GB2027349A - Inflatable toy - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy comprises an inflated figure detachably mounted on a rigid mobile base equipped with a radio receiver controlling a drive unit in the base to enable the movement of the toy to be remotely controlled. The provision of a figure made up by a rigid base part and a separately inflatable figure part enables a toy of huge size to be made without providing any special rigid attachments to the figure in order to make it mobile. The same base can be used with a variety of figures. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Toy Toys of rigid and inflatable form are known. Inflatable toys have the advantage that they can be stored and transported in compact form and acquire only a valve to enable them to be inflated to a relatively large size. Rigid toys have the advantage that they can be made mobile by equipping them with wheels, drive units and possibly radio receivers to enable them to be remotely controlled.

The pleasure given to a child by a toy having the attributes of large size and mobility is substantially greater than is given by a toy having only one of these attributes. Unfortunately, the weight and awkwardness of a rigid mobile toy of large size, that is to say a size commensurate with that of the child or even greater, has hindered the developement of large rigid mobile toys at an acceptably low cost Likewise, while inflatable toys can be made to inflate to a large size, they have a relatively short life before they get punctured and the cost and complexity of making them mobile is simply not warranted bearing in mind the relatively short useful life of the toy.

An object of this invention is the provision of an improved mobile toy of relatively large size.

A mobile toy comprises, in accordance with the present invention, upper and lower parts interconnected by a releasable anchorage, the upper part comprising an inflatable figure made from a collapsible material and formed as a closed envelope and the lower part comprising a rigid mobile base providing the anchorage and containing a controllable drive unit coupled to the output of a receiver which receives driving instructions from a remote location.

Atoy constructed in accordance with the invention combines the advantages of a large size obtained by inflating a simply constructed and cheap inflatable figure, with the mobility given by a relatively small remotely controllable base which can be fairly cheaply manufactured, stored and transported. As the figure and the base are seperable from one another, the figure can cheaply be replaced if it is punctured to extend the working life of the toy without having to discard the more expensive mobile base. Also, if the base is standardised to suit a large number of different figures, the manufacturing costs of the base can be kept at a low level.

The mounting of the figure on the base in a releasable manneer may be achieved in different ways. For example, a footstrap can be used to secure a foot of the figure to the base. Alternatively, the base can be provided with a socket in to which a foot of the figure is inserted so that when the figure is subsequently expanded by inflation, the foot cannot be withdrawn from the socket which may take the form of a shoe.

In another arrangement, the base is provided with a member which is gripped by the foot of the figure when inflated. In either of the latter two cases, it is preferred that the inflated foot of the figure cooperates with the base in such a way that the foot cannot be separated from the base easily without first deflating the figure.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa perceptive diagrammatic view of the front of a remotely controllable toy having a mobile base on which an inflated figure is releasably mounted; Figure 2 is a back view of the toy of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partially cut-away side view showing how a foot of the inflated figure is connected to the base; Figure 4 is an under view of the base of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a side view of a base having its own antenna for picking up radio signals; Figure 6 is a diagrammatic section through a foot of an inflated figure and a base providing a shoe for the foot; Figure 7 is a front view of the lower part of an inflated figure and a base to show a further way of connecting them;; Figure 8 shows a toy having two seperate legs; Figure 9 is a diagrammatic side view of the base and lower part of the figure of Figure 7; and Figure 10 shows a further way of fastening a foot of a figure to a base.

Figure 1 and 2 show a remotely controlled inflatable toy having an upper part 1 which is inflated to represent a grotequely decorated robot which has its lower portion or foot 11 releasably mounted on a base 2. A radio transmitter 3 is provided with the toy and is separately controllable in order to enable the movement of the toy to be controlled from a remote location The transmitter is provided with an aerial 3 and the radio transmissions are picked up by a receiving aerial 20 mounted on the head of the robot 1, while the receiver itself is mounted in the base 2.

A lead 27 shown in figure 2 extends from the aerial 20 down the back of the figure to the base 2 and is held to the back of the figure by PVC strips 12 which are high-frequency welded in position.

Figure 3 shows the base in more detail. It comprises a rigid casing 21 having a mounting socket 22 on its top surface and provided with an inwardly directed annular flange 22a. The underside of the casing 21 carries a drive unit 23 incorporating the receiver which responds to instructions radioed to the robot from the hand-held transmitter 3. The drive unit 23 is held in place by a support 23a and screws 24. The drive from the unit 23 is transferred to a pair of driving wheels 25a and the base also has a pair of follower wheels 25b which are supported by a bearing member 26 disposed at the front under end of base 2. The bearing member 26 is so constructed that when the wheels 25b are driven backwards, they change their direction automatically so that the robot turns.

