U.S. patent application number 12/196268 was filed with the patent office on 2010-02-25 for stuffed animal with removably attachable tail.
This patent application is currently assigned to Build-A-Bear Retail Management, Inc.. Invention is credited to Carolyn Cardinale, Danielle D. Stephens.
Application Number | 20100048088 12/196268 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41696805 |
Filed Date | 2010-02-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100048088 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cardinale; Carolyn ; et
al. |
February 25, 2010 |
STUFFED ANIMAL WITH REMOVABLY ATTACHABLE TAIL
Abstract
The present invention discloses a stuffed animal having a
releasably attachable tail. The stuffed animal includes a body, a
tail releasably attached to the body and attachment means carried
by at least one of the body and the tail. The attachment means
releasably attaches the tail to the body and may include a
plurality of hook and loop fastener elements. In another
embodiment, the attachment means includes at least one attachment
ear and at least one corresponding attachment member. The at least
one attachment ear is attached to the at least one attachment
member via hook and loop fastener elements for releasably securing
the tail to the body. A customer or seller can dress the stuffed
animal with changeable clothing after removing the tail, which can
be handled with ease by even young children.
Inventors: |
Cardinale; Carolyn;
(Princeton, NJ) ; Stephens; Danielle D.; (St.
Charles, MO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HUSCH BLACKWELL SANDERS LLP
190 Carondelet Plaza, Suite 600
ST. LOUIS
MO
63105
US
|
Assignee: |
Build-A-Bear Retail Management,
Inc.
St. Louis
MO
|
Family ID: |
41696805 |
Appl. No.: |
12/196268 |
Filed: |
August 21, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/98 ; 446/369;
446/99 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 3/52 20130101; A63H
3/02 20130101; A63H 3/16 20130101; A63H 3/46 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/98 ; 446/99;
446/369 |
International
Class: |
A63H 3/08 20060101
A63H003/08; A63H 3/16 20060101 A63H003/16; A63H 3/02 20060101
A63H003/02 |
Claims
1. A stuffed animal comprising: a body having a shell, the shell
being stuffed with a resilient material, the body including a torso
portion having a lower end portion and an upper end portion; a tail
adapted for being releasably attached to the body; and attachment
means with portions carried by at least one of the body and the
tail, the attachment means releasably attaching the tail to the
body.
2. The stuffed animal defined in claim 1 wherein said attachment
means comprising first and second attachment devices in vertically
spaced relation.
3. The stuffed animal defined in claim 2 wherein the second
attachment device comprising at least one attachment ear and at
least one corresponding attachment member, the attachment ear
including a hook or loop element and the attachment member
including the other of a hook or loop element.
4. The stuffed animal defined in claim 3 wherein the first
attachment device comprising first and second attachment members,
the first attachment member including a hook element and the second
attachment member including a loop element.
5. The stuffed animal defined in claim 4 wherein said stuffed
animal is configured as a simulated turkey.
6. The stuffed animal defined in claim 4 wherein said tail
including a portion configured to be folded such that the portion
of the tail covers at least a portion of said attachment means.
7. A toy kit for constructing a stuffed animal, the toy kit
comprising: a shell configured to be a body having a plurality of
portions for receiving resilient stuffing material; a tail
separated from the body, the tail being adapted for being
releasably attached to the body; attachment means for releasably
attaching the tail to the body; and an article of clothing adapted
for selective mounting to the body.
8. The toy kit defined in claim 7 wherein said attachment means
comprising at least one hook element and at least one loop
element.
9. The toy kit defined in claim 8 wherein said attachment means
comprising at least one attachment ear having at least one of a
hook or fastener element and an attachment member having the other
of the hook or loop fastener element, the at least one attachment
ear being releasably attached to the attachment member for
releasably securing the tail to the body.
10. The toy kit defined in claim 9 wherein said stuffed animal is
configured as a simulated turkey.
