U.S. patent application number 12/457827 was filed with the patent office on 2010-10-14 for toy ball.
This patent application is currently assigned to LI YI ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Qing Hua Wang.
Application Number | 20100261561 12/457827 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41596165 |
Filed Date | 2010-10-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100261561 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wang; Qing Hua |
October 14, 2010 |
Toy ball
Abstract
A toy ball includes a transparent skin (1) made of thermoplastic
polyurethane (TPU) and comprising an internal space (11) and an
opening (12) therethrough; a recessed member (2) made of
thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and sealingly attached to an inner
surface (5) of the skin (1) directly below the opening (12); and a
soft sealing plug (3) made of polyurethane (PU) or silicon rubber
and disposed in the recessed member (2).
Inventors: |
Wang; Qing Hua; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WANG, QING HUA;Sec. 1,
4FL., No. 27, Lane 160, Hsin Sheng S. Rd.
Taipei, Taiwan
100
CN
|
Assignee: |
LI YI ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.
Taoyuan City
TW
|
Family ID: |
41596165 |
Appl. No.: |
12/457827 |
Filed: |
June 23, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/594 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2037/085 20130101;
A63B 2037/082 20130101; A63B 37/08 20130101; A63B 43/06
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/594 |
International
Class: |
A63B 43/00 20060101
A63B043/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 13, 2009 |
CN |
200920054402.4 |
Claims
1. A toy ball comprising: a transparent skin (1) comprising an
internal space (11) and an opening (12) therethrough; a recessed
member (2) sealingly attached to an inner surface (5) of the skin
(1) directly below the opening (12); and a soft sealing plug (3)
disposed in the recessed member (2).
2. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein the recessed member (2) is
shaped as a cup and comprises a positioning peg (21) projecting
downward from an underside thereof, and wherein the recessed member
(2) is sealingly attached to the inner surface (5) by applying
adhesive thereto.
3. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein the inner surface (5) is formed
with a pattern of uneven surfaces.
4. The toy ball of claim 3, wherein the uneven surface is a
plurality of diamond cutting surfaces or lozenge-shaped planes.
5. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein the space (11) is filled with
liquid.
6. The toy ball of claim 4, wherein the liquid is mixed with
anthraquinone powder (6).
7. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein the space (11) is filled with
air.
8. The toy ball of claim 4, further comprising a floating object
(7) placed in the liquid.
9. The toy ball of claim 1, further comprising a battery powered
flash lighting device (8) mounted on the inner surface (5).
10. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein the skin (1) is formed of
thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and comprises two halves.
11. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein the recessed member (2) is
formed of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
12. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein the sealing plug (3) is formed
of polyurethane (PU) or silicon rubber.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of Invention
[0002] The invention relates to toy balls and more particularly to
such a toy ball with improved characteristics.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] There have been numerous suggestions in prior patents for
toy ball. For example, U.S. Pat. Application Publication No.
2003/0235662 discloses toys and balls having a skin and a core of
somewhat dissimilar materials. The skin and core are of different
colors. When the toy is squeezed, the non-liquid deformable core
presses against at least a portion of the skin, making the skin
thin at that point and permitting the color of the core to show
through, creating the appearance of a color change of the toy.
[0005] Further, U.S. Pat. Application Publication No. 2005/0143204
discloses an elastic ball including a transparent surface layer of
a hollow sphere, a sealing device attached to the transparent
surface layer including a coupling and a rubber sheath in which the
coupling is formed by overlapping conic bodies one after another in
the order from the smallest one all the way up to the largest one
and is provided with an inscribed tangential common point on their
base circumferences and a channel defined in a middle conic body,
and is externally sleeve-jointed with the rubber sheath, and a
fluid filled in a hollow portion of the transparent sphere through
the channel of the sealing device. Fluid pressure is applied on the
rubber sheath of the sealing device to seal the channel of the
coupling for preventing fluid from leaking.
[0006] Thus, continuing improvements in the exploitation of toy
ball are constantly being sought.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a toy
ball comprising a transparent skin made of thermoplastic
polyurethane (TPU) and comprising an internal space and an opening
therethrough; a recessed member made of thermoplastic polyurethane
(TPU) and sealingly attached to an inner surface of the skin
directly below the opening; and a soft sealing plug made of
polyurethane (PU) or silicon rubber and disposed in the recessed
member.
