US20090253346A1 - Toy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cup - Google Patents

Toy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cup Download PDF

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Publication number
US20090253346A1
US20090253346A1 US12/385,155 US38515509A US2009253346A1 US 20090253346 A1 US20090253346 A1 US 20090253346A1 US 38515509 A US38515509 A US 38515509A US 2009253346 A1 US2009253346 A1 US 2009253346A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
toy
magnet
control valve
chamber
cup
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US12/385,155
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English (en)
Inventor
Ryoko Ehama
Tomohito Nagai
Yoichiro Konno
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Tomy Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Tomy Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tomy Co Ltd filed Critical Tomy Co Ltd
Assigned to TOMY COMPANY, LTD. reassignment TOMY COMPANY, LTD. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: KONNO, YOICHIRO, NAGAI, TOMOHITO, EHAMA, RYOKO
Publication of US20090253346A1 publication Critical patent/US20090253346A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H33/00—Other toys
    • A63H33/30—Imitations of miscellaneous apparatus not otherwise provided for, e.g. telephones, weighing-machines, cash-registers
    • A63H33/3055—Ovens, or other cooking means
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H33/00—Other toys
    • A63H33/30—Imitations of miscellaneous apparatus not otherwise provided for, e.g. telephones, weighing-machines, cash-registers
    • A63H33/3022—Imitations of miscellaneous apparatus not otherwise provided for, e.g. telephones, weighing-machines, cash-registers simulating liquid flow, e.g. nursing bottles

