Playhouse

• US 8,851,956 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: D.J. Toys Enterprise Corp.
• Original Assignee: D.J. Toys Enterprise Corp.
• Inventors: Niu, Li-Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US13/691,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20140155183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 446/476, 446/478, 446/486, 446/487, 135/87, 135/125, 135/126, 135/137
• US Class Current: 446/476
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/008 Playhouses, play-tents, big enough for playing inside
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/006 Tents used as toys

Abstract

A playhouse has a main frame, a canopy mounted on and above the main frame, and two roof supporting frames. When the roof supporting frames cross each other, the canopy is propped up and expanded to construct the playhouse into a three-dimensional space. Thus, the playhouse does not collapse while children are bumping into the playhouse and is safe for use. When folding the playhouse, the roof supporting frames are inclined to overlap the main frame. Thus, the main frame and the roof supporting frames can be twisted into a figure of an “8” and then folded into a small size to reduce space that the playhouse occupies in storage.

Claims

1. A playhouse comprising:

a main frame having;

a main spring wire, with the main spring wire being circular; and

a sleeve wrapped around the main spring wire;

a canopy mounted on and above the main frame and having a top tent fabric having an outer peripheral edge connected to the sleeve of the main frame;

two roof supporting frames mounted on the main frame, with each roof supporting frame being longer than a diameter of the main frame and having;

a resilient support, with the resilient support being an elongated arc; and

a sleeve wrapped around the resilient support, being longer than the resilient support and having two ends connected to the sleeve of the main frame;

wherein an area of the top tent fabric is larger than an area surrounded by the main frame;

a bottom frame mounted below the main frame, being separate from the main frame and having;

a bottom spring wire, with the bottom spring wire being circular; and

a sleeve wrapped around the bottom spring wire;

a side tent fabric mounted between and arranged around the main frame and the bottom frame, and having;

an upper peripheral edge connected to the sleeve of the main frame; and

a lower peripheral edge connected to the sleeve of the bottom frame;

a bottom tent fabric mounted in the bottom frame and having an outer peripheral edge connected to the sleeve of the bottom frame; and

multiple supporting assemblies longitudinally mounted separately on and arranged around the side tent fabric, with each supporting assembly having;

two side supports separately arranged longitudinally on the side tent fabric, with each side support having;

a fixing end securely attached to the side tent fabric; and

a connecting end corresponding to the connecting end of the other side support; and

a connector disposed between the connecting ends of the side supports and having two opposite ends and two slots respectively formed in the ends of the connector, with each slot selectively receiving the connecting end of a corresponding side support;

wherein an area of the bottom tent fabric is equal to an area surrounded by the bottom frame.

2. The playhouse as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an upper tent fabric mounted in the main frame and having an outer peripheral edge connected to the sleeve of the main frame;

wherein an area of the upper tent fabric is equal to the area surrounded by the main frame.

3. The playhouse as claimed in claim 2, wherein the canopy further has:

a top spring wire mounted on an inner surface of the top tent fabric and disposed on a center of the top tent fabric;

a covering sheet securely mounted on the inner surface of the top tent fabric and covering the top spring wire; and

a fastener mounted on the covering sheet; and

wherein each roof supporting frame further has a fastener mounted on the sleeve of the roof supporting frame and selectively attached to the fastener of the canopy.

4. The playhouse as claimed in claim 2, wherein each supporting assembly further has at least one extending strip mounted between the side supports, and wherein each of the at least one extending strip has:

a fixing end securely attached to one side support; and

a connecting end extending above and selectively attached to the other side support.

5. The playhouse as claimed in claim 4, wherein each supporting assembly further has multiple pairs of fasteners mounted between the connecting end of the at least one extending strip and the side support that corresponds to the connecting end of the at least one extending strip to connect the at least one extending strip and the side support, and between the side tent fabric and the side supports to connect the side tent fabric and the side supports.

