Folding cardboard playhouse

Abstract

A folding playhouse for recreational use by small children. The playhouse is of a single piece of rigid cardboard held together at its ends by strips of adhesive back hook and loop fasteners to form four walls. The playhouse has an integral roof formed by the same means. The playhouse folds flat for storage by means of an accordion style fold.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING

[0003] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] 1. Field of Endeavor

[0005] The present invention falls under Class 446—Amusement Devices: Toys, Subclass 478, a collapsible toy building. This collapsible playhouse is intended primarily for play by small children. It would not be suitable as an actual form of housing if made on a larger scale. The structure of the playhouse is such that is can be folded to reduce the size of the playhouse, making it easy to store.

[0006] 2. Background Information

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide an easily assembled playhouse for the use of young children in a recreational setting.

[0008] It is the further object of the present invention to be of a size which can be conveniently used for the recreation of small children in most homes.

[0009] It is the further object of the present invention to be, when folded, of a size easily stored in most homes. The method by which the playhouse folds is intended to be simple and to reduce the volume of the invention to a very small size.

[0010] It is the further object of the present invention to fold in such a manner as to not compromise the integrity of the assembled structure: the roof of the playhouse does not fold down when folded for storage, therefore that part of the structure is not weakened by undo stress.

[0011] It is the further object of the present invention to be constructed of materials that are lightweight yet durable. This includes the mechanism by which the playhouse is joined together when assembled, which is a hook and loop fastener system.

[0012] Several products similar to the present invention were found, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,119 which is a “collapsible playhouse made of two equal parts.” The playhouse described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,119 is of two parts which must be “taped or hinged together” in order to assemble the playhouse. Also found was U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,982, a “folding play structure” which is held together by interlocking cardboard tabs which are an integral part of the house itself. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,664, which is a complicated playhouse of multiple parts which could possibly be held together with hook and loop fasteners.

[0013] The prior art is unsatisfactory because it requires multiple parts to make up the construction of the whole play house. Some of these structures must be joined using tape, glue, or some other means rather than their method ofjoining being an integral part of the structure. Others which are held together with hook and loop fasteners are made of several parts, making them difficult to assemble, disassemble, and store.

[0014] The prior art is also unsatisfactory because once such aforementioned structures are assembled, they are impossible to disassemble without causing damage to the structure.

[0015] The prior art is also unsatisfactory because the method by which it folds is not easily stored.

[0016] The prior art is also unsatisfactory in that prior one piece playhouses are joined together by means of integral cardboard interlocking tabs which, after use, become weakened, making the structure unstable and difficult to hold together.

[0017] While the present invention shows similarities to single aspects of several different past inventions, none were found with all of the components of the present invention under one patent.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, easy to assemble, lightweight reusable playhouse for use by young children in a recreational setting. The playhouse is made from rigid cardboard material, making it inexpensive and easy to manage. The playhouse is a single piece of precut cardboard, which when assembled, forms a playhouse of four walls, a roof, and no floor. The ends of the cardboard are joined together to form the playhouse using a hook and loop system. The walls are defined by score lines that are perpendicular to the floor and which divide the playhouse into four equal sections; said score lines form 90 degree angles, making the assembled playhouse approximately a square. The roof of the playhouse is an integral part of the structure, the sections of the roof being extensions of the four walls and are joined together by the hook and loop system to form the roof. The playhouse has a swinging door for access to the defined interior play space.

[0019] The present invention is an improvement over prior art in that:

[0020] The size of the present invention is large enough to define an adequate play area for small children, but small enough to be used, when assembled, indoors in most homes.

[0021] The present invention is made of one piece and does not require any outside means for assembly.

[0022] The present invention lacks protruding tabs, intended to hold the house together, which may be torn off easily, weakening the playhouse.

[0023] The present invention uses a hook and loop system to hold it together when assembled; this system being more durable than what has been used in prior art.

