Embodiments of the present invention are related to an assembly (e.g., a toy) which provides a mat and a toy-car wash assembly. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a toy-car wash assembly and method for water sliding wherein a person slides along the surface of the mat and through various water discharging devices which function as a toy-car wash.
There are a number of water-slides available for children's recreational purposes, such as “Slip N Slide” water slides, etc. However, none combine the features of a slick, aqueous-laden surface mat which enables a person to slide smoothly along the surface of the mat, and through a toy-car wash assembly.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for water sliding on a recreational toy. A person slides on a water-supporting mat and through at least one water discharging device until the person contacts a transparent bumper assembly which stops the person from sliding further on the mat.
Embodiments of the present invention also provide a recreational toy comprising a mat for water sliding. At least one water discharging device (e.g., a toy-car wash) transversely disposed over the mat. A bumper assembly may be coupled to the mat to stop the person from sliding.
Embodiments of the present invention further provide a toy assembly comprising a mat and a car wash assembly having at least one collapsed water discharging device. The toy assembly may further include a collapsed bumper assembly coupled to the mat. When the mat is rolled into overlapping surfaces such as to form a cylindrical-configured rolled-up mat, the collapsed bumper assembly rolls with the mat such as to be sandwiched and/or interleaved between at least some of the layers of the overlapping mat surfaces.
Embodiments of the present invention further provide a toy assembly comprising a mat and at least one water discharging device. More specifically, the toy assembly includes a car wash assembly disposed over a water-supporting mat. A person slides on a water-supporting mat and through the car wash assembly.
These provisions, together with the various ancillary provisions and features which will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the following description proceeds, are attained by the methods and assemblies of the present invention.
In the description herein, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of components and/or methods, to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that an embodiment of the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other apparatus, systems, assemblies, methods, components, materials, parts, and/or the like. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not specifically shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the embodiments of the present invention.
Referring in detail now to the drawings, wherein similar parts of the invention are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in
The mat 10 and the assembly 12 may be manufactured from any suitable material. Preferably, the mat 10 and the assembly 12 are made from plastic (e.g., vinyl or the like). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the assembly 12 is manufactured from a transparent plastic to enable a person to see inside the assembly 12, comparable to an aquarium where people view fish swimming.
The bumper assembly 12 is coupled by any suitable means to the mat 10 at location 24. The bumper assembly 12 may possess any suitable structure, preferably a generally U-shaped structure with respect to a top plan view, as illustrated in
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the objects 40 represent marine or sea animals (e.g., fish, sea horses, crabs, etc.) 41 to simulate swimming when suspended within water 13 contained in the bumper assembly 12. When the bumper assembly 12 is in a collapsed position (i.e., assembly 12 contains no water 13) as best illustrated in
As previously indicated and in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bumper assembly 12 has a generally U-shaped structure with respect to a top plan view, as illustrated in
Practice of various embodiments of the invention illustrated in
Referring now to
The toy car wash assembly 104 comprises a mat 108, and three inflated structures, respectively illustrated as 112, 116 and 120. The toy car wash assembly 104 further includes a perforated water conduit or line 124. The perforated water conduit 124, as best shown in
The toy car wash assembly 104 may include a bumper assembly 138, which may be secured to the mat 108 or detached from the mat 108. The bumper assembly 138 may be bumper assembly 12. The bumper assembly 138 operationally stops a person from sliding along the water-laden mat 108 when the person reaches the end of the mat 108. The bumper assembly 138 may be pneumatically expanded (and deflated) through an aperture (not shown). In the embodiment of the invention where the bumper assembly 138 is expanded by water (such as bumper assembly 12), water may be drained from the bumper assembly 138 for deflating the same.
In an embodiment of the invention, the toy car wash assembly 104 may be collapsed to facilitate storage in a box or the like. If the toy car wash assembly 104 is formed with the bumper assembly 138 such that the mat 108 is connected to the bumper assembly 138, after water or air is removed from the bumper assembly 138, the mat 108 may be rolled-up into a cylindrical-configured rolled-up mat. When the mat 108 is in a rolled-up posture, the collapsed bumper assembly 138 rolls with the mat 108 such as to be sandwiched and/or interleaved between at least some of the layers of the overlapping mat surfaces. The perforated water conduit or line 124 has sufficient pliability or flexibility to roll with the mat 108. In the embodiment of the invention where the bumper assembly 138 is not coupled to the mat 108, the mat 108 and the bumper assembly 138 are separately rolled up from their collapsed position.
In an embodiment of the invention, and three inflated structures 112, 116 and 120 may be collapsed by letting the air out of the respective structures. The three structures may then be independently rolled up. Thus for one embodiment of the invention where the bumper assembly 138 is connected to the mat 108, when all assemblies (e.g., inflated structures 112, 116, and 120 and the combined mat/bumper assembly) are collapsed and rolled-up, there are four separate rolled-up assemblies. For the embodiment of the invention where the bumper assembly 138 is separate from the mat 108, when all assemblies are collapsed and rolled-up, there are five separate rolled-up assemblies. When the inflated bumper assembly 138 and the inflated structures 112, 116 and 120 are deflated and collapsed, they respectively have the appearance of a wrinkly pile of neatly folded sheets of vinyl material. In the collapsed and deflated position, all deflated assemblies may be conveniently stored, such as in a box.
