Kit for constructing a play structure
AssigneeFort Magic, LLC
InventorErika Pope-Gusev
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A kit for constructing a variety of play structures for children includes a plurality of arcuate tubes, a plurality of linear tubes, a plurality of connectors, a plurality of couplers, and a plurality of panels. At least one of the tubes is releasably assembled together with another one of the tubes using one of the couplers and the connectors to form a frame. The frame may also include at least one panel releasably coupled to at least one of the couplers. An instruction manual provides directions for releasably assembling the tubes, the connectors, the couplers, and the panels to form the variety of play structures from the kit. The kit may also include at least one covering and at least one covering connector to releasably affix the covering to at least a portion of the frame of the play structure.
Claims33
An accessory kit for a play structure for a child, the accessory kit comprising:
- a plurality of panels, the plurality of panels including a first solid panel having a non-linear edge;
- and
- a plurality of couplers, the plurality of couplers including a first coupler having a C-shaped tube clip formed in a first end thereof, the C-shaped tube clip having a C-shaped channel formed therein configured to releasably couple the first coupler to an exterior surface of a tube, wherein a second end of the first coupler extends away from the C-shaped tube clip in a direction perpendicular to a direction the C-shaped channel extends through the C-shaped tube clip.
A kit for constructing a variety of play structures for a child, the kit comprising:
- a plurality of arcuate first tubes;
- a plurality of arcuate second tubes, wherein at least one of the arcuate first tubes and the arcuate second tubes is substantially rigid;
- a plurality of linear tubes, wherein the linear tubes are substantially rigid;
- a plurality of connectors, the connectors including a 6-way tube connector, a 3-way tube connector, a 90-degree tube connector, a 45-degree tube connector, and a coupling tube connector, the connectors configured for releasably assembling at least one of the arcuate first tubes, the arcuate second tubes, and the linear tubes together with another one of the arcuate first tubes, the arcuate second tubes, and the linear tubes to form a variety of frames for the variety of play structures;
- a plurality of panels, the plurality of panels including a first panel having a non-linear edge;
- and
- a plurality of couplers, the plurality of couplers including a first coupler having a C-shaped tube clip formed in a first end thereof, the C-shaped tube clip having a C-shaped channel formed therein configured to releasably couple the first coupler to an exterior surface of one of the arcuate first tubes, the arcuate second tubes, and the linear tubes, wherein a second end of the first coupler extends away from the C-shaped tube clip in a direction perpendicular to a direction the C-shaped channel extends through the C-shaped tube clip;
- wherein at least one of the frames is configured to fit the child inside the frame.
A method of constructing a play structure comprising the steps of:
- providing a kit including a plurality of arcuate first tubes, a plurality of arcuate second tubes, wherein at least one of the arcuate first tubes and the arcuate second tubes is substantially rigid, and a plurality of linear tubes, wherein the linear tubes are substantially rigid;
- providing an accessory kit including a plurality of panels and a plurality of couplers, the plurality of panels including a first solid panel having a non-linear edge and the plurality of couplers including a first coupler having a C-shaped tube clip formed in a first end thereof, the C-shaped tube clip having a C-shaped channel formed therein configured to releasably couple the first coupler to an exterior surface of one of the arcuate first tubes, the arcuate second tubes, and the linear tubes, wherein a second end of the first coupler extends away from the C-shaped tube clip in a direction perpendicular to a direction the C-shaped channel extends through the C-shaped tube clip;
- releasably assembling at least one of the arcuate first tubes, the arcuate second tubes, and the linear tubes together with another one of the arcuate first tubes, the arcuate second tubes, and the linear tubes to form a frame of the play structure;
- and
- releasably coupling the first coupler to at least one of the arcuate first tubes, the arcuate second tubes, and the linear tubes.
A method of constructing a play structure comprising the steps of providing a plurality of tubes, a plurality of connectors, a plurality of panels, and a plurality of couplers including a first coupler having a first end configured for releasably coupling to one of the tubes and a second end configured for releasably coupling to one of the panels, wherein the first coupler has a C-shaped tube clip formed in the first end thereof, the C-shaped tube clip having a C-shaped channel formed therein configured to releasably couple the first coupler to an exterior surface of one of the tubes, wherein the second end of the first coupler extends away from the C-shaped tube clip in a direction perpendicular to a direction the C-shaped channel extends through the C-shaped tube clip;
- releasably assembling at least one of the tubes with another one of the tubes using one of the connectors to form a frame of the play structure;
- releasably coupling the first end of the first coupler to one of the tubes;
- and
- releasably coupling the second end of the first coupler to one of the panels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.