JPH06178875A - Game structure for children with changeable background panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To make it easier to replace back and side panels and assemble and dismantle with a light and simple structure while giving a satisfactory stiffness. CONSTITUTION: Play structure for child 10 is equipped with a hinge frame structure 12 having a plurality of panels drawing wall paintings and background in which the hinge frame structure 12 has a plurality of hinge sections 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and corner blocks 34, 36, 42, 54. The corner block 12 has hinge devices on top and end of a vertical tube, which allows a turning movement of the corner block to one of the jointed pair of frame section 16, 20. Consequently, respective one of the adjacent hinge frame sections 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 is only made free to turn around the unique vertical tube 76 shared by the corner structure.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a self-supporting play structure for children, and more particularly, a play structure designed to provide a child with a special theme or environment by using various backgrounds and murals. It is about things. The play structure includes a self-supporting frame structure consisting of a plurality of hinge sections for mounting panels with backgrounds and murals.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the past, children's play structures, such as house toys or similar free-standing structures, have been provided to increase the playfulness of children. Such structures are equipped with backgrounds and murals that give them special themes and environments such as school classrooms, hospitals, shops, spacecraft, etc. The backgrounds and murals are sufficiently expressed to imply the desired theme or environment, while at the same time allowing the child to exercise their imagination in some details. In this way, the child can express the sequence of events and various liveliness in the action based on the play structure.

Examples of children's play structures of this type are Bayley US Pat. No. 984,735, Hayes US Pat. No. 4,919,982, and Jackson et al. US Pat. No. 4,765,006. , Hammer U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,494, Gold U.S. Pat. No. 1,881,356, McBride U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,552, White U.S. Pat. No. 2,8.
37,777, Olson US Patent 2,608,
No. 726, Hungerford US Patent No. 1,98
No. 2,433, U.S. Pat. No. 1,641 by Keich Line
7,733, Valentine's US Patent 159,0
No. 19, McMurray US Patent No. 4,884,98
No. 8, U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,652 by Leader et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,391 to Tardibel et al.
No. provided by the issue. Such play structures are often constructed in a foldable or assembleable structure such that they can be folded or substantially reduced in size for ease of storage when not in use. When used, such structures are assembled to form free-standing structures. As disclosed in some of the above-mentioned patents, the play structure may form an enclosure to imitate a room or house, and also partitions or other partitions that divide the interior into multiple rooms, compartments, etc. Interior members can be provided. Still other structures, such as the much smaller house toys used with the paper doll disclosed in the Hungerford patent referred to above, include different dividers or add-ons to modify a portion of the structure.

[0004]

While conventional children's play structures, such as those described in the above patents, provide a variety of different shapes, themes, ideas and features, such structures are different. There are some restrictions on the ability to easily change to a theme or environment. For example, most of such structures are designed to have one or the only theme or environment that cannot change. It should be noted that while others have some variability, they typically come at the expense of complexity and inherent difficulty in making changes.

The various frame structures for supporting the background and murals described in some of the above cited patents are
In particular, there is room for improvement in terms of providing a frame structure that has suitable rigidity when assembled for use. Particularly simple and lightweight construction, these frame constructions are
Alternatively, it tends to collapse when subjected to an external force, and thus tends to lack desired rigidity. Moreover, other inventions with higher stiffness and collapse resistance may not be practical or economical because they are too heavy and cumbersome and complex. Also, the frame portion is difficult to assemble for use and disassemble for storage or transportation.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to have a background and mural that is easily folded or disassembled for storage and easily replaced to change the theme or environment and has a simple and inexpensive construction. It is to provide a play structure for. It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved hinge frame structure. Yet another object of the present invention is to have sufficient rigidity such that there is substantially no risk of collapsing and it is capable of supporting a mural attached to it while at the same time being lightweight, simple and economical. Another object of the present invention is to provide a hinge frame structure device having a structure that can be easily assembled and disassembled.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A children's play structure according to the present invention utilizes one or more replaceable panels that mate with a frame. Each panel is composed of a background, a mural, or part of them that expresses a unique theme or environment. The replaceable panel is easily attached to the frame and easily removed from the frame to change the theme or environment of the play structure. The frame is assembled in use to form a self-supporting structure, but can be folded into a compact structure for ease of transportation and storage.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the hinge section of the aforementioned frame is provided with a separate panel having a pictured or printed background or mural or part thereof. A panel that is slightly larger than the hinge section of the frame can be separated into its hinge section by suitable fasteners, such as Velcro patches, which fold the panel around the horizontal bar of the frame and join it to itself. It is installed. The panels are manufactured from replaceable, laminated paper or other suitable construction, but the various parts of the frame are simply separated by separating the folded portion of the panel from the rest to separate the velcro patches. Easily removed from the hinge section of the. And
A replacement panel with different desired backgrounds and murals, or parts of them, with velcro patches on the back side, joins the velcro patch on the folded back part to the velcro patch on the back side of the rest. By being easily attached to the hinge section of the frame.

