Abstract:
A child play table and kit accompanying the same is disclosed. In one embodiment, the child play table may have contoured terrain, such as a mountain, valley, or other types of terrain that may include a waterfall, a river, lake and/or an ocean featuring water flow produced by a pump. A controller may be included that activates the pump in coordination with a story line, which may be incorporated into a book, and/or user activity. The kit may include accessories corresponding to the story line such as human, dinosaur, fish and animal figurines, buildings, homes, forts, castles, roads, bridges and other structures as well as miniaturized toy vehicles. The controller may also generate audio signals corresponding to the story line.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a child play table, and more specifically to a play table having contours and a flowing water feature. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Child play tables are known in the art. Some existing play tables offer a shorter stature to suitably fit a child&#39;s stature, and some offer toys that come with or are built into the table. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to one or more of the following features, elements or combinations thereof. A child play table and kit accompanying the same is disclosed. In one embodiment, the child play table may have contoured terrain, with landscape features such as a mountain, valley, or other types of terrain. The play table may have running water that could be incorporated in a waterfall, a river, lake and/or an ocean. Other items may be included in a kit sold with the play table, such as a storybook, human, dinosaur, fish and/or animal figurines, buildings, homes, forts, castles, roads, bridges and other structures as well as miniaturized toy vehicles such as boats, pirate ships, planes, helicopters, canoes, cars, jeeps, trucks, tanks, trains, ATV&#39;s, and the like. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    Certain embodiments of the present invention are described with respect to the following drawings, wherein: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a cutaway side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , taken along the line  2 - 2  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The following examples further illustrate the invention but, of course, should not be construed as in any way limiting its scope. 
         [0008]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 1-2 , a play table  10  comprises a horizontal platform  12  and a support structure  14  (such as the illustrative legs of the table) that is configured to support the platform  12  above an underlying substrate, such as a floor. In the illustrated example, play table  10  comprises four table legs  16 , but it should be understood that other support configurations are within the scope of the invention. 
         [0009]    In the illustrative embodiment, platform  12  carries a contoured terrain or landscape  18  on its upper surface. The contoured terrain may be partially recessed into the top of the table, such as to include recessed area or reservoir  24 . Contoured terrain  18  may include a water course  40  in communication with recessed area  24  to permit liquid to flow through the water course to the reservoir  24  to form, for example, a waterfall or stream. For example, contoured terrain  18  may be configured to include many elements or combinations thereof, including the following: a miniaturized mountain, a valley, a road, a lake, a city, a river, a cave, a waterfall, “snow,” a tree, bushes, rocks or any other type of material that may be contemplated as appearing in natural or developed geographic regions. Contoured terrain  18  could even be user-configurable, having moldable or movable elements. Contoured terrain  18  could address historical events (such as battles or expeditions), cities (such as London or Venice) or fictional events (such as a hunt for buried pirate treasure, a castle surrounded by a moat or dinosaurs existing in a jungle). 
         [0010]    Additional accessories or items may be included in a kit with the play table  10 . For example, accessories such as figurines  19  of humans, dinosaurs, fish and/or animals and associated figurines may be provided for a child&#39;s benefit when playing on play table  10 . Boats, pirate ships, planes, helicopters, canoes, cars, jeeps, trucks, tanks, trains, ATVs and other vehicles  23  may also be provided. Buildings, homes, forts, castles, roads, bridges and other structures may be provided depending on the theme of the play table. Play tables may also be designed to connect multiple play tables in order to create a larger, group-playing surface. It is also contemplated that a storybook  21  may be provided that would have a plot corresponding to the accessories supplied with a kit including the play table to allow a child to read a story related to historical or fictional events and then use his or her imagination to complete the story with the terrain  18 , figurines  19 , and/or vehicles  23  of the play table  10 . 
         [0011]    A kit including play table  10  may also include a chair  20 , or a plurality of chairs, or even a bench that can be integral with table  10  or separate from table  10 . 
         [0012]    As shown in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 2 , play table  10  can be configured to have a pump  22  built into horizontal platform  12 . In the example of  FIG. 2 , pump  22  has an intake in communication with recessed area  24  and an outlet  26  in communication with water course feature  40  formed into the terrain of play table  10 , where water course  40  is also in communication with recessed area  24 . Consequently, the pump  22  may be operated to pump a liquid (such as water) from reservoir  24  to water course feature  40  to form a water fall, in this example, that flows back to reservoir  24  allowing continuous flow of the liquid in the water course. It is contemplated that pump  22  and play table  10  could be configured in a number of other manners, so as to provide an effect of a river, a flow of lava, or any other type of desired fluid-like movement on the contoured terrain  18  portion of play table  10 . 
         [0013]    It is further contemplated that multiple pumps  22  may be configured for use with play table  10 . Such multiple pumps could be arranged and configured for pumping a variety of fluid-like substances that would simulate movement on contoured terrain  18 . Pumps  22  may alternately be housed below horizontal platform  12 , or positioned in other locations relative to horizontal platform  12 . Pumps may be electrical or battery powered. 
         [0014]    Timing and/or sound features (not shown) could also be incorporated with play table  10 . Such timing and/or sound features could be configured to further add to the experience for a child playing with play table  10 . For example, the flow of fluid on play table  10  could be configured to flow on a timed schedule, intermittently, and/or in response to sensed movement on a particular section of the play table. Play table  10  could also be configured to emit sounds that emulate either the flow of one or more of the fluid-like substances, or various other sounds that may be in conjunction with the storybook plot. It is further contemplated that such sounds and fluid movement could be configurable, and even based on the particular storybook plot chosen at the time. 
         [0015]    In the example shown in  FIG. 2 , a controller  30  is included that is operably coupled to pump  22  in order to control the operation of the pump. Controller  30  may also be operably coupled to sensor  32  disposed on the surface of play table  10  for sensing the presence of a user, e.g. by sensing infrared light. Controller  30  may be configured to activate pump  22  when the presence of a user is sensed via sensor  32 . Controller  30  may also be configured to perform the timing and audio functions discussed above. One example of a controller  30  is a microprocessor based module having timing, control and audio functionality. 
         [0016]    In one embodiment, the controller  30  is configured to activate and deactivate the pump in accordance with the story line or plot of a book. The controller  30  may also be configured to generate audio signals, such as sound effects or instructions, that correspond to the story line of the book. For example, the controller may systematically activate and deactivate the pump in response to timed intervals or sensing the motion of action of a user or a combination of both and generate suitable audio signals for an event taking place in the story line and to be played out on the surface of the play table. 
         [0017]    While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have herein been described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiments disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. 
         [0018]    All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein. 
         [0019]    The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. 
         [0020]    Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.