U.S. patent application number 10/736157 was filed with the patent office on 2004-08-05 for toy.
Invention is credited to Good, Gail M..
Application Number | 20040152393 10/736157 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32775946 |
Filed Date | 2004-08-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040152393 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Good, Gail M. |
August 5, 2004 |
Toy
Abstract
A liking loop toy structure with a pair of ends which are
adjacent to one another and which include either a magnet or a
material attracted to a magnet.
Inventors: |
Good, Gail M.; (Mound,
MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
David N. Fronek
DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP
Intellectual Property Department
50 South Sixth Street, Suite 1500
Minneapolis
MN
55402-1498
US
|
Family ID: |
32775946 |
Appl. No.: |
10/736157 |
Filed: |
December 15, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60434877 |
Dec 19, 2002 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/129 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 33/26 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/129 |
International
Class: |
A63H 033/26 |
Claims
1. A toy comprising: a linking loop type structure having an
elongated tubular member with a pair of opposite free ends, said
tubular member being formed in the shape of a closed loop with said
free ends adjacent to one another, each of said ends including at
least one of a magnet or a material attracted to a magnet.
2. The toy of claim 1 wherein each of said free ends includes a
magnet.
3. The toy of claim 1 wherein said tubular member is constructed of
stuffed fabric.
4. The toy of claim 1 including a retaining sack wherein said at
least one magnet or a material attracted to a magnet is retained
within said sack.
5. The toy of claim 4 wherein said sack is stitched to said tubular
member.
6. The toy of claim 1 wherein said tubular member is formed in the
shape of a closed loop having a circular configuration.
7. The toy of claim 1 wherein said tubular member is flexible.
8. The toy of claim 1 wherein said at least one magnet or a
material attracted to a magnet is embedded within its respective
free ends.
9. The toy of claim 1 including a plurality of said loop type
structures connected together.
10. A play accessory comprising: an elongated tubular structure
having a pair of free ends and one of a magnet or a material
attracted to a magnet positioned at each of said free ends, said
tubular member being of sufficient flexibility to be formed into a
closed loop structure with said free ends adjacent to one
another.
11. The play accessory of claim 10 wherein each of said free ends
includes a magnet.
12. The play accessory of claim 10 wherein said tubular member is
constructed of stuffed fabric.
13. The play accessory of claim 10 wherein said at least one magnet
or material attracted to a magnet is retained within said sack.
14. The play accessory of claim 10 wherein said sack is stitched to
said tubular member.
15. The play accessory of claim 10 wherein said at least one magnet
or a material attracted to a magnet is embedded within its
respective free end.
16. A toy comprising the combination of: a keeper having a body
portion and a plurality of first loop structures connected with
said body and at least one second loop structure manually
connectable to one of said first loop structures, at least one of
said first loop structures and said second loop structure having a
pair of free ends which are engageable with one another and which
are manually separable from one another to connect said one loop
structure to one of the other of first loop structures and said
second loop structure.
17. The toy of claim 16 wherein said first loop structures are
keeper loops being closed loop structures.
18. The toy of claim 17 wherein each of said free ends includes a
magnet or a material attracted to a magnet.
19. The toy of claim 16 wherein each of said free ends includes a
magnet or a material attracted to a magnet.
20. The toy of claim 19 wherein said at least one second loop
structure comprises said pair of free ends.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional
Application Serial No. 60/434,877 filed Dec. 19, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to a toy and more
specifically to a children's linking toy or plaything comprising a
selectively separable loop structure which can be played with and
enjoyed by itself or in combination with other such loop members.
This invention also relates to a children's toy comprised of a
combination or set of such loop members.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] A variety of loop type structures exists as playthings or
toys for children. Circular, closed loops constructed of plastic
are available in a variety of toys. Loops are also available which
are constructed of plastic, include a pair of ends defining a loop
opening and are somewhat flexible so that the loop ends can be
temporarily separated from one another to hook onto another loop or
another object. When released, the loop ends return to their normal
closed loop form as a result of the spring or flexible nature of
the plastic material.
[0006] Although a variety of loop type structures exist in the
prior art, there is a continuing need for new structures which
offer advantages over those existing in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention relates to a linking loop-type
structure which, in its preferred embodiment, either individually
or in combination with other such loop structures, forms a child's
toy or plaything.
