Patent Publication Number: US-6901940-B2

Title: Collapsible structures

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to collapsible structures, and in particular, to collapsible structures which are adapted to hold and contain water, and which may be twisted and folded to reduce the overall size of the assembly to facilitate convenient storage and use. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Collapsible objects have recently become popular with both adults and children. Examples of such collapsible objects are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,812 (Norman), U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,794 (Zheng) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,111 (Zheng) in the form of collapsible structures. These structures can be used as play structures, shelters, tents, and storage structures, among other uses. These structures may be twisted and folded to reduce the overall size of the structures to facilitate convenient storage and use. As such, these structures are being enjoyed by many people in many different applications. 
     Other examples of collapsible objects include blanket, mat and floating assemblies as illustrated in one or more of U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,283 (Zheng), U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,100 (Le Gette et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,391 (Le Gette et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,344 (Arias). These assemblies can be used as blankets, floor mats, and floating loungers. These blankets, mats and loungers may be twisted and folded to reduce the overall size of the blanket or mat to facilitate convenient storage and use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a collapsible structure that can hold and contain matter without leakage of the contained matter. 
     It is another object the present invention to provide a collapsible and waterproof structure that can hold and contain water without leakage thereof. 
     The objectives of the present invention can be accomplished by providing, in one embodiment, a collapsible structure having at least three foldable frame members, each having a folded and an unfolded orientation, and a waterproof sheet material covering each frame member to form a panel for each frame member. The panels are coupled to each other to form a ring of panels that defines an interior space, and the structure also includes a waterproof bottom panel attached to the bottom of each panel in a manner such that the interior space is waterproof. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, a collapsible structure has a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, a waterproof sheet material covering the frame member to form a bottom panel, and a waterproof enclosing wall that defines an interior space, the enclosing wall having a bottom edge that is attached to the periphery of the bottom panel in a manner such that the interior space is waterproof. 
     According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a collapsible structure has first and second flexible frame members, each frame member defining a closed loop and having a first side and an opposing second side, each frame member adapted to assume an expanded position and a collapsed position, with the two frame members overlapping each other at a first overlapping point along the first sides of the frame members, and at a second overlapping point along the second sides of the frame members. The frame members are adapted to assume a deployed position in which one frame member is disposed at an angle with respect to the other frame member at the overlapping points, so that the structure defines a top side and a bottom side when the frame members are in the deployed position. The structure also includes a waterproof enclosing wall extending about the two frame members and the bottom side to define a waterproof interior space. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a collapsible structure according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1B  is a partial cut-away view of the section B of the structure of  FIG. 1A  illustrating a frame member retained within a sleeve. 
         FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional view of a first preferred connection between two adjacent panels of the structure of  FIG. 1  taken along line  2 — 2  thereof. 
         FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of a second preferred connection between two adjacent panels of the structure of  FIG. 1  taken along line  2 — 2  thereof. 
         FIGS. 3A through 3C  illustrate how the collapsible structure of  FIG. 1A  may be twisted and folded for compact storage. 
         FIGS. 4-6  are perspective views of collapsible structures according to other embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     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. 
     The present invention provides collapsible structures that have an enclosed interior space that can be used to hold and contain water or other viscuous and non-viscuous matter. The interior space is defined by an enclosing wall and a base that are both waterproof to prevent leakage of the water or matter contained in the interior space. None, one or more foldable frame members can be provided as part of the enclosing wall and the base. The frame members allow the resulting structure to be twisted and folded to reduce the overall size of the structure. 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates a collapsible structure  20  that is made up of a plurality of panels that are hingedly coupled together. The structure  20  has four side panels  22 ,  24 ,  26  and  28  hingedly connected to each other to form a ring of panels that encircle an enclosed space. Each panel  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  has four sides, a left side  30 , a bottom side  32 , a right side  34  and a top side  36 . The left side  30  of each panel  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  is hingedly coupled to the right side  32  of an adjacent panel  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  to encircle the enclosed space. 
