GB2267225A

GB2267225A - A toy

Info

Publication number: GB2267225A
Application number: GB9211020A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alfred Chan; Chung Yuen Ng
Original assignee: PLASTRONICS Manufacturing Ltd
Current assignee: PLASTRONICS Manufacturing Ltd
Priority date: 1992-05-22
Filing date: 1992-05-22
Publication date: 1993-12-01
Also published as: GB9211020D0

Abstract

A toy 1 comprises a wind-up spring toy 3, and a divisible container having cooperable container parts 7, 9 which engage together to enclose the wind-up toy. The wind-up toy has a rotary winder 11 which extends through both sides 15, 17 of the wind-up toy. One end 19 of the winder can be used to wind-up the toy before it is placed in the container, and the other end 21 has a socket 23 which is engaged by a corresponding projection 25 on one of the container parts. The projection is attached to a locking mechanism 26 which prevents it from rotating, and therefore the wind-up toy from unwinding, when the toy is enclosed within the container. The container part 7 has a button 35 on its outer surface which when pushed releases the locking mechanism 26 so that the projection 25 can turn and the toy 3 can unwind. This causes the container parts 7, 9 to separate to allow the wind-up toy to emerge. <IMAGE>

Description

A TOY The present invention relates to a toy.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a wind-up spring toy, initially housed within a divisible container, which will "walk" out from within the container when the parts of the container are separated.

A known wind-up spring toy, which emerges from a divisible container, is descibed in UK Patent Specification GB 2 189 710. This toy comprises a combination of a wind-up spring toy and a divisible container. The container has a winder so that the wind-up toy enclosed within the container can be wound up. Once the toy has been wound up, it starts to unwind within the container. This unwinding causes the container to break open and the toy to emerge.

A disadvantage of this toy is that an element of surprise is lost because the first time user must wind-up the toy using the cap on the container in order for the spring toy to emerge from inside. A first time user can therefore guess that there is a wind-up toy inside the container.

We have now developed a toy having a container and a wind-up spring toy in which the wind-up toy is wound up during its assembly so that when the toy is first used the user just presses a button and the wind-up spring toy comes out of the container and surprises the user.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a toy comprising: a wind-up spring toy; a divisible container having at least two parts; the parts of the container being formed to cooperate together to enclose the wind-up spring toy; and engagement means for releaseably holding the parts of the container together, wherein the wind-up spring toy is provided with winding means for winding-up the wind-up spring toy before it is placed within the container.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a toy comprising: a wind-up spring toy; a divisible container having at least two parts; the parts of the container being adapted to cooperate together to enclose the wind-up spring toy; and engagement means for releaseably and holding the parts of the container together, wherein the container is provided with trigger means for releasing the engagement means so that when the trigger means is activated the parts of the container separate to allow the spring wind-up toy to move therefrom.

Preferably the trigger means includes a button on the outer surface of one part of the container which button, when pushed, releases the engagement means holding the parts of the container together.

Alternatively, or additionally, the trigger means may include a hole, into which an article can be inserted, or a further button to release the engagement means.

Preferably the engagement means comprises a pin, projecting from one part of the container into the container, having a notch at the free end thereof, and a receptacle on another part of the container arranged to receive the post and having means to engage the notch.

Preferably the engagement means includes a locking mechanism for preventing rotation of the winding means of the wind-up spring toy when the wind-up spring toy is placed within the container, and on activation of the trigger means the locking means releases the winding means to allow the wind-up spring toy to unwind.

Preferably the trigger means is connected to the locking means, and the locking means is connected to the engagement means such that on activation of the trigger means, the locking means is released and this in turn causes the engagement means to be released.

Preferably the container is in two parts, which fit together to form a football shaped container and the wind-up spring toy is in the configuration of a football player.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from tile following description and accompanying claims.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the acconmanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded side view of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is an exploded part cross-sectional view along the central plane of the toy of figures 1 and 2; and Figure 4 is part cut away side view of the toy of Figures 1, 2 and 3.

The drawings show a toy 1 having a wind-up spring toy 3, and a divisible container 5. In this embodiment the external shape of the container resembles a football, and the wind-up spring toy has the configuration of a football player holding a football.

The container 5 has first and second cooperable container parts 7 and 9 which fit together to enclose the wind-up toy 3.

The two container parts 7, 9 have mutually interlocking teeth 6, and are engaged and held together by a post 27 and receptacle 31 arrangement.

The post 27 projects from the second container part 9 and has a notch 29 at its free end. The corresponding receptacle 31, for receiving the post 27, is formed in the first container part 7 and has an engagement mechanism 33 to engage the notch 29 when the container 5 is closed. The receptacle 31 is loaded with a spring 41 which, when the container parts 7 and 9 are pushed together, is depressed until engagement.

