The present invention relates to an easily assembled and disassembled shade-providing structure, such as may be mounted to a playground assembly. The shade-providing structure comprises an outer frame defining an interior space and a canopy that may be positioned in that interior space. The canopy has one or more rods around its periphery, such as may be inserted through one or more pockets in the canopy fabric. Each of the outer frame and the rod(s) has a set of apertures configured to receive a locking fastener and a set of apertures configured to receive a jack screw or similar tensioning device. Accordingly, to assembly the structure, one or more jack screws can be used to provide the canopy with a desired tension and then locking fasteners can be used to secure the canopy to the outer frame.

A play apparatus has plural types of elevated equipment, namely a ropes course and a zip coaster. Both types of elevated equipment have respective user safety supports that extend along the respective equipment and receive a safety harness worn by a user. The user need not change safety harnesses to use the different types of equipment. The entry and exit locations for the elevated equipment are in a common area elevated above the ground. A third type of equipment, namely an obstacle course, is located under and above the common area.

A playground structure may include a body, a piezoelectric sensor carried by the body and configured to detect a touch input on adjacent portions of the body, and an output device configured to generate audio indicators. The playground structure may include a controller coupled to the output device and the piezoelectric sensor and configured to selectively change the audio indicators based upon the touch input.

A grip is suitable for sporting or recreational equipment having bars that intersect to form nodes. Fasteners, such as a bolt, washer and nut, can secure the bars together at each respective node. Each grip can include a grip body secured to respective ones of the nodes. Each grip body can have a hole through which a respective bolt extends, and a light assembly recess. A light assembly can be mounted in the respective light assembly recess of the grip body, and the light assembly can illuminate the grip.

The invention relates to a playground comprising a number of pillars of a circular cross sectional area, and a series of playground elements including floor panels and side panels, and a series of brackets for attachment of the playground elements to the pillars. The brackets comprise an element coupling portion adapted to be fastened to a playground element and a pillar coupling portion adapted to be fastened to a side portion of a pillar. Here, the pillar coupling portion comprising a contact face curved to lie against pillar and a boring for receiving a fastening member which is oriented such that the bracket when fastened to the pillar is attached by the fastening member inserted from the bracket and into the pillar in a radial direction of the pillar. The series of brackets comprises brackets with element coupling portions adapted to be fastened to each of the playground elements in the series of playground elements, and all the brackets in the series comprise essentially identical pillar coupling portions such that all the brackets are adapted to be attached to the pillars in the same way. The invention also relates to a method of assembling such a playground. The series of playground elements may include floor panels, side panels, a series of bars of predefined diameters and chains.

An exercise machine. The machine comprises a frame with front and rear upper support beams. Guide rails span between the two support beams and are connected thereto. Right and left handles are configured to slide back and forth along the length of the guide rails between the front and rear support beams. During operation of the machine, a user grabs the handles and moves them back and forth in a swinging motion that mimics traversing a set of monkey bars. The guide rails may be arranged in a non-parallel configuration to provide a more natural path for the user's hands during operation and to reduce unwanted stress on the user's shoulders by limiting handle movement along the path to accommodate a more comfortable range of motion.

The present disclosure is directed to climbing units that provide an enhanced play experience through the incorporation of any of a variety of elements including nets, suspended portions, and coupling elements, and to playground structures that contain those climbing units. In some embodiments, the climber unit may comprise one or more rigid portions and one or more net-containing portions connected end-to-end to produce a continuous climbing pathway. In other embodiments, the climber unit may comprise one or more rigid portions and one or more suspended portions connected end-to-end to produce a continuous climbing pathway. The suspended portion may be attached to adjacent rigid portions by flexible couplers, such that the suspended portion will move when a child climbs through it. In other embodiments, the climber unit may be mounted to an elevated playground structure such that there are no footers connecting the climber unit to the ground.

The present invention relates to an easily assembled and disassembled shade-providing structure, such as may be mounted to a playground assembly. The shade-providing structure comprises an outer frame defining an interior space and a canopy that may be positioned in that interior space. The canopy has one or more rods around its periphery, such as may be inserted through one or more pockets in the canopy fabric. Each of the outer frame and the rod(s) has a set of apertures configured to receive a locking fastener and a set of apertures configured to receive a jack screw or similar tensioning device. Accordingly, to assembly the structure, one or more jack screws can be used to provide the canopy with a desired tension and then locking fasteners can be used to secure the canopy to the outer frame.

A suspension training based functional fitness element (11, 31) comprising: an essentially planar element (22) having an upper edge, a lower edge and two side edges, said planar element (22) being designed to form a pivotable connection to a support element (32) along said upper edge of the planar element (22), a first elongated element (23, 32, 52) connected to said planar element (22) at a first connection point at said lower edge of the planar element (22), a second elongated element (23, 32, 52) connected to said planar element (22) at a second connection point at said lower edge of the planar element (22), and a first and second handle (24), said first and second handle (24) being connected to said first and second elongated elements (23) respectively, whereby that said first and second connection points are arranged such that there is a horizontal offset between the first and second connection points and such that there is a vertical offset between the first connection point and the pivotable connection and a vertical offset between the second connection point and the pivotable connection.

The invention relates to a playground comprising a number of pillars of a circular cross sectional area, and a series of playground elements including floor panels and side panels, and a series of brackets for attachment of the playground elements to the pillars. The brackets comprise an element coupling portion adapted to be fastened to a playground element and a pillar coupling portion adapted to be fastened to a side portion of a pillar. Here, the pillar coupling portion comprising a contact face curved to lie against pillar and a boring for receiving a fastening member which is oriented such that the bracket when fastened to the pillar is attached by the fastening member inserted from the bracket and into the pillar in a radial direction of the pillar. The series of brackets comprises brackets with element coupling portions adapted to be fastened to each of the playground elements in the series of playground elements, and all the brackets in the series comprise essentially identical pillar coupling portions such that all the brackets are adapted to be attached to the pillars in the same way. The invention also relates to a method of assembling such a playground. The series of playground elements may include floor panels, side panels, a series of bars of predefined diameters and chains.