The present invention relates to a combination of a movable toy and a hollow container.
Toys are known in the art which comprise:
Examples of these combinations of a movable toy and a container are disclosed in patent documents
Particularly, in the embodiments described in these documents, the spring mechanism of the movable toy is only wound up when the movable toy is within the hollow container, by actuation of the wind-up means on the outer surface of the container. Once the spring mechanism of the movable toy has been wound up, after a certain period of time, the container opens.
When the container is open, the movable toy is free to move.
It should be noted that the period of time from the action of winding up the spring of the movable toy to the opening of the container may be delimited by minimum and maximum thresholds that are fixed once they are set.
The problem of the toy combination as described in the above documents lies in the consequentiality of the steps involved. Particularly, once the spring in the movable toy has been wound up and a predetermined time has elapsed from such winding step, the container is opened and the movable toy comes out. In other words, when a user winds the spring of the movable toy, the container opens within a predetermined time, with a duration that cannot be adjusted as desired.
This means that, although the container opening time is somewhat delayed relative to the action of winding the spring of the movable toy, it is still determined by the time at which the spring winding action is completed.
As a result, the toy, intended as the movable toy-container combination, is only usable when the user operates the spring winding mechanism.
It is relatively difficult to arrange said known toy into said known container since during this operation the user, usually a child with limited manual skills, must also hold the end of the winder used to wind-up the toy in order to avoid an accidental unwinding thereof. Moreover, both the end of the winder for winding-up the toy and the end provided with the socket are visible on the toy, so as to deteriorate the external shape of the toy, which should resemble a toy figure as much as possible.
In light of the above prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide a container for a wind-up movable toy which affords increased usability of the toy and the toy-container combination by its final user.
According to the present invention, this object is fulfilled by a combination of a container and a movable toy as defined in claim 1.
With the present invention, a container may be provided which is adapted to contain a movable toy so that, once the spring of the movable toy is wound up and the movable toy is introduced into the container, the container only opens (and hence the movable toy comes out of it) when the user actuates an element, such as a button.
Advantageously, the container of the present invention can transfer the potential energy stored in the container to suitable means, to only divide the container when a user actuates a button external to the container, with the toy in the container.
Furthermore, in an advantageous aspect of the present invention, once the button has been actuated, a certain period of time, or delay, elapses from the actuation of the pushbutton by the user and the opening of the container.
The characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of one practical embodiment, which is illustrated without limitation in the annexed drawings, in which:
Referring to the attached figures, numeral 1 designates a combination of a movable toy 2 and a container 3 adapted to contain such movable toy 2 therein, according to the present invention.
Particularly, the movable toy 2 is embodied, for instance, by a movable toy comprising an elastic energy accumulation system, such as a spring. Preferably, once the spring has been wound up, this movable toy 2 is designed to walk during the spring unwinding time.
In the attached figures, the movable toy 2 preferably has anthropomorphic features (i.e. a head, two arms and hands, two legs and a trunk, each formed, for instance, of front and rear polymeric half-shells, generally designated by 2A and 2B), the features being for instance similar to those of the monster known with the trade name of Gormiti (® by Giochi Preziosi).
The container 3 is a hollow container comprising at least two portions 3A and 3B. The portions 3A and 3B are preferably formed of corresponding half-shells (i.e. elements of relatively small thickness, defined by a thin outer edge). The container 3 has a unitary state, in which the two portions 3A and 3B are integral with each other. In this state, the two portions 3A and 3B define a cavity therein, which is adapted to contain the movable toy 2 and other inner mechanisms, as further explained below. Nevertheless, the other inner mechanisms are advantageously integral with at least one of the two portions 3A, 3B and the remaining cavity has a size substantially corresponding to that of the toy contained therein.
As shown in the attached figures, the hollow container 3 preferably has the appearance of a rock.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The operation and interconnection of the above mentioned first wind-up means 4, first spring mechanism 5 and first lock means 6 may be easily understood by looking at the attached figures, and will be not described in further detail herein.
For the purposes of the present disclosure and according to the particular embodiment of the movable toy 2, it should be noted that:
A further cylindrical element 4E is coupled to the cylindrical element 4C and acts as a shoulder extension of the movable toy 2. Such extension 4E is capable of free clockwise or counterclockwise rotation; when the extension 4E is actuated in the clockwise direction, the first spring mechanism 5 is wound up; radial elements 4F project out of such extension 4E and assist the holding and winding action of the user; the extension 4E has a suitable seat in its free end, which is adapted to ensure a form fit with delay means, as described below;
More generally, referring to the embodiment as shown in the figures, the above mentioned first motion transfer means include a first driving member (the seat 4C) preferably formed in the shoulder extension 4E of the toy 2, which has a non circular, e.g. a star shape, thereby allowing a form-fit with a special driven member 9A (e.g. part of the delay means 9, see below).