[0008] The loop structure of the present invention comprises a loop
structure with a separation which can be manually separated to
position the loop onto a desired structure or onto another loop and
which includes means to automatically and securely return the
separated portions to a connected position in which the loop forms
a closed loop structure.
[0009] In the present invention, the loop structure comprises an
elongated tubular member formed in the shape of a closed loop. The
structure includes a pair of free ends which in their non-stressed
or non-separated position are closely adjacent to one another. In
the preferred embodiment, the invention includes a magnet or other
similar attracting means in each of the free ends so that when the
ends are closely adjacent to one another, and are not manually
separated, the respective free ends will attract to one another and
form a closed loop structure with the free ends being attracted to
one another to secure the closed loop.
[0010] Although the preferred embodiment of the structure of the
present invention is constructed of a fabric material which is
stuffed with natural or synthetic material, the loop structure can
be constructed of a variety of materials.
[0011] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a separated loop type structure in which the loop ends are
attracted to one another and are capable of manual separation.
[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a loop
type toy structure constructed of fabric which is shaped in the
form of a loop.
[0013] A still further object of the present invention is to
provide a tubular member having magnets at each end so that the
member can be formed into a loop type structure.
[0014] These and other objects of the present invention will become
apparent with reference to the drawings, the description of the
preferred embodiment and the appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the toy of the present
invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is an elevational front view of the toy loop of the
present invention in which the loop ends have been manually
separated.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational top view of the toy loop
structure of the present invention with the loop ends being
manually separated.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a view, partially in section as viewed along the
section line 4-4 of FIG. 3.
[0019] FIG. 5 is an isometric view showing one of the magnets and
the magnet retaining sack.
[0020] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a toy structure comprised of
a plurality or set of individual loop structures of the present
invention.
[0021] FIG. 7 is an elevational front view of a further
configuration of a loop structure in accordance with the present
invention.
[0022] FIG. 8 is an elevational front view of a further
configuration of a loop structure in accordance with the present
invention.
[0023] FIG. 9 is an elevational side view of a further
configuration of a structure in accordance with the present
invention.
[0024] FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a further embodiment of a
loop structure in accordance with the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a toy in accordance with the
present invention showing a plurality of the loop structures in
combination with a loop keeper.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0026] With reference to the drawings, the linking loop type toy
accessory or toy structure of the present invention in its
preferred embodiment comprises an elongated tubular member 11 which
is bent or formed into the shape of a closed loop. As shown in each
of FIGS. 1-4, the tubular member 11 includes a pair of opposite
free ends 12 and 14 which are adjacent or closely adjacent to one
another. Each of the ends 12 and 14 is provided with magnetic means
in the form of either a magnet or a material attracted to a magnet.
In the preferred embodiment, as shown best in FIG. 4, the end 12 is
provided with a magnet 15 and the end 14 is provided with a magnet
16. In the configuration shown in FIG. 4, the magnets 15 and 16 are
generally disc-shaped magnets with one face having a first or north
polarity and the opposite face having an attracting second or south
polarity. The magnets 15 and 16 are oriented within the ends 12 and
14 so that opposite poles of the magnets 15 and 16 are adjacent to
one another. This results in the magnets 15 and 16 and thus their
respective free ends 12 and 14 being attracted to one another when
the two ends 12 and 14 are brought close together or are in
relatively close proximity to one another.
[0027] Although the preferred embodiment discloses a magnet 15 and
16 in each of the ends 12 and 14, one of the magnets could be
replaced by a material such as an iron based material which is
attracted to a magnet. Further, although the preferred structure
shows the magnets 15 and 16 as being generally disc shaped, they
can be of any configuration.
[0028] Although the magnets 15 and 16 can, if desired, be secured
directly to the outer surface of the free ends 12 and 14, it is
preferred that the magnets 15 and 16 be retained at the ends 12 and
14 via a layer of fabric 18,19. This fabric provides a more
esthetic structure and also functions to capture the magnet and to
prevent it from being accessed by the user of the structure.
[0029] To further assure that the magnets 15 and 16 are not capable
of being accessed by the child or user of the toy structure, each
magnet 15,16 is preferably captured within a separate
magnet-retaining sack 20,21 as shown best in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, the
magnet-retaining sack 20,21 is constructed of a mesh material which
fully captures its respective magnet 15,16. In the preferred
embodiment, the sack 20,21 is then sewn shut to fully capture the
magnet 15,16 and the sack 20,21 is then sewn directly to the fabric
portion of the tubular member 11. This prevents the magnets 15,16
from being lost or from being removed or otherwise accessed by the
child or user of the toy.
