This application relates to a watch with toys attached.
Wrist watches may come in many forms and designs. Beyond the functional aspects for time indication, various styles have been developed to meet the needs of customers. For example, rugged styles are often favored for everyday use by sportsmen, while elaborate watches made from precious metals may be desired for special occasions, or by those wishing to project a rich or sophisticated image. On the other hand, brightly colored and decorative watches may be chosen in an effort to express individuality or lightheartedness. It is desirable to have a playful watch style for adults and children, and especially for young children.
In an embodiment, a time indicating device with wearable toys is provided. The device includes a watch having a time indicating face and an opposing back. The device also includes first and second straps, each having a proximal end for attachment with the watch and a distal end. The device further includes a first Velcro strip attached to a front side of the first strap, proximate the distal end and a complimentary Velcro strip attached to a back side of the second strap, proximate the distal end, for fastening with the first Velcro strip to hold the first and second straps together. The device also includes a first toy attached at a back side to a front side of the first strap, with a top of the first toy proximate the proximal end, and a second toy attached at a back side to a front side of the second strap, with a top of the second toy proximate the proximal end. The first and second toys have lengths that are less than lengths of the first and second straps, respectively.
In an embodiment, a time indicating device with removably attachable toys is provided. The device includes a watch having a time indicating face and an opposing back. The device also includes first and second straps, each having first ends attached with the watch and second ends distal to the watch. The device further includes a first toy having a front and an opposing back, the first toy removably attaching by its back to a front side of a first portion of the first strap, and a second toy having a front and an opposing back, the second toy removably attaching by its back to a front side of a first portion of the second strap. The device still includes a first Velcro strip attached to the front side of a second portion of the first strap, and a complimentary Velcro strip attached to a back side of a second portion of the second strap, for coupling with the first Velcro strip to join the second ends of the first and second straps together. The first portion of each strap is proximate the first end of the respective strap. The second portion of each strap is proximate the second end of the respective strap. The back of the toys corresponds to the back side of the watch and the back sides of the straps. Each toy has a length less than a length of the respective strap.
In an embodiment, a time indicating device with toys is provided. The device includes a watch having a time indicating face and an opposing back. The device also includes first and second straps, each having a first end for attaching with the watch, and a free end distal to the watch. Each strap includes a first strap portion with the first end and a distal end, a toy attached with the first strap portion at the distal end of the first strap portion, a second strap portion having the free end and an proximal end that is proximal to the distal end of the first strap portion' wherein the toy is attached to the second strap at the proximal end. The bottom of each toy is flatter than the top of the toy, and each toy has a length that is less than the length of the respective strap.
Additional embodiments and features are set forth in part in the description that follows. These additional embodiments and features will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the specification and claims, or may be learned by practice of the disclosed invention. A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the specification and the drawings.
The present disclosure may be understood by reference to the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the drawings. Note that, for purposes of illustrative clarity, certain elements in the drawings are not drawn to scale. Reference numbers for items that appear multiple times may be omitted for clarity. Where possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar parts.
This disclosure provides a time indicating device or a wrist watch with toys attached with opposing sides of the watch band, or strap. The toys may be stuffed toys, such as stuffed animals or stuffed objects of any types. The wrist watches have watch straps for fastening around a wearer's wrist. The straps may be made of plastic, leather, rubber, canvas, or other watch strap materials. For example, nylon or inexpensive plastic straps may be used for infants and kids under seven years old. More expensive and durable leather straps may be used in watches sized for older children and adults. In one aspect, each strap removably attaches to the body of the watch by a removable double lever spring bar, which allows the straps and toys to be removed from the watch for cleaning, without use of any tool (e.g., in a washer and a dryer, where the toys and straps are launderable). The straps may also attach to the watch by single lever spring bars, which allows the straps to be removed without use of a tool. For example, single lever spring bars may be used for watches for older children and adult. The straps may also attach to the watch by normal spring bars, which allows the straps to be removed by using a tool. The stuffed toys may be included as non-removable portions of the straps, or the toys and/or straps may include fasteners for attaching and removing the toys with/from the straps, for example when the toys are machine-washable but the straps are not.
Device 100 includes a watch body 112, two straps 106A and 106B for fastening watch body 112 about a wearer's wrist, and two stuffed toys 110 and 114 attached to the straps 106A and 106B, respectively.
Watch body 112 (also referred to as “watch 112”) includes a time indicating face 112A and opposing back 112B. As shown, watch 112 has a circular shape and is left-to-right symmetrical about a centerline 122. However, watch 112 may take any shape, including but not limited to elliptical, ovoid, square and rectangular. Watch 112 may be of any style, color or color combination, and may include any conventional time display (i.e., hands or a digital display).
