Modular Recreational Unit And Combinations Thereof

Abstract

A simple structure which is in itself a recreational unit and which is adaptable for mating with like structures wherein infinitely variable combinations and permutations of recreational facilities are provided. The basic unit generally includes a hollow cuboctahedron with each of the square faces including a regular centrally located opening therethrough. Traverseway members for access to or egress from the interior of the cuboctahedrons may be fastened thereto either at one end of a traverseway or, if desired, at both ends thereby bridging the gap between cuboctahedrons. The traverseways may be hollow tubular or semicircular in cross section and if fastened at one end only can be utilized as a slide. The free end of the slide includes a depending support.

Description

The present invention relates to a modular recreational unit which may be employed as a single unit or in combination with like units to provide infinitely variable recreational areas.

Most recreational facilities today employ various assembled recreational combinations such as jungle gyms, slides, mazes and the like, with each recreational unit separately assembled from a plurality of various members, common only to the particular unit being assembled. Assembly is a rather complex procedure and little or no variation in form or design can be effected by a user or assembler since the various components must be integrated in a preset manner to provide a workable or stable unit.

Especially with the advent of such newer forms of recreational facilities such as so-called "pocket parks" and the desire for more recreational areas within limited city areas, such as on designated play streets and the like, the problems of assembly and disassembly and predefined size factors found in the more commonly recognized recreational structures is more marked. Play areas today are oftentimes carved out of empty lots, oftentimes of irregular shape, and there is little uniformity between different play areas.

Especially in areas where specified play facilities are only set aside during certain periods of the year, the desire for a relatively simple and rapid method of assembly and disassembly is desirable.

In a like manner, recreational equipment employed today by homeowners in yards is not readily suitable to make the best use of the space or topography available.

According to the present invention, a single structure which is in itself a recreational unit and which is adaptable for mating with like structures is provided wherein infinitely variable combinations and permutations of recreational facilities may be provided adapted to the particular spatial requirements, aesthetic desires or functional demands of a user.

The basic unit of the present invention is a hollow cuboctahedron, that is, a regular solid geometric figure having as faces, six equal squares and eight equal regular triangles. Each of the square faces includes a regular centrally located opening therethrough.

As a single unit, the cuboctahedron having the apertures described provides a stable play unit in the nature of both a maze and a jungle gym. In combination with like structures either directly linked through securing means provided in the unit or through the use of hollow elongated connecting members, various other play units may be provided.

Although such novel feature or features believed to be characteristic of the invention are pointed out in the claims, the invention and the manner in which it may be carried out may be further understood by reference to the description following and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recreational unit of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a square section of the recreational unit of the present invention.

FIGS. 3a and 3b are from views of a square and triangular section respectively of a recreational unit of the present invention.

FIGS. 4a and 4b are side and front elevations respectively of a connecting member of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of another connecting member of the present invention.

FIG. 6a and 6b are side and rear elevations respectively of a slide member adaptable for use with the recreational units of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a top view of an alternate embodiment of a unit of the present invention.

FIGS. 8-10 are perspective view of various combination forms of the present invention.

Referring now to the figures in greater detail, where like reference numbers denote like parts in the various figures.

FIG. 1 illustrates the basic hollow modular cuboctahedron 1 of the present invention having six square faces 2 and eight regular triangular faces 3. Each of the square faces 2 includes a regular centrally located opening 4 therethrough, thus making the hollow of the cuboctahedron 1 accessible from six sides.

As shown in FIG. 2, the opening 4 in square side 2 preferably includes a rounded inner edge 5 which extends slightly inward towards the hollow center of the cuboctahedron 1. A protecting sheath 6 may be provided for the circumference of the rounded inner edge 5. The sheath 6 serves both as a strengthener for the edge 5 and a protective guard since, as hereinafter more particularly described, the edges 5 serve as rests for the feet, arms or legs of a user.

With the openings 4 positioned on the square faces 2 a user may employ any of a plurality of selected openings 4 in order to exit the hollow of the cuboctahedron. Thus, a single cuboctahedron 1 constructed in accordance with the present invention provides a combination maze and jungle gym which may be traversed in an external to internal to external, or purely external manner, with the edges 5 providing footholds and/or gripping surfaces.

While a single unit provides a novel recreational unit in and of itself, like units may be combined in various combinations and permutations and such combined units may be selectively linked to fit the specific desires and/or requirements of a user.

As shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, apertures 7 may be provided on both the square faces 2 and triangular faces 3 of the cuboctahedron 1 so as to allow linkage bolts or the like (not shown) between like sides of a number of units. Each aperture 7 is spaced near the corner of its respective face, an equal distance from the epicenter as like apertures 7 on the same face.

In such manner, aligned square faces 2 (or aligned triangular faces 3) between two cuboctahedrons 1 positioned so that the periphery of such like faces 2, 3 lie in parallel planes will place the apertures 7 on such two cuboctahedrons 1 into registry.

While as hereinafter more particularly described, innumerable recreational units may be constructed by direct linkage of like faces of a plurality of cuboctahedrons, supplemental members, such as shown in FIGS. 4a, 4b, 5 and 6 may be provided.

