EP1342493A1

EP1342493A1 - Composition toy

Info

Publication number: EP1342493A1
Application number: EP03380050A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Maria Teresa Ruiz Gonzalez
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-03-08
Filing date: 2003-03-06
Publication date: 2003-09-10
Also published as: ES1051506Y; ES1051506U; US20030176143A1; CA2421327A1

Abstract

Composition toy comprising at least one first template (1) and at least one second template (2).

The first template (1) is provided with first means of attraction of the second template (2) and the second template (2) is provided with second means of attraction of the first template (1), said first means of attraction and second means of attraction being configured in order to establish a magnetic attraction between the first template (1) and the second template (2).

The first means of attraction comprise a plurality of first attraction elements (3) placed at specific points of the first template (1), and the second means of attraction comprise a sheet constituting at least one layer (2a), (2a') of the second template (2).

The first means of attraction (3) are placed inside the first template (1), so that they are not directly accessible from the outside.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a composition toy of the type comprised of at least one template, which can represent a human figure, and one or more templates that can represent clothing items and/or complements. The two templates can be coupled to each other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

US Patents such as, for example, A-6010387, A-5022886, A-2331776 and A-2027352 disclose various examples of composition toys or the like in which the secondary templates are coupled to the main templates by various mechanical union means.
US Patent A-2987831 does not exactly relate to a composition toy, but instead to a teaching aid including a number of figures shown in a line to which can be coupled boards or the like representing clothes. In one embodiment described in this patent, the figures and boards are attached by elements fixed to the figures and boards which attract each other magnetically (such as permanent magnets on the figures and iron elements on the boards; it describes that the magnets and iron elements can be housed in recesses and held with adhesive tape).
However, US Patent A-5178573 describes a composition toy including various templates that can be magnetically coupled to each other, as they are made of either a magnetic or a ferromagnetic material.
Spanish application for Utility Model 9902740 describes a composition toy with main templates (that can represent persons) and secondary templates (that can represent clothing items) including magnetic or ferromagnetic particles so that the templates are coupled to each other by magnetic attraction.
The systems described in US Patent A-5178573 and in the Spanish application for Utility Model 9902740 can work well as long as there is a magnetic attraction between the main and secondary templates; this is, as long as the templates simply remain adhered to each other. However, it is often not enough that the secondary templates remain magnetically adhered to the main template, as the relative position of the main and secondary templates may be important. For example, when the main template represents a human figure (or the outline of a human figure, as these are essentially two-dimensional figures, with a small thickness) and the secondary template represents a clothing item, it may be of interest to place the clothing item in a give position corresponding to that which the item would be in when worn by a real person. Unfortunately, the systems described in US patent A-5178573 and the Spanish application for Utility Model 9902740 do not provide means to maintain the secondary templates at a given position with respect to the main template; both antecedents seem to propose systems based on templates with magnetic or ferromagnetic characteristics located uniformly throughout the templates, so that once the secondary templates have been placed on the main templates it is likely that one may slide on the other.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a composition toy according to claim 1; preferred embodiments of this toy are defined in the secondary claims.
The toy is comprised of at least one first template and at least one second template. The first template is provided with first means of attraction of the second template and the second template is provided with second means of attraction of the first template. The first means of attraction and the second means of attraction are configured in order to establish a magnetic attraction between the first template and the second template.
Said first means of attraction comprise a plurality of first attraction elements located at certain points of the first template, while the second means of attraction comprise a sheet defining, at least, one layer of the second template.
The specific points are important: in some of the previously mentioned antecedents, the templates of the composition toy are made of a magnetic material or a material that can be attracted by magnets (such as iron). In this way, there is an attraction between the templates but it is not ensured in any way that one template will maintain a specific orientation or positioning with respect to the other. However, in accordance with the invention, placing attraction elements at specific points of the first template ensures that the first and second template are coupled in a specific manner, this is, with a certain orientation of the second template with respect to the first template.
This is particularly of interest in a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein one of the templates (such as the first) represents a human figure, for example wherein the first template is flat or essentially flat and its outline represents that of a human figure. The toy can include one or preferably several templates (such as the second templates) representing clothing items, which can also be flat or essentially flat. According to this example of the invention, the clothing items are adhered to or attracted by specific points of the human figure, so that a correct positioning is achieved of the clothing items, thereby preventing the items from being placed incorrectly or anaesthetically.
The first attraction elements are placed inside the first template, so that they are not accessible directly from the outside. This means that the invention is particularly well suited for children, reducing the risk that the attraction elements are separated from the template; in addition, this improves the appearance of the invention, as the attraction elements can be concealed under the surface of the templates.