Straps 106A and 106B are coupled to watch 112 by removable double lever spring bars 116A and 116B, respectively. More details of removable double lever spring bars are provided in
Toy 110 has a front face 110A and an opposite back 110B. As shown in
One way of tightening the two straps around a wearer's wrist is to attach hook and loop closures, such as Velcro, to opposite sides of straps. As illustrated in
Straps 106A and 106B may attach via respective double lever spring bars 116A and 116B to an outer edge 126 of watch 112. Straps 106A and 106B may be removed from the watch by removing the double lever spring bars 116A and 116B, which may be accomplished without using any tool. Straps 106A and 106B may then be cleaned manually or laundered in a washing machine and dried in a dryer. In one aspect, straps 106A and 106B are plastic, and toys 110 and 114 are plush, stuffed toys.
In an embodiment, watch 112 may attach with straps of a different strap style, as illustrated in
In an embodiment, watch 112 attaches with its straps using alternative fasteners (as an alternative to the stitches described above and illutstrated in
In an embodiment, watch 112 includes press buttons as fasteners for removably coupling the toys to the straps.
In an embodiment, strap length Ls is greater than a sum of Velcro strip length Lv and a distance Ld between two separated attachments (e.g. buttons 402, 404, stitching areas 140, 240, metal eyelets 302, 304, and elastic bands 604) for each toy to the respective strap. Mathematically, Ls>Lv+Ld.
A ratio Rv of the Velcro strip length Lv to the strap length Ls is expressed in the following equation:
R
v
=L
v
/L
s
where Rv may vary from 0.2 to 0.6 such that a Velcro strip is long enough to hold onto a complimentary Velcro strip when the straps are wrapped around a person's wrist.
The toy length Lt is at least 40% of the strap length Ls such that the toy may not be too small to be playful. Also, each of toys 110 and 114 cannot be too long (dimension y) to attach to the watch straps (e.g. 106A, 106B); that is, Velcro strips 108A and 108B should exist at the end of each of straps 106A and 106B in sufficient size (e.g., Rv is 0.4) such that the straps 106A and 106B can close around a human wrist (not shown) and clasp together. The width X of toys 110 and 114 has no similar limitation but appropriately scales to the length y of toys 110 and 114. A ratio Rt of the toy length to the strap length is expressed in the following equation:
R
t
=L
t
/L
S,
where Rt ranges from 0.4 to 0.8. The strap length Ls is the same for both sides. For example, both straps 506A and 506B have a strap length of 75 mm. Preferably, the toy length Lt may range from 45 mm to 55 mm. Preferably, the ratio Rt is 0.6 to 0.65.
Time indicating device 500 includes dual straps 506A and 506B, which include press buttons 502. Toy 114 has two elastic bands 504 attached to its back. Each strap 504 supports one mating portion 503 for mating with a press button 502. Directional arrow 530 indicates directions for sliding toy 114 onto or off of strap 506B (via elastic band 504). Once in place on strap 506B (i.e., once mating portions 503 are aligned with press buttons 502), pressure is applied to the front of toy 114 over portions 503 and buttons 502, to snap toy 114 into place on strap 506B. Toy 110 is attached to strap 506A through sliding and pressing, as illustrated for toy 114 on strap 506B. Buttons 502 fix toys 110 and 114 to respective straps 506A and 506B such that the toys do not slide on the straps, once affixed.
Two elastic bands 604 attached to the back of each stuffed toy 110, 114. Elastic bands 604 (and thus attached toys 110/114) may be slid onto and off of straps 606A-B as indicated by directional arrow 630. In this case, toys 110 and 114 are not fixed in a particular position along straps 606A and 606B, but may slide along the straps.
Toys 110 and 114 may be made of machine washable and dryable materials, for easy laundering when detached from watch 112 as shown in
It will be appreciated that toys 110 and 114 need not take on the appearance of elephants, as in
The watches with wearable toys may be retained in watch cases. The watch cases may be made of a plastic material, such as polycarbonate, acrylic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyurethane. Such plastic watch cases may be used for younger children. For older children and adults, the watch cases may be made of a metal material which is generally more expensive than the plastic material, for example, stainless steel, brass, aluminum, or other metal alloys.
Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elements have not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.
It should thus be noted that the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The following claims are intended to cover all generic and specific features described herein, as well as all statements of the scope of the present method and system, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.