Explandable shelter

Abstract

The present invention relates to an expandable shelter, the shelter includes an upright support and ribs for supporting a canopy. Stretchers are provided for stretching the ribs from the upright support. A runner is provided for moving downwards along the upright support so that the stretchers stretch the ribs from the upright support to expand the shelter. Advantageously, a shelter assembly whereby the runner moves downward to stretch the ribs may provide a compact collapsed shelter with more expansive sheltering when compared with other shelters where the runner instead moves upwards for expansion.

1 . An expandable shelter, the shelter including:
 an upright support;   ribs for supporting a canopy;   stretchers for stretching the ribs from the upright support; and   a runner for moving downwards along the upright support so that the stretchers stretch the ribs from the upright support to expand the shelter, the runner being further configured to move upwards along the upright support so that the stretchers move above the ribs to collapse the shelter.   
     
     
         2 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the shelter further includes extenders for extending from the ribs. 
     
     
         3 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the extenders are pivotally mounted relative to the ribs. 
     
     
         4 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the extenders open up and outwards. 
     
     
         5 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the extenders collapse flat with the ribs. 
     
     
         6 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the ribs are located between extenders and stretchers when the shelter is collapsed. 
     
     
         7 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein each corresponding rib, extender and stretcher moves in a common plane. 
     
     
         8 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the stretchers are located adjacent or in register with the ribs when the shelter is contracted. 
     
     
         9 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 1 , further including a hub terminating the upright support. 
     
     
         10 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 9 , the ribs are pivotally mounted to the hub. 
     
     
         11 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein ends of the ribs terminate in respective connectors. 
     
     
         12 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein extenders are pivotally mounted to the connectors. 
     
     
         13 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the stretchers are pivotally mounted to the connectors. 
     
     
         14 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 1 , further including a restraint for restraining extending of extenders from the ribs. 
     
     
         15 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the stretchers are pivotally mounted relative to the runner and respective ribs. 
     
     
         16 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 1 , further including a lock for locking the runner relative to the upright support when the shelter is expanded. 
     
     
         17 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the runner includes a hand grip with finger grooves terminating in an end shelf. 
     
     
         18 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 1 , further including one or more anchors for anchoring the shelter, the anchors including receptacles for temporarily receiving material. 
     
     
         19 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the receptacles are in the form of open pockets that rest on the ground. 
     
     
         20 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the anchors include four strips extending from a periphery of the shelter to define four viewing spaces between adjacent strips with no walls between the adjacent strips. 
     
     
         21 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the anchors prevent contraction of the expanded shelter. 
     
     
         22 . An expandable shelter as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the support includes a spike for hammering into the ground with a hammer pole that slides relative to the spike.