Abstract:
A swing ride capable of swinging motion about an elevated support. The swing ride includes first and second parts which move toward and away from one another during the swinging motion of the swing and a deformable chamber which is alternately compressed and expanded during the periodic motion of the swing. A fluidically operated toy is connected to one of the parts and a fluid conduit is connected between the deformable chamber and the toy to conduct fluid between the deformable chamber and the toy so that the toy is energized by a change in fluid pressure from the deformable chamber caused by the swinging motion of the swing ride.

Description:
This invention relates to children&#39;s play rides of the type commonly associated with children&#39;s swing sets, play gyms and the like. It relates especially to a swing referred to as a glide ride. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A glide ride is a type of swing having a platform which is pivotally suspended from an elevated support by one or more pairs of parallel elongated hangers. The lower ends of the hangers of each pair are pivotally connected to the platform at spaced-apart locations thereon and the upper ends of the hangers of each pair are pivotally connected to the support. When the ride is swung back and forth relative to the support, the platform defines varying angles with its supporting hangers. The prior art is replete with examples of such swings, one old example being a conventional lawn swing. Other more recent examples are those marketed by Hedstrom Corporation, Bedford, Pennsylvania, under the trademarks STAR CRUISER and BUMP&#39;N GLIDE. 
     While such swing rides have provided considerable enjoyment to children, it would be desirable to be able to provide an added measure of enjoyment to the occupants of such swings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved swing ride for children. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide such a swing ride incorporating a toy which can be operated by the children in association with the ride. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a swing ride incorporating a toy whose operation depends upon the swinging motion of the swing ride. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a swing ride/toy combination which is relatively inexpensive to make in quantity. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide the aforesaid combination which can be assembled relatively easily by the consumer. 
     Other objects will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter. 
     The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the following detailed description, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 
     We will describe the invention in the context of a glide ride-type of children&#39;s swing. It should be understood however, that the invention is equally applicable to other swings whose swinging motion causes one component of the swing to move relative to another component thereof. 
     Basically a typical glide ride includes a horizontal platform which is supported above the ground by a pair of spaced-apart parallel hangers which are suspended from an overhead support such as the crossbar of a children&#39;s swing set. The hangers are pivotally connected to the platform and to the support such that when the glide ride swings back and forth the platform remains substantially horizontal while the parallel hangers swing to various angles relative to the horizontal. In other words, the two angles defined by the platform and the two hangers vary with the swinging motion, and in fact, the two angles vary in a reciprocal manner. 
     In some cases, glide rides of this type have mirror image seat structures supported by the hangers above the platform which structures move with the hangers so that the included angle between each seat structure and the platform also changes with the swinging motion in a reciprocal manner. 
     In accordance with the present invention, a deformable chamber is captured between the platform and at least one of the seat structures. An outlet tube extends from the interior of that chamber to a toy mounted to the seat structure. Each deformable member is alternately extended and compressed by the relative motion of the seating structure and platform due to the swinging motion of the swing. Each time a deformable chamber is compressed, it delivers a fluid such as air or water via a connecting tube to energize the toy. The toy is activated by a rider moving a trigger associated with the toy. 
     In the present glide ride, the toy is a bubble generator to be described in more detail later. Suffice to say here that the bubble generator has a reservoir of a soapy liquid and a trigger which, when pulled, moves a ring from within the liquid to a location opposite to the distal end of the aforesaid tube from the deformable chamber. If the timing of the trigger pull coincides with the compression of the deformable chamber, a puff of air from the tube impinges upon the soap film spanning the ring causing one or more bubbles to be propelled into the air by the bubble generator. 
     Thus, each of the two riders on the swing has to coordinate the activation of his/her bubble generator with the motion of the swing in order to generate bubbles, thus adding considerable interest to the swing ride. For a glide ride with two bubble generators, only one generator at a time can produce bubbles, i.e. the one whose deformable chamber is under compression and only if the rider pulls the trigger of that generator. 
     As we shall see, the deformable members and the bubble generators are relatively simple manufactured articles which can be assembled to the associated swing ride quite easily without requiring any special tools. Therefore, the swing ride can be sold in a knock down condition and assembled easily by the consumer. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a swing ride with bubble generator incorporating the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on a larger scale showing part of the bubble generator on the FIG. 1 swing ride; 
     FIG. 3A is a plan view of another part of the bubble generator on the FIG. 1 swing ride; 
     FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line  3 B— 3 B of FIG. 3A, and 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the FIG. 1 swing ride. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, our swing ride shown generally at  10  is suspended by way of a bracket  12  from an elevated support  14  which may be the crossbar of a children&#39;s swing set. Swing ride  10  includes a pair of spaced-apart, parallel, mirror image hangers  16  whose upper ends are inturned and connected by pivots  18  to bracket  12  at spaced apart locations thereon at opposite sides of support  14 . As is conventional in swing rides of this type, pivots  18  define a horizontal plane. 
