Recreational slide system and components thereof

• US 4,805,898 A
• Filed: 09/15/1987
• Issued: 02/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SGI, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Outdoor Innovations Incorporated Providence Rhode Island
• Inventors: Bruno, Robert H., Jacober, Jeffrey M., Macedo, Antone F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chilcot, Jr., Richard E.
• Application Number:
  US07/096,780
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 272/56.5 R, 272/56.5 SS, 272/1 B, 272/32, 104/59, 104/69, 104/70, 104/72, 104/73, 182/48, 193/11, 193/25 A, 193/25 R, 193/25 E, 193/2 R, 4/487, 4/488, 4/494, 4/506, 4/526, 4/585
• US Class Current: 472/117
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 21/18 Water-chutes

Abstract

A recreational slide assembly is provided which includes one or more of an improved angularly upstanding slide provided with a web-like flexible slide, a buoyant landing pad or splash pad attached to the bottom of the web-like slide member and extending therefrom into a water-containing pool, the pool being preferably in the form of a soft-walled, non-inflatable assembly which is retained in its operative condition by reason of water contained therein, and a water distribution pipe constituting a load bearing member of the frame of the slide assembly. The preferred water distribution pipe holds the upper margin of the flexible slide member to assist in maintaining it in operative position, supports a platform member forming a part of the slide and supplies a spray of water along the flexible slide member to lubricate the same.

Claims

1. A recreational slide comprising:

a ladder assembly having a ground-engaging end and an upwardly extending opposite end;

a frame assembly having one end secured to said upwardly extending opposite end of the ladder assembly, said frame assembly further including a ground-engaging other end and a pair of spaced and substantially parallel support members which define a sloped slide area generally between said one end and said other end of the frame assembly;

a web-like flexible slide member attached to both of said support members along opposite margins of said web-like flexible slide member and substantially filling the space between said support members to provide a sloped flexible sliding surface extending between first and second end portions of said web-like flexible slide member, said first end portion being at a height greater than said second end portion, said web-like flexible slide member includes anchor means along said first end portion thereof, said anchor means being attached to said frame assembly for holding said slide member in extended condition along said sloped slide area; and

water distribution means form a part of said frame assembly generally adjacent to said first end portion of said flexible slide member, said anchor means being attached to said water distribution means to hold said flexible slide member in extended condition along said sloped slide area.

2. The recreational slide of claim 1, wherein said opposite margins of said web-like flexible slide member define tube-like elongated pockets which are slidingly received on said pair of substantially parallel support members.

3. The recreational slide of claim 1, wherein said second end portion of said web-like flexible slide member includes a landing pad having buoyant means for having said landing pad float in a pool of water generally adjacent to said other end of the frame assembly.

4. The recreational slide of claim 3, wherein said landing pad includes a cover in the form of an envelope, said cover being formed of flexible waterproof material, and said landing pad further includes buoyant material received and sealed within said envelope, whereby said landing pad will float on the surface of a pool of water and upon release thereof after immersion in said pool will automatically return substantially to said surface to re-establish the floating condition of said landing pad.

5. The recreational slide of claim 1, wherein:

said water distribution means is in the form of a load-bearing member and includes interior chamber means for receiving water from a pressurized water source means;

water spray openings formed in said water distribution means in communication with said chamber means; and

pressurized water source means connected to said water distribution means and in communication with said chamber means, whereby water sprayed from said water distribution means contacts said web-like flexible slide member to lubricate the sliding surface thereof.

6. The recreational slide of claim 5, wherein said anchor means is in the form of a collar channel formed along said first end portion of said flexible slide member and is received about said water distribution means intermediate said water spray openings.

7. A recreational slide comprising:

a ladder assembly having a ground-engaging end and an upwardly extending opposite end;

a frame assembly having one end secured to said upwardly extending opposite end of the ladder assembly, said frame assembly further including a ground-engaging other end and a pair of spaced and substantially parallel support members which define a sloped slide area generally between said one end and said other end of the frame assembly;

web-like flexible slide member attached to both of said support members along opposite margins of said web-like flexible slide member and substantially filling the space between said support members to provide a sloped flexible sliding surface extending between first and second end portions of said web-like flexible slide member, said first end portion being at a height greater than said second end portion;

said second end portion of said web-like flexible slide member includes a landing pad having buoyant means for having said landing pad float in a pool of water generally adjacent to said other end of the frame assembly;

said landing pad includes a cover in the form of an envelope, said cover being formed of flexible waterproof material, and said landing pad further includes buoyant material received and sealed within said envelope, whereby said landing pad will float on the surface of a pool of water and upon release thereof after immersion in said pool will automatically return substantially to said surface to re-establish the floating condition of said landing pad; and

water distribution means form a part of said frame assembly generally adjacent to said first end portion of said flexible slide member, and wherein said flexible slide member includes anchor means attached to said water distribution means for holding said flexible slide member in extended condition along said sloped slide area.

8. The recreational slide of claim 7, wherein:

said water distribution means is in the form of a load-bearing member and includes interior chamber means for receiving water from a pressurized water source means;

water spray openings formed in said water distribution means in communication with said chamber means; and

pressurized water source means connected to said water distribution means and in communication with said chamber means, whereby water sprayed from said water distribution means contacts said web-like flexible slide member to lubricate the sliding surface thereof.