The mount for releasably securing the inflatable and rigid parts of the toy together comprises an upstanding cylinder 22 integrally formed with the casing 21 and having the inwardly directed annular flange 22a surrounding the mouth of socket provided by the mount. The foot portion of the inflatable figure is constructed with an annular neck-like groove spaced from its lower portion 13 and in which nests the flange 22a as shown in Figure 3. The foot of the figure provides a spigot which can be inserted into the socket when the figure is deflated but which is then expanded in the socket when the figure is by inflation to hold the two parts of the toy securely together. The two parts can be released from one another after the figure has been deflated again.

Figure 5 shows a base similar to that in Figure 3 except that the receiving aerial 20 is mounted on the base instead of on the head of the robot figure. The fixing strips 12 and the lead 27 on the back of the figure are then unnecessary. The bottom portion 11 of the figure can be coloured or printed to resemble a pair of shoes for the figure, or the base 2 can be painted to show a pair of shoes placed side by side and appropriately shaped as well if felt necessary.

The embodiment shown in Figure 6 shows the base 2 carrying the drive unit and receiver 23 in its underside and having driven wheels 25a and castor wheels 25b which are able to rotate about vertical axes. The outline of the base 2 is that of a pair of shoes arranged side by side and the socket provided by the mount 22 is shaped to resemble the upper part of a shoe. The lower portion 11 of the figure is shaped as a foot 13 which is accommodated inside the shoe-shaped cavity of the mount 22 so that when the figure is inflated, it is firmly held to the base 2.

When the figure is deflated, the foot 13 can be easily separated from the base 2.

Figure 7 shows a base 2 having a casing 21 and formed on its upper surface with a frusto-conical projection 22. This fits snugly within a conical cavity 13 provided in the underside of the foot-portion 11 of the figure so that when the figure is inflated, its weight is carried by the casing 21 and it is located in position by the frusto-conical member 22 which is tightly gripped by the material of the foot-portion 11 when the figure is dilated.

The figure shown in Figure 8 has two separate legs 11A and 11 B. The two legs have fitted to them respective mobile bases 2A and 2B. However, one of these only, for example the one providing the right foot of the figure, contains a radio receiver and drive unit. The base 2B serves as an auxiliary base to improve the stability of the toy and it is equipped with only idler wheels.

Figure 9 shows a further construction of base 2 having a casing 21 provided with a block 22 on its upper surface which contains the unit 23 and is gripped by an inflated under rim of the foot-portion 11 of the figure. The weight of the figure is carried by the rim portion of the base 2.

Figure 10 shows a fastening strap 14 attached to the under surface of the foot-portion of the inflatable figure and provided with a buckle to enable it to be releasably attached to the mobile rigid base. High frequency welding can be used to attach the strap to the plastic PVC material used forthe inflatable foot portion 11 of the figure.

In a modification of the arrangement as shown in Figure 8, both cases 2A and 2B are remotely con trollable.

The figure may have the appearance of a human being, an animal, a vehicle or a plant and, as it is expandible separately from the base, it may be used on its own as a buoyant toy if desired.

The above described toy can be made to provide a figure of huge size with a small weight and in a way which enables it to be easily transported and sold.

Also, the part most prone to damage, namely the inflatable figure, can be readily replaced.

Claims (9)

1. A toy comprising upper and lower parts interconnected by a releasable anchorage, the upper part comprising an inflatable figure made from a collapsible material and formed as a closed envelope, and the lower part comprising a rigid mobile base providing the anchorage and containing a controllable drive unit coupled to the output of a receiver which receives driving instructions from a remote location.

2. A toy as claimed in claim 1, in which the anchorage is provided by a socket on the base, and a spigot on the underside of the figure which is inflated to expand the spigot inside the socket so that it can only be released by first deflating the spigot

3. A toy as claimed in claim 1, in which the anchorage is provided by a rigid member on the base around which a lower portion of the figure is expanded to grip said member as long as the figure remains inflated.

4. Atoy as claimed in claim 3, in which inflation of the figure traps a flange on the base inside a locking groove adjacent the lower end of the figure to hold the figure to the base as long as the figure is inflated.

5. Atoy as claimed in claim 2, in which a flange extends inwardly of the mouth of the socket and fits within a groove in the inflated spigot of the figure to trap the spigot in the socket.

6. Atoy as claimed in claim 2, in which the underside of the figure is formed with an inflatable portion simulating a human foot, and the spigot is formed as a shoe into which the foot can be inserted prior to inflation to lock the foot in the shoe.

7. Atoy as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which an auxiliary mobile base, separate from the driven base, is provided and the inflatable figure has two separatefeetwhich are respectively releasably attachable to the two mobile bases.

8. Atoy as claimed in claim 7, in which the auxiliary base runs on freelyturnable idlerwheels.

9. Atoy as claimed in claim 1, substantially as described with reference to the embodiment, or any one of the modifications thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawings.