Extremely similar to a rigid chain actuator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigid_chain_actuator
An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
31–40 of 50 posts
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#32Just sell me the tent already!
It's definitely pretty whiz bang but I'm curious how it would hold up to the dirt and grime of a backpacking trip. I'm also not convinced it is any better or lighter than poles (which can be pretty light with the right materials...)
Even if it weren't lighter, it might be faster to set up and take down.
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#33My first thought is a better tape measure. Wouldn’t that be cool if it didn’t bend.
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#34Just sell me the tent already!
no kidding. it was the last demo in the video, but my first reaction seeing the zippers-instead-tent-poles demo was, "oh, that's going to be huge." weight and "how well does it handle wind?" are concerns, but i could totally see "100% zipper" tents on the market by the end of the year.
The durability is not great in the current version. In the last 2 seconds of the video you can see a broken off chunk of zipper left on the ground.
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#35Same concept as in this 'zipper mast' video from over 10 years ago. Surprisingly compact as each side is from flexible steel sheet that can be rolled up ala tape measure style, then connected as they unroll to form a rigid shaft. Pretty cool;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P_UTV3rV-k
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#36Wish I could zoom in on the photo on mobile. What kind of crap web design is this?
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#37Just sell me the tent already!
I could see this being useful for retractable banners also
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#38Wish I could zoom in on the photo on mobile. What kind of crap web design is this?
I am using firefox on Android + ubo. Enable zoom on all sites in accessibility settings.
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#39Very cool design but that tent looks heavy as hell and not at all wind resistant. The whole point of the poles in a dome tent is to provide force stretching the tent button (especially when staked down) to be drum tight. The poles being straight and then bent when assembled is the point.
That being said maybe this could make for some very cool different types of designs
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
For example, if you used PLA you'd get a stiffer, more mechanically-rigid structure in the zipped-up state. If you used TPU, you'd get a more flexible and elastic structure. I'd want PLA for tent seams and TPU for the door zipper.
Is PLA stiffer somehow in this state than it would be as a conventional beam?
Theoretically it could be because the structure could be held in compression while zipped. But the reality of imperfect manufacturing tolerances and the limits of how difficult to zip you can make a zipper and still be usable makes me think not.