Patent Application
20060211507
The present invention relates generally to safety devices for securing inflatables, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for securing inflatable jumpers and bouncers.
Inflatable attractions such as bouncers (also known as “moon bouncers”) and jumpers that provide jumping surfaces, slides, or crawl spaces have become popular for gatherings planned for children or where children are present. For example, these attractions are often found at birthday parties, carnivals, picnics, festivals and fairs. Some reasons for the popularity of these attractions with event planners are the low cost of rental, portability, and ease of operation and setup. Other inflatable attractions and advertisement devices such as inflatable domes, inflatable games, inflatable tents, air puppets, cold air advertisement balloons, blimps, and animals have also seen more widespread use for the same reasons listed above, as well as because of the fanciful shapes, colors and sizes that can be created to attract and appeal to a wide variety of audiences.
One typical concern that is common to the use of all inflatable attractions is the stability of the inflatable attraction. Because these structures are typically large, being designed as self-standing enclosures that are meant to fit several children (or even adults) and filled with air, they are generally bulky and have a large cross-section. Thus, in one common scenario, a large gust of wind will topple the inflatable attraction. Further, children playing around the inflatable attraction may tip the inflatable attraction over, thereby causing the blower to become detached from the inflatable attraction as well as potentially causing injuries.
Often, the inflatable attractions are only rented, and, once the attraction is set up, the rental company will leave and not monitor the attraction. If there is a problem with the inflatable attraction being toppled, the renter may not want to pay for the rental or, even worse if there are injuries, sue the rental company. Some unscrupulous renters will use this as an excuse to not pay for the rental even if the inflatable attraction never toppled over. Thus, upon return to pickup the inflatable attraction and blower, if the renter submits that the inflatable attraction was not stable and fell over, the rental company will not have a way to verify that the inflatable attraction remained standing.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the issues noted above.
The present invention provides an inflatable securing device and a method for its use to secure inflatables to surfaces such as a ground surface or other solid surfaces.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the inventive process includes the steps of providing an inflatable securing device, the inflatable securing device having a body with a first end and a second end, the first end having a tapered, pointed tip and the second end having a loop formed thereon, the body further including a middle portion between the first end and the second end having a spiral shape. The inventive process also includes the step of providing the inflatable, the inflatable having at least one securing strap attached thereto, and securing the inflatable securing device into a surface by using the loop on the second end of the inflatable securing device as a handle and employing a screwing motion to drive the tapered, pointed tip of the first end of the inflatable securing device into the surface. Finally, the inventive process includes the step of attaching the at least one securing strap of the inflatable to the loop on the second end of the inflatable securing device.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a secure inflatable system includes an inflatable securing device, the inflatable security device having a body with a first end and a second end, the first end having a tapered, pointed tip and the second end having a loop formed thereon, the body further including a middle portion between the first end and the second end and having a spiral shape, the middle portion screwed into a surface. The secure inflatable system further includes an inflatable, the inflatable having at least one loop attached thereto; and, a coupling strap, the coupling strap attached to the inflatable and to the inflatable securing device, wherein the coupling strap has a first portion secured to the at least one loop of the inflatable device and a second portion secured to the loop on the second end of the body of the inflatable securing device.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. It is to be understood, however, that the detailed description of the various embodiments and specific examples, while indicating preferred and other embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.
The invention may be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings in which:
Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
In one preferred embodiment, the inflatable securing device 100 may be formed from a wire 120 (or, a rod of steel or other suitable material), and the body 106 thereof being coiled so as to form a spiral that terminates in pointed tip 102 with an angled portion 104.
In one preferred embodiment, an end 114 of the wire 120 may be soldered back onto the wire 120 itself to form the loop 110. In another preferred embodiment, the wire 120 may be bent and wrapped around the stem 108 so as to prevent the loop 110 from pulling open when subjected to forces used to insert and remove the inflatable securing device 100. In addition, although the shape of the loop 110 is circular in the figure, it should be noted that the shape of the loop 110 may be of other shapes, such as triangular, rectangular, or of another geometric shape.
As the inflatable securing device 100 is rotated, the corkscrew-shaped body 106 is screwed into surface 250. Where the surface 250 is a ground surface, this action serves to force the inflatable securing device 100 through and between any buried items in the ground, such as rocks, twigs, roots or pebbles, so that after the inflatable securing device 100 has been positioned in the ground, the only way to withdraw it will be by unscrewing it. Once the inflatable securing device 100 has been driven into surface 250, it will be firmly anchored and will be removable by the unscrewing of the inflatable securing device 100.
Referring to
The use of multiple straps provides additional stability and security for the inflatable 302. Depending on the specific configuration and size of the straps, multiple straps may be affixed to one inflatable securing device, or multiple inflatable securing devices used to secure each strap. Further, the inflatable 302 may include attachment loops (not shown) sewn thereon, to which an attachment strap having clips on either end may be clipped. The other end of the attachment strap would then be clipped onto the opening 110 of the inflatable securing device.
The embodiments described above are exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses of, and departures from, the above-described embodiments without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed herein. Accordingly, the present invention is to be defined solely by the scope of the following claims.
