Patent Application
20080241312
The present invention relates generally to toys and more particularly to activity toys with which the child forms artworks and the like into a wide variety of items or artistic designs that may be framed to stand upright on a horizontal surface or to be hung upon the wall in the fashion of a picture.
Modeling compounds are well-known and commonly been used by children in their play activities. Apparatus and methods of various sophistication are known for forming modeling compound materials such as the popular PLAY-DOH™ formable material, colored plastic material, plasticene, modeling clay or the like. Such modeling compounds and the like are used by children to form a variety of shapes, articles or artwork. Modeling compounds may be molded with tools, by hand or by molds. Additionally, extrusion and template apparatus may be used. Children typically use such apparatus to fashion modeling compounds into a wide variety of desirable shapes, for example, animals, flowers, artwork or to form fanciful designs and the like.
Certain mechanisms have been employed for shaping, forming, or molding such modeling compounds are also known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,815 to Rentz et al. for Method and apparatus for simultaneously propelling and forming impressions with a flowable material, issued on Feb. 11, 1986 discloses a toy for extruding and molding various predetermined shapes of modeling compound or the like. In the Rentz et al. apparatus, a lever moves a piston to force the modeling compound either through an extrusion mold or into a mold cavity, so as to form the desired shapes.
It is also known to create certain forms of artworks utilizing modeling compounds. A device used to form such artworks is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,510 to Hanson et al. for Activity toy issued Jan. 29, 1985. With the Hanson et al. apparatus, the user may create needlecraft-like textured designs using a plastic material. Strands of the plastic material supported on a screen simulate the stands or nubs of needlecraft designs. An extruder is positioned adjacent the rear surface of the screen and moved along the screen so as to force plastic material through the screen mesh to create a needlecraft-like texture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,528 to Anderson et al. for Activity toy and method of using to form artwork issued Jun. 27, 1995 is directed to a first plate upon which the plastic material is disposed so as to form the artwork and a transparent second plate disposable in laminar juxtaposition to the first plate so as to capture the artwork therebetween for enhancing the overall utility of crafts and artworks formed by hand, or by utilizing the Rentz et al., Hanson et al., or other such apparatus subject to deterioration and degradation, particularly that caused by handling and exposure to the elements, dust, dirt, moisture and the like.
While children have played with modeling compound for some time, modeling compounds can be somewhat resistant to deformation by children who do not always have sufficient strength to deform the modeling compound into desired forms. This has made it difficult to form modeling compound by unique impression, extrusion or molding of the modeling compound. Therefore it would be desirable to provide toys in the form of tools and the like as being more facilitative for use by children, especially those of early age, to assist in the creation of art forms.
There is a need for modeling compound display toys and methods and a kit therefore as disclosed including a front plate having rearwardly opening compartments, a center plate conjoining extrusion tubes for communicating modeling compound into the compartments of the front plate, and a back plate that may be received rearward of the center plate.
In accordance with the present inventions, advantageous toys, methods and modeling compound forming kits provide a front plate having one or more rearwardly opening compartments thereon. A center plate conjoins a plurality of extrusion tubes thereon for communicating modeling compound into the compartments of the front plate. An injector tool is provided for coupling with at least one of the plurality of extrusion tubes for injecting the modeling compound at the one or more compartments. A back plate may be received rearward of the center plate. A method is described for forming modeling compounds in a toy by providing a plurality of compartments for the display of the modeling compounds, and conjoining a plurality of extrusion tubes with one or more of the plurality of extrusion tubes positionable for injection of the modeling compounds into one or more of the plurality of compartments.
Briefly summarized, the inventions relate to modeling compound display toys and methods including one or more compartments defined by partitions. An extrusion element is provided for being received at the one or more compartments, and a plurality of extrusion apertures, openings or tubes conjoined on the extrusion element in a described embodiment provide for communicating modeling compound into the compartments for displaying the modeling compound. The compartments may be provided independently such that compartments are achieved with barriers or partitions attached or as one or more separate elements that may be received in the assembly of the modeling compound display toy with plates. The modeling compounds are provided into the compartments through injection sites at various positions of the toy.
For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the inventions, the accompanying drawings and description illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, from which the inventions, structure, construction and operation, and many related advantages may be readily understood and appreciated.
The following description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the described embodiments set forth in the best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Any and all such modifications, equivalents, and alternatives are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Referring now to the Figures,
As shown the center plate 16 includes several extrusion tubes 20 for use with an injector tool 30 and plunger 32 described further below. The center plate 16 which conjoins the several extrusion tubes 20 in a planar arrangement is provided as a rigid plate preferably made of plastic although other materials may be contemplated. The back plate 18 may be provided in either a rigid or flexible plastic material or the like. When back plate 18 is provided a flexible plastic material it may be adapted to fit over or within the front plate 12. With reference to
Thus through the use of the various different frames described modeling compound 34 provided in individual polyurethane bags as shown in
With reference to
A modeling compound forming kit has been described and shown including the front plate 12 having its rearwardly opening compartments 14, with the center plate 16 facilitating the use of injected modeling compounds through extrusion tubes 20. The described methods of forming the modeling compounds in the toy 10 in the compartments 14 for display with the described presentation element allowing for displaying of the modeling compounds of the toy 10 standing generally upright of a horizontal surface or a vertical surface.
The set further includes a back plate which can be assembled with the center plate after modeling compound has been injected into the compartments. Accordingly, by injecting different colored modeling compound into the different compartments it is possible to make a colorful design on the image formed in the front frame and to then be displayed.
As described the toy 10 may be provided with multiple different frames such as that of front plate 12, or alternately with reference to
From the foregoing, it can be seen that there has been provided features for improved modeling compound forming toys and methods. While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined by subsequent claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.
