Floating device for play on the water

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of provisional Patent Application No. 60/833,406, filed Jul. 27, 2006 by the present inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a floating device for play and recreation on open water and in a pool, including small pool for children in the homeowner's backyard.

2. Prior Art

There are known devices for play and recreation on the water as fashion floats, boards, noodles and so on. Such are devices, according to Catalogs of Companies: SEVYLOR, O'BRIEN, QUICKSILVER, etc. On all of these devices a person, mainly child, (further in the text: “child”) can only lay or sit, but can not stand or run because the devices do not have enough vertical stability and the child will overturn. This is due to the center of buoyancy of the floating device (the center of Archimedes forces) being located lower than the center of gravity of the child at his/her vertical position.

3. Objects and Advantages

Several objects and advantages of the present invention are:

• • (a) To provide the devices with vertical stability on the water at any position of the child, including standing, running, creeping, etc.
  • (b) To provide the possibility of using the devices on open water and in a pool of any size.

SUMMARY

In accordance with present invention, the floating devices are made either in the shape of a segment of a sphere (so in the shape of spherical dish,—further in the text: “Dish”) or in the shape of a zone of a sphere (so in the shape spherical barrel,—further in the text: “Barrel”). The radius of the sphere is longer than the height of the center of gravity of the child. The Dish (or the Barrel) is placed either in a small round pool with a diameter about equal to the sphere's submerged diameter or in any size swimming pool with a circular float on the water's surface with a diameter equal to the small round pool.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

FIG. 1A and 1B show the Dish in a small round pool.

FIG. 2A and 2B show the Barrel in a small round pool.

FIG. 3A and 3B show the Dish in a swimming pool.

FIG. 4A and 4B show the Barrel in a swimming pool.

FIG. 5 shows the small round pool equipped with a circulation water system.

FIGS. 6A to 6E show geometric parameters of the components demonstrating their buoyancy and stability.

Photo 1 to 5 show working (small-scale) models of the Dish and the Barrel.

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIG. 1A, 1B, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E—PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A Dish 10 (FIG. 1A) is made in the shape of a segment of a sphere and equipped with a rim 12, on the edge of which a flexible bellow 14 is mounted. One end of the bellow 14 is attached to the rim's 12 edge, while the other end of the bellow 14 is free. The curvature radius of Dish 10 “R” (FIG. 6A) is more than the gravity distance “GD” (FIG. 6C) of a child's 22 center of gravity “CG”. The Dish 10 is placed in a round pool 20 with a diameter about equal to that of the submerged Dish's 10 diameter “d”, corresponding to the sum of the Dish's 10 weight and the child's 22 weight. The child 22 is either in the center of the Dish 10 (FIG. 1A, 6D) or out of the center (FIG. 1B, 6E). The Dish's 10 diameter “D” (FIG. 6A) is determined by the desired limit of the tilt angle “α” (FIG. 6E).

Operation—FIG. 1A, 1B, 6A, 6C, 6D, 6E

The Child 22 can stand, run, creep, etc. along the surface of the Dish 10. Whether the Child 22 stands either at the center of the Dish 10 (FIG. 1A) or out of the center (FIG. 1B) (when the Dish 10 is tilted), the stability of the Dish 10 is secured because the center of buoyancy (the center or Archimedes forces) “CB” (FIG. 6A) of the Dish 10 (which is located at center of a sphere) is above the center of gravity “CG” (FIG. 6C) of the child 22 (which is located at low point of human stomach). Therefore the stability of the system is determined by the stability distance “SD” (FIG. 6D and 6E) which is similar to a pendulum, so the child 22 can not overturn. While the child 22 moves around, the Dish 10 will move in the opposite direction. The rim 12 limits a tilt angle (FIG. 1B): to prevent water running over the Dish's 10 edge. The elastic bellow 14 prevents incidental accidents from occurring (i.e. hand be coming caught under the Dish 10).

