EP1491461B1

EP1491461B1 - Container for a toy comprising different parts

Info

Publication number: EP1491461B1
Application number: EP02708375A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pedro Benitez Rivero
Original assignee: Tourvision SA
Current assignee: Tourvision SA
Priority date: 2002-03-07
Filing date: 2002-03-07
Publication date: 2006-04-12
Anticipated expiration: 2022-03-07
Also published as: US20050142980A1; AU2002242744A1; ES2261636T3; DE60210676D1; ATE323036T1; WO2003074388A1; EP1491461A1

Abstract

A hollow case (1) of the container, houses different portions such as hoops, sleeves, connectors and feet (5) of a toy. The surface of the case (1) has multiple holes (10a) that are connected to the different portions, such that the case forms a base portion of the toy.

Description

Container for a toy comprising different parts that relates to a hollow case, especially with spherical form, comprising at least two parts, which is closed at the outset and which is used to house the different parts of a toy before being opened, as hoops, connectors, sleeves, feet, and other elements, the surface of the case being provided with a plurality of holes, of different sizes and forms, which can be connected to the above mentioned different parts such that said case forms a base part of the toy comprising different parts.

BACKGROUNDS OF THE INVENTION

It is known the Spanish Utility Model No. 231908, upon which the preamble of claim 1 is based, that relates to a container or case, with ovoidal form, for gift purposes, with a lid, giving to the owner the possibility to re-use it. This utility model has the inconvenience that it is very difficult to serve it in a vending machine, for example, the one that it requires containers of spherical cases, much more easily to sell that one ovoidal case that will occupy more space.
In the European Patent No. 0688718 of FERRERO, S.p.A., it is described a goods packing machine which products are inside containers or cases to be sold, but said cases after being used they should be thrown out.
Spanish Utility Model No. 1012083 relates to a container with two functions, a safe closure means that had to be broken and moreover it includes two different objects inside. In this utility model it is easily to demonstrate that the container has no utility and can not be reused.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PATENT

The object of the present invention refers to a container for a toy comprising different parts and, particularly but not exclusively, to a container that habitually is sold in machines with a coin device and that relates to a case or a hollow body, the inside of which usually contains a small size toy, disassembled, that the children will have to assemble proving their ability.
When children acquire this toy they open the case and start to assemble the toy; such case, that already has fulfilled its purpose to contain the toy temporarily, becomes a hindrance for the child and finishes, unquestionably, being thrown to the rubbish.
According to the invention, as it will be explained in the specification as follows one of the main advantages of the present container relates to the case that initially contains the toy, constitutes a basic element of the same one and helps to assemble it and even it can be assembled with other analogous cases to constitute a group toy.
Therefore, with the container for a toy comprising different parts according to the invention, the case that initially contains the toy neither constitutes any wastefulness of material nor constitutes any hindrance, because it is a part of the same toy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With the purpose to facilitate the explanation three sheets of drawings are attached to the present specification, in which a practical case of an embodiment has been reproduced, which is mentioned only for exemplificative purposes, non limitative of the scope of the present invention, in which:

Figure 1 shows a sectioned elevation view of the basic case of the toy comprising different parts in opened position.
Figure 2 refers to a perspective view that shows a complementary part of that basic case.
Figure 3 is another perspective view that shows a connector between two basic cases or analogous elements to assemble a group toy, as it will be shown and seen as follows.
Figure 4 is another view, in side perspective, of an auxiliary component of that basic case.
Figure 5 shows an example of composition with the basic case of fig.1 and several components like the one of fig.4.
Figure 6 represents another example of composition with several basic parts of fig.1 and other so many connectors of fig.3 simulating an atomic nucleus.
And figure 7 illustrates another example, as a tower, built as a succession of elements as the one of fig.2 at the top of which there is a semicase and basic portions.

The embodiments in Figs. 6 and 7 do not constitute part of the invention claimed.

