EP1055438A1

EP1055438A1 - Collapsible play or storage structure

Info

Publication number: EP1055438A1
Application number: EP00304225A
Authority: EP
Inventors: John Stewart
Original assignee: Worlds Apart Ltd
Current assignee: Moose Toys Ltd
Priority date: 1999-05-25
Filing date: 2000-05-18
Publication date: 2000-11-29
Also published as: GB9911991D0

Abstract

A structure is provided which is formed from at least one elongate frame member which supports sheet material, said frame member resiliently biased to an erected structure condition but movable by manipulation to a storage condition in which the same is coiled along with the sheet material and, when released, the same moves substantially automatically to the erected condition. The invention provides for at least one component which can be acted upon during the movement of the structure between flattened and erected conditions to cause a visual and/or audible effect to be created by the component. In one embodiment the effect is created by a fluid passing into or through the component.

Description

The invention to which this application relates is the type of structure which is formed from sheet material attached with a frame of resilient elongate members and which can be moved between flattened and erected positions by the action of the resilient members of the frame which tend to an erected condition but which can by manipulation, typically coiling, be moved to a flattened condition.
Structures of the type described are generically referred to as pop up structures in the trade, are generally provided for use by children and can take many different forms such, as tents, shelters, storage devices and goals, the latter two at least being the subject of the applicant's co-pending patent applications. When the structure is in a flattened condition the coiled frame members are required to be retained in that position and the sheet material is also provided in the flattened condition. The release of the coiled frame members causes the same to move automatically, and with some force, to an erected condition, uncoiling at the same time with the sheet material following the formation of the erected frame. This movement to the erected condition causes the trapping, generation of air pockets and release of the same with some force during the movement but no use of this feature and occurrence is currently made. Indeed even when erected the fact that the structure is formed of sheet material and a resilient but deformable frame means that volumes of air can be moved by the manipulation of structure.
The aim of the present invention is to use the movement force created when moving the structure between flattened and erected conditions and/or using the structure to move volumes of air to provide an added effect to the structure which adds to the entertainment and enjoyment provided by the same, especially to children.
In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a structure formed from at least one elongate frame member which supports sheet material, said frame member resiliently biased to an erected structure condition but movable by manipulation to a storage condition along with the sheet material and, when released, the same moves substantially automatically to the erected condition and wherein the structure includes at least one component which is acted upon during the movement of the structure between storage and erected conditions to cause a visual and/or audible effect to be created by the component.
In one embodiment the component depends from the sheet material and is movable along with the structure between erected and storage conditions, which condition is typically a coiled, substantially flat condition. When the structure moves to the erected condition a volume of fluid passes into the component to change condition of the same. In one embodiment the component is moved to an erected condition. In one embodiment the component protrudes from the structure, when erected.
In a preferred embodiment the component is connected with the interior of the structure by an aperture in the sheet material of the structure and the movement of the structure causes a gas such as air to flow into the component to inflate the same. In a preferred arrangement the aperture is provided with a flow control means which allows the easy flow of the air into the component to inflate the same but prevents or restricts the flow of air out of the component thus assisting in the prolonged inflation of the component and prolonging the visual effect of the same.
In an alternative embodiment the volume of fluid is or includes a liquid such as water.
It is envisaged that a number of components can be provided in the structure and can , if required be located to provide in combination a particularly desired visual effect when the structure is erected.
In an alternative feature of the invention the component is provided to provide a primarily audible effect such as a whistling noise as air passes through the same. In one embodiment the component can take the form of an aperture in the sheet material which is so formed or is provided with a control means designed to cause the whistling noise to occur.
In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a structure formed of sheet material supported by at least one resilient frame member which encourages the structure to an erected condition, said sheet material and frame member movable by manipulation of the same in a manner to cause movement of a volume of air and characterised in that the structure includes at least one component which is acted upon by the movement of the volume of air to provide a visual and/or audible effect via the component.
In one form the structure is provided with a component or components which can be caused to move, make a sound, inflate or deflate upon movement of the structure and, in one embodiment the movement is to repetitively move the structure at least partially towards a flattened condition, and release the same to allow the same to move back to the erected condition. In one embodiment this causes air to enter the interior of the structure through an opening or valve arrangement and leave the structure through the same or another aperture or apertures and/or cause the inflation of a component of the structure. It is preferred that the apertures provided have control means which allow the flow of the air in one direction but restrict the flow in the other direction.
In a further feature of the invention the structures in accordance with the invention can be used as play structures in their own right or may be provided to be connectable to other structures with components which can be inflated or have air pass through the same to provide a visual and/or audible effect. Typically the connection is via a pipe which allows the air to pass therethrough.
In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a structure formed of sheet material supported by at least one resilient frame member which encourages the structure to the erected condition, said sheet material and frame member movable by manipulation of the same in a manner to cause movement of a volume of air and wherein the structure is provided for connection with another article to cause the supply of volumes of air thereto.
In one embodiment the article to which the first structure is connected includes at least one component which is acted upon by the movement of the volume of air to provide a visual and/or audible effect.
