Play Slide

Abstract

A play slide wherein an inclined slide member is disposable over a stairway, a plurality of rest members being carried on the underside of the slide member for resting engagement with respective stair treads, and side members extending along the slide member for retaining a sliding child on the slide member.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

While there have, in the past, been proposed a wide variety of children's toys and playthings, including many different constructions of slides, the prior art has not provided a children's play slide for use on a stairway which is sufficiently simple, safe, economical and durable to achieve wide commercial acceptance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide a children's play slide which overcomes the above-mentioned difficulties, being capable of easy and convenient usage in position on a pre-existing stairway, and which is extremely simple in structure, requiring a minimum of parts, capable of economic manufacutre for sale at a reasonable price, and which is durable, reliable and substantially maintenance-free throughout a long useful life.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view illustrating a play slide of the present invention in operative association with a stairway.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view taken generally along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 showing the slide apart from the stairway.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a play slide of the present invention is shown therein and generally designated 10. In FIG. 1, the slide 10 is superposed on a stairway 11, which includes a plurality of risers 12 and treads 13, in the conventional manner.

While it is appreciated that the instant slide may be fabircated of any suitable material, and manufactured by any desired method, all without departing from the instant invention, it is believed that the instant device admirably lends itself to economic manufacture by thermoforming component parts of suitable thermoplastic material, such as polystyrene, or the like, and permanently assembling the parts by any suitable means. Of course, the materials and mode of manufacture are disclosed by way of illustration and example, without limiting intent.

Considering the slide 10 in greater detail, the slide structure includes an inclined, generally planar slide member or plane 15 adapted to support a sliding child. The slide member or inclined plane 15 may have its upper terminal or end region 16 smoothly curved slightly downwardly out of the plane of the member, and have its upper end edge 17 smoothly rounded, for convenient and safe access by playing children. Further, the lower terminal portion or end region 18 of the slide member or inclined plane 15 may be smoothly curved slightly upwardly out of the plane of the slide member toward a generally horizontal disposition, having its lower or free end edge 19 smoothly curved, all for the safe discharge of sliding children. That is, the relatively horizontal disposition of lower terminal portion 18 effectively retards the leaving velocity of a sliding child, while the smoothly curved lower end edge 19 prevents scratches and bruises to the children.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inclined slide member 15 is disposed in superposed relation over the stairway 11. Carried on the underside of the slide member 15, extending laterally thereacross, are a plurality of generally horizontally disposed, downwardly facing panels or rest members 21 located for respective resting engagement with the nether stair treads 13. That is, the several rest members 21 are carried on the underside of the slide member 15 is a stepped or horizontally and vertically spaced relation.

Additionally, a plurality of generally upright or vertically disposed strut members or panels 22 are arranged in horizontally and vertically spaced relation with respect to each other on the underside of and generally laterally coextensive with the slide member 15, each extending vertically between an adjacent pair of rest members 21. The rest members 21 and strut members 22 are proportioned and sized for respective conforming extent along the treads 13 and risers 12 of the stairway 11.

Additionally, a frictional layer or coating 23 may be provided on the underside of each rest member 21 for frictional bearing engagement with the adjacent stair tread 13, to resist horizontal displacement relative to the stairway.

By reason of the relatively horizontally extending lower terminal portion 18, the latter will be understood to project horizontally away from the stairway 11 and also away from the supporting nether structure 21, 22. In practice, the terminal portion 18 may extend in spaced relation over the floor region adjacent to the lowest step of stairway 11. Toward supporting the terminal portion 18 of slide member 15, a pair of side strut members 25 depend from opposite sides of the terminal portion for bearing engagement with the floor. The side strut members 25 may extend in laterally spaced parallelism with each other, effectively defining side wall portions having their lower edges in supporting engagement with the floor surface.

In addition, a pair of side members, walls or rails 26 extend longitudinally along respective side edges of the slide member 15, upstanding generally vertically therefrom, to provide safety barriers or walls confining a sliding child to the upper surface of slide member 15. The side members or walls 26 may extend vertically above the slide member 15 a substantial distance, say 8 or 9 inches, to insure safety to the young users. However, the side members may be of other suitable height, if desired. In practice, the side members may each define a side wall, and further provide a coplanar extension of the respective side strut member 25. Of course, the upper edges of the side members or walls 26 are preferably smooth and rounded, as are all exposed surfaces, to prevent injuries.

In addition, each side member, rail or wall 26 is rpovided with a plurality of depending extensions 28, which depending extensions may be considered as of generally right triangular configuration having horizontal lower edges and extending to the adjacent nether rest member 21 for structurally reinforcing the latter. That is, the depending side member extensions 28 are disposed vertically, substantially coplanar with the associated side member or wall, each depending along an adjacent strut member 22 and terminating at the adjacent nether rest member 21.

From the foregoing, it will now be appreciated that the present invention provides a unitary sliding board construction which is extremely simple to use, being removably placed on a stairway in conforming interfitting relation therwith, and is conveniently capable of portability and storage, being entirely safe in use and requiring no tedious erection and dismantling.

Additionally, there may be provided, say for very small children, a pillow or pad 30 for location on the floor adjacent to the lower end of the slide 10. Such a pillow or pad may be of foam rubber or other suitable consturction, to provide a soft landing for relatively small children.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A play slide comprising an inclined generally planar slide member adapted for superposition over a stairway, a plurality of rest members carried in downwardly facing relation on the underside of said slide member at horizontally and vertically spaced locations for resting engagement with nether stair treads, side members extending along respective longitudinally margins of said slide member, a generally level terminal portion on the lower end of said slide member for generally horizontal discharge of a sliding child, a pair of side strut members depending from opposite sides of said terminal portion for supporting engagement with a floor surface, said side members each comprising a generally upright wall, and said side strut members each comprising an extension of a respective one of said upright walls, and depending extensions on said upright walls extending to said rest members for reinforcing the latter, each said rest member extending between an opposite pair of said depending extensions.

2. A play slide according to claim 1, in combination with a plurality of nether strut members each upstanding between an adjacent pair of rest members and laterally opposite depending extensions, to provide effective reinforcement.

3. A play slide according to claim 2, in combination with frictional surface members on the undersides of said rest members for frictional bearing engagement with the stair treads to resist horizontal displacement therefrom.

4. A play slide according to claim 1, in combination with frictional surface members on the undersides of said rest members for frictional bearing engagement with the stair treads to resist horizontal displacement therefrom.