The Dish's 10 size (displacement) should be matched to the child's 22 weight. If any child weighing more stands, either the Dish 10 will sink to the pool's 20 bottom, or the rim 12 will set down on the edge of the pool 20.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIG. 2A, 2B, 6A and 6B—ADDITIONAL EMBODIMENT

A Barrel 16 (FIG. 2A) is made in the shape of a zone of a sphere, so the width “W” (FIG. 6B) is equal to the Dish's 10 diameter “D” (FIG. 6A). Both sides of the Barrel 16 are equipped with rims 12 (without bellows). All geometric parameters of the Barrel 16 and the pool 20 are analogous to description above for the Dish 10.

Operation—FIG. 2A, 2B, 6A to 6E

Operation of the Barrel 16 is analogous to that described above for the Dish 10. An advantage of this version is that the child 22 can run, creep, etc. inside the inner surface of the sphere, like a hamster wheel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIG. 3A AND 4A—ADDITIONAL EMBODIMENT

A circular float 26 (FIG. 3A and 4A) is placed on the surface of a swimming pool 24. The float 26 has more buoyancy than the sum of the weight of the Dish 10 (or the Barrel 16) and the child 22. The float 26 is laid at anchor 28.

Operation—FIG. 3A and 4A

The float 26 is functionally the same as the round pool 20 described above. Operation of both the Barrel 26 and the Dish 10 are analogous to that described above. The anchor 28 prevents incidental motion of the float 26 while people are swimming in the pool 24.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIG. 3B AND 4B—ADDITIONAL EMBODIMENT

On the edge of the Dish 10 (FIG. 3A) and on both edges of the Barrel 16 (FIG. 4B) floating rings 18 are mounted. The Dish 10 or the Barrel 16 can be placed on the surface of the swimming pool 24.

Operation—FIG. 3B and 4B

Operation of both the Barrel 26 and the Dish 10 are analogous to that described above. There is no float 26 here, so the floating rings 18 have a limited tilt angle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIG. 5—ADDITIONAL EMBODIMENT

The pool 20 (FIG. 5) is equipped with a pair of tangent fittings 30 (FIG. 5). A water pump is 32 connected with the fittings 30 by a pipe 34.

Operation—FIG. 5

The pump 32 forces water to move around. An advantage of that version is that the Dish 10 or the Barrel 16 will also move around while the child 22 plays. This action can be also performed by attaching a garden hose to the fitting 30.

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATION, AND SCOPE OF INVENTION

The universal of technical solutions, described above, show a wide field of using the device for consumer as well as commercial use. The device can be used also in any pond, lake, pool, etc.

The geometric size of the device is determined by a child's weight. For example, for weight of about 50 lbs (22 kg) the dimensions should be about: the round pool diameter is 38.0″ (950.0 mm); the Dish (or the Barrel) curvature radius is 30.0″ (750.0 mm); the Dish diameter (or the Barrel width) is 40.0″ (1000.0 mm); the Dish (or the Barrel) tilt angle is 20 degree.

The pool diameter can be between that of the submerged Dish's diameter (minimum diameter) and the rim diameter (maximum diameter). At the minimum diameter of the pool it is possible to reach a larger limit of the tilt angle of the Dish (or the Barrel), i.e. when the rim will set down on the edge of the pool. At maximum diameter of the pool it is possible to reach a greater depth of the Dish (or the Barrel), i.e. on the same device that a child of greater weight can play.

The Dish can be adapted with an optional barrier/soft rail and net which can act as a wall so that infants can play in the Dish without supervision (as in a play pen).

Both the Dish and the Barrel may consist of one peace of rigid forming material or may be made of rigid sections (sectors) that are jointed together and are sealed by an elastic cover. This sectional design makes it possible to reduce shipping dimensions.

The functionality of the device is demonstrated by a small-scale model (Photo 1 to 5). The models are governed by the hydrodynamic principle of similarity.

• Photo 1 shows the round pool with water (made in the shape of a dish: with circular pumping system and without).
• Photo 2 shows the Dish and the Barrel.
• Photos 3 and 4 show the device in action.
• Photo 5 shows a circular float in a square pool and the device in action.