Recreational areas such as parks and playgrounds often include one or more shade-providing structures. These shade-providing structures typically include a framework and a canopy that is tensioned and attached to the framework. In most cases, the assembly of those structures remains difficult. In particular, due to the large sizes of the canopies that are typically used, it is often difficult for an installer to provide the canopy with a desired degree of tension during the installation process. It is also often difficult to re-tension a canopy during the lifetime of the structure. The present invention discloses a new shade-providing structure that is easy to tension both during installation and throughout the lifetime of the structure.
The present invention relates to a shade-providing structure, such as may be mounted to a playground assembly, and to a playground assembly comprising that shade-providing structure.
Embodiments of the shade-providing structure may comprise an outer frame defining an interior space and a canopy that may be positioned in that interior space. The canopy may have one or more rods installed around its periphery, such as by insertion through one or more pockets in the canopy fabric. Each of the outer frame and the rod(s) may have a set of apertures configured to receive a locking fastener and a set of apertures configured to receive a jack screw or similar tensioning device. To assembly the structure, therefore, one or more jack screws can be operated to provide the canopy with a desired tension and then locking fasteners can be used to secure the canopy to the outer frame.
A clear conception of the advantages and features of one or more embodiments will become more readily apparent by reference to the exemplary, and therefore non-limiting, embodiments illustrated in the drawings:
The present disclosure is directed to shade-providing structures 10, such as may be used to provide shade to a portion of a playground. An embodiment of such a shade-providing structure 10 is shown in
The shade-providing structure of
The outer frame 11 is shown as having a circular shape. However, the outer frame 11 may also have other well-recognizable shapes, such as oval, polygonal, etc. In other embodiments, the outer frame 11 may have a themed shape, such as may relate to a theme of a playground or a playground structure to which the structure 10 is associated. The outer frame 11 is desirably made from a high-strength and weather-resistance material. For instance, in some embodiments, the outer frame may be a steel tube. A protective coating may be applied to the outer frame, such as through galvanization.
The canopy 12 is positioned within the interior space defined by the outer frame 11 and securely affixed to the outer frame. The canopy 12 of
In some embodiments, the shape of the canopy 12 may substantially correspond with the shape of the outer frame 11. In the illustrated embodiment, for instance, both the outer frame 11 and the canopy 12 are circular in shape. Similarly, both the outer frame 11 and the canopy 12 may be of the same polygonal shape or of the same themed shape. In other embodiments, however, the shape of the canopy 12 may not correspond with the shape of the outer frame 11. For instance, a canopy 12 having a themed, and potentially complex, shape may be designed to be mounted within the interior space of a circular or polygonal outer frame 11. The ability to have different sections of the canopy 12 tensioned independently (as described herein) allows one to obtain embodiments of a shade-providing structure in which a canopy having a complex shape may be held tautly within the outer frame 11.
The canopy 12 comprises a canopy material 13, such as a fabric canopy sheet. The canopy material 13 is desirably resistant to water damage and/or sun damage (e.g. fading). As shown in
The canopy 12 also comprises one or more rods 15 that may be positioned within the one or more pockets 14 of the canopy material 13. Once inserted through the one or more pockets 14, the one or more rods 15 may act as a peripheral framework for the canopy material 13. The one or more rods 15 may be made of any of a variety of materials, including for example steel, aluminum, fiberglass, or the like. In some embodiments, the one or more rods 15 may be flexible, while in other embodiments the rods 15 may be substantially rigid (though the rods will desirably have at least some degree of flexibility in order to assist with tensioning).
In some embodiments, a single rod 15 may be inserted around the periphery or substantially the periphery of the canopy material 13. In other embodiments a plurality of rods 15 may be inserted into various subsections of the periphery of the canopy material 13. For instance, in the embodiment illustrated in
The canopy 12 may be connected to the outer frame 11 in a variety of manners. In some embodiments, the canopy 12 may be connected to the outer frame 11 through a plurality of locking fasteners 16. Each locking fastener 16 may be a conventional fastener, as would be understood by those of skill in the art, including for example a bolt, a screw, or the like. Desirably, each of the plurality of locking fasteners 16 may be inserted through each of (a) an aperture 17 associated with the outer frame 11 that is configured to receive such a locking fastener and (b) an aperture 18 associated with the canopy 12, and more desirably with a peripheral framework of the canopy, e.g. one or more rods 15, that is configured to receive such a locking fastener.