The present invention is relatively lightweight, simple, and economical, and at the same time can be substantially rigid and substantially support its own weight, and can resist external forces acting thereon. The hinge frame structure is provided. The hinge frame structure is a flat rectangle and consists of multiple hinge sections with an open mouth structure.
Adjacent frame sections are joined for relative hinge motion by a single corner post or other corner structure utilizing beam-shaped vertical members. The upper beam and the lower beam of adjacent frame sections are joined to a common corner post by a hinge device, and the hinge device firmly joins the corner posts to one frame section, while the hinge operation of the adjacent frame sections to the corner posts is performed. Is allowed. Only one of the frame sections joined by the corner structure is pivotable with respect to the corner post, and the upper or lower beam of the adjacent frame section is joined to the corner post in a manner that prevents excessive vertical deflection. By configuring the corner structure, as described above, the self-supporting structure, when deployed in a variety of different configurations, is self-supporting and strong and rigid enough to support the panel or other device. Is given.

In a preferred embodiment of the hinge frame structure according to the present invention, adjacent frame sections are joined by a corner structure constituted by hinge devices at the upper and lower ends of a common corner post. The upper and lower hinge devices each comprise a U-link removably joined via a plug to a tube forming one horizontal beam of one hinge section and one of the horizontal beams of adjacent frame sections. A lever removably joined to the tube by a plug. The clevis and lever of each hinge device are rotatably joined by a shaft extending through openings in the alternating legs of the clevis and lever. This allows pivoting movement of the lever with respect to the clevis and shaft while at the same time minimizing the vertical bending of the lever and clevis with respect to the shaft. A cap is joined to the shaft by internal threads to hold the hinge devices together. The shaft is fixed inside the upper and lower ends of the corner post. The shaft and cap are rotationally constrained with respect to the clevis, which prevents corner post rotation relative to the upper and lower tubes of one frame section. At the same time, the lever is free to rotate not only on the shaft and cap but also on the clevis,
Rotational motion of adjacent frame sections relative to the corner posts is allowed.

A plug that is used to join the horizontal tubes at the top and bottom of the frame section to the clevis and the lever, and that is rigidly secured to the inside of the tube by, for example, an adhesive, is formed on a portion of the plug. The elastic retainer can be separated from the clevis and the lever by artificial pressing. The elastic retainer has a tab at its tip that is seated in an opening in the clevis or lever when the plug is inserted to prevent the plug from disengaging. Artificial pressure on the tab causes the elastic retainer to flex until the tab is free from the opening, at which point the plug can be disengaged from the clevis or lever.

In one embodiment of a hinge frame structure that uses a corner structure of the type described above at the contact surface between adjacent hinge sections, a rectangular back having an upper tube and a lower tube joined to opposite corner structures. The frame section is pivotally joined to opposing rectangular side frame sections having upper and lower tubes joined to the corner structure of the back frame section. The horizontal tube of the side frame section is further joined to a corner structure that pivotally joins the side frame section to a pair of rectangular front frame sections.
Such corner structures are joined to horizontal tubes in the front frame section. The shape of the corner structure, with the fittings used to join the opposing horizontal tubes and the ability to pivot the horizontal tubes on only one side of a common corner post, has the advantage that when assembled in a variety of different configurations. , Gives the hinge frame structure substantial rigidity.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiments of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings will be described below in more detail to clarify the further objects, features and advantages of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a children's play structure 1 using a hinge frame structure 12 according to the present invention.
0 shows a freestanding structure in the 0 form. In addition to the hinge frame structure 12, the children's play structure 10 includes a plurality of panels 14 mounted on different portions of the hinge frame structure 12.
Is included. Each panel 14 is a children's play structure 10
It has a mural or background on one or both sides to give it the desired theme or environment.

