U.S. patent application number 15/566043 was filed with the patent office on 2018-05-10 for a toy.
The applicant listed for this patent is David Ian HAWKINS. Invention is credited to David Ian HAWKINS.
Application Number | 20180126289 15/566043 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53333801 |
Filed Date | 2018-05-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180126289 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HAWKINS; David Ian |
May 10, 2018 |
A TOY
Abstract
The present invention relates to a capsule toy. The capsule toy
includes two parts: a capsule, comprising one or more components
which form a body of the capsule, and configured to fit a removable
toy and a toy, comprising a body, and configured to fit within the
capsule. The body of the toy is configured to receive at least one
of the components of the capsule once it is removed from the
capsule. A toy is also described.
Inventors: |
HAWKINS; David Ian;
(Yelford, Oxfordshire, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HAWKINS; David Ian |
Yelford, Oxfordshire |
|
GB |
|
|
Family ID: |
53333801 |
Appl. No.: |
15/566043 |
Filed: |
April 11, 2016 |
PCT Filed: |
April 11, 2016 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2016/051013 |
371 Date: |
October 12, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 3/50 20130101; A63H
3/005 20130101; A63H 33/06 20130101; A63H 3/16 20130101; A63H 3/02
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63H 3/16 20060101
A63H003/16; A63H 3/50 20060101 A63H003/50; A63H 3/00 20060101
A63H003/00; A63H 33/06 20060101 A63H033/06; A63H 3/02 20060101
A63H003/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 15, 2015 |
GB |
1506362.1 |
Claims
1. A capsule toy, including: a capsule, comprising one or more
components which form a body of the capsule, and configured to fit
a removable toy; and a toy, comprising a body, and configured to
fit within the capsule; wherein the body of the toy is configured
to receive at least one component of the capsule, after the toy is
removed from the capsule.
2. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the toy is
fitted within the capsule is it in a collapsed state, and, when the
toy is removed from capsule and the body of the toy receives the at
least one component of the capsule, the at least one component
converts the toy into a formed state.
3. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toy is a soft
toy.
4. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a part of
the body of the toy is formed of a flexible material.
5. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 4, wherein the body of the toy
is formed of a flexible sock.
6. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body of the toy
comprises an opening.
7. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 6, wherein the body of the toy
receives the at least one components via the opening.
8. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 7, wherein the opening is
sealable.
9. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 8, wherein the opening is
sealable via a fastener.
10. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fastener is
one selected from the set of a hook-and-loop fastener, a zip
fastener, and a fold in a material of the body of the toy.
11. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capsule
comprises a plurality of components.
12. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 11, wherein the capsule is
openable by detaching one of components from the other.
13. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 12, wherein after removable
from the capsule, the capsule is configured to be reformed from the
plurality of components and the toy is further configured to
receive the reformed capsule.
14. A capsule toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body of the
toy is configured to receive at least one component of the capsule
to form at least part of an exterior feature of the toy.
15. A toy, comprising a body, and configured to fit within a
capsule; wherein the body of the toy is configured to receive at
least one of the components forming the body of the capsule, after
the toy is removed from the capsule.
16. (canceled)
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is in the field of toys. More
particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to
capsule toys.
BACKGROUND
[0002] One mechanism for packaging toys is via a capsule. The
capsules are often formed of two parts that can be opened by a user
to provide access to a toy inside.
[0003] An advantage of capsule toys is that they can be stocked and
delivered from vending machines. These toys are very popular in
Asia where they are known as gashapon, gasha, or gacha.
[0004] A disadvantage of capsule toys is that the volume of the
capsule limits the toys designs possible.
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
capsule toy which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art, or
at least provides a useful alternative.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention there is
provided a capsule toy, including:
a capsule, comprising one or more components which form a body of
the capsule, and configured to fit a removable toy; and a toy,
comprising a body, and configured to fit within the capsule;
wherein the body of the toy is configured to receive at least one
component of the capsule, after the toy is removed from the
capsule.
[0007] Other aspects of the invention are described within the
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way
of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0009] FIGS. 1a to 1f: [0010] show a capsule toy in accordance with
an embodiment of the invention; and
[0011] FIGS. 2a to 2f: [0012] show a capsule toy in accordance with
an alternative embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] The present invention provides a capsule toy where the body
of the toy is configured to receive at least part of the capsule
when it is removed from the capsule.
[0014] The inventor has noticed that soft toys (such as "plushies")
do not lend themselves well to being packaged as a capsule toy,
because the soft toy when it is sized to fit within the common
capsule size is too small to be properly usable by a consumer.
[0015] The inventor has discovered that components that form the
body of the capsule can be repurposed to provide shape and form to
a plushie that has been collapsed to fit inside the capsule.
[0016] In FIGS. 1a to 1f, a capsule toy in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention will be described.
