PLAY STRUCTURE AND PLAY STRUCTURE ASSEMBLY METHODS
Embodiments relate generally to play structures and assembly methods for play structures. A play structure may comprise at least one floor panel comprising at least one hole into a side surface of the floor panel; at least one side wall panel configured to attach to the at least one floor panel and comprising at least one hole through the thickness of the side wall panel; and at least one bracket configured to at least temporarily attach the floor panel to the side wall panel, wherein the at least one bracket comprises: a first section configured to be inserted into and held in place within the hole of the floor panel; and a second section attached to the first section configured to protrude from the floor panel and to be inserted into and held in place within the hole of the side wall panel.
This application is a filing under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application No. PCT/US2019/012431 filed on Jan. 4, 2019, entitled “Play Structure and Play Structure Assembly Methods,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/613,739 filed Jan. 4, 2018 by Daniel Lipschitz, et al. and entitled “Dollhouse, dollhouse kit, and dollhouse assembly methods” which is incorporated herein by reference as if reproduced in its entirety.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIXNot applicable.
BACKGROUNDTypical children's play structures (including play houses, play tables, and/or play stations) may be sold to consumers at least partially disassembled and contained within a box or packaging. The play structures may then be assembled by the user, using the parts and instructions associated with the play structure.
SUMMARYThe described designs provide for easily assembled dollhouses and other toy structures designed to be provided in a packaged or kit form to consumers that provide for easy assembly techniques.
In an embodiment, a play structure may comprise at least one floor panel comprising at least one pre-drilled hole into a side surface of the floor panel; at least one side wall panel configured to attach to the at least one floor panel and comprising at least one pre-drilled hole through the thickness of the side wall panel; and at least one bracket configured to at least temporarily attach the floor panel to the side wall panel, wherein the at least one bracket comprises: a first section configured to be inserted into and held in place within the pre-drilled hole of the floor panel; and a second section attached to the first section configured to protrude from the floor panel and to be inserted into and held in place within the pre-drilled hole of the side wall panel.
In an embodiment, a method of assembling a play structure may comprise pre-drilling at least one hole in a side surface of a floor panel; pre-drilling at least one corresponding hole through the thickness of a side panel; attaching a first section of a bracket to the pre-drilled hole of the floor panel; positioning the side panel perpendicular to the floor panel; and attaching a second section of the bracket to the pre-drilled hole of the side panel, thereby at least temporarily securing the side panel to the floor panel.
In an embodiment, a play structure may comprise at least one floor panel comprising at least one cut-out into a surface of the floor panel; at least one back-wall panel configured to attach to the at least one floor panel; and at least one back-wall bracket configured to at least temporarily attach the floor panel to the back-wall panel, wherein the at least one back-wall bracket comprises: at least one connector configured to be inserted into the at least one cut-out of the floor panel; a front portion that is rounded to allow the back-wall panel to be pushed over the front portion; and a back portion that is spaced from the front portion to create a seat for the back-wall panel to be held between the front portion and the back portion.
In an embodiment, a method of assembling a play structure may comprise forming at least one cut-out into a surface of a floor panel; attaching at least one connector of at least one back-wall bracket into the at least one cut-out of the floor panel; positioning a back-wall panel perpendicular to the floor panel; pressing the back-wall panel against the back-wall bracket; flexing the back-wall panel over a front portion of the back-wall bracket that is rounded; and retaining the back-wall panel relative to the floor panel between the front portion of the back-wall bracket and a back portion of the back-wall bracket that is spaced from the front portion to create a seat for the back-wall panel to be held between the front portion and the back portion.
For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts.
It should be understood at the outset that although illustrative implementations of one or more embodiments are illustrated below, the disclosed systems and methods may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not yet in existence. The disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.
The following brief definition of terms shall apply throughout the application:
The term “comprising” means including but not limited to, and should be interpreted in the manner it is typically used in the patent context;
The phrases “in one embodiment,” “according to one embodiment,” and the like generally mean that the particular feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention, and may be included in more than one embodiment of the present invention (importantly, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment);
If the specification describes something as “exemplary” or an “example,” it should be understood that refers to a non-exclusive example;
The terms “about” or “approximately” or the like, when used with a number, may mean that specific number, or alternatively, a range in proximity to the specific number, as understood by persons of skill in the art field (for example, ±10%); and
If the specification states a component or feature “may,” “can,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “preferably,” “possibly,” “typically,” “optionally,” “for example,” “often,” or “might” (or other such language) be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is not required to be included or to have the characteristic. Such component or feature may be optionally included in some embodiments, or it may be excluded.
