Foldable tent camping unit

Claim 2

In a foldable tent camping unit, the combination comprising a main platform section forming a tent trailer box, vehiculating means secured to said tent trailer box to support the latter for travel, one extension platform section forming a cover arranged to close the top of said tent trailer box, hinge means pivotally connecting said main platform section to said extension platform section along one edge thereof to allow pivoting of the extension section between a folded transport and storage position closing said tent trailer box and an unfolded camping position adjacent said main platform section, lever means connected to said one extension platform section and arranged to pivot with the latter, a relatively strong tension spring arranged to be anchored relative to said main platform section and to said lever means, the latter being arranged upon pivoting, to change the tension of said spring, to increase the tension upon approaching said folded and unfolded positions, and to decrease the tension upon approaching an intermediate equilibrium position.

Claim 3

A foldable tent camping unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said lever means is a linkage pivotally connected to said main platform section.

Claim 4

A foldable tent camping unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said lever means includes a pivoted lever having a pivot point on said main platform section, and said strong tension spring and said extension platform section are connected to said lever distally from said pivot point and are arranged whereby the weight of said extension platform section and the force of said tension spring counteract each other.

Claim 5

A foldable tent camping unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said lever means includes an elbow-shape lever having an elbow portion intermediate a pair of lever arm portions, said elbow portion defines a pivot point onto said main platform section, said strong tension spring and said one extension platform section are connected each to a respective one of said lever arm portions and are arranged to cause the tension of said spring to counteract the weight of said one extension platform section on said elbow-shape lever.

Claim 6

A foldable tent camping unit as defined in claim 4, wherein said elbow-shape lever is constructed and arranged relative to said tension spring and to said one extension platform section to provide an equilibrium position whereat the weight of the extension platform section and the tension in said spring are effectively inactive on said elbow-shape lever.

Claim 7

A foldable tent camping unit as defined in claim 1, further including another extension platform section hingedly connected to said main platform section along another edge thereof opposite said one edge and arranged to pivot between a folded and an unfolded position, another lever means connected to said another extension platform section and arranged to pivot with the latter, both said lever means are arranged in generally the same transverse plane relative to the hinge axes of said extension platform sections and the ends of said tension spring are anchored to said lever means, the latter are both constructed and arranged to increase the tension of said spring upon approaching any of said folded and unfolded positions of any of said extension platform sections.

Claim 8

A foldable tent camping unit comprising three platform sections of relatively the same size hinged one to another and arranged to fold one over another for storage and travel, and to unfold to overlie generally three times the ground surface overlied when folded, wherein one of said platform sections constitutes a main platform section having a pair of opposite edges, the others of said platform sections constitute extension platform sections, a first hinge means pivotally connects one of said extension platform sections to one of said opposite edges, a second hinge means pivotally connects the other of said extension platform sections to the other of said opposite edges, said extension platform sections are arranged to unfold and extend laterally outwardly adjacent said opposite edges of said main platform section and wherein said main platform section forms a tent trailer box, said one extension platform section forms a cover arranged to close the top of said tent trailer box, said second hinge means is arranged to cause said other extension platform section to fold under said cover and over said tent trailer box to allow closing of the latter, and said vehiculating means is fixed to said tent trailer box to support the latter for travel.

Claim 9

A foldable tent camping unit comprising three platform sections of relatively the same size hinged one to another and arranged to fold one over another for storage and travel, and to unfold to overlie generally three times the ground surface overlied when folded, wherein one of said platform sections constitutes a main platform section having a pair of opposite edges, the others of said platform sections constitute extension platform sections, a first hinge means pivotally connects one of said extension platform sections to one of said opposite edges, a second hinge means pivotally connects the other of said extension platform sections to the other of said opposite edges, said extension platform sections are arranged to unfold and extend laterally outwardly adjacent said opposite edges of said main platform section and wherein said main platform section forms a tent trailer box, said one extension platform section forms a cover arranged to close the top of said tent trailer box, said second hinge means is arranged to cause said other extension platform section to fold under said cover and over said tent trailer box to allow closing of the latter, and said vehiculating means is fixed to said tent trailer box to support the latter for travel.

Claim 10

A foldable tent camping unit as defined in claim 7, wherein said main platform section and said one extension platform section are each provided with a peripHeral wall, said peripheral walls are constructed and arranged to laterally confine said other extension platform section when said extension platform sections are folded into travel position, and said one extension platform section is constructed and arranged, when unfolded, to extend level with the main platform section of said trailer box to form a floor extension thereof.

Claim 11

A foldable tent camping unit as defined in claim 8, wherein each of said peripheral walls defines a pair of opposite side walls, the opposite side walls of said main platform section extend along said opposite edges, one of said side walls of said one extension platform section extends contiguous to one of said side walls of said main platform section, said first hinge means pivotally connects said contiguous one side walls, the latter are provided with registering door openings arranged to form a passageway between said main platform section and said one extension platform section, when the latter is unfolded, and an access into said trailer box when said one extension platform section is folded over said trailer box.

Claim 12

A foldable tent camping unit as defined in claim 9, wherein said other extension platform section forms a relatively shallow box constructed and arranged to hold bedding for pivoting displacement therewith.

Claim 13

A foldable tent camping unit as defined in claim 7, further comprising a tent including a collapsible tent material peripherally fixed to said platform sections and arranged to permanently remain peripherally fixed to the latter in both folded and unfolded positions thereof.

Claim 14

A collapsible tent camping unit as defined in claim 11, wherein portions of said tent material which are fixed to said one extension platform section and which extend transversely to and adjacent the axis of said one hinge means, are provided with closing slits extending laterally outwardly from the bottom edge of said portion adjacent said axis and arranged to be opened to allow predetermined collapse of said tent material.

Claim 15

A collapsible tent camping unit as defined in claim 9, further comprising a tent including a collapsible tent material and erectable frame members for said collapsible tent material, the latter is peripherally fixed to said platform sections and arranged to permanently remain peripherally fixed to the latter in both folded and unfolded positions thereof, one of said frame members is pivotally mounted to each of said platform sections under said collapsible tent material and is arranged to fold into a collapsed position onto the corresponding platform section and within the confines of said peripheral walls.

Claim 16

A collapsible tent camping unit as defined in claim 13, further including a pair of elbow-shape levers pivotally connected to each end of said main platform section, and relatively strong tension springs, each of said elbow-shape levers having an elbow portion and two lever arm portions extending substantially at right angle to each other at said elbow portion, said tension springs being positioned intermediate said elbow-shape levers and being connected to one lever arm portion of each of said levers, and a link pivotally connected to each of the other lever arm portions and to a corresponding one of said extension platform sections, whereby the tension of said springs counteracts the weights of said extension platform sections and is changed by the pivoting of the latter to assist folding and unfolding thereof.

Claim 17

A collapsible tent camping unit as defined in claim 9, wherein said one extension platform section includes a pivoted side panel constructed and arranged to be unfolded into engagement with the ground to form a supporting beam for said one extension platform section.