     Suspended from hanger  16  is a pair of mirror image seat structures  22  which are secured to their respective hangers by fasteners  24 . Seat structures  22  define seats  26  midway down on those structures and handles  28  at the tops of the structures, each handle defining a handle opening  28   a.    
     Still referring to FIG. 1, the lower end of each seat structure  22  defines an eye  32  which is pivotally connected to a horizontal platform in the form of a footrest  34 . More particularly, footrest  34  has a pair of openings  36  spaced along its length which are sized to receive the eyes  32 . Pivot pins  38  extend through those eyes with the opposite ends of the pins being secured to footrest  34 . The pivot pins are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the foot rest  34  such that hangers  16  are parallel so that when the hangers are swung about their pivots  18 , and hangers  16  remain parallel to one another shifting axially as needed to maintain the footrest  34  more or less parallel to the ground. Seat structures  22  being secured to their respective hangers  16  also swing relative to footrest  34 . Therefore, as the hangers  16  swing back and forth, the included angles between seats  26  and footrest  34  vary in a reciprocal manner as shown in FIG.  4 . In other words, when the FIG. 1 ride swings to the right, the included angle between the right-hand seat  26  and footrest  34  increases while the included angle between the left-hand seat  26  and the footrest decreases. On the other hand, when that ride swings to the left, the angle between the right-hand seat  26  and the footrest decreases while the angle between the left-hand seat and footrest increases. When the swing ride is hanging straight down as in FIG. 1, the two angles are the same. 
     Still referring to FIG. 1, the swing ride  10  incorporates toys in the form of bubble generators shown generally at  42 . The bubble generators are mounted in the openings  28   a  of the two handles  28 . Each bubble generator includes a trigger  42   a  for activating that generator. Air for energizing each bubble generator is delivered thereto by a tube  44  extending down to a deformable member in the form of a bellows capsule  46 , the two bellows capsules being alternately extended and compressed in a reciprocal manner as the hangers  16  swing back and forth as described above. In other words, when the FIG. 1 swings swings to the right as shown in FIG. 4, the left-hand bellows capsule  46  is compressed with the result that a puff of air is delivered via the corresponding tube  44  to the left-hand bubble generator  42 . If the rider sitting on the left-hand seat  26  has pulled trigger  42   a  of that bubble generator, bubbles will be emitted from that generator as will be described in more detail later. On the other hand, the right-hand bubble generator  42  in FIG. 1 will not be charged with air from the corresponding bellows capsule  42  because that capsule is being extended as shown in FIG.  4 . Therefore, even if the rider sitting in the right-hand seat  26  pulls trigger  42  of the right-hand bubble generator  42 , no bubbles will be emitted from that generator. 
     Of course when the FIG. 1 swing swings to the left, the opposite situation prevails, i.e., the right-hand bellows capsule is under compression so that only the right-hand bubble generator  42  will produce bubbles provided that its trigger  42   a  is pulled by the rider sitting on the right-hand seat  26 . 
     Refer now to FIG. 2 which shows the right-hand bellows capsule  46  in FIG. 1, the left-hand capsule being a mirror image thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, capsule  46  is captured between an undersurface  26   a  of seat  26  and the upper surface  34   a  of footrest  34 . More particularly, capsule  46  is formed with a circular flange  46   a  which seats in a circular recess  52  in footrest surface  34   a . Recess  52  has a circular lip  52   a  which is sized so that when the capsule flange  46   a  is pushed into recess  52 , it will snap into place under lip  52   a  thereby anchoring the lower end of the bellows capsule  46 . 
     A similar snap-in connection in provided for the upper end of bellows capsule  46 . More particularly, capsule  46  has a domed upper end which seats in a recess  54  in the undersurface  26   a  of seat  26 . That end has a flange  46   b  which is engaged by lip  54   a  around the mouth of recess  54  when that end of the bellows capsule is pushed into recess  54 . As shown in FIG. 2, a tubular stem  56  extends from the upper end of bellows capsule  46 , a hole  58  being provided in the wall of recess  54  to provide clearance for the stem. Stem  56  is adapted to be connected to the lower end of tube  44  so that when the bellows capsule  46  is compressed, air is delivered via tube  44  to the corresponding bubble generator  42 . 
