EP1040856A1

EP1040856A1 - Educational toy set using three-dimensional model animal

Info

Publication number: EP1040856A1
Application number: EP00107263A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yutaka Arima
Original assignee: Arima-International Inc
Current assignee: Arima-International Inc
Priority date: 1999-04-01
Filing date: 2000-04-03
Publication date: 2000-10-04
Also published as: JP3062671U; KR20010014666A

Abstract

An educational toy set concerning coloring or modeling that is so interesting that children will work thereon voluntarily. The educational toy set includes a three-dimensional model animal (10) having an animal shape portion, a plurality of paints (22) applicable to the three-dimensional model animal (10), an applicator (24) for applying the paints (22), and an enclosure (40) for accommodating these components. The three-dimensional model animal (10) is produced by precisely molding potter's clay containing water by using a mold having a large number of split mold members, followed by drying and firing. The surface of the three-dimensional model animal (10) has a large number of recesses and projections and is substantially white. The enclosure (40) has chambers for accommodating the three-dimensional model animal (10), the paints (22), and the applicator (24), respectively. A part of the enclosure (40) is transparent.

Description

The present invention relates to an educational toy set using a three-dimensional model animal. More particularly, the present invention relates to an educational toy set that allows color patterns to be drawn on a substantially white three-dimensional model animal at will with paints.
Various methods have been devised to arouse children's interest in pictures, modeling, coloring, etc. and to improve their creative faculties. One of the methods is to let children draw pictures with paints. It is also a conventional practice to let children experience china-painting, that is, painting moldings of potter's clay in colors so that the desired colors, characters or shapes appear on the moldings as a result of firing.
Children's drawing pictures and shaping objects is very instructive and encouraged from the educational point of view. However, the conventional teaching materials are not sufficiently attractive to children. China-painting or the like is favorable from the educational viewpoint but generally difficult to do at home because it requires a relatively wide space and large equipment.
An object of the present invention is to provide an educational toy set concerning coloring or modeling that is free from the above-described problems and so interesting that children will work thereon voluntarily.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a safe educational toy set that can be used at home without danger.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a substantially white three-dimensional model animal that can be colored at will according to an idea imagined freely.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an educational toy set having a three-dimensional model animal to be colored, together with paints and an applicator necessary for coloration, so that the educational toy set alone allows a user to experience drawing color patterns on the three-dimensional model animal at will by using the paints.
To attain the above-described objects, the present invention provides an educational toy set including a three-dimensional model animal that includes an animal shape portion and a pedestal portion for supporting the animal shape portion in the form of a standing figure. The educational toy set further includes a plurality of paints applicable to the three-dimensional model animal, and an applicator for applying the paints. The three-dimensional model animal, the paints and the applicator are accommodated in an enclosure. The three-dimensional model animal is produced by precisely molding potter's clay containing water by using a mold having a large number of split mold members, followed by drying and firing. The surface of the three-dimensional model animal has a large number of recesses and projections and is substantially white. The paints consist essentially of non-toxic pigments. The enclosure includes sections for accommodating the three-dimensional model animal, the paints, and the applicator, respectively. At least a part of the enclosure is transparent.
Preferably, the educational toy set according to the present invention has the following constituent features:
(1) The potter's clay used as a raw material of the model animal contains kaolin, feldspar or clay as a principal component.
(2) The paints include at least red, blue, yellow, and black.
(3) The applicator is a plurality of paint brushes.
(4) The enclosure includes a mount board formed from cardboard and printed with a decorative pattern or a description, and an accommodating panel of a transparent plastic material. The accommodating panel has a plurality of recesses for accommodating the three-dimensional model animal, the paints, and the applicator, respectively. The enclosure further includes a cover sheet of a transparent plastic material for covering the recesses.
(5) The peripheral edge of the accommodating panel and the bottoms of the recesses are bonded to the mount board.
(6) The three-dimensional model animal is modeled after the shape of an animal having a head, a trunk, legs and a tail.
(7) The three-dimensional model animal is modeled after the shape of a dinosaur.
(8) The three-dimensional model animal is modeled after the shape of one of a dog, a cat and other pets.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of an educational toy set using a three-dimensional model animal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a top view of the educational toy set shown in Fig. 1.
The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show an educational toy set using a three-dimensional model animal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is an elevation of the educational toy set, and Fig. 2 is a top view of the educational toy set. As shown in the figures, the educational toy set includes a three-dimensional model animal 10 and a plurality of paints 22 that are applicable to the three-dimensional model animal 10. The educational toy set further includes an applicator 24 for applying the paints 22, and an enclosure 40 for accommodating the three-dimensional model animal 10, the paints 22 and the applicator 24. The three-dimensional model animal 10 includes an animal shape portion consisting essentially of a head 12, trunk 13, legs 14 and tail 15 of an animal, and a pedestal portion 18 for supporting the animal shape portion in the form of a standing figure. The three-dimensional model animal 10 is a piece of unglazed pottery produced by precisely molding potter's clay containing water by using a mold having a large number of split mold members, followed by drying and firing. Potter's clay used as a raw material contains kaolin, feldspar or clay as a principal component.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the three-dimensional model animal 10 is modeled after the shape of a dinosaur having the head 12, the trunk 13, the legs 14 and the tail 15. The legs 14 are secured to the pedestal portion 18. The surface of the three-dimensional model animal 10 is substantially white and has a large number of recesses and projections to give a dinosaur-like impression and to facilitate coloring with paints. However, the three-dimensional model animal 10 is not necessarily limited to a dinosaur but may be a three-dimensional model of any of other animals attractive to children, e.g. a dog or a cat.
The enclosure 40 includes a mount board 42 formed from cardboard, and a retaining panel 30 made of a transparent plastic material and having recesses for retaining the three-dimensional model animal 10 and so forth. The enclosure 40 further includes a cover sheet 38 of a transparent plastic material for covering the recesses of the retaining panel 30. The recesses of the retaining panel 30 accommodate the three-dimensional model animal 10, the plurality of paints 22 and the applicator 24, respectively. A model accommodating chamber 32, a paint accommodating chamber 33 and an applicator accommodating chamber 34 are formed by the recesses of the retaining panel 30 and the cover sheet 38 covering the recesses. The peripheral edge 37 of the retaining panel 30 and the bottoms of the recesses are firmly bonded to the mount board 42. The retaining panel 30 has side walls 36 extending from the peripheral edge 37 perpendicularly to the mount board 42, and a reinforcing portion 35 formed from a continuous ridge lying adjacent to the side walls 36 to surround the recesses. The model accommodating chamber 32, the paint accommodating chamber 33 and the applicator accommodating chamber 34 are adjacent to the reinforcing portion 35.
The mount board 42 is multicolor-printed with the trade name and trademark of this toy and a background image suitable for the three-dimensional model animal 10 in such a manner as to attract the interest of children. Portions of the mount board 42 in the neighborhood of the three-dimensional model animal 10 can be seen from the outside of the enclosure 40 through the retaining panel 30. The other side of the mount board 42, to which the retaining panel 30 is not bonded, is used to show the method of using the toy and an indication according to the law or the like. The method of assembling the enclosure 40 includes: the step of printing the mount board 42 and bonding the retaining panel 30 to the mount board 42; the step of placing the three-dimensional model animal 10, the paints 22 and the applicator 24 in the respective accommodating chambers; and the step of placing the cover sheet 38 so as to cover the accommodating chambers and bonding it to the retaining panel 30. The step of bonding the mount board 42 to a holder is carried out before or after the step of placing and bonding the retaining panel 30 to the mount board 42.
The plurality of paints 22 are water-soluble paints produced from non-toxic pigments such as those used as food additives so that children can use them safely and easily. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the paints 22 include red, blue, yellow, green, white, and black. The applicator 24 is a plurality of paint brushes for convenience of application of the plurality of paints 22.
The educational toy set according to the present invention incorporates a three-dimensional model animal designed to attract the interest of children and allows the surface of the three-dimensional model animal to be colored and pattered with watercolor paints, which are easy to use. Accordingly, children can enjoyably color and pattern the three-dimensional figure with ease and safety, thereby acquiring a sense of color and learning modeling. Thus, they can develop their creative faculties. The three-dimensional model animal is maintained in the form of a standing figure by the pedestal portion, and the surface of the model animal is substantially white. Therefore, it is possible to apply a desired color to a desired portion of the model animal with ease. Because the educational toy set contains everything that is needed, it is possible to experience coloring conveniently. Moreover, because all things that are needed are accommodated together in a single enclosure, the educational toy set causes less trouble in transportation, display and selling, and it is possible to prevent the components of the educational toy set from coming apart from each other.
It should be noted that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the foregoing embodiment but can be modified in a variety of ways without departing from the gist of the present invention.
According to its broadest aspect the invention relates to an educational toy set comprising: a model animal; a plurality of paints applicable to said model animal; an applicator for applying said paints; and an enclosure for accomodating said model animal, paints and applicator.

