Patent Publication Number: US-2022228378-A1

Title: Granular material building assembly

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a sculpting and building utilizing granular materials such as but not limited to sand, wherein the present invention provides a technique to receive a desired loose material and allows compaction thereof in order to provide a stable formation that can be subsequently sculpted. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Thousands of people either casually or for competition will engage in building objects with sand or snow. It is quite common for beachgoers to participate in the pastime of building a sand castle while on the beach. These sandcastles can be small fairly simple structures or can be quite complex and require a great deal of skill to complete. In addition to sand castles, beachgoers will create and sculpt many other objects that are similar to statues and other works of art. These large ornate structures take a lot of time and require manipulation of the sand in order to successfully execute the completion. Whether sculpting and building with sand or snow one issue can be compacting the material in order to ensure the desired consistency so as to successfully complete the desired sculpture or object. 
     One issue with constructing objects from sand is the granular nature of the sand. Many types of sand are quite granular and loose in form, which makes it difficult when trying to use to build an object and have its form maintained. Most casual beachgoers that have attempted to build a sand castle most likely have experienced a collapse in their structure when attempting to build a desired object. Beachgoers will attempt to utilize buckets and other similar devices to collect and compact sand in order to try to stabilize the volume of sand sufficiently for their desired structure. This works with minimal success and the volume of sand lacks internal support and most often will collapse. 
     It is intended within the scope of the present invention to provide an assembly that is configured to receive therein an amount of granular or loose material such as sand or snow, wherein the present invention provides a technique to compact the material and further includes internal support members that assist in maintaining the structural integrity of the material ensuing removal of the assembly of the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the present invention to provide an assembly operable to assist a user in building and/or sculpting with a loose material such as but not limited to sand or snow wherein the present invention includes a body wherein the body includes a base member at the lower end thereof. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a building and sculpting assembly for use with loose building materials such as but not limited to sand wherein the base member includes a plurality of walls wherein the walls have protrusions on the exterior surfaces. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide an assembly operable to assist a user in building and/or sculpting with a loose material such as but not limited to sand or snow wherein the base member has an interior volume and a bottom wherein the bottom includes connection members extending upward therefrom. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a building and sculpting assembly for use with loose building materials such as but not limited to sand that further includes a plurality of vertical support members wherein the vertical support members are configured to releasably secure to the connection members present in the base member. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide an assembly operable to assist a user in building and/or sculpting with a loose material such as but not limited to sand or snow that further includes a top member wherein the top member is operable to be releasably secured to the vertical support members distal to the base member. 
     Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a building and sculpting assembly for use with loose building materials such as but not limited to sand wherein the body of the present invention includes a plurality of external wall members that are operable to surroundably mount the base member. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly operable to assist a user in building and/or sculpting with a loose material such as but not limited to sand or snow wherein the external wall members include an interior surface and an exterior surface wherein the interior surface includes cavities that are mateably coupled with the protrusions of the base member walls. 
     An alternate object of the present invention is to provide a building and sculpting assembly for use with loose building materials such as but not limited to sand wherein it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the external wall members could have a design on the interior surface thereof. 
     To the accomplishment of the above and related objects the present invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being a part of the present invention, limited only by the scope of the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had by reference to the following Detailed Description and appended claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention with one external wall member removed; and 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an external wall member; and 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the base member of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a is a view of a vertical support member of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the top member of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a view of a fastener for the external wall members. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     References now to the drawings submitted herewith, wherein various elements depicted therein are not necessarily drawn to scale and wherein through the views and figures like elements are referenced with identical reference numerals, there is illustrated a granular material building assembly  100  constructed according to the principles of the present invention. 
     An embodiment of the present invention is discussed herein with reference to the figures submitted herewith. Those skilled in the art will understand that the detailed description herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes and that it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that alternative embodiments are plausible. By way of example but not by way of limitation, those having skill in the art in light of the present teachings of the present invention will recognize a plurality of alternate and suitable approaches dependent upon the needs of the particular application to implement the functionality of any given detail described herein, beyond that of the particular implementation choices in the embodiment described herein. Various modifications and embodiments are within the scope of the present invention. 
     It is to be further understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular methodology, materials, uses and applications described herein, as these may vary. Furthermore, it is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It must be noted that as used herein and in the claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “an element” is a reference to one or more elements and includes equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art. All conjunctions used are to be understood in the most inclusive sense possible. Thus, the word “or” should be understood as having the definition of a logical “or” rather than that of a logical “exclusive or” unless the context clearly necessitates otherwise. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. Language that may be construed to express approximation should be so understood unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “exemplary embodiments”, and the like may indicate that the embodiment(s) of the invention so described may include a particular feature, structure or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure or characteristic. 