[0008] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description taken with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first preferred
embodiment of toy ball according to the invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a second preferred
embodiment of toy ball according to the invention;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a third preferred
embodiment of toy ball according to the invention;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of another
configuration of any one of the above preferred embodiments of toy
ball according to the invention;
[0013] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the sealing plug and the
cup-shaped member having a positioning peg which is removed after
sealingly attaching the cup-shaped member to an inner surface of
the ball skin; and
[0014] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Referring to FIG. 1, a toy ball in accordance with a first
preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a transparent skin
1 made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with a space 11 defined
therein, an opening 12 through the skin 1 so that a needle (not
shown) may be inserted through for filling air or liquid in the
space 11 of the skin 1, a cup-shaped member 2 made of thermoplastic
polyurethane (TPU) and sealingly attached to an inner surface 5 of
the skin 1 directly below the opening 12 by applying adhesive
thereto, and a soft sealing plug 3 made of silicon rubber or soft
polyurethane (PU) and disposed in the cup-shaped member 2.
[0016] Liquid is filled in the space 11 of the skin 1. Moreover,
the liquid is mixed with anthraquinone powder 6. In addition, the
skin 1 is comprised of two half-spherical members secured together
by heating or any other method.
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the cup-shaped member 2 has a
positioning peg 21 projecting downward from an underside. The
positioning peg 21 will be removed after sealingly attaching the
cup-shaped member 2 to the inner surface 5 of the skin 1.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 2, a toy ball in accordance with a second
preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a transparent skin
1 made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with a space 11 defined
therein, an opening 12 through the skin 1 so that a needle (not
shown) may be inserted through for inflation, a cup-shaped member 2
made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and sealingly attached to
an inner surface 5 of the skin 1 directly below the opening 12 by
applying adhesive thereto, and a soft sealing plug 3 made of
silicon rubber or soft polyurethane (PU) and disposed in the
cup-shaped member 2.
[0019] Air is filled in the space 11 of the skin 1. Moreover, a
battery powered flash lighting device 8 is mounted on the inner
surface 5 of the skin 1 opposite the cup-shaped member 2 to provide
an intermittent lighting for playing. In addition, the skin 1 is
comprised of two half-spherical members secured together by
heating.
[0020] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 again, the cup-shaped member 2
has a positioning peg 21 projecting downward from an underside. The
positioning peg 21 will be removed after sealingly attaching the
cup-shaped member 2 to the inner surface 5 of the skin 1.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 3, a toy ball in accordance with a third
preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a transparent skin
1 made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with a space 11 defined
therein, an opening 12 through the skin 1 so that a needle (not
shown) may be inserted through for inflation, a cup-shaped member 2
made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and sealingly attached to
an inner surface 5 of the skin 1 directly below the opening 12 by
applying adhesive thereto, and a soft sealing plug 3 made of
silicon rubber or soft polyurethane (PU) and disposed in the
cup-shaped member 2.
[0022] Liquid is filled in the space 11 of the skin 1. Moreover, a
floating fish-shaped object or any other floating object 7 is
placed in the liquid. In addition, the skin 1 is comprised of two
half-spherical members secured together by heating.
[0023] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 again, the cup-shaped member 2
has a positioning peg 21 projecting downward from an underside. The
positioning peg 21 will be removed after sealingly attaching the
cup-shaped member 2 to the inner surface 5 of the skin 1.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 4, in another configuration of any one of
the above preferred embodiments of toy ball according to the
invention the inner surface 5 is formed with a pattern of uneven
surface which is preferable of a plurality of lozenge-shaped planes
or diamond cutting surfaces.
[0025] The provision of the sealing plug 3 in the cup-shaped member
2 can enhance the sealing effect of the cup-shaped member 2. The
sealing plug 3 has excellent resilience so as to allow the needle
to insert thereinto after passing the opening 12. Moreover, the
sealing of the cup-shaped member 2 can be maintained after pulling
the needle out of the sealing plug 3 and the opening 12.
[0026] While the invention herein disclosed has been described by
means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and
variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art
without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set
forth in the claims.
* * * * *