Abstract:
Many family homes, school and municipal parks have play structures for children. Typically these playground play structures have ladders. In the case of family homes in particular, toddlers typically enjoy climbing the ladders but then are stuck at the top and in danger of falling off the ladder. In order to prevent toddlers from climbing the ladder of the play structures when unattended by an adult, and ultimately preventing injury, an invention that prevents the ladder from being climbed by a toddler is presented here.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention is in the field of child safety and security. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Unencumbered access to playground ladders by toddlers can result in tragic accidents especially when adults are not present to supervise play on ladders. Although in the majority of instances there is no accident, when a fall by a toddler from ladder does occur it can result in serious injuries that require medical attention. Additionally, adults or other persons could injure themselves rushing to reach a child who has climbed on to a ladder. 
         [0003]    The above problems occur in a variety of settings including homes, schools or municipal parks. It is therefore desirable to secure play structure ladders from being climbed on when a school play area is not in use or supervised. Currently there is no cost effective solution other than removing the ladder should a school wish to pursue this option. 
         [0004]    It is desirable to prevent unsupervised ladder climbing on play structures by children not capable of safely climbing on the ladders. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0005]    The invention is a safety sheet device having of a long sheet of thin plastic or other material, such as polyurethane foam, in sufficient length capable of spanning the ladder rungs and wide enough to make the ladder unusable when attached. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a safety sheet device that is made of polymer, colorants and UV light absorbers that can be safely handled and non-toxic to adults and children. 
         [0006]    In one embodiment of the invention, the safety sheet device has a tying or attachment mechanism that allows one end to be snapped into place or mechanically fastened to the opposite end after it has been wrapped around the ladder. 
         [0007]    Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a play structure having a ladder; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of a play structure ladder with a safety sheet device connected in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of a play structure ladder with a safety sheet device connected in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an exploded cross-sectional view of an alternate arrangement for connecting the safety sheet device to the play structure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of an alternate attachment arrangement for the safety sheet device; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of another alternate connection arrangement for the safety sheet device; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the safety sheet device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIG. 1  of the present application, a play structure arrangement  10  is shown. The play structure arrangement  10  has a platform  16  with a ladder  12  connected. A safety sheet device  14  is shown connected to the ladder  12 . The play structure arrangement  10  can have many different forms, but generally includes a platform  16 , or a place where the ladder  12  is connected in addition some other sort of device. In the present example, the play structure arrangement  10  includes a slide connected to the platform  16  which is elevated off of the ground on posts. Other play apparatuses can be connected. For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , there are two swings that form part of the play structure arrangement  10 . It is also within the scope of this invention for the safety sheet device  14  to be used for other ladders that are not necessarily connected to a platform  16 . For example, a play structure commonly referred to as “monkey bars” has a ladder that is not always connected to a platform. It is within the scope of the invention for the safety sheet device  14  to be used on any type of ladder including work ladders, pool ladders, loft ladders, etc. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the connection of the safety sheet device  14  to the ladder  12  is described. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the ladder  12  has a top rung  18 , bottom rung  20 , and a plurality of rungs  22  positioned between the top rung  18  and the bottom rung  20 . All of the rungs  18 ,  20 ,  22  are connected between at least two stringers  24 . It is within the scope of this invention for a greater or lesser number of stringers  24  to be used as well as a greater or lesser number or rungs  18 ,  20 ,  22 . The ladder  12  further includes a front side  26  and a back side  28 . The front side  26  is the side of the ladder  12  that the user will climb up to gain access to the platform  16  of the play structure  10 . 