In some embodiments, such as is illustrated in
By tightening the locking fastener 16 to secure the canopy 12 to the outer frame 11, the canopy may be locked in place at a desired tension. In some embodiments, at least one of the apertures 17, 18 has a length between an inner end (i.e. toward the center of the space defined by the outer frame) and an outer end (i.e. away from the center of the space defined by the outer frame). The locking fastener 16 may be inserted through the apertures 17, 18 at a number of locations along that length. This facilitates securement of the canopy 12 to the outer frame 11 at a desired tension. As explained herein, when installing the canopy 12, one may provide the canopy with a desired degree of tension within the space defined by the outer frame 11. In doing so, the distance between the canopy 12, and more particularly aperture 18, and the outer frame 11, and more particularly aperture 17 may vary. By allowing the locking fastener 16 to be inserted through apertures 17, 18 at a number of different locations (along a radial axis in the illustrated circular embodiment), one may secure the canopy 12 at any number of selected tensions. In other embodiments, the canopy 12 may be configured to have a predetermined tension within the outer frame 11, in which case an installer may simply provide the canopy with the degree of tension that will align aperture 18 with aperture 17 such that fastener 16 can be used to secure the canopy to the outer frame.
In other embodiments, a locking fastener 16 may be associated with one of the outer frame 11 or the canopy 12, and more particularly a peripheral framework of the canopy, e.g. one or more rods 15, in place of the above-described aperture 17, 18. In those embodiments, for example, a fastener 16 associated with the outer frame 11 may be affixed to the aperture 18 associated with the canopy 12 or a fastener 16 associated with the canopy 12 may be affixed to the aperture 17 associated with the outer frame 11. In yet other embodiments, the locking fastener 16 may comprise a clamp or a clip which may be used to secure a portion of the peripheral framework or rod 15, e.g. the tab described above, with a portion of the outer frame 11, e.g. the tab described above, such that neither element need contain the above-described apertures 17, 18. In some embodiments, the clamp or clip may be attached and/or secured at a variety of locations along a radial axis to allow for tensioning of the canopy 12 to a desired degree, as described herein. In other embodiments, the canopy 12 may be configured to have a predetermined tension within the outer frame 11, in which case the clamp or clip may only be attached and/or secured at a single location along the radial axis, i.e. at the location corresponding to the predetermined tension. In yet further embodiments, a portion of the peripheral framework or rod 15, e.g. the tab described above, may be welded to a portion of the outer frame 11, e.g. the tab described above, to secure the canopy 12 at a particular tension within the space defined by the outer frame.
In addition to the locking fasteners 16 that secure the canopy 12 to the outer frame 11, the shade-providing structure 10 may also comprise one or more jack screws 19, or similar tensioning devices, that allow for positioning of the canopy 12 relative to the outer frame 11 during (and optionally after) installation. In many embodiments, the structure 10 may comprise a plurality of jack screws 19. The jack screw(s) 19 may be used to provide the canopy material 13 with a desired degree of tension in order to ensure a taut canopy 12. For instance, by turning the one or more jack screws 19, one may bring the peripheral framework of the canopy closer to the outer frame 11, thereby stretching the canopy material 13, until the canopy material 13 is stretched tautly. If during that process the canopy 12 is over-tensioned, e.g. the canopy material 13 is too taut, one may simply operate the one or more jack screws 19 in the opposite direction so as to bring the peripheral framework of the canopy 12 away from the outer frame 11, thereby loosening the canopy material. The one or more jack screws 19 may be removed from the structure 10 after the canopy 12 is secured to the outer frame 11 or the one or more jack screws may be left in place, such as to facilitate post-installation tensioning adjustments.
