Patent Application
20140141690
This invention is generally in the field of toys, and specifically in respect of toys for use with writing utensils. In particular, the invention relates to toy vehicles pencil toppers.
Writing utensils, and particularly pencils, are an essential tool for school children, particularly when they are learning to read and write. The utensils tend to be a standard size and colour and often are not particularly stimulating or engaging to a child. There has been some movement to change this by providing pencils which are decorated with cartoons and/or images, for example of their favourite Pixar or Disney character. Unfortunately, these decorative measures still do not disguise to a child that the pencil is simply a writing utensil.
Other ways in which manufacturers have tried to get children to engage with the writing utensils are to provide for pencil toppers which tend also to be designed as the favourite cartoon or animated character de jour. Some of these pencil toppers are multifunctional in that they are also erasers and/or pencil sharpeners. However, these pencil toppers are still decorative ornaments which tend to only temporarily stimulate a child before they tire of the ornament.
Although decorative and maybe temporarily stimulating, these pencil accessories are not fun, interactive toys.
Therefore, there is a need for an interactive toy which can engage with a pencil or other writing utensil.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composite toy for use with a writing utensil, the composite toy comprising: a first and second assembly; wherein the first and second assemblies are removeably mutually attachable; and wherein the first and second assemblies are each removeably attachable to a writing utensil.
In a further aspect of the invention, the composite toy comprises a pull back mechanism. Preferably, the pull back mechanism is comprised in the first assembly. Additionally or alternatively, the pull back mechanism is comprised in the second assembly. Preferably, the first assembly and/or the second assembly comprise a set of wheels.
Preferably, when the first assembly is attached to the second assembly, the toy is removeably attachable to the writing utensil. Preferably, when the toy is attached to the writing utensil, the writing utensil can be used to write.
In a further aspect of the invention, the first assembly is attached to one end of the writing utensil and the second assembly is attached to the second end of the writing utensil. Preferably, the first assembly and second assembly are removeably attachable by one or more clips.
In one aspect of the invention, the composite toy is a vehicle. Preferably, the vehicle is a car. Preferably, the car is a sports car. Alternatively, the vehicle is an aircraft. Alternatively, the vehicle is a spacecraft.
It is to be understood that other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various embodiments of the invention are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the invention is capable for other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate similar parts throughout the several views, several aspects of the present invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in detail in the figures wherein:
a is a side image of the toy according to an embodiment of the present invention;
b is an image from the front of the toy of
a is an image from the front of the rear section of the toy according to an embodiment of the present invention;
b is an image from the back of the rear section of the toy according to an embodiment of the present invention;
a is an image from the front of the front section of the toy according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
b is an image from the back of the front section of the toy according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The invention will now be further described with reference to the following exemplary embodiment. It should be noted that these examples are intended only to be exemplary, and are not limiting upon the scope of the disclosure.
In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a composite toy for use with a writing utensil, the composite toy comprising: a first and second assembly; wherein the first and second assemblies are removeably mutually attachable; and wherein each of the first and second assemblies are each separately removeably attachable to a writing utensil.
The toy can comprise any shape or design which is still capable of having two parts which can be attached to a pencil or other writing utensil. The toy will preferably be a shape and design which children would like to engage with; particularly the figures of cartoons and/or Disney/Pixar characters which are popular with children at the time.
In one embodiment of the invention, the toy is a vehicle as illustrated in
a to 5b.
As illustrated in
The car 1 of
Each of the front section 2 and the rear section 3 comprise a respective set of wheels 4. The benefit of having each of the front and rear sections 2 and 3 a respective set of wheels 4 is that when the front and rear sections 2 and 3 of the car 1 is attached to either end of the writing utensil, is that it allows the car 1 to be balanced. Although in this embodiment each section or assembly comprises a single pair of wheels 4, it will be appreciated that any number of wheels can be provided on each of the sections, provided that that the wheels are such that when the toy is in use, and each of the assemblies are attached to the writing utensil, the writing utensil is relatively balanced or steady. For example, one of the sections can have one wheel and the other section can have two or more. Further, the wheels 4 can be hidden or substantially hidden in the front and rear sections 2 and 3 of the toy. For example, if the toy is an animal, such as a puppy, the wheels 4 can be hidden in the front and/or back portions of the animal, e.g. in the paws or legs of the animal.
