Abstract:
A collapsible play structure comprises one or more play modules connected together, each play module comprising at least three foldable frame members, each having a folded and an unfolded orientation. A fabric material substantially covers each frame member to form a side panel for each frame member when the frame member is in the unfolded orientation. Each side panel further comprises at least three sides. The left side of each side panel is connected and hinged to the right side of an adjacent side panel, and the right side of each side panel is connected and hinged to the left side of another adjacent side panel. The bottom side of each side panel is adapted to rest on a supporting surface to support the play module.

Description:
RELATED CASES  
       [0001]    This is a continuation-in-part of co-pending Ser. No. 08/024,050, entitled “Collapsible Shade Structure”, filed Mar. 1, 1993, which is in turn a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/764,784, entitled “Collapsible Shade Structure”, filed Sep. 24, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,705, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by this reference as though set forth fully herein.  
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to collapsible structures, and in particular, to collapsible play structures which may be provided in a variety of shapes and sizes. The collapsible play structures may be twisted and folded to reduce the overall size of the play structures to facilitate convenient storage and use.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    Two important considerations for all toys or play things targeted for children are convenience and variety. Relating to convenience, a toy must be easily transportable so that the child can move it around the home, or even to other places outside of the home. A toy must also be easily stored since a child is likely to have many other toys that compete for precious storage space in the home. As for variety, a toy must offer enough variety in play so that the child will be able to enjoy it for a long period of time without getting bored.  
           [0006]    Larger toys often pose a greater problem with regards to convenience. The larger toys tend to be bulky, which makes it difficult to move them around the home, and sometimes makes it prohibitive to move them outside the house to other locations. Bulky toys also take up much storage space.  
           [0007]    In the past, attempts have been made to provide play structures for the entertainment of children. Such play structures have been provided in many different shapes and sizes. For example, some have been shaped as playhouses to allow children to climb into and out of the structure. However, in order to provide a structure that can temporarily house a child, such a structure must be quite large and would be difficult to transport and store.  
           [0008]    In response to this problem, attempts have been made to provide play structures that are assembled from generic rigid panels that may be disassembled after use. The generic panels are easily stored into a small container, which makes it convenient to transport and to store. These panels may also be assembled into structures having different shapes and sizes, thereby offering the child with variety. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,105 to Daugherty provides a fabrication device comprised of differently-shaped rigid panels  10  connected by superimposing the curled locking means  16  of adjacent panels  10 . Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,580 to Ausnit provides a connective toy comprised of rigid bodies connected by interlocking ribs and grooves. Unfortunately, these play structures suffer from the drawback that it is very time-consuming to disassemble the structure after use for storage, and to re-assemble the structure before use. Since children tend to lack patience, such play structures will normally remain in their assembled state most of the time, which still results in the same problems discussed above.  
           [0009]    Thus, there remains a need for a play structure which is convenient to use, to transport, and to store, and which offers play variety to the child.  
         SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
         [0010]    In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention, the collapsible play structure according to the present invention comprises a play module comprising at least three foldable frame members, each having a folded and an unfolded orientation. A fabric material substantially covers each frame member to form a side panel for each frame member when the frame member is in the unfolded orientation, with the fabric assuming the unfolded orientation of its associated frame member. Each side panel further comprises at least a left side, a bottom side and a right side. The left side of each side panel is connected and hinged to the right side of an adjacent side panel, and the right side of each side panel is connected and hinged to the left side of another adjacent side panel. The bottom side of each side panel is adapted to rest on a supporting surface to support the play module.  
           [0011]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the play module comprises four side panels and four corresponding frame members, each having four sides, including a top side. A fabric is connected to the top sides of the four side panels and extends therebetween, and an opening may be provided in this fabric. Openings may also be provided in one or more of the side panels to allow a child to crawl therethrough.  
           [0012]    Each side panel comprises a frame retaining sleeve for retaining one of the frame members. The frame retaining sleeves of adjacent side panels are stitched together to form a hinged connection. Alternatively, the frame retaining sleeves of adjacent side panels may converge to form a singular retaining sleeve which retains the adjacent sides of the adjacent frame members of the corresponding adjacent side panels. The stitchings which connect the frame retaining sleeves act as hinges for the corresponding side panels.  
           [0013]    When the play module is to be folded and stored, the side panels and their corresponding frame members may be folded on top of each other about the hinges to have the side panels and frame members overlaying each other. The overlying side panels and frame members are then collapsed by twisting and folding to form a plurality of concentric frame members and side panels to substantially reduce the size of the play module in the folded orientation.  
           [0014]    A plurality of the play modules may be connected to create play structures of different shapes and sizes. The play modules may be provided as separate play modules and connected by velcro, hooks, fasteners, or other attachment mechanisms which allow for convenient attachment and detachment. These separate play structures may be provided in identical or different shapes and sizes. Alternatively, a play structure may be provided that has a plurality of play modules integrally connected to form one unitary play structure which may be folded and collapsed according to the same principles as the separate play modules.  
           [0015]    The collapsible play structures according to the present invention are convenient for use since they are easily and quickly folded and collapsed into a smaller size for transportation and storage. A plurality of these play modules may be easily transported and stored, and provide a child with much play variety since a large number of play structures having different shapes and sizes can be created therefrom.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible play structure according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention having one module;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1A is a partial cut-away view of the section A of the play structure of FIG. 1 illustrating a frame member retained within a sleeve;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a first preferred connection between two adjacent panels of the module of FIG. 1 taken along line  2 - 2  thereof;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a second preferred connection between two adjacent panels of the module of FIG. 1 taken along line  2 - 2  thereof;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a collapsible play structure according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention comprising three modules;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of a first preferred connection between the four adjacent panels of the modules of FIG. 3 taken along line  4 - 4  thereof;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of a second preferred connection between the four adjacent panels of the modules of FIG. 3 taken along line  4 - 4  thereof;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of a third preferred connection between the four adjacent panels of the modules of FIG. 3 taken along line  4 - 4  thereof;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view of a fourth preferred connection between the four adjacent panels of the modules of FIG. 3 taken along line  4 - 4  thereof;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of a first preferred connection between the three adjacent panels of the modules of FIG. 3 taken along line  5 - 5  thereof;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of a second preferred connection between the three adjacent panels of the modules of FIG. 3 taken along line  5 - 5  thereof;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a collapsible play structure according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention comprising four modules connected to the different side panels of one large module;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the collapsible play structure of FIG. 1 which may be sized to allow a child to wear the structure as part of a costume; and  
         [0029]    FIGS.  8 (A) through  8 (E) illustrate how the collapsible play structure of FIG. 1 may be twisted and folded for compact storage.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0030]    The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.  
         [0031]    As shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A, the basic component for a collapsible play structure according to the present invention comprises a module  20 . As explained in greater detail hereinbelow, the collapsible play structures according to the present invention are each comprised of one or more of these modules  20  assembled to create a resulting play structure having the desired shape and size.  
         [0032]    Referring to FIG. 1, according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, each module  20  comprises four side panels  22   a,    22   b,    22   c  and  22   d  connected to each other to encircle an enclosed space. Each side panel  22   a,    22   b,    22   c  and  22   d  has four sides, a left side  26   a,  a bottom side  26   b,  a right side  26   c  and a top side  26   d.  Each side panel  22   a,    22   b,    22   c  and  22   d  has a continuous frame retaining sleeve  24   a,    24   b,    24   c  or  24   d  provided along and traversing the four edges of its four sides  26   a,    26   b,    26   c  and  26   d.  A continuous frame member  28   a,    28   b,    28   c  or  28   d  is retained or held within each frame retaining sleeve  24   a,    24   b,    24   c  or  24   d,  respectively, to support each side panel  22   a,    22   b,    22   c  and  22   d.  Only the frame member  28   c  is shown in FIG. 1A; the other frame members  28   a,    28   b  and  28   d  are not shown but are the same as frame member  28   c.    
         [0033]    The continuous frame members  28   a,    28   b,    28   c  and  28   d  may be provided as one continuous loop, or may comprise a strip of material connected at both ends to form a continuous loop. The continuous frame members  28   a,    28   b,    28   c  and  28   d  are preferably formed of flexible coilable steel, although other materials such as plastics may also be used. The frame members should be made of a material which is relatively strong and yet is flexible to a sufficient degree to allow it to be coiled. Thus, each frame member  28   a,    28   b,    28   c  and  28   d  is capable of assuming two positions or orientations, an open or expanded position such as shown in FIG. 1, or a folded position in which the frame member is collapsed into a size which is much smaller than its open position (see FIG. 8(E)).  
         [0034]    Fabric or sheet material  30   a,    30   b,    30   c  and  30   d  extends across each side panel  22   a,    22   b,    22   c  and  22   d,  respectively, and is held taut by the respective frame members  28   a,    28   b,    28   c  and  28   d  when in its open position. The term fabric is to be given its broadest meaning and should be made from strong, lightweight materials and may include woven fabrics, sheet fabrics or even films. The fabric should be water-resistant and durable to withstand the wear and tear associated with rough treatment by children. The frame members  28   a,    28   b,    28   c  and  28   d  may be merely retained within the respective frame retaining sleeves  24   a,    24   b,    24   c  and  24   c  without being connected thereto. Alternatively, the frame retaining sleeves  24   a,    24   b,    24   c  and  24   d  may be mechanically fastened, stitched, fused, or glued to the frame members  28   a,    28   b,    28   c  and  28   d,  respectively, to retain them in position.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 2A illustrates one preferred connection for connecting adjacent edges of two side panels  22   a  and  22   d.  The fabric pieces  30   a  and  30   d  are stitched at their edges by a stitching  34  to the respective sleeves  24   a  and  24   d.  Each sleeve  24   a  and  24   d  may be formed by folding a piece of fabric. The stitching  34  also acts as a hinge for the side panels  22   a  and  22   d  to be folded upon each other, as explained below. The connections for the three other pairs of adjacent edges may be identical. Thus, the connections on the left side  26   a  and the right side  26   c  of each side panel  22   a,    22   b,    22   c  and  22   d  act as hinge connections for connecting an adjacent side panel.  
         [0036]    At the top side  26   d  and the bottom side  26   b  of each side panel  22   a,    22   b,    22   c  and  22   d,  where there is no hinge connection to an adjacent side panel, the frame retaining sleeve  24   a,    24   b,    24   c  or  24   b  may be formed by merely folding over the corresponding fabric piece and applying a stitching  35  (see FIG. 1A). The fabric piece for the corresponding side panel may then be stitched to the sleeve.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 2B illustrates a second preferred connection for connecting adjacent edges of two side panels  22   a  and  22   d.  As in the connection of FIG. 2A, the fabric pieces  30   a  and  30   d  are folded over at their edges at bottom side  26   b  and top side  26   d  to define the respective sleeves  24   a  and  24   d.  However, the frame retaining sleeves  24   a  and  24   d  converge at, or are connected to, one sleeve portion which interconnects side panels  22   a  and  22   d  to form a singular frame retaining sleeve  40  which retains the frame members  28   a  and  28   d.  Sleeve  40  may be formed by providing a tubular fabric, or by folding a piece of fabric, and applying a stitching  42  to its edges to connect the sleeve  40  to the fabric pieces  30   a  and  30   d.  Stitching  42  acts as a hinge for the side panels  22   a  and  22   d.  The connections for the three other pairs of adjacent edges may be identical.  
         [0038]    An upper panel  32  comprised of fabric  30   e  may also be connected to the upper edge  26   d  of each side panel  22   a,    22   b,    22   c  and  22   d.  Likewise, a lower panel  36  comprised of fabric  30   f  may also be connected to the bottom edge  26   b  of each side panel  22   a,    22   b,    22   c  and  22   d.  The upper panel  32  and the lower panel  36  are preferably made of the same type of fabric as the side panels  22   a,    22   b,    22   c  and  22   d.  Each module  20  preferably comprises at least the four side panels  22   a,    22   b,    22   c  and  22   d,  with the upper and lower panels  32  and  36  being optional.  
         [0039]    Openings  38  may be provided in some or all of the panels  22   a,    22   b,    22   c,    22   d,    32  and  36 . These openings  38  may be of any shape (e.g., triangular, circular, rectangular, square, diamond, etc.) and size and are designed to allow children to crawl through them to enter or to exit the module  20 .  
         [0040]    While the module  20  of FIG. 1 is shown and described as having four side panels, each having four sides, it will be appreciated that a module may be made of any number of side panels, each having any number of sides, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, each module may have three or more side panels, and each side panel may have three or more sides. Thus, the module of the present invention may take a variety of external shapes. However, each side panel of the module, regardless of its shape, is supported by at least one continuous frame member.  
         [0041]    FIGS.  8 (A) through  8 (E) describe the various steps for folding and collapsing the module  20  of FIG. 1 for storage. In FIG. 8(A), the first step consists of pushing in side panels  22   a  and  22   d  such that side panel  22   d  collapses upon side panel  22   c  and side panel  22   a  collapses upon side panel  22   b.  Then, in the second step shown in FIG. 8(B), the two side panels  22   a  and  22   b  are folded so as to be collapsed upon the two side panels  22   c  and  22   d.  The structure is then twisted and folded to collapse the frame members and side panels into a smaller shape. In the third step shown in FIG. 8(C), the opposite border  44  of the structure is folded in upon the previous fold to further collapse the frame members with the side panels. As shown in FIG. 8(D), the fourth step is to continue the collapsing so that the initial size of the structure is reduced. FIG. 8(E) shows the fifth step with the frame members and side panels collapsed on each other to provide for a small essentially compact configuration having a plurality of concentric frame members and layers of the side panels so that the collapsed structure has a size which is a fraction of the size of the initial structure.  
         [0042]    A second preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3. A play structure  50  comprises three modules  52 ,  54  and  56  provided in an attached manner. Each module  52 ,  54  and  56  is essentially of the same construction as module  20 , except that modules  52  and  56  share a common side panel  58 , and modules  54  and  56  share a common side panel  60 . The connections between adjacent side panels (i.e., the two side panel connections) may be the same as any of those illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B above.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 4A illustrates a preferred four side panel connection along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 3, in which the four frame retaining sleeves  68   a,    68   b,    70   a  and  70   b  each retain a frame member  72   a,    72   b,    74   a  and  74   b,  respectively. Sleeves  68   a  and  70   a,  and side panels  62   a  and  64   a,  are connected by a stitching  75  and sleeves  68   b  and  70   b,  and side panels  58  and  60 , are connected by a stitching  76 . Each of the stitchings  75  and  76  also connect an interconnecting hinge fabric  77  which holds the two pairs of sleeves  68   a,    70   a  and  68   b,    70   b  together, and acts to hinge these two pairs of sleeves.  
         [0044]    Alternatively, FIG. 4B illustrates a second preferred connection in which the four frame retaining sleeves  68   a,    68   b,    70   a  and  70   b,  each formed by a separate stitching, converge to form, or are connected to, one singular frame retaining sleeve  88  which retains the frame members  72   a,    72   b,    74   a  and  74   b.  The singular frame retaining sleeve  88  is created by folding a fabric material, or providing a tubular fabric, and applying a stitching  86  to connect the sleeve  88  to the side panels  58 ,  60 ,  62   a  and  64   a.  Stitching  86  acts as a hinge for the side panels  58 ,  60 ,  62   a  and  64   a.    
         [0045]    [0045]FIGS. 4C and 4D illustrate third and fourth preferred connections in which the four frame retaining sleeves  68   a,    68   b,    70   a  and  70   b  each retain a frame member  72   a,    72   b,    74   a  and  74   b,  respectively, and are stitched together with the fabric pieces of the side panels  62   a,    64   a,    58  and  60  by stitching  87  (FIG. 4C) and stitching  89  (FIG. 4D). The stitchings  87  and  89  also act to hinge the side panels  58 ,  60 ,  62   a  and  64   a.    
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 5A illustrates a preferred connection for the three side panel connection  80  along line  5 - 5  of FIG. 3, in which the three frame retaining sleeves  70   b,    70   c  and  78   a  each retain a frame member  74   b,    74   c  and  84   a,  respectively, and are held together by stitching  90 . The fabric pieces of side panels  60 ,  64   c  and  66   b  are also stitched to the sleeves  70   b,    70   c  and  78   a  by the stitching  90 . Alternatively, FIG. 5B illustrates a second preferred connection in which the three frame retaining sleeves  70   b,    70   c  and  78   a,  each formed by a separate stitching, converge to form, or are connected to, one singular frame retaining sleeve  94  which retains the frame members  74   b,    74   c  and  84   a.  The singular frame retaining sleeve  94  is created by folding a fabric material and applying a stitching  92  to hold the sleeve  94  together with the side panels  60 ,  64   c  and  66   b.  The stitchings  90  and  92  act as hinges for the side panels  60 ,  64   c  and  66   b.  The three side panel connection  82  is identical to the three side panel connection  80  and is not further discussed herein.  