Claims

An educational toy set comprising:

a three-dimensional model animal including an animal shape portion and a pedestal portion for supporting said animal shape portion in a form of a standing figure;

a plurality of paints applicable to said three-dimensional model animal;

an applicator for applying said paints; and

an enclosure for accommodating said three-dimensional model animal, paints and applicator;
wherein said three-dimensional model animal is produced by precisely molding potter's clay containing water by using a mold having a large number of split mold members, followed by drying and firing, and a surface of said three-dimensional model animal has a large number of recesses and projections and is substantially white,

said paints consisting essentially of non-toxic pigments,

said enclosure including sections for accommodating said three-dimensional model animal, paints and applicator, respectively, wherein at least a part of said enclosure is transparent.
An educational toy set according to claim 1, wherein said potter's clay contains kaolin, feldspar or clay as a principal component, said paints including at least red, blue, yellow, and black, said applicator being a plurality of paint brushes.
An educational toy set according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said enclosure comprises:

a mount board printed with a decorative pattern or the like;

an accommodating panel of a transparent plastic material, said accommodating panel having recesses for accommodating said three-dimensional model animal, paints and applicator, respectively, and said accommodating panel being bonded at a peripheral edge thereof to said mount board; and

a cover sheet of a transparent plastic material, said cover sheet covering said recesses.
An educational toy set according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said three-dimensional model animal is modeled after a shape of an animal having a head, a trunk, legs and a tail.
An educational toy set according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said three-dimensional model animal is modeled after a shape of a dinosaur.
An educational toy set according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said three-dimensional model animal is modeled after a shape of one of a dog, a cat and other pets.
An educational toy set comprising:

a model animal;

a plurality of paints applicable to said model animal;

an applicator for applying said paints; and

an enclosure for accomodating said model animal, paints and applicator.