Refrigeration – Processes – Congealing flowable material – e.g. – ice making
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-17
2001-12-11
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Processes
Congealing flowable material, e.g., ice making
C062S235000, C472S092000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327864
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to frozen surfaces, as used for skating and, more particularly, to a kit which facilitates the formation of a frozen surface.
2. Background Art
Ice skating remains a popular activity. In spite of this, there exist a fairly limited number of public facilities which are available for year round or seasonal skating. These facilities typically have indoor and/or outdoor rinks, with the indoor rinks being equipped with systems for forming and maintaining ice at virtually any temperature. These facilities have limited capacity and are commonly not only difficult to access, but expensive to rent.
To cater to a larger skating audience, it is known to prepare frozen skating surfaces in public parks. One method of doing this is to accumulate fallen snow into a border and then to flood the region within the border directly over grass or dirt.
The above method has a number of drawbacks. First of all, there must be an accumulation of snow sufficient to form the border before the frozen surface can be formed. Once the snow has accumulated to a sufficient height, it is typically relocated using relatively heavy plows. Movement of the snow through the plows may result in damage to the underlying grass or other surface.
A further problem, which has been aggravated by recent environmental conditions, is that this type of system may require a significant amount of ongoing maintenance, particularly in the event that the ambient temperature elevates to above freezing for extended periods. It is not uncommon in the prime winter months, throughout the Midwest where temperatures are generally cold, for temperatures to range between subzero and 50-60° F. within a relatively short time period. With the elevated temperatures, the waterfor the frozen surface may not only melt but migrate into the ground. Similarly, the snow border may diminish. The border may have to be constructed and the water replenished periodically, which may be too inconvenient and expensive to be practical in most venues.
The same problems are contended with in attempting to form a frozen surface for skating on private property. Additionally, private home owners contend with the problem of leakage of unrestrained water into buildings or against other objects on their premises.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one form, the invention is directed to a kit having: a border assembly with a plurality of elongate elements that are capable of being placed against a subjacent surface to define a border around a predetermined area within which a frozen surface is to be formed; and a flexible liner that is selectively reconfigurable between a) a collapsed state and b) an operative state. The elongate elements each have an inside surface, a top edge, and an outside surface. The flexible liner has a shape and size preselected to cover a subjacent surface in the predetermined area and to be placed against the elongate elements in a predetermined manner so as to define a receptacle for a liquid that can be cooled to form a frozen surface over the predetermined area.
The elongate elements have spaced ends and may be alignable end-to-end to extend continuously around the predetermined area.
The elongate elements may be made from wood.
In one form, the elongate elements have a nominal thickness on the order of 2 inches and a nominal width of from 4-12 inches.
In one form, the flexible liner has a corner preformed thereon to nest at a juncture of two of the elongate elements that are situated relative to each other to define a corner.
The corner of the flexible liner may be formed by adhering one part of the flexible liner to another part of the flexible liner.
The kit may further include a resilient bumper that has a receptacle for the top edge of one of the elongate elements with the resilient bumper fit to the one elongate element to prevent direct contact between a user and the top edge of the one elongate element to which the resilient bumper is fit.
The flexible liner may be a non-UVI plastic.
The liner may be fiber-reinforced plastic.
In one form, the liner has four corners preformed thereon to nest at four inside corners defined by the elongate elements with the predetermined area being one of square and rectangular in shape.
In one form, with the flexible liner placed against the elongate elements in the predetermined manner, the liner defines a receptacle for liquid to be frozen that opens upwardly and extends upwardly from a subjacent surface at least one inch over the entire predetermined area.
The flexible liner may have fold lines preformed therein to facilitate folding in a predetermined manner against the elongate elements.
The kit may further include a bumper that can be press fit over the top edge of one of the elongate elements to captively hold the flexible liner against the one of the elongate elements.
The kit may further include a plurality of brackets through which the ends of adjacent elongate elements can be joined, each to the other.
The invention is also directed to a method of forming a frozen surface including the steps of: providing a plurality of elongate elements each having spaced ends, an inside surface, a top edge, and an outside surface; placing the elongate elements end-to-end to define a border assembly around a predetermined area within which a frozen surface is to be formed; providing a flexible liner; placing the flexible liner on the subjacent surface within the predetermined area; directing the flexible liner from the subjacent surface upwardly against the inside surface of the elongate elements; extending the flexible liner over the top edges of the elongate elements and downwardly against the outside surfaces of the elongate elements; placing a liquid within the predetermined area over the liner; and freezing the liquid to define a frozen surface.
The method may further include the steps of connecting the ends of adjacent elongate elements, each to the other, before directing the flexible liner against the inside surface of the elongate elements.
The method may further include the step of preforming a corner on the flexible liner by adhering one part of the flexible line to another part of the flexible liner before placing the flexible liner on the subjacent surface.
The method may further include the step of providing at least one resilient bumper with a receptacle and directing the at least one resilient bumper downwardly over the top edge of one of the elongate elements so that the top edge of one of the elongate elements moves into the receptacle, so that the at least one resilient bumper prevents direct contact between a user and the top edge of the one of the elongate elements, and so that the flexible liner is captively maintained by the at least one bumper against the one elongate element.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2996896 (1961-08-01), Johnson
patent: 3130853 (1964-04-01), Colthurst et al.
patent: 3667381 (1972-06-01), Bottas et al.
patent: 3808831 (1974-05-01), Landry
patent: 3933002 (1976-01-01), Vickery
patent: 3983713 (1976-10-01), MacCracken
patent: 4135634 (1979-01-01), Frye
patent: 5134857 (1992-08-01), Burley
patent: 5150809 (1992-09-01), Leigh
patent: 5669227 (1997-09-01), Morris
Tapolcai William E.
Wood Phillips VanSanten Clark & Mortimer
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