Floating collapsible play structures

• US 20040221885A1
• Filed: 06/09/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Patent Category Corporation
• Original Assignee: Patent Category Corporation
• Inventors: Zheng, Yu
• Application Number:
  US10/865,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20040221885A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 135/126
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/54 Foldable elastic frame members automatically resuming their expanded state when released
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/605 Floating
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/004 Goals of the type used for football, handball, hockey or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/083 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/023 Supports, e.g. poles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 9/00 Climbing poles, frames, or stages climbing walls for mountaineering training A63B69/0048; endless loop ladders A63B22/04
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/008 Playhouses, play-tents, big enough for playing inside
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/40 flexible

Abstract

A collapsible structure has a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a sheet material covering interior portions of the frame member to form a panel when the frame member is in the unfolded orientation, the panel having a top side and a bottom side. The structure also includes a weight coupled to the panel, and a floatation device coupled to the panel. The floatation device can be coupled to the panel at a location adjacent the top side of the panel, or between the top side and the bottom side of the panel.

Claims

1. A collapsible structure comprising:

a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a sheet material covering interior portions of the frame member to form a panel when the frame member is in the unfolded orientation, the panel having a top side and a bottom side;

a weight coupled to the panel; and

a floatation device coupled to the panel at a location between the top side and the bottom side of the panel.

2. The structure of claim 1, further including an opening provided in the sheet material.

3. The structure of claim 2, wherein the opening is large enough for a person to pass therethrough.

4. The structure of claim 2, wherein the opening is small enough to prevent a person from passing therethrough.

5. The structure of claim 2, wherein the floatation device comprises two separate floatation devices, each flotation device positioned on the sheet material on opposite sides of the opening and being horizontally aligned with each other.

6. The structure of claim 1, wherein the panel is a first panel, further including a second foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a sheet material covering interior portions of the second frame member to form a second panel when the second frame member is in the unfolded orientation, with the second panel oriented at an angle with respect to the first panel.

7. The structure of claim 6, wherein the first and second panels are perpendicular to each other.

8. The structure of claim 6, wherein the first and second panels cross each other at an overlapping line.

9. The structure of claim 1, wherein the panel has a frame retaining sleeve for retaining the frame member.

10. The structure of claim 1, wherein the frame member is twisted and folded to form a plurality of concentric loops when in the folded orientation.

11. A collapsible structure comprising:

a first foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a sheet material covering interior portions of the frame member to form a first panel when the first frame member is in the unfolded orientation;

a second foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a sheet material covering interior portions of the second frame member to form a second panel when the second frame member is in the unfolded orientation;

a weight coupled to the first panel; and

wherein the second panel is oriented at an angle with respect to the first panel.

12. The structure of claim 11, wherein the first and second panels are perpendicular to each other.

13. The structure of claim 11, wherein the first and second panels cross each other at an overlapping line.

14. A collapsible structure comprising:

a first foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a sheet material covering interior portions of the frame member to form a first panel when the first frame member is in the unfolded orientation, the first panel having a top side and a bottom side;

a second foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a sheet material covering interior portions of the second frame member to form a second panel when the second frame member is in the unfolded orientation, the second panel having a top side that is coupled to the top side of the first panel, and a bottom side that is coupled to the bottom side of the second panel;

a weight coupled to a location adjacent the bottom side of the first panel; and

a floatation device coupled to a location adjacent the top side of the first panel.

15. The structure of claim 14, further including a tunnel defined between the first and second panels.

16. A collapsible structure comprising:

a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a sheet material covering interior portions of the frame member to form a lower panel when the frame member is in the unfolded orientation, the lower panel having a top side and a bottom side;

a weight coupled to the lower panel;

an upper structure having a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a sheet material covering interior portions of the frame member of the upper structure to form an upper structure panel when the frame member of the upper structure is in the unfolded orientation; and

a floatation device coupled between the lower panel and the upper structure panel such that the upper structure panel is maintained above the surface of water when the lower panel is placed in a body of water.

17. The structure of claim 16, wherein the upper structure includes a plurality of upper structure panels, with each upper structure panel having a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a sheet material covering interior portions of the corresponding frame member of the upper structure;

and

wherein the plurality of upper structure panels are connected together to form a ring of upper structure panels.

18. The structure of claim 17, further including an opening provided in the sheet material of the lower panel.

19. The structure of claim 17, further including an amusement item attached to the upper structure panel.