Furthermore, the user-operable first lock means 6 can stop motion transfer to the driven member 9A (in this example they prevent counterclockwise rotation of the shaft 5A). They may consist of a mechanical switch, such as a slider (the peg 6A), advantageously movable along an axis that, with the toy 2 in its proper orientation, has a horizontal extension. In case of an anthropomorphic toy 2, the first lock means 6 are advantageously placed at a shoulder of the toy 2, with the axis of the slider possibly parallel to the forward walking direction of the toy when it is driven by the components required for the walking function.
Advantageously, the motion transfer means are integral with the wind-up means 4; nevertheless, they may not be coincident therewith if the toy 2 is not spring-operated but, for instance, battery-powered.
Also referring to
The separation means 7 include second loading means 15 for loading a spring 16 in the hollow container 3; this spring is loaded as the hollow container moves from said divided state to said unitary state, said separation means 7 being operably connected to said second loading means 15 through said delay means 9.
More generally, the portions 3A, 3B of the hollow container 3 are movable relative to each other. In the unitary state, the first actuation means 8 allow a user to actuate an element held within the volume of the container 3 from outside the container 3, and hence to operate through the container 3.
The first actuation means 8 advantageously consist of a button, a switch or a lever. Mechanical actuation means are preferable for their simple construction and easy use.
The hollow container 3 may further include a driven member 9A (here part of the delay means 9), which can receive energy, preferably as motion, for instance as rotary motion, from a member placed in the inner volume of the container 3 (here the seat 4C, the driving member of the toy 2). Therefore, the driven member 9A projects into the inner volume of the hollow container.
Advantageously, the driven member 9A is connected to second actuation means for actuating a device within the container. In the particular embodiment of the figures, the second actuation means are the delay means 9, which cause the container 3 to open by separating the two portions 3A, 3B.
Obviously, the second actuation means may cause a motion other than that of mutual separation of the portions 3A, 3B: for example, relative rotation thereof may be envisaged.
In a preferred embodiment, the driven member 9A is connected to delay means 9, which improves the usability of the toy 2, by both allowing a user to choose the time of operation of the first actuation means 8 on the outer surface of the hollow container 3, and allowing delayed opening to be not necessarily dependent on the time of release of the wind-up device by the user.
Advantageously, the container 3 includes no wind-up device for the toy 2, which means that no action is required to be made on the container 3 to wind up the motion mechanism in the movable toy 2. Namely, the container 3 has no rotary driving member that can be operated from outside and transfer rotary motion into the inner volume of the container 3.
It shall be noted that the portion 3A of the hollow container 3 comprises a subframe 10 associated by fastening means with the inner wall 3A' of the portion 3A, whereas the portion 3B of the container 3 comprises another subframe 11 associated by fastening means with the inner wall 3B' of the portion 3B.
Particularly, a substantially cylindrical pushing member 10A projects from the subframe 10 with a substantially perpendicular orientation, and has a groove formed thereon that defines an abutment surface perpendicular to the axis of the pushing member 10A.
Furthermore, the subframe 11 has:
As shown in
The cam 9E is operably connected to a catch 13, which in turn may include a cylindrical central portion extending along an axis of rotation and two radial projecting elements, one in such a position as to contact the cam 9E during rotation thereof, and the other in such a position as to create a counteracting surface for the abutment surface of the pushing member 10A.
In the embodiment of
As an alternative to the three gears 9B, 9C, 9D other arrangements known in the art may be envisaged, such as a belt.
In
In practice, once the toy 2 is wound up, with the first lock means 6 in the locked position, it will not be automatically unwound and may be inserted in the inner volume of the container 3 by assembling its two portions 3A, 3B.
Then, the user may operate the first actuation means 8, which in turn operate on the first lock means 6 to move them from the locked position to the unlocked position.
The energy stored in the toy 2 rotates the driving member, which transfers its rotary motion to the driven member 9A.
The delay means 9 will cause the container 3 to remain in its unitary state for a period of time T, which is calculated from the moment in which the user operates the first actuation means 8. At the end of the time T, the separation means will open the container 3, for the latter to move to the divided state.
Those skilled in the art will obviously appreciate that a number of changes and variants may be made to the arrangements as described hereinbefore to meet incidental and specific needs.
All of these variants and changes fall within the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.