GB2243086A

GB2243086A - Aquatic games apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2243086A
Application number: GB9008770A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yu Feng Wu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-04-19
Filing date: 1990-04-19
Publication date: 1991-10-23
Also published as: GB9008770D0

Abstract

An aquatic games apparatus is in the form of a hollow, water-buoyant and generally spherical or polyhedral body 1 having an access opening 11 through which a player can enter the interior of the body and at least one further aperture 13 to allow passage of air into and out of the interior. In the device shown, the walls of the body 1 are made up of two flexible plastics sheets which are sealed at 14 around the periphery of the air apertures 13 so that the body presents a quilted appearance when inflated with air through a valve 15. The access opening 11 may be provided with a closure 2, and the wall of the body 1 may be transparent. In the embodiment of figure 2 the walls are of closed cell foam. <IMAGE>

Description

AOUATIC GAMES APPARATUS This invention relates to an aquatic games apparatus and more especially to a hollow body that can float on water.

Aquatic games devices have been proposed for general amusement, for example, those adapted to be ridden at high or low speed, but such devices are somewhat limited in the scope of amusement they can provide. A recreational device offering a broader range of activities would therefore be welcomed.

The present invention seeks to provide an aquatic games apparatus in the form of a hollow and buoyant body of a size capable of accommodating at least one player who can cause the apparatus to move on the surface of a body of water for the amusement of that player and/or spectators.

According to the invention, there is provided an aquatic games apparatus comprising a hollow, waterbuoyant and generally spherical or polyhedral body having at least one access opening through the walls thereof to permit a player entry to and exit from the interior of the body and at least one further opening through the walls thereof for the passage of air into and out of the interior of the body.

Various aspects of the invention and preferred features of it will be apparent from the detailed description below.

The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. I is a side view partly in section of a first device according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a side view partly in section of a second device according to the invention; Fig. 3 is a side view partly in section of a third device according to the invention; and Fig. 4 is a side view partly in section of an adaptation of the device shown in Fig. 3.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the device is a ball-shaped body 1 constituted by two superimposed flexible plastics sheets. The body 1 has an upper access opening 11 to enable a player entry to and exit from the interior of the body, the rim of the access opening 11 having a rigid support rim 12. A plurality of air holes 13 pass through the internal and external plastics sheets making up the walls of the body 1, the periphery of each air hole 13 forming a sealed annulus 14 at which the two sheets are fastened together. The outer plastics sheet contains an air valve 15 through which air can be pumped into the space 16 between the two sheets to inflate the walls of the body 1. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the inflated body has a generally quilted appearance although it does in fact consist of a single air chamber.As shown in the drawing, the access opening 11 is provided with a closure cover 2 having a circumferential rigid support 21. The closure cover 2 also includes an air chamber 22 which can be inflated through an air valve and is pivoted horizontally at 17 so as to uncover the access opening 11. The closure cover 2 can be latched by a suitable fastener such as a lapping fastener 23 or the like, to the rim 12.

To use the device shown in Fig. 1 the air chambers 16 and 22 of the body 1 and closure cover 2 are inflated with air so that the device is sufficiently buoyant to float on water and to allow a player to enter the device through the access opening 11 and to close the closure cover 2.

The player within the device can then make various movements of his or her own choice such as running, walking, swinging, jumping and the like to cause the device to rotate and move across the surface of the water, for the purpose of amusement, recreation or physical exercise.

The primary cause of the extraordinarily amusing effect created by such movement is that the player is in an unbalanced state. Any movement made by the player will therefore result in rotation of the device on the water. The more violent and rapid the motion of the player, the greater the rotational speed of the device and the more rapid the changes in direction of rotation and movement of the device. In addition, because the body 1 has a plurality of air holes 13, part of the body is submerged in the water due to the weight of the body itself and the body weight of the player. Water therefore flows into the body 1 through the holes 13 under the water surface so that the bottom portions of the body 1 contain a certain quantity of water to keep the player in contact with the water.

The closure cover 2 can be removed, if desired, so as to allow for the possibility that the player may fall into the water when the access opening 11 is at the bottom of the device. Also, the air holes 13, in addition to permitting adequate air and sufficient water into the body 1, allow the player an external view. Of course, it is possible for both plastics sheets constituting the body 1 and for the closure cover 2 to be of transparent materials to permit the player an even better external view and the number of air holes 13 can then be reduced accordingly. In another alternative, the air chamber 16 may be filled with a low density material such as foam rubber. The practical effect of such a foam rubber filled device is, however, similar to that of a device inflated with air.

With reference to Fig. 2 the device shown in the drawing is generally similar to that of Fig. 1 but the body 3 and closure cover 4 comprise a foam rubber material which incorporates a large number of closed air cells. The body 3 also has air holes 31 in a sufficient quantity and size and the closure cover 4 is hinged to swing upwardly and can be fastened closed by lapping fasteners 32.

Referring to Fig. 3, the device is virtually identical in constitution to that shown in Fig. 1 but the access opening of the body 5 has no closure cover and the body has an equatorial portion 52 which divides the body into upper and lower air chambers 53 and 54, respectively. This device is used in the same way as that of Fig. 1 but the upper and lower air chambers require separate inflation through air valves 55 and 56, respectively. If the air is released from the upper air chamber 53 and the upper portion of the body -5 is then collapsed into the lower portion, there is formed a generally hemispherical mattress (as shown in Fig. 4) which can itself be used for exercise and recreational purposes.

It is, of course, possible in all cases for the body to be formed in other shapes, for example as a regular or irregular polyhedron.

Claims

1. An aquatic game apparatus comprising a hollow, water-buoyant and generally spherical or polyhedral body having at least one access opening through the walls thereof to permit a player entry to and exit from the interior of the body and at least one further aperture through the walls thereof for the passage of air into and out of the interior of the body.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises two superimposed flexible plastic sheets defining an inflatable air chamber, the plastic sheets being fastened together around the periphery of the or each air aperture.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plastics sheets define two separate air chambers.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the plastics sheets are transparent.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises closed cell foam rubber.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the access opening is provided with a closure cover.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 or Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.