It will be appreciated that although it is illustrated in this embodiment that the car 1 is attached to a pencil 5, the car 1 according to the invention is suitable to be attached to any type of writing utensil.
The car 1 is attached to the pencil 5 via an opening 6 on the rear section 3. The opening 6 in this embodiment is adapted so that it looks like an exhaust pipe. Preferably, the opening 6 comprises a cavity 7 adapted to receive an end of a standard size of pencil. It will be appreciated that the size of the opening 6 and the cavity 7 can be varied to allow for receiving a variety of sizes and types of writing utensils. The cavity 7 may have a cross section varying along its length to allow a range of different sized pencils or other writing utensils to be accommodated. It will also be appreciated that other means suitable for fastening the toy to the pencil can additionally or alternatively be provided.
It will also be appreciated that if the toy has another design, e.g. cartoon figure or other type of vehicle such as a spacecraft, the opening 6 on the rear section 3 of the toy may be shaped to form another suitable representative part of the design. For example, if the toy is a spacecraft, the opening 6 may be shaped to look like a rocket engine.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the front section 2 is removeably attachable to the rear section 3 of the car 1. Therefore, the front section 2 can be attached to rear section 3 so that the two assemblies form or depict one toy as illustrated in
Particularly, the front section 2 and rear section 3 can be configured such that one of the sections or assemblies can receive a portion of the other assembly in order for the two assemblies to be attached or connected to each other. Additionally or alternatively, clips can be provided on one or both of the assemblies so that the assemblies are removeably attachable. Preferably, one of the assemblies or sections of the car 1 comprises one or more clips, which may be comprised of flexible plastic pieces or other suitable means, which are arranged to engage in one or more recessed portions of the other one of the assemblies or sections. It will be understood that each section or assembly can have both clip and recessed portions such that the recessed portion of one section is arranged to receive the clip of the other section.
In particular,
The front section 2 depicted in
Preferably, the set of wheels 4 on both the front portion 2 and the rear portion 3 are free turning. This facilitates easy movement of the car 1 by enabling it to be rolled when the front and rear assemblies are connected as per
Preferably, the car 1 comprises a pull back mechanism. The pull back mechanism can be in the form of a clockwork motor or winding device. A clockwork motor is a clockwork device mechanically powered by a mainspring, a spiral torsion spring of metal ribbon. Power is stored in the mainspring by mechanically winding it up, turning a key attached to a ratchet which twists the mainspring tighter. Then the force of the mainspring turns the clockwork's gears, until the stored energy is used up. It will be appreciated that any suitable arrangement known at the time of filing the application may be used to provide a pull back mechanism or corresponding alternative according to this invention.
Preferably, the rear section 3 of the toy comprises a pull back mechanism such that when the car 1 is pulled backwards, an internal coil spring inside the rear section 3 is wound up. When released, the car 1 is propelled forward by the spring. Once the spring has unwound and the car 1 is moving, the motor is disengaged by a clutch or ratchet and the car 1 then rolls freely onward. It will be appreciated that although in this embodiment, the pull back mechanism is comprised in the rear section 3 of the car 1, the pull back mechanism can be comprised in the front portion 2.
By providing a pull back mechanism, the toy described substantially herein which is adapted to engage a writing utensil, is also an interactive toy. Advantageously, the toy according to this embodiment of the invention is an interactive toy when the front section 2 and rear section 3 are connected, but they also form an interactive toy when the front section 2 and rear section 3 are each engaged with opposite ends of a writing utensil. Particularly advantageously, it has been found that when the front section 2 and rear section 3 are each engaged with an opposite end of a writing utensil 5, the toy is more stable when it is in use.
a is an image from the front of the rear section 3 of the toy according to an embodiment of the present invention.
a is an image from the front of the front section of the toy according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The toy hereinbefore disclosed is therefore a toy which is configurable to be attached to either one end or both ends of a writing utensil. The toy hereinbefore disclosed is also interactive by providing a pull back mechanism to create movement both when the toy is engaged with a writing utensil and when it is not.
A number of embodiments have been described herein. However, it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that other variants and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments as defined in the claims appended hereto.
