GB2144895A - Toy or signboard component - Google Patents

Abstract

Components in the form of letters such as the letters , "i" and "j" shown respectively at 36 and 38, and/or numerals, and mathematical signs (not shown) are each moulded of pliable plastics material and each comprise, on their rear faces, suction cups 44 whereby the components may be adhered selectively to a smooth surfaced board or other article (not shown) e.g. as an education game activity or to form a signboard. As shown the components are moulded together with a connecting strip 50 as a unit, and a kit of the components may comprise a plurality of said units each containing letters, numerals and/or signs as desired. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Toy or signboard component This invention concerns a toy or signboard component.

in the fields of educational toys and signboards, it is known to provide kits comprising components in the form of letters or numbers, usually with a board or like element providing a surface to which the components can be affixed. Fixing of the components to the surface can be achieved by using properties or characteristics of the substance from which the board or like element and/or the components is or are made e.g. magnetism, or by mechanical interengagement of pegs on the components into holes in the board or the like. However in th case where magnetism is used to fix components to a board the equipment involved is costly, and in the case where use is made of a board in which there are holes, the positioning of the components is limited by the number and the spacings of the holes in the board.

An object of the invention is the provision of a toy or signboard component which can be affixed to a smooth surface and is easy to remove, which is cheap to produce, and involves a minimum of practical limitations as to the positioning of the components on the surface. As used herein the term "signboard" includes display boards, advertising boards, and like arrangements intended for the display of letters and/or numerals and/or other shapes for utilitarian, decorative, display, amusement, educational, and other purposes.

With this object in view the present invention provides a toy or sign board component in the form of a letter or numeral having at one face thereof one or more suction cups so disposed that the component can be attached to a smooth surface by said suction cups.

Preferably the toy or component of the invention is made of a soft and resiliant plastic material, in which case the or each suction cup may be formed intergrally with the component, to simplify production.

An optional feature of the component is the provision of a recess or recesses in the component in the face thereof opposite to that having the suction cup or cups, disposed so that each suction cup and its respective recess are in mutual opposition. Such a recess allows the component to be formed using a minimum of material.

As a further modification each recess may be formed with a protuberance upstanding from the base of the recess, each said protuberance being such a height that it protrudes out of the recess in which it is situated. With such an arrangement pressure can be applied directly to the base of the suction cup to achieve a good suction effect.

Alternatively, the or each suction cup may be situated within a respective recess so that the suction cup's lip protrudes out of the recess. With this arrangement, when the cup is pressed against a smooth surface for adher ing the component thereto, the surrounding face of the component is brought into contact with the surface, and will remain there, thereby making it difficult to dislodge the component accidentally.

In the preferred practical embodiment of the invention, the component has a flange around its edge or edges at its side on which the suction cup is or the suction cups are provided, so that the component is configured to be of U-shaped cross section, the suction cup or cups being provided in the channel or channels provided by said U or U's.

The invention further includes a kit comprising a plurality of the toy or signboard components as above discussed, and these may be moulded so as to be connected together as a unit from which a user will separate the individual components as or when desired.

The kit may include a plurality of the units which may be composed of similar or different letters within each units and/or between the units.

The Kit may, if desired, optionally also include a smooth-surfaced board or like element for a user to apply the components thereto, e.g. for amusement or for providing a signboard or practical utility.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view illustrating a unit composed of a plurality of the toy or sign board components of the invention, e.g.

as moulded, these components being representative of a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a rear view of the unit of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary rear view illustrating two of the components of the unit of Figs. 1 and 2, in detail; Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Figure 5 is fragmentary perspective view showing four of the components from the unit of Figs. 1 and 2 affixed to a board; Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of the component of the invention; Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating a third embodiment of the component of the invention; Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8; Figure 10 is a perspective view illustrating a fourth embodiment of the component of the invention;; Figure ii is an enlarged cross-section taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 10; Figure 12 is a perspective view illustrating a fifth embodiment of the component of the invention; and Figure 13 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, these figures illustrate a number of examples of the toy or signboard component of the invention, according to a first embodiment. These examples are formed as letters, the illustrated components being as follows: Reference numeral Letter 20 a 22 b 24 c 26 d 28 e 30 f 32 g 34 h 36 38 It will be understood that the toy or signboard components of the invention are not restricted to being in the shapes of these ten letters, but can be in the shape of any letter from A through to Z, whether upper case or lower case, or in the shape of a numeral from 0 to 9, or a letter used in any other form of written language or numeral used in any other system of counting.

