Playground equipment

• US 8,241,182 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KOMPAN A/S (Cidron II A/S)
• Original Assignee: KOMPAN A/S (Cidron II A/S)
• Inventors: Julskjaer, Niels, Mueller, Karin, Gronfeldt, Peter Christian Raaby, Nguyen, Minh Thanh, Ibsen, Hans Jorgen Meyer, Laris, Michael Philip, Stahl, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh, Loan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roland, Daniel F.
• Application Number:
  US12/010,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20090197740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 482 35- 37, 434/247, 434/257
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2009/006 Playground structures
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/801 Contact switches
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• 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: A63G 31/007 involving water
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/02 with moving substructures
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 33/00 Devices allowing competitions between several persons, not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A playground system includes a playground appliance and a processing unit. The processing unit is adapted to receive a sensor signal from the sensor indicative of the detected movement, and to control the display to indicate a user-selection responsive to the received sensor signal.

Claims

1. A playground system, comprising:

a processing unit; and

a playground appliance, wherein the playground appliance comprises;

a display operationally connected to the processing unit and adapted to display one or more user-selectable items;

a support structure for securing at least a part of the playground appliance to a surface;

a support member for supporting a user of the playground appliance, wherein the entire support member is movably arranged relative to the support structure responsive to a kinetic energy imparted by the user; and

a sensor operationally connected to the processing unit and adapted to detect a movement of the support member, wherein;

the support member is configured to support an entire weight of the user,

the entire support member is movable arranged relative to the support structure when supporting the entire weight of the user,

the processing unit is adapted to receive a sensor signal from the sensor indicative of the detected movement, and to control the display to indicate a user-selection responsive to the received sensor signal, and

the processing unit is further adapted to control the display to display one or more user-selectable items of a list of user-selectable items, and to scroll through the list responsive to the detected sensor signal.

2. The playground system according to claim 1, wherein the support member comprises a platform on which the user can stand.

3. The playground system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is further adapted to detect a direction of the movement.

4. The playground system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is further adapted to detect a speed of the movement.

5. The playground system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is further adapted to detect a degree of displacement of the support member caused by the movement.

6. The playground system according to claim 1, wherein the movement includes a tilt motion.

7. The playground system according to claim 1, wherein the movement includes a rotation.

8. The playground system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more user-interface elements with each user-interface element being operationally connected to the processing unit, and the processing unit being adapted to control each of the user-interface elements, wherein the user-interface elements comprise:

a housing including a rear surface mountable on the playground appliance;

a front cover including a convex front surface having a center axis defining a forward direction, the front surface comprising at least one light-emitting front surface part having a surface normal at an angle relative to the forward direction;

wherein said angle is larger than 30 degrees.

9. The playground system according to claim 8, wherein said angle is no smaller than 40 degrees, preferably no smaller than 45 degrees.

10. The playground system according to claim 8, wherein the user-interface element comprises a user-operatable input device for receiving a user input.

11. The playground system according to claim 8, wherein the input device comprises an actuator member defining a principle direction of actuation along the forward direction.

12. The playground system according to claim 8, comprising a light source and a light guide adapted to direct light emitted by the light source through the light-emitting surface part.

13. The playground system according to claim 12, wherein the light guide is adapted to scatter the light so as to provide a diffuse light emission from the light-emitting surface part.

14. The playground system according to claim 8, wherein the convex front surface is a spheroidal or spherical dome.

15. The playground system according to claim 8, wherein the front surface comprises a plurality of elongated light-emitting surface parts each having a proximal end portion, proximal to a centre axis of the convex surface, and a distal end portion, proximal to a circumferential edge of the convex surface.

16. The playground system according to claim 8, wherein the housing comprises a front portion providing a circumferential mounting member for connecting the circumferential edge of the front cover, and a side wall substantially tangential to the convex surface along the circumferential edge.

17. The playground system according to claim 8, wherein the housing comprises a base portion for mounting the user-interface element to an elongated member defining a longitudinal axis, and wherein the principle direction of actuation defines an acute angle to the longitudinal axis.

18. The playground system according to claim 1, wherein the support member is a singular member and controls the playground appliance in a bi-directional manner.

19. A playground system comprising:

a processing unit,

a play structure,

a control unit, and

a playground appliance, wherein the playground appliance comprises;

a display operationally connected to the processing unit and adapted to display one or more user-selectable items;

a support structure for securing at least a part of the playground appliance to a surface;

a support member for supporting a user of the playground appliance, wherein the entire support member is movably arranged relative to the support structure responsive to a kinetic energy imparted by the user; and

a sensor operationally connected to the processing unit and adapted to detect a movement of the support member, wherein;

the support member is configured to support an entire weight of the user,

the entire support member is movable arranged relative to the support structure when supporting the entire weight of the user,

the processing unit is adapted to receive a sensor signal from the sensor indicative of the detected movement, and to control the display to indicate a user-selection responsive to the received sensor signal, and

the play structure comprises a framework on which users can play and climb, and a plurality of user-interface elements distributed across the play structure, and wherein the control unit is configured to receive an input indicative of the user-selection from the processing unit of the playground appliance, and to control operation of the processing unit of the playground appliance and the user-interface elements responsive to the user-selection.