Patent Application
20210015271
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure and prior art relates to toy box devices and more particularly pertains to a new toybox device for a box for storing toys, and the box has a track that is integrated therein. A spool is slidably coupled to the track, and the spool is positionable between a stored position and a deployed position. The spool is biased to rotate in a first direction and the spool is urgeable to rotate in a second direction. A mat is wrapped around the spool. The mat is unwrapped from the spool and extends forwardly from the box when the spool is positioned in the deployed position. In this way the mat can lie on the floor and toys can be positioned on the mat. Moreover, the mat can be lifted by a caregiver thereby facilitating all of the toys on the mat to be subsequently deposited in the box. In this way the mat assists the caregiver with putting the toys away.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a box for storing toys. The box has a track that is integrated therein, and a lid is hingedly coupled to the box for opening and closing the box. A spool is provided and the spool is slidably coupled to the track. The spool is positionable between a stored position and a deployed position. The spool is positioned within the box when the spool is in the stored position and the spool is positioned outside of the box when the spool is in the deployed position. The spool is biased to rotate in a first direction and the spool is urgeable to rotate in a second direction. A mat is wrapped around the spool. The mat is unwrapped from the spool and extends forwardly from the box when the spool is positioned in the deployed position. In this way the mat can lie on the floor and toys can be positioned on the mat. Moreover, the mat can be lifted by a caregiver and urged toward the opening in the box thereby facilitating all of the toys on the mat to be subsequently deposited in the box. In this way the mat assists the caregiver with putting the toys away.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The box 12 has a track 36 integrated therein, and the track 36 comprises a first slot 38 that extends into the exposed surface 32 of the first lateral side 20. The first slot 38 extends upwardly from the bottom wall 16 having the first slot 38 being positioned between the leading edge 34 of the first lateral side 20 and the front side 24. Additionally, the first slot 38 curves over the distal edge 28 of the front side 24 and extends downwardly behind the front side 24. The first slot 38 has a terminal end 40 that is positioned behind the front side 24.
The track 36 further comprises a second slot 42 that extends into the exposed surface 32 of the second lateral side 22. The second slot 42 extends upwardly from the bottom wall 16 having the second slot 42 being positioned between the leading edge 34 of the second lateral side 22 and the front side 24. The second slot 42 curves over the distal edge 28 of the front side 24 and extends downwardly behind the front side 24. The second slot 42 has a terminal end 44 that is positioned behind the front side 24, and the second slot 42 is aligned with the first slot 38.
A lid 46 is hingedly coupled to the box 12 for opening 30 and closing the box 12. The lid 46 has a bottom surface 48 and a back edge 50, and the back edge 50 is hingedly coupled to the distal edge 28 of the back side 26 of the perimeter wall 18 of the box 12. The bottom surface 48 rests on the distal edge 28 of the perimeter wall 18 when the lid 46 is closed. A spool 52 is provided and the spool 52 is slidably coupled to the track 36. The spool 52 is positionable between a stored position having the spool 52 being positioned within the box 12 and a deployed position having the spool 52 being positioned outside of the box 12.
The spool 52 is biased to rotate in a first direction and the spool 52 is urgeable to rotate in a second direction. The spool 52 may be a spring loaded spool or the like and the spool 52 is longitudinally elongated. Moreover, the spool 52 slidably engages each of the first 38 and second 42 slots in the first 20 and second 22 lateral sides of the perimeter wall 18 of the box 12 such that the spool 52 is horizontally oriented. The spool 52 abuts the terminal ends 40, 44 of each of the first 38 and second 42 slots when the spool 52 is positioned in the stored position. The spool 52 is positioned on the exposed surface 32 of each of the first 20 and second 22 lateral sides and the spool 52 is aligned with the bottom wall 16 when the spool 52 is positioned in the deployed position.
A mat 54 is provided and the mat 54 is coupled to the spool 52. The mat 54 is wrapped around the spool 52 when the spool 52 rotates in the first direction. In this way the mat 54 can be stored within the box 12 when the spool 52 is positioned in the stored position. The mat 54 can be gripped and unwrapped from the spool 52 thereby urging the spool 52 to rotate in the second direction. The mat 54 may be tugged when the mat 54 has been fully unwrapped from the spool 52 in order to actuate the spool 52 to rotate in the first direction.
The mat 54 is unwrapped from the spool 52 and extends forwardly from the box 12 when the spool 52 is positioned in the deployed position. In this way the mat 54 can lie on the floor and toys 14 contained in the box 12 can be positioned on the mat 54. The mat 54 is lifted by a caregiver and angled upwardly from the front side 24 of the perimeter wall 18 of the box 12. Thus, all of the toys 14 on the mat 54 can slide downwardly along the mat 54 and into the opening 30 in the box 12 thereby assisting the caregiver with putting the toys 14 away. The mat 54 has a distal edge 56 with respect to the spool 52 and the mat 54 may have a length ranging between approximately 36.0 inches and 60.0 inches.
A handle 58 is provided and the handle 58 is pivotally coupled to the mat 54 for gripping. The handle 58 has a member 60 that is spaced from the distal edge 28 of the mat 54 thereby facilitating the member 60 to be gripped for unwrapping the mat 54 from the spool 52. Additionally, the handle 58 is gripped for lifting the mat 54 for putting the toys 14 away. A rod 62 may be coupled to the distal edge 28 of the mat 54 and the rod 62 may be coextensive with the distal edge 28. The rod 62 may reinforce the distal edge 28 and the handle 58 may be coupled to the rod 62.
In use, the toys 14, or other objects children use for play, are stored in the box 12. The spool 52 is slid into the deployed position and the mat 54 is drawn outwardly from the spool 52. Thus, the mat 54 defines a play area in front of the box 12 for the children to sit on while the children play with the toys 14. The handle 58 is gripped to lift the mat 54 when the toys 14 are being put away thereby facilitating the toys 14 to be lifted on the mat 54. Additionally, the distal edge of the mat is lifted higher than the front side of the perimeter wall of the box 12. Thus, the toys 14 can slide downwardly along the mat 54 and into the box 12. In this way the toys 14 can be placed into the box 12 in a single motion rather than with a series of repetitive motions. The mat 54 is tugged against the spool 52 to actuate the spool 52 to rotate in the first direction and wrap the mat 54 around the spool 52. The spool 52 is then slid into the stored position and the lid 46 is closed.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