     Even though each panel  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  is illustrated as having four sides, it is possible to configure any of these panels  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  with any shape having different number of sides, including sides that have varying degrees of curvature. For purposes of the present invention, a “side” can have varying degrees of curvature and is not restricted to merely a straight configuration. As a result, each side  30 ,  32 ,  34  can be partially or completely curved. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1B , each panel  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  has a continuous frame retaining sleeve  38  provided along and traversing the edges of its sides  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36 . A continuous frame member  40  is retained or held within each frame retaining sleeve  38  to support each panel  22 ,  24 ,  26  and  28 . Only the frame member  40  for panel  24  is shown in  FIG. 1B ; the other frame members  40  for the other panels  22 ,  26 ,  28  are not shown but are the same as frame member  40  in FIG.  1 B. The continuous frame members  40  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  40  are preferably formed of flexible coilable steel, although other materials such as plastics may also be used. The frame members  40  should be made of a material which is relatively strong and yet is flexible to a sufficient degree to allow it to be coiled. The material should have a memory that allows the frame members to spring back to the expanded position when unfolded from the folded position. Thus, each frame member  40  is capable of assuming two positions or orientations, an open or expanded position such as shown in  FIG. 1A , or a folded position in which the frame member is collapsed into a size which is much smaller than its open position as shown in FIG.  3 C. 
     In addition, a protective covering  42  can be provided to cover the frame member  40 . The protective covering  42  can be the same as that which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,697 to Zheng, whose entire disclosure is incorporated by this reference as though set forth fully herein. The protective covering  42  can be effective in preventing the metallic frame member  40  from rust and damage due to possible exposure to water. 
     Sheet material  46  extends across each panel  22 ,  24 ,  26  and  28 , and is held taut by the respective frame members  40  when in the open position. The term sheet material is to be given its broadest meaning and should be made from strong, lightweight materials and may include waterproof materials such as films, soft plastic, PVC, and nylons, and non-waterproof materials such as fabric material (e.g., mesh, woven fabrics, etc.), depending on the application for which the structure  20  is used. The sheet material should be flexible, and also durable to withstand the wear and tear associated with rough treatment by children or outdoor use. The frame members  40  may be merely retained within the respective frame retaining sleeves  38  without being connected thereto. Alternatively, the frame retaining sleeves  38  may be mechanically fastened, stitched, fused, or glued to the frame members  40  respectively, to retain them in position. 
       FIG. 2A  illustrates one possible connection for connecting adjacent sides  30  and  34  of two panels  24  and  22 , respectively, of FIG.  1 A. The sheet material  46  for the two panels  22 ,  24  are stitched at their edges by a stitching  48  to the respective sleeves  38 . Each sleeve  38  may be formed by folding a piece of sheet material or fabric. The stitching  48  also acts as a hinge for the panels  22  and  24  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  30  and the right side  34  of each panel  22 ,  24 ,  26  and  28  act as hinge connections for connecting an adjacent panel. 
       FIG. 2B  illustrates a second possible connection for connecting adjacent sides  30  and  34  of two panels  24  and  22 , respectively, of FIG.  1 A. The fabric or sheet material  46  can be folded over at their edges at the bottom side  32  and the top side  36  to define the respective sleeves  38 . However, the frame retaining sleeves  38  converge at, or are connected to, one sleeve portion which interconnects panels  22  and  24  to form a singular frame retaining sleeve  50  which retains the two frame members  40 . Sleeve  50  of  FIG. 2B  may be formed by providing a tubular fabric or sheet material, or by folding a piece of fabric or sheet material, and applying a stitching  52  to its edges to connect the sleeve  50  to the fabric pieces  46  of the panels  22 ,  24 . Stitching  52  acts as a hinge for the panels  22  and  24 . The connections for the three other pairs of adjacent edges may be identical. 
     A bottom piece or floor  58  can be attached (e.g., by stitching, fusing, etc.) to the bottom sides  32  of the panels  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 . The bottom piece  58  can be made from the same flexible material as the sheet material  46 . 
     In addition, an upper border  60  can be connected to the top sides  36  of the panels  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  to provide a soft bordering edge that the user can rest on. The upper border  60  can assume any configuration (circular, square, rectangular, etc.) and defines an opening. In one embodiment, the upper border  60  can be a sleeve that houses a collapsible frame member which has the same construction as frame member  44 . According to another embodiment, the upper border  60  can be an inflatable tube made from soft material. 
     While the structure  20  of  FIG. 1A  is shown and described as having four panels, each having four sides, it will be appreciated that a structure may be made of any number of panels, each having any number of sides, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the structure  20  of the present invention may take a variety of external shapes. However, each panel of the structure  20 , regardless of its shape, is supported by at least one continuous frame member  40 . 