As shown in FIG. 1, a hinge frame structure 1
2 comprises a plurality of hinge frame sections joined by a hinge, and the hinge frame section includes a back section 16, side sections 18, 20, and a pair of front sections rotatably connected to the side sections 18, 20. 22 and 24 are included. The hinge frame structure 12 can be adjusted to any desired shape, but typically the front section 22,
24 can be adjusted to serve as an enclosure to be used as a door or to enclose other structures. In this way, the enclosure structure formed by the hinge frame structure 12 can mimic a room or other enclosure space.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the hinge frame structure 12, which is shown in its expanded, linear configuration, showing a variety of different hinge sections. As shown in FIG. 2, the central portion forms a back section 16, both ends of which are hinged to the side sections 18 and 20 on both sides. The side section 18 is hinged to the front section 22. Similarly, the side section 20 is hinged to the front section 24. Each frame section 16, 18, 20, 22
Numerals 24 and 24 have a rectangular shape, which is a thin, flat structure with an open inside. The back section 16 consists of an upper tube 30 and a lower tube 32 that form its horizontal beam. Both ends of the tubes 30, 32 are joined to corner structures 34, 36 forming the ends of the back section 16.

The corner structure 34 of the back section 16 is shared to form one end of the side section 18, which has an upper tube 38 and a lower tube 40 which form its upper and lower horizontal beams. The other end of the side section 18 is formed by the corner structure 42. The corner structure 42 also forms one end of the front section 22.
2 has an upper tube 44 and a lower tube 46 that form its horizontal beam.
A lower tube 46 extends between the corner structure 42 and a vertical tube 48 at one end of the front section 22.

The corner structure 36 of the back section 16 is shared to form one end of the side section 20, which has a horizontal beam of an upper tube 50 and a lower tube 52. The corner structure 54 also forms one end of the front section 24,
The front section 24 has an upper tube 56 and a lower tube 58 that form its horizontal beam. Upper tube 56 and lower tube 58 extend from corner structure 54 to vertical tube 60 at the other end of front section 24.

The replaceable multi-panel member 14 is also shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the panel member 14 comprises a flexible material, such as canvas or similar cloth, on which a series of panels 2 having a background or mural printed or depicted thereon.
It has 34. When the panel members 14 are attached to the frame 12, each panel 234 is aligned thereon and has hinge sections 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24.
It will be almost continuous along the side of. The continuous panel 234 shown in FIG. 2 is a side surface 226 of the panel member 14.
It is in. On a side surface 228 opposite to the panel member 14, a series of panels 23 on which a background or a mural is further printed or drawn.
6 can be provided, which are hinge sections 1
Arranged on the other side of 6, 18, 20, 22, and 24,
Spread along its sides.

The side surface 22 of the panel member 14 shown in FIG.
The series of panels 234 in 6 constitutes the walls of different classrooms with school themes and environments. Thus, the panel 238 that is inside the side section 20 when the panel member 14 is attached to the frame 12.
Depicts a classroom utility area including a cabinet 240 and student work 242. Frame 1
The second panel 244, which is inside the back section 16 of the panel member 14 attached to the 2, is a blackboard 246.
Depicts the wall of a classroom with. The third panel 248, which is inside the side section 20 of the panel member 14 attached to the frame 12, provides for two different doors 2
Other walls of the classroom are depicted, including 50,252 and a clown 254 in a chair.

The panel member 14 is attached to the hinge frame structure 12
The method of attachment to the various sections of is shown in FIGS. FIG. 3 shows the junction of back section 16 and side section 20, which are joined by a corner structure 36. Panel 62 is attached to back section 16, while panel 64 is attached to side section 20. The height of the panel 62 is such that the upper end 66 and the lower end 68 of the panel 62 are wound around the upper tube 30 and the lower tube 32.
It is higher than the distance between the upper tube 30 and the lower tube 32. The upper end 66 is fixed to the panel 62 by a pair of opposed Velcro patches shown by broken lines in FIG. FIG. 4 shows one of a set of opposing Velcro patches 70, which are used to wrap the panel 62 around the upper tube 30 and then bond the panel 62 to itself. The lower end 68 of the panel 62 is likewise wrapped around the lower tube 32 and secured to itself by a pair of opposed Velcro patches 70. The upper and lower ends of the panel 64 are similarly fixed to the upper tube 50 and the lower tube 52 of the side section 20.

In this embodiment, panels 14, such as panels 62 and 64, are made from plastic sheets with the desired mural or background printed on them. The mural and background can be printed on only one side or both sides of panel 14, as desired. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper and lower corners of panel 14 are notched to fit around the upper and lower ends of a corner structure such as 36. This causes the side edges, such as edges 72, 74, of panels 62, 64 to contact each other and essentially cover all corner structures 36.

