Amusement devices: toys – Building – tower – bridge or habitation – Folding or collapsible
Utility Patent
1999-12-21
2001-01-02
Rimell, Sam (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Building, tower, bridge or habitation
Folding or collapsible
C446S476000
Utility Patent
active
06168495
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improve child's amusement and educational center and articles for use with the same. More particularly, the present invention comprises an improved children's play tent having a pocket attached to the tent for accepting a learning board for amusement as well educational instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, and the like, and for articles, such as play balls, bearing relevant indicia thereon.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Tents, portable structures, and the like have been known for many years. In the recent past, these structures, particularly tents, have been used as children's play things. Often, these tents are small, self supporting, and used indoors for children of ages below 12 as a play area. They may be sized to fit several children, and to house other playthings, such as balls, building blocks, and the like. They assume various colors, patterns, and configurations, such as, for example, a fort.
Although tents in general and children's play tents in particular are known in the art, there are currently no children's play tents that further offer an educational or teaching environment. More particularly, none of the children's tents of the prior art provide interactive stimulation for development of reading, writing, arithmetic, or geography skills.
Therefore, there is an unresolved need for a child's play tent that comprise means for educational or learning opportunities.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome with the present invention which reflects the desirability of providing children with interactive learning stimuli in a play setting in order to encourage children's learning by making it enjoyable to the child. The portable children's amusement and learning center of the present invention generally comprises a tent suitable for children's play, while simultaneously providing opportunities for educational instruction or teaching.
Accordingly, the present invention generally comprises a tent structure of the type suitable for children's play, with a learning board affixed to the tent for educational instruction and exercises. The tent structure of the present invention generally comprises flexible walls of sheetlike material joined together to form enclosure. The walls may be transparent, and are preferably comprised of mesh. Mesh walls allow children within the tent to be supervised while playing and allow the fresh flow of air into and out of the tent structure, thereby minimizing the dangers asphyxiation. The preferred tent further comprises a portal, covered by a door flexible material, in at least one of its walls for entering and exiting the tent interior.
The learning board of the present invention generally comprises a substantially flat board surface for writing upon or for affixing educational figures such as alphanumeric characters. One embodiment of the board may comprise an erasable surface for writing. Another embodiment may comprise a surface and means for removably attaching alphanumeric or other characters or figures thereto, such as via magnets or static electricity. Still another board may comprise figures, questions, and fill in answer blanks for a learning exercise, such as identification of states from a map of the United States.
The preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a series of such interchangeable learning boards, each with a different learning message or exercise. The learning board may be removably attached directly to the tent, or may be contained within a pocket assembly with means for attachment to the tent. The pocket assembly may generally be attached to the tent on any of its interior or exterior walls, on its door interior or exterior, or, preferably, the pocket assembly may comprise the door itself.
A preferred pocket assembly is comprised of a flexible back panel and a flexible front panel joined together about their bottom and side edges to form a pocket accessible through its top. The learning board is removably contained within the preferred pocket assembly. At least the front panel is comprised of a legibly transparent material so that the learning board surface is legible through the pocket assembly front panel. The material comprising the front panel, like the walls, may preferably be plastic mesh or clear plastic material. Attachment means may comprise hooks and loops, snaps, ties, or adhesives.
As noted, the preferred embodiment of the pocket assembly comprises a pocket formed as the door flap of the tent. The preferred door flap comprises a closeable panel covering the tent entrance portal, with the flap hinged at the top. The preferred pocket assembly comprises a front panel generally the same size as and corresponding to the door flap covering the tent portal, and is connected to the flap about its side and bottom edges, thereby forming a pocket accessible through its top edge The learning board is removably contained within the pocket. The pocket top panel is transparent such that the learning board contained therein is legible.
According to the preferred practice of the present invention, the pocket assembly further comprises a plurality of sub-pockets arranged in an array for removably holding children's play articles. The array of the sub pockets may be arranged to superimpose and register with certain indices of the learning boards. For instance, a sub-pocket may be labeled “red ball,” via the visible learning board behind it, to indicate a holding place for a corresponding play article comprised of a red ball.
Further, each of the play articles, such as balls, is preferably provided with indicia, such as a printed, raised or embossed number or letter. This indicia corresponds to one or more of the interchangeable learning boards and sub-pockets, such that a child may match the indicia on the article, such as the ball, to the sub-pocket associated with a particular location on the learning board bearing a similar corresponding indicia. Such labeling encourages reading and analytical thought by children.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present disclosure so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter which form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining the several embodiments of the disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure in not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for description and not limitation.
The advantages of the present invention have been well established. These advantages and others will become more fully apparent from the following details description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 366511 (1996-01-01), Coddington, Jr.
patent: D. 367310 (1996-02-01), Ziegler, Jr. et al.
patent: D. 379209 (1997-05-01), Coddington, Jr.
patent: D. 393686 (1998-04-01), Coddington, Jr. et al.
patent: 4556391 (1985-12-01), Tardivel et al.
patent: 5069623 (1991-12-01), Peat
patent: 5525088 (1996-06-01), Mayne
patent: 5733165 (1998-03-01), Kelley
patent: 2307173A (1996-11-01), None
Hammacher Schlemmer Catalog; 22-Foot Configurable Play Maze; Summer, 1998 Catalog; p. 65.
Hammacher Schlemmer Catalog; Pop-Up Play Hut; Summer, 1998 Catalog; p. 64.
Price Heneveld Cooper DeWitt & Litton
Rimell Sam
LandOfFree
Portable child's amusement and educational center and... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Portable child's amusement and educational center and..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Portable child's amusement and educational center and... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2507961