Patent Application
20080073468
The present invention relates generally to the field of piñata stands, and particularly to a foldable piñata stand and methods which allow for easy quick set up of the pin ata assembly and quick and easy folding and transporting of the pin ata stand.
Generally, the game of piñata includes a container filled with candy or treats and a stick. The objective of the game is for a hitter to hold the stick and to try to hit the piñata in order to break it and release the candy or treats, while at the same time the piñata is moved up and down by a handler in order to make it more difficult for the hitter to hit the piñata. Traditionally a piñata is attached to a rope and slung over a tree branch to hang. The free end of the rope hangs on one side of the tree branch where it can be pulled and released by a handler in order to allow the piñata to go up and down on the other side of the tree branch where the hitter who is holding a stick tries to hit the piñata to break and release the candy or treats.
The traditional game of piñata works well when the game is played outside near a tree with some branches. However, the traditional game of piñata cannot easily be enjoyed inside buildings or in places where there are no trees with branches at the desirable height. While there has been a trend to produce piñata stands that take the place of a tree branch, further improvements in the transportability and ease of use of piñata stands are desirable and the present invention addresses the existing problems and provides related benefits.
The present invention relates generally to the field of piñata stands, and particularly to a foldable piñata stand and methods which allow for easy quick set up of the piñata assembly and quick and easy folding and transporting of the piñata stand. The present invention is particularly adaptable for setting up a game of piñata in locations where there are no trees or the trees do not have branches of appropriate height for the piñata. The present invention eliminates the need for finding branched trees or other tall structures for hanging the piñata.
The present invention recognizes that piñata stands can be made so that it would be easier to transport the piñata stand and set it up for use by providing a piñata stand with removable pieces or a foldable piñata stand which can be easily carried to the desired location, unfolded and quickly set up, and used in playing the game of piñata.
As a non-limiting introduction to the breadth of the present invention, the present invention includes several general and useful aspects, including a vertical support assembly made from one or more removable pieces and a horizontal hanger attached at one end to the support assembly; a pulley capable of rotating 360 degrees, the pulley being attached to the horizontal hanger for hanging a piñata; and a base having a top side capable of engaging the vertical support assembly, the base having a sharp bottom side capable of penetrating hard earth to support piñata stand in an upright position.
Preferably the support assembly includes a first and a second folding arms pivotally attached to the support assembly at each end, wherein the first folding arm pivots away from the support assembly to become a vertical base support for the support assembly, and wherein the second folding arm pivots away from the support assembly to become the horizontal hanger for the support assembly; a pulley capable of rotating 360 degrees, the pulley being attached to the horizontal hanger for hanging a piñata; and a base having a top side capable of engaging the bottom portion of the support assembly or the vertical base support, the base having a sharp bottom side capable of penetrating hard earth to support piñata stand in an upright position.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the piñata stand includes a support assembly made from one or more removable pieces attached to one another at one or both ends. The support assembly can be made from any suitable rigid material for making a stand capable being used in a piñata game, for example, solid pieces or hollow pieces such as pipes made from rigid material such as wood, metal, plastic, rubber, or a combination thereof. The one or more pieces of the support assembly of the piñata stand can be attached together by any removable attaching means such as pins, screws, nuts and bolts, or any other suitable removably attaching means. The present invention also includes a horizontal hanger attached at one end to one end of the support assembly.
Preferably, the support assembly includes a first and a second folding arms pivotally attached to the support assembly at each end, wherein the first folding arm of the support assembly pivots away from the support assembly to become a vertical base support for the support assembly, and wherein the second folding arm pivots away from the support assembly to become the horizontal hanger for the support assembly. The support assembly and the first and second folding arms can be attached together by any attaching means that allows for the free pivoting action of the folding arms such as pins or nuts and bolts, or any other suitable pivoting attaching means.
More preferably, the first folding arm has mechanism for locking it in place when it has pivoted away from the swing assembly to become the vertical base support, for example, by way of a lock pin which goes through at least a portion of the support assembly into an aperture in the first folding arm and holds the first folding arm locks it in a vertical configuration with the support assembly. More preferably, the second folding arm of the support assembly pivots away from the support assembly to become the horizontal hanger by way of extending up and being laid over the top of the support assembly forming an L-shaped configuration. A locking mechanism similar to the one for the first folding arm could also be used with respect to the second folding arm.
The support assembly and the first and second folding arms can be attached together by any attaching means that allows for the pivoting action of the folding arms such as nuts and bolts, or any other suitable pivoting attaching means.
The present invention also includes a pulley capable of rotating 360 degrees, the pulley being attached to the horizontal hanger for hanging a piñata. The piñata can be attached to a rope and slung over the pulley of the horizontal hanger so that the free end of the rope hangs on one side of the pulley where it can be pulled and released by a handler in order to allow the piñata to go up and down on the other side of the pulley where the hitter who is holding a stick tries to hit the piñata to break and release the candy or treats. It is an important aspect of the present invention that the pulley be capable of rotating 360 degrees because the handler can move around in any which way so as to get out of the way of the hitter without substantially moving away the piñata from it's location, and also to further manipulate the piñata to make it harder to hit for the hitter.
The present invention also includes a base having a top side capable of engaging the bottom portion of the support assembly or the vertical base support, the base having a sharp bottom side capable of penetrating hard earth to support piñata stand in an upright position. The top side of the base and the bottom portion of the support assembly or the vertical base support can be attached together using any removably attaching means such as pins, screws, nuts and bolts or any other suitable removably attaching means.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. To gain a full appreciation of the scope of the present invention, it will be further recognized that various aspects of the present invention can be changed or combined to make desirable embodiments of the invention.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Where a term is provided in the singular, the inventor also contemplates the plural of that term. The nomenclature used herein and the procedures described below are those well known and commonly employed in the art.
All headings are for the convenience of the reader and should not be used to limit the meaning of the text that follows the heading, unless so specified. Various changes and departures may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited to that specifically described in the specification or as illustrated in the drawings, but only as set forth in the claims.
The present application claims benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/847,032, filed Sep. 25, 2006, entitled Foldable Piñata Stand and Methods Thereof, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60847032 | Sep 2006 | US |
