GB2272182A

GB2272182A - Method of making a filled moulded article

Info

Publication number: GB2272182A
Application number: GB9223523A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jacqueline Mary Thompson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-11-10
Filing date: 1992-11-10
Publication date: 1994-05-11
Also published as: GB9223523D0

Abstract

A toy or other product has an external skin of latex or synthetic rubber which is preformed by moulding in one or several layers and which is filled with a mouldable material such as dough or putty. The external skin can be formed in a die into which the mouldable material is then introduced or else the skin is removed after formation and the mouldable material introduced into the skin. The skin may also be made by dipping a former or by rotational or gravitational casting.

Description

A MOULDABLE MOULDED PRODUCT This invention relates to moulded products and, specifically to moulded products which can be manipulated into different shapes and which will retain their shape for a period of time.

The invention is particularly suitable for the manufacture of toys and it is in this aspect that it will be described, but it will be appreciated that it can also be readily applied to the manufacture of other products such as, for example, paperweights, furniture and table sculpture.

Moulded toys for children have not had the property of retaining their shape except by means of a wire frame inside the toy.

It is the object of this invention to manufacture a product which has this characteristic.

In its broadest sense I provide a product having an outer skin of latex or synthetic rubber and an interior which is of mouldable dough or putty.

The invention includes the method of making such a product which comprises forming an outer skin of a flexible resilient material such as latex or synthetic rubber, introducing into the moulded skin a mouldable dough or putty so as to fill the outer skin and sealing of the skin to create a continuous outer layer.

In order that the invention can be more readily understood, I shall describe the manufacture of a toy using the concept of the invention.

The outer skin of the toy is preferably of latex and, certainly, is of some flexible resilient material which is non toxic and which has good physical properties as far as tearing or other damage is concerned, and may be of the order of 0.01 cm to 0.3 cm thick. In the preferred form of the invention, I use a thickness of 0.05 cm.

The skin can be formed by any conventional method of forming latex and, specifically, it could be formed in a rotational mould, by dipping procedures and in an enclosed mould into which liquid latex can be poured and the excess subsequently removed.

If dipping is used there is a former having the shape and size of the item to be formed. The former can be dipped a number of times into a latex solution until the required thickness is achieved or, alternatively, the former can be used to make thin skins, several of which can be wrapped around the filling until the total skin is the thickness required.

Also, if dipping is used, the former can be arranged to have negative details formed thereon and the skin can be adapted to be used inverted, that is that the skin can be stripped from the former so that the inside becomes outwardly directed and, in this way, an extremely good surface with very high definition can be achieved.

I prefer to use one dipped latex skin for my invention.

The dough or putty which should be non toxic, is introduced through the neck of the skin using a funnel. Once the skin is full the neck remains open whilst the toy is manipulated by squeezing and rolling to eliminate air trapped in the dough or putty and between the dough or putty and the skin.

When all air has been expelled, the neck of the toy is sealed by knotting, glueing, applying a patch over the opening or by encasing the toy in another skin open at its base.

The latex skin next to the dough or putty adheres to it so that when the toy is manipulated it retains its new shape.

Features or decorations can be printed, painted or glued on to the outside skin of the toy. Also total or partial casings of stretchy materials, including fur fabrics or thin layers of rubber can be used to enhance the feel or the look of the product. Features or decorations can similarly be printed, glued or sewn onto the outside of the casing. Extensions too can be attached to the original or covered shape.

For example a doll's body of some other material such as plastic or cloth can be attached to allow the mouldable part to form the head.

The toy meets the basic requirements of safety in that its components are completely non toxic if sucked or chewed whilst the outer layer is durable and continuous.

Whilst I have described the invention as being particularly applicable to the manufacture of toys, there are also other areas where it has applications.

Some examples are the manufacture of furniture, paperweights and table sculpture.

In each case the product's shape can be changed, and retained in its new configuration, within its impervious resilient but non toxic outer layer.

Claims

CLAIM:

1. A method of making a product which comprises forming an outer skin of a flexible resilient material such as latex or synthetic rubber, introducing into the moulded skin a mouldable dough or putty so as to fill the outer skin and sealing of the skin to create a continuous outer layer.

2. A method of making a product as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the mouldable dough or putty is wrapped in several layers of a flexible resilient material such as latex or synthetic rubber so as to completely encase it.

3. A method of making a product as claimed in claim 1 wherein the skin is formed in a former, it is stripped therefrom and mouldable dough or putty is introduced via a funnel into the skin to fill it.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the former has surface variations negative so that, when the skin is removed therefrom and when the skin is inverted, the surface variations are clearly defined.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the skin is made by rotational casting or other technique in a closed mould and wherein the skin is removed from the mould before the mouldable dough or putty is introduced into the skin.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the skin is made by rotational casting or other technique in a closed mould and wherein mouldable dough or putty is introduced into the mould before the skin is removed therefrom.

7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the skin is held in close contact with the mouldable dough or putty by the virtual expulsion of air from within the casing.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the outer skin is wholly or partially encased by flexible materials including stretchy fur fabrics or thin rubber.

9. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein features or decorations are printed, painted, glued or sewn on to the outer skin or casing.

10. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein extensions such as a doll's body are attached to the product.

11. A product made by the method of any one of the preceding claims.

12. The product of claim 11 being a toy, an item of furniture, a piece of table sculpture or a paperweight.

13. A product as claimed in claim 11 in which the skin is latex and has a thickness in the range of 0.01 cm to 0.3 cm.

14. A product having an outer skin of a flexible resilient material such as latex or synthetic rubber which is formed separately and a body of mouldable dough or putty therein, the dough or putty being closely adjacent to the skin.

15. A product as claimed in claim 14 wherein the skin is held in close contact with the mouldable dough or putty by the virtual expulsion of air from within the casing.

16. A product as claimed in claims 14 and 15 wherein the product is a toy or other product as in claim 12.