Frames for supporting fabric canopies or tents are well known in the art. It is common practice to assemble such frames from sections of elongate tubes or rods that are held together in proper configuration by a variety of connectors, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,102 issued Dec. 23, 1997 to Feleppa. Such frames support a fabric roof by vertical corner members. If the distance between corners is greater than about twelve feet, one or more additional vertical support members is required between the corners to provide adequate support to the span. There are many situations where it would be desirable to provide an unsupported span much greater than 12 feet, such as providing greater access to the contents of the tent or canopy.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds