GB1564120A - Toy - Google Patents

Description

(54) TOY (71) I, JOHN MICHAEL PAYNE a British Subject of 13 Crowson Crescent, Castle Drive, Northborough, Peterborough do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention concerns toys and in particular toys which include a magnetically operated switch such as a reed contact switch which is operated when it is brought into a sufficiently strong magnetic field.

According to the present invention a toy detector includes an electric warning lamp in a housing, a source of electric current (such as a dry cell battery) and a magnetically operated switch, the source, the switch and the lamp being electrically connected so that when the switch is closed electric current flows from the source to the lamp to operate the latter the detector being portable so as to allow it to be moved into close proximity to a magnet of suitable magnetic strength to cause the lamp to operate.

The toy may additionally comprise an audible alarm which is also actuated when the switch is closed.

One example of the invention comprises a toy metal detector representing an imitation of the detector as used for security purposes at airports and the like. The toy detector may be employed in a game in which magnetised objects are secreted about the person by one child who is then "frisked" by another child pretending to be a security officer using the toy detector as a metal detector. The toy will of course become energised and will cause the lamp to be illuminated when it is brought into close proximity with the magnetised object on the other child. An object of the game would of course be to secrete the object about the person in such a way that it would not be detected by the toy detector.

Another embodiment of the invention comprises a toy detector in combination with a plurality of magnetised miniature imitation land-mines each of which is surrounded by a strong magnetic field as a result of its magnetisation the detector comprising in combination a handle and a housing located at the lower end of the handle, containing the magnetisable switch (in the form of a normally open reed contact switch, the switch being adapted to be closed electrically when placed in the magnetic field of one of the imitation land mines).

Where the reed contact switch is located in the housing at the lower end of the handle and the source of current and the lamp are located remotely therefrom, the switch may be connected to the source and lamp by means of a pair of conductors. Typically, the handle is hollow and the conductors are twisted and are threaded through the hollow interior of the handle.

The warning device or battery or both may be mounted within the housing at the lower end of the handle together with the switch.

It is to be understood that although the last described embodiment is primarily intended to be on a miniature scale to provide an attachment for an action doll such as the type sold under the trade name ACTION MAN, this embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in a larger toy which may be held in the hand for use by the child himself.

The source of electric current may be a dry cell battery.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing accompanying Provisional Specification No. 15,154/76 in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a toy metal detector for use in a game imitating security screening at an airport, and Figure 2 is a side view of the toy shown in Figure 1, and with reference to the drawing accompanying Provisional Specification No.

4138/76 in which: Figure I is a side view of a toy minedetector and toy mine embodying the invention, Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the lower end of the detector partly cross-sectioned to illustrate the interior, Figure 3 illustrates how the upper end of the handle of the detector of Figure 1 can be held in the hand of either a child if the detector is of suitable size or in the hand of an action doll, and Figure 4 is a view not to scale of the battery and light pack adapted to be strapped either to the wrist of a child or around the chest of an action doll.

Referring first of all to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing accompanying Provisional Specification No. 15,154/76, the toy metal detector will be seen to comprise a generally rectangular housing of plastics or nonmagnetic metal material 10 having mounted adjacent one end thereof and within the housing a reed contact switch 12 connected in series circuit with flash lamp bulb 14 and dry cell battery 16. Although not shown in detail, provision is conveniently made for replacing the battery when it expires.

The flash lamp 14 is located behind a red lens 18 or where the bulb itself is coloured the bulb may protrude through an aperture in the front wall of the housing 10.

Although not shown, the housing may further incorporate an electromagnetic buzzer or bell connected in parallel with the lamp 14 which will also be caused to operate if the reed contact switch 12 is closed in the presence of a magnetic field.

The housing is designed to be held in the hand and may also include a short extension rod or probe (not shown) which may itself incorporate the reed contact switch 12. The overriding consideration is that the probe and housing 10 must be formed from nonmagnetic material.

To form a game for children to play, the detector shown in Figures 1 and 2 is combined with a number of magnetised objects which may be simply magnets or, to add a degree of realism to the game, may be magnetised imitation guns, imitation bombs, etc., and these are secreted about the person by some of the children and these then queue up as at an airport and are frisked and screened by another child pretending to be the security officer - the game being to try and locate about the person all the different objects before letting the children pass the screening station. A child who succeeds in getting all the objects wins the game.

Referring now to the drawing accompanying Provisional Specification No. 4138/76 Figure 1 shows the external form of a toy mine-detector comprising a handle 10 the upper end of which is bent around at 12 to faciliate handling and the lower end of which is attached to a housing 14 having a generally flat underside. In use the toy detector handle portion 12 is held in the hand and the housing 14 moved slowly over the ground in advance of the child or doll.

The ground is shown diagrammatically at 16 in Figure 1 and shown embedded in the ground is a magnetised imitation land-mine 18. Typically these are flat round objects and preferably the magnetic axis between north and south poles is parallel to the plane of the cylindrical discs forming the mines rather than perpendicular thereto. In this way a reasonably flat magnetic field can be obtained with the lines of force running substantially parallel with the surface of the ground 16.

Turning now to Figure 2, the housing 14 includes a recess on its underside generally designated 20 in which is located a reed contact switch 22 having internal contact strips 24 and 26. The strips protrude beyond the ends of the glass tube forming the reed contact switch and are soldered or otherwise electrically secured to mounting tags also of electrically conductive material denoted by reference numerals 28 and 30. To the mounting tags 28 and 30 are electrically connected conveniently by soldering, two wires generally designated 32 and 34. The wires are twisted and pass out of the recess through an inclined passage 36. The latter communicates with a passage formed along the centre of and over the entire length of the handle 10, 12.

At the upper end of the handle portion 12 the twisted pair of conductors 32 and 34 protrude through the continue up to and into a cylindrical housing 38 shown in Figure 4 which is either strapped to the wrist of a child playing with the toy or strapped around the shoulders on the back of an action doll.

The action of moving the detector over the surface of the ground 16 results in the reed contact switch 22 entering the magnetic field of one of the land-mines 18 and causing the latter to close so as to close the circuit between the battery (not shown) and the bulb (not shown) in the lamp housing 40 at the upper end of the housing 38. Shown attached to the rear of the housing 38 are the straps 42 and 44 which facilitate the strapping of the housing 38 to the wrist or around the chest and shoulders of an action doll.

Conveniently the handle and housing 14 are formed from the same plastics material.

As previously mentioned the toy may be of sufficient size as to allow a child to play with it for example on a beach or a garden.

Alternatively the toy may be of a size compatible with that of an action doll such as ACTION MAN as sold by Palitoy Limited.

WHAT I CLAIM IS 1. A toy detector which includes an electric warning lamp in a housing, a source of electric current and a magnetically operated switch, the source, the switch and the lamp being electrically connected so that when the switch is closed electric current flows from the source to the lamp to operate the latter, the detector being portable so as to allow it to be moved into close proximity to a magnet of suitable magnetic strength, to cause the lamp to operate.

2. A toy detector as claimed in claim 1 which additionally comprises an audible alarm which is also actuated when the switch is closed.

3. A toy detector as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the source of electric current and the magnetically operated switch are also mounted within the housing containing the lamp and the housing is in the form of a metal detector.

4. A toy detector claimed in claim 3 in combination with at least one magnetised object adapted to be secreted about the person or in a room for detection by the toy, the magnetisation of the said object being sufficient to actuate the magnetically operated switch.

5. A toy detector as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in combination with plurality of magnetised miniature imitation land mines each of which is surrounded by a strong magnetic field as a result of its magnetisation, the detector comprising in combination a handle and a housing located at the lower end of the handle containing the magnetisable switch (in the form of a normally open reed contact switch, the switch being adapted to be closed electrically when placed in the magnetic field of one of the imitation land mines).

6. A toy detector as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the source of current is a dry cell battery.

7. A toy detector as claimed in claim 5 or 6 in which the reed contact switch is located in the housing and a pair of electrical conductors connect the reed contact switch to the source of current and the lamp, both of which are located within a separate housing.

8. A toy detector as claimed in claim 7 in which the pair of electrical conductors comprises a twisted pair and the handle is hollow and the conductors are threaded through the handle from one end to the other.

9. A toy detector as claimed in any of claims 5 to 8 in so far as they depend from claim 2 in which the warning device comprises a buzzer or bell.

10. A toy as claimed in claims 5 to 9 in which the warning device is mounted within the housing at the lower end of the handle.

11. A toy detector constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings accompanying Provisional Specification 15,154/76.

12. A toy detector constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference and illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification No. 4138/76.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (12)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. with it for example on a beach or a garden. Alternatively the toy may be of a size compatible with that of an action doll such as ACTION MAN as sold by Palitoy Limited. WHAT I CLAIM IS

1. A toy detector which includes an electric warning lamp in a housing, a source of electric current and a magnetically operated switch, the source, the switch and the lamp being electrically connected so that when the switch is closed electric current flows from the source to the lamp to operate the latter, the detector being portable so as to allow it to be moved into close proximity to a magnet of suitable magnetic strength, to cause the lamp to operate.

2. A toy detector as claimed in claim 1 which additionally comprises an audible alarm which is also actuated when the switch is closed.

3. A toy detector as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the source of electric current and the magnetically operated switch are also mounted within the housing containing the lamp and the housing is in the form of a metal detector.

4. A toy detector claimed in claim 3 in combination with at least one magnetised object adapted to be secreted about the person or in a room for detection by the toy, the magnetisation of the said object being sufficient to actuate the magnetically operated switch.

5. A toy detector as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in combination with plurality of magnetised miniature imitation land mines each of which is surrounded by a strong magnetic field as a result of its magnetisation, the detector comprising in combination a handle and a housing located at the lower end of the handle containing the magnetisable switch (in the form of a normally open reed contact switch, the switch being adapted to be closed electrically when placed in the magnetic field of one of the imitation land mines).

6. A toy detector as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the source of current is a dry cell battery.

7. A toy detector as claimed in claim 5 or 6 in which the reed contact switch is located in the housing and a pair of electrical conductors connect the reed contact switch to the source of current and the lamp, both of which are located within a separate housing.

8. A toy detector as claimed in claim 7 in which the pair of electrical conductors comprises a twisted pair and the handle is hollow and the conductors are threaded through the handle from one end to the other.

9. A toy detector as claimed in any of claims 5 to 8 in so far as they depend from claim 2 in which the warning device comprises a buzzer or bell.

10. A toy as claimed in claims 5 to 9 in which the warning device is mounted within the housing at the lower end of the handle.

11. A toy detector constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings accompanying Provisional Specification 15,154/76.

12. A toy detector constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference and illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification No. 4138/76.