The present disclosure relates generally to a storage device. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a storage device having at least one changeable facial feature structure.
Backpacks and purses are known to be provided with features that represent facial features of a character. In some cases these features are movable. However, it would be desirable to provide a simple way of generating movement of a feature on a storage device, to increase the entertainment value of the storage device.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a storage device for carrying items. The storage device includes a container defining an interior for storage of items, the container including an exterior surface and an opening therethrough for accessing the interior. The storage device further includes at least one facial feature structure being positioned on the exterior surface, the at least one facial feature including at least one movable facial feature element. The storage device further includes at least one actuator that is operatively connected to the at least one movable facial feature element for driving movement of the at least one movable facial feature element. The storage device further includes a closure structure extending along the opening, and a traveler that is movably mounted to the closure structure for movement between a first traveler position and a second traveler position. Movement of the traveler towards the first traveler position opens the closure structure so as to open the opening, and movement of the traveler towards the second traveler position closes the closure structure to close the opening. The storage device further includes a coupling arrangement operatively connecting the traveler to the actuator such that movement of the traveler from one of the first traveler position and the second position to the other of the first traveler position and the second position drives movement of the at least one actuator, which in turn drives movement of the at least one movable facial feature element.
Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached Figures, wherein:
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the drawings to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment or embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. It should be understood at the outset that, although exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described below, the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the exemplary implementations and techniques illustrated in the drawings and described below.
Various terms used throughout the present description may be read and understood as follows, unless the context indicates otherwise: “or” as used throughout is inclusive, as though written “and/or”; singular articles and pronouns as used throughout include their plural forms, and vice versa; similarly, gendered pronouns include their counterpart pronouns so that pronouns should not be understood as limiting anything described herein to use, implementation, performance, etc. by a single gender; “exemplary” should be understood as “illustrative” or “exemplifying” and not necessarily as “preferred” over other embodiments. Further definitions for terms may be set out herein; these may apply to prior and subsequent instances of those terms, as will be understood from a reading of the present description. It will also be noted that the use of the term “a” or “an” will be understood to denote “at least one” in all instances unless explicitly stated otherwise or unless it would be understood to be obvious that it must mean “one”.
Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems, apparatuses, and methods described herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, the components of the systems and apparatuses may be integrated or separated. Moreover, the operations of the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein may be performed by more, fewer, or other components and the methods described may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order. As used in this document, “each” refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.
The storage device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is generally formed to hold the personal items of a user, for example a child. The storage device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is for storing personal items and has an outer appearance that resembles a caricature of an animal or pet. The storage device preferably includes at least a head portion that has at least one facial feature (e.g., a pair of eyes, eyebrows, a mouth). The toy includes a motion driving system for driving a motion of a movable portion at least one facial feature that includes an actuator, a traveler and a coupling arrangement. In a preferred embodiment, the container, which constitutes a main structure of the storage device, acts as the “head” of the caricature animal. The storage device generally has an outer appearance that resembles an animal and can include eyes, ears, mouths, noses, a tail or other suitable facial or body features that may be found on a particular animal.
The storage device is generally comprised of a container having a storage pocket in which the personal items are stored. The storage device also includes an opening disposed about and extending along at least a portion of an outer edge of the container through which the storage pocket of the container is accessible.
In an embodiment, the container is semi-rigid and formed of material that is deformable or soft but is sufficiently sturdy so as to maintain a relatively consistent overall shape of the container. In a preferred embodiment, the container generally constitutes the “head” of the animal.
Referring to
The storage device 100 includes at least one facial feature structure 150 formed on at least one of the pair of side faces 120. The at least one facial feature structure 150 resembles at least one suitable facial feature of the animal (such as an eye, mouth, noes, eyebrows etc.) which the storage device 100 is impersonating.
At least a portion of the facial feature structure 150 is movable wherein the movement of the at least a portion of the facial feature structure 150 mimics a realistic movement based on the analogous facial feature.
