Collapsible shelter

Claim 1

A collapsible shelter comprising: a central hub; a multiplicity of ribs radially spaced about at least a portion of said hub and extending radially outwardly therefrom, each of said ribs having an outer free end and an inner end, the inner end of which is pivotably mounted on said hub to permit movement of said ribs between an open position, in which the outer end of the ribs are moved laterally away from one another, and a collapsed, closed position in which the outer ends of said ribs are disposed closely adjacent one another; a cover material secured to each of said ribs and interconnecting adjacent ones thereof; and locking means for releasably securing said ribs in said open position, said locking means comprising at least one locking assembly, including a pair of elongated rods, each having an outer and an inner end, and each of which is pivotably secured at its inner end to one of the outermost ribs to permit pivotal movement thereof, between a collapsed position, in which said rods lie generally closely adjacent, and parallel, to said outermost ribs, and a locking position, in which one of said rods transversely spans several of the inwardly-disposed ribs and the other of said rods transversely spans the remaining inwardly-disposed ribs, means for demountably securing said rods to the respective ribs which they span, and a pair of elongated bars which are pivotably joined together at their inner ends, said bars each having an outer end which is pivotably secured to the outer end of one of said rods.