Abstract:
A floatation device for a child having a buoyant board, with generally parallel top and bottom surfaces, and with a child opening in about the middle of the board. A child seat is provided beneath the opening attached to the board for supporting a child in the opening with his abdomen about even with the board. A wet play area is recessed in the top surface of the board in front of the opening in reach of the child, the play area having a bottom surface below the waterline of the board when a child is on the board. An opening in the board connects the play area to the bottom surface to allow water to enter the play area when the board is in the water. A canopy is mounted on the board. The canopy has an awning support mounted on the board behind the child opening. An awning is rotatably mounted on the awning support for movement between an operative position where the awning is generally horizontal over the child opening and an inoperative position allowing access to the child opening.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention is directed toward a child&#39;s floatation device. 
     2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under CFR §§1.97-1.99 
     Floatation devices for a child are known as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,052. However, the known devices do not permit the child to interact readily with the water he is floating on nor do they provide a readily adjustable and easily removably canopy. The known devices also do not have an adjustable and easily removable seat for the child. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a child&#39;s floatation device having means whereby the child in the device can readily interact with the water he is floating on. It is another purpose of the present invention to provide a child&#39;s floatation device having a canopy that is readily removable and that also is easily movable between operative and inoperative positions. It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide a seat for the floatation device that is adjustable in height and that is also easily removable. 
     In accordance with the present invention a floatation device is provided with a depressed play area within easy reach of the child which play area can partly fill with water providing the child with a splash play area. The floatation device can also be provided with viewing means in the device in front of the child allowing the child to view into the water hl is floating on. 
     Also in accordance with the present invention, a floatation device is provided with a canopy that is easily connected or disconnected to the float. The canopy is also easily adjustable between a first, protective position where the canopy protects the child from the sun or rain and a second, open position allowing the child to be easily placed within or removed from the device. The canopy has an awning that can be pivoted on awning support means between first stop means locating it in the protective position and second stop means locating it in an open position. 
     The invention is particularly directed toward a flotation device for a child having a buoyant board, with generally parallel top and bottom surfaces, and with a child opening in about the middle of the board. A child seat is provided beneath the opening attached to the board for supporting a child in the opening with his abdomen about even with the board. A wet play area is recessed in the top surface of the board in front of the opening in reach of the child, the play area having a bottom surface below the waterline of the board when a child is on the board. An opening in the board connects the play area to the bottom surface to allow water to enter the play area when the board is in the water. 
     The invention is also particularly directed toward a floatation device for a child having a buoyant board with a child opening in about the middle of the board. A child seat is provided beneath the opening attached to the board for supporting a child in the opening with his abdomen about even with the board. A canopy is mounted on the board. The canopy has an awning support mounted on the board behind the child opening. An awning is rotatably mounted on the awning support for movement between an operative position where the awning is generally horizontal over the child opening and an inoperative position allowing access to the child opening. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view with the awning in the inoperative position; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the seat used in the floatation device; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial cross-section view showing the seat installed on the board; 
     FIG. 4 is a detail view, in partial section, showing the seat straps passing through the board; 
     FIG. 5 is a detail view, in cross-section, showing the seat strap installed; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the board taken along line  6 — 6  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective, exploded, view of the mounting member of the canopy; 
     FIG. 8 is a detail cross-section view showing the mounting member installed; 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-section view of the cross-bar of the mounting member; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the awning; 
     FIG. 11 a cross-section view of the awning taken along line  11 — 11  in FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 12 is cross-section view of the awning taken along line  12 — 12  in FIG. 10 
     FIG. 13 is a detail, cross-section view showing the awning in the operative position on the cross-bar; and 
     FIG. 14 is a detail, cross-section view showing the awning in an inoperative position on the cross-bar. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The floatation device  1  of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, has buoyant board  3 . The board  3  is of general rectangular shape when viewed in plan. The front end  5  of the board can be rounded, when viewed in plan, as can the rear end  7 . The front end  5  can be slightly shorter than the rear end  7 . The front and rear ends  5 ,  7  are joined by slightly outwardly curved sides  9 ,  11 . The board  3  has generally parallel top and bottom surfaces  13 ,  14  joined by the front and rear ends  5 ,  7  and the sides  9 ,  11 . The front end is arbitrarily taken as that end which a child faces when in the device. The board is made from suitable, foamed, thermoplastic material and is preferably solid. The board can be formed with a rigid outer skin if desired and has a size and buoyancy to support a small child. By way of example, the board can be about two feet long; one and half feet wide; and about two inches thick. The board could also be formed by blow molding and in this case would be hollow. 
