Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2150622
TOBOGGAN
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to sliding toys and more
particularly to toboggan type sleds.
5 BACKGROUND
The traditional toboggan is a long wooden structure with a
front end that is curved up and to the rear. Toboggans of this sort are
difficult to transport, often uncomfortable to ride on without padding and
can be unsafe. Another known sliding device is a single sheet of flexible
10 plastic with a hand hold at one end. This cannot be steered and is generally
uncomfortable to use.
The present invention proposes a novel toboggan construction
that enjoys certain benefits compared with known toboggans.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a
toboggan comprising:
an elongate flexible base sheet;
flexible, resilient cushions on the base sheet, including:
at least one seat cushion extending from a back end of0 the base sheet towards a front end of the base sheet; and
a plurality of front cushions spaced apart along the base
sheet between the seat cushion and the front end of the base sheet.
The front end of the toboggan can be rolled and may be
fastened in the rolled up condition by tethers on opposite sides of the
25 toboggan. This provides the toboggan with the traditional upwardly and
rearwardly curved front section.
It is preferred that the toboggan is made from a base sheet of
puncture and abrasion resistant, nylon reinforced vinyl with good cold
2150622
resistance and a low coefficient friction with snow. The cushions are
preferably made of resilient foamed synthetic plastic. The base cushion may
be made of a soft foam, for example polyurethane foam and the front
cushions of a harder, more impact resistant foam, for example polyethylene
5 foam. All of the cushions are preferably constructed of a material that has a
good resilient memory.
It is preferred that the seat can be folded in half to a length
approximately the same as the extended length of the front section. This
allows the toboggan to be folded flat for transport and storage. For carrying
10 purposes, the tethers for the front end and a handle across the back can be
used as a combined handle.
In use, the toboggan is found to follow the surface contours of
a slope. It provides better comfort than the known toboggans. It has been
found to be resistant to flipping over in use since the edges of the toboggan
15 do not catch.
The toboggan may be equipped with grommets at the side
edges, for attachment to a towing rope, and for attaching toboggans
together either end to end or side by side.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a
20 toboggan comprising:
a flexible base sheet having a front end and a back end;
a seat cushion on a top surface of the base sheet and
extending forwardly from the back end of the base sheet;
an intermediate sheet of flexible material extending along the
25 base sheet from adjacent the seat cushion to the front end of the base
sheet, the intermediate sheet being secured to the base sheet only adjacent
the periphery of the base sheet;
21s0622
a plurality of front cushions spaced apart along the intermediate
sheet between the seat cushion and the front end of the base sheet; and
a top sheet extending over the seat and front cushions and
secured to the base sheet around the periphery of the base sheet, and
5 secured to the intermediate sheet around the periphery of each front
cushion .
This construction eliminates lateral seams in the base surface,
so that there is a smooth, uninterrupted sliding surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary
embodiment of the invention:
Figure 1 is an isometric view of a toboggan according to the
present invention;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the toboggan laid flat;
Figure 3 is a side view of the toboggan laid flat;
Figure 4 is a side view of the front section of the toboggan
rolled;
Figure 5 is a side view of the toboggan folded; and
Figure 6 is a cross section along lines 5-5 of Figure 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a
toboggan 10 with a rear seat section 12 and an upwardly and rearwardly
curved front section 14. The front section is one half the length of the seat
25 section. When the toboggan is set up for use, as shown in Figure 1, the
end of the front section is fastened to the seat section by tethers 16 on
opposite sides of the toboggan. Each tether is a webbing strap 18 fastened
` 2l5o622
at one end to the side of the toboggan. A snap 20 on the other end of the
strap engages a grommet 22 on the front section 14 of the toboggan to
retain the front in its curved condition.
Two additional grommets 24 are located at the sides of the
5 toboggan partway along the front section. These may be used for
attachment to a towing line. Two rear grommets 26 are located at the rear
corners of the seat section 12. These may be used for attachment to the
front grommets 22 of another toboggan to produce a composite extended
length toboggan if desired.
Across the rear edge of the seat section is a webbing cross
strap 28.
The toboggan has a seat cushion 30 that extends from adjacent
the rear end of the seat section to the front section. It is spaced in slightly
from the side and rear edges of the toboggan. The front section has a set
15 of similar cushions arranged in sequence from the seat cushion to the front
end of the toboggan. They are all rectangular and extend from side to side
of the toboggan. The cushion 32 adjacent the seat cushion 30 is followed
by three shorter cushions 34 which are in turn followed by a longer cushion
36 at the end of the front section. The front cushions are spaced apart by
20 gaps 38 so that the front of the toboggan can be rolled as shown in Figures
1 and 4, and the tether hooks 20 snapped onto the grommets 22.
The physical construction of the toboggan is illustrated most
particularly in Figure 6. As illustrated, the toboggan includes a rectangular
base sheet 42. This is a nylon reinforced vinyl sheet selected to have good
25 resistance to puncture and abrasion, good flexibility on cold and a low cold
inter friction on snow. The front cushions are rectangular panels of foamed
polyethylene, and the seat cushions are panels of polyurethane foam. In the
2150622
front section of the toboggan, an intermediate sheet 44 of vinyl is
interposed between the cushions 32, 34 and 36 and the base sheet 42.
This sheet is then folded around the front cushion 36 to extend across the
full top of the toboggan as a top sheet 46. The top sheet 46, the
5 intermediate sheet 44 and the base sheet 42 are sealed together around the
periphery of the toboggan by heat sealing. This provides a rim 48 along the
sides and back of the toboggan. The grommets are attached to this rim.
The top sheet 46 extends down to the intermediate sheet 44 between the
cushions 32, 34 and 36 and is fastened to the intermediate sheet at that
10 point. It is also fastened to the intermediate sheet between the seat cushion 30 and the front cushion 32. This provides good fold lines in the front
section, allowing it to be curled up in a smooth arc since no seams are
formed in the base sheet across the front section.
The disclosed toboggan can be used not only as a toboggan in
15 the set up condition shown in Figure 1, but also as a cushion when laid flat.It may be folded up for transport as illustrated particularly by Figure 5.
When folded as shown in that figure, the tether hooks 20 may be snapped
together to form a cross strap across the juncture between the front and
seat sections. With a fold 50 in the seat, the cross strap 28 will be adjacent
20 the tether 16. The two may be gripped by a single hand as a handle for
transporting the toboggan.
While one embodiment of the present invention has been
described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments
within the scope of the invention. The invention is to be considered limited
25 solely by the scope of the appended claims.