In a yet further aspect of the invention there is provided an article formed of sheet material having an interior cavity for reception of a volume of fluid and in communication with at least one component said article upon by the movement of or introduction of a volume of a fluid into the interior cavity to pass a quantity of the same to the at least one component to provide a visual and/or audible effect.
In one embodiment the volume of fluid is propelled to the article interior cavity by manipulating a structure as hereinbefore defined
Alternatively the volume of fluid is propelled to the article cavity interior by a pump connected thereto.
Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;
Figures 1A-C illustrate one embodiment of the invention in use with play structures;
Figures 2A-C illustrate a further embodiment of the invention in use with a storage structure;
Figures 3A-D illustrate an alternative arrangement to Figures 2A-C;
Figures 4A-E illustrate the connection of an inflating structure with another structure;
Figures 5A-F illustrate further embodiments of the invention.
Referring firstly to Figures 1A-C there are illustrated structures 2 in various erected embodiments comprising sheet material 4 which forms the walls, base and top surfaces of the structure, and said sheet material is suspended between one or a series of frame members 6. Each structure also includes a number of components 8 which can be inflated to provide visual features as shown. The structures can be moved to a storage condition by the manipulation of the frame members into a multi coiled, substantially flattened condition. Thus when the structure is in the storage condition the components 8 are not inflated.
The movement of the structure to the erected condition is largely created by the automatic movement of the resilient, spring steel, frame members 6 which when the coils are released causes movement of fluid such as air by the sheet material which follows the movement of the frame members to the erected condition. Thus there is created the passage of a fluid, typically air, which can be from the interior of the structure into the components 8 through apertures in the sheet material 4, as will be described later, to cause the inflation of the components.
Additionally or alternatively the frame members 6 can be manipulated to cause the movement of a volume of air within the structure towards one or a number of components to inflate the same.
Figures 2A-C illustrate another form of structure 9 which is used as a means for storing clothes, toys or the like through the opening 10 and through which air enters the interior cavity of the structure. The structure is formed of sheet material 4 and a coiled resilient frame member 6 which encourages the structure to the erected condition shown. In this case a component 8 is provided with an aperture 12 into the main cavity of the structure and the aperture is covered with a webbing 14 as shown in Figure 2B which allows the entry of air into the component 8 under pressure more quickly than it allows the same to escape thereby maintaining the component 8 in an inflated form for longer. Figures 3A-D illustrate a similar structure and component but in this case the aperture 12 is covered with a flap 18 on the inside of the component which, as shown in Figure 3C, allows the passage of inflating air 20 into the component and, when inflated, the pressure of the air in the component 8 moves the flap to prevent the flow of air from the component hence maintaining the same in an inflated condition.
To inflate the structures of Figures 2A-C and 3A-D a downward pressure is exerted on the top face 22 of the structure as shown which moves the same towards the storage flattened position and acts against the resilience of the frame member 6. The downward action forces air trapped in the interior of the structure through the aperture 12 and into the component 8 to inflate the same. The release of the structure causes the same to return to the erected condition but due to the aperture restriction means 18 air is maintained in the component 8. Repeated movement can create a pumping action of volumes of air into the component to inflate the same.
In an alternative embodiment or in addition, the movement of any of the structures from the storage to erected condition can be sufficient to cause enough air to pass into the component 8 through the aperture 12 to inflate the same.
Figures 4A-E illustrate a further embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment there is provided a structure 23 of a similar form to that shown in Figures 2A-3D with the exception that instead of a component 8 being provided for inflation the component is a supply pipe 24 so that a volume of air forced out of the structure 23 is moved along the pipe to a further article 26 which has components 8 for inflation and/or as shown in Figure 4C and E components 28 which are moved by the air supplied and in Figure 4D a component 30 which makes a noise as air passes through the same. It should also be appreciated that the structure 23 can be substituted with a conventional pump and the articles 26 supplied by the conventional pump and any of the articles described form another embodiment of the invention.
Figures 5A-F illustrate further embodiments of the invention and are shown in conjunction with a structure 9 similar to that of Figures2A-3D and the movement of the air is achieved in a similar manner to that described with reference to those figures however it should be appreciated that the different forms of components can be adapted and utilised in structures of any general form. Figure 5A illustrates a component 8 which is caused to move from a rolled condition shown in broken lines to an extended condition as shown by the movement of air into the component. Figure 5B illustrates the provision of an inflating tube 24 which can be used in a manner described with reference to Figures 4A-C, Figure 5C illustrates the connection of a component 8 in a mat form in which are provided a series of tubes 30 with apertures to act on streamers or tubes 32 which are caused to raise and fall upon the passage and exit of air into and from the component 8 and through the apertures 30. Figure 5D illustrates a device similar to that of Figure 5B with the exception that an article 33 can be placed in the component 8 and is fired from the component upon the passage of air into the component.
Figure 5E illustrates a further embodiment of the invention not previously described wherein the component 8 includes water which is caused to fire through apertures 36 in the component 8 in spouts 36 as illustrated. It is also envisaged that this and all the components could be used with volumes of water or other fluids caused to move rather than air as has previously been described and the application should be read and interpreted in this manner.
Figure 5F illustrate a device in which the components 8 are designed to cause an audible effect when volumes of air are caused to pass through the same.
It will therefore be appreciated that the structure in accordance with the invention and in the many embodiments of the same allows the use of volumes of air which can be automatically generated by moving the structure from flattened to erected conditions or subsequently generated by manipulation of the structure to provide improved visual and or audible effect. As an alternative the use of a pump can be added in addition to the structure or to replace the structure so that the pump acts directly on an article and components to cause a change in condition of the same.