         [0047]    To fold and collapse the play structure  50 , the side panels  62   a  and  62   b  of module  52  are pushed onto side panels  58  and  62   c,  respectively, the side panels  64   a  and  64   b  of module  54  are pushed onto side panels  60  and  64   c,  respectively, and the side panels  66   a  and  66   b  of module  56  are pushed onto side panels  58  and  60 , respectively. Thereafter, combined side panels  62   b  and  62   c  are folded over to be collapsed upon the combined side panels  62   a  and  58 , and combined side panels  64   b  and  64   c  are folded over to be collapsed upon the combined side panels  64   a  and  60 . The combined side panels  66   b,    60 ,  64   a,    64   b  and  64   c  are then folded over and collapsed upon the combined side panels  66   a,    58 ,  62   a,    62   b  and  62   c,  thereby creating a stack of ten side panels. The combined stack of ten side panels may then be twisted and folded in the manner described above in connection with FIGS.  8 (C)- 8 (E).  
         [0048]    Alternatively, the three modules  52 ,  54  and  56  of play structure  50  may be provided as three separate modules, each having four side panels. Each such module could be identical to module  20  of FIG. 1. The three separate modules may be connected by conventional attachment methods such as velcro, hooks, loops, fasteners or others, to create the play structure  50 , or another structure with a different shape. For example, a child may choose to create a play structure having three linear modules  52 ,  54  and  56 . The attachment method allows for convenient attachment and detachment. Each module may be folded and collapsed in the manner described in FIGS.  8 (A)- 8 (E) for convenient storage.  
         [0049]    Regardless of whether the modules  52 ,  54  and  56  are provided separately or as an attached structure, the entire play structure  50  may be conveniently folded and collapsed, thereby making it convenient to move around the home, and requiring little storage space. If the modules  52 ,  54  and  56  are provided separately, the child further derives an additional variety of play since he or she can create play structures of different shapes. Additionally, the child may derive amusement by attempting to align the openings  90  and  92  in the interfacing side panels so that he or she can crawl from one module into another.  
         [0050]    Although the play structure  50  is shown as having three modules  52 ,  54  and  56 , each being of the same size and shape, it will be appreciated that the present invention encompasses within its scope play structures having any number of modules, each having any number of different sizes and shapes and being made from side panels having any number of different sizes and shapes.  
         [0051]    An example is illustrated in the third preferred embodiment of FIG. 6. The play structure  100  comprises a large module  102 , and four identical but smaller modules  104 ,  106 ,  108  and  110 , each connected to one of the four side panels of the large module  102  by a conventional attachment method, for example, velcro  112 . A mesh  114  may be provided to cover an opening in the large module  102 . The openings in the modules  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108  and  110  may be provided in varying shapes and sizes. Although the play structure  100  is shown as having four identical modules  104 ,  106 ,  108  and  110 , these four modules may be provided in different shapes and sizes.  
         [0052]    The separate modules according to the present invention may be provided or purchased on an individual basis, in different shapes and sizes, so that a child may be able to create a play structure of a desired shape and size. Alternatively, a specific number of differently shaped and sized modules may be packaged and sold together. In either case, the child will have the opportunity to create an endless variety of play structures at his or her disposal, thereby enhancing the amusement value of the modules, and stimulating creativity in the child by challenging the child to create as many different play structures as possible.  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 7 illustrates an additional application for the module  20 . The module  20  may be sized such that it may be fitted around the body of a child, to act as part of a costume. The module  20  may then be able to support other bulky costumes, and would be especially useful for occasions such as halloween. For example, the child&#39;s head and arms could extend through opening  120  in the upper panel  32  and his legs could extend through an opening (not shown) in the lower panel  36 . Alternatively, the module  20  could be sized small enough so that the child&#39;s arms could extend through the openings  122  and  124  in the side panels  22   a  and  22   c,  respectively. Further, the lower panel  36  could be omitted if desired.  
         [0054]    While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.