The opening 130 of the container 110 can be closed or opened to secure the personal items held within the interior pouch. In the present embodiment, the opening 130 of the container 110 is disposed along at least a portion of the top panel and has a longitudinal slit form. In an additional embodiment, the opening 130 may extend beyond the length of the top panel and may also be disposed along at least a part of one or both side panels 124. The opening 130 may also extend so as to span along the top panel, both the side panels 124 and a portion of the bottom panel 122 such that when the opening 130 is opened, the pair of side faces 120 are substantially detached.
In the embodiment presented in
The storage device 100 further includes a traveler 140 that is slidably mounted on the closure structure 210. The traveler 140 is formed to slide along the closure structure 210 between a first position whereby the opening 130 is at least partially open and a second position whereby the opening 130 is closed.
In a preferred embodiment, the traveler 140 engages with the pair of closure securing elements of the closure structure 210 as it slides along the closure structure 210 to separate of join the pair of closure securing elements, thereby opening 130 or closing at least a portion of the opening 130. Where the closure structure 210 is a pair of zipper teeth 212, the traveler 140 may be a sipper slider.
In the embodiment presented in
In the embodiment present in
In an additional embodiment, the outer surfaces (which are shown in
In the same embodiment where the outer surfaces of the container 110 include just the pair of side faces 120, the opening 130 of the container 110 is defined along the joined edges of the two side faces 120, where each of the side faces 120 are joined along the length of their circumferential edges, except for portion containing opening 130.
The at least one facial feature structure 150 may alternatively be referred to as the one or more facial feature structures 150. The one or more facial feature structures 150 are shaped and positioned on the container 110 to resemble one or more suitable facial feature of the animal (such as an eye, mouth, nose, eyebrows, etc.). The at least one facial feature structure 150 includes at least one movable facial feature element 154, which is movable so as to mimic a suitable change of the facial feature. For example, the movable facial feature element could be movable to mimic a rolling of an eyeball within an eye, or a raising or furrowing of an eyebrow.
In the embodiment presented in
The first and second movable pupil members 154a and 154b are movable between a first pupil position in which the first and second movable pupil members 154a and 154b generally face towards the first traveler position, and a second pupil position in which the first and second pupils 154a and 154b generally face towards the second traveler position.
The storage device 100 includes at least one actuator 410 that is operatively connected to the at least one movable facial feature element 154 for driving movement of the at least one movable facial feature element 154.
In the present example the at least one actuator 410 includes a first actuator 410a and a second actuator 410b, which are connected to the movable facial feature elements 154a and 154b, respectively.
In an embodiment of the storage device 100 presented in
The one or more facial feature structures 150 may be mounted on an exterior side face of the pair of side faces 120. The one of the pair of side faces 120 may include an aperture that is covered by the one or more facial feature structures 150 through which a portion of the actuator 410 extends from the interior of the container 110 to connect with the one or more facial feature structures 150. The at least one of the pair of side faces 120 may alternatively include an aperture in which the one or more facial feature structures is secured.
In the embodiment presented in
Referring to
In the particular embodiment shown, a sliding of the traveler 140 between one of a first position (position AA) and a second position (position BB) along the closure structure 210 to the other of the first position (position AA) and the second position (position BB) drives movement of the actuator 410, which, in turn, drives the movement of the at least one movable facial feature structures 154. The distance 476 between the first and second traveler positions (AA and BB) along which the traveler 140 travels correspond to an actuating distance 474 travelled by the actuator 410 and the movable portion (pupil members 154). In the present embodiment, the actuating distance 474 is a radial distance between first and second positions of the actuators, (position CC and position DD)
In the embodiment presented in
A driver gear 451 is fixed to the extensible link 445 so as to pivot about the pivot axis Ap during pivoting of the extensible link 445.
A plurality of transfer gears are engaged with the driver gear 450 and are operatively connected to the at least one actuator 410.
By providing the extensible link 445 the travel path of the traveler 140 can differ from a perfectly circular arc. This permits the shape of the portion of the storage device 100 that has the closure structure 210 to be other than a perfectly circular arc.
In the embodiment shown in the figures, the portion of the storage device 100 that has the closure structure is shaped like a flattened arc.
