Water mat play apparatus

Abstract

A children's play apparatus includes a sealed enclosure surrounding an internal chamber configured to contain a quantity of liquid therein, the sealed enclosure incorporating at least one stationary design element, and also including at least one mobile element positioned within the internal chamber and configured to float within the quantity of liquid. The apparatus may be configured to attach to a play mat of a children's play gym, and in some forms, the apparatus has a convex front edge profile and a concave back edge profile configured to fit in a tray of a highchair.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A children's play apparatus comprising:
 a sealed enclosure surrounding an internal chamber configured to contain a quantity of liquid therein, the sealed enclosure comprising at least one stationary design element; and   at least one mobile element positioned within the internal chamber and configured to move relative to the sealed enclosure in response to interaction by a child playing with the play apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one mobile element is configured to float within the quantity of liquid in the internal chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the liquid is water, and wherein the at least one mobile element has a density of no more than about 1 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         4 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one mobile element comprises ethylene vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         5 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sealed enclosure comprises a top portion and a bottom portion  34  joined in a liquid-tight, leakproof manner. 
     
     
         6 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a play mat configured to support the sealed enclosure thereon. 
     
     
         7 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising attachment means for attaching the sealed enclosure to the play mat. 
     
     
         8 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the attachment means comprises a hook-and-loop material. 
     
     
         9 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising at least one elevated support structure for supporting at least one suspended entertainment element above the play mat. 
     
     
         10 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stationary design element is printed on the sealed enclosure. 
     
     
         11 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stationary design element and the at least one mobile element define a shared motif. 
     
     
         12 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the shared motif is selected from an aquatic, marine or nautical-themed motif. 
     
     
         13 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one mobile element is configured in the form of an animal, and wherein the at least one stationary design element is configured in the form of a plant. 
     
     
         14 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sealed enclosure is configured to fit in conformance with a tray of a highchair. 
     
     
         15 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the sealed enclosure has a generally convex front edge profile and a generally concave back edge profile. 
     
     
         16 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a peripheral chamber at least partially surrounding the internal chamber and configured to contain a quantity of air therein. 
     
     
         17 . A children's play apparatus having a generally convexly curved front edge profile and a generally concavely curved back edge profile configured to fit in conformance with a tray of a highchair, and further comprising means for attachment to a play mat. 
     
     
         18 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the attachment means comprises a hook-and-loop material. 
     
     
         19 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising an enclosure surrounding an internal chamber configured to contain a quantity of liquid sealed therein. 
     
     
         20 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising at least one mobile element positioned within the internal chamber and configured to float within the quantity of liquid. 
     
     
         21 . The children's play apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one mobile element comprises ethylene vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         22 . A children's play apparatus comprising:
 a sealed enclosure surrounding an internal chamber configured to contain a quantity of liquid therein, the sealed enclosure comprising at least one stationary design element, and having a generally convexly curved front edge profile and a generally concavely curved back edge profile, and further comprising a first attachment element of a detachable coupling means;   at least one mobile element positioned within the internal chamber and configured to float within the quantity of liquid in the internal chamber;   a play mat configured to support the sealed enclosure thereon, and further comprising a second attachment element of the detachable coupling means cooperative with the first attachment element for removably coupling the sealed enclosure to the play mat; and   at least one elevated support structure for supporting at least one suspended entertainment element above the play mat.