GB2035811A - Play units - Google Patents

Abstract

A play unit for children is moulded from plastics material and has a base 1, upwardly divergent side walls 2, 3, a passage 1A through which a child can crawl from end-to-end, an opening 5 in which a child can stand, an aperture 6 in one side wall 2 through which a child can pass, and a lookout aperture 7 in the other side wall 3. A plurality of such units can be nested without becoming wedged together, and flanges 8, 9, lips 10, 11 and protuberances 12 are provided for locating one unit when inverted on top of another. The unit may be used as a walking aid for handicapped children. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Recreational apparatus for children This invention relates to recreational apparatus for children, of the kind suitable for use in a so-called adventure play-centre, and hereinafter and in the appended Claims referred to as a play unit.

According to the present invention there is provided a play unit comprising a base wall, opposed side walls, and opposed end walls, the unit being of substantially U-shape in cross section, and having a through-passage from end-to-end, the base wall having an opening, the side walls being divergent in the direction away from the base wall, the unit being capable of standing on its base wall, on either of its side walls or end walls, or with its base uppermost, said through-passage and said opening in the base wall being shaped and dimensioned to permit the passage of a child therethrough, and said divergent side walls permitting the stacking of a plurality of such units one within another.

Preferably, free end portions of the side walls and end walls have locating formations arranged to co-operate with corresponding locating formations on a second such unit, when one unit is placed on top of the other mutually inverted and with their base walls spaced apart.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a play unit according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of two play units fitted one on top of the other; Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, to a larger scale, in the direction of the arrow Ill in Fig.

2, and Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3, in the direction of the arrow IV in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, a play unit is of substantially U-shape in cross section and consists generally of a base wall 1, opposed side walls 2, 3 and opposed end walls 4.

The base wall 1 and the side walls 2, 3 are substantially rectangular and flat, and the end walls 4 are also flat and are substantially perpendicular to the base wall 1. The side walls 2, 3 are mutually divergent in the direction away from the base wall 1, and the end walls 4 are also of substantially U-shape, so that the unit has a through-passage 1A from end-to-end.

The base wall 1 has a central opening 5 of substantially rectangular shape, and the side wall 2 has a relatively large and generally square aperture 6, whilst the side wall 3 has a relatively small and generally rectangular aperture 7, the apertures 6 and 7 being spaced the same distance from the base wall 1.

The free end portions of the side walls 2, 3 are provided respectively with outwardly directed flanges 8, 9, and the latter are provided respectively with lips 10, 11.

Locating formations whereby one play unit can be fitted on another of the same dimensions will now be described. A free end portion of each end wall 4 adjacent the flange 8 is stepped inwards at 4A so that the length of the flange 8 is sufficiently shorter than the flange 9 and can thus fit into the flange 9 of another similar unit of the same dimensions, as shown in Figs. 2 to 4. The inner face of the flange 9 is provided with three protuberances 1 2 which are spaced inwards from the lip 11 and are located one adjacent each end of the flange and one midway of its length.

There is thus a recess between each protuberance 12 and the lip 11.

When one unit is placed on top of another, as shown in Fig. 2, the flange 8 of the upper unit fits into the flange 9 of the lower unit, and the flange 8 of the lower unit fits into the flange 9 of the upper unit. In each case the side wall of the lip 10 projects into the recesses between the protuberances 1 2 and the side wall of the lip 11, as shown in Fig.

2, and the end walls of the lip 8 project between the end protuberances 1 2 and the end walls of the lip 9, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The flanges of the upper unit rest on the flanges of the lower unit, but are shown spaced apart in Figs. 3 and 4, for clarity. It will be understood that the inwardly stepped portions 4A of the end walls of one unit lie within the end walls 4 adjacent the flange 9 of the other unit.

From the above, it will be seen that the upper unit is located against lateral and endwise movement relative to the lower unit.

Some play is provided between the interfitting lips and recesses, so that a child can easily fit one unit on another.

The unit is preferably moulded from high density polyethylene, the protuberances 1 2 being formed during moulding. The length of the unit is about 28", the width of the base 1 is about 13", and the distance between the free ends of the side walls is about 24". The opening 5 in the base wall is substantially rectangular and measures about 16+" by 10". The aperture 6 in the side wall 2 is substantially square and measures about 10 < " by 113", the aperture 7 in the side wall 3 is substantially rectangular and measures about 63" by 2 < ", and the edges of said apertures adjacent the base extend substantially parallel to the base and are spaced about 3" therefrom.