Referring to
Referring to
The channel link 436 includes a hook 438 on an end thereof that is shaped to be latched onto a loop on a bottom portion of the traveler 140, thereby connecting the channel link 436 and the traveler 140 while still permitting three degrees-of freedom of pivoting of the channel link 436 relative to the traveler 140. The channel link 436 also includes a channel 440 extending along part of its length.
The pivoting link 442 includes a sliding end 444 and a pivoting end 448. The sliding end 444 includes at least two protrusions 446 formed thereon, the at least two protrusions 446 being sized to be received in and to slide along channel 440 of the channel link 436 to support a sliding of the channel link 436 along a length of the pivoting link 442. The sliding end 444 of the pivoting link 442 includes a sliding tab 462 formed on the opposite side of the at least two protrusions 446. The sliding tab 462 of the pivoting link 442 is formed to be supported on an arced, support surface 464 of the outer support panel 310. In an embodiment, the form of the arced, support surface 464 approximately following a radius of curvature of the closure structure 210 supported on the top panel of the container 110.
The pivoting end 448 of the pivoting link 442 includes a fixed driver gear 450 which is pivotably mounted about a first shaft 656 at a fixed rotation point on an inner surface 420 of the outer support panel 310.
The gear arrangement 432 of the coupling arrangement 430, in the particular embodiment shown, further includes a first transfer gear 452 and a second transfer gear 454 which co-rotate with one another and which are both pivotably mounted to a transfer gear shaft 658 on the inner surface 420 of the outer support panel 310. The first transfer gear 452 is positioned to mesh with the driver gear 450 and the second transfer gear 454 is positioned to extend between and mesh with each of the gears of the actuators 410a and 410b.
The extensible link 445 in the present example, includes a first link 436 which may be referred to as a channel link 436, and a second link 442 which is slidably connected to the first link and which may be referred to as a pivoting link 442.
Movement of the traveler 140 drives movement of the first end 447 of the extensible link 445, which in turn drives pivoting of the extensible link 445 about the pivot axis Ap, which drives the driver gear 450, which in turn drives the at least one actuator 410 through the plurality of transfer gears 452 and 454, which in turn drives movement of the at least one movable facial feature element 154. Specifically with reference to the example in
As the pivoting link 442 pivots about the fixed point of the pivoting end 448, the driver gear 450 drives a rotation of the first and second transfer gears 452, 454 of the gear arrangement 432, which in turn drives a rotation of the gears of the actuators 410 of the eyes across the actuating distance 474 between first and second positions of the actuator (position CC and position DD). The rotation of the actuators 410 between first and second positions drives a rotation of the eyeballs on the eyes.
In an embodiment where the sliding of the traveler 140 from the first position to the second position drives an actuation of the actuators 410 corresponding to each of the pair of eye structures which in turn drives the rotation of the eyeballs, the eyeball of each of the pair of eyes rotate from a first rotational position to a second rotational position so as to imitate an appearance of the eyeball of each of the pair of eyes following a position of the traveler 140 as it is slid along the closure structure 210.
In an embodiment present in
In the present embodiment, the outer support panel 310 includes a plurality of connection protrusions 470. The inner support panel 510 includes a plurality of connection apertures 512 sized to receive the connection protrusions 470 for mounting thereon. The inner support panel 510 also includes a connection aperture 512 through which the driver gear 450 is fixed to the pivoting end 448 of the pivoting link 442.
As noted previously, an embodiment of the storage device 100 includes the container 110, which constitutes a main frame of the storage device 100 and acts as the “head” of the caricatured animal. Referring to
In the example presented in
The storage device 100 may be in the form of a purse, as shown in the figures. Alternatively, the storage device 100 may be in the form of any other type of device, such as a backpack, a pencil case, or any other suitable type of storage device.
The above-described embodiments are intended to be examples of the present disclosure and alterations and modifications may be affected thereto, by those of skill in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention that is defined solely by the claims appended hereto.
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Number | Date | Country |
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206472990 | Sep 2017 | CN |
107866077 | Apr 2018 | CN |
109289207 | Feb 2019 | CN |
109289208 | Feb 2019 | CN |
111514590 | Aug 2020 | CN |
2288324 | Oct 2008 | ES |
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101874978 | Jul 2018 | KR |
1020190065132 | Jun 2019 | KR |
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