The wind-up toy 3 has a rotary winder 11 which extendsthrough both sides 15, 17 of the wind-up toy 3. One end 19 of the winder 11 is used to wind-up the toy 3 before it is placed in the container 5. It will be appreciated that this could initially be done in the factory where the toy is assembled so that the toy is pre-wound before it is sold.

The winder 11 has a cross-shaped socket 23 on its other end 21 which is engaged by a corresponding projection 25 on the first container part 7 when the toy 3 is placed in the container 5. The projection 25 is mounted on a rotatable cylinder 28 which is locked by a locking mechanism 26 to prevent the projection 25 from rotating, and therefore the wind-up toy 3 from unwinding, when the toy 3 is engaged by the projection 25 and enclosed in the container.

The first container part 7 has a button 35 on its outer surface which, when pushed, triggers the release of the locking mechanism 26 so that the cylinder 28 and projection 25 can rotate and the toy 3 can unwind.

Pressing the button 35 simultaneously triggers release of the engagement mechanism 33 engaged with the notch 29 on the post 27 so that the container parts 7, 9 can separate.

The arrangement and function of the locking mechanism 26 and the engagement mechanism 33 will now be described in more detail.

The locking mechanism 26 has a lock, which when the two parts 7, 9 are put together, locks cog wheels 45 and 47, which are connected to the rotatable cylinder 28, to prevent the cogs 45, 47, and hence the cylinder 28, from turning. The locking mechanism 26 includes a tooth 49 on the end of a connecting rod 50 connecting the push button 35 and the locking mechanism 26. The tooth 49 engages a tooth on a first of the cog wheels 47 to prevent it from turning.

The engagement mechanism 33 is initially arranged as follows. The engagement mechanism 33 has a bar 51 which is biassed within the notch 29 by a spring 53. The bar 51 engages and holds the notch 29 at the end of the post 27 so that the two container parts 7 and 9 are held together.

When the button 35 is depressed the tooth 49 on the connecting rod 50 is pushed away from and clears the first cog wheel 47 so that the cog wheels 45 and 47 can turn. The rotatable cylinder 28 is then free to rotate the second cog wheel 45 which in turn rotates the first cog wheel 47 which has a cam surface. The first cog wheel 47 turns and the cam surface pushes the bar 51 away from the notch 29 thus disengaging the bar 51 from the notch 29.

Since the receptacle 31 is loaded with the spring 41 the container parts 7 and 9 are forced apart.

The unwinding toy 3 may also contributes a force to the container parts 7 and 9 causing them to spring apart.

When the container parts 7 and 9 separate, the unwinding wind-up spring toy emerges from within the container and can move about freely.

The toy 1 can also be triggered in a second way, to separate the container parts 7 and 9, in case the button fails.

The toy 1 has a hole 43 provided on the outer surface of the container part 7 into which a pin or other suitable object may be inserted. When such an object is inserted the engagement mechanism 33 is released so that the bar 51 is disengaged from the notch 29 and the container parts 7 and 9 spring apart.

It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made to the described embodiment without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A toy comprising: a wind-up spring toy; a divisible container having at least two parts; the parts of the container being adapted to cooperate together to enclose the wind-up spring toy; and engagement means for releaseably holding the parts of the container together wherein the wind-up spring toy is provided with winding means for winding-up the wind-up spring toy before it is placed within the container.

2. A toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is provided with trigger means for releasing the engagement means so that when the trigger means is activated the parts of the container separate so as to allow the spring wind-up toy to leave the container and move therefrom

3. A toy comprising: a wind-up spring toy; a divisible container having at least two parts; the parts of the container being adapted to cooperate together to enclose the wind-up spring toy therein; and engagement means for releaseably and holding the parts of the container together, wherein the container is provided with trigger means for releasing the engagement means so that when the trigger means is activated the parts of the container separate to allow the spring wind-up toy to move therefrom.

4. A toy as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the trigger means includes a button on the outer surface of one part of the container which button when pressed causes release of the engagement means holding the parts of the container together.

5. A toy as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the trigger means includes a hole into which an article can be inserted to cause release of the engagement means.

6. A toy as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engagement means comprises a post, projecting from one part of the container into the container, having a notch at the free end thereof, and a receptacle on another part of the container arranged to receive the post and having an engagement member to engage the notch.

7. A toy as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein locking means is provided for engaging and locking the winding means of the wind-up spring toy to prevent rotation thereof when the wind-up spring toy is placed within the container.

8. A toy as claimed in claim 7, wherein the trigger means is connected to the locking means so that activation of the trigger means releases the winding means so that the wind-up spring toy can unwind.

9. A toy as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the trigger means is connected to the locking means, and the locking means is connected to the engagement means such that on activation of the trigger means, the locking means is released and this in turn causes the engagement means to be released.

10. A toy as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the parts of the container have mutually interlocking teeth.

11. A toy as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the container is in two parts which fit together to form a football shaped container

12. A toy as claimed in claim 11, wherein the wind-up spring toy is in the configuration of a football player.

13. A toy substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.