       FIGS. 1A and 3A  through  3 C illustrate how the structure  20  of  FIG. 1A  can be twisted and folded to reduce the structure  20  into a collapsed configuration having a reduced size. The same principles can be applied to collapse all the other embodiments of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 1A , the first step consists of pushing in panels  22  and  24  such that panel  22  collapses upon panel  28 , and panel  24  collapses upon panel  26 . Then, in the second step, the two panels  24  and  26  are folded so as to be collapsed upon the two panels  22  and  28 . The resulting structure  20  is now a stack of four panels  28 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  (in one possible order) as shown in  FIG. 3A , which is then twisted and folded to collapse the frame members and panels into a smaller shape. In the next step shown in  FIG. 3A , the opposite border (designated by the numeral  62 ) of the structure  20  is folded in upon the previous fold to further collapse the frame members with the panels. As shown in  FIG. 3B , the next step is to continue the collapsing so that the initial size of the structure  20  is reduced.  FIG. 3C  shows the frame members and panels collapsed on each other to provide for a small essentially compact configuration having a plurality of concentric frame members and layers of the panels so that the collapsed structure  20  has a size which is a fraction of the size of the initial structure  20 . During the twisting and folding steps, the floor  58  can be tucked between any two adjacent panels, or on top of the stack of panels, to be twisted and folded together with the panels. 
     To re-open the structure  20  to its expanded configuration, the combined stack of panels is unfolded. The memory (i.e., spring-load) of the frame members  40  will cause the frame members to uncoil on their own and to quickly expand the panels to their expanded configuration shown in FIG.  1 A. The same principle can be applied to re-open all the other embodiments of the present invention. 
     The structure  20  can be used as a wading pool, swimming pool, spa pool, or other pool or water tank that can hold water and, optionally, at least one occupant. When used for these purposes, the sheet materials  46  and  58  are preferably made of any of the waterproof materials described above. The height of the left side  30  and the right side  34  of the panels  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  can be varied depending on the intended use. For example, the height of the sides  30 ,  34  can be greater when the structure  20  is used as a spa pool or swimming pool, and can be smaller when the structure  20  is used as a wading or play pool for children. The same principles are applicable to all the other embodiments illustrated herein. 
     The structure  20  can also be used as a pot or container or holding trees and plants. When used for these purposes, the sheet materials  46  and  58  can be made of a waterproof material, or a fabric material that allows water to seep therethrough for irrigation purposes. 
     Any number of different shade structures can be used with the structure  20  to shade the interior of the structure  20 .  FIG. 1A  illustrates one embodiment of a shade structure  70  which can be provided for use with the structure  20 . The shade structure  70  can be provided in the form of at least one panel  72  that has been arched or bent. The panel  72  can have the same construction as the panel  24  described herein, except that the sheet material  74  on the panel  72  can be provided in the form of fabric, nylon, mesh, or any similar material. The panel  72  has one frame member that defines two opposing side edges  76 ,  78 , with each side edge  76 ,  78  being attached (e.g., by Velcro™ straps, hooks, ties or the like) to the top side  36  of one of two opposing panels  22  and  26 , or  24  and  28 . The panel  72  can function to shade the interior of the structure  20 . For example, if the structure  20  is being used as a pool, the panel  72  can shade the occupants (especially children) of the pool from harmful sunlight. 
     The shade structure used with the structure  20  can also be embodied in many different configurations. For example, the collapsible structures illustrated in FIGS. 1, 5A, 6 and 7 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,910 to Zheng, FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,761 to Zheng, FIGS. 1 and 12 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,705 to Zheng, FIGS. 11A, 14A and 20 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,701 to Zheng, FIGS. 27 and 28 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,147 to Zheng, FIGS. 1 and 5-10 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,923 to Zheng, FIGS. 1, 6 and 7 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,915 to Zheng, FIGS. 4A and 5A of U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,544 to Zheng, FIGS. 1A, 2A, 2B, 3A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9, 10A, 11A, 12, 13, 14A, 15 and 16 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,349 to Zheng, FIG. 1A of U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,385 to Zheng, and FIGS. 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10-17, 23 and 24 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,386 to Zheng can all be permanently or removably attached to the structure  20 , and the disclosures in each of these patents are hereby incorporated by this reference as though set forth fully herein. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a structure  90  that can also be used as a pool or container for holding water. The structure  90  has a base panel  92  that can have the same construction as the panel  24  described above, and having a frame member (not shown, but can be the same as  40 ) and sheet material  94  that is made of a waterproof and flexible material. The panel  92  can have any desired shape (e.g., circular, square, rectangular, etc.) and size. A vertical enclosing wall  96  is attached to the periphery of the base panel  92  and defines an interior space  98 . The wall  96  can be made from a waterproof and flexible material. As an alternative, the wall  96  can be inflatable and made from a conventional two-layered material having an inflation chamber through which an inflation media (e.g., air or water) can be introduced to inflate the wall  96 . A plurality of inflatable tubes  100  can be attached to the wall  96  and positioned in spaced-apart manner from each other. The tubes  100  can be made of a soft and flexible material. When the tubes  100  are inflated, they provide the necessary support to hold the wall  96  upright in the configuration shown in FIG.  4 . If the wall  96  is itself inflatable, the tubes  100  can be omitted. In addition, an upper border  102  is provided along the top edge of the wall  96 , and can be the same as the upper border  60 , and embodied as a sleeve with a collapsible frame member, or as an inflatable tube. 