[0017] A capsule 100 is shown in FIG. 1a. The capsule 100 comprises
two components 101 and 102. The two components 101 and 102 engage
together to form the body of the capsule 100. The two components
101 and 102 are engaged together by tension where a rim of one
component overlays the lid of the other. Alternative means for
engaging the two components 101 and 102 is possible, such as, by
torsion where one component is screwed onto the other, by one or
more clasps, or by an additional adhesion product such as glue or
tape.
[0018] The two components 101 and 102 may also be connected via a
hinge or the components 101 and 102 may not be connected at
all.
[0019] In alternative embodiments, the capsule 100 may comprise a
single component or more than two components. The more than two
components may be configured to form a body of the capsule when in
a closed state.
[0020] The opening of a capsule 100 by a user is shown in FIG. 1b.
The two components 101 and 102 are disengaged from one another and
a soft toy 103 is shown within the body of the capsule 100. The
soft toy 103 is in a collapsed state such that it can fit within
the body of the capsule 100.
[0021] The soft toy 103 may be constructed out of a flexible
material such as fabric or silicon.
[0022] Further details can be added to the material of the soft toy
103 by means of stitching, stuffed fabric shapes, plastics, and/or
wooden or metal elements (e.g. springs).
[0023] The toy 103 may be a soft toy such as a plushie or another
deformable toy such as toys made of rubber or compressible
plastic.
[0024] The toy 103 may include an electronics component to provide
additional functionality to the toy 103. The electronics component
may be configured to generate light, sound, action via a motor,
and/or communication in response to movement, light, sound, and/or
communication.
[0025] The collapsed soft toy 103 after complete removal from the
capsule 100 is shown in FIG. 1c.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 1d, the soft toy 103 includes an opening
104 or slit that can be opened by the user. The soft toy 103 may be
formed as a flexible sock such that the opening 104 of the sock can
receive the capsule 100. In an alternative embodiment, the soft toy
103 may be formed of two or more parts that can be combined by a
fastener means, such as hooks-and-loops, zip, etc., such that the
soft toy 103 can be combined to surround all or part of the capsule
100.
[0027] The capsule 100 can be reformed from the two components 101
and 102 and pushed into the opening 104 in the soft toy 103 as
shown in FIG. 1e.
[0028] The soft toy 103 is shown in FIG. 1f where the capsule 100
is entirely within the body of the soft toy 103 and the opening 104
has been sealed. The opening 104 may be sealed by a fastener such
as folding the material of the soft toy, hook-and-loop or a
zip.
[0029] It can be seen that the capsule 100 shapes the soft toy 103
and the soft toy 103 has been converted from a collapsed state to a
formed state.
[0030] In an alternative embodiment, the body of the toy 103
receives the capsule 100 such that the capsule 100 forms part of an
exterior feature of the toy 103.
[0031] It will be appreciated that the shape of the capsule shown
in the Figures is exemplary only and that other capsule shapes may
be used.
[0032] In FIGS. 2a to 2f, a capsule toy in accordance with an
alternative embodiment of the invention will be described.
[0033] A capsule 200 is shown in FIG. 2a. The capsule 200 comprises
two components 201 and 202 and the two components 201 and 202
engage together to form the body of the capsule 200 as described in
relation to FIG. 1a.
[0034] The opening of a capsule 200 by a user is shown in FIG. 2b.
The two components 201 and 202 are disengaged from one another and
a soft toy 203 is shown within the body of the capsule 200.
[0035] The collapsed soft toy 203 after complete removal from the
capsule 200 is shown in FIG. 2c.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 2d, the soft toy 203 includes an opening
204 or slit that can be opened by the user. The soft toy 203 may be
formed as a flexible sock such that the opening 204 of the sock can
receive one of the components 201 or 202.
[0037] One of the components (in this example, 201) of the capsule
200 is pushed into the opening 204 in the soft toy 203 as shown in
FIG. 2e.
[0038] The soft toy 203 is shown in FIG. 2f where the component 201
of the capsule 200 is entirely within the body of the soft toy 203
and the opening 204 has been sealed.
[0039] It can be seen that, in this embodiment, it is one component
201 or 202 of the capsule 200 that shapes the soft toy 203 to
convert it from a collapsed state to a formed state.
[0040] It will be appreciated that the features described in
relation to the capsule toy of FIGS. 1a to 1f may also be
applicable for the capsule toy of FIGS. 2a to 2f.
[0041] Potential advantages of some embodiments of the present
invention is that toys larger than the capsule can be delivered via
the capsule method (for example, usable soft toys can be delivered
as a capsule toy in the standard size), and parts of the capsule
are reused to provide form to the toy, thereby reducing waste.
[0042] While the present invention has been illustrated by the
description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments
have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention
of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the
appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and
modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art.
Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to
the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and
illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures
may be made from such details without departure from the spirit or
scope of applicant's general inventive concept.
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