6. The playhouse as claimed in claim 5, wherein each pair of fasteners comprises a hook fastener and a loop fastener.

7. The playhouse as claimed in claim 6, wherein each side support further has:

a supporting bracket being rigid; and

a sleeve wrapped around the supporting bracket.

8. The playhouse as claimed in claim 1, wherein the canopy further has:

a top spring wire mounted on an inner surface of the top tent fabric and disposed on a center of the top tent fabric;

a covering sheet securely mounted on the inner surface of the top tent fabric and covering the top spring wire; and

a fastener mounted on the covering sheet; and

wherein each roof supporting frame further has a fastener mounted on the sleeve of the roof supporting frame and selectively attached to the fastener of the canopy.

9. The playhouse as claimed in claim 1, wherein each supporting assembly further has at least one extending strip mounted between the side supports, and wherein each of the at least one extending strip has:

a fixing end securely attached to one side support; and

a connecting end extending above and selectively attached to the other side support.

10. The playhouse as claimed in claim 9, wherein each supporting assembly further has multiple pairs of fasteners mounted between the connecting end of the at least one extending strip and the side support that corresponds to the connecting end of the at least one extending strip to connect the at least one extending strip and the side support, and between the side tent fabric and the side supports to connect the side tent fabric and the side supports.

11. The playhouse as claimed in claim 10, wherein each pair of fasteners comprises a hook fastener and a loop fastener.

12. The playhouse as claimed in claim 11, wherein each side support further has:

a supporting bracket being rigid; and

a sleeve wrapped around the supporting bracket.

13. A playhouse comprising:

a main frame having;

a main spring wire, with the main spring wire being circular; and

a sleeve wrapped around the main spring wire;

a canopy mounted on and above the main frame and having a top tent fabric having an outer peripheral edge connected to the sleeve of the main frame; and

two roof supporting frames mounted on the main frame, with each roof supporting frame being longer than a diameter of the main frame and having;

a resilient support, with the resilient support being an elongated arc; and

a sleeve wrapped around the resilient support, being longer than the resilient support and having two ends connected to the sleeve of the main frame;

wherein an area of the top tent fabric is larger than an area surrounded by the main frame, wherein the canopy further has;

a top spring wire mounted on an inner surface of the top tent fabric and disposed on a center of the top tent fabric;

a covering sheet securely mounted on the inner surface of the top tent fabric and covering the top spring wire; and

a fastener mounted on the covering sheet; and

wherein each roof supporting frame further has a fastener mounted on the sleeve of the roof supporting frame and selectively attached to the fastener of the canopy.

14. The playhouse as claimed in claim 13 further comprising an upper tent fabric mounted in the main frame and having an outer peripheral edge connected to the sleeve of the main frame;

wherein an area of the upper tent fabric is equal to the area surrounded by the main frame.

15. A playhouse comprising:

a main frame having;

a main spring wire, with the main spring wire being circular; and

a sleeve wrapped around the main spring wire;

a canopy mounted on and above the main frame and having a top tent fabric having an outer peripheral edge connected to the sleeve of the main frame;

two roof supporting frames mounted on the main frame, with each roof supporting frame being longer than a diameter of the main frame and having;

a resilient support, with the resilient support being an elongated arc; and

a sleeve wrapped around the resilient support, being longer than the resilient support and having two ends connected to the sleeve of the main frame;

wherein an area of the top tent fabric is larger than an area surrounded by the main frame; and

an upper tent fabric mounted in the main frame and having an outer peripheral edge connected to the sleeve of the main frame;

wherein an area of the upper tent fabric is equal to the area surrounded by the main frame, wherein the canopy further has;

a top spring wire mounted on an inner surface of the top tent fabric and disposed on a center of the top tent fabric;

a covering sheet securely mounted on the inner surface of the top tent fabric and covering the top spring wire; and

a fastener mounted on the covering sheet; and

wherein each roof supporting frame further has a fastener mounted on the sleeve of the roof supporting frame and selectively attached to the fastener of the canopy.