     To store the structure  90 , the user can deflate the wall  96  (if the wall  96  is inflatable) and the tubes  100 , and then the wall  96  and the tubes  100  can be compressed against the panel  92 . The panel  92  can then be twisted and folded according to the steps shown in  FIGS. 3A-3C  to collapse the structure  90  into a smaller size for convenient storage. 
     The structure  90  in  FIG. 4  can be modified by providing a collapsible frame member (such as frame member  40 ) as part of the upper border  102 , and providing the panel  92  with merely the sheet material  94  and without any frame member. In such an embodiment, the user can deflate the wall  96  (if the wall  96  is inflatable) and the tubes  100 , and then the sheet material  94 , the wall  96  and the tubes  100  can be compressed against the upper border  102  and its frame member. The frame member in the upper border  102  can then be twisted and folded according to the steps shown in  FIGS. 3A-3C  to collapse the structure into a smaller size for convenient storage. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a structure  20   a  having a similar configuration as the structure  20  in FIG.  1 A. The structure  20   a  can also be used as a pool or container for holding water. As a result, the same numerals are used to designate the same elements in  FIGS. 1A and 5 , except that an “a” is added to the numerals in FIG.  5 . In  FIG. 5 , the panels  22   a,    24   a,    26   a,    28   a  are the same as the panels  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 , respectively, in  FIG. 1A , except that sheet material  110  is attached between the left side  30   a  of each panel and the right side  34   a  of each adjacent panel. The sheet material  110  can function like the enclosing wall  96  in  FIG. 4 , and can be embodied in the form of a single sheet of material or can have two layers to define an inflatable chamber therewithin. In structure  20   a,  the sheet material  110  functions as a hinge. In addition, the upper border  60   a  can be the same as the upper border  60 , and embodied as a sleeve with a collapsible frame member, or as an inflatable tube. 
     The structure  20   a  can be collapsed in the same manner as the structure  20  using the steps illustrated above in connection with FIGS.  1 A and  3 A- 3 C. In particular, the first step consists of pushing in panels  22   a  and  24   a  about the hinges defined by the sheet material  110  such that panel  22   a  collapses upon panel  28   a,  and panel  24   a  collapses upon panel  26   a.  Then, in the second step, the two panels  24   a  and  26   a  are folded so as to be collapsed upon the two panels  22   a  and  28   a.  The resulting structure  20  is now a stack of four panels  28 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  (in one possible order), which is then twisted and folded to collapse the frame members and panels into a smaller shape according to the principles illustrated in  FIGS. 3A-3C . Each of the sheet material  110  can be tucked between two panels, and twisted and folded together with the panels. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates another collapsible structure  120  according to the present invention that can also be used as a pool or container for holding water. The structure  120  has two overlapping or crossing collapsible frame members  122  and  124  that together define the outer boundaries of the walls of the structure  120 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , each frame member  122  and  124  is provided as a closed resilient loop, either as a closed continuous loop or as a strip of material with both ends held together by a retaining connector or other conventional attachment mechanism to form a closed loop. Each frame member  122  and  124  is preferably formed of flexible coilable steel having a memory, and can be the same as the frame member  40  described above. Each frame member  122  and  124  can be substantially equal in size and symmetrically disposed, but it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the frame members  122  and  124  may assume any variety of shapes and sizes, including but not limited to circular, polygonal or oval. Both frame members  122  and  124  can even be provided in different sizes. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the two frame members  122  and  124  overlap or cross-over each other at overlapping points  126  and  128 . In one non-limiting embodiment, the left side of the first frame member  122  is interior to the left side of the second frame member  124 , and the right side of the first frame member  122  is interior to the right side of the second frame member  124 , so that the first frame member  122  is completely contained within the second frame member  124 . The overlapping point  128  is defined by the intersection or crossing of the left sides of frame members  122  and  124 , respectively, and the overlapping point  126  is defined by the intersection or crossing of the right sides of frame members  122  and  124 , respectively. The overlapping points  126  and  128  can be positioned anywhere along the left and right sides of the frame members  122 ,  124 , although they are shown as being positioned at about the center of the left and right sides in the structure  120  in FIG.  6 . The two overlapping frame members  122  and  124  are pivotable about their overlapping points  126  and  128  between two positions, a first open position (see  FIG. 6 ) in which both frame members  122  and  124  are disposed at an angle with respect to each other, and a second folded position in which the frame members  122  and  124  are folded towards each other (such as in the direction of arrows  138  and  140  in  FIG. 6 ) to overlie each other in generally the same plane. When in the first open position, the bottom sides  142  and  144  of the frame members  122  and  124 , respectively, are adapted to rest on a surface to form a supporting base for the structure  120 . In contrast, when in the second folded position, the bottom sides  142  and  144  (and the top sides  143  and  145 ) of the frame members  122  and  124 , respectively, are urged against each other. 