In the field of dollhouses and other toy or play structures, there have often been kits sold in which the end consumer, or the consumer parent, will assemble the final dollhouse or structure when received from the merchant. A difficulty with such structures is they can be large and have multiple pieces, and therefore they can be hard to assemble, which leads to a substantial amount of time for assembly, based upon the multiple pieces needing to be held in place and attached to one another. There have been many approaches in which these have been tried, the most common one would be simply to use fasteners such as screws or nails along with known wood routing and cutting techniques to make the pieces engage with each other. Problems with these types of approaches include that two or three or four pieces must be held simultaneously while they are fastened to one another. One approach for dealing with this would be to have press fit engagement between different pieces, but factors such as part size variation and/or changes in humidity causing wooden and/or medium density fiberboard (MDF) pieces to change in size makes such an approach difficult. Further, approaches that use complex structures in the final pieces can cause difficulty and expense in the manufacturing of those pieces in that expensive router cutting is necessary, as opposed to straight cut approaches (e.g., table saw or other straight cut saw approaches) which are less expensive compared to more complex routing that requires a substantial amount of additional labor costs.
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to brackets that may be used to temporarily affix panels of a play structure to one another, so that the panels may be positioned correctly for a user to permanently affix the panels to one another. Although the term “bracket” may be used throughout, a bracket could also be referred to as a connector, a physical communication apparatus, a brace, or another similar term, where the bracket may be described by its function to at least temporarily affix two panels. The brackets may be configured to affix two perpendicular panels to one another by fitting within holes and/or cut-outs formed within the panels. The brackets may comprise side wall brackets configured to affix a side wall to a floor panel, and/or back-wall brackets configured to affix a back wall to a floor panel.
Shown in
The floor panel assembly 200 of
The views shown in
Illustrated in
Illustrated in
Illustrated in
The lip 1101 may be configured to expand (e.g., back to its original shape) once pressed through the side panel. This keeps the bottom panel 102 and side panel 108 secured to one another. The top portion 1110 has a larger diameter than a bottom portion 1112 (e.g., a second portion) such that it will seat directly at the top of the holes in the side rails 204 to ensure correct depth of assembly of the wood rail of the floors and to the side panels. A cavity 1104 is provided that is coaxial through both of the top portion 1110 and bottom portion 1112, although not necessarily at the same diameter, to provide for passage of the screw through the bracket 202 and into the wood of the side rails 204, wherein a finishing screw may penetrate both the plastic of the bracket 202 and the wood into which the bracket 202 is inserted upon final assembly by the consumer. The side rails 204 might, for instance, have starter holes cut in the correct alignment to the holes in the brackets 202 so minimal screwing effort is required to effectively permanently affix the pieces together by the customer. Downward bearing ridges 1108 allow a tight fit to the wood of the side rails 204 and they further create a surface for the glue to adhere to. In some embodiments, the brackets 202 may be formed of a relatively porous material so that the glue can be absorbed to create a bond between the pieces with carpenter's glue or the like.
For both the brackets shown in
This unique structure allows the customer or consumer (or other assembler) to simply push the back panel 110 to the back of the open areas between the floors and against the rounded faces 1305 until the back panel 110 are engaged and seat into the seat 1311. This structure, along with the flexure of the relatively thin MDF back panels 110 (e.g., 3 mm thick) makes possible a very efficient assembly of the play structure 100, especially in connection with the other improved assembly techniques and structures described herein.
Illustrated in
The top portion 1810 may have a larger diameter than the bottom portion 1812 such that it will seat directly at the top of the holes in the floor panel to ensure correct depth of assembly of the floor panel(s) to the side panel(s). The size (or diameter) or the top portion 1810 may be determined based on the size of the floor panel with which the bracket 1802 will be used, where it may be desired for the top portion 1810 to not extend beyond the edges of the floor panel. For example, if the floor panel comprises a thickness of approximately 3 mm, the diameter of the top portion 1810 may be equal to or less than 3 mm. Similarly, if the floor panel comprises a thickness of approximately 9 mm, the diameter of the top portion 1810 may be equal to or less than 9 mm.
