Water slide

• US 9,511,298 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2015
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bestway (Hong Kong) International, Ltd. (Bestway Global Holding Incorporated), Bestway (USA) Incorporated (Bestway Global Holding Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bestway Inflatables & Material Corporation (Bestway Global Holding Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sgromo, Peter A., Ranftl, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US14/799,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20160136528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 472116-117, 472/128, 405/79, 405/80, 405/87, 405/100, 405/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 21/18 Water-chutes
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/12 with inflatable and movable substructures connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00

Abstract

A water slide for connection to a water supply is provided. The inflatable structure may include a sliding surface having a first end and an opposing second end, an inflatable wedge-shaped ramp coupled to the first end of the sliding surface, where the ramp includes a top surface, and a landing portion coupled to the second end of the sliding surface. A water emitting device is coupled to the sliding surface, where the water emitting device is adapted to project water onto the ramp to lubricate the top surface while a user slides thereon.

Claims

1. A water slide for connection to a supply of water under pressure, the water slide comprising:

a substantially planar sliding surface, the sliding surface having a first end and an opposing second end;

an inflatable wedge-shaped ramp coupled to the first end of the sliding surface, the ramp having a top surface;

a landing portion coupled to the second end of the sliding surface; and

a water emitting device coupled to the sliding surface, the water emitting device being spaced apart from and positioned downstream of the ramp, the water emitting device being adapted to project water onto the ramp to lubricate the top surface while a user slides thereon.

2. The water slide of claim 1 further comprising a sprinkler tube coupled to a side edge of the sliding surface, the sprinkler tube defining a conduit for transporting water therethrough, the sprinkler tube being coupled to the supply of water to communicate water to the conduit.

3. The water slide of claim 2, wherein the sprinkler tube includes a plurality of spray holes in fluid communication with the conduit such that water pressure causes water to be ejected from the conduit through the spay holes onto the sliding surface.

4. The water slide of claim 2, wherein the water emitting device is coupled to an end of the sprinkler tube proximate the ramp, the water emitting device being in fluid communication with the conduit such that water pressure causes water to be ejected from the conduit through the water emitting device onto the top surface of the ramp.

5. The water slide of claim 4, wherein the water emitting device includes a plurality of apertures in fluid communication with the conduit, the plurality of apertures being arranged along a plane angularly offset from the plane of the sliding surface to project water onto the top surface of the ramp.

6. The water slide of claim 2, wherein the landing portion includes a substantially U-shaped self-inflating bladder, the bladder including a hollowed chamber and a plurality orifices in fluid communication with the chamber such that water pressure causes water to be ejected from the chamber through the orifices, the bladder defining a splash pool for accumulating water ejected from the orifices.

7. The water slide of claim 6, wherein the sprinkler tube and the bladder are in fluid communication and serially connected such that water is communicated from sprinkler tube to the bladder to cause water to flow through the spray holes along the entire length of the sliding surface and through the orifices into the splash pool.

8. The water slide of claim 7, wherein the sprinkler tube and the bladder are connected by a feeder tube.

9. The water slide of claim 1, wherein the ramp includes a substantially U-shaped portion defining a trough for collecting run-off water from the top surface of the ramp, the trough maintaining a pool of water at the first end of the sliding surface to provide a splash landing as the user transitions from the ramp to the sliding surface.

10. The water slide of claim 1 further comprising a first sprinkler tube coupled to a first side edge of the sliding surface and a second sprinkler tube connected to an opposing side edge of the sliding surface, each sprinkler tube defining a conduit for transporting water therethrough, each sprinkler tube being coupled to a water emitting device that projects water onto the top surface of the ramp.

11. The water slide of claim 10, wherein the first sprinkler tube, the bladder, and the second sprinkler tube are in fluid communication and serially connected such that water is communicated from the first sprinkler tube to the bladder and from the bladder to the second sprinkler tube to cause water to flow through the spray holes along the entire length of the sliding surface and through the orifices into the splash pool.

12. An inflatable wedge-shaped structure for attachment to a water slide, the structure comprising:

a bottom surface supported by a supporting surface;

a top surface spaced apart from the bottom surface, the top surface being downwardly sloped along which a user can slide from a top end to a bottom end thereof;

a back wall, the back wall being coupled between the bottom surface and the top surface;

a U-shaped cut-out portion formed at an end oppose the back wall, the cut-out defining a trough for collecting water-runoff from the top surface; and

a water source remote from and positioned downstream of the inflatable structure for projecting water onto the top end of the top surface, wherein the water flows from the top end down to the bottom end of the top surface to lubricate the top surface while a user slides thereon.

13. The inflatable wedge-shaped structure of claim 12 further comprising a plurality of generally vertically disposed tensioning members that interconnect the bottom surface to the top surface to retain the inflatable structure in a wedge-shape.

14. The inflatable wedge-shaped structure of claim 13, wherein the tensioning members form a plurality of interconnected vertically disposed chambers that are fillable through an air valve affixed to the structure.

15. The inflatable wedge-shaped structure of claim 13, wherein the tensioning members define a plurality of billows extending longitudinally along the top surface for funneling water from the top end of the top surface to the bottom end of the top surface.

16. The inflatable wedge-shaped structure of claim 13, wherein tensioning members comprise a solid sheet of material.

17. The inflatable wedge-shaped structure of claim 13, wherein the tensioning members comprise a sheet of porous material.