In addition to the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, play units can be assembled in various other ways. For example, units can be built up end-to-end one on top of another, or end-toend horizontally, or with the end of one abutting the base of another, or with one straddling two others lying on their sides.

Children can crawl through the units, and can climb through the apertures 5 and 6, and can look through the aperture 7. A child can also stand up through the aperture 5 and hold and lift up the unit by gripping the upper edges of the apertures 6 and 7 with their hands. Hand icapped children can use them in this way as stabilising structures to aid walking.

The units can also be stacked one within another by virtue of the side walls 2, 3 being divergent. However, as the end walls 4 are perpendicular to the base wall 1, one unit lies slightly askew to another, when stacked, and the base wall 1 of one unit abuts the edges of the portions 4B of the end walls of another unit, so that the units do not become wedged together, and can be easily lifted out of the stack. It is to be understood that the units can be stacked vertically with their base walls uppermost, or with their base walls lowermost, or they can be stacked horizontally standing on either end or on either side wall.

Whilst the flange 9 could have a continuous recess for the lip 10, this would make it difficult for a child to fit one unit to another, and use of the spaced protuberances 1 2 has been found desirable.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

In addition to keeping children amused, the units perform the function of enabling children to decide and design the shape within which they will play, thereby helping them to improve and exercise their imagination, physique, language and social development. This occurs as the children themselves choose which way to assemble the units to simulate different articles, animals, vehicles or houses, for example.

The units may be of any suitable material, other than high density polyethylene. Plastics materials are however preferred, because these enable the units to be produced by moulding and in various colours, so that they can be made cheaply, and are sufficiently robust and lightweight for children to handle.

While it is clearly preferable for the units to have locating formations which fit together when two units are assembled as shown in Fig. 2, it is possible for such formations to be omitted. In this event, in order to permit two units to be easily assembled as in Fig. 2, the units could be provided with flat flanges which would abut face to face.

Claims (14)

1. A play unit comprising a base wall, opposed side walls, and opposed end walls, the unit being of substantially U-shape in cross section, and having a through-passage from end-to-end, the base wall having an opening, the side walls being divergent in the direction away from the base wall, the unit being capable of standing on its base wall, on either of its side walls or end walls, or with its base uppermost, said throughpassage and said opening in the base wall being shaped and dimensioned to permit the passage of a child therethrough, and said divergent side walls permitting the stacking of a plurality of such units one within another.

2. A play unit as claimed in Claim 1, in which free end portions of the side walls and end walls have locating formations arranged to co-operate with corresponding locating formations on a second such unit, when one unit is placed on top of the other mutually inverted and with their base walls spaced apart.

3. A play unit as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which each of said side walls has an aperture to facilitate handling of the unit.

4. A play unit as claimed in Claim 3, in which one of said apertures in shaped and dimensioned to permit the passage of a child therethrough.

5. A play unit as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which said end walls are substantially perpendicular to the base, so that, when said unit is placed within a second such unit of the same shape and dimension, the first mentioned unit lies askew of the second unit with its base resting on the edge of a portion of each end wall which edge extends substantially parallel to the base wall, whereby the units cannot become wedged together.

6. A play unit as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which each of said side walls and said base wall are substantially rectangular and planar.

7. A play unit as claimed in Claim 4 or 5 or 6, when appended to Claim 2, in which said locating formations comprise a projection on one of the side walls and recess means on the other side wall.

8. A play unit as claimed in Claim 4 or 5 or 6, when appended to Claim 2, in which said locating formations comprise an outwardly directed flange on the free edge of each side wall, one flange being shorter in length than the other, a lip on each of said flanges, and at least one protuberance on the inner face of the longer flange and spaced from the lip thereof, the arrangement being such that, when said unit is placed on top of a second such unit, the shorter flange of each unit fits into the longer flange of the other unit, and the lip on each shorter flange fits between the lip and protuberance on the longer flange of the other unit.

9. A play unit as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which the unit is moulded from high density polyethylene.

1 0. A play unit as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which the length of the unit is about 28", the width of the base is about 13", and the distance between the free ends of the side walls is about 24".

11. A play unit as claimed in Claim 10, in which the opening in the base wall is substantially rectangular and measures about 1 6+" by 10".

1 2. A play unit as claimed in Claim 9, when appended to Claim 3 or 4, in which the aperture in one of the side walls is substantially square and measures about 1 0+" by 1 1+", the aperture in the other side wall is substantially rectangular and measures about 6+" by 2+", and the edges of said apertures adjacent the base extend substantially parallel to the base and are spaced about 3" therefrom.

1 3. A play unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

14. A plurality of play units each as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims all having the same dimensions.