To assemble a children's play structure, the hinge frame structure 12 is first placed in the desired position as shown in FIG. The various panels 14 are then attached to sections of the hinge frame structure 12 using a pair of opposing Velcro patches 70 as previously described. When the panel 14 is attached to the hinge frame structure 12 in this manner, the mural or background of the panel 14 creates the desired environment or theme for the children's play structure 10. To disassemble the children's play structure 10, first the pair of opposed Velcro patches 70 are separated and the panel 14 is removed from the hinge frame structure 12. Then, the hinge frame structure 12
Disassemble or fold.

As described above with reference to FIG. 2, each section 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 of the hinge frame structure 12 is joined by a corner structure 34, 36, 42 and 54. The corner structures 34, 36, 42 and 54 are structures, each having a swivel at their upper and lower ends. An embodiment of this turning device is the device shown in FIG. The device shown in FIG. 5 has a corner structure 34.
Which joins the upper tubes 30 and 38 of the back section 16 and side section 18 and joins the lower tubes 32 and 40. Corner structure 34
Has a single common corner post in the form of a vertical tube 76 extending between its upper and lower ends.

The lower portion of the corner structure 34 shown in FIG. 5 includes a clevis, which is pivotally joined to the lever 82 by a shaft 84 and a cap 86. U-link 80 is plug 88
Removably joined to the lower tube 32 by, the plug 88 has a first cylindrical end 90 located inside the lower tube 32 and adhesively secured thereto. The cylindrical end 90 ends with a flange 92,
The flange 92 is seated on the outer end of the lower tube 32. Cylindrical end 9 against flange 92 of plug 88
The opposite end 94 from 0 is slightly tapered so that it can be slidably received by the slightly tapered inner surface 96 of the clevis 80.

As shown in FIG. 7, which is a perspective view of the plug 88, the tapered end 94 extends from its main portion to the slot 10.
It has an elastic retainer 98 separated by 0 and 102. The elastic retainer 98 extends longitudinally from the flange 92 along the tapered end 94 and terminates in a tab 104. The tapered end 94 also has an elastic retainer 98.
It has a longitudinal flange 105 at a position 90 ° away from the position.

The taper end 94 of the plug 88 is connected to the U-link 8
Upon insertion into the zero inner surface 96, the tab 104 engages the inner surface 96 and the elastic retainer 98 is compressed inward. When the tapered end 94 reaches the end of the inner surface 96 on which it sits, the tab 104 snaps into the opening 106 in the wall of the clevis 80 and locks the resilient retainer 98 in its position, thereby lowering. The tube 32 is detachably fixed to the clevis 80. As a result, after the proper orientation of the plug 88 to the inner surface 96 of the clevis 80 is established, that orientation is maintained by the longitudinal flange 105 inserted into the longitudinal slot 107 of the inner surface 96. Flange 105 and slot 107 prevent rotation of plug 88 within clevis 80.

To remove the lower tube 32 from the corner structure 34 during disassembly of the hinge frame structure 12, outside the opening 106, the tapered end 94 of the plug 88 begins to move from the inner surface 96 of the clevis 80. A tab 104 is pushed inward to compress the elastic retainer 98 by a sufficient amount. Thereafter, when the tapered end portion 94 is pulled out from the inner surface, the tab 104 slides along the inner surface 96.

Like the clevis 80, the lever 82 has a slightly tapered inner surface 110 on which the inner surface 11
0 has an opening 112. A plug 114 having the same shape as the plug 88 is also separably inserted into the inner surface 110 of the lever 82. The plug 114 has a cylindrical end 116 which is permanently affixed to the inner surface of the lower tube 40 by, for example, an adhesive. In this way, the lower tube 40 is detachably fixed to the lever 82.

The lever 82 includes the shaft 84 and the cap 8.
It is joined to the U-link 80 by 6 so as to be pivotable.
Shaft 84, also shown in FIG. 15, has a generally cylindrical lower portion 120 that is clevis 80.
A pair of legs 126 formed at one end of the
It extends through the openings 122, 124 at 128. The U-link 80 is shown in FIGS. 8-11 in addition to FIG. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the opening 12 of the leg 126
2 has a recess 130 formed in the leg 126 at one end of the opening 122, and the recess 130 is adapted to receive the radial lug 132 formed at the upper end of the lower portion 120 of the shaft 84. When the lug 132 is seated in the recess 130, rotation of the shaft 84 with respect to the clevis 80 is prevented.

