Patent Application
20150306516
This application relates to an article, such as a plush stuffed toy, having at least one movable member that is movable to at least two alternate positions to vary the appearance of the one or more features and movable member then functions as a different object. Plush toys are an important part of the toy industry. A throwback to earlier days, stuffed toys require a child to use his or her imagination to engage in play and express themselves. Plush toys are an enduring industry favorite and serve as comfort items, imaginary friends and playmates for children, and collector items for adults. Stuffed toys also give customers a low-cost option when searching for a gift. Manufacturers, inventors, and designers must continue to create new processes and designs to keep kids engaged.
The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,796 B1, issued to Joan Gaynor, Tina Ying, Ivy Ross, Jun. 20, 2002 discloses a FASHION DOLL TRANSFORMING FROM PRINCESS TO BRIDE. The outer face of the hand mirror supports a dual-image lenticular lens display which transforms the presented image in response to pivotable movement of doll's arm. The doll further supports a tiara worn upon the doll's head together with a wedding veil which is alternately attachable to the doll's waist and to the tiara. While plastic dolls are a staple of the toy industry, they are not as soft and cuddley as plush dolls.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,220 A, issued to Kathy A. Dunn, Marvin Glass, May 21, 1974 discloses a RAG DOLL WITH CHANGEABLE FEATURES. This toy specifies using buttons as a primary means of securing the changeable panels which would limit the use and pleasure by very young children who lack the dexterity of older kids. This invention changes its decorative features by flipping panels, but no functional change in mode of play or the character itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,556 A, issued to Paul D. Vicars, Roy J. Hendricks, Eugene F. Goubeaux, Jr. Jan. 17, 1989 discloses an ARTICLE HAVING A CHANGEABLE EXPRESSION FACE. This toy changes expression by rotating small components on the articles face. Though the components are changeable, the mode of the character remains the same—the eyes are still eyes, the mouth is still just a mouth and limits the scope of invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,574 A, issued to Ken Evoy, Jan. 12, 1993 discloses an ARTICLE HAVING A MOVABLE FOLD MEMBER FOR ALTERATION OF A FEATURE. Although this invention has movable members that alter a feature of the character, the character does not change with the function of the movable member.
WO 2006078180 A1, issued to Dana Mihaela Jianu, Jul. 27, 2006 DOLL. This invention refers to a doll meant for children or adults as a way of active relaxing, having an educational, creativity stimulator or therapeutic purpose. This invention is a basic impersonalized doll which has no characteristic expression regarding its body, sex, race, age, etc., composed of head, body, Patent articulated and removable upper and lower limbs. A disadvantage to be noticed by this invention is that for each doll part that is removable, it could be lost at any time, rendering the doll scary to some children thus discouraging the use and limiting playability.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,900 A, issued to Linda C. Pearson, Dec. 15, 1998 discloses a DOLL HAVING CHANGEABLE FACE ELEMENTS. This invention has removably attachable face element which could be damaged enough by repeatedly taking off and putting back on to where the hook and loop fasteners would not work. The attachable face element could also be put in the wrong position by very young children and is a clumsy method of changing the faces. The attachable element could also be left behind at a park or at school and lost altogether. This invention also focuses on the educational area of psychology rather than promoting the importance free imagination and play.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,505 A, issued to Thomas P. Schneider, Susan E. Trentel, Sep. 30, 1986 discloses a TRANSFORMABLE TOY FIGURE which progressively transforms into different configurations. While this invention might have had a novelty factor for some kids when it was introduced, it is complicated for the very young to manipulate and therefore limits the toy's maximum usage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,517 B2, issued to David Murray, Nov. 8, 2005 discloses a TOY STUFFED ANIMAL HAVING CONVERTIBLE CONFIGURATIONS that emulates the awakening of the stuffed animal upon the user touching one of various locations upon the body of the stuffed animal thereby activating an appropriate pre-recorded audio message. With the proliferation of many high-tech toys, electronic tablets and smart phones with unlimited apps and games, a toy that is limited to repeating the same pre-messages, could be unbearably boring to kids.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,584 A, issued to Joyce A. Perryman, Oct. 14, 1997 discloses a DOLL WITH INTERCHANGEABLE FACES. This invention includes a nondescript head portion, with a series of interchangeable head “slip covers”. The problem arrises when slip covers are put on incorrectly or during the process of changing head slip covers leaves the doll with no face and can be unappealing and frightening to children.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,848 A, issued to Stanton W. Clark, Jul. 22, 1997 discloses a REVERSIBLE PLUSH TOY that has two designs, such as two animal shapes, which turn inside-out into each other by consuming and regurgitating each other through a shared wide mouth. While this toy could be construed as clever, it could also be complicated to manipulate for very young children.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,528 A, issued to Stuart Lamie, May 26, 1992 discloses a PILLOW TRANSFORMABLE INTO ANIMAL CHARACTER. While convertible pillow toys have been popular in the recent past, toys that have to be large enough to support a child's head during rest, inhibits portability, thus limiting the toys possible usage.
