Patent Application
20080029429
Children enjoy playing and interacting with characters in the form of dolls, action figures, stuffed animals, and other toys. Play structures designed to be used in conjunction with such toys enhance the user's ability to enjoy interaction with the characters. Unfortunately, such play structures are often large, bulky, and contain many small pieces or components that may be lost. These aspects of the traditional play structure make it difficult for users, particularly children, to transport the structure from one place to another. Further, purchasing play structures in addition to the toys may be cost prohibitive.
Examples of play structures and structures having expandable features are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,258,788, 1,279,866, 1,343,065, 1,517,030, 1,551,666, 1,567,849, 1,746,595, 1,853,116, 1,918,375, 2,000,618, 2,124,352, 2,219,507, 2,262,700, 2,428,628, 2,441,076, 2,441,761, 2,544,833, 2,872,753, 3,078,615, 3,182,420, 3,231,942, 3,341,987, 3,363,360, 4,048,748, 4,067,137, 4,070,789, 4,146,983, 4,190,978, 4,212,231, 4,349,983, 4,468,020, 4,508,519, 4,592,573, 4,603,658, 4,883,443, 4,898,404, 4,910,899, 4,964,249, 5,013,278, 5,019,010, 5,055,083, 5,096,204, 5,104,124, 5,183,427, 5,259,133, 5,293,706, 5,317,823, 5,423,709, 5,429,432, 5,452,846, 5,562,520, 5,681,199, 5,682,999, 5,738,221, 5,830,033, 5,864,973, 5,868,599, 5,931,099, 5,933,989, 5,943,800, 5,961,149, 6,108,982, 6,146,238, 6,199,308, 6,203,017, 6,386,370, 6,554,685, 6,607,421, 6,725,588, 6,752,436, 6,966,135, 7,018,267, and RE 26,642; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005/0051678, 2006/0099875, and 2006/0283775; Foreign Patent No. GB 2295044; and International Publication No. WO 97/009102, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety and for all purposes.
The disclosed product packaging includes a body configured to house a toy. The body may include a plurality of sections to receive a toy and associated accessories and provide additional play features. The body may include a first section configured to receive the toy, a second section coupled to the first section and having a transparent region configured for viewing the toy and a storage region for receiving an accessory, and a third section configured to move relative to the second section and having expandable features.
The advantages of the disclosed packaging may be understood more readily after a consideration of the drawings and the Detailed Description.
To enhance a user's ability to enjoy playing with toys, such as dolls and/or action figures, a scene or environment may be provided to be used in conjunction with the toys. Such scenes and environments may depict a place or play area which mimics where the toy may be found, either in reality or in a fictional setting, thus playing off a theme of the toy. One example of such a play area is an expanding structure or “pop-up,” in which users are able to open a book or similar device thereby permitting the structure inside to expand. The structure that expands may provide a mechanism by which a user may play with one or more toys in an area corresponding with the theme of the toy.
As further shown in
The various sections of the packaging may include a scene or environment consistent with the theme of the associated toy and/or accessory. The scene or environment may be conveyed to a user through graphics, legends, movable structures, textures, and the like.
In the example shown in
As shown in
Body 112 may include one or more storage regions 124 for receiving one or more items, such as one or more of the toys and/or accessories. Storage region 124 may take the form of a sleeve or pouch-like structure. The storage region may be mounted to the front section, as shown in
The rear section may be configured to move relative to the central section, such as along a top edge, a bottom edge, either side edge, and the like. The rear section may include a closure member 128 to engage the front section and thereby restrict access to the central section. In the example of
Expandable features or structures 126 may include pop-up structures 138 that automatically expand as the rear section is moved away from the central section. The pop-up structures may be integrally formed with any suitable portion of the body and may include folds 140. Expandable features 126 may include movable structures mounted by springs 142, and the like. In the example shown in
In some embodiments, the packaging may have handles to assist a user in carrying the packaging and any enclosed toys and/or accessories. The handles may assist a user in manipulating the packaging to an open configuration, such as by moving the rear section away from the rest of the body. The packaging may include any suitable number of handles mounted to any suitable side(s). For example, one handle may be mounted to the front section while another handle is mounted to the rear section. Therefore, as the handles are moved apart a user may access both the expandable features and the contents of the central section, such as by moving a portion of the front section away from the central section to remove the toys and/or accessories. In the example shown in
As previously noted, the packaging may include a closure member to secure the packaging in a closed configuration. The closure member may be disposed at the top of the packaging, either side of the packaging, between the rear and central sections of the packaging, or any other suitable location, and engage another portion of the packaging, such as an opposing side. The closure member may pass through the handle(s) of the packaging prior to engagement to restrict access to the interior of the packaging, such as by restricting access between the front and central sections in addition to restricting access to the rear section. The closure member may take any suitable form including, but not limited to, snaps, latches, clasps, hook-and-loop closure material, tapes and other adhesives, and the like. In the example shown in
The rear section may include a closure member 228 that selectively engages the central section and thereby retains the rear section in a closed configuration in which the expandable features are not visible. As shown, the closure member may be integrally formed with the rear section. The closure member may be coupled to another portion of the body using hook-and-loop closure material 236. The body may include one or more handles 230 to assist a user in carrying the packaging.
Rear section 220 may be used as a base or backdrop of a play area when rotated away from the central section to an open configuration in which the expandable features 226 are visible. Expandable features or structures 226 may include pop-up structures 238 that automatically expand as the rear section is moved away from the central section. In the packaging shown in
The expandable features may include flaps 244 that require further manipulation from a user before opening or otherwise revealing portions of the body. For example, flaps 244 may be moved by a user to reveal objects obstructed by other objects, the interior of cupboards, a view through a window or door, and the like. The flaps may expose a scene imprinted behind the flap, or may expose an opening into a compartment. In the example shown in
As discussed, portions of the packaging may reveal a scene or objects that may be used in connection with toys and/or accessories. The disclosed packaging may represent a space vehicle or environment, an aquatic vehicle or environment, a land vehicle or environment, such as a playground, jungle, zoo, and the like, an occupational vehicle or environment, such as a police car, ambulance, research laboratory, artist's studio, a castle, and the like. The packaging may be shaped to correspond to the theme of the enclosed toys. For example, in configurations in which the packaging represents a dwelling, the packaging may represent different rooms of a home including furniture, appliances, and other items associated with activities of a dwelling. In configurations in which the packaging represents an activity area, the packaging may represent structures to interact with toys by enabling the toys to stand on, slide down, or otherwise interact with the components of the packaging. The packaging may take any suitable shape to represent a particular theme, including but not limited to, a football for a sports theme, a rocket for a space theme, a castle for a fairytale theme, a tree for a jungle theme, and the like.
The disclosed packaging may be fabricated from any suitable material, or combination of materials, such as plastic, foamed plastic, wood, cardboard, pressed paper, metal, or the like. A suitable material may be selected to provide a desirable combination of weight, strength, durability, cost, manufacturability, appearance, safety, ergonomics, and the like. Suitable plastics may include high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), or the like. Suitable foamed plastics may include expanded or extruded polystyrene, expanded or extruded polypropylene, EVA foam, or the like.
Although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing operational principles and preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances falling within the scope of the appended claims. Inventions embodied in various combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed through presentation of claims in a subsequent application.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/808,876 entitled “PRODUCT PACKAGING WITH INTEGRAL POP-UP DISPLAY,” filed May 25, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60808876 | May 2006 | US |
