Amusement devices: games – Aerial projectile game; game element or accessory therefor... – Target
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-05
2001-07-24
Nguyen, Kien T. (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: games
Aerial projectile game; game element or accessory therefor...
Target
C472S137000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264202
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of children's play structures and, in particular, to interactive play structures for safely entertaining and educating young and intermediate age children and adults.
2. Description of the Related Art
Over the past decade there has been a steady proliferation of commercial play structures designed to meet the recreational needs of young families. Such play structures can provide a safe and exciting alternative to more traditional parks and playgrounds. Participatory or interactive play structures, that is, play structures that allow play participants to actively participate in creating desired effects, are particularly desirable because of their widely recognized entertainment and educational benefits. See, for example, my U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,048 and related design patent D330,579, both of which are incorporated herein by reference as though fully reproduced herein. These patents first disclosed the concept of interactive or participatory play in the context of a water park attraction.
Many large-scale successful commercial water parks now incorporate interactive play structures of the type disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,048. Families that have patronized these commercial water parks have discovered for themselves the valuable entertainment and educational benefits that interactive play provides. Sales of admission tickets for many such commercial water parks have surged following the introduction of new play structures for facilitating interactive play.
Commercial play structures may be adopted either for water use (“wet” play structures) or non-water use (“dry” play structures), as desired. The subject invention relates particularly to dry interactive play structures for either indoor or outdoor use. A typical dry play structure may include a padded framework and cushioned floors defining a variety of play elements or areas. Slides, tunnels, net bridges, and ladders may be used to interconnect the various play elements and play areas together so that play participants can traverse from one play element or area to the next.
On the other hand, there are certain unique aspects and desirable play dynamics of wet play structures which, heretofore, have not been satisfactorily met by their dry counterparts. For example, an especially exciting and entertaining play activity supported by a wet play structure involves shooting a stream of water at selected targets and/or other play participants. This usually entails some form of a water cannon, water gun, squirt gun, spray hose or the like, which play participants can operate to surprise other play participants or to achieve desired effects. Such participatory play activities provide particular benefits in developing children's motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It also provides endless fun for play participants, who enjoy the challenge of trying to hit various targets and/or one another.
Water as a primary play media lends itself readily to facilitating such play activities because it is easily extruded through a nozzle or otherwise formed into various projecting streams or other entertaining shapes and/or patterns. Also, water can be collected and recirculated to the various play elements using pumps or other efficient and commercially available recirculating and transporting means.
However, unlike a stream of water, which is able to assume a relatively streamlined aerodynamic shape during flight and which disperses harmlessly on impact, dry play media typically involves the use of discrete articles having a defined size, shape and mass which remain constant during flight and upon impact. Moreover, while water is easily regulated at the source to ensure that the pressure and impact velocity of the resulting stream remains within predetermined safe parameters, the impact velocity of discrete projectiles is not so easily regulated. Thus, while it is possible to project an impact-safe stream of water over relatively large distances of 20 to 30 feet with fairly good accuracy, the same task becomes considerably more difficult when using discrete projectiles such as foam or plastic balls. Finally, the prior art does not satisfactorily address the problem of how to collect and recirculate a non-fluid play media so as to support such play activities in a dry play structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a dry interactive play structure to provide shooting and targeting play dynamics and interactive play capabilities using impact-safe dry foam projectiles (or other impact-safe projectiles). Another object of the present invention is to provide various safe and durable devices for launching or propelling dry play media at various targets and/or other play participants. Another object of the present invention is to provide an impact-safe play media particularly adapted for use in a dry play structure for shooting and targeting play dynamics and interactive play capabilities. Another object of the present invention is to provide various automated and/or play participant operated conveyers for collecting, recirculating and/or transporting dry play media to various play areas or interactive play elements disposed throughout a play structure. Another object of the present invention is to facilitate various interactive play activities which incorporate a wide range of fun and exciting mechanisms, such as springs, cams, pulleys, gears, and the like, all of which can be employed to provide an interactive play experience which is both fun and, at the same time, educational.
In one embodiment the present invention provides an interactive play structure in which various dry play media, such as foam balls or other play articles, can be propelled, accelerated or otherwise transported from one location to another in the play structure in response to various play-participant controlled actuators.
In another embodiment the present invention provides a dry interactive play structure for facilitating interaction between play participants who are located remotely from each other. For example, a propelling device may be mounted at a first location on the play structure, dry play media for the device may be supplied at an inlet at a second location on the structure and an actuator for the device may be located at yet a third location on or adjacent to the play structure. Play media obtained from the second location can be fed to the device at the first location, and a play participant at the third location can activate the device to launch play media at a target or other unsuspecting play participants.
In another embodiment the present invention provides an exciting play effect comprising one or more tipping buckets or baskets for collecting play media. The basket is balanced and conditionally stable such that it periodically spills over when the level of its contents reaches a predetermined level. This creates dramatic visual and tactile effects for surprising, entertaining, and amusing play participants.
In another embodiment the present invention provides an interactive conveyor system which can be operated by one or more play participants to transport dry play media from one location on the play structure to another location. The first location may be a discharge collection area of one or more interactive play elements or devices, and the second location may be a supply area for the same or other play elements. Dry play media may be recycled for reuse in the various devices using the efforts of play participants.
In another embodiment the present invention provides an automated dry play media conveyor, which may be used to transport dry play media from one location on the play structure to another. The first location may be a discharge collection area of one or more interactive play elements, and the second location may be one or more supply areas for the same or other play elements. The play media conveyor system may be operated by a small electrical motor or may be manually o
Nguyen Kien T.
Snell & Wilmer LLP
Wood David P.
LandOfFree
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