Patent Publication Number: US-9901840-B2

Title: Playhouse assembly

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/047,858 filed on Sep. 9, 2014. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to building structures. More specifically, the present invention provides a playhouse assembly comprising one or more contoured upper wall elements connected to one another to form an upper wall of a dome-shaped structure, wherein snow is used to construct a lower wall thereof. The upper wall and lower wall connect to one another to define an enclosed area. A transparent window is disposed on the upper wall of the structure in order to form the peak thereof. In an alternate embodiment, a lower wall is provided comprising one or more lower wall elements connected to one another and to the upper wall, rather than using snow to construct a lower wall. 
     Many children and adults enjoy playing in the snow and constructing playhouses, such as forts and igloos. However, it is difficult to construct a dome shaped roof of an igloo in a way that ensures the roof will not collapse. If the roof collapses while a person is inside of the igloo or fort, the individual may be injured or stuck underneath the heavy snow. Furthermore, constructing a fort or igloo is difficult and time consuming. Children spend the majority of their play time constructing the playhouse rather than using their creativity and imagination playing therein. Therefore, there exists a need in the prior art for a device that helps users to efficiently construct a safe fort or igloo. 
     Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to building structures. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to structures having a dome shaped housing or frame, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,879,553, U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,186, U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,664, U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,097, U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,963, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,039,473. 
     These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. The prior art devices include a dome shaped enclosure having an entranceway. Some of the devices are formed using a plurality of panels and comprise windows along a wall thereof. However, the devices in the prior art fail to provide a lower wall and an upper wall, wherein the upper wall comprises one or more rods adapted to be disposed through the lower walls. Furthermore, the devices fail to provide a transparent window forming the uppermost portion of the present invention. 
     In light of the devices disclosed in the prior art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing playhouse assemblies. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of playhouse assemblies now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new playhouse assembly wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when constructing a dome-shaped structure. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved playhouse assembly that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a playhouse assembly comprising one or more contoured upper wall elements having lateral edges that connect to one another to form an upper wall of a dome-shaped structure, wherein each upper wall element includes an upper edge, a lower edge, and one or more sidewalls. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a playhouse assembly comprising a dome-shaped transparent window secured to the upper edge of each of the contoured upper wall elements in order to form the peak of the dome-shaped structure. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a playhouse assembly comprising one or more rods extending from the lower edge of each of the contoured upper wall elements, wherein the rods are adapted to be inserted into a lower wall formed by snow. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a playhouse assembly wherein, in alternate embodiments, one or more lower wall elements are included, wherein each of the lower wall elements connect to one another to form the lower wall of the structure, rather than using snow to form the lower wall thereof. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a playhouse assembly further comprising a ring-shaped template adapted to be disposed on a horizontal support surface so as to guide a user in the construction and placement of the lower wall. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a playhouse assembly that may be readily fabricated from materials that permit relative economy and are commensurate with durability. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the playhouse assembly. 
         FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the playhouse assembly. 
         FIG. 3  shows an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the playhouse assembly. 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of an interlocking joint of the playhouse assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the playhouse assembly. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for constructing a dome-shaped structure. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the playhouse assembly and an exploded view of an embodiment of the playhouse assembly, respectively. The playhouse assembly  11  includes an upper wall  13  comprising one or more upper wall elements (as referenced in  FIG. 3, 21 ), wherein each of the upper wall elements connect to one another to form a loop configuration. The upper and lower ends of the upper wall  13  are open so as to provide a user access to above and below the interior of the upper wall  13 . Each upper wall element comprises an upper edge  17 , a lower edge  22 , and opposing lateral edges. A first lateral edge of a first upper wall element is connected to a second lateral edge of a second upper wall element (as referenced in  FIG. 3, 32, 33 ). Preferably, the upper wall  13  is contoured and the cross section thereof comprises a circular shape so as to allow for a dome-shaped structure. 
     The playhouse assembly  11  further comprises a transparent window  12  disposed on the upper edge  17  of the upper wall  13  so as to allow a user to view outside of the playhouse assembly  11  through the peak thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the window  12  is dome-shaped and comprises a lower edge  16  having a lip disposed therearound that rests securely on the upper edge  17  of the upper wall  13 . In the illustrated embodiment, the upper edge  17  of the upper wall  13  comprises a channel that receives the lip, however, in alternate embodiments, the window  12  may attach to the upper wall  13  by any suitable means, including edges that rest flush on one another. 
