Patent Application
20100317252
The present invention relates generally to a stuffed toy (or doll, or animal), more specifically, to a stuffed animal holding a device such as a child's pacifier.
The pacifier, comprised of a variety of materials, has long been used to soothe the oral demands of infants or small children during irritable periods by providing them with an object to suck on in place of a bottle or their own thumb. Use of a pacifier has been shown to ease the irritability of a child. Pacifiers present some problems, however, particularly in weaning a child away from a pacifier as it gets older. In addition, a pacifier may be dropped by the child and get dirty, or land in a spot where the child cannot reach it causing the child to resume its irritability.
Many advantages have been found in combining a pacifier with a toy that a child enjoys holding. Weaning may be much easier if the child manages to associate the soothing qualities of the pacifier with the toy. Removal of the pacifier may be less traumatic when the child still has the comfort of the toy that it has associated with the soothing of the pacifier. The child may first look to the pacifier but quickly accepts the toy on its own without the pacifier.
A toy that is enjoyed by many infants or small children still using pacifiers, is the common stuffed toy, such as a teddy bear. A stuffed toy is generally a soft toy having a plush or soft fabric exterior filled with a soft stuffing such as cotton, feathers, or a variety of commonly known synthetic materials. A stuffed toy is therefore much like a pillow. Stuffed toys are usually shaped to resemble animals, human dolls, fanciful creatures, or any type of shape that might be enjoyed by a young child. Such stuffed toys are excellent toys to combine with pacifiers as discussed above. Many young children become readily attached to stuffed toys, and they are generally safe enough for a child to sleep with.
Toy-pacifier combinations have been previously developed. It has been recognized that there are advantages to attaching a pacifier to a toy in addition to the weaning potential discussed above. The child is provided comfort by both the toy and the pacifier. In addition, if the pacifier is properly secured to the toy then there is less risk of the pacifier being dropped and becoming dirty or damaged.
Safety should be recognized as an important consideration in developing pacifier-toy combinations. The means for attaching the pacifier to the toy should be strong enough that the child cannot easily pull the pacifier away from the toy, thereby losing or damaging the pacifier, but also should not include any small parts, sharp objects, or strings that may harm the child if they become loose. Any attachment with small parts, such as snaps or buttons, could easily break loose and pose a hazard to an infant. Likewise, if the pacifier is connected by string or elastic, then there is a risk of strangulation.
Another important consideration is the ease with which an adult may remove and replace the pacifier. In the regard, the means for connecting the pacifier should require sufficient dexterity that the child cannot work the pacifier loose, but the connection means should not be so difficult to maneuver that a parent would have difficulty changing out the pacifier whenever necessary, such as late at night. For example, one type of stuffed toy and pacifier combination is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,355 which uses a loop to secure the pacifier, but an end of the loop must be tucked back inside the fabric of the toy and then fastened underneath a hook-and-loop fastened pocket. Opening this pocket and disconnecting the loop end could be difficult while simultaneously having to care for an irritable child. A more convenient means of attaching the pacifier is desired.
Another consideration in attaching a pacifier to the stuffed toy is the location of the pacifier with respect to the toy. The positioning of the pacifier may be both an aesthetic decision and one that lends itself toward ease of use. In another previous toy-pacifier combination, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,910, the pacifier is attached directly to the body of the toy. In this configuration, the toy could cover the face of the child when the pacifier is used, so that the infant cannot comfortably sleep on its back or face while still using the pacifier. The pacifier is preferably attached in with some flexibility, and away from the main body of the stuffed toy so that the child's breathing is not obstructed while sleeping.
From an aesthetic consideration, the pacifier should preferably look pleasing when attached to the toy, and the toy should preferably maintain a fairly natural appearance whenever the pacifier is removed.
Thus there is a need for a improved means of attachment of a pacifier to a stuffed toy for assisting with comforting a child and eventually weaning a child from a pacifier. The means should securely hold the pacifier while addressing the safety, security and aesthetic needs discussed above, and not obstruct the breathing of the child during sleeping. In addition, the pacifier must be easily detached and re-attached by an adult so that the pacifier and toy can be cleaned as needed.
