CA2021134A1 - Amusing substance - Google Patents

Abstract

AMUSING SUBSTANCE
Abstract of the Disclosure A dry, packaged substance which, when mixed with water, produces a colourful, slimy substance which amuses children is provided. The product when dry comprises primarily corn starch with a small amount of preservative and colouring. The preferred form of the dry product consists of approximately 99.7% by weight of corn starch, and .3% by weight of preservative, consisting preferably of .2% calcium propionate and .1% benzoate. Food dyes are added in the appropriate proportions to provide the colour in the product when water is added. To produce the playful substance of appropriately gooey consistency, cold water is added to the dry mixture in the ratio of one cup (237 ml.) per 295 g. of the dry mixture.

Description

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AMUSING SUBSTANCE

Field of the Invention The invention relates to children's playthings, and more particularly to malleable, tactile substances for the amusement of children.

Backqround of the Invention Young children, as they improve their motor skills and explore different sensations, enjoy using their hands to feel soft, moist substances such as dough, putty, mud and the like. Various commercial products have been developed to provide colorful substances of consistent quality to satisfy this attraction, such as those sold under the trade-marks PLAY DOUGH and SILLY PUTTY. These products tend to be relatively solid, whereas the child is attracted to more slimy, slithery or gooey substances, however to date commercially mass-produced and packaged products have not satisfied this need.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a dry, packaged substance which, when mixed with water, produces a colour-ful, slimy substance which amuses children. The product when dry comprises primarily corn starch with a small amount of preservative and colouring. The preferred form of the dry product consists of approximately 99.7% by weight of corn starch, and .3% by weight of preservative, consist-ing preferably of .2% calcium propionate and .1% benzoate.
Food dyes are added in the appropriate proportions to provide the colour in the product when water is added. To produce the playful substance of appropriately gooey consistency, ~old water is added to the dry mixture in the ratio of one cup (237 ml.) per 295 g. of the dry mixture.

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Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment To produce the dry mixture which can be packaged for sale to the public, a mixture is produced of a commer-cially available corn starch and sufficient preservative ofa type appropriate for starches. The preservative ensures that the corn starch will not deteriorate during the normal ..
shelf life of the product. Preferably the mixture consists of 99.7% corn starch and .3% preservative. Preferably the .3% preservative is .2~ calcium propionate and .1% sodium benzoate.
In order that the end product has a colour attractive to children after water is added, food dyes are added to the dry mixture. To obtain a yellow substance, :: , :
yellow #5 dye (referring to the Food, Drug and Cosmetics standard designations), also referred to as tartrazine super yellow, is added to the dry mixture in 133 parts per million (ppm). For a red colour, red #3 dye is added at 88 ppm. For a blue colour, blue #l or brilliant blue is added at 33 ppm. For green, the above blue and yellow dyes are both added in the previous proportions, that is 33 ppm blue and 133 ppm yellow. Such food colouring, and the afore-mentioned preservatives, must of course be safe if the substance is eaten by the child.
The end user of the product produces the playful substance of appropriately gooey or slimy consistency as follows. To the standard packaged portion of the dry mixture described above, 295 grams by weight, is added one cup (237 ml.) of cold water. The water and powder are mixed gradually with the hands, producing a somewhat gelatinous mixture which is semi-liquid, flowing in the manner of a viscous liquid, but tending to adhere or be drawn togther with the rest of the substance to produce a slithery, slimey, gooey consistency.
The substance dries over time and can be returned to the preferred consistency by re-adding the appropriate amount of water. Simiarly if too much water has been added :, :. . : . ~ , .. . . . . .

the substance can be left to dry to the appropriate con-sistency. To store the substance after use, it can be allowed to dry completely, and returned to a powder state by crumbling the dried mass, or it may be frozen.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.

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Claims (12)

1. A semi-liquid substance safe and attractive to children comprising corn starch, food colouring, starch preservative and water, the proportion of water to corn starch being approximately .8 litres per kilogram.

2. A mixture adapted for packaging and resale to produce a semi-liquid substance attractive to children, comprising primarily corn starch, with a minor amount of starch preservative.

3. The mixture of claim 2 further comprising food colouring.

4. The mixture of claim 2 comprising between 99.5%
and 99.9% corn starch by weight and between .1% and .5%
starch preservative.

5. The mixture of claim 4 wherein said starch preservatives are chosen from the group calcium propionate and sodium benzoate.

6. The mixture of claim 5 comprising 99.7% by weight corn starch, .2% by weight calcium propionate and .1% by weight sodium benzoate.

7. The mixture of claim 4 further comprising food colouring.

8. The mixture of claim 7 comprising food colouring in the amount between 20 and 150 parts per million.

9. A method of producing a semi-liquid substance safe and attractive to children comprising:
a) providing a quantity of a mixture of corn starch, food colouring and starch preservative;

b) adding water to such mixture in a proportion to produce a semi-liquid mass.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said water is added to said mixture in proportion of approximately .8 litres per kilogram.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said mixture comprises between 99.5% and 99.9% corn starch by weight and between .1% and .5% starch preservative.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said mixture comprises food colouring in the amount between 20 and 150 parts per million.