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a toy cup, and a toy dispenser for simulating the dispensing of a beverage into the toy cup.
  • a toy feeding bottle has been proposed in which a liquid simulating a drink contained in a container appears to have disappeared when the container is inverted (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3079103).
  • This toy feeding bottle has a lower container and an upper container divided by a division wall and communicated with each other only by through-holes.
  • the liquid in the lower container gradually moves into the upper container through the through-holes when the toy feeding bottle is tilted, but the liquid in the upper container gradually returns into the lower container when the toy feeding bottle is restored from a tilted state to a vertical state. Accordingly, the above-described toy feeding bottle has a problem that, although it is realistic when feeding milk, it lacks reality in that the liquid spontaneously returns into the lower container when the toy feeding bottle is restored to its original state.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a toy cup, and a toy dispenser for simulating the dispensing of a beverage into the toy cup, which are realistic in that a liquid in the toy-cup gradually goes out of sight when the toy cup is tilted, the liquid which has gone out of sight does not return even when the toy cup is restored from a tilted state to a vertical state, and the liquid returns into the toy cup when the toy cup is set on the toy dispenser and an operating member is operated, whereby it appears as if a drink were being poured from the dispenser into the cup.
  • a toy cup includes a hermetically closed container; a division plate dividing an interior of the hermetically closed container into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the division plate having a plurality of small holes formed at a periphery thereof at predetermined intervals for communicating the upper chamber and the lower chamber with each other, and a vent tube provided at a center thereof to communicate the upper chamber and the lower chamber with each other; a liquid simulating a beverage contained in the container, the liquid moving between the upper chamber and the lower chamber through the plurality of small holes; a control valve for opening and closing the vent tube; and an urging member for urging the control valve so as to close the vent tube.
  • the control valve operates so as to open the vent tube against an urging force of the urging member by means of an urge-releasing member.
  • control valve has a first magnet provided therein; the urge-releasing member is composed of a second magnet acting on the first magnet; and the control valve is moved against the urging force of the urging member and the vent tube is opened when the second magnet acts on the first magnet.
  • the second magnet may be provided at an end of a toy drink container formed to simulate a bottle containing a drink.
  • the container is formed of a cup forming the lower chamber and a cap forming the upper chamber combined with the division plate therebetween, the cap having a pressure-deformable top plate, the top plate having a push-button provided in abutment with an inner surface thereof for pressing down the control valve, the push-button constituting the urge-releasing member; and the control valve is pressed down through the push-button and the vent tube is opened when the top plate of the cap is pressed from above.
  • a toy dispenser is a toy dispenser for simulating the dispensing of a beverage into the above toy cup.
  • the toy dispenser includes a placement base, on which the toy cup is placed; and a control device provided above the placement base, the control device controlling opening and closing of the vent tube by the control valve.
  • the control device includes a movable member having a second magnet constituting the urge-releasing member, the movable member moving toward and away from the control valve, and an operating member for operating the movable member; and the movable member comes into proximity to the control valve, and the second magnet acts on the first magnet provided in the control valve and moves the control valve against the urging force of the urging member to open the vent tube when the operating member is operated.
  • the toy dispenser is formed in a shape of a box having an open front and has a top plate disposed above the placement base; the operating member protrudes at an upper portion thereof from the top plate, is disposed in a vertically movable manner, and has a horizontally elongated engaging hole; the movable member is pivotably journaled on the top plate at an upper end thereof, has the second magnet disposed at a lower end thereof, and has an engaging shaft for engaging with the engaging hole; and the movable member pivots downwardly, and the second magnet becomes located immediately above the first magnet of the control valve and raises the control valve by means of an attractive force between the second magnet and the first magnet against the urging force of the urging member when the operating member is pressed down.
  • a beverage in the cup can maintain its state of having been drunk from when the toy cup is tilted and a liquid in a lower chamber is caused to flow into an upper chamber through small holes, because small holes are blocked with the liquid which has flowed in, the upper chamber becomes a closed space, further entry of air into the upper chamber is prevented, and the liquid in the upper chamber cannot return into the lower chamber even when the toy cup is restored to its original vertical state, and in that the liquid which has once flowed into the upper chamber does not return into the lower chamber until a control valve is moved against the urging force of the urging member, by means of an urge-releasing member, and a vent tube is opened.
  • the urge-releasing member is composed of a second magnet
  • the second magnet attracts the first magnet provided in the control valve and moves the control valve to open the vent tube, and therefore an air in the lower chamber flows into the upper chamber and the liquid in the upper chamber flows into the lower chamber through the small holes.
