Back to results
US 5,387,158 AGranted
All around playground kit
AssigneeThe Ritvik Group Inc.
InventorVictor J. Bertrand
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is disclosed a play kit of detachable plastic components capable of forming either a slide assembly or a teeter assembly. The kit includes an elongated plastic playboard as a basic playing element. The latter has a wavy configuration and is preferables constructed in two symmetrical members abutting one another and releasably locked to each other. When used as a slide, the playboard is removably connected, at one end, to an upper end of a plastic support formed with steps to act as a ladder. The latter and the playboard are held together by removable struts. When the basic element is used as a teeter board, the support is made to act as a base. A prop structure is then detachably connected to the said base and to the playboard to allow the latter to teeter as well as to rotate about a vertical axis.
Claims16
A play kit comprising:
- an elongated playboard (1) having a longitudinal axis (3) lying a flat plane, and two end portions (5,7), said playboard (1) being shaped as a slide having a central flat part (11) and two side protection ramps (13, 15) extending lengthwise of and on the lateral edges of said central flat part, said central flat part (11) and ramps (13,15) being symmetrical with respect to said longitudinal axis;
- two releasable playboard attachment means (41), comprising one attachment means provided on each of said two playboard end portions (5, 7);
- a support (35) having releasable support attachment means at one end thereof for releasably coupling with said playboard attachment means (41) in order to hold said playboard (1) in upright position and make it useful as a slide (FIGS. 3 and 4), said support (35) comprising footsteps (49, 51, 53) in order for said support to act as a ladder for said slide;
- and
- means (83, 84, 91) for dismountably joining said playboard at mid-length thereof to a base lying on the ground, said joining means being constructed to allow said playboard to teeter (see FIG. 8) about at least one central axis (79) normal to said longitudinal axis (3), wherein
- said playboard (1) is made of plastic material and has, in the lengthwise direction, a wavy configuration made up of two short end portions (5, 7) of equal length, interconnected by a central curved portion (9), said end portions and central portion gradually merging one into the other, said playboard (1) being symmetrical with respect to a central transverse plane (21) normal to said longitudinal axis (3) and flat plane;
- said two playboard attachment means (41) are identical with one another and symmetrical with respect to said longitudinal axis and transverse plane (21);
- said support (35) is made of plastic material and is molded with said footsteps (49, 51, 53) and said support (35) also forms said base to which said playboard (1) may be joined to allow said playboard to teeter, and further comprising:
- plastic strut means, said strut means being releasably connectable at the end thereof to said playboard (1) and said support (35) in order to prevent said playboard and support from unfolding when they are used as a slide and ladder;
- a pair of plastic seat constructions (97), each plastic seat construction being dismountably fixable to one of said end portions (5, 7) of said playboard (1) to make the same useful as a teeter assembly (FIG. 8) when it is joined to said support (35) by said joining means (83, 84, 91) and identical water sprinkler means (63, 65) at each of said playboard end portions (5, 7), symmetrically disposed with respect to said transverse plane (21) the water sprinkler (63, 65) means comprising, at each end of said playboard;
- means defining a water connector (65) beneath said central flat part (11) of said slide-shaped playboard, said connector being threaded at one end for connection with a water hose (69);
- and
- said central flat part being formed with sprinkler holes (63) in communication with said connector (65).
10 more elements
A play kit comprising:
- an elongated playboard (1) having a longitudinal axis (3) lying in a flat plane and two end portions (5,7), said playboard (1) being shaped as a slide having a central flat part (11) and two side protection ramps (13, 15) extending lengthwise of and on the lateral edges of said central flat part, said central flat part (11) and ramps (13,15) being symmetrical with respect to said longitudinal axis;
- two releasable playboard attachment means (41), comprising one attachment means provided on each of said two playboard end portions (5, 7);
- a support (35) having releasable support attachment means at one end thereof for releasably coupling with said playboard attachment means (41) in order to hold said playboard (1) in upright position and make it useful as a slide (FIGS. 3 and 4), said support (35) comprising footsteps (49, 51, 53) in order for said support to act as a ladder for said slide;
- and
- means (83, 84, 91) for dismountably joining said playboard at mid-length thereof to a base lying on the ground, said joining means being constructed to allow said playboard to teeter (see FIG. 8) about at least one central axis (79) normal to said longitudinal axis (3), wherein
- said playboard (1) is made of plastic material and has, in the lengthwise direction, a wavy configuration made up of two short end portions (5, 7) of equal length, interconnected by a central curved portion (9), said end portions and central portion gradually merging one into the other, said playboard (1) being symmetrical with respect to a central transverse plane (21) normal to said longitudinal axis (3) and flat plane;
- said two playboard attachment means (41) are identical with one another and symmetrical with respect to said longitudinal axis and transverse plane (21);
- said support (35) is made of plastic material and is molded with said footsteps (49, 51, 53) and said support (35) also forms said base to which said playboard (1) may be joined to allow said playboard to teeter, and further comprising:
- plastic strut means, said strut means being releasably connectable at the end thereof to said playboard (1) and said support (35) in order to prevent said playboard and support from unfolding when they are used as a slide and ladder;
- a pair of plastic seat constructions (97), each plastic seat construction being dismountably fixable to one of said end portions (5, 7) of said playboard (1) to make the same useful as a teeter assembly (FIG. 8) when it is joined to said support (35) by said joining means (83, 84, 91
- said playboard attachment means (41) comprise, at each end portion of said playboard (1), means (37, 39) defining a locking keeper beneath said playboard central part;
- and
- said support attachment means (43) comprise, at one end of said support (35), a locking bolt (43) sized and shaped to fit snugly and releasably into a selected one of said locking keepers (41) to hold said playboard (1) in said upright position.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.