[0024] The present invention folds easily for storage using an accordion fold, which can be completed by adults or children, making the playhouse more practical for use than the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0025] FIG. 1: Assembled Playhouse

[0026] FIG. 2: Beginning Accordion Fold, Inside View

[0027] FIG. 3: Beginning Accordion Fold, Outside View

[0028] FIG. 4: Flat view of entire playhouse

[0029] FIG. 5: Playhouse Disassembled and Folded Flat for Storage

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The present invention relates to a one piece foldable playhouse which, when erected, is adequate in size to accommodate small children and, when not in use, folds simply to a size that is easily stored. The playhouse is comprised of a single piece of rigid cardboard as in FIG. 4.

[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates the appearance of the playhouse when assembled.

[0032] Said assembly is achieved by first joining the edge of FIG. 2 Reference D to extension FIG. 2 Reference E by means of a hook and loop fastener system attached by adhesive to both parts; one component of the hook and loop system being attached to extension FIG. 2 Reference E, the corresponding part of the hook and loop fastener system being attached to the outer edge of FIG. 2 Reference D which is on the inside of the playhouse when said playhouse is assembled.

[0033] The roof panels illustrated in FIG. 4 References M and N bend downward at an angle, which is defined by the pitch of the roof, and are secured by means of the hook and loop fastener system, M being joined to References P and Q, N being joined to References R and 0. One component of the hook and loop fastener system being attached by adhesive to 0, P, Q, and R and the corresponding component of the hook and loop fastener system being attached to the outer side edges which are on the inside of the erected house of M and N by means of adhesive.

[0034] When said playhouse is erected, it forms an approximate square having four walls whose corners are defined by score line in FIG. 2, reference F, G, and H, the fourth corner of said approximate square being formed when the edge of FIG. 2 panel D is joined to extension 2E. The interior space formed by the assembled unit defines an approximate square and a triangular gabled roof of predetermined pitch, as in FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 5 illustrates the playhouse when folded flat for storage. In order to achieve the fold illustrated in FIG. 5, FIG. 2 Reference D is folded along score line H in FIG. 2 to meet FIG. 2 Reference C, FIG. 3 Reference K folds along score line G in FIG. 2 to meet FIG. 3 Reference J, and FIG. 2 Reference B folds along score line F in FIG. 2 to meet FIG. 2 Reference A, which produces a flat article such as in FIG. 5.

Claims

1. A one piece folding collapsible play house made of one continuous piece of rigid cardboard having walls comprised of four equal sides which are defined by scores which form approximate ninety degree corners when said playhouse is assembled by folding along said scores forming an approximate square; also, said playhouse includes an integrated roof formed by two gabled ends which are contiguous parts of opposite walls and two main roof sections which are contiguous parts of the other two opposite walls which, when said main roof sections are folded downward to form an approximate forty five degree angle rest upon the gabled ends, forming a roof with a peak and definite pitch.

2. The means of assembling and joining together said playhouse being adhesive backed interlocking hook and loop fastener strips which are attached by said adhesive backing to a contiguous extension, also of cardboard, along one end of said playhouse which joins with the inside surface of the opposite end of said playhouse forming an approximate square when joined; also, the roof sections of said playhouse are joined by the same means, extensions along the sides of the gabled ends of the roof which join to the main sections of the roof by means of the adhesive backed hook and loop fastener system to the inside of the main sections of the roof forming the predetermined pitch of the roof, with the gabled ends supporting the main roof sections.

3. A method of folding the one piece playhouse in which all four walls and the gable and main sections of the roof remain in their original orientation, that is, the roof sections do not fold down when the playhouse is folded for storage.

4. As in claim 3, the method of folding said playhouse being: bringing the inside of the first wall, which is the front side of the playhouse, against the inside of the second wall, which is a gabled end of the playhouse, then bringing the outside of that gabled end against the outside of the next contiguous section of the playhouse, which is the back side of the playhouse, then bringing the inside of that back section of the playhouse against the last contiguous section of the playhouse, which is the other gabled end causing it to fold flat.