As can be seen more particularly from Figs.

2, 3 and 4, each component is U-shaped in cross-section, the cross web 40 of the U providing the front or viewing surface of the component, with the limbs of the U being provided by flanges 42 extending rearwardly therefrom, so that the rear of each component is channel-shaped. At suitable locations, at the rear of the component and adequately spaced apart so as to provide support for their respective regions of the components, are a plurality of suction cups 44 which are generally of frusto-conical configuration and connect with the rear surface of the cross web 40 by way of respective integral stems 46 approximately equispaced between the limbs of the U.

The ten components 20 to 38 as illustrated are moulded as a unit, of a suitable flexible non-toxic plastics material, such as flexible polyvinyl chloride, each being connected by a respective short stem 48 to a common strip member 50 which is also of U-shaped crosssection and is provided at intervals with its own suction cups 44 (See Fig. 3) so that the strip member 50 itself constitutes a toy or signboard component of the invention.

The components are used in the manner which has been illustrated as an exemplification in Fig. 5. They are caused to adhere to a smooth surface 52 of a board or like supporting member 54, this being done by simply pressing the selected components, after having being separated from the unit, in appropriately-chosen dispositions on the surface 52.

This can be done as an operation in using the components as educational toys, being used, for example, to teach a child to read and/or spell, or enabling a child itself to make up words, sentences or designs upon the board 54. If use is made of component which are numerals, and mathematical signs, they can be employed to teach a child arithmetic or other mathematical calculations or to enable a child to practice the same. This is especially applicable in an educational environment where the components can be easily used by young children learning to spell or do arithmetic as the components can be secured to the surface and removed by application of a minimal force and the components themselves are difficult to break as they are made from flexible material.

The pressing of the component in register with the suction cups 44 serves, of course, to expel the air from between such cups and the surface 54, whereafter the cups are held against the surface 54 by atmospheric air pressure.

Another possible application is in relation to notice boards or signboards especially where any writing requires to be changed at frequent intervals e.g. notice boards in hotel lobbies, railway stations or bus stations, airport lounges and office buildings. Other applications are also possible.

Figs. 6 and 7 show in detail an example 60 of the component of the invention, which example is in the form of the letter T. As will be seen, this component has two integral frusto-conical suction cups 62, 64 so disposed at or on the rear face thereof as to enable the component to be adhered to a board or other smooth surface (not shown).

The suction cup 62 is positioned near the bottom of the upright 65 of the letter T and the suction cup 64 is positioned in the middle of the horizontal cross piece 67 of the letter T.

The suction cup 62 is formed to provide a continuous flexible annular lip 66 angled outwards from its centre and enclosing a cavity 68. The suction cup 64 is formed in a substantially identical manner with a respective lip 66 and cavity 68.

It can be readily understood that, as with the examples already described, in order to fix the component 60 to an object or article (not shown) having a smooth surface, it is only necessary to offer the component 60 to the article so that both of the suction cups 62 and 64 are in contact with the surface. Then, application of pressure to the surface of the component opposite to suction cup 62 causes air to be expelled from the cavity 68 to create a vacuum therein. Upon release of the applied pressure from the component, the latter will remain in position because of outside air pressure acting upon the lip 66 of the cup 62 preventing air from re-entering the cavity 68.

This operation is repeated with the suction cup 64 so that the component 60 is firmly held to the smooth surface and can only be removed by applying deliberate force to break the suction effect.

Figs. 8 and 9 show an example 70 of a third embodiment of the component of the invention, again in the form of a letter T and having two suction cups 72 and 74 similar to the suction cups 62, 64 above described. In this emboidment, a respective recess 76, 78 is provided in mutual opposition to each of the suction cups 72, 74. This arrangement allows the toy or sign board component to be formed using a minimum of material.

Figs. 10 and 11 show an example 80 of a fourth embodiment of the toy or signboard component, in the form of a letter T, again having two suction cups 82 and 84 disposed in a manner similar to the previously described suction cups 62, 64 and 72, 74. In this example, respective recesses 82 and 84 are disposed in substantially similar positions to the recesses 76 and 77 in the example described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. In this embodiment, however base 86 of each recess 82, 84 has a respective protuberance 88, 90 upstanding therefrom and protruding out of the respective recess. With this arrangement, pressure can be applied directly to the base 86 of each suction cup 82, 84 to achieve a good suction effect.

