US20090117817A1

US20090117817A1 - Toy Ball Containing Flotation Object

Info

Publication number: US20090117817A1
Application number: US11/935,404
Authority: US
Inventors: Chia-Yen Lin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-11-06
Filing date: 2007-11-06
Publication date: 2009-05-07

Abstract

A toy ball is disclosed herein, which includes a transparent hollow ball having an internal space; at least one liquid filled inside the internal space of the hollow ball; and a decoration object disposed inside the internal space of the hollow ball. The decoration object includes a block body and a designed article mounted on the block body. The block body has a larger density than the designed article, and the block body has a larger or smaller density than the liquid. The decoration object can be suspended and floated inside the liquid in the hollow ball.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toy ball, and more particular to a toy ball including a liquid filled and a decoration object disposed inside thereof, in which the decoration object is suspended and floated in the liquid inside the toy ball for purpose of decoration.
2. The Prior Arts
With reference to FIG. 1, which shows a conventional toy ball, a designed article B is disposed inside a transparent hollow ball A. The designed article B is integrally formed and includes a pole B1, which is inserted inside a mould at first before the hollow ball A is formed. After the hollow ball A has been shaped, the pole B1 of the designed article B is fixed onto a wall of the ball; and then a liquid can be injected into the ball A by means of a seal opening C formed on the wall of the ball A.
Although the conventional toy ball in which the designed article B is disposed inside has some extent of novelty compared to the conventional solid elastic ball, the designed article B is fixed inside the ball and remains in the same location, and the state of the designed article B cannot be changed even as the ball is thrown around. Therefore, after children have thrown the ball repeatedly for a few times, they would soon lose interest of playing the ball.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Considering the blandness of the conventional toy ball, a primary objective of the present invention is to provide a toy ball containing a flotation object disposed inside thereof, which can be moveably changed its location inside the toy ball, thereby enhancing interestingness and decorativeness of the toy ball.
The technical feature of the present invention is to put a decoration object and fill a liquid inside an internal space of a toy ball. The decoration object is not fixed on a wall of the toy ball but is suspended and floated inside the liquid in the toy ball, in which the decoration object can be swung but not overturned. As the toy ball is shaken or rocked, the decoration object can be moveably suspended, floated and swung but not overturned inside the liquid in the toy ball, thereby enhancing visualization and interestingness effect of the toy ball.
A toy ball in accordance with the present invention includes a transparent hollow ball having an internal space; at least one liquid filled inside the internal space of the hollow ball; and a decoration object disposed inside the internal space of the hollow ball. The decoration object includes a block body and a designed article mounted on the block body. The block body has a larger density than the designed article, and the gravitational center of the decoration object locates at a lower end thereof. The block body may have a larger or smaller density than the liquid, and the decoration object can be, under the action of the block body, suspended and floated but not overturned inside the liquid in the hollow ball.
In accordance with the present invention, the liquid filled inside the internal space of the hollow ball may include one single liquid, such as water or oil, etc.; while the liquid filled inside the internal space of the hollow ball may include two liquids with different density including a first liquid and a second liquid, such as water and oil, respectively, etc. The second liquid with smaller density is floated over the second liquid with larger density. The two liquids each may be mixed with a respective different pigment so as to be separated into two different regions inside the hollow ball.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, the decoration object disposed inside the internal space of the hollow ball has a density larger or smaller than the single liquid. By means of adjusting the size and the density of the block body so that the decoration object has a larger density than the single liquid, the decoration object will sink to contact with a wall of the hollow ball; while by means of adjusting the size and the density of the block body so that the decoration object has a smaller density than the single liquid, the decoration object will be suspended and floated in the single liquid.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, the internal space of the hollow ball is filled with the first liquid with larger density and the second liquid with smaller density. By means of adjusting the size and the density of the block body so that the decoration object has a density smaller than the first liquid but larger than the second liquid, the decoration object will be suspended and floated in an interface between the first liquid and the second liquid; while by means of adjusting the size and the density of the block body so that the decoration object has a larger density than the first liquid and the second liquid, the decoration object will sink to contact with the wall of the hollow ball.
In accordance with the present invention, the designed article mounted on the block body may be designed as the form of an object, such as a boat, a duck, and a doll, etc., an animal figurine, or a toy doll, etc. Additionally, the liquid may be mixed with other decorations, such as glittering pieces or specially designed articles, etc., to reflect light, thereby enhancing the visual effect inside the toy ball.
Compared to the conventional toy ball, the transparent hollow ball of the present invention is filled with at least one liquid and the decoration object can be suspended and floated inside the at least one liquid, so that the toy ball can be played as it is and has a decorative function. Additionally, the liquid is mixed with the glittering decorations, such as fish-shaped pieces or algae-shaped pieces, etc., so that the toy ball can present a vivid view of a sea bottom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a conventional toy ball containing a designed article;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a toy ball including one single liquid filled and a decoration object disposed inside thereof, according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a toy ball including two liquids with different density filled and a decoration object disposed inside thereof, according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a schematically exploded view showing the decoration object of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and the skilled can operate it according to the reference.
With reference to FIG. 2, a toy ball according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a transparent hollow ball 1, inside which one single liquid 2 is filled and a decoration object 5 is disposed. The hollow ball 1 is completely sealed to avoid the liquid 2 from leaking out of the hollow ball 1. The decoration object 5 includes a block body 51 and a designed article 52 mounted on the block body 51, in which the block body 51 has a larger density than the designed article 52. The block body 51 may be made of a metal material or a non-metal material, and the designed article 52 may be designed as the form of an object, such as a boat, a duck, and a doll, etc., an animal figurine, or a toy doll, etc. The hollow ball 1 is made from polyurethane. In the fabricating process, the decoration object 5 is disposed inside a mould at first before the hollow ball 1 is formed; then the melting polyurethane is injected into the mould to form the hollow ball 1, so that the decoration object 5 is placed in an internal space of the hollow ball 1. The hollow ball 1 is formed with a seal opening 11 for injection of the liquid 2 into the hollow ball 1. After the liquid 2 is injected into the internal space of the hollow ball 1, the seal opening 11 is sealed. The block body 51 may have a larger or smaller density than the liquid 2. By means of adjusting the size and the density of the block body 51 so that the decoration object 5 has a larger density than the liquid 2, the decoration object 5 will sink to contact with a wall of the hollow ball 1; while by means of adjusting the size and the density of the block body 51 so that the decoration object 5 has a smaller density than the liquid 2, the decoration object 5 will be suspended and floated in the liquid 2.
With reference to FIG. 3, a toy ball according to a second embodiment of the present invention has a substantially same structure as the first embodiment of the present invention, except that the toy ball of the second embodiment of the present invention is filled with two liquids including a first liquid 3 and a second liquid 4, with different density. The first liquid 3 may be water, and a second liquid 4 may be oil; thereby the first liquid 3 has a larger density than the second liquid 4. According to the present invention, by means of adjusting the size and the density of the block body 51 so that the decoration object 5 has a density smaller than the first liquid 3 but larger than the second liquid 4, the decoration object 5 will be suspended and floated in an interface between the first liquid 3 and the second liquid 4; while by means of adjusting the size and the density of the block body 51 so that the decoration object 5 has a larger density than the first liquid 3 and the second liquid 4, the decoration object 5 will sink to contact with the wall of the hollow ball 1.
The first liquid 3 and the second liquid 4 each may be mixed with a respective different pigment so as to be separated into two different regions inside the hollow ball 1. Additionally, whatever the hollow ball 1 is filled with one single liquid or two liquids, the liquids may be additionally mixed with other decorations, such as glittering pieces or specially designed articles, etc., to enhance the visual effect inside the toy ball.
Please refer to FIG. 4, which shows the assembly of the block body 51 and the designed article 52 of the decoration object 5 according to the present invention, the designed article 52 has a plurality of posts 521 defined on a bottom surface thereof, and the block body 51 has a plurality of holes 511 defined on a top surface thereof for receiving the respective posts 521 of the designed article 52. Before the block body 51 and the designed article 52 are assembled together, outer surfaces of the posts 521, inner surfaces of the holes 511, the bottom surface of the designed article 52, and the top surface of the block body 51 are first coated with adhesive. Any appropriate methods of assembling the block body 51 and the designed article 52 can be applied in the present invention.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A toy ball, comprising:

