FRAME MEMBER AND ATTACHED MEMBRANES

• US 20090144897A1
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spin Master Incorporated (Spin Master Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Kelsyus LLC (Spin Master Corp.)
• Inventors: Le Gette, Brian Edward, Wilson, Ronald L. II, Matlin, Tai Hoon Kim, Waring, James Ashley
• Granted Patent: US 7,665,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/417
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 9/062 for covering the ground, e.g. picnic or beach blankets

Abstract

A collapsible apparatus includes a frame member being formed from a flexible twistable material, a first membrane and a second membrane, and an inflatable bladder. The second membrane is removably attachable to the first membrane.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first membrane having a first portion and a second portion opposite the first portion, the first portion and the second portion collectively defining a sleeve and defining an outermost perimeter of the first membrane;

a frame member formed from a flexible twistable material, the frame member being disposed between the first portion and the second portion within the sleeve;

an inflatable bladder coupled to the first membrane, the inflatable bladder having a perimeter portion at least a portion of which is coupled to the first membrane and disposed offset from the outermost perimeter of the first membrane;

a second membrane coupled to a first portion of a top surface of the first membrane; and

a third membrane coupled to a second portion of the top surface of the first membrane, the first portion of the first membrane being different than the second portion of the first membrane.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame member has a collapsed configuration and an extended configuration, the outermost perimeter of the first membrane defines a shape of the first membrane in a top view when the frame member is in the extended configuration,

the second membrane having an outer most perimeter defining a shape of the second membrane in a top view when the frame member is in the extended configuration, the shape of the second membrane in the top view being different than the shape of the first membrane in the top view when the frame member is in the extended configuration.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first membrane has a maximum length greater than a maximum width of the first membrane, the first membrane has a centerline defined along the maximum length of the first membrane,

the second membrane has a maximum length greater than a maximum width of the second membrane, the second membrane has a centerline defined along the maximum length of the second membrane, the centerline of the second membrane is substantially aligned with the centerline of the first membrane.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inflatable bladder is disposed between the first membrane and the second membrane.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a valve coupled to the inflatable bladder.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second membrane is fixedly coupled to the first membrane.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the first membrane is mutually exclusive from the second portion of the first membrane.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a first membrane having a first portion and a second portion opposite the first portion, the first portion and the second portion collectively having a perimeter defining an outermost perimeter of the first membrane and defining a sleeve, the first membrane has a maximum length greater than a maximum width of the first membrane and a centerline defined along the maximum length of the first membrane;

a frame member formed from a flexible twistable material, the frame member being disposed between the first portion of the first membrane and the second portion of the first membrane within the sleeve;

a second membrane coupled to the first membrane, the second membrane being offset from the outermost perimeter of the first membrane, the second membrane having a maximum width greater than a maximum length of the second membrane and a centerline defined along the maximum length of the second membrane, the centerline of the second membrane being substantially aligned with the centerline of the first membrane; and

an inflatable bladder disposed between the first membrane and the second membrane.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first membrane and the second membrane collectively define a first cavity and a second cavity, a first opening in communication with the first cavity, and a second opening in communication with the second cavity, the inflatable bladder being disposed in one of the first cavity and the second cavity.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a frame covering encasing the frame member, the frame covering being disposed between the first membrane and the second membrane.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a valve having a first end connected to the inflatable bladder, the valve having a second end opposite the first end of the valve, the first membrane or the second membrane being disposed between the first end of the valve and the second end of the valve.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a third membrane coupled to the first membrane, the third membrane has a maximum length greater than a maximum width of the third membrane, the third membrane having a centerline defined along the maximum length of the third membrane, the centerline of the third membrane being substantially aligned with the centerline of the first membrane.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a first membrane having an outer perimeter portion;

a second membrane coupled to an outer surface of the first membrane and offset from the outer perimeter portion of the first membrane;

an inflatable bladder coupled to and offset from the outer perimeter portion of the first membrane;

a third membrane coupled to the first membrane, at least a portion of an outer perimeter of the third membrane being offset from the outer perimeter portion of the first membrane; and

a frame member formed from a flexible twistable material, the frame member being coupled to and disposed about the outer perimeter portion of the first membrane.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a valve having a first end connected to the inflatable bladder, the valve having a second end opposite the first end of the valve, the first membrane or the second membrane being disposed between the first end of the valve and the second end of the valve.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a frame covering encasing the frame member.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second membrane is fixedly coupled to the first membrane.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first membrane and the second membrane collectively define a cavity, the inflatable bladder disposed within the cavity.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a perimeter portion of the third membrane is fixedly coupled to the first membrane.