The present invention relates to a floating game device making it possible to play or perform athletic activities in a swimming pool or in a body of water such as a lake, these athletic activities for example being such as water polo, kayak polo, water volleyball or others. The invention in particular relates to means for stabilizing the floating game device.
The known floating game devices typically make it possible to perform athletic activities or play in the water. Among these floating game devices, a first type consists of a floating element and an above-water part, positioned above said floating element and including a first structure as well as a first flexible surface, in particular of the net type, supported by said first structure for example to form a cage for receiving the ball, in particular when it involves playing water polo or kayak polo, or even to form a transversely stretched net, in particular to play water volleyball. One drawback of this type of floating game device is that it drifts and is unstable in the water, in particular due to the waves generated by the movements of the people in the water, or the kayaks and paddles, or due to the wind or current that may exist in the body of water when it is a natural body of water such as a lake or pond. To offset this drawback, floating game devices are known that have means for mooring the floating element to a stationary element, in particular the edge of the pool in which the floating game device is positioned. Such a device is for example described in document U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,975. This, however, requires the game device to be used in a pool and near the edges of that pool. Also known are devices such as those described in documents US 2009/0081919 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,801 that include a submerged part, an above-water part including a first structure and a first flexible surface borne by the first structure and configured for play, for example by forming a volleyball net or cage and a floating element positioned in a waterline and arranged to delimit the submerged part from the above-water part. The submerged part is configured to form means for stabilizing the above-water part and the floating element. According to document U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,801, these stabilization means consist of weights fixed to the floating element and making it possible to ballast the floating game device. According to document US 2009/0081919, the submerged part consists of a second structure on which a second flexible surface is stretched making it possible to form a panel configured to play underwater. The second structure further comprises weights making it possible to ballast the floating game device. The presence of such weights on the submerged part of the floating game device, as described in documents U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,801 and US 2009/0081919, has the drawback of making said device heavier, in particular when the device needs to be handled so as to be taken out of the water and put away.
The present invention aims to implement a floating game device that has stabilization means whereof the design optimizes the stabilization and reduces the weight of said floating game device so as to facilitate its handling when removed from the body of water and its transport, for example to store it or even move it on another body of water.
To that end, the invention relates to a floating game device comprising a submerged part, an above-water part and a floating element. The above-water part includes a first structure and a first flexible surface supported by that first structure. The floating element constitutes a waterline that delimits the submerged part from the above-water part, the submerged part comprising a second structure and a second flexible surface supported by that second structure. Assembly means are configured to keep the first structure and the second structure assembled with the floating element, in a plane forming an angle with said waterline, said floating element being configured to extend at a distance from the first and second structures positioned in said plane. This angle will preferably be comprised between 30° and 150°, for example 90°. Furthermore, according to the invention, the second flexible surface is configured on the submerged part to form a resistance means in the water. Furthermore, at least one of the first and second flexible surfaces is fixed with the floating element at a distance from said plane.
It will be understood that under normal usage conditions, on a calm body of water, the submerged part and the above-water part are positioned in a plane forming an angle with the floating element positioned in the waterline. When the body of water is agitated, the resistance in the water procured by the submerged part aims to keep the above-water part in a stable position, in a vertical plane above the body of water. Furthermore, the shift of the floating element relative to the above-water and submerged parts, as well as the fastening of at least one of the first or second flexible surfaces on an offset part of the floating element, result in transferring the force onto said offset part of the floating element, which tends to rise, or, conversely, dive relative to the plane of the water, when the submerged and above-water parts defined in a same plane tilt relative to the vertical plane. The inverse force exerted by the water on the floating element aims on the contrary to keep the latter in the waterline, that force being transferred onto the above-water part or the submerged part by means of the first or second flexible surface—depending on that which is fixed to the floating element—which makes it possible to keep said above-water and submerged parts in the plane forming an angle with the floating element. Thus, the floating game device remains suitably stable without using weights for additional ballasting, which favors the handling thereof.
According to a first embodiment of the floating game device according to the invention, the floating element has a bowed configuration delimited by two lateral ends, an inner edge and an outer edge. Furthermore, the first structure is a first hoop including two ends respectively subject to the two side ends of the floating element. Furthermore, the first flexible surface is configured to be fixed to the first bow and with one of the inner or outer edges of the floating element, in a more or less stretched position so as to form a cage for receiving the ball.
According to one embodiment, the second structure comprises at least two tubular portions respectively subjected to the two side ends of said floating element. Furthermore, the second flexible surface is configured to be fixed to said at least two tubular portions of the second structure and to the inner or outer edge to which the first flexible surface is fixed, in a more or less stretched position so as to form a volume. This configuration of the second flexible surface has the advantage of optimizing the resistance of the floating game device to the movements in the water, aiming to stabilize said floating game device. The term “tubular” is used in this description; it may, however, use circular or noncircular bars or rods without going beyond the scope of the invention.
According to this first design embodiment, the second structure is preferably an arch having two ends respectively subjected to the two lateral ends of the floating element, the second flexible surface being fixed to the second arch.
According to one embodiment of this first design embodiment, the floating element is crescent-shaped. Furthermore, the first flexible surface and, optionally, the second flexible surface are fixed on the outer edge of the crescent.
According to one alternative embodiment of this first design embodiment, the floating element has a toroid portion shape. Further, the first flexible surface and, optionally, the second flexible surface are fixed on the inner edge of the toroid portion. Additionally, a third flexible surface extends toward the inside of the floating element from the inner edge of said floating element, in the waterline.