11. The toy kit defined in claim 9 wherein said tail including a
portion configured to be folded such that the portion of the tail
covers at least some of said attachment means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to stuffed toys and, more
particularly, to customizable stuffed animals and animal-like
figurines. The present invention includes a removably attachable
component that facilitates dressing the stuffed animal or
animal-like figurine.
[0002] Animal toys stuffed with fibrous, foam or other resilient
materials are well known. Stuffed animals and toys are typically
formed by filling a shell with a resilient material such as
polyester-cellulose fibers alone or along with polystyrene beads or
other suitable filler materials and thereafter closing the shell by
suitable closing means, thereby creating a three-dimensional soft
and resilient representation of an animal or other toy. Some
stuffed animals are very old--home made cloth dolls stuffed with
straw go back to at least the 1830s, perhaps much older. The most
well known type of stuffed toy is the teddy bear originated in
approximately 1902. Over the years, teddy bears have come in many
sizes and shapes and have evolved beyond the simple stuffed bear.
As the form of the stuffed toy has evolved, the ways of making and
marketing stuffed toys have also evolved.
[0003] In recent years, activities have been made available for
children to participate in workshops that allow the child to make a
personalized stuffed toy. For example, the company Build-a-Bear
Workshop, Inc. sells customizable stuffed animals and conducts
parties and events at which a participant can select a type of
stuffed toy by choosing a plush shell, filling it with resilient
material and a padded heart, closing the shell, and customizing it
by adding clothing, sound chips and other accessories. In this
particular store, a customer is shown a variety of finished stuffed
toys and the customer picks a particular empty toy shell to be
stuffed. The unstuffed shell is taken to a stuffing machine. An
employee of the store will place a tube into an opening in the
unstuffed toy shell. A customer may be invited to press the foot
pedal to control the flow of stuffing material from the stuffing
machine into the toy shell. As the foot pedal is employed,
compressed air blows a fibrous filling material into the shell
which gradually fills the shell to give the finished stuffed toy a
satisfactory amount of stuffing. The process may include enclosing
within the now stuffed toy a red, heart shaped, small cushion.
After the stuffing and selected components are placed inside the
shell, the opening through which the toy was filled is closed.
There are several methods for closing the existing shell including
using thread, zippers and other closing means. The customer then
has the opportunity of going to a computer station and entering
information into a set of fields on the computer screen which then
produces a printed certificate that memorializes the purchase of
the stuffed toy and which is called a "Birth Certificate."
[0004] The customer will then be given an opportunity to dress the
stuffed toy and to buy accessories for the toy. This process allows
the participant to feel as though he or she had brought the stuffed
animal to life, resulting in a stronger association with the toy.
Further, this method builds upon and utilizes the desire of a
customer, especially a child, to be a part of the overall
experience and to feel that their particular stuffed toy is unique.
However, dressing of stuffed toys with a large interfering
component such as a tail requires skills of the children.
Particularly, clothing for stuffed toys which include a large tail,
such as simulated animals or animal-like figurines, is generally
designed to be fitted onto or around a narrow connecting portion of
the tail. Depending upon the size and shape of the tail, it is
difficult even for adults to dress stuffed animals with a large
tail by pushing the large tail into or around the relatively small
openings of the clothing for the tail.
[0005] It is therefore desirable to provide a stuffed toy
construction that facilitates efficient dressing of the stuffed
toys with a large body component without the requirement of skills
or elaborate clothing constructions to be used in dressing the
stuffed toys. It is also desirable to provide a stuffed toy with
changeable clothing which can be handled with ease by even young
children, and which affords sufficient novelty so as to entertain
children and provide creative satisfaction.
[0006] Specific advantages and features of the invention will be
apparent from the attached drawings and description of an
illustrative embodiment of the present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention relates to various embodiments of a
stuffed toy having a releasably attachable tail. The present
invention overcomes many of the shortcomings and limitations of the
prior art devices discussed above and teaches the construction and
operation of several embodiments of stuffed toys for dressing by
using removably attachable body components. In one aspect of the
present invention, a stuffed animal includes a body, a tail
releasably attached to the body and attachment means carried by at
least one of the body and the tail. The attachment means releasably
attaches the tail to the body. A customer or seller can dress the
stuffed animal with changeable clothing after removing the tail.
