Tent having a continuous seamless peripheral surface and containing an integral self-inflating floor

摘要

A tent is fabricated from a seamless spherical shell. The floor of the tent is established as a plane interiorly dividing the shell into two chambers. The floor peripherally contacts the inner surface of the shell, and is sealed against the inner surface of the spherical shell. The larger chamber serves as the living chamber, while a smaller air tight chamber is formed between the floor and the shell. The air tight chamber is provided with a valve communicating with the outside environment. When the tent is disassembled, and with the valve opened, the spherical shell will completely deflate and collapse. During erection of the tent, the air chamber valve remains open, and the shell's cap over the floor is manually pulled out away from the tent floor causing a vacuum to form in the smaller airtight chamber. Air immediately flows through the valve filling the air chamber, and by closure of this valve the air is trapped. The air cushions the floor to provide a self inflated air mattress. The self-inflating mattress also may be incorporated into a seamed floor in a conventional tent, or it may be used as a stand alone mattress.