         [0019]    Referring briefly to  FIG. 7 , the structure of the safety sheet device  14  is shown and described. The safety sheet device  14  has a suitable length “L” for connection to the play structure  10 , shown in  FIG. 1 . The safety sheet device  14  also has a width “W” that is of sufficient size to extend across the ladder  12  between the stringers  24 , shown in  FIG. 1 . However, it is possible to use a safety sheet device  14  that has a width that does not extend entirely between the stringers  24 , but rather is of sufficient width to render the ladder  12  unusable. The length “L” of the safety sheet device  14  will depend upon the height or length of the ladder  12  as well as the particular embodiment of the safety sheet device being used. The safety sheet device  14  is made of a flexible polymer material that includes plastics generally, as well as specific polymers from the group including polyurethane foam, polyamides, polyesters, neoprene, nitrile rubber, styrenes, and vinyl. Additionally non-toxic colorants such as clay, mica and calcium carbonate combined with the various polymer resins are used to enhance the safety of the polymer-colorant system when the safety sheet device  14  is handled. Additional possible materials include UV light absorbers, such as Milestab 81™ (2-Hydroxy-4-Octyloxy Benzophenone) from MPI Chemie of the Netherlands, can be added to the polymer matrix to increase the resistance of the safety sheet from destruction from sunlight. The safety sheet device  14  shown in  FIG. 7  also includes a plurality of optional flutes  27  that may be molded into the safety sheet device  14  to provide points of flexation. The flutes  27  are optional and it is within the scope of this invention for the safety sheet device  14  to not have the flutes  27 . The safety sheet device shown in  FIG. 7  has opposite ends  29  located at each end of the length “L”. Located at or near the opposite ends  29  are fasteners  30 ,  32  that are used to secure the safety sheet device  14  in place.  FIG. 7  depicts a hook and loop or Velcro™ fastener arrangement that includes a first fastener  30  and a second fastener  32  located near the opposite ends  29  of the safety sheet device  14 . The first fastener  30  is connected to a first surface  34  of the safety sheet device  14  while the fastener  32  is connected to a second surface  36  of the safety sheet device  14  opposite the first surface  34 . Placement of the first and second fasteners  30 ,  32  on the respective first and second surfaces  34 ,  36  allows for the two opposite ends  29  of the safety sheet device  14  to overlap at a connect area  38  for wrapping the safety sheet device  14  in a circular or loop shaped position around the top rung  18  and bottom rung  20  of the ladder  12 . This is shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  shows one embodiment of the safety sheet device  14  where the safety sheet device  14  wraps around the top rung  18  and bottom rung  20  and is connected together at the connect area  38  on the backside  28  of the ladder  12  using the fasteners  30 ,  32 . It is within the scope of this invention for the connect area  38  to be located on the front side  26  of the ladder  12  depending on the particular application. Wrapping the safety sheet device  14  around the top rung  18  and bottom rung  20  of the ladder  12  using the hook and loop fasteners  30 ,  32  renders the ladder  12  immobile since a small child, such as a toddler or infant, cannot access the covered rungs  18 ,  20 ,  22  of the ladder. While  FIG. 2  depicts the safety sheet device  14  covering all of the rungs of the ladder  12 , it is also within the scope of the invention for a lesser number of rungs to be covered by the safety sheet device  14 . Additionally, depending on the number of rungs  18 ,  20 ,  22  on the ladder  12 , the length “L” of the safety sheet device can be varied either by manually trimming the safety sheet device  14  or having different sized safety sheet devices available for covering a number of different rungs. The size of the fasteners or the number of fasteners  30 ,  32  can also be varied to provide a means of adjusting the size of the safety sheet device  14  when it is connected to the ladder  12 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , an alternate embodiment of the invention is shown which includes a safety sheet device  114  that does not wrap around the top and bottom rungs  18 ,  20  of the ladder  12 , but rather covers just the front side  26  of the ladder  12 . This particular embodiment of the safety sheet device  114  attaches to the platform  16  at a first connection  40 . The second end of the safety sheet device has a second connection  42  that is used to connect to the bottom rung  20  of the ladder  12 . 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , an exploded cross-sectional view of the first connection  40  is shown. The first connection  40  in this particular embodiment of the invention is a snap fastener having a male half  44  connected to the safety sheet device  14  using a retainer  46 . A female half  48  of the snap fastener is connected to the platform  16  using a fastener  50 . While the female half  48  is shown as being fastened to the platform  16 , it is within the scope this invention for a female half  48  to be connected another structure aside from the platform  16  and connected to other alternate structures such as the stringers  24  or other structures. Also, it is within the scope of this invention for multiple snap fasteners to be used even though only a single snap fastener is shown. The female half  48  is configured to receive and retain the male half  44 . 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , an exploded perspective view of the second connection  42  is shown. The second connection includes an L-clamp  54  that is connected to the safety sheet device  14 . The L-clamp  54  is shaped to resiliently clamp or grasp the bottom rung  20  of the ladder  12 . While  FIG. 3  shows the second connection  42  being connected to the bottom rung  20 , it is within the scope of this invention for the connection to be made with any of the rungs  18 ,  20 ,  22 . It is also within the scope of this invention for both the first connection  40  and second connection  42  to consist of two L-clamps  54  connected to the safety sheet device  14 , where the safety sheet device  14  would be stretched between the top rung  18  and bottom rung  20 , or between any two of the rungs  18 ,  20 ,  22  of the ladder  12 . It is also within the scope of the invention for the L-claims  54  to have a different shape depending on the cross-sectional shape of the rungs  18 ,  20 ,  22 . 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , an additional alternate connection that can be used for the first connection  40  and second connection  42  are shown. This particular alternate connection uses a C-clamp  52  connected to the safety sheet device  14 . The C-clamp  52  can be used near both of the opposite attachment ends  29  or various combinations of the different connections described herein can be used. The C-clamp  52  is shaped to resiliently clamp on or grasp one of the rungs  18 ,  20 ,  22 . In the embodiments described in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the C-clamp  52  or L-clamp  54  may be attached to the safety sheet device  14  using adhesives, fasteners or hook and loop connections as well as any other suitable attachment mechanism. Generally speaking, the fasteners or connections between the safety sheet device and the platform, stringers or rungs can be accomplished using buttons, snaps, hooks, magnets, clips and strings connected at the connect area  38 , or between the rungs, platform, stringers or other structures. 
         [0025]    The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.