AU679688B2

AU679688B2 - Construction figure toy

Info

Publication number: AU679688B2
Application number: AU47502/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: J.M. James
Original assignee: J M JAMES
Current assignee: J M JAMES
Priority date: 1992-09-22
Filing date: 1993-09-21
Publication date: 1997-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 2013-09-21
Also published as: AU4750293A

Description

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P/00/0 1 1 281USM1 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT in enio Til: C S- J.A A 4 0. 1 0 0. Th folwn ttmn0safuldsrpino0hsivetoicuigtebs meho ofpromn t0nw om: :..fe 00. .I0. .I 1 1. 00 e 0. .1 1 CONSTRUCTION FIGURE TOY Technical Field The present invention relates to construction figure toys having all bodycomponent parts interchangeable with other spare body-component parts of a similar nature, particularly to a new and educational toy. Assembling and interchanging the various separate body-component parts of said toys enables a child to recognise and assemble said body-components into a complete model or models.

Said body-component parts are contained within a large bucket-shape container, said I* body-component parts held within said bucket-container representing different features so as to allow a variety of models with different attributes, poses, features .15 an, shapes to be constructed; there is also a variety of individual kits containing spare body-component parts showing different attributes and accessories contained within a smaller size bucket-shape container.

SSummary of the Invention 4* 2Q The present invention relates to a kit comprising at least two different interchangeable versions of each of three or more component parts, each of which component parts represents a particular body part of a model figure or model figures, and which component parts comprise engaging means by which they may be engaged with or disengaged from each other for assembly or disassembly of said model figure or model figures, said different, interchangeable versions of a particular body part differing from each other with respect to attributes and features of that body part, and thereby providing the model figure (when assembled) with the attributes and features of the relevant version of the body part. Each version of a particular body-component part is interchangeable with any other version of said A- body-component part; thereby enabling one kind of model to be changed into Sanother kind of model. The aforesaid "attributes and features" relate to particular 911~--L-~C ~I~ 2 versions of the model figure (eg an adult male figure as opposed to an adult femaie figure or a baby figure; or an elephant figure as opposed to a giraffe figure), such that interchangeability of component parts enables one version of the model figure to be progressively converted into another version of the model figure, or hybrid figures to be formed (see, for example, accompanying Figures 2, 4 and The term "interchangeable versions" of the component parts means that one version of a particular body part, such as a leg, can be wapped for another version of th1at same body part (rather than, for example, swapping a leg with a head). In a particular embodiment, the kit will comprise further interchangeable versions of one or more component parts, each of which component parts is an item of clothing or accessory for the model figure or model figures.

9 eoo* •All said body-component parts are attached together either by thread- S. 15 screwing, snap-clip, velcro or magnetic adhesion; said models can be manufactured Sfrom plastics, wood or metals; said models can be either of solid or hollow construction; all said miodels consist of a plurality of body-component parts consistent with making its own peculiar type of model; in one form of the invention, using the said spare body-component parts the model toy can be changed from a °Q male figure to a female figure to a baby figure each having the ability to portray a variety of poses, activities and shapes according to which said body-component parts o8..

a.e a are assembled; this invention consists of various types of models having human or humanoid shape, robot shape, anhimal shape, insect shape, plant shape, or imaginary 0 fantasy creature shape; there is a said bucket containing at least three different kinds of spare sets of interchangeable body-component parts, one type of model plus its own particular spare body-component parts to each said bucket; each said component part having the same or different attribute or feature from that of another said body-component part

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2a List of Preferred and Optional Features Each model has sets of extra various body-component parts of different sizes and gender, posed in different positions, with each body-component part having attributes or features relevant to allow simulation of a certain type of model, model action or model activity; in one embodiment, at least some of the component parts in the kit will represent clothing or accessories for the model figure; there are also accessory kits to complement each said model; said body-component parts can be of various lengths and incomplete allowing the atta,:hment of a complementary portion of said body-component part to make up a full-length complete body-component part; a body-component part such as legs can be completely replaced by an equivalent body-component part such as too 0 *so* S~WIIWIBSl~gAIYB4 -3a mermaids tail; in another form of the invention the model body-component parts are joined together by a threading screw, the lower torso having an interior thread at each of its openings and the limbs having an exterior thread allowing the lower torso and limbs to be screwed together, the upper torso has an exterior threading screw at its waist allowing the upper torso to be screwed to the lower torso, the upper torso has interior threading screw at each of its remaining openings allowing the 10 exterior threading screw of the limbs to be screwed into o said upper torso; in another form of the invention the torso has velcrose attached to the ends of the models' 9 limbs and to the inside area of the upper and lower torso where the limbs attach, allowing said torso and said limbs to be joined together, the upper torso has velcrose attached to it at the waist end and the lower torso has the velcrose attached to it at the waist end thereby allowing upper and lower torso to be joined together; in another form of the invention magnets are "20 a',tached to the ends of the models' limbs and to the inside area of the upper and lower torso where the said limbs attach, allowing said limbs and torso to be joined together; the upper torso has a magnet attached to it at the waist end and the lower torso has a magnet attached to it at the waist end, thereby allowing upper and lower torso to be joined together; in another form of the invention the body-component parts are joined together by a snap-clip; at the openings where said body-component parts attach to the upper and lower torso there is a spring-loaded wire which allows the projections on the end of the limbs and head to be retained when pushed into the openings; the interc'iaageable heads of said models are either screwed into the upper torso or attached by velcrose or magnets.

