Sand castle building aid
A sand castle building aid assembly includes a sand castle building aid with first and second body portions, each having an inner concave surface and an outer convex surface. The body portions are releasably fastenable together along inner and outer peripheral edges to form an assembly body with the inner concave surfaces opposed and together to defining a sand toy volume. At least one sand castle building toy is removably stored and transported within the volume, preferably secured by cooperative storage clips for ease of storage during transport to and from the location of use. During use, the portions of the assembly body are separated and the sand castle building toys are removed. The toys and assembly body portions are then used to build sand castles and moats. A method of building sand castles is also described.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/579,315 filed Jun. 14, 2004.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis invention relates to beach toys and sand castle building aids.
BACKGROUNDRecreation activities involving creating structures from sand are well known to the public. Typically called “sand castles,” these structures are sometimes made with the aid of tools such as shovels, buckets, or molds that a child or other person uses to manipulate the sand and create a structure.
One problem with toys of this nature is that they are easily lost during transportation to and from the beach or sandy play area. Small pails typically do double duty as both items used to manipulate sand and carry water, and as a carrier for transporting shovels and other toys. However, a person can still easily lose items loosely carried in a pail. In the example of the prior art shown in
This invention features a sand castle building aid that includes a hollow tube formable into any number of shapes for storage of sand castle building toys and for building sand castle environments.
According to one aspect of the invention, a sand castle building aid comprises a contiguous hollow tube surrounding a void, the tube comprising an upper half portion and a lower half portion releasably connected generally around an inner and outer perimeter of the tube, the upper and lower half portions having an interior and exterior side, and at least one of the upper or lower half portions having storage clips extending from the interior side of the half portion for the releasable storage of sand castle building toys.
Preferred embodiments of this invention may include one or more of the following additional features. The outer perimeter of the contiguous hollow tube is shaped as an ellipse. The outer perimeter of the contiguous hollow tube comprises 3 or more facets. Both the upper and lower portions have storage clips extending therefrom for the releasable storage of sand castle building toys. The diameter or width of the outer perimeter is approximately 40 inches. The diameter or width of the inner perimeter is approximately 18 inches.
Another aspect of this invention, a method of building a sand castle comprises the steps of: providing sand; providing a contiguous hollow tube surrounding a void, the tube comprising an upper portion and a lower portion releasably generally around an inner and outer perimeter of the tube, the upper and lower portions having an interior and exterior side, and at least one of the upper or lower portions having storage clips extending therefrom for the releasable storage of sand castle building toys, said tube containing sand castle building toys; opening the hollow tube to expose the sand castle building toys; removing the sand castle building toys; removing the sand castle building toys and building a sand castle by manipulating sand using at least one of the sand castle building toys.
Preferred embodiments of this invention may include one or more of the following additional features. The steps of creating a moat by placing a portion of the tube into the sand with the interior portions facing upwards and filling the moat with water. The step of creating a second moat by placing a second portion of the tube into the sand with the interior portions facing upwards such that the interior portion remains substantially sand-free and filling the second moat with water. The step of building a sand castle using the sand castle building toys.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
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The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Claims
1. A sand castle building aid assembly comprising:
- a sand castle building aid comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a first inner concave surface and a first outer convex surface and said second portion having a second inner concave surface and a second outer concave surface, said first portion and said second portion being releasably fastenable together along an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge to form an assembly body with said first inner concave surface and said second inner concave surface opposed and together to defining a sand toy volume, and
- at least one sand castle building toy removably stored and transported within said volume.
2. The sand castle building aid assembly of claim 1, wherein said assembly body has a toroidal shape.
3. The sand castle building aid assembly of claim 1, wherein said assembly body has a multi-sided polygonal shape.
4. The sand castle building aid assembly of claim 3, wherein said multi-sided polygonal shape is a triangular shape.
5. The sand castle building aid assembly of claim 3, wherein said multi-sided polygonal shape is a rectangular shape.
6. The sand castle building aid assembly of claim 1 wherein the outer peripheral edge of said assembly body has an elliptical shape.
7. The sand castle building aid assembly of claim 1 wherein the outer peripheral edge of said assembly body is approximately 40 inches wide.
8. The sand castle building aid assembly of claim 1 wherein the inner peripheral edge of said assembly body is approximately 18 inches wide.
9. The sand castle building aid assembly of claim 1, further comprising one or more sets of cooperative storage clips extending from said first inner concave surface and said second inner concave surface and arranged for the releasable storage of said at least one sand castle building toy.
10. A method of building a sand castle, said method comprising the steps of:
- opening a sand castle building aid comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a first inner concave surface and a first outer convex surface and the second portion having a second inner concave surface and a second outer concave surface, the first portion and the second portion being releasably fastenable together along an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge to form an assembly body with the first inner concave surface and said second inner concave surface opposed and together to defining a sand toy volume and sand castle building toys removably stored and transported within the volume;
- removing sand castle building toys from the first portion and the second portion of the assembly body;
- manipulating the sand castle building toys to build a sand castle;
- returning the sand castle building toys to the first portion and the second portion of the assembly body;
- rejoining the first portion and the second portion to form the assembly body; and
- transporting the sand castle building aid with the sand castle building toys secured therewithin.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:
- interring the first portion and/or the second portion with its inner concave surface facing upward; and
- placing water within the volume defined the inner concave surface of the interred first portion or second portion to create a moat for the sand castle.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 13, 2005
Publication Date: Dec 15, 2005
Inventor: Karen Fitzgerald Buckley (Cotuit, MA)
Application Number: 11/150,901