[0030] In the preferred embodiment, the tubular member is formed
into the shape of a loop type structure as shown best in FIGS. 1
and 2. The tubular member 11 has a tubular outer fabric or cloth
layer which is stuffed with natural or synthetic material. The
tubular member 11 is sewn and constructed so that in its unstressed
position, it forms a generally loop type structure in which the
ends 12 and 14 are closely adjacent to or in fact touching one
another. When sewn, the tubular structure includes a seam 22 around
the exterior periphery of the loop structure and a seam 24 around
the interior periphery of the loop type structure. The end caps 18
and 19 are sewn to the outer fabric of the tubular member 11 via
the seams 25 and 26.
[0031] Preferably, the material from which the tubular member 11 is
formed is a relatively flexible member having some memory. Thus, if
it is stressed, it will tend to reform its original shape. Any
tubular member such as the stuffed tubular fabric as shown and
described in the preferred embodiment as well as structures which
are comprised of solid plastic or hollow plastic materials can be
used. The fabric material of the preferred embodiment can also be
replaced with a synthetic or plastic material.
[0032] FIG. 6 shows a toy constructed of a plurality of loop type
structures of the present invention. With this toy, a child can
manually separate the loops to remove them from one another and
connect them with other objects or can connect them to one another
in various configurations.
[0033] FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate other embodiments of the tubular
loop member such as a triangular configuration as shown in FIG. 7
and a rectangular or square configuration shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 9
illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention which is
comprised of an elongated, flexible tubular member 28 having
opposite free ends 29 and 30. This embodiment is not generally
formed into a loop-type structure in its unstressed position. It
does, however, include a magnet or magnetic material in each of its
ends 29 and 30. Thus, the elongated structure of FIG. 9 can be
formed into the shape of a loop so that its ends 29 and 30 are
closely adjacent to one another. When this occurs, the magnets in
those ends 29,30 will attract to one another and will retain the
ends in that connected position and the tubular member in the loop
type configuration. The structure of FIG. 9 can also be connected
end to end with one or more similar structures to produce a still
longer structure.
[0034] FIG. 10 is a further embodiment in accordance with the
present invention. The embodiment of FIG. 10 includes a loop-type
structure 35 similar to the loop structure shown in FIGS. 1-9. This
loop structure 35 includes a pair of ends 36 and 38 with attracting
magnets embedded therein. Connected at one of the ends 36 and 38 is
an object 39 such as an animal head, an insect or bug head or the
like. This object 39 is preferably constructed of a fabric or other
material such as plastic or the like and is sewn into or otherwise
connected to the loop 35 near one of the ends 36 and 38.
[0035] FIG. 11 shows a toy structure embodying one or more of the
loop structures shown and described in FIGS. 1-10. The toy of FIG.
11 includes a keeper 43. In the preferred embodiment, the keeper 43
displays a configuration in the form of an insect, animal or other
identifiable object and includes a central body portion 40 and a
plurality of closed loop structures in the form of keeper loops 42
extending from the body 40. More specifically, as shown, each of
the keeper loops 42 includes a pair of ends which are preferably
fixed to the body 40 by stitching or the like so they are not
removable or otherwise separable from the body 40. The body portion
40 is preferably constructed of a stuffed fabric, while the keeper
loops 42 are plastic.
[0036] The toy of FIG. 11 also includes one or more (preferably at
least two) loop structures 44 which are similar to the loop
structures shown and described in FIGS. 1-10. If desired, a head or
other portion 41 can be joined to the body portion 40 as shown.
Although the loops 42 which are connected to the body are closed
loops which are not intended to be separated, they can, if desired,
be constructed similar to the loop structures of FIGS. 1-10 in
which a portion is manually separable from one another. The toy of
FIG. 11 is usable by a child by connecting and disconnecting the
plurality of loops 44 from the loops 42 of the keeper 43.
[0037] Although the description of the preferred embodiment has
been quite specific, it is contemplated that various modifications
could be made without deviating from the spirit of the present
invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the
present invention be dictated by the appended claims rather than by
the description of the preferred embodiment.
* * * * *