CONCRETE EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

According to such figures, the present container for a toy comprising different parts, object of the present invention, consists on a basic case 1 that initially contains several elements of a toy, such as a hoop 2, a connector 3, sleeves 4, feet 5, a head 6, a cap 7, a fragmented base 8 and others, being capable of fitting together to the mentioned basic case.
The mentioned basic case (fig. 1) has a spherical form 1, preferably (without excluding other possible forms), and is formed by two halves 1a, 1b, one of them 1a shows a perimetrical step 9 being capable of fitting in the inlet/outlet of other half 1b and is equipped, in its surface, by a plurality of holes 10.
These holes of the case or sphere can be rectangular 10a, circular 10b or with any other form, depending on the element or auxiliary part that has to be connected to them.
On the other hand, hoop 2 (fig.2) also has a perimetral step 12 in one of its inlets being capable of fitting together to the outlet of the other half of that case 1 or in the corresponding outlet of another analogous hoop.
The connector 3 between cases or spheres 1 is constituted by a small hoop 13 (fig.3) from which radially starts a plurality of fins 14 ended in respectively ribs 15, parallel to the axis of the same small hoop 13, which ribs stand out by at least one end of the respective fin 14. This connector has been represented, in this concrete embodiment, as it is shown in figure 3, but it could be a circular rod or any other element that serves for the purposes of the mentioned union.
Sleeve 4 (fig.4) is constituted by a moulded extended element, laterally flattened and hollow, from whose lower end it stands out a lobe 16 being capable of connecting it, for example, in a foot 5 of flattened constitution, while from its upper end two pairs of lobes 17 stand out being capable of connecting in respective holes 10a of the surface of the sphere 1.
With the mentioned parts, that are, sphere 1, sleeves 4p and foot 5 can be built, for example, a toy as an animal 18 (fig.5) that will end with something similar to a grotesque head 6. In this case, the sleeve 4c will work as a neck.
Also, with exemplificative purposes, a connector 3, by means of its stand-out tips of its ending ribs 15, is connected to a sphere 1 (fig.6), at the same time that by the other side the same connector 3 is connected to another sphere; the same thing will be done with the other connectors and other analogous spheres forming a something similar to an atomic nucleus 20.
Using several hoops 2, like the one of fig.2 (that it will be able to have different lengths or heights, opaque or transparent) successively connected and upperly and lowerly ended by respective parts of the sphere 1 and the cap 7 and supported in several lower basic parts 8, the tower 21 as is shown in fig.7 can be built.
The parts and examples of figures before mentioned must be understood in a illustrative and non limitative sense, depending each toy on the number and forms of the parts included in each basic case, as well as the ability and imagination of composition of each child.
Therefore, the skilled persons in the state of the art will be able to carry out different amendments that must be interpreted at sight of the present invention, as it is defined in the claims as follows.

Claims

Container for a toy comprising different parts, comprising a hollow case (1), constituted by at least two parts (1a, 1b), which is closed at the outset and houses the different parts of the toy before being opened, different parts of the toy such as hoops (2), connectors (3), sleeves (4), feet (5) and others, characterized in that the case is equipped on its surface by a plurality of holes (10a, 10b), distributed on concentric circumferences, said holes (10a, 10b) being capable of connecting the before mentioned parts, connectors (3), sleeves (4), feet (5) and others, that include lobes two by two, in such a way that one of these parts, when being connected with the respective holes of the sphere, constitutes a basic part of the mentioned toy comprising different parts.
A container in accordance to claim 1 characterized in that the holes (10a, 10b) can be rectangular (10a) or circular (10b) .
A container in accordance to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that each mentioned connector (3) is constituted by a small hoop (13) from which starts radially a plurality of fins (14) ended in individual ribs (15), one of whose tips of each rib, at least, stands out of the own fin (14) and said rib tips (15) are capable of, from both sides of the connector (3), being inserted in the corresponding holes (10b) of the respective analogous cases (1).
A container in accordance to claim 1 or 2 or 3 characterized in that each sleeve (4) has several lobes (17) in one end, two by two, said lobes are capable of connecting them in the respective holes (10a) of the case (1), as well as one lobe (16), at least, is capable of fitting into an appropriate part, as for example a foot (5).