     A child opening  15  is provided in about the middle of the board  3 . The opening  15  is generally circular and large enough to comfortably receive a child therein with the top and bottom edges of the opening being rounded. A flexible child seat  17 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is fastened to the board  3  about the opening  15  to supported a child in a seated position within the opening. When fastened to the board, the seat  17  is located below the board. The seat  17  has a back and side areas  19 ,  21 ,  23  extending up from a bottom area  25 . A narrow front area  27  also extends up from the bottom area  25 . Leg openings  29 ,  31  are formed between the narrow front area  27  and the side areas  21 ,  23 . A connector strap  33 ,  35 ,  37 ,  39  extends up from each back, side and front area  19 ,  21 ,  23 ,  27  respectively of the seat. The straps  33  to  39  are sized to pass through four slots  41  in the board, the slots located generally equidistant about the child opening  15  with one slot at the front of the opening; one slot at the rear; and a slot at each side. 
     Each connector strap  33  to  39  is the same so only one will described in detail. Connector strap  33 , as shown in FIG. 4, has a first sleeve  51  at its free end  53  and, preferably, a second sleeve  55  spaced a short distance from the first sleeve  51 . A portion of the strap  33 , via the strap end  53 , and with the sleeves  51 ,  55  flattened, is passed through its associated slot  41  in the float board directly behind the opening  15 . The strap end  53  is pushed up through the slot  41  until the first sleeve  51  is above the board. The sleeve  51  is then opened up and a cylindrical pin  57 , larger than the slot  41 , is inserted snugly into the sleeve  51 , the pin  57  being transverse to the strap  33 . The strap  33  is then pulled down to locate the pin  57  and sleeve  51  snug against the board to retain the pin within the sleeve. Preferably, a recess  59  is provided in the top surface  13  of the board surrounding each slot  41 , as shown in FIG. 5.. The pin  57 , in the sleeve  51 , sits snug within the recess  59 , and prevents the strap  33  from passing back out of the slot  41 . Each strap  33  to  39  is mounted on the board in the same way. The weight of the child in the seat  17  maintains the straps  33  to  39  taut and the pins  57  in the recesses  59 . The combination of the sleeves  51 ,  55  in the straps  33  to  39  and the pins  57  form connector means for connecting the seat to the board. The recesses  59  also from part of the connecting means. If the child is smaller and needs a shorter seat, the pins  57  are inserted into the second sleeve  55  of each strap. It will be seen that the seat  17  can be easily adjusted between sizes and also easily removed, if needed, for washing or replacement while the seat  17  has been shown with four straps, three or five straps could also be used with the same number of slots  41 . 
     The board  3 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, has a wet play area  67  between the child opening  15  and the front end  5 , the play area  67  within reach of a child seated in the opening  15 . The play area  67  is recessed below the top surface  13  of the board  3  with the bottom surface  71  of the area  67  located below the waterline WL of the board when it is in the water with a child on board. A water opening  73  extends through the board  3  connecting the bottom surface  71  of the play area  67  with the bottom surface  14  of the board. The opening  73  allows water to flow into the play area  67  to a height equal to the water line WL of the board. The water is held in the recessed area allowing the child to play in this area with the water. 
     The wet play area  67  could also be formed without the opening  73 . In this case, the play area  67  is filled manually with water for the child to play in. The front wall of the board  3 , defining the front of the play area, could be slotted from the top down to a depth at which it is desired to retain water in the play area. Any excess water would flow out of the play area through the slot. 
     The board  3  also has dry play areas  81 ,  83  on either side of the opening  15  and adjacent the sides  9 ,  11  of the board, as shown in FIG.  1 . These dry play areas  81 ,  83  are also recessed in the top surface  13  of the board but are not connected to water. Recessing the play areas  81 ,  83  provides dry containment for toys in these areas. The outer walls  85 , defining part of the play areas  81 ,  83 , can be slotted as shown at  86  to water to drain out of the dry play areas. Alternatively, the walls separating the dry play areas  81 ,  83  from the wet play area  67  could be slotted to allow water to flow from the dry play areas to the wet play area. 
     The board  3  also preferably has a window  87  in the board between the child opening  15  and the wet play area  67  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. The window  87  preferably comprises a transparent box  89  having a thickness equal to the thickness of the board. The box  89  has transparent, parallel, top and bottom walls  91 ,  93  joined by a sidewall  95  which may, or may not, be transparent. The box  89  is snugly mounted within a window opening  97  in the board  3  and maintained therein with suitable fastening means, not shown. The box  89  is not normally meant to be removed from the board. The thickness of the box prevents air bubbles and/or turbulence from forming under the window which could make it difficult to see through the window. The window  87 , positioned just in front of the opening  15 , allows the child to easily see into the water. 
     A canopy  99  is provided for the board  3  as shown in FIG.  1 . The canopy  99  includes an awning  101  which has a generally quadratic shape and is sized to provide protection and shade for a child in the opening  15 . The awning  101  is mounted along one edge on an awning support  103  which in turn is mounted on the board  3 . The awning support  103 , as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, preferably comprises a un-shaped member  105  having a pair of downwardly extending legs  107 ,  109  joined by a horizontal, cylindrical, cross-bar  111 . The cross-bar  111  is non-rotatably mounted by suitable means, not shown, on the top ends of the legs  107 ,  109 . A pair of pins  113 ,  115 , with large threads thereon, project from the bottom ends  117 ,  119  of the legs  107 ,  109 . The pins  113 ,  115  pass through a pair of holes  121  in the board  3  just behind, and to either side of, the opening  15 , the ends  117 ,  119  of the legs  107 ,  109  abutting on the top surface  45  of the board. A recess  123  is provided in the bottom surface  14  of the board, surrounding each hole  121 . The threaded pin  113 ,  115  on the end of each leg  107 ,  109  enters the recess  123  and a nut  125 , in the recess  123 , is threaded onto the pins  113 ,  115  to firmly mount the support  103  on the board  3 . Other easily detachable mounting means for the support  103  may be used. 
     The cross-bar  111  of the awning support  103  has stop means  131  on its outer cylindrical surface  133  as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9. The stop means  131  comprises a pair of curved abutments  135  projecting radially from the cross-bar  111 . The abutments  135  extend on the bar along a line that is parallel to the axis of the cross-bar  111  and are curved about nearly one-half of the circumference of the cross-bar. The abutments  135  are located in the upper rear quadrant of the cross-bar  111  when seen in cross-section when the cross-bar:is mounted on the board. The abutments  135  provide first and second stop surfaces  137 ,  139 . 
     The awning  101 , as shown in FIGS. 10 to  12 , has a downwardly facing groove  145  at its rear end  147  that is generally sized to receive the cross-bar  111 . The awning also has two cutouts  149  intersecting the groove  145  to partly receive the abutments  135  on the cross-bar  111 . The cutouts  149  create a pair of stop bars  151  at the rear end of the awning  101  with each stop bar  151  providing first and second stop surfaces  153 ,  155  as shown in FIG.  12 . 
     The awning  101  is mounted on the cross-bar  111  as the cross-bar  111  is being mounted between the support legs  107 ,  109 . The cross bar  111  is placed in the groove  145  on the awning with the abutments  135  facing down. The cross bar  111  is then rotated to place first stop surface  137  on the abutment  135  against first stop surface  153  on stop bar  151 . The cross bar  111  is then mounted in this position between the support legs  107 ,  109  with the abutment  135  facing up and slightly rearwardly as shown in FIG.  13 . In this operative position the awning  101  is horizontal over the child opening  15  as shown in FIG.  1 . The weight of the awning  101  causes the first stop surface  153  on its stop bar  151  to bear against the fixed first stop surface  137  on the abutment  135  on the fixed cross-bar  111  to hold the awning in position. 
     The awning  101  can be rotated on the cross-bar  111  from this operative position to an inoperative position where the awning is upside down over the rear of the board. In this inoperative position, the second stop surface  155  of the stop bar  151  on the awning  101  abuts against the second fixed stop surface  139  on the abutment  135 , as shown in FIG. 14, to hold the awning  101  in this inoperative position.