Foldable expandable shelter

Abstract

A foldable shelter can have several wall sections joined to form a cylindrical lattice, and a roof section coupled to the wall sections. The wall sections each have a first member pivotally joined to a second member at near their respective midpoints. The shelter is foldable from an expanded state by inverting the roof segment into the interior of the shelter and pivoting the first and second members of the wall sections towards a parallel orientation. The shelter can have fixed length or extendable vertical and horizontal supports to enhance overall rigidity. The shelter can withstand wind loads without external bracing or cable support.

1 . A foldable shelter comprising:
 a plurality of wall sections, each wall section comprising:
 a first member; 
 a second member pivotally connected to the first member at an approximate midpoint of the first member; and 
   a roof section comprising:
 a plurality of roof beams, each roof beam having a first end pivotally connected to at least one wall section and a second end pivotally coupled to at least one other roof beam; 
   wherein the shelter is foldable between a stowed configuration in which the first member and the second member defining each wall section are pivoted towards a substantially parallel orientation with respect to each other and an expanded configuration in which the first member and the second member defining each wall section are transverse to each other.   
   
   
       2 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the first member of each wall panel has a first end and a second end and the second member of each wall panel has a first end and a second end, and wherein the shelter further comprises a support member coupled to at least one wall section and extending generally vertically from the first end of the first member to the first end of the second member of the wall section. 
   
   
       3 . The foldable shelter of  claim 2 , wherein the support member is extendable between a stowed length when the shelter is in the stowed configuration and a deployed length when the shelter is in the expanded configuration. 
   
   
       4 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the first member of each wall panel has a first end and a second end and the second member of each wall panel has a first end and a second end, and wherein the shelter further comprises a support member coupled to at least one wall section and extending generally horizontally from the first end of the first member to the second end of the second member of the wall section. 
   
   
       5 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wall sections define a circumference of the shelter and an enclosed space, and wherein the roof section is pivotable with respect to the plurality of wall sections such that the roof section has an everted position extending generally upwards from the wall sections when the shelter is in the expanded configuration and an inverted position within the enclosed space defined by the wall sections when the shelter is in the stowed configuration. 
   
   
       6 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , further comprising a roof cover. 
   
   
       7 . The foldable shelter of  claim 6 , wherein the roof cover is removable. 
   
   
       8 . The foldable shelter of  claim 6 , wherein the roof cover further comprises at least one wall cover. 
   
   
       9 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein in the expanded configuration of the shelter, the first member and the second member defining a wall section are substantially perpendicular to one another. 
   
   
       10 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wall sections are arranged to form a generally polygonal prism shape and the shelter further comprises:
 an upper joint coupling one of the plurality of wall sections to an adjacent one of the plurality of wall sections; and   a lower joint coupling one of the plurality of wall sections to the adjacent one of the plurality of wall sections; and   wherein the upper and lower joints define an edge of the polygonal shape.   
   
   
       11 . The foldable shelter of  claim 10 , wherein the upper joint comprises a first mounting surface pivotally coupled to the first member of one of the plurality of wall sections, a second mounting surface pivotally coupled to the second member of the adjacent one of the plurality of wall sections, and a third mounting surface pivotally coupled to a roof beam. 
   
   
       12 . The foldable shelter of  claim 10 , wherein the lower joint comprises a first mounting surface pivotally coupled to the second member of one of the plurality of wall sections and a second mounting surface pivotally coupled to the first member of the adjacent one of the plurality of mounting sections. 
   
   
       13 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the roof section comprises a ring joint pivotally coupling the second ends of all of the roof beams of the plurality of roof beams. 
   
   
       14 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wall sections comprises six wall sections. 
   
   
       15 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wall sections comprises four wall sections. 
   
   
       16 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wall sections comprises eight wall sections. 
   
   
       17 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the first member and the second member of at least one wall section of the plurality of wall sections are tubular members. 
   
   
       18 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the first member and the second member of each wall section of the plurality of wall sections are foldable members each having a folded configuration and an expanded configuration, and wherein when the shelter is in the stowed configuration, the first members and second members are in the folded configuration. 
   
   
       19 . The foldable shelter of  claim 16 , wherein the first member and the second member of each wall section each comprise two pivotable joints. 
   
   
       20 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the first member and the second member of each wall section are extendable having a retracted configuration when the shelter is in the stowed configuration and an extended configuration when the shelter is in the expanded configuration. 
   
   
       21 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the first member and the second member of each wall section are lockable in the extended configuration by a pin pivotally coupling the first member to the second member. 
   
   
       22 . The foldable shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the first member and the second member of defining each wall section each has a length of approximately ten feet. 
   
   
       23 . A foldable enclosure comprising:
 a plurality of wall sections, each wall section comprising:
 a first member; 
 a second member pivotally connected to the first member at an approximate midpoint of the first member; and 
   wherein the enclosure is foldable between a stowed configuration in which the first member and the second member defining each wall section are pivoted towards a substantially parallel orientation with respect to each other and an expanded configuration in which the first member and the second member defining each wall section are transverse to each other.   
   
   
       24 . The foldable enclosure of  claim 23 , further comprising a roof section coupled to at least one of the wall sections. 
   
   
       25 . The foldable enclosure of  claim 24 , wherein the roof section is removably coupled to the wall section. 
   
   
       26 . The foldable enclosure of  claim 24 , wherein the roof section is pivotally coupled to the wall section. 
   
   
       27 . The foldable enclosure of  claim 24 , wherein the roof section comprises a plurality of roof beams, each roof beam having a first end pivotally connected to at least one wall section and a second end pivotally coupled to at least one other roof beam. 
   
   
       28 . The foldable enclosure of  claim 27 , further comprising a ring joint pivotably coupling the second ends of the each of the plurality of roof beams. 
   
   
       29 . The foldable enclosure of  claim 28 , wherein the ring joint is expandable.