The first attraction elements can be housed in orifices of the first template; these orifices can be non-passing, this is, they correspond to recesses in one of the faces of a base part of the template, being covered by a front part or a dorsal part of the first template. Alternately, the first attraction elements can be housed in orifices passing through a central part of the first template, these orifices being covered by a front part and a dorsal part of the template.
The second template can comprise a single layer, which, in this case, will comprise the second means of attraction. However, the second template can also include two or more layers, with at least one of these layers comprising the second means of attraction.
The first attraction elements can comprise magnets, or can simply include a material that can be attracted by a magnet. The second means of attraction can comprise a magnet with a laminar form or a sheet of a material that can be attracted magnetically by a magnet, magnetic or magnetised particles (or particles that that can be attracted magnetically by a magnet) dispersed inside another material, etc.
In this descriptive memory, the term "magnet" refers to any material that can attract magnetically other materials such as, for example, iron.
The important thing is that there is a magnetic attraction between the sheet or layer constituting the second means of attraction and the elements constituting the first means of attraction.
When the first template represents a human figure and/or has the outline of a human figure, the first attraction elements can be placed on points corresponding to the chest, hips and feet of said figure. For example, in the case of a female figure the first attraction elements can include two attraction elements placed in the area of the breasts, two attraction elements placed in the area of the hips or pubic area, and one attraction element placed in each foot. Additionally, it may be convenient to place attraction elements at the areas of the elbows and/or shoulders of the figure.
The templates can be made, for example, of plastic and/or cardboard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A brief description is now made of a set of drawings meant to aid a better understanding of the invention and that are directly related to embodiments of the invention, shown for purposes of illustration and in a non-limiting sense.
Figure 1 is a general view of a toy according to the invention.
Figure 2 is an exploded view of a first template according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
Figure 3 is an exploded view of a first template according to another preferred embodiment of the invention.
Figure 4 is an exploded view of a second template according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
Figure 5 is an exploded view of a second template according to another preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a first template (1) (that in this case represents a human figure) and three second templates (2) (that in this case represent clothing items) according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The first template is provided with first means of attraction of the second templates and the second templates are provided with second means of attraction of the first template. The first means of attraction and the second means of attraction are configured to establish a magnetic attraction between the aforementioned first template and second templates.
Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the first template (1) according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. As rendered in the drawing and according to this preferred embodiment of the invention, the first template (1) is comprised of a central part (1a) made of cardboard or plastic, a front part (1b) comprised of a thin sheet of plastic (or paper or cardboard, optionally laminated) representing facial and bodily features of a female person, and a dorsal part (1c) comprised of a thin sheet of paper, plastic or cardboard, optionally laminated.
The central part 1a, which is preferably between 0.5 and 2 mm thick, is provided with a number of through orifices (1d) in which are housed the first attraction elements (3). As shown, these first attraction elements (3) are placed at points corresponding to the chest (4), hips (5) or pubic area, feet (6) and elbows (7) of the figure.
In another preferred embodiment shown in Figure 3, the first attraction elements (3) are housed in non-passing orifices (1d') made in a base part (1a') of the first template (1), these orifices being covered by a front part (1b) of the first template. In an alternative embodiment, the non-passing orifices can be made in the dorsal face of the base (1a'), so that they can be covered with a dorsal part (1 c) of the first template.
Figure 4 shows a second template (2) comprised of a single layer or sheet (2a) that determines the second means of attraction and which is made of a material chosen so that there is a magnetic attraction between it and the material of the first means of attraction (3). For example, the layer (2a) can comprise a magnetic material or a material in which magnetic particles are distributed; it can also comprise a sheet of a material that can be attracted by a magnet or of particles of such a material dispersed in another material, such as a plastic. The front face of the second sheet (2a) represents the structure (colours, shadows, folds or patterns) of a clothing item or complement. The layer (2a) is preferably between 0.5 and 2 mm thick.
Another preferred embodiment is shown in Figure 5, where the second template (2) is comprised of two layers or sheets, one (2a') constituting the second means of attraction (which is therefore made of a material such that there is an attraction between the sheet and the first attraction elements (3)) and another (2b) which can be made of cardboard and/or plastic and represents the colours, folds, patterns etc. of a clothing item.
Naturally, it is also possible for the first template (with the first attraction elements (3)) to represent the clothing items, etc. and the second template to represent the human figure.
The materials, size, shape and arrangement of the components may vary, as long the basic concept of the invention is not altered.
Throughout the present description and claims, the terms "comprises" and derivatives such as "comprised of do not mean to exclude other steps or components.