Dressing can be handled with ease by even young children. The term
"stuffed animal," as used in this application includes stuffed
animal toys and animal-like figurines.
[0008] The body of the present stuffed toy includes a torso
portion, a head portion and a plurality of limb portions, and is
formed by a shell which can be stuffed with a resilient material.
The attachment means is associated with an appropriate tail or
other portion of the particular animal selected and can include a
plurality of hook and loop fastener elements. In another
embodiment, the attachment means may include at least one
attachment ear and a corresponding attachment member, one on the
tail and the other on the body. The at least one attachment ear is
attached to the attachment member for releasably securing the tail
to the body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stuffed animal in the form
of a simulated turkey with a removably attachable tail constructed
in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the stuffed animal of
FIG. 1 with a removably attachable tail constructed in accordance
with the teachings of the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 3 is an exploded side elevational view of the stuffed
animal of FIG. 1 with a removably attachable tail constructed in
accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 4 is an exploded rear view of the stuffed animal of
FIG. 1 with a removably attachable tail, showing the inner side of
the tail.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the removably attachable tail,
showing the outer side of the tail.
[0014] It should be understood that the drawings are not
necessarily to scale and that the embodiments disclosed herein are
sometimes illustrated by fragmentary views. In certain instances,
details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present
invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may
have been omitted. It should be understood that the invention is
not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated
herein. Like numbers utilized throughout the various Figures
designate like or similar parts or structure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The present invention is generally embodied in a stuffed
animal with a large tail for dress-up. The stuffed animal includes
a removably attached tail for facilitating dressing of the stuffed
animal. The tail can be easily removed for the dressing of the
stuffed animal and easily reattached to the stuffed animal
thereafter. The stuffed animal can be provided in a kit including
clothing or other accessories.
[0016] Referring now to the drawings, one embodiment of the present
invention is designated generally at numeral 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIGS. 1-5 are various views of one embodiment of a stuffed animal
with a large tail constructed in the form of a simulated turkey and
in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Although
the present invention is illustrated herein in the form of a
simulated stuffed turkey animal, it is recognized and anticipated
that the present invention can be incorporated into or can take on
the shape of any simulated animal having a tail or other similar
structure associated therewith.
[0017] The present soft, sculptured, stuffed animal 10 comprises a
body with a torso portion 12, a head portion 14 connected to the
torso portion 12, wing portions 16, 18 connected to the torso
portion 12, and lower limb portions 20, 22 also connected to the
torso portion 12. The illustrated stuffed animal 10 includes a beak
25 protruding outwardly from the head portion 14 and respective
feet portions 21, 23 protruding outwardly from the limb portions
20, 22. Preferably, all of the aforementioned body portions are
provided as a unitary structure. While the stuffed animal 10
illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 is a simulated turkey, other animals or
animal-like figurines with a tail can likewise be provided. As used
herein, upper, lower and other position terms are used to describe
the present invention as oriented in the drawings.
[0018] The stuffed animal 10 has a fabric, e.g., knit, woven and/or
felted fabric, or plastic shell which encloses a stuffing material
(not shown) within the body. The stuffing material is preferably
constituted of a resilient material such as natural or artificial
fiber, foam and/or other filler materials, but may also be made of
any other material used for stuffing toys.
[0019] The stuffed animal 10 further includes a removably
attachable tail 24. The tail 24 is shown in detail in FIGS. 3-5.
The tail 24 is removably attached on the back side of the torso
portion 12 and extends upwardly from the seat area of the body
toward or even past the head portion 14. The head portion protrudes
upwardly and outwardly from the upper end of a neck portion 26
which is connected to the torso portion 12. While the stuffed
animal 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 is in a seated configuration,
other configurations can likewise be provided.
