Connector Assemblies for Recreational Tubes

Abstract

An apparatus for connecting recreational tubes together that includes a recreational tube having a body with a circumferential sidewall surrounding a through hole, and a connector assembly including a first loop and a second loop along a portion of an exterior side of the sidewall and each loop having an end attached to the exterior side of the recreational tube. Each loop having an outer perimeter oriented away from the recreational tube and the outer perimeter of the first loop being greater than the outer perimeter of the second loop. The connector assembly is configured to receive a connector for connecting the connector assembly of the recreational tube to another recreational tube

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for connecting recreational tubes together, including:
 a recreational tube having a body with a circumferential sidewall surrounding a through hole; and   a connector assembly including a first loop and a second loop along a portion of an exterior side of the sidewall and each loop having an end attached to the exterior side of the recreational tube, each loop having an outer perimeter oriented away from the recreational tube, wherein the outer perimeter of the first loop being greater than the outer perimeter of the second loop, wherein the connector assembly is configured to receive a connector for connecting the connector assembly of the recreational tube to another recreational tube.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the connector assembly is at least one connector assembly attached to the recreational tube of a plurality of connector assemblies for connecting at least two recreational tubes together. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the circumferential sidewall is vertical and has a height, the first loop and the second loop are in vertical arrangement with the first loop extending vertically into the second loop along a portion of the height of the sidewall, further wherein the first loop connects from a top portion of the recreational tube extending down into the second loop, which connects to an approximate mid portion of the outer side of the first recreational tube. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes at least two sets of connector assemblies that are radially spaced apart on the recreational tube, wherein each set of connector assemblies is configured to include the first loop at an upper portion of the recreational tube and the second loop is adjacent to the first loop at an approximate midportion of the recreational tube. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first loop is adapted to be a handle with a first attached end and a second attached end that are both fixed to the recreational tube by at least one of sewn, adhesive, welded, clipped, molded, tied, linked, hook and loop, integrally connected, buckled, hooked, injection molded and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a perimeter of the connector assembly is configured to have a first attachment, a second, and a third attachment sewn on the outer side of the recreational tube, wherein the first loop is formed between the first attachment and the second attachment and the second loop is formed between the second attachment and the third attachment. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the connector assembly is at least one of attached to a cover which is separate from the recreation tube, the connector assembly integrally attached as a single apparatus to the circumferential sidewall of the recreational tube, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the connector assembly is made of at least one of nylon, polyester, polypropylene, UV resistant fabric, rubber, foam, plastic, thermo plastic polymers, polycarbonates, acrylic, composites, butyl rubber, poly vinyl chloride, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, ethylene vinyl acetate, copolymer ethylene vinyl acetate, thermal plastic rubber, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first loop is a handle extending from a top portion of the first recreational tube down at least one-third of an outer surface of the recreational tube and the loop is attached by at least one of sewing, gluing, heat molding, attaching, welding, as an integrally connected injection mold part of the recreational tube, and any combination thereof, further wherein the recreational tube is made from a material of at least one of nylon, polyester, polypropylene, UV resistant fabric, rubber, foam, plastic, thermo plastic polymers, polycarbonates, acrylic, composites, butyl rubber, poly vinyl chloride, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, ethylene vinyl acetate, copolymer ethylene vinyl acetate, thermal plastic rubber, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the connector assembly between the first loop and the second loop has a reinforced attachment to the recreational tube and is fabricated from a fabric and sewn onto a portion of the sidewall of each recreational tube, further wherein the end of each loop has a reinforced attachment to the recreational tube. 
     
     
         11 . A method for positioning a first recreational tube horizontally next to a second recreational tube including:
 connecting, with a connector, a connector assembly of the first recreational tube to the second recreational tube, wherein a connector assembly includes a first loop and a second loop along a portion of an exterior side of the sidewall and each loop having an end attached to the exterior side of the recreational tube, each loop having an outer perimeter oriented away from the recreational tube, wherein the outer perimeter of the first loop being greater than the outer perimeter of the second loop, wherein the connector assembly is configured to receive a connector for connecting the connector assembly of the recreational tube to the second recreational tube.   
     
     
         12 . The method for positioning of  claim 11 , wherein the positioning horizontally of the first recreational tube is adjacent to the second recreational tube is a first position, and the method further includes positioning the first recreational tube from the first position to a second position in a vertical stack orientation, which includes the first recreational tube on the second recreational tube, while the connector stays connected to the connector assemblies of the first and second recreational tubes. 
     
     
         13 . The method for positioning of  claim 11 , wherein the connector assembly of each of the first and the second recreational tubes are connected together by a connector, which connects at least one of the first loop of the first recreational tube to the second loop of the second recreational tube, or the second loop of the first recreational tube to the first loop of the second recreational tube. 
     
     
         14 . The method for positioning of  claim 11 , further includes connecting a second connector assembly of first recreational tube with a second connector for securing first recreational tube. 
     
     
         15 . The method for positioning of  claim 11 , wherein the connection between the connector assembly of the first recreational tube and the connector assembly of the second recreational tube utilizes at least one of clamp, clip, carabiner, tie, hook, webbing, strap, connecting link, ball chain connector, wire, coated wire, cable, screw pin anchor shackle, coupling, chain link, zip tie, rope, integral connector, hook and loop, buckle, and any combination thereof, for connecting the connector assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The method for positioning connected to the second recreational tube, and the first recreational tube may be connected to at least one other tube in the plurality of recreational tubes. 
     
     
         17 . The method for positioning from  claim 11 , wherein connecting the first recreational tube and the second recreational tube in the vertical stack orientation secured together by connecting at least one connector assembly of the first recreational tube to at least one connector assembly of the second recreational tube, wherein the at least one connector assembly of the first recreational tube and the at least one connector assembly of the second recreational tube are in the same radial location respective to the first recreational tube and the second recreational tube. 
     
     
         18 . A system for connecting recreational tubes together including:
 a connector assembly including a first loop and a second loop adapted to extend along a portion of an exterior side of a circumferential sidewall surrounding a through hole of a first recreational tube, wherein each loop has an end attached to a cover configured to fit the exterior side of the recreational tube, each loop having an outer perimeter oriented away from the recreational tube, wherein the outer perimeter of the first loop being greater than the outer perimeter of the second loop, wherein the connector assembly is configured to connect the connector assembly of the first recreational tube to a second recreational tube; and   a first connector for securing the connector assembly to the first recreational tube.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the first connector connects the connector assembly around the circumferential sidewall of at least a portion of the first recreational tube; wherein the first and second loops are attached to the connector assembly, which extends around the circumference of the circumferential sidewall. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , further including a second connector for connecting the connector assembly of the first recreational tube to the second recreational tube.