Claims

Composition toy, comprising:
at least one first template (1);

at least one second template (2);

said first template (1) being provided with first means of attraction of the second template (2) and said second template (2) being provided with second means of attraction of the first template (1), said first means of attraction and said second means of attraction being configured so that they establish a magnetic attraction between said first template (1) and said second template (2);
characterised in that
said first means of attraction comprise a plurality of first attraction elements (3) placed at specific points of the first template (1),
said second means of attraction comprise a sheet that forms at least one layer (2a, 2a') of the second template (2),
the first attraction elements (3) being placed inside the first template (1) so that they cannot be accessed directly from the outside.
Composition toy according to claim 1, characterised in that the second template (2) comprises a single layer (2a) that constitutes the second means of attraction.
Composition toy according to claim 1, characterised in that the second template (2) comprising at least two layers (2a', 2b) with one of these layers (2a') constituting the second means of attraction.
Composition toy according to any of the above claims, characterised in that the first template (1) represents a human figure.
Composition toy according to any of the above claims, characterised in that the first template (1) is essentially flat and has an outline corresponding to a human figure.
Composition toy according to any of the above claims, characterised in that it includes at least one second template (2) representing a clothing item.
Composition toy according to any of the above claims, characterised in that the second template (2) is essentially flat
Composition toy according to any of the above claims, characterised in that the first attraction elements (3) comprise magnets.
Composition toy according to any of claims 1-7, characterised in that the first attraction elements (3) comprise a material that can be magnetically attracted by a magnet.
Composition toy according to any of the above claims, characterised in that the second means of attraction comprise a magnet with a laminar form.
Composition toy according to any of claims 1-9, characterised in that the second means of attraction comprise a sheet of a material that can be magnetically attracted by a magnet.
Composition toy according to any of the above claims, characterised in that the first template (1) is made of plastic and/or cardboard.
Toy according to any of the above claims, characterised in that the first template (1) represents a human figure and in that the first attraction elements (3) are placed at points corresponding, at least, to the chest (4), hips (5) and feet (6) of said figure.
Toy according to any of the above claims, characterised in that the first attraction elements (3) are housed in non-passing orifices (1d') made in a base part (1a') of the first template (1), these orifices being covered by a front part (1 b) of the first template.
Toy according to any of claims 1-13, characterised in that the first attraction elements (3) are housed in non-passing orifices made in a base part of the first template (1), these orifices being covered by a dorsal part (1c) of the first template.
Toy according to any of claims 1-13, characterised in that the first attraction elements (3) are housed in through orifices (1d) made in a central part (1a) of the first template, these orifices being covered by a frontal part (1b) and a dorsal part (1 c) of the first template (1).