Claims

A structure formed from at least one elongate frame member which supports sheet material, said frame member resiliently biased to an erected structure condition but movable by manipulation to a storage condition along with the sheet material and, when released, the same moves substantially automatically to the erected condition and wherein the structure includes at least one component which is acted upon during the movement of the structure between storage and erected conditions to cause a visual and/or audible effect to be created by the component.
A structure according to at least claim 1 characterised in that the component depends from the sheet material and is movable along with the structure between erected and storage conditions.
A structure according to claim 1 characterised in that when the structure is moved from the storage to the erected condition a volume of fluid passes into the component to change the condition of the same.
A structure according to claim 3 characterised in that the component is moved to an erected condition.
A structure according to claim 1 characterised in that the component is connected with the interior of the structure by an aperture in the sheet material of the structure and the movement of the structure causes a gas such as air to flow into the component to inflate the same.
A structure according to claim 5 characterised in that the aperture is provided with a flow control means which allows a greater level of flow of the gas into the component to inflate the same but prevents or restricts the flow of the gas out of the component thus assisting in the prolonged inflation of the component and prolonging the visual effect of the same.
A structure according to claim 3 characterised in that the volume of fluid is or includes a liquid.
A structure according to claim I characterised in that a number of said components are provided in the structure.
A structure according to claim 1 characterised in that the component provides a primarily audible effect.
A structure according to claim 9 characterised in that the component is in the form of an aperture in the sheet material which is so formed or is provided with a control means designed to cause an audible effect to be created as the volume of fluid passes therethrough.
A structure formed of sheet material supported by at least one resilient frame member which encourages the structure to an erected condition, said sheet material and frame member movable by manipulation of the same in a manner to cause movement of a volume of air and characterised in that the structure includes at least one component which is acted upon by the movement of the volume of air to provide a visual and/or audible effect via the component.
A structure according to claim 11 characterised in that the structure is provided with a component or components which can be caused to move, make a sound, inflate or deflate upon movement of the structure.
A structure according to claim 11 characterised in that the movement is a repetitive action to move the structure at least partially towards a storage condition, and release the same to allow the same to move back to the erected condition.
A structure according to claim 13 characterised in that air enters the interior of the structure through an opening or valve arrangement and leaves the structure through the same or another aperture or apertures.
A structure according to claim 14 characterised in that the apertures provided have control means which allow the flow of the air in one direction but restrict the flow in the other direction.
A structure according to claim 11 characterised in that the structure is connectable to other structures with components which can be inflated or have air pass through the same to provide a visual and/or audible effect.
A structure formed of sheet material supported by at least one resilient frame member which encourages the structure to an erected condition, said sheet material and frame member movable by manipulation of the same in a manner to cause movement of a volume of air and wherein the structure is provided for connection with another article to cause the supply of volumes of air thereto.
A structure according to claim 17 characterised in that the article to which the structure is connected includes at least one component which is acted upon by the movement of the volume of air to provide a visual and/or audible effect.
An article formed of sheet material having an interior cavity for reception of a volume of fluid and in communication with at least one component said article upon by the movement of or introduction of a volume of a fluid into the interior cavity to pass a quantity of the same to the at least one component to provide a visual and/or audible effect.
An article according to claim 19 characterised in that the volume of fluid is propelled to the article interior cavity by manipulating a structure as herein defined.
An article according to claim 19 characterised in that the volume of fluid is propelled to article cavity interior by a pump connected thereto.