US20050014446A1

US20050014446A1 - Animated toy simulating real or fanciful creature

Info

Publication number: US20050014446A1
Application number: US10/860,317
Authority: US
Inventors: Susanna Russo-Barone
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-06-06
Filing date: 2004-06-04
Publication date: 2005-01-20
Also published as: CA2431342A1

Abstract

The toy has a head and an elongated body. The lower wall of the toy frictionally resists movement thereof across a surface on which the toy is positioned. The toy is composed of material such as natural fur, synthetic fur, shag, felt, fabric, cloth, plush, velvet and Velcro. The material undulates to simulate the movement of a real or fanciful creature when a hand is moved along the length of said upper wall to apply a downward pressure therealong

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to toys which simulate real or fanciful creatures and more particularly to a toy which when resting on a surface and when stroked by a hand undulates in a way which simulates the movement of a real or fanciful creature.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Soft toys in the form of creatures such as dragons, dinosaurs, farm and domestic animals are commonly composed of a soft outer layer of cotton and a stuffing of soft material such as cotton batten. Such toys may have parts which move relative to other parts but in general they do not move in a way which simulates the natural movement of such creatures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

I have invented a soft toy which when stroked undulates in a way that simulates the natural movement of many real creatures. Briefly the toy of my invention has oppositely facing upper and lower walls. The lower wall resists movement along an uneven surface when a lateral force is applied thereto and remains relatively immovable on a surface on which the toy it when a hand applies a downward force on the upper wall. The toy is composed of material of sufficient flexibility such that when the hand is passed along the length of the upper wall to apply downward force thereto, the toy undulates. Such movement may be caused solely by the downward force or may be caused by static electricity produced when the hand moves along the toy.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The toy of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the toy;
FIG. 2 is an elevation of a first embodiment of the toy;
FIG. 3 is an elevation of a second embodiment of the toy; and
FIG. 4 is a side view of the toy showing the way in which it is activated.
Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the toy.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the toy has oppositely facing upper and lower walls 10, 12. A pair of buttons 14, 16 is stitched to the upper wall to simulate the eyes of a real or fanciful creature. Instead of buttons, the eyes can be painted or embroidered on the upper wall or they can be formed on separate material and sewn onto the upper wall.
The toy may be composed of shag having a long rough nap on its upper surface to simulate the fur of a real or fanciful creature. Alternatively the toy may be composed of velvet with a shorter nap to simulate a smooth coat. Natural fur, synthetic fur, felt, fabric, cloth, plush and Velcro are also suitable.
The lower wall of the toy is generally flat and somewhat rough so that it holds or clings by means of friction to a surface on which the toy rests when a hand applies downward pressure to the upper wall of the toy.
In the embodiment of FIG. 3, stuffing 20 is inserted in the area of the head of the toy in order to give height to the head.
The toy is formed of material which is sufficiently flexible that when a hand is passed along the length of its upper wall, the toy undulates. Such action is illustrated in FIG. 4. In that drawing, hand 20 moves away from the head 22 of the toy in the direction of arrow 24. The hand presses downward on the upper wall of the toy and causes the area 26 of the lower wall directly beneath the hand to press against area 28 of the surface on which the toy rests. Friction between those two areas causes the toy to adhere or cling slightly to the surface at that point. At the same time, the material of the toy adjacent to those areas flexes upwardly. As the hand moves, so too does the location of flexure with resulting undulating or wave-like movement of the material.
Static electricity may be produced as the hand moves down the toy and that may aid or indeed may be the sole cause for the wave-like movement. Where static electricity is produced, little or no downward pressure need be applied to the toy. The simple movement of the hand along the upper wall of the toy will usually suffice to produce the desired wave-like movement.
It will be understood of course that modifications can be made in the structure illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope and purview of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A toy simulating a real or fanciful creature and comprising a head; and an elongated body, said body having a lower surface which frictionally resists movement thereof along an uneven surface, said body being composed of a material which, when a downward force is applied thereto sufficient to cause a portion of said body to move downward, flexes upward in the area of said body surrounding said downward portion such that said body undulates when a hand is moved along said body in order to apply a downward force therealong.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein said toy has an outer wall which surrounds a flexible stuffing

3. The toy of claim 2 wherein said outer wall is composed of material selected from the group comprising: natural fur, synthetic fur, shag, felt, fabric, cloth, plush, velvet and Velcro.

4. A toy simulating a real or fanciful creature, said toy having oppositely facing upper and lower walls, said lower wall being adapted to frictionally resist movement thereof across a surface on which the toy is positioned, said toy being composed of material of sufficient flexibility such that said toy undulates when a hand is moved along the length of said upper wall to apply a downward pressure therealong.

5. A toy simulating a real or fanciful creature, said toy having oppositely facing upper and lower walls, said lower wall being adapted to frictionally resist movement thereof across an uneven surface on which the toy is positioned, said toy being composed of material of sufficient flexibility such that said toy undulates when a hand is moved along the length of said upper wall to produce static electricity.