9. The recreational slide of claim 8, wherein said anchor means is in the form of a collar channel formed along said first end portion of said flexible slide member and is received about said water distribution means intermediate said water spray openings.

10. A landing pad for use with a recreational slide and a pool of water or the like that is generally adjacent to a discharge end of a sloping, sliding surface of the recreational slide, said landing pad comprising:

a cover in the form of an envelope, said cover extending from a flexible web of the sloping, sliding surface of the recreational slide and being formed from flexible waterproof material, and said cover is secured to the discharge end of the sloping, sliding surface of the recreational slide; and

buoyant material received and sealed within said cover, whereby said landing pad will float on the surface of a pool of water and upon release thereof after immersion in said pool will automatically return substantially to said surface to re-establish a floating condition of said landing pad.

11. The landing pad of claim 10, wherein said landing pad is of a tongue-like configuration.

12. The landing pad of claim 10, wherein said buoyant material is a resinous material having a specific gravity less than that of water.

13. A water slide for use with a pool of water or the like, said slide comprising:

a main frame assembly including an angularly upstanding slide portion, ladder means connected to a top area of said slide portion, and ground-engaging vertical and lateral support means;

water distribution means forming a part of said main frame assembly adjacent the top area of said slide portion;

said water distribution means being in the form of a load-bearing member functioning as a part of said main frame assembly and including an interior chamber for receiving water from a pressurized water source means;

water spray openings formed in said water distribution means in communication with said interior chamber;

means for connecting said water distribution means to a pressurized water source means, whereby water sprayed from said water distribution means contacts said slide portion to lubricate the sliding surface thereof;

said slide portion includes a web-like flexible slide member supported by said frame assembly along opposite margins of said web-like flexible slide member; and

said slide portion further includes anchor means along the top portion of said slide member and attached to said water distribution means to hold said web-like flexible slide member in an extended condition.

14. The water slide of claim 13, wherein said ladder means includes a series of vertically spaced transverse steps terminating in a top step spaced from but adjacent to said water distribution means;

and platform means bridging the pace between said top step and said water distribution means and supported thereon along opposite marginal areas of said platform means.

15. The water slide of claim 13, wherein said anchor means is in the form of a collar channel formed along the top portion of said slide member and is received about said water distribution means intermediate said water spray openings.

16. A soft-walled, non-inflatable pool adapted to retain water for recreational use and to be readily storable when not in use, said pool comprising:

an upstanding circumferentially extending soft-walled member formed from semi-rigid material, said soft-walled member being upstanding without requiring inflation by a fluid;

a flexible cover member at least substantially enclosing said soft-walled member to prevent water from contacting the same, said flexible cover member further defining a flexible bottom for said pool bounded by said upstanding circumferentially extending soft-walled member; and

said cover member in cross-sectional configuration of said pool and in the erected condition thereof is generally U-shaped and has a generally flat transverse bottom portion connected to a first upstanding cover portion positioned along the inner surface area of said wall member, overlapping the top surface of said wall member and joining a second downwardly extending cover portion positioned along the outer surface area of said soft-walled member.

17. The soft-walled, non-inflatable pool of claim 16, wherein said soft-walled member is formed from a thermoplastic foam material, and wherein said cover member is formed from polymeric sheeting material.

18. In combination, a water slide and water pool, said combination comprising:

a main frame assembly including a sloped slide portion joined at the top thereof with an upstanding ladder assembly;

a web-like flexible slide member attached to said sloped slide portion of said main frame assembly to define a tarpaulin-like flexible sliding surface, said flexible slide member includes anchor means along a top margin thereof for attaching said flexible slide member to said main frame assembly;

said main frame assembly includes a water distribution means for distributing water onto said flexible slide member;

a buoyant pad extending from a bottom margin of said slide member and projecting in a generally horizontal orientation from said main frame assembly; and

pool means positioned outwardly of the bottom margin of said flexible slide member, said pool means being for containing water and for receiving said buoyant landing pad therein.

19. The combination of claim 18, wherein said buoyant landing pad is of tongue-like configuration and is formed from a resinous material.

20. The combination of claim 18, wherein said pool includes:

an upstanding circumferentially extending soft-walled member formed from semi-rigid material; and

a flexible cover member at least substantially enclosing said soft-walled member to prevent water from contacting the same, said cover member further defining a flexible bottom for said pool.

21. The combination of claim 18, wherein said water distribution means is at a juncture of said sloped slide portion and said ladder assembly;

said anchor means is attached to said water distribution means; and

generally horizontal platform means is located between said ladder means and said water distribution means.

22. The combination of claim 21, wherein said pool includes:

an upstanding circumferentially extending soft-walled member formed from semi-rigid material; and

a flexible cover member at least substantially enclosing said soft-walled member to prevent water from contacting the same, said cover member further defining a flexible bottom for said pool.

23. The combination of claim 21, wherein said landing pad is of tongue-like configuration and is formed from a resinous material.

24. The combination of claim 23, wherein said pool includes:

an upstanding circumferentially extending soft-walled member formed from semi-rigid material; and

a flexible cover member at least substantially enclosing said soft-walled member to prevent water from contacting the same, said cover member further defining a flexible bottom for said pool.