[0020] The tail 24 is provided with attachment means 28. The tail
24 includes respective padded portions 30, 32 in the form of sewn
segments attached to a center portion 34 which in turn is removably
attached to the torso portion 12 by the attachment means 28. The
attachment means 28 is adapted to releasably secure the tail 24 to
the torso portion 12 in any suitable manner. A portion of the
attachment means 28 is positioned on the inside of the tail 24
adjacent the middle and a portion of the attachment means 28 is
positioned on the outside of the tail 24 for both easily securing
and releasing the tail 24. In one embodiment, the attachment means
28 includes a first attachment device 36, 38 and a second
attachment device 40, 42. The first attachment device 36, 38 is
provided to hold the upper portion of the tail 24 in an upright
position and includes hook and loop fastener elements (such as a
VELCRO.RTM. fastener). One of the hook or loop elements 36 is
positioned on the back surface of the torso portion 12 and the
other of the hook or loop elements 38 is positioned on the inner
surface of the tail 24 as best shown in FIG. 4 such that the hook
and the loop elements 36 and 38 engage each other so as to
releasably secure the tail 24 to the torso portion 12. It is
recognized that a plurality of hook and loop elements can be used
in addition to the first attachment device 36, 38 to hold the upper
portion of the tail in an upright position. The attachment device
36, 38 by being vertically spaced from attachment device 40, 42
prevents lateral rotation of the tail 24 thereabout.
[0021] The second attachment device 40, 42 is provided to removably
attach the tail 24 to the torso portion 12 and includes a pair of
flexible attachment ears 40 each of which include either a hook
element or a loop element, and a pair of attachment members 42 each
of which includes the corresponding hook or loop element for
attachment to the attachment ears 40. The attachment ears 40 are
secured to the torso portion 12 as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and
are provided to assist in attaching the tail 24 to the torso
portion 12. The attachment ears 40 are shown as webs or tabs
working in combination with either hook or loop attachment element
42 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The tail 24 includes an opening 44
(FIGS. 4 and 5) adjacent the middle thereof for receiving the
attachment ears 40 therethrough. Once positioned through the
opening 44, the attachment ears 40 can be moved into engagement
with the corresponding attachment members 42 on the outer surface
of the tail 24 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5. The attachment device
40, 42 can also be used to secure or mount an article of clothing
on the torso portion 12. The attachment ears 40 may also utilize a
snap fastener or other connector (not shown) to permit removal of a
portion thereof. Use of hook and loop fastener elements allows for
adjustment of the position of the attachment of the tail 24. The
first attachment device 36, 38 keeps the tail 24 upright and is
spaced vertically above the attachment ears 40 to help the tail 24
resist drooping and rotation. Other attaching means can likewise be
used to releasably secure the tail 24 to the body (torso portion
12) of the stuffed animal 10 without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention.
[0022] The tail 24 comprises an upper portion 46 and lower portion
48 extending downwardly therefrom. The lower portion 48 can be
folded up and releasably secured in overlying relationship to a
back side portion of the upper portion 46 by additional hook and
loop fastener elements 50 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 to cover and
hide the attachment ears 40 and other attaching means.
[0023] A customer or seller can dress the stuffed animal 10 with
changeable clothing 52 after removing the tail 24 and can easily
reattach the tail 24 to the torso portion 12 by the attachment
means 28. The clothing 52 may be provided with a through opening
(not shown) for receipt of the ears 42 therethrough to help secure
or mount the clothing to the torso portion 12.
[0024] Other variants are, of course, contemplated. Virtually any
stuffed animal or fanciful creature with a tail can be created in
accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the only
limitation being a child's imagination.
[0025] Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments
of a novel invention. As is evident from the foregoing description,
certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the
particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is
therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications,
or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art.
Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and
applications of the present constructions will, however, become
apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the
specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes,
modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do
not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to
be covered by the invention and the scope of the present disclosure
is not intended to be limited solely to the embodiments shown
herein. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements
of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure
that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill
in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are
intended to be encompassed by this disclosure.
* * * * *