GB2321413A - Visual toy - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy comprises a substantially planar support B bearing indicia such as a sticker A designed to attract or engage an infant's attention, and means such as a clip C for attaching the support B to the curved surface of an infant's drinking container V at an angle thereto. The support and attaching means may be integrally moulded or may be in the form of inter engaging parts.

Description

VISUAL TOY This invention relates to a visual toy.

It is an object of the invention to provide a toy which can occupy an infant's interest during bottle feeding.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a toy comprising a substantially planar support bearing indicia designed to attract or engage an infant's attention and means for attaching the support to the curved surface of an infant's drinking container at an angle thereto.

Preferably, the attaching means comprises a plastics clip for engaging a vessel. The support may be of plastics material. The support may carry a sticker of a particular design, the sticker having a shape corresponding to the outline of the design. The support may have the same shape as the sticker.

The attaching means and support may comprise integral parts of an injection-moulded article. Alternatively, the attaching means and support may comprise components having interengageable elements for fitting the attaching means to the support.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of components of a toy according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the toy of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the toy mounted on a feeding bottle; and Figure 4 shows means for fitting the support to the clip.

Figure 1 shows a toy comprising a sticker A which is intended to be adhered to a substantially planar support B, the support being fitted to a clip C of diameter similar to the diameter of conventional types of feeding bottles for infants. The sticker and support have the same predetermined shape which depends on the design of the sticker. In this example, as shown in Figure 2, the design is of a moon and star. However, many other designs and corresponding shapes are possible, and are preferably colourful and eye-catching.

Examples of suitable designs include a clown, a daisy, Humpty Dumpty, a sun and cloud, a mirror, a bear, an elephant, a frog, an owl, a rabbit, a lion, a Jack-in-thebox and ball, a photograph in a frame, characters such as "ABC123", Santa Claus, a Christmas tree, a snowman, a teddy, a train, a car, a happy face, a sad face, a rocket, a fairy toadstool (which may be phosphorescent), a butterfly, a parrot, a rainbow, and pictures of fictional characters.

Other designs will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

The support B and clip C are preferably of plastics materials.

Figure 2 shows preferred dimensions for the support and clip. Typically the support B extends for a height a above the clip of from about 45 to 60mm and the total height b of the support is from 60 to 75mm. The width c of the support B is typically from 50 to 75mm and the thickness (not shown) of the support is typically from 1.0 to 8.5mm. Conveniently the diameter d of the clip C is from 48 to 76mm, the thickness of the clip is from 0.5 to 1.5mm and the width (depth) of the clip is from 3 to 17mm.

Figure 3 shows how the support B with its sticker A are mounted on a feeding bottle V at an angle to the surface of the bottle. In this way the design of the sticker occupies the child's interest during feeding.

Figure 4 shows one example of means for fitting the support B to the clip C. The fitting means comprise interengageable elements E on each of the support and the clip. These elements may comprise projections on the support and recesses in the clip engaged by the projections, or the projections may be on the clip and the recesses in one edge of the support. The interengageable elements could be designed to be detachable from each other so that different supports B could be attached to the same clip C although, as described with reference to the drawings, the support and clip are intended to be permanently fixed together.

As an alternative to the arrangement shown in Figure 4, the entire support and clip could be integrally moulded from plastics material.

Claims (9)

1. A toy comprising a substantially planar support bearing indicia designed to attract or engage an infant's attention, and means for attaching the support to the curved surface of an infant's drinking container at an angle thereto.

2. A toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attaching means comprises a clip for engaging the container.

3. A toy as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the support carries a sticker of a particular design, the sticker having a shape corresponding to the outline of the design.

4. A toy as claimed in claim 3, wherein the shape of the support corresponds to that of the sticker.

5. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support is of plastics material.

6. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the attaching means is of plastics material.

7. A toy as claimed in claims 5 and 6, wherein the support and attaching means comprise an integrally moulded article.

8. A toy as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the attaching means and support comprise components having interengageable elements for fitting the attaching means to the support.

9. A toy substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.