Lever 82, shown in FIGS. 12-14 in addition to FIG. 5, is a single member formed at one end of clevis 80 to be positioned between opposing legs 126 and 128. Has leg portions 134 of. Opening 1 of leg 134
36 receives the lower portion 120 of shaft 84 to provide rotational or pivoting movement of lever 82 relative to clevis 80.

The lower portion 120 of the shaft 84 is a U-link 80.
Extends downwardly from an intermediate flange 138 seated on the top of the. Hollow, generally cylindrical upper portion 14 of shaft 84
0 extends upwardly from the flange 138 and is received inside the vertical tube 76, where its upper portion 140 may be rigidly secured by an adhesive or the like. U
To prevent rotation of the shaft 84 with respect to the link 80, the lug 132 above the lower portion 120 of the shaft 84 is seated in a recess 130 in the upper leg 126 of the clevis 80 so that the vertical tube 76 is further extended. It is fixed and cannot rotate with respect to the clevis 80.
However, the lever 82, which is freely rotatable about the lower portion 120 of the shaft 84, is further rotatable with respect to the vertical tube 76.

The lower portion 120 of the shaft 84 is the U-link 80.
When seated on the legs 126, 128 of the and the legs 134 of the lever 82, the shaft 84 is fixed in that position by the cap 86. The cap 86 also has a hollow, generally cylindrical, lower portion 142, which is also shown in FIG. 16, which is hollow, generally cylindrical, and smaller than the lower portion 142. It is connected to the upper part 144 of the size. The lug 146 is located near the lower end of the upper part 144 and the lower part 1
Radially outward from the upper end of 42. Top 14
4 is inserted inside the lower part 120 of the shaft 84,
The lug 146 seats in a recess 148 extending from an opening 124 in the leg 128 below the clevis 80. The recess 148 is shown in FIG. As a result, the rotation of the cap 86 with respect to the U-link 80 and the shaft 84 is prevented. In this state, the cap 86 is the cap 8
6 is fixed by a screw 150 inserted inside the lower portion 142. The screw 150 extends through the inside of the upper portion 144 of the cap 86 and is screwed onto the inner wall of a hole 152 extending upward from the inside of the lower portion 120 of the shaft 84.

The shaft 84 is the leg portion 12 of the U-link 80.
When seated in openings 122,124 in 6,128 and held in place by cap 86, lower tube 32 is rigidly joined to vertical tube 76. The fit between clevis 80, shaft 84 and cap 86 is further provided by flange 138 and lug 146. As a result, vertical bending and movement of the lower tube 32 with respect to the vertical tube 76 can be ignored. Vertical tube 76 by lever 82
The same applies to the lower tube 40 joined to. Leg 1
34 is the leg 12 of the U-link 80 around the shaft 84
It fits between 6,128. The adjacent portion of the lever 82 fits the legs 126 and 128 of the clevis 80. In this way, the vertical bending of the lower portion 40 with respect to the vertical tube 76 is negligible. This provides the hinge frame structure 12 with substantial rigidity.

The U-link 80, the lever 82, the shaft 84, and the cap 86 shown in FIG. 5 constitute a hinge device for joining the tubes 32 and 40 to the corner structure 34. This device is joined to the lower end of the vertical tube 76. A similar device is used at the upper end of vertical tube 76 to join tubes 30 and 38 of back section 16 and side section 18. As shown in FIG. 5, this hinge device has a U-link 1
54, lever 156, shaft 158 and cap 15
9 but is identical to the lower device described above except that it is upside down and the cap 159 is shorter than the cap 86. The long lower portion 142 of the lower cap 86 provides the legs that support the joint between the corner structure 34 and the hinge frame structure. However, in the case of the upper cap 159, long support legs are not needed. As with the lower hinge device, the clevis 154 is separably joined to the upper tube 30 and the lever 156 is separably joined to the upper tube 38. In this way, the upper tube 38 is pivotable with respect to the vertical tube 76, but the upper tube 30 is non-rotatable.

At the opposite end of the back section 16 formed by the corner structure 36, the lower tube 32 of the back section 16 and the side section 2
The lower tube 52 of No. 0 is joined to each other by a hinge device similar to that shown in FIG. The hinge device is the upper tube 50 of the side section 20.
And allows the lower tube 52 to pivot relative to the corner structure 36 while preventing the upper tube 30 and the lower tube 32 of the back section 16 from so rotating, or vice versa. Important from a stability point of view is that a single common vertical corner member is rotatable with respect to only one of the two panel sections it joins.