r ~lre slaa =~g 4 IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows one model example of a doll with detachable limbs, torso and head according to this invention; FIG. 2 shows body-component parts between human models being interchanged, so changing model from an adult male to a baby; FIG. 3 shows a model of an imaginary fantasy creature with detachable limbs, torso and head according to this invention; FIG. 4 shows body-component parts between fantasy creature models being interchanged, so changing model from one type of imaginary creature into a different type of fantasy creature; FIG. 5 shows a model of one type of animal with 15 detachable limbs,.-torso and head according to this invention; FIG. 6 show body-component parts between animal.,models being interchanged so changing model from one type .of S* animal into another type of animal; 20 the models in figs. 1, 3 and 5 utilise thread-screwing interconnection; for example, each body-component part of fig. 1 has at one of its ends or edges either a screw 1 or a corresponding thread 2, enabling bodycomponent parts to be screwed together, thereby constructing a complete model; all body-component parts which represent limbs screw into the upper or lower torso 4 or 6 respectively; the upper torso 4 screws into the lower torso 6; each and every body-component R part can be interchanged with other body-component parts '9 which have a variety of attributes, thereby changing r n -r ~L~IL- ~e~L~

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5 said model's appearance; a hand 10 can be replaced by a hand holding, for instance, a trowel 11, or arm 12 plus hand 10 can be replaced by the R length arm 13 and of-an-arm length glove 14 which when said arm 13 and said glove 14 are screwed together constitute a fullsize arm with glove; likewise a leg 5 and a foot 7 can be replaced by the 4 length leg 8 and f of- a-leglength boot 9 which, when said leg 8 and said boot 9 are screwed together, constitute a full-size leg and boot; this is the principle whereby a model's appearance can be changed; model component parts can also be joined together in different ways, e.g. by snap-clip means, magnetic adhesion or velcro; by exchanging bodycomponent parts with spare body-component parts 15 contained within the kit, models with different features, attributes and poses can be assembled; Figs. 2, 4 and 6 show how, by exchanging body-component o parts, one kind of model figure can be changed into a different kind of model figure.

9o i* ee 6oo I a I IrsU C~ II I 1 fill

Claims

1. A kit comprising at least two different, interchangeable versions (as herein defined) of each of three or more component parts, each of which component parts represents a particular body part of a model figure or model figures, and which component parts comprise engaging means by which they may be engaged with or disengaged from each other for assembly or disassembly of said model figure or model figures, said different, interchangeable versions of a particular body part differing from each other with respect to attributes and features (as herein defined) of that body part, and thereby providing the model figure (when assembled) with the i attributes and features of the relevant version of the body part, said model figure or model figures being selected from human figures, humanoid figures, robot figures, S imaginary or fantasy creature figures, animal figures, insect figures and plant figures, and being constructed solely from said component parts, wherein all versions of a particular body part are interchangeable. 9000

2. A kit according to claim 1, wherein said engaging means comprises thread- screwing, snap-clip connection means, magnetic adhesion or velcro. 2 *0 S

3. A kit according to claim 2, wherein said engaging means comprises thread- 000* S screwing. S

4. A kit according to claim 2, wherein said engaging means comprises snap-clip •500 S.21 connection means, wherein a projection on one component part is retained within an opening on another component part by a spring-loaded wire.

A kit according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least two different, interchangeable versions of a component part being an item of clothing or accessory for the model figure or model figures. ~L~Ce~ kr

6. A kit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, substantially as herein described. Dated this 23rd day of April, 1997. J UNE MAUREEN JAMES By her Patent ALtorneys MADDERNS I .0. 9 as 1 1 .C ABSTRACT the present invention relates to a kit of component parts which are reversibly engageable with each other for assembly or disassembly of a model figur or model figures, said kit comprising at least three different types of component parts, each of which represent a part of a model figure or model figures, and wherin at least two of the different types of component part 0O represent different attributes and/or features of the D 10 same part of a model figure and are interchangeable thereby providing that model figure with said different attributes or features; to accompany this abstract i submit fig. 1. sheet 1/6. 0)O •0 O« I -C ~sL~ l