Referring to FIGS. 4a and 4b, the linkage member 8 includes a hollow tubular portion 9 having a circumferential opening on both ends thereof of like size to the openings 4 on the square faces 2. Both ends of the tubular member 8 include a flange 10 of substantially equal peripheral configuration to the square face 2. Apertures 11 are provided near the corners of the flange 10 so as to be in registry with the apertures 7 hereinbefore described with respect to the square faces 2 of the cuboctahedron 1. Affixation of the linkage member 8 between square faces 2 of two cuboctahedrons 1 thus provides a conduit for passage between such two cuboctahedrons 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, a tubular member 12 may be employed having a single flange 13 with apertures 14 therethrough. Such tubular member 12 affixed to a square face 2 provides an egress passage to and from the hollow of the cuboctahedron 1 and as hereinafter described, where the cuboctahedron 1 is oriented so that a square face 2 is oriented at an angle to the horizontal, such tubular member 12 may be employed as a slide.

In FIGS. 6a and 6b, an open slide member 15 is illustrated including a square connecting flange 16 having a circular central opening 17 therein of equal circumference to the openings 4 on the square faces 2. Means to mate the flange 16 with the square faces 2 are provided such as by providing aligned apertures 18 on the flange 16 in a like manner as hereinbefore described with respect to the prior flanges 10, 13. A downsloping, somewhat arcuate slide portion 19 extends from the flange 16. The slide portion 19 is preferably semicircular in cross section with the curvature of the slide portion 19 being equal to and an extension of an arc of the opening 17 of the connecting flange 16. A vertical supplemental support 20 may be provided along the underside of the lower section of the slide portion 19 for greater support and stability with the support 20 adapted to rest upon the supporting surface upon which the recreational unit is placed.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the cuboctahedron 1 may include a textured (i.e., rough) outer surface on all faces 2, 3. The texturing of the outer surface is desirable to prevent slippage by children or others when climbing about the recreational units and additionally serves to provide some frictional retention between linked units.

FIGS. 8-10 are illustrative of various combinations of units of the present invention. In FIG. 8, the cuboctahedrons 1 are all oriented so the base units are oriented edgewise to the horizontal support surface 21. In such configuration, it is desirable that a vertical support surface such as a wall 22 be available at the recreational site for supplemental anchorage, which may readily be obtained by anchor bolts (not shown) between a side of the cuboctahedron and the wall 22.

In FIG. 9 the base cuboctahedrons are oriented so as to lie flat upon one of its triangular faces 3 with the cuboctahedrons 1 directly linked between square faces 2 to form a triangular-shaped unit.

FIG. 10 illustrates a portion of a unit wherein the base cuboctahedrons are resting upon a square face 2 and further illustrate the linkage member 8 of FIGS. 4a and 4b and the slide member 15 of FIGS. 6a and 6b.

As the three above illustrations clearly indicate, practical as well as aesthetic considerations may readily be taken into account, and a "personalized" recreational facility can be provided for a user. Modifications and/or additions can be accomplished by rearrangement of units and/or the addition or subtraction of units within the recreational area.

The terms and expressions which are employed are used as terms of description; it is recognized, though, that various modifications are possible.

Claims

Having thus described certain forms of the invention in some detail, what is claimed is:

1. A recreational unit comprising a hollow cuboctahedron having six equal square faces and eight equal regular triangular faces, said faces being so dimensioned as to accommodate a child within the cuboctahedron, each of said square faces including a substantially centralized opening therethrough, each of said openings including a rounded inner edge with a protective sheath thereon.

2. A recreational unit comprising a hollow cuboctahedron having six equal square faces and eight equal regular triangular faces, said faces being so dimensioned as to accommodate a child within the cuboctahedron, each of said square faces including a substantially centralized opening therethrough, said recreational unit further including means forming a traverseway for access to or egress from the interior of the cuboctahedron, said traverseway including means defining a portal at one end thereof, said portal being of similar dimensions to an opening of a square face of the cuboctahedron, a flange peripherally projecting from said portal, said flange being of substantially similar dimensions to a square face of the cuboctahedron, and means to connect said traverseway to the cuboctahedron with an opening of the cuboctahedron in registry with the portal, said connecting means including means to link said flange to a square face of the cuboctahedron.

3. A recreational unit constructed in accordance with claim 2 wherein the traverseway further includes a second flange at the other end thereof, said second flange adapted to be linked to a square face of a second similar cuboctahedron.

4. A recreational unit constructed in accordance with claim 2 wherein the linking means includes apertures through a square face of the cuboctahedron and the flange, said apertures adapted to be registered to thereby accept a linking member.

5. A recreational unit constructed in accordance with claim 2 wherein the flange intersects the longitudinal axis of the traverseway at an acute interior angle, the traverseway thereby forming an inclined egress slide from the cuboctahedron.

6. A recreational unit constructed in accordance with claim 5 wherein the traverseway is substantially semicircular in cross section.

7. A recreational unit constructed in accordance with claim 5 wherein the traverseway includes a depending support, said support projecting from the underside of the traverseway and engaging a supporting surface, whereby the weight of a child sliding along the traverseway is borne by the supporting surface.