     The upper wall  13  further comprises one or more rods  15  extending from the lower edge  22  thereof. The rods  15  are adapted to be positioned into a lower wall  50  constructed from snow, wherein the walls  13 ,  50  are used to define an enclosed area. Preferably, the rods  15  extend vertically downwards so as to penetrate an upper end of a wall  50  of snow. In some embodiments, the lower end of each rod  15  is pointed so as to more easily penetrate the snow. The rods  15  are preferably spaced at a fixed distance from one another. 
     In some embodiments, the playhouse assembly  11  further comprises a template  14  having a first side and a second side, wherein the second side is planar and adapted to rest flush against a horizontal support surface, such as the ground. The template  14  provides a guide to the user when constructing the lower wall  50  from snow. Preferably, the template  14  is disposed in a loop configuration, wherein the width of the template  14  is adapted to indicate to the user the necessary width of the lower wall  50  needed in order to properly receive and secure to the upper wall  13 . In this way, a user may initiate building the lower wall  50  on the first side of the template  14 . Preferably, the template  14  comprises a circular cross section and the same diameter as the lower edge  22  of the upper wall  13  so as to allow a user to build a lower wall  50  having vertical sidewalls. In some embodiments, the first side of the template  14  includes raised lateral edges, forming a channel therebetween so as to further assist a user in construction of the lower wall  50 . 
     In operation, a user positions the template  14  on the ground. A lower wall  50  composed of snow is built on the first side of the template  14 . An opening may be included within the lower wall  50  composed of snow so as to allow a user to enter and exit the structure. The rods  15  extending from the upper wall  13  are positioned within the upper edge of the snow. The transparent window  12  is then positioned on the upper edge  17  of the upper wall  13 , thereby forming an igloo-like playhouse. Alternatively, the lower wall  18  is provided for by one or more lower wall elements. The lower wall forms a loop configuration, wherein one or more apertures are positioned on the upper edge of the lower wall to receive the rods  15  extending from the upper wall  13 . Thus, the upper and lower walls  13  are used to define an enclosed area. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the playhouse assembly. In some embodiments, the playhouse assembly  11  includes a lower wall  18  comprising one or more lower wall elements  24 , wherein each of the lower wall elements  24  connect to one another to form a loop configuration, rather than using snow to form the lower wall thereof. The lower wall  18  comprises an open upper end so as to allow a user access to the interior of the upper wall  13  and transparent window  12 . Each lower wall element  24  comprises an upper edge  25  and a lower edge  26 . Preferably, the lower wall  18  comprises a circular cross section so as to allow align with the dome-shaped upper wall  13 . At least one lower wall elements  24  comprise an opening  19  adapted to provide a doorway to enter the playhouse assembly  11 . In the illustrated embodiment, the opening  19  comprises a U-shape, however, in alternate embodiments the opening  19  can comprise any suitable shape, such as a rectangular or irregular shape. 
     The upper edge  25  of each of the lower wall elements  24  comprise one or more apertures  20  that are aligned with and receive one of the rods  15  extending from the upper wall  13 . The apertures  20  and the rods  15  preferably comprise the same diameter so the rods  15  fit securely within the apertures  20 . Thus the upper wall elements  21  fit securely to the lower wall elements  24 . The lower edge  22  of the upper wall  13  preferably comprises the same diameter as the upper edge  25  of the lower wall  18  in order for the wall of the playhouse assembly  11  to have a flush and seamless exterior appearance. In the illustrated embodiment, three lower wall elements  24  form the lower wall  18 , wherein each element  24  comprises a pair of apertures  20  that receive corresponding rods  15  disposed on three corresponding upper wall elements  21 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a perspective view of an interlocking mechanism of the playhouse assembly. In some embodiments, each of the lower wall elements  24  comprise a first lateral edge  28  and a second lateral edge  29 , wherein a first lateral edge  28  of a first lower wall element  24  connects to a second lateral edge  29  of a second lower wall element  24  via an interlocking mechanism. Preferably, the interlocking mechanism comprises one or more protrusions  30  extending from the first lateral edge  28  disposed in one or more channels  31  disposed on the second lateral edge  29 . However, in alternate embodiments, other interlocking mechanism can be used to secure the elements  24  to one another. In some embodiments, one or more fasteners are disposed along the lateral edges  28 ,  29  that connect the elements  24  to one another, such as a latch mechanism. 
     It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.