     Now referring to the Drawings submitted as a part hereof, the granular material building assembly  100  includes a body  10  is manufactured from a rigid lightweight material such as but not limited to plastic. The body  10  includes a base member  15  wherein the base member  15  is comprised of a plurality of wall members  16  and a bottom  17  creating an interior volume  18 . The base member  15  provides the structural bottom for the granular material building assembly  100 . While the base member  15  is illustrated herein as being square in shape, it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the base member  15  could be provided in alternate shapes and sizes. Furthermore, it should be understood within the scope of the present invention that the base member  15  of alternate shapes would have a different quantity of wall members  16 . The base member  15  includes connection members  20  secured to the bottom  17  thereof. The connection members  20  are annular in shape and extend upward from the bottom  17  being perpendicular thereto. The connection members  20  include an opening  21  at the upper end thereof wherein the opening  21  provides access to the hollow interior volume  22 . The configuration of the connection member  20  is operable to releasable secure to the lower end  51  of the vertical support member  50  as is further discussed herein. While four connection members  20  are illustrated herein, it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the base member  15  could employ more or less than four connection members  20 . 
     The base member  15  is configured to operably couple to a plurality of external wall members  30 . The external wall members  30  are releasably coupled to the base member  15  in order to create an interior volume  9  in which a desired material such as but not limited to sand can be placed. The external wall members  30  include an interior surface  31  and an exterior surface  32 . The interior surface  31  has formed therein indentations  34  proximate the bottom end  35  of the external wall member  30 . The indentations  34  are formed utilizing suitable techniques and are shaped and sized so as to mateably engage the protrusions  5  formed on the wall members  16  of the base member  15 . The coupling of the indentations  34  and the protrusions  5  provide a technique to releasably secure the external wall members  30  to the base member  15 . While two indentations  34  and protrusions  5  are illustrated on each side of the body  10  herein, it should be understood within the scope of the present invention that more or less than a combination of two indentations  34  and two protrusions  5  could be employed to achieve the desired objective discussed herein. 
     The external wall members  30  include corners  37  formed at the appropriate angle so as to couple with the adjacent external wall member  30 . For a square shaped base member  15  this corner  37  would be formed at forty five degrees but it should be understood within the scope of the present invention that for alternate shape base members the angle of the corner  37  would be different. The corners  37  include a plurality of apertures  38  formed along the length thereof. The apertures  38  are operable to receive fastener  60  therethrough. Fasteners  60  are operable to assist in maintaining the coupling of the external wall members  30  while a user is filling the interior volume  9  of the body  10  with a desired material. It is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the corners  37  of the external wall members  30  could employ alternate quantities of apertures  38  and fasteners  60  to achieve the desired objective discussed herein. 
     The granular material building assembly  100  includes a plurality of vertical support members  50  that are secured in the interior volume  9  of the body  10  prior to filling the interior volume  9  with a desired material. The vertical support members  50  are manufactured from a lightweight rigid material such as but not limited to plastic. The vertical support members as mentioned herein above include a lower end  51  that is operable to be journaled into the connection member  20 . The vertical support member  50  is rod shaped and is formed to a length that is generally equivalent to the height of the body  10 . Prior to filling the interior volume  9 , a vertical support member  50  is inserted into each of the connection members  20  present on the base member  15 . The formation and presence of the vertical support members provides a structural support for the material that will be disposed in the interior volume  9  of the body  10 . While not particularly illustrated herein, it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the vertical support members  50  could be manufactured from a transparent material in order to have a light source disposed therein so as to illuminate the completed structure from material such as but not limited to snow. 
     Proximate the upper end  52  of the vertical support members  50  a top assembly  70  is secured thereto. The top assembly  70  functions to ensure the maintenance of the upright position of the vertical support members  50 . The top assembly  70  includes four receptacles  71  secured in formation with support members  72 . The four receptacles  71  include lower ends  73  that are configured to be journaled into the opening  54  present at the upper end  52  of the vertical support members  50 . The shape of the top assembly  70  is similar to the arrangement of the connection members  20  present on the base member  15  providing the desired vertical alignment and orientation of the vertical support members  50 . It should be understood within the scope of the present invention that the top assembly  70  could be formed in alternate shapes, sizes and include alternate quantities of receptacles  71  based on the configuration and amount of connection members  20  present in the base member  15 . 
     In the preceding detailed description, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments, and certain variants thereof, have been described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is to be understood that other suitable embodiments may be utilized and that logical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. The description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The preceding description is, therefore, not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the invention.