Patent Application
20230201732
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The disclosure relates to floatation devices and more particularly pertains to a new floatation device for enhancing recreational activities in water. The device includes a basal panel and a plurality of walls that are attachable to the basal panel in a variety of orientations. Additionally, the device includes a tower that is attachable to the basal panel, in lieu of the walls, and a pair of rods that are attachable to the tower. Each of the basal panel, the walls, the tower and the rods are comprised of a buoyant material.
The prior art relates to floatation devices including a modular pool mattress that includes a plurality of buoyant rods and a pair of buoyant side rails. The prior art discloses a submersible water toy for performing stunt based activities in water. The prior art discloses a floatation device that includes a plurality of buoyant tubes that are arranged to define a floatation surface. The prior art discloses a floating game device that includes a pair of floating goals through which a buoyant ball can be passed.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a basal panel that is comprised of a buoyant material to float in water. The basal panel has a plurality of wells each is integrated into the basal panel. A plurality of walls is provided and each of the walls is comprised of a buoyant material to float in water. Each of the walls can be attached to the basal panel in a variety of arrangements. A tower is comprised of a buoyant material to float in water and the tower is attachable to the basal panel thereby facilitating the tower to be positioned at a variety of locations on the basal panel. A pair of rods is each releasably attachable to the tower to be gripped in the convention of a handle.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
Each of the wells 16 extends through the top surface 18 toward the bottom surface 20 and each of the wells 16 has a bounding surface 32. The bounding surface 32 has a plurality of intersecting sides 34 such that each of the wells 16 has a rectangular shape. The wells 16 are arranged into a plurality of rows 36 and columns 38. Furthermore, the rows 36 and columns 38 are spaced from the perimeter surface 22 of the basal panel 12 to define a border 40 extending around the perimeter surface 22.
A frame 42 is integrated into the basal panel 12 and the frame 42 is comprised of a rigid material thereby enhancing structural rigidity of the basal panel 12. The frame 42 is positioned between the top surface 18 and the bottom surface 20 of the basal panel 12. Furthermore, the frame 42 extends around the border 40 defined between the rows 36 and columns 38 of the wells 16 and the perimeter surface 22 of the basal panel 12. The frame 42 comprises a plurality of members 44 and a plurality of elbows 46, and each of the members 44 intersects with a respective pair of the elbows 46 such that the frame 42 has a rectangular shape. The frame 42 may be comprised of polyvinyl chloride pipe or other similar type of hollow material that is positively buoyant.
A plurality of walls 48 is provided and each of the walls 48 is comprised of a buoyant material such that the walls 48 can float in water 14. Each of the walls 48 has a plurality of engagements 50 that is each integrated into the walls 48 and each of the engagements 50 on the walls 48 engages respective wells 16 in the basal panel 12. In this way the walls 48 can be oriented on the basal panel 12 in a variety of arrangements. Each of the walls 48 has a lower surface 52 and each of the walls 48 has a plurality of pegs 54 each extending downwardly from the lower surface 52 such that each of the pegs 54 on each of the walls 48 defines respective ones of the engagements 50 on the walls 48. The plurality of walls 48 may include a plurality of long walls 56 and a plurality of short walls 58. The longs walls 56 may each have a length ranging between approximately 30.0 inches and 40.0 inches and a height ranging between approximately 24.0 inches and 30.0 inches. Each of the short walls 58 may have a length ranging between approximately 10.0 inches and 20.0 inches and a height ranging between approximately 24.0 inches and 30.0 inches.
Each of the pegs 54 on each of the walls 48 has an outer surface 60 and the outer surface 60 of each of pegs 54 has a plurality of intersecting sides 62 such that each of the pegs 54 has a rectangular shape. In this way the pegs 54 can conform to respective ones of the wells 16 in the top surface 18 of the basal panel 12 when the pegs 54 are inserted into the respective wells 16. The pegs 54 associated with each of the walls 48 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed along the lower surface 52 of the associated wall 48.
A tower 64 is provided and the tower 64 is comprised of a buoyant material such that the tower 64 can float in water 14. The tower 64 has a plurality of engagements 66 that is each integrated into the tower 64 and each of the engagements 66 on the tower 64 engages respective ones of the wells 16 in the basal panel 12. In this way the tower 64 can be positioned at a variety of locations on the basal panel 12 having the tower 64 extending upwardly from the basal panel 12. The tower 64 has a lower end 68, an upper end 70 and an outer wall 72 extending between the lower end 68 and the upper end 70. The outer wall 72 has a front side 74, a back side 76, a first sidelong side 78 and a second sidelong side 80, and the tower 64 is elongated between the lower end 68 and the upper end 70. Furthermore, each of the front side 24 and the back side 26 angles inwardly between the lower end 68 and the upper end 70 such that the tower 64 has a trapezoidal cross section taken along a line extending through the first sidelong side 78 and the second sidelong side 80. The tower 64 may have a height ranging between approximately 36.0 inches and 50.0 inches.
Each of the first sidelong side 78 and the second sidelong side 80 has a rod well 82 extending inwardly toward a center of the tower 64. The rod well 82 on each of the first sidelong side 78 and the second sidelong side 80 is positioned adjacent to the upper end 70. A plurality of pegs 84 each extends downwardly from the lower end 68 such that each of the pegs 84 on the lower end 68 defines respective ones of the engagements 66 on the tower 64. Each of the pegs 84 on the lower end 68 has an outer surface 86 and the outer surface 86 of each of pegs 84 on the lower end 68 has a plurality of intersecting sides 88. In this way each of the pegs 84 on the lower end 68 has a rectangular shape thereby facilitating the pegs 84 on the lower end 68 to conform to respective ones of the wells 16 in the top surface 18 of the basal panel 12 when the pegs 84 on the lower end 68 are inserted into the respective wells 16. Furthermore, the pegs 84 on the lower end 68 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed along the lower end 68.
A pair of rods 90 is each releasably attachable to the tower 64 and each of the rods 90 can be gripped in the convention of a handle. Each of the rods 90 has a first end 92 and a second end 94, and the first end 92 of each of the rods 90 is insertable into the rod well 82 in a respective one of the first sidelong side 78 and the second sidelong side 80 of the outer wall 72 of the tower 64. Each of the rods 90 may have a length ranging between approximately 6.0 inches and 10.0 inches. Additionally, each of the rods 90 may be comprised of a buoyant material such that each of the rods 90 can float in water 14.
In use, as is most clearly shown in
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