  • the toy dispenser since the toy dispenser includes a placement base, on which a toy cup is placed, and a control device provided above the placement base for controlling the opening and closing of the vent tube, it is possible to achieve a toy dispenser which is realistic in that it appears as if the dispenser were dispensing a drink into a cup when a toy cup is placed on the placement base and the control device is operated, because the control valve is moved, the vent tube is opened, the air in the lower chamber flows into the upper chamber, and the liquid in the upper chamber flows into the lower chamber through small holes.
  • a toy dispenser which allows the user to enjoy a feeling as if he/she is operating an actual dispenser in that it appears as if the toy dispenser were dispensing a drink into a cup by merely operating an operating member, without directly touching the toy cup, because when the operating member is operated, a second magnet provided in a movable member comes into proximity to the toy cup and attracts a first magnet, thereby moving the control valve and opening the vent tube, the air in the lower chamber flows into the upper chamber, and the liquid in the upper chamber flows into the lower chamber through small holes.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy beverage system using a toy cup and a toy dispenser according to the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a construction of one embodiment of the toy cup
  • FIGS. 3A and 3B are a perspective view and a sectional view of the toy cup, respectively;
  • FIGS. 4A and 4B are sectional views showing a movement of a liquid inside the toy cup, wherein FIG. 4A shows a state in which the toy cup is tilted and the liquid is flowing into the upper chamber from the lower chamber, and FIG. 4B shows a state in which the toy cup is inverted and all of the liquid has moved into the upper chamber;
  • FIGS. 5A and 5B are sectional views showing a movement of the liquid inside the toy cup, wherein FIG. 5A shows the toy cup in its original upstanding state, and FIG. 5B shows a state in which the liquid is being returned into the lower chamber from the upper chamber;
  • FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing one example of the arrangement of an urge-releasing member for opening a control valve in the toy cup;
  • FIGS. 7A and 7B are sectional views showing a main portion of another embodiment of the toy cup, wherein FIG. 7A shows a state in which the control valve is closed, and FIG. 7B shows a state in which the control valve is opened by a push-button;
  • FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a construction of the control device of a toy dispenser
  • FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state of use of the toy dispenser.
  • FIGS. 10A and 10B are sectional views of a main portion illustrating an operation of the control device, wherein FIG. 10A shows a state in which a movable member is located upwardly before an-operating button is pressed down, and FIG. 10B shows a state in which the movable member has been pivoted downwardly by pressing down the operating button.
  • FIG. 1 shows a toy cup 1 formed to simulate a cup for containing a drink according to the present invention, and a toy dispenser 2 for simulating the dispensing of a drink into the toy cup 1 .
  • the toy cup 1 includes a hermetically sealed container 10 formed by combining a transparent cup 11 and a cap 12 , and an interior of the container 10 is divided by a division plate 13 into a lower chamber LR and an upper chamber UR.
  • the lower chamber LR contains a hollow element 14 therein so that its substantial capacity is decreased.
  • the hollow element 14 includes a cup 15 and a lid 16 hermetically closing the cup 15 and is adapted to be fixed in the lower chamber LR by having mating protrusions 17 formed to protrude on an upper surface of the lid 16 mated with mating recesses 18 formed in a lower surface of the division plate 13 .
  • the cap 12 is covered with an opaque cover 20 .
  • the cover 20 is formed with a plurality of mating holes 21 and can be fixed on the cap 12 by having a plurality of mating protrusions 22 formed to protrude on an upper surface of the cap 12 mated with the mating holes 21 .
  • the division plate 13 has a plurality of small holes 23 formed at a periphery thereof at predetermined intervals, and the lower chamber LR and the upper chamber UR are communicated with each other through the small holes 23 .
  • the division plate 13 has a vent tube 25 provided at a center thereof to communicate the lower chamber LR and the upper chamber UR with each other.
  • the vent tube 25 protrudes upwardly in a shape of a cylinder and, at an end of the vent tube 25 , retains an O-ring 26 made of rubber and has a guide tube 28 mounted for guiding vertical movements of a control valve 27 .
  • An end 27 a of the control valve 27 is formed substantially in a shape of a hemisphere so as to come into close contact with an inner peripheral surface of the O-ring 26 , and a mating recess 29 formed at an upper surface of the control valve 27 has a magnet (hereinafter referred to as a “first magnet”) M 1 fitted therein.
  • the control valve 27 is urged downwardly by an urging member (composed of a coil spring in this embodiment) 31 so that the end 27 a comes into close contact with the O-ring 26 and the vent tube 25 is usually closed.
  • the cap 12 has an injection hole 32 formed at an upper surface thereof through which a liquid L simulating a beverage is injected after the toy cup is assembled.
  • the injection hole 32 is blocked with a plug 33 after the liquid L is injected, and the plug 33 will not be removed thereafter.
  • the liquid L to be injected through the injection hole 32 will be injected into the upper chamber UR.
  • the amount of the liquid L to be injected is preferably such that the level of the liquid L does not exceed the height of the vent tube 25 formed on the division plate 13 .
  • the above toy cup 1 can be assembled, as shown in FIG. 3A , by containing the hollow element 14 in the cup 11 , blocking an upper surface of the cup 11 with the division plate 13 , mounting the cap 12 , and after injecting the liquid L through the injection hole 32 , blocking the injection hole 32 with the plug 33 , and then attaching the cover 20 .