According to the inventive floating game device, the assembly means are configured to bend the first and second structures. Furthermore, return means are configured to exert a force on the first structure and the second structure so as to position them naturally in a position that is more or less perpendicular relative to the floating element. This has the advantage of being able to curve the first structure and the second structure relative to the floating element and automatically redeploy the floating game device. Furthermore, a tensing system is arranged between the floating element and at least the second structure to keep said second structure curved relative to the floating element so as to limit the bulk of said second structure heightwise. This has the advantage of making it possible to use the floating game device on bodies of water having little bottom.
According to the inventive floating game device, the first structure and the second structure are made up of a single and same flexible arch comprising two side portions. Furthermore, fastening means are arranged between the two lateral sides of the floating element and the two respective side portions of the flexible arch.
According to a second design embodiment of the inventive floating game device, the floating element is rectangular comprising two lateral sides and two longitudinal sides.
According to the second design embodiment, the first structure comprises at least two upper lateral bars respectively positioned on the two lateral sides and extending perpendicular to the floating element. Furthermore, the first flexible surface is fixed to the two lateral upper bars. It is, however, also possible to consider a transverse upper bar connecting the ends of the two upper lateral bars, to which the first flexible surface can also be fixed.
According to the second embodiment, the second structure comprises two lateral lower bars and one transverse lower bar positioned in a U, the lateral lower bars respectively being fixed to the lateral sides of the floating element. Furthermore, the second flexible surface has a rectangular shape comprising two longitudinal ends that are fixed to the longitudinal sides of the floating element, said second flexible surface being stretched bearing against the lower transverse bar. This also makes it possible to form a volume in the form of a pouch offering resistance in the water.
According to this second design embodiment, the second structure comprises at least two lateral lower bars respectively subjected to the two lateral sides of the floating element. Furthermore, the second flexible surface is configured to be fixed to the two lower lateral bars and with one of the inner or outer edges of the floating element, in a more or less stretched position so as to form a volume.
According to the inventive floating game device, at least one fastening system is configured on the floating element to allow mooring or complementary ballasting of said floating element, in particular when the floating game device is used on an agitated body of water.
According to the inventive floating game device, the first flexible surface is a net. Furthermore, the second flexible surface is made from a textile, for example cloth.
According to one alternative embodiment of this first flexible surface, in particular when the game device is implemented according to the first design embodiment, said first flexible surface includes a fabric peripheral contour whereof an outer edge is fixed to the floating element and to the first arch and a central net whereof the peripheral edge is fixed to an inner edge of said peripheral contour.
According to an alternative embodiment of this second flexible surface, in particular when the floating game device is implemented according to the first design embodiment and the second structure consists of an arch, said second flexible surface includes a peripheral cloth contour whereof an outer edge is fixed to the floating element and to the second arch and a central net whereof the peripheral edge is fixed to an inner edge of said peripheral contour.
According to one embodiment of the inventive floating game device, a sheath is fastened to the first structure and the second structure, the floating element being flexible and configured to be inserted into the sheath.
According to one embodiment of the floating game device according to the invention, the floating element is deformable, in particular when said floating element is flexible or made up of several floating parts, which tends to deform the first structure and the second structure affixed to said floating element. To that end, a stiffening system is configured on at least one of the first and second structures to keep the first and second structures in a stable position.
The following description illustrates different design alternatives of the inventive floating game device. The description of these design alternatives is based on figures, in which:
One can see that the above-water part includes a first structure 5, 105, 205, 305, 405 and a first flexible surface 6, 106, 206, 306, 406. Likewise, the submerged part comprises a second structure 7, 107, 207, 307, 407 and a second flexible surface 8, 108, 208, 308, 408.
The use of a single and same flexible arch 9 as illustrated in
The floating game device 101 illustrated in
According to the design alternative illustrated in
According to the alternative design illustrated in
One can see that the first flexible surface 306 is made up of a net that is fixed at the lateral upper parts 305a, 305b. It is also possible to consider fastening said net at the upper transverse bar 305c.
It is, however, possible to consider an alternative configuration of the second flexible surface 308, such that the latter defines a volume offering resistance in the water and providing the connection between the floating element 304 and the second structure 307. To that end, the second flexible surface 308 could have a configuration related to that illustrated in
The design alternative of the floating game device 401 illustrated in
Likewise, the second flexible surface 408 comprises a peripheral contour 408a made from cloth, comprising an outer edge 408b fixed on the sheath 411 and the central net 408c whereof the peripheral edge 408d is fixed to the inner edge 408e of the peripheral contour 408a. The presence of a third flexible surface 412, for example made from cloth, is also visible, whereof the edge 412a is fixed on the inner edge 404d of the floating element 404.
These
It is also possible to consider implementing this floating element in several parts, for example a first part fixed on one of the lateral sides of the first and second structures and a second floating element fixed on the other of the lateral sides of the first and second structures and a third floating element positioned in the rear part of the floating game device and fixed to the first and second flexible surfaces. It will be understood that in this case, the floating element can deform, which may tend to separate the first structure and the second structure. To that end, in this design scenario, a stiffening system is provided positioned between the lateral ends of the first structure and the second structure, or even between the floating elements, for example rigid straps or semi-rigid rods, which prevents the separation of said lateral sides of the first and second structures and the floating elements.
Other design embodiments may be considered without going beyond the scope of the present invention. It is in particular possible to consider combining the features of the different design embodiments of the floating game device illustrated in
It is also possible to consider design alternatives of the floating game device according to which the structures of the flexible surfaces on the above-water part and on the submerged part are configured to constitute two different games, such that inverting the floating game device makes it possible to play one or the other of the two games. For example, based on a configuration of the floating game device similar to that implemented in
The example embodiments shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1151422 | Feb 2011 | FR | national |
This application is a US National Stage entry of International application No PCT/FR2012/050374 filed Feb. 22, 2012 and claiming priority to French application FR 11 51422 filed Feb. 22, 2011, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/FR2012/050374 | 2/22/2012 | WO | 00 | 10/28/2013 |