In some embodiments, for instance that illustrated in
In some embodiments, the structure 10 may also comprise one or more shackle elements 22, which are configured to attach the canopy 12 to the outer frame 11 prior to stretching the canopy material 13 to selected tension. For example, as illustrated in
Embodiments of the shade-providing structure 10 may be installed through a relatively simply process. First, the outer frame 11 is installed at the desired height and angle. Then, the canopy 12 is placed within the interior space defined by the outer frame 11 and, optionally, affixed to the outer frame by one or more shackles 22. Using one or more jack screws 19, the canopy material 13 is brought to a desired and selected tension. Once that tension has been obtained, the canopy 12 is secured in place by a plurality of locking fasteners 16.
In some embodiments, such as where subsections of the canopy material 13 may be independently tensioned, the final steps may be performed iteratively. For instance, a first section of the canopy material 13 may be brought to a desired tension using one or more jack screws 19 and then that section of the canopy 12 may be secured to the outer frame 11 such as by one or more locking fasteners 16. Next, a second section of the canopy material 13 may be brought to a desired tension using one or more jack screws 19 and then that section of the canopy 12 may be secured to the outer frame 11 such as by one or more locking fasteners 16. An installer may proceed to each section of the canopy 12 in turn. Alternatively, multiple sections of the canopy 12 may be tensioned using one or more jack screws 19 and then the multiple sections of the canopy may be secured to the outer frame 11 such as by one or more locking fasteners 16.
Using embodiments of the shade-providing structure 10 described herein, the tautness of the canopy material 13 may be adjusted with ease. For instance, one need simply loosen or remove one or more locking fasteners 16, operate the one or more jack screws 19 to obtain the desired tension, and reinsert and/or tighten the locking fasteners 16 to secure the canopy 12 to the outer frame 11 at the new tension. Similarly, removal of the canopy 12 from the outer frame 11 is easy. Therefore, in areas with particularly harsh weather systems, the canopy 12 can easily be removed to prevent damage. Further, one can replace an old and/or damaged canopy 12 at little cost and without any disassembly of the outer frame 11.
The outer frame 11 is typically placed in an elevated position, such as above a playground or playground structure, to provide a desired amount of shade. Accordingly, embodiments of the shade-providing structure 10 may include a plurality of posts 30 that support the outer frame 11 in an elevated position. Those posts 30 may take on any of a number of different configurations. To provide the most efficient support, the posts 30 may be equally spaced around the periphery (e.g. the circumference for a circular frame) of the outer frame 11.
In some embodiments, such as that illustrated in
Although the embodiment illustrated in
Additionally, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the shade-providing structure 10 may be angled at least 15 degrees with respect to the ground surface above which it is positioned. For instance, the shade-providing structure 10 may be angled between about 20 degrees and about 30 degrees with respect to the ground surface above which it is positioned, alternatively between about 15 degrees and about 45 degrees, alternatively between about 20 and 40 degrees.
The outer frame 11 may be attached to the posts 30 in any of a variety of manners. In some embodiments, the outer frame 11 may comprise a plurality of frame segments 11a, 11b. Those frame segments 11a, 11b may be linked by a connector element 40, which may extend from the top of each of the plurality of posts 30. The frame segments 11a, 11b may be welded to the connector 40 or they may be affixed to the connector by one or more fasteners (e.g. bolts). In other embodiments, connector elements 40 positioned at the top of each of the plurality of posts 30 may be configured to surround and enclose a portion of the frame 11. For instance, the connector element 40 may clamp around a portion of the frame 11 and be held in a clamped position by one or more fasteners (e.g. bolts).
An example of a connection between the outer frame 11 and one of the posts 30 is shown in
As shown in
Embodiments of the present disclosure are also directed to playground structures 100, such as elevated playground structures containing one or more of the shade-producing structures 10 described herein. By mounting a shade-producing structure 10 to the top of a playground structure 100, one may provide large areas of shade for playing children. Additionally, the posts 30 that elevate the shade-producing structure 10 may also serve as supports for play elements, such as elevated platforms, slides, climbers, and the like. An example of such a playground structure 100 is shown in
It can be seen that the described embodiments provide unique and novel shade-providing structures 10 that have a number of advantages over those in the art. While there is shown and described herein certain specific structures embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/734,705, filed on Sep. 21, 2018, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20200095796 A1 | Mar 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62734705 | Sep 2018 | US |