     Refer now to FIGS. 3A and 3B which depict the bubble generator  42  in greater detail. Each generator comprises a housing  62  having a front wall  62   a , rear wall  62   b  and a pair of opposite side walls  62   c  and  62   d , a bottom wall  62   e  and a top wall  62   f  part of which is domed at  62   g . A dimple  64   a  is provided at the top of dome  62   g  and a similar dimple  64   b  is formed in bottom wall  62   e . These dimples or recesses are adapted to receive bumps or projections  66   a  and  66   b  formed at upper and lower locations in the wall of handle opening  28   a . When the bubble generator is properly positioned within opening  28   a , the bumps  66   a  and  66   b  snap into the dimples  64   a  and  64   b  of housing  62  to securely anchor the bubble generator in place as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3A, the upper end of tube  44  is connected to a tubular stem  68  which extends through dome  62   g  into the interior of housing  62  so that the inner end  68   a  of that stem is close to the centerline of the housing. As best seen in FIG. 3A, the side of housing dome  62 g facing stem end  68   a  is cut away to form a large exit opening  72 . Also, the housing top wall  62   f  has a semi-cylindrical recess  72   a  in line with opening  72  to define an exit path from the interior of housing  62  which is more or less circular or cylindrical. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the bubble generator  42  also includes the aforesaid trigger  42   a . This trigger is actually one end of a lever arm  74  whose fulcrum is at a pivot pin  76  extending through the level arm, the opposite ends of the pin being secured to housing front wall  62   a . The housing is slotted at  75  to provide clearance for the lever arm. Formed at the inner end of lever arm  74  is a ring or annulus  78  having a central opening  78   a  which is appreciably larger than the cross-section of stem  68  but somewhat smaller than the opening  72  in housing  62 . Also for reasons that will become apparent, the opposite sides of ring  78  are formed with radial striations  78   b.    
     As shown in FIG. 3B, by pulling on the trigger  42   a , the lever arm  74  may be swung between a lower position shown in phantom in FIG. 3B to an upper position shown in solid lines in that same figure. When the lever aim is in its lower position, the ring  78  at the inner end thereof is immersed in a body of soapy water W that fills a lower volume of container  62  below dome  62   g . When the lever arm  74  is in its upper position, the ring  78  is positioned between the stem end  68   a  and the dome opening  72  such that the ring opening  78   a  is centered on those two openings. Normally, the lever arm  74  reposes in its lower position shown in phantom in FIG. 3B due to gravity or, if necessary, there may be a suitable spring acting between the lever arm and the housing wall  62   a.    
     In any event, when the lever arm  74  is moved from its lower to its upper position, the ring  78  picks up a film of soapy water W which spans the ring opening  78   a  and transports or locates that film directly between stem end  68   a  and dome opening  72 . If the corresponding bellows capsule  46  is being compressed at the time by the motion of swing ride  10 , a puff of air will be delivered via tube  44  and stem  68  to the film supported by ring  78  causing one or more bubbles B to be ejected from the bubble generator through opening  72  as shown in FIG.  3 A. As long as air issues from stem  68 , the lever arm  74  may be swung between its two positions to bring successive films of soapy water into position to be expelled as bubbles through the opening  72 . 
     As noted above, ring  78  has radial striations. These facilitate the delivery of soapy water to ring opening  78   a  to maximize the number of bubbles that can be produced each time trigger  42   a  is pulled to raise lever arm  74  to its operative position shown in solid lines in FIG.  3 B. 
     As discussed above, the bubble generator  42  whose bellows capsule  46  is not under compression will not emit bubbles even if its trigger  42   a  is pulled. 
     The illustrated swing ride  10  may be sold in a knock down condition with the major components of the ride being assembled in the usual way. Once those components have been assembled, the bellows capsule  46  may be snapped into place between the seat structures  26  and the footrest  34  as described above and the tubes  44  may be threaded up through the seat structures to the handle openings  28   a  for connection to the bubble generators  42  after they have been snapped into place in those openings as described above. 
     While the illustrated swing ride  10  incorporates toys in the form of bubble generators, it should be understood that comparable swings may incorporate other toys which utilize an air pressure differential produced by a deformable member deformed by relatively moving parts of the swing. For example, the toy may comprise a propeller which is rotated periodically by air delivered by bellows capsule  46 . Alternatively, the toy may be a whistle or siren which is sounded upon receiving compressed air from the associated collapsing bellows capsule  46 . By the same token, swing ride  10  may incorporate a toy which is energized by a negative pressure upon expansion of an associated bellows capsule  46 , one example being a balloon which is alternately inflated and deflated by the action of the associated bellows. 
     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth among those made apparent from the preceding description are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.