a transparent hollow ball having an internal space;

a liquid filled inside the internal space of the hollow ball; and

a decoration object disposed inside the internal space of the hollow ball, wherein the decoration object includes a block body and a designed article mounted on the block body, and the block body has a larger density than the designed article and the decoration object is able to be suspended and floated inside the liquid in the hollow ball.

2. The toy ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid includes one single liquid filled inside the internal space of the hollow ball.

3. The toy ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid includes a first liquid and a second liquid filled inside the internal space of the hollow ball, and the first liquid has a larger density than a second liquid.

4. The toy ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein the block body has a larger density than the liquid.

5. The toy ball as claimed in claim 2, wherein the block body has a larger density than the single liquid.

6. The toy ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein the block body has a smaller density than the liquid.

7. The toy ball as claimed in claim 2, wherein the block body has a smaller density than the single liquid.

8. The toy ball as claimed in claim 3, wherein the block body has a density smaller than the first liquid, but larger than the second liquid.

9. The toy ball as claimed in claim 3, wherein the block body has a larger density than the first liquid.

10. The toy ball as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first liquid and the second liquid have different color.

11. The toy ball as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first liquid is water, and the second liquid is oil.

12. The toy ball as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first liquid is water, and the second liquid is oil.

13. The toy ball as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first liquid is water, and the second liquid is oil.

14. The toy ball as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first liquid is water, and the second liquid is oil.