Inflated structure 112 includes an inflated scrub assembly 146 which is a free standing assembly that operates as a scrubber. The scrub assembly 146 has a pair of hollow legs 150a and 150b, each respectively terminating in hollow bases 154a and 154b. Leg 150a has an aperture 158a (see
Legs 150a and 150b of the inflated scrub assembly 146 couple to, preferably integrally couple to, a hollow cross member 166 which has a pair of hollow segments 166a and 166b whose hollow insides respectively pneumatically meet with and pneumatically communicate with the hollow insides of hollow legs 150a and 150b. Segments 166a and 166b form an acute angle with the legs 150a and 150b such that segments 166a and 166b project downwardly towards the mat 108. The hollow insides of segments 166a and 166b meet with the hollow inside of the hollow scrub member 176 such that segments 166a and 166b may pneumatically communicate with the hollow scrub member 176 which has a corrugated surface 180 that simulates a scrubber (a top scrubber) in a car wash assembly. As scrub assembly 146 begins to inflate, legs 150a and 150b, cross member 166, and scrub member 176 simultaneously begin to inflate. When the scrub assembly 146 begins to deflate, legs 150a and 150b, cross member 166, and scrub member 176 simultaneously begin to deflate.
Inflated structure 116 includes an inflated paddle assembly 184 which is a free standing assembly which includes paddles 186 for cleaning the sides of a car in a car wash assembly. The paddle assembly 184 has a pair of hollow legs 188a and 188b, each respectively terminating in hollow bases 192a and 192b. Paddles 186 are coupled (e.g., by vinyl welding) to the outside surfaces of the legs 188a and 188b such that the paddles 186 may swing back and forth. Leg 188a has an aperture 191 (see
Legs 188a and 188b of the inflated paddle assembly 184 couple to, preferably integrally couple to, a hollow cross member 200 whose hollow inside communicates with the hollow insides of hollow legs 188a and 188b such that the cross member 200 pneumatically communicates with the hollow legs 188a and 188b. As paddle assembly 184 begins to inflate, legs 188a and 188b and cross member 200 simultaneously begin to inflate. When the paddle assembly 184 begins to deflate, legs 188a and 188b and cross member 200 simultaneously begin to deflate.
The inflated structure 120 includes a hollow slap or squeegee assembly 220 comprising a hollow cross member 242 having a plurality of wiper (squeegee) members 244 which connect to and depend from the cross member 242 to emulate wipers of a typical car wash. The squeegee members 244 swing back and forth. The slap or squeegee assembly 220 functions as a rinse and wipe assembly. The squeegee assembly 120 has a pair of hollow legs 240a and 240b, each respectively terminating in hollow bases. Base 250a is shown in
Leg 240a has an aperture 254 (see
Legs 240a and 240b of the inflated squeegee assembly 220 couple to, preferably integrally couple to, the hollow cross member 242 whose hollow inside communicates with the hollow insides of hollow legs 240a and 240b such that the cross member 242 pneumatically communicates with the hollow legs 240a and 240b. Hose segment 136 extends up and along the outside surface of leg 240a and along the outside of cross member 242 for conducting water towards the apertures 135 (see
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “a specific embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention and not necessarily in all its embodiments. Therefore, the respective appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment”, or “in a specific embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics of any specific embodiment of the present invention may be combined in any suitable manner with one or more other embodiments. It is to be understood that other variations and modifications of the embodiments of the present invention described and illustrated herein are possible in light of the teachings herein and are to be considered as part of the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Additionally, any arrows in the drawings/figures should be considered only as exemplary, and not limiting, unless otherwise specifically noted. Furthermore, the term “or” as used herein is generally intended to mean “and/or” unless otherwise indicated. Combinations of components or steps will also be considered as being noted, where terminology is foreseen as rendering the ability to separate or combine is unclear.
As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
The foregoing description of illustrated embodiments of the present invention, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed herein. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes only, various equivalent modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize and appreciate. As indicated, these modifications may be made to the present invention in light of the foregoing description of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention and are to be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Therefore, while the present invention has been described herein with reference to the particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosures, and it will be appreciated that in some instances some features of the embodiments of the invention will be employed without the corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth. Therefore, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the essential scope and spirit of the present invention. It is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular terms used in following claims and/or to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include any and all embodiments and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.
This is a continuation-in-part patent application of patent application having Ser. No. 11/796,955, filed Apr. 30, 2007, and fully incorporated herein by reference thereto as if repeated verbatim immediately hereafter. Benefit of the earlier filing date is claimed for all common subject matter.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11796955 | Apr 2007 | US |
Child | 11903637 | US |