In some embodiments, the bottom portion 1812 may comprise cutouts 1808 configured to allow glue or other adhesive to flow between each side of the bottom portion 1812 and create a surface to which the glue may adhere between the bottom portion 1812 and the interior surface of the hole in the floor panel. In some embodiments, a portion of the bracket 1802 may be formed of a relatively porous material so that the glue can be absorbed to create a bond between the pieces with carpenter's glue or the like.
The top portion 1910 may have a larger diameter than the bottom portion 1912 such that it will seat directly at the top of the holes in the floor panel to ensure correct depth of assembly of the floor panel(s) to the side panel(s). The size (or diameter) or the top portion 1910 may be determined based on the size of the floor panel with which the bracket 1902 will be used, where it may be desired for the top portion 1910 to not extend beyond the edges of the floor panel. For example, if the floor panel comprises a thickness of approximately 3 mm, the diameter of the top portion 1910 may be equal to or less than 3 mm. Similarly, if the floor panel comprises a thickness of approximately 9 mm, the diameter of the top portion 1910 may be equal to or less than 9 mm.
In some embodiments, the bottom portion 1912 may comprise cutouts 1908 configured to allow glue or other adhesive to flow between each side of the bottom portion 1912 and create a surface to which the glue may adhere between the bottom portion 1912 and the interior surface of the hole in the floor panel. In some embodiments, a portion of the bracket 1902 may be formed of a relatively porous material so that the glue can be absorbed to create a bond between the pieces with carpenter's glue or the like.
This unique structure allows the customer or consumer (or other assembler) to simply push the back walls to the back of the open areas between the floors and against the faces 2105 until the back walls are engaged and held between the retaining wall 2104 and the tapered edge 2106. This structure, along with the flexure of the relatively thin MDF back walls (e.g., 3 mm thick) makes possible a very efficient assembly of the overall structure, especially in connection with the other improved assembly techniques and structures described herein.
As shown in
The floor panel 2400 may also comprise one or more dowels 2402 (which may be similar to the brackets described above) configured to temporarily secure a side panel to the floor panel 2400. The floor panel 2400 may also comprise one or more screw-holes 2403 (which may have been pre-drilled or molded, for example, prior to provision to a consumer) configured to receive a screw that may permanently attach a side panel to the floor panel 2400. In some embodiments, the floor panel 2400 may be used with other similarly molded and integrated panels, or it may be used as one of many floor panels in a structure that comprise different shapes and elements.
Having described various devices and methods herein, exemplary embodiments or aspects can include, but are not limited to:
In a first embodiment, a play structure may comprise at least one floor panel comprising at least one pre-drilled hole into a side surface of the floor panel; at least one side wall panel configured to attach to the at least one floor panel and comprising at least one pre-drilled hole through the thickness of the side wall panel; and at least one bracket configured to at least temporarily attach the floor panel to the side wall panel, wherein the at least one bracket comprises: a first section configured to be inserted into and held in place within the pre-drilled hole of the floor panel; and a second section attached to the first section configured to protrude from the floor panel and to be inserted into and held in place within the pre-drilled hole of the side wall panel.
A second embodiment can include the play structure of the first embodiment, wherein the bracket further comprises at least one cavity to allow a screw to pass through the bracket to permanently attach the side wall panel to the floor panel.
A third embodiment can include the play structure of the first or second embodiments, wherein the pre-drilled hole of the floor panel is in a side rail of the floor panel.
A fourth embodiment can include the play structure of any of the first through third embodiments, wherein the first section of the bracket is held in place within the pre-drilled hole of the floor panel by friction ridges.
A fifth embodiment can include the play structure of any of the first through fourth embodiments, wherein the first section of the bracket is held in place within the pre-drilled hole of the floor panel by adhesive.
A sixth embodiment can include the play structure of the fifth embodiment, wherein the first section of the bracket comprises one or more cut-outs configured to allow the adhesive to flow through the first section of the bracket.
A seventh embodiment can include the play structure of any of the first through sixth embodiments, wherein the second section of the bracket is held in place within the pre-drilled hole of the side wall panel by a compressible lip.