US 20090176437, issued to Steve Jaqua, Matthew Allen Perry, Jul. 9, 2009 discloses COMBINATION STUFFED TOY WITH CHARACTERISTICS OF MULTIPLE KINDS OF ENTITIES. This toy contains features of both a plant and an animal. This plant-animal combination toy requires users to figure out what the plant-animal combination is.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,493, issued to Karen Zgrodek, Stephanie Leechow, Jun. 1, 1993 discloses a STUFFED TOY WITH CHANGEABLE FACIAL EXPRESSION. The expression can be changed by rotating the eye and mouth members. This invention actually states that the pickle character lends itself to use by disturbed children.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,648, issued to Henry Garfinkel, Nov. 1, 1988 discloses a REVERSIBLE PLUSH TOY. This toy, when manipulated, inverts from one character to another, but a zipper on a plush toy is not the most comfortable component on a kid's toy, and if left partially zipped, could injure a child.
WO 2005089896 A1, issued to Renee faggen, Eileen Morris, Spencer Morris, Sep. 29, 2005 discloses FACIAL FEATURE ASSEMBLY
The present embodiment solves the problem of having a toy with detachable pieces that may be lost. Has a permanently attached movable member so it could never be lost. Has an easy and simple way of transforming between different characters by the provision of a movable member. Promotes fun and the development of the imagination by allowing kids, adults, and collectors to act out and role play different characters with the same toy.
In accordance with one embodiment an article has at least one primary, two-sided movable member of material that is hingedly connected to the body portion of the toy on at least one edge and is moveable to alternate positions to vary the features and function of the article.
DRAWINGS
Having thus summarized the general nature of the embodiment and its essential features, certain preferred embodiments and modifications thereof will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description herein having reference to the figures that follow.
This embodiment is in the form of a plush stuffed monster toy that transforms into a superhero character with a cape and mask by the provision of a movable member. We all contain both good and evil. Kids need to playact their feelings. They don't have the vocabulary or the self-awareness to identify and subsequently deal with their fear and anxieties. Most kids are seeking a sense of control over powerful emotions, so they identify with extreme versions of bad guys and monsters. Kids transform these feelings and fears into physical beings that can be looked at, played with, and ultimately vanquished.
Superheroes and superheroine characters possess extraordinary talents, superhuman powers, and are dedicated to protecting the public. Superheroes use their power to counter day-to-day crime while also defending the earth and threats against humanity by supervillains. Secret identities protect superhero's friends and families from becoming targets of his or her enemies. Superheroes are very appealing to kids at a sensory level because they wear colorful costumes, are fast and stimulating, but more importantly, superheroes send the message to kids of good battling and winning out over evil. And when superheroes work together, they send the message that teamwork is a valuable thing—or working alone, sends the message that one person can make a difference.
It is therefore, an object of the present embodiment to provide a child's toy that allows the child to role-play the part of a “cranky monster”. Another object of the present embodiment is to provide the child to quickly and easily change to the role of a “superhero”. The toy is constructed of a soft material comprising of a primary, two-sided movable member having “cranky monster” facial features, partially concealing the main stuffed member underneath, having “superhero” facial features such as eyes, superhero mask, a body with arms, hands, feet, and the movable member converting a to superhero cape.
The present embodiment has feet 202 that are wide and flat enough for toy 100 to stand alone without tipping over, arms 206 that are soft and flexible to be manipulated by user, a movable member 102 with fanciful features 106 and 108, that is permanently attached at one end 208, held down by a temporary fastening hook and loop system 702 and 704, that can be detached at the temporarily fastened end 210, flipped over to reveal and alternate fanciful features 706, 708, and 710, then becoming a cape feature 102B, not held down necessarily as to mimic a flapping cape.
There are various possibilities with regard combining character types and fanciful features of the movable member 102 front side 102A and fanciful features of the main head-body unit 104 of toy. The movable member 102, once flipped over 102B could also functions as wings, a turtle shell, hair, fish scales, dinosaur scales, shark fin, horses mane, lions mane, reptile skin, animal skin, reflective skin, glow-in-the-dark skin, heat-sensitive skin, a back pack, jet pack, simulated flames, scuba tanks, mobile phone case, wallet or other modes of play. This embodiment could also be made in flattened versions with little or no filling as well.
With a toy figure constructed according to the principals of the present embodiment, there are other configurations that may be derived from the present embodiment. The first embodiment sets forth a figure in which the fanciful movable member comprises facial components, hingedly attached to the fanciful body portion with different facial components, is manually changed from a “cranky monster-to-superhero-with-cape” by means of an quick and easy movable member.
What has been shown is a simple but novel stuffed toy doll that can be used by persons of almost any age.
While my above description contains many specificities, these should not be construes as limitations on the scope, but rather as an exemplification of one embodiment thereof. Many other variations are possible. For example the movable member 102 front side 102A could be a zombie, or a pirate, or a robot, or vampire, or wizard, or ghost, and many other characters instead of a cranky monster, as well as the fanciful features of the main head-body unit 104 of toy. The movable member 102, once flipped over 102B could also functions as wings, a turtle shell, hair, fish scales, dinosaur scales, shark fin, horses mane, lions mane, reptile skin, animal skin, reflective skin, glow-in-the-dark skin, heat-sensitive skin, a back pack, jet pack, simulated flames, scuba tanks, mobile phone case, wallet or other modes of play. This embodiment could also be made in flattened versions with little or no filling as well. The toys of the present embodiment may also be provided with other fanciful ornamentation, coloration, clothes or accessories which can be permanently affixed to the toy to enhance the entertainment value of the product for the user.
This application claims the benefit of PPA Ser. No. 61/854,391, filed 2013 Apr. 23 by the present inventor, which is incorporated by reference.
