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Tent fan

Tent fan description/claims

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/679,705, filed May 11, 2005, and incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention is directed to tents or canopies, and more specifically to ventilation in a tent or canopy.

Camping is a popular recreational activity enjoyed by many. Some people camp so that they may enjoy the outdoors, and others use camping as an inexpensive alternative to staying in a hotel.

Often campers stay in a tent, either in a campsite, or in a suitable location somewhere outdoors. In general, a tent is a collapsible shelter, which typically is made of a tough fabric or plastic and is held up by poles or another suitable structure.

Because a tent is often a closed structure, often the air within the tent becomes stale. Condensation, stale air, and aroma from a fetid tent mate are often expelled by providing tent ventilation. This ventilation can be provided, for example, by keeping the doors slightly open or by having windows in the tent. More recently, tents have been designed so they have a mesh top. A rain fly extends over the tent and is spaced from the mesh top by the pole structure for the tent. In theory, the air flows out of the tent through the mesh material at the top of the tent and into the area between the rain fly and the tent. This air then circulates out from under the rain fly.

Although the mesh and rain fly construction of tents works well, the rain fly does not always provide optimal ventilation. Often, the rain fly extends almost to the ground and if a breeze is not directed properly between the tent and the rain fly, stale air and condensation may still accumulate underneath the rain fly and proper ventilation may not be supplied.

Another structure that is often used while camping is a canopy. In general, a canopy is a covering that provides shelter. For camping, canopies are typically made of fabric and are designed to be folded into a compact configuration for storage. A canopy may or may not have walls, such as screen walls. A canopy may be, for example, set up over a picnic area, used adjacent to a tent for a storage area, serve as a shelter from the rain, or used as a screened area to avoid bugs.

Canopies also need ventilation. In general, canopies have an apex and two or more sides that extend down from the apex and that are attached to poles or another support. Condensation and stale air can accumulate under this apex. In addition, in hotter weather, the environment under an unvented canopy can become rather warm.

Although the ventilation systems described above work well for circulating air in tents and canopies, often there is insufficient air movement in the environment of the tent or canopy to remove heat from the tent or canopy. In addition, during extremely wet conditions, condensation may not be removed from tents at a rate to satisfy its occupants.

The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

In accordance with an embodiment, a tent fan is provided for moving air through a tent or canopy. In an embodiment, the tent fan includes a housing with magnets, and a separate metal plate. The metal plate may be placed on the opposite side of a screen from the housing and may be attached to the magnets. In this manner, the tent fan is mounted for direct circulation into the tent or canopy through the mesh. One fan may be used with a tent or canopy, and may direct air either in or out of the tent or canopy. Alternatively, two or more of the tent fans may be used to direct air either in and out of the tent or canopy, or both.

In accordance with an embodiment, the metal plate is bent at one end so that it may act as a stand for the tent fan to be arranged in an upright manner independent of a tent or a canopy.

In accordance with another embodiment, a port is provided in a tent specifically sized for the tent fan.

Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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