  • the upper surface of the cup 11 is blocked with the division plate 13 , a space formed by an outer wall surface of the hollow element 14 contained in the cup 11 and an inner wall surface of the cup 11 constitutes a lower chamber LR, a space formed by the division plate 13 and an inner wall surface of the cap 12 constitutes an upper chamber UR, and the lower chamber LR and the upper chamber UR are communicated with each other by the small holes 23 .
  • the O-ring 26 is disposed at an upper opening of the vent tube 25 formed on an upper surface of the division plate 13 , at the center thereof, the control valve 27 is urged downwardly by an urging member 31 , and an end 27 a of the control valve 27 is in pressure contact with the O-ring 26 , thus blocking-the opening of the vent tube 25 .
  • a second magnet M 2 which is an urge-releasing member, may be brought into proximity to an upper surface of the toy cup 1 .
  • the second magnet M 2 as an urge-releasing member for opening and closing the control valve 27 , may be provided at an end of a toy drink container 35 formed to simulate a bottle or the like containing a drink, as shown in FIG. 6 .
  • a toy drink container 35 formed to simulate a bottle or the like containing a drink, as shown in FIG. 6 .
  • a first magnet is provided in the control valve, and the urge-releasing member is composed of a second magnet acting on the first magnet, the operation of the control valve may be controlled without using a magnet. As shown in FIG.
  • the control valve 27 may be provided inside the vent tube 25 , brought into pressure contact with the O-ring 26 retained by the guide tube 28 by the urging member 31 from below, and constructed to close the upper opening of the vent tube 25 ;
  • the urge-releasing member may be composed of a push-button 36 ;
  • the top plate 12 a of the cap 12 may be formed to be pressure-deformable;
  • an upper surface of the push-button 36 may be provided in abutment with an inside surface of the top plate 12 a ; and the top plate 12 a may be pressed from above, as shown in FIG. 7B , thereby pressing down the control valve 27 through the push-button 36 and opening the vent tube 25 .
  • a toy dispenser 2 for simulating the dispensing of a beverage into the above toy cup 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 8 to 10B .
  • the toy dispenser 2 is formed in a shape of a box having an open front, simulating a store, and has a placement base 40 , on which a plurality of toy cups 1 can be placed in juxtaposition, and a top plate 41 , formed to simulate a roof, disposed above the placement base 40 .
  • the top plate 41 has a front surface formed inclined obliquely downwardly, so that a control device 50 , which will be described later, is invisible except for an operating member 51 .
  • the placement base 40 is formed with recesses 42 for properly placing toy cups 1 .
  • the control device 50 includes the operating member or operating button 51 , protruding at an upper portion thereof from the top plate 41 and disposed in a vertically movable manner, and a movable member 54 journaled at a shaft hole 52 formed at an upper end thereof by a supporting shaft 53 provided on the top plate 41 in a forwardly and backwardly pivotable manner (see FIG. 8 ).
  • the operating button 51 is urged by a coil spring 55 so as to protrude upwardly from the top plate 41 , and an engaging plate 57 formed with a horizontally elongated engaging hole 56 is fixed to a lower portion of the operating button 51 through shafts 58 .
  • the movable member 54 is formed in a shape of a rod and has an engaging shaft 59 , formed below the shaft hole 52 , for engaging with the engaging hole 56 of the engaging plate 57 .
  • a mating recess 61 formed at a lower end of the movable member 54 has a magnet (hereinafter referred to as a “second magnet”) M 2 , which is an urge-releasing member, fitted therein.
  • the toy cup 1 In order to pour a liquid into the toy cup 1 in this state, the toy cup 1 is properly placed on one recess 42 of the placement base 40 , as shown in FIG. 9 .
  • the operating button 51 When the operating button 51 is not pressed, since the operating button 51 is being pushed up by the coil spring 55 , as shown in FIG. 10A , the engaging plate 57 rises; the movable member 54 , which has the engaging shaft 59 engaged with the engaging hole 56 formed in the engaging plate 57 , pivots upwardly (in a counterclockwise direction in the drawing) about the supporting shaft 53 ; and the second magnet M 2 provided at an end of the movable member 54 is located far from the upper surface of the toy cup 1 . In this state, no attractive force occurs between the second magnet M 2 and the first magnet M 1 in the control valve 27 of the toy cup 1 .
  • the operating button 51 projecting from the upper surface of the top plate 41 is pressed down with a finger, as shown in FIG. 9 .
  • the amount of the liquid L which flows in per unit of time is small when the toy cup 1 is tilted and the liquid L flows into the upper chamber UR from the lower chamber LR because the air in the upper chamber UR and the liquid L in the lower chamber LR replace each other through the small holes 23 , but the amount of the liquid L which flows into the lower chamber LR per unit of time is large when the toy dispenser 2 is operated and the liquid L in the upper chamber UR is returned into the lower chamber LR because the air in the lower chamber LR flows into the upper chamber UR through the vent tube 25 , which has an opening with an area larger than that of the small holes 23 , and the liquid L flows into the lower chamber LR through all of the small holes 23 . Therefore, it is possible to reproduce a situation in which a beverage is poured from a dispenser into a cup in a more realistic manner.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Nursing (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
US12/385,155 2008-04-08 2009-03-31 Toy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cup Abandoned US20090253346A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2008100785A JP4491022B2 (ja) 2008-04-08 2008-04-08 カップ玩具とそのカップ玩具に擬似的に飲料を供給するディスペンサ玩具
JP2008-100785 2008-04-08