Similarly, in the corner structure 42 for joining the side section 18 to the front section 22, the upper tube 44 and the lower tube 46 of the front section 22 together with the upper tube 38 and the lower tube 40 of the side section 18 form the corner structure 42. It may be formed so that it can swivel with respect to it, or vice versa. Similarly, in a corner structure 54 that joins the front section 24 to the side section 20, the upper tube 56 and the lower tube 58 of the front section 24, as well as the upper section 50 and the lower section 52 of the side section 20, are relative to the corner structure 54. It may be so arranged that it can be turned around, or vice versa.

In the front section 22, FIG.
The lower tube 46 may be joined to the vertical tube 48 by an elbow 160, as shown in FIG. A plug 162 similar to the plug 88 shown in FIG. 7 is fixed to the inside of the lower tube 46 by an adhesive, for example, and is separably fixed to the inside of the horizontal portion 164 of the elbow 160. The horizontal portion 164 has the tab 106 of the plug 88 with the opening 106 in the clevis 80 as described above with reference to FIG.
As well as receiving 04, it includes an opening 166 for receiving the tab 168 above the plug 162.

The elbow 160 has a horizontal portion 164 and a vertical portion 17.
It extends through a right-angled bend between zero. Vertical part 170
Are formed to fit inside the lower end of the vertical tube 48, where the vertical portion 170 is permanently affixed, for example by an adhesive. The other vertical part 172
5 extends downward from the right-angled bend of the elbow 160, as shown in FIG.
The support leg is formed like the cap 86 shown in FIG.

The upper tube 44 of the front section 22 is joined to the upper end of the vertical tube 48 by a device similar to that shown in FIG. 6 except that it is upside down and does not have the vertical portion 172. Plug 162
A plug 174, similar to, is used to separably join the upper tube 44 to the elbow 176 in its corner structure. Elbow 176 extends to the upper end of vertical tube 48 where it is permanently affixed, for example by an adhesive. The upper tube 56 and the lower tube 58 of the front section 24 are similarly joined to the vertical tube 60.

A hinge device such as that shown in FIG. 5 is combined with an upper tube and a lower tube separably joined thereto to provide a hinge frame structure 12, which is substantially rigid. Yes, it can substantially support its own weight and can substantially resist external forces. At the same time, such a hinge frame structure 12 is relatively lightweight, which is a simple and economical structure. The permissible swivel between the vertical tubes of each corner structure and the adjacent frame sections provides a hinge motion of at least 180 ° between adjacent frame sections, resulting in the hinge frame structure 12 being placed in a variety of different configurations. be able to. At the same time, the hinge frame structure 12 can be easily disassembled for shipping or storage. The upper and lower tubes of each frame section are separated from the corner structure in the manner described above using a plug, such as plug 88 shown in FIG. When the panel 14 is removed from the children's play structure, the hinge frame structure 12 is disassembled into a plurality of elongated members.

FIG. 17 shows another method of attaching the panel member to the frame 12. The portions of the canvas that make up the member 14 with a series of different panels are folded back at the upper edge 256 thereof, back to back side 2 of the member 14.
26 and 228 are formed. When the canvas is folded back in this manner, its opposite ends 258, 260 are sewn together so that the member 14 forms a "sock." This “sock” is dropped onto the frame 12 to attach the member 14 to the frame 12. When the member 14 is thus hung on the frame 12, the member 14
The member 14 is fixed in that position by the opposite fixing means in the form of Velcro pieces fixed to the lower ends of the side surfaces 226, 228 of the. FIG. 17 shows the end of the member 14 including two different pairs of Velcro strips 266, 268. The Velcro strip 266 is shown in phantom in FIG. When the member 14 is hung on the frame 12, the Velcro strips 266, 268 are located below the lower beam 30 in each hinge section of the frame 12. By pressing the opposing Velcro pieces 266, 268 into contact with each other, the two sides 266, 268 of the member 14 are moved to the lower beam 3.
Stick to each other below zero. Opposing Velcro strip 26
6, 268 are spaced apart along the lower edge of member 14 such that the pairs are located at each hinge section of frame 12.

Removing the member 14 from the frame 12 requires a simple process that pulls apart the sides 226, 228 of the member 14 to separate the set of Velcro strips 266, 268. When each Velcro strip 266, 268 is separated along the lower edge of member 14, member 14 is lifted from frame 12. After this, the frame 12 is folded for storage, or another panel member 14 having a different theme or environment is attached in the manner described above.

A third embodiment according to the present invention is shown in FIG. In this third embodiment, each hinge section of frame 12 comprises a separate replaceable panel, such as panel 270 shown in FIG. The hinge section of the frame 12 shown in FIG. 18 may comprise any of the sections 16, 18, 20 shown in FIG. The hinge panel sections 22, 24 shown in FIG. 2 which are about half the width of the sections 16, 18, 20 are shown in FIG.
It has a panel sized and contoured to be removably attachable thereto in the same manner as shown in FIG.

In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 18, a panel 270 is removably attached to the section of frame 12 shown therein. The first plurality of Velcro patches 272 are mounted at both ends and the center of the beam 30. The second plurality of velcro patches 274 is panel 2
It is fixed to the back side 276 of 70. Velcro patch 2
74 is shown in phantom in FIG. 18 and is the back side 27 of panel 270.
No. 6, but matches the Velcro patch 272 in the section of the frame 12 when the panel 270 is disposed on the frame 12. The velcro patch 274 is attached to the velcro patch 272 to mount the panel 270 on the frame 12. Removal of panel 270 from frame 12 is accomplished by pulling panel 270 away from frame 12 to separate velcro patch 274 from velcro patch 272.

It should be understood that the Velcro patches 272, 274 provide only one example of how the panel 270 is replaceably attached to the hinge section of the frame 12. Other means are possible, including attaching mechanical snaps to the back side 276 of panel 270 and frame 12.

As with the multi-panel member 14 shown in FIG. 2, the panel 270 in the arrangement of FIG. 18 can be printed or delineated with a separate background or mural. Alternatively, the background printed or depicted on panel 270 may form part of a continuous mural or background that extends across part or all of frame 12. The panel 270 may be of any structure, such as compression liner.

The first embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS.
It is preferred over the second and third embodiments shown in FIGS. 17-18 as most utilizing the invention. Providing the plurality of individual panels 234 shown in FIG. 2 is typically less expensive than providing a sock of canvas or other material that makes up the multiple panel member 14 of FIG. Further, the individual panels 234 are generally easier to install and remove than the multiple panel member 14 which is relatively large and burdensome, especially to those who handle it.

Although the present invention has been shown and described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in shape and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Will be done.

[0049]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the background and the mural can be easily replaced,
Furthermore, while it has sufficient rigidity, it is also lightweight, simple and economical, and easy to assemble and disassemble.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a children's play structure using a hinge frame structure according to the present invention.

2 is a front view of the hinge frame structure of the children's play structure of FIG. 1, unfolded to assume a linear shape and to illustrate each hinge frame section thereof.

3 is a perspective view of a portion of the children's play structure of FIG. 1,
Figure 5 shows the panels mounted to adjacent frame sections of the hinge frame structure.

4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the panel and a portion of the horizontal tube in the arrangement of FIG. 3, showing the panel removably mounted.

5 is a cross-sectional view of the corner structure of the hinge frame structure of FIG. 2 showing details of the hinge device for rotatably joining adjacent frame sections.

6 is a cross-sectional view of another portion of the hinge frame structure of FIG. 2, showing the end of the front frame section joined to a horizontal tube.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a plug used to separably join horizontal tubes in the arrangement of FIGS.

8 is a perspective view of a clevis used in the arrangement of FIG.

9 is a top view of the U-link of FIG. 8. FIG.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the U-link of FIG.

FIG. 11 is an end view of the U-link of FIG.

12 is a perspective view of a lever used in the arrangement of FIG.

FIG. 13 is a top view of the lever of FIG.

FIG. 14 is an end view of the lever of FIG.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a shaft used in the arrangement of FIG.

16 is a perspective view of a cap used in the arrangement of FIG.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the children's play structure of FIG. 1 showing another state in which the panel is attached to the adjacent frame section of the hinge frame structure.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the frame panel of FIG. 1 showing another state in which the panel is mounted on a frame section of a hinge frame structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Play structure for children, 12 ... Hinge frame structure, 14 ... Panel, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 ... Hinge frame section, 30, 38, 44, 50, 56 ... Upper tube, 32, 40, 46 , 52, 58 ... Lower tube, 34, 36, 42, 54 ... Corner structure, 76 ... Vertical tube, 80 ... Link, 82 ... Lever, 84 ... Shaft, 86 ... Cap, 88, 114 ... Plug, 94 ... Tapered end Part, 98 ... Elastic retainer, 122, 124 ... Opening part, 126, 128 ... Leg part, 134 ... Leg part, 136 ... Opening part.

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Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A frame comprising a plurality of hinged hinge sections that can be formed into a substantially enclosed self-supporting structure and the frame to provide multiple backgrounds for the hinge sections of the frame. In combination with a removable panel that can be removably attached to the plurality of backgrounds to create a scene that mimics a common play environment, each of the plurality of backgrounds substantially including each hinge section. A play structure for children, which is characterized in that it is covered with a material. 2. Each of the plurality of hinge sections includes:
The corner structure comprises four beams joined to at least one other hinge section and joined to each other at both ends thereof to form a substantially rectangular structure having an inner space. A U-link joined to one of the sections, a shaft non-rotatably mounted inside the U-link and non-rotatably joined to the corner structure, and a U-link joined to the second hinge section 2. A children's play structure according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a lever which is at least partly inserted inside and is rotatable around the shaft. 3. A frame comprising a plurality of sections of approximately the same height that can be formed into a substantially enclosed self-supporting structure and a flexible material attached to the frame to form at least one background on the frame. A children's play structure, comprising a combination of replaceable members, wherein the at least one background substantially covers at least one of the plurality of sections. 4. The frame comprises at least two substantially flat sections joined together through a corner structure, the corner structure comprising a U-link joined to one of the sections, and a U-link of the U-link. A shaft non-rotatably mounted inside and non-rotatably joined to the corner structure, and a shaft joined to the second hinge section and at least partially inserted inside the U-link to rotate around the shaft. 4. A children's play structure according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a possible lever. 5. A hinge device for joining a substantially horizontal opposing first beam and a second beam to a substantially vertical corner member, comprising a pair of legs, each leg having an opening. A U-link, a means for separably joining the U-link to the first beam, and a leg, the leg having an opening and arranged between a pair of legs of the U-link. And a means for connecting the lever to the second beam in a separable manner, and an opening in a pair of legs of the U-link and an opening in the leg of the lever, which are joined to a vertical corner member. And a cap connected to the shaft extending from the vertical corner member on a side where the U-link and the lever face each other. 6. The U-link has a portion having a hollow inside and an opening penetrating the wall thereof, and the means for detachably joining the U-link to the first beam is an end of the first beam. A first plug that is mounted on the U-link, has an end that is separably inserted inside the U-link, and engages with an opening in the wall of the U-link so that the end of the first plug is U-shaped. The hinge device according to claim 5, further comprising an elastic retainer that is detachably joined to the inside of the link. 7. The lever has a portion having a hollow inside and an opening penetrating its wall, and the means for detachably joining the lever to the second beam comprises:
The second plug is attached to the end of the second beam, has an end that is separably inserted inside the lever, and engages an opening in the wall of the lever to end the second plug. The hinge device according to claim 6, further comprising an elastic retainer that detachably joins the portion to the inside of the lever. 8. The first beam and the second beam are hollow tubes, and the first plug and the second plug are respectively disposed inside the tubes forming the first beam and the second beam. The hinge device according to claim 7, wherein the hinge device has a portion that is bonded and adhered. 9. A substantially flat first frame section and a second frame section joined by a hinge corner structure having a hinge, said first frame section being non-rotatably joined to both ends of a single shaft member. And a pair of opposing first joining members, the second frame section includes a pair of opposing second joining members joined to both ends of a single shaft member, and the pair of second joining members Is a hinge frame structure that receives both ends of a single shaft member and allows rotation of the pair of second joining members with respect to the single shaft member. 10. The hinge frame structure according to claim 9, wherein the pair of first joining members have openings for non-rotatably receiving both ends of the single shaft member. 11. The hinge frame structure according to claim 10, wherein the pair of first joining members are alternately stacked with the pair of second joining members. 12. Each of the pair of first joining members has a pair of legs spaced apart from each other with an opening for receiving one of both ends of a single shaft member in a non-rotatable manner. Each of the second joint members has a leg portion arranged between a pair of leg portions of one of the pair of first joint members, which are separated by a constant distance, and one of both ends of a single shaft member is rotatable. The hinge frame structure according to claim 11, wherein the hinge frame structure has an opening for receiving into the. 13. The single shaft member comprises a tube having a pair of shafts non-rotatably joined at both ends thereof, each of the pair of shafts receiving one of the pair of first joining members. The hinge frame structure according to claim 12, further comprising a lug that prevents rotation of the pair of first joining members. 14. The single shaft member further comprises a pair of caps connected to the pair of shafts facing the tube for holding the pair of first joining members on the pair of shafts. Characteristic hinge frame structure.