An eighth embodiment can include the play structure of any of the first through seventh embodiments, wherein the second section of the bracket is held in place within the pre-drilled hole of the side wall panel by friction ridges.
A ninth embodiment can include the play structure of any of the first through eighth embodiments, wherein the diameter of the second section is greater than the diameter of the first section, creating a seat for the second section to be pressed against the floor panel while protruding from the floor panel.
A tenth embodiment can include the play structure of any of the first through ninth embodiments, wherein the diameter of the first section is less than the thickness of the floor panel.
In an eleventh embodiment, a method of assembling a play structure may comprise pre-drilling at least one hole in a side surface of a floor panel; pre-drilling at least one corresponding hole through the thickness of a side panel; attaching a first section of a bracket to the pre-drilled hole of the floor panel; positioning the side panel perpendicular to the floor panel; and attaching a second section of the bracket to the pre-drilled hole of the side panel, thereby at least temporarily securing the side panel to the floor panel.
A twelfth embodiment can include the method of the eleventh embodiment, further comprising permanently attaching the side panel to the floor panel via a screw.
A thirteenth embodiment can include the method of the twelfth embodiment, wherein the screw passes through at least a portion of the bracket.
A fourteenth embodiment can include the method of the twelfth or thirteenth embodiments, wherein the screw passes through a second pre-drilled hole in the floor panel and a second pre-drilled hole in the side panel.
A fifteenth embodiment can include the method of any of the eleventh through fourteenth embodiments, wherein attaching a first section of a bracket to the pre-drilled hole of the floor panel comprises attaching via adhesive.
In a sixteenth embodiment, a play structure may comprise at least one floor panel comprising at least one cut-out into a surface of the floor panel; at least one back-wall panel configured to attach to the at least one floor panel; and at least one back-wall bracket configured to at least temporarily attach the floor panel to the back-wall panel, wherein the at least one back-wall bracket comprises: at least one connector configured to be inserted into the at least one cut-out of the floor panel; a front portion that is rounded to allow the back-wall panel to be pushed over the front portion; and a back portion that is spaced from the front portion to create a seat for the back-wall panel to be held between the front portion and the back portion.
A seventeenth embodiment can include the play structure of the sixteenth embodiment, wherein the back portion of the back-wall bracket comprises a lip configured to fit within a slot of a side rail of the floor panel.
An eighteenth embodiment can include the play structure of the sixteenth or seventeenth embodiments, wherein the at least one connector of the back-wall bracket comprises a groove configured to fit around the cut-out into the surface of the floor panel.
A nineteenth embodiment can include the play structure of any of the sixteenth through eighteenth embodiments, wherein the back portion of the back-wall bracket comprises a retaining wall configured to extend vertically from the floor panel.
A twentieth embodiment can include the play structure of any of the sixteenth through nineteenth embodiments, wherein the at least one connector allows the at least one back-wall bracket to be connected to another back-wall bracket through the cut-out of the floor panel.
In a twenty-first embodiment, a method of assembling a play structure may comprise forming at least one cut-out into a surface of a floor panel; attaching at least one connector of at least one back-wall bracket into the at least one cut-out of the floor panel; positioning a back-wall panel perpendicular to the floor panel; pressing the back-wall panel against the back-wall bracket; flexing the back-wall panel over a front portion of the back-wall bracket that is rounded; and retaining the back-wall panel relative to the floor panel between the front portion of the back-wall bracket and a back portion of the back-wall bracket that is spaced from the front portion to create a seat for the back-wall panel to be held between the front portion and the back portion.
A twenty-second embodiment can include the method of the twenty-first embodiment, wherein forming at least one cut-out into a surface of a floor panel comprises forming a semicircular cut-out into a back surface of the floor panel.
A twenty-third embodiment can include the method of the twenty-second embodiment, wherein attaching at least one connector of at least one back-wall bracket into the at least one cut-out of the floor panel comprises fitting a groove of the back-wall bracket over the semicircular cut-out; and retaining the back-wall bracket between the semicircular cut-out and a side rail of the floor panel.
A twenty-fourth embodiment can include the method of any of the twenty-first through twenty-third embodiment, wherein forming at least one cut-out into a surface of a floor panel comprises forming at least one hole through the thickness of the floor panel.