Briefly described, in an exemplary embodiment, the present invention comprises a stuffed toy having a loop formed at the end of an extension member for attaching an object, such as a pacifier. The object should have a handle similar to a loop, so that the loop of the stuffed toy may be knotted to the object. The knot may be a simple knot that is easily untied by an adult, but requires too much dexterity for a child to untie. In a preferred embodiment, the object is a pacifier
In another embodiment of the invention, the loop of the stuffed toy is formed at the end of an appendage of the stuffed toy, such as an arm or a leg, so that when the object is attached to the loop the toy appears to be holding the object in a hand or paw.
In still another embodiment of the invention, the stuffed toy is a teddy bear having a loop at the end of one arm. The loop may be attached to an object, such as a pacifier, via a knot formed by first passing the loop through the handle, and then pulling the loop back over the main body of the object. In this manner, the teddy bear may appear to be holding the object in a paw.
Accordingly, the present disclosure will be understood best through consideration of, and with reference to, the following drawings, viewed in conjunction with the Detailed Description of the Invention referring thereto, in which like reference numbers throughout the various drawings designate like structure, and in which:
It is to be noted the drawings presented are intended solely for the purpose of illustration and they are, therefore, neither desired nor intended to limit the scope of the disclosure to any or all of the exact details of construction shown, except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the claimed invention.
In describing exemplary embodiments of the stuffed toy of the present disclosure illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. The claimed invention, however, is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.
In that form of the stuffed toy of the present disclosure chosen for purposes of illustration,
Stuffed toy 10 is preferably a creature, such as a human doll, an animal, or a fanciful creature that might be appealing to an infant. As shown in the accompanying figures, toy 10 is depicted as a bear. Such stuffed toy bear is commonly referred to as a “teddy bear.” Toy 10 may be soft or plush, so that it is embraceable by a small child, and preferably safe and comfortable for the child to sleep with. Variations on the type of toy 10 are limitless, so long as the toy contains extension 20 as described below.
Extension 20 is a portion of toy 10 that may include closed loop 25. The extension is preferably formed as an arm or foreleg of the stuffed toy, so that the toy appears to hold the pacifier in a hand or paw. However, the extension might also be a leg, a tail, an article of clothing, an accessory, or any other imaginable feature of the toy that would logically form an appropriate extension. Extension 20 is preferably long and flexible enough so that when object 30 is a pacifier the child may access the pacifier conveniently without interference from the main body of toy 10. In this regard, extension 20 is preferably not too short, or else the child might have its breathing blocked by the toy while using the pacifier, and the child might not be able to maneuver well unless it can move the entire toy 10.
Closed loop 25 may be formed on extension 20 for attaching object 30. Closed loop 25 is preferably formed from the same type of material as extension 20, which may or may not be the same material as the main body of toy 10, and is preferably connected to extension 20 via secure means such as sewing, rather than being detachable. Closed loop 25 should be large enough to form a secure knot with object 30, but not so large as to create any type of strangulation risk to the child and is preferably not formed from any type of elastic or other stretchable material. Should object 30 accidentally be loosened from loop 25, there should be limited risk to the child from the presence of the empty loop 25. The loop is also preferably sturdy enough to withstand abuse and potential wetness without breaking.
Object 30 is preferably a common pacifier, but could be any type of object that has a handle 35 capable of being knotted with loop 25. Of course, if the object is not a pacifier, then it is preferably something that is safe to be handled by a child. When object 30 is a pacifier, then toy 10 embodies the advantages discussed above of being useful for comforting the child, and eventually assisting in weaning the child from the pacifier.
Object 30 may be attached to toy 10 by forming a knot using loop 25 and handle 35. One manner of forming such a knot is shown in FIGS. 3A,3B-7A,7B. As shown in
Other knotting methods for connecting loop 25 and handle 35 may be used. However, the resulting knot is preferably both aesthetically pleasing and not too difficult for an adult to reverse, while avoiding accidentally loosening by the child.
Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the disclosures herein are exemplary only and various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments as illustrated herein, but is only limited by the following claims.