Figs. 1 2 and 1 3 show an example 92 of another embodiment of the component, again formed as a letter T and having two suction cups 94, 96 similar to the suction cups already described. These two suction cups 94, 96 are disposed within respective recesses 98, 100 in the rear face of component, so that their lips 66, protrude beyond the said rear face of the component so that when each cup 94, 96 is present against a smooth surface such as the surface 52 provided by the board 54 shown in Fig. 5, the rear face of the component 92 contacts with the smooth surface, making it difficult to dislodge the component accidentally.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the above discussed examples and variations may be made thereto. Thus, for instance, the suction cups and the components may be made separately from different materials and subsequently joined together, for instance by use of an adhesive or other suitable fastening means; it is also possible to form each component from a thin piece of pliable material, such as plastics or rubber, with the suction cups, similar to the suction cups above described, formed integrally therewith, or separately therefrom.

The positioning of the suction cup or cups on each component may also be varied; thus, for example, on a letter K three suction cups may be provided, one positioned near the top and a second near the bottom of the upright of the letter K and the third positioned at the junction of the two angled pieces and the upright. On a letter S, one suction cup only may be provided, this being positioned on the inclined centre section of the letter, or two suction cups may be used, these being positioned one at the upper end and one at the lower end of the letter S.

On a letter 0, two suction cups may be used, these being positioned so as to be substantially diametrically opposite each other. Other variations may also be possible.

As a matter of practicality, a kit of the components, as prepared for storage and distribution may comprise a plurality of units such as has been illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, each such unit comprising an appropriate selection of letters and or numerals, so that the total contents of the kit includes one each of the twenty six letters of the alphabet, together with extra numbers of more-commonly encountered letters such as "a", "i", "I", "t", "e" and so on, as well as a complete set of numerals 0 to 9, together with a few spare numerals such as 0's and 1 's and some basic mathematical signs, such as the plus sign, the minus sign, the multiplication sign, the division sign and the equals sign. Each kit consisting of a plurality of the selected units may be accomodated in a respective carton or enclosure, and may, if desired, be provided with an appropriate smooth-surfaced board, to which the user may apply the components as desired.

Of course, the components do not have to be moulded as part of a unit, but may be individually formed if desired.

Claims (1)

1. A toy or signboard component in the form of a letter or numeral having at one face thereof one or more suction cups so disposed that the component can be attached to a smooth surface by said suction cups.

2. A component as claimed in claim 1 in which said component is made of a soft and resilient plastics material.

3. A component as claimed in claim 2 in which the or each suction cup is formed integrally with the component.

4. A component as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein a recess is or recesses are provided in the component in the face thereof opposite to that having the suction cup or cups, and disposed so that each suction cup and its respective recess are in mutual opposition.

5. A component as claimed in claim 4 wherein each recess is formed with a protuberance upstanding from the base of the recess, each said protuberance being such a height that it protrudes out of the recess in which it is situated.

6. A component as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the or each suction cup is situated within a respective recess so that the suction cup's lip protrudes out of the recess.

7. A component as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the component has a flange around its edge or edges at its side on which the suction cup is or the suction cups are provided, so that the component is configured to be of U-shaped cross-section, the suction cup or cups being provided in the channel or channels provided by said U or U's.

8. A toy or signboard component substantially as herein before described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 in Figs. 6 and 7, in Figs. 8 and 9, in Figs. 10 and 11, or in Figs. 1 2 and 13, of the accompanying drawings.

9. A kit comprising a plurality of the toy or signboard components of any of claims 1 to 8.

10. A kit as claimed in claim 9 wherein the components are moulded so as to be connected together as a unit from which the components may be separated.

11. A kit as claimed in claim 10 wherein the kit comprises a plurality of the said units.

1 2. A kit as claimed in claim 9, 10 or 11, which further includes a smooth surfaced board or like element.

1 3. A kit comprising a plurality of toy or signboard components substantially as herein before described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

1. A toy or signboard component in the form of a letter or numeral having at one face thereof one or more suction cups so disposed that the component can be attached to a smooth surface by said suction cups and characterised by each component having a flange around its edge or edges at its side on which the suction cup is or the suction cups are provided, so that the component is configured to be of U-shaped cross-section, the suction cup or cups being provided in the channel or channels provided by said U or U's.