A twenty-fifth embodiment can include the method of the twenty-fourth embodiment, wherein attaching at least one connector of at least one back-wall bracket into the at least one cut-out of the floor panel comprises inserting at least one connector of the back wall into the at least one hole through the thickness of the floor panel.
A twenty-sixth embodiment can include the method of the twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth embodiment, wherein attaching at least one connector of at least one back-wall bracket into the at least one cut-out of the floor panel comprises attaching the at least one connector of a first back-wall bracket positioned on one side of the floor panel to the at least one connector of a second back-wall bracket position on the opposite side of the floor panel, wherein the connectors attach through the at least one hole through the floor panel.
In a twenty-seventh embodiment, a play structure comprising a floor panel assembly comprising a side rail and a floor panel, the side rail having a hole within the side rail, a side panel configured to attach to the floor panel assembly and comprising a hole through a thickness of the side panel, and a bracket configured to attach the floor panel to the side panel, wherein the bracket comprises a first portion configured to be inserted into and held in place within the hole of the floor panel and a second portion attached to the first portion configured to protrude from the floor panel when the bracket is disposed within the hole of the floor panel and to engage the hole of the side panel.
A twenty-eighth embodiment can include the play structure of the twenty-seventh embodiment, wherein the bracket further comprises a cavity configured to receive a screw to pass there-through the bracket so as to permanently attach the side panel to the floor panel.
A twenty-ninth embodiment can include the play structure of one of the twenty-seventh through twenty-eighth embodiments, wherein the first portion of the bracket is configured to be held in place within the hole of the floor panel by friction ridges.
A thirtieth embodiment can include the play structure of one of the twenty-seventh or twenty-ninth embodiments, wherein the first portion of the bracket is held in place within the hole of the floor panel by adhesive.
A thirty-first embodiment can include the play structure of one of the twenty-seventh through thirtieth embodiments, wherein the first portion of the bracket comprises one or more cut-outs configured to allow the adhesive to flow through the first portion of the bracket.
A thirty-second embodiment can include the play structure of one of the twenty-seventh through thirty-first embodiments, wherein the second portion of the bracket comprises a compressible lip configured to engage the hole of the side panel.
A thirty-third embodiment can include the play structure of one of the twenty-seventh through thirty-second embodiments, wherein the second portion of the bracket comprises friction ridges configured to engage the hole of the side panel.
A thirty-fourth embodiment can include the play structure of one of the twenty-seventh through thirty-third embodiments, wherein a diameter of the second portion is greater than a diameter of the first portion, and wherein the bracket comprises a seat at which the first portion meets the second portion.
A thirty-fifth embodiment can include the play structure of one of the twenty-seventh through thirty-fourth embodiments, wherein a diameter of the first portion is less than the thickness of the floor panel.
In a thirty-sixth embodiment, a method of providing a play structure for later assembly by a consumer, the method comprising providing a floor panel assembly comprising a side rail and a floor panel, the side rail having a hole within the side rail, providing a side panel configured to attach to the floor panel assembly and comprising a hole through a thickness of the side panel, and providing a bracket configured to attach the floor panel to the side panel, wherein the bracket is configured to be disposed within and attached to, via a first portion of the bracket, to the hole of the floor panel, and wherein the bracket is configured to be disposed within the hole of the floor panel and so as to engage the hole of the side panel, via a second portion of the bracket.
In s thirty-seventh embodiment, a play structure comprising a floor panel assembly comprising a floor panel comprising a cut-out within a surface of the floor panel, a back panel, and a back-wall bracket configured to attach the floor panel to the back panel, wherein the back bracket configured to be inserted into the cut-out of the floor panel and comprising a front portion that is rounded to allow the back panel to be pushed over the front portion and a back portion that comprises a seat configured to receive the back panel.
A thirty-eighth embodiment can include the play structure of the thirty-seventh embodiment, wherein the back portion of the back-wall bracket comprises a lip configured to fit within a slot of a side rail of the floor panel assembly.
A thirty-ninth embodiment can include the play structure of one of the thirty-seventh or thirty-eighth embodiments, wherein the back-wall bracket comprises a groove configured to receive the floor panel.
In a fortieth embodiment, a play structure comprising a floor panel assembly comprising a floor panel comprising a cut-out within a surface of the floor panel, a back panel, and a back-wall bracket configured to attach the floor panel to the back panel, wherein the back-wall bracket comprises a connector configured to be received within the cut-out of the floor panel a first portion comprising a retaining wall and a second portion spaced apart from the first portion and configured to allow the back-wall panel to be pushed there-over a seat configured to receive the back-wall panel so as to hold the back-wall panel between the first portion and the second portion.
A forty-first embodiment can include the play structure of the fortieth embodiment, wherein the retaining wall extends vertically from the floor panel.
A forty-second embodiment can include the play structure of one of the fortieth through forty-first embodiments, wherein the connector is configured to be connected to another back-wall bracket through the cut-out of the floor panel.
While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. A few preferred embodiments have been described in detail herein. It is to be understood that the scope of the invention also comprehends embodiments different from those described, yet within the scope of the claims. Various other modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description. It is therefore intended that subsequent claims encompass such modifications or embodiments.
Claims
1. A play structure comprising:
- a floor panel assembly comprising a side rail and a floor panel, the side rail having a hole within the side rail;
- a side panel configured to attach to the floor panel assembly and comprising a hole through a thickness of the side panel; and
- a bracket configured to attach the floor panel to the side panel, wherein the bracket comprises: a first portion configured to be inserted into and held in place within the hole of the floor panel; and a second portion attached to the first portion configured to protrude from the floor panel when the bracket is disposed within the hole of the floor panel and to engage the hole of the side panel.
2. The play structure of claim 1, wherein the bracket further comprises a cavity configured to receive a screw to pass there-through the bracket so as to permanently attach the side panel to the floor panel.
3. The play structure of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the bracket is configured to be held in place within the hole of the floor panel by friction ridges.
4. The play structure of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the bracket is held in place within the hole of the floor panel by adhesive.
5. The play structure of claim 5, wherein the first portion of the bracket comprises one or more cut-outs configured to allow the adhesive to flow through the first portion of the bracket.
6. The play structure of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the bracket comprises a compressible lip configured to engage the hole of the side panel.
7. The play structure of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the bracket comprises friction ridges configured to engage the hole of the side panel.
8. The play structure of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the second portion is greater than a diameter of the first portion, and wherein the bracket comprises a seat at which the first portion meets the second portion.
9. The play structure of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the first portion is less than the thickness of the floor panel.
10. A play structure comprising:
- a floor panel assembly comprising a floor panel comprising a cut-out within a surface of the floor panel;
- a back panel; and
- a back-wall bracket configured to attach the floor panel to the back panel, wherein the back-wall bracket comprises: a front portion that is rounded to allow the back panel to be pushed over the front portion; and a back portion that comprises a seat configured to receive the back panel.
11. The play structure of claim 10, wherein the back portion of the back-wall bracket further comprises a lip configured to fit within a slot of a side rail of the floor panel assembly.
12. The play structure of claim 10, wherein the back-wall bracket comprises a groove configured to receive the floor panel.
13. The play structure of claim 10, wherein the back-wall bracket further comprises a connector configured to be received within the cut-out of the floor panel.
14. The play structure of claim 10, wherein the seat is further configured to hold the back-wall panel between the front portion and the back portion.
15. The play structure of claim 10, wherein the front portion comprises a retaining wall.
16. The play structure of claim 15, wherein the retaining wall extends vertically from the floor panel.
17. The play structure of claim 13, wherein the connector is configured to be connected to another back-wall bracket through the cut-out of the floor panel.
18. A method of providing a play structure for later assembly by a consumer, the method comprising:
- providing a floor panel assembly comprising a side rail and a floor panel, the side rail having a hole within the side rail;
- providing a side panel configured to attach to the floor panel assembly and comprising a hole through a thickness of the side panel; and
- providing a bracket configured to attach the floor panel to the side panel.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the bracket is configured to be disposed within and attached to, via a first portion of the bracket, to the hole of the floor panel.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the bracket is configured to be disposed within the hole of the floor panel and so as to engage the hole of the side panel, via a second portion of the bracket.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 4, 2019
Publication Date: Jan 14, 2021
Inventors: Daniel Lipschitz (Dallas, TX), Jake Warren (Dallas, TX), Grayson T. Gary (Carrollton, TX)
Application Number: 16/958,395