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US20090253346A1 true US20090253346A1 (en) 2009-10-08

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US12/385,155 Abandoned US20090253346A1 (en) 2008-04-08 2009-03-31 Toy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cup

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US (1) US20090253346A1 (ja)
EP (1) EP2113293A3 (ja)
JP (1) JP4491022B2 (ja)
CN (1) CN101554536A (ja)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11766624B2 (en) * 2021-11-19 2023-09-26 Melissa & Doug, Llc Beverage dispenser toy
USD1011441S1 (en) * 2023-09-18 2024-01-16 Jun Li Toy drinking cup

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8397935B2 (en) 2009-09-10 2013-03-19 Arthur Joseph Emanuele, III Vent opening mechanism
US8678221B2 (en) 2010-04-28 2014-03-25 Crown Packaging Technology, Inc. Beverage container lid with mouth opening and separate push in vent
US9403628B2 (en) 2013-03-14 2016-08-02 Crown Packaging Technology, Inc. Vented beverage can and can end
US10246229B2 (en) 2013-03-14 2019-04-02 Crown Packaging Technology, Inc. Vented beverage can and can end

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3250531A (en) * 1964-03-13 1966-05-10 Ned Strongin Associates Inc Toy combination of simulated milk bottle and drinking glass
US5176561A (en) * 1991-10-02 1993-01-05 Kenner Products, Division Of Tonka Corp. Toy nursing bottle for a doll

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2775881B2 (ja) 1989-08-23 1998-07-16 ソニー株式会社 薄膜強磁性共鳴共振子

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3250531A (en) * 1964-03-13 1966-05-10 Ned Strongin Associates Inc Toy combination of simulated milk bottle and drinking glass
US5176561A (en) * 1991-10-02 1993-01-05 Kenner Products, Division Of Tonka Corp. Toy nursing bottle for a doll

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11766624B2 (en) * 2021-11-19 2023-09-26 Melissa & Doug, Llc Beverage dispenser toy
USD1011441S1 (en) * 2023-09-18 2024-01-16 Jun Li Toy drinking cup

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP2113293A3 (en) 2009-12-30
CN101554536A (zh) 2009-10-14
EP2113293A2 (en) 2009-11-04
JP2009247708A (ja) 2009-10-29
JP4491022B2 (ja) 2010-06-30

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: TOMY COMPANY, LTD., JAPAN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:EHAMA, RYOKO;NAGAI, TOMOHITO;KONNO, YOICHIRO;REEL/FRAME:022499/0745;SIGNING DATES FROM 20090126 TO 20090128

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION