter the chair and user from the elements (i.e. sun, wind, rain or snow) and insects.

Hunting blind versions include flat and three-dimensional camouflage fabrics to obscure and blend the chair into the background and prevent reflections. The three-dimensional fabric material is formed from a pressure and temperature treated fabric that causes the fabric to wrinkle and which promotes a three-dimensional relief into the material that enhances its use for hunting blinds, clothing and other devices.

In contrast, typical prior materials provide a substrate and to which strips, patches or other appliqués are sewn, laminated, adhesively fastened or attached. The substrate may also be processed to provide loose strands, cut strips and the like. Still other fabric materials provide loosely woven fiber strands (e.g. cut or folded and of the same or differing heights, such as a burber) to provide a visual and physical depth of field to the fabric. The random differences in the placement, separation and elevation of the strands from the substrate absorb and reflect light such that the materials visually blend into an adjacent background.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a portable shelter that includes an integrated collapsible shelter and user support (e.g. chair, bench or recliner).

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shelter that can be deployed to pre-defined latched conditions that completely enclose and/or partially cover the user and the underlying ground, sand or ice.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a fabric shelter that is supported to a collapsible framework.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a shelter having a user support that is independently collapsible, for example, a sling chair, stool or folding chair with a rigid or flexible sling seat, armrest and/or backrest pieces.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a shelter including a collapsible, sling chair.

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