     The frame members  122  and  124  are not connected or attached at the overlapping points  26  and  28  so as to allow the frame members  122  and  124  to pivot about these points in the two directions illustrated by arrows  138 + 140  and  146 + 148  in  FIG. 6 , with the overlapping points  126  and  128  together acting as hinges when the frame members  122  and  124  are simultaneously pivoted about these points  126  and  128 . 
     Each frame member  122  and  124  is retained in a separate frame retaining sleeve that extends around the entire frame member. Each frame retaining sleeve is stitched to a wall  152 , which is described in greater detail hereinbelow. The construction of each sleeve, and how each sleeve is attached to the wall  152 , are disclosed in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,544 to Zheng, whose disclosure is incorporated by this reference as though set forth fully herein. The frame members  122 ,  124  may be merely retained within the respective retaining sleeves without being connected thereto. Alternatively, the retaining sleeves may be mechanically fastened, stitched, fused, or glued to the respective frame members  122 ,  124  to retain them in position. 
     The structure  120  has an enclosing wall  152  and a bottom wall  154  that are supported by the frame members  122 ,  124  when the structure  120  is in the open position, to form an enclosed space for holding water or other matter. The walls  152 ,  154  can be made from a material similar to the sheet material  46  described above. An upper border  156  can be provided at the top of the structure  120  and attached to the top sides  143  and  145  of the frame members  122 ,  124 , respectively. The border  156  can have the same construction as the border  60  described above. The border  156  defines at least one opening through which water or other matter can be introduced into the interior of the structure  120 . 
     In one embodiment, the enclosing wall  152  can be generally circular or oval. Alternatively, the sleeves and their frame members  122 ,  124  can be attached (e.g., by stitching), to the surface of the wall  152  in a manner such that they define four separate vertical side walls for the enclosing wall  152 , as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,544 to Zheng. 
     When the structure  120  is in its fully deployed configuration shown in  FIG. 6 , the enclosing wall  152  defines the limits to which the two frame members  122 ,  124  can be pivoted away from each other (i.e., pivoted in directions of arrows  146 ,  148 ). 
     The structure  120  can be folded and collapsed in the following manner. The first step consists of urging the two frame members  122  and  124  towards each other (as shown by arrows  138  and  140  in  FIG. 6 ) about the hinging mechanism of the overlapping points  126 ,  128 . The enclosing wall  152  collapses onto the frame members  122  and  124  as the frame members  122 ,  124  are urged against each other. When the two frame members  122  and  124  are urged together, the next step is to twist and fold the combined structure  120  in the manner illustrated in  FIGS. 3A-3C . 
     To deploy the structure  120  back to the expanded, fully deployed position, the frame members  122  and  124  are unfolded. The resiliency and spring force of the frame members  122 ,  124  will cause the frame members  122 ,  124  to spring open to the expanded configuration. The frame members  122 ,  124  can then be pivoted about their hinged overlapping points  126 ,  128  to deploy the structure  120  to its original expanded configuration. When the frame members  122 ,  124  are fully deployed, the wall  152  can assume the configuration shown in FIG.  6 . 
     While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that 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.