US20110294394A1

US20110294394A1 - Self-Righting Toy Having Fluid-Filled Base that is Both Resilient and Transparent

Info

Publication number: US20110294394A1
Application number: US12/787,431
Authority: US
Inventors: Webb T. Nelson; Mark J. Chernick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-05-26
Filing date: 2010-05-26
Publication date: 2011-12-01

Abstract

A self-righting toy having a base with a convex-shaped exterior bottom surface. A watertight internal chamber is disposed within the base. Liquid fill material is used to fill the internal chamber. The liquid fill material is visible through the material of the convex bottom surface. Flotsam objects are disposed within the internal chamber that swirl within the liquid fill material when the liquid fill material is disturbed. A toy body section is affixed to the base. The toy body section is lighter than the base. This causes the toy body section to self-right into an upright position when said self-righting toy is placed on a flat surface. In a variation of the self-righting toy, games can be formed within the internal chamber that are played by disturbing the flotsam objects swirling within the internal chamber.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to the structure of self-righting toys that have rounded bases. More particularly, the present invention relates to self-righting toys that have fluid-filled bases.
2. Prior Art Description
There are many toys that are designed to be self-righting. Many such toys are designed in the shape of characters. These toys typically have rounded bases. Weights are loaded into the bases so that the toy has a very low center of gravity. Consequently, if the toy is tipped, the toy is self-righting and will again stand straight unassisted. Such toys are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,632,977 to Valasek, entitled Self-Righting And Walking Pull Toy. Furthermore, popular versions of such toys have been commercially sold under the trademark Weebels® for at least the past two decades.
Many self-righting toys use metal or a dense slug of plastic as the base weight. Others use sand and some use fluid. However, in all cases, the weight used in the base of the toy is encapsulated within the base and cannot be seen. In the case of self-righting toys with sand fill or fluid fill, the encapsulation of the fill prevents the fill from inadvertently leaking out of the toy.
There are many other novelty items that are not self-righting toys, yet are weighted with a fluid fill. For example, snow globes are filled with liquid and swirling particles. The casings of such fluid-filled novelties are commonly made from glass or transparent plastic so that the swirl of particles and liquid fill can be viewed. Although items, such as snow globes, are intended to be shaken, they are not designed to be dropped, bounced, or otherwise impacted against a hard surface. If an object such as a traditional snow globe is ever used at the base of a self-rightly toy, the shell of the snow globe could soon crack or shatter.
In the past, the plastics used to make transparent toy parts were either polyethylene based or polycarbonate based. Such plastics can be made to have high strength while still being transparent. However, such plastics are brittle. Accordingly, toys that use such plastic components are typically designed not to be impacted.
In the toy industry, there are many toys that are specifically designed to withstand high impact forces. Self-righting toys are some of them. It is assumed that a self-righting toy will be repeatedly and violently knocked over, knocked down and perhaps, knocked across a room during play. It is for these reasons that the base of a self-righting toy is made from impact resistant materials, which are typically not transparent. A problem therefore exists within the toy industry of how to make self-righting toys that are transparent, have fluid-filled base and yet can withstand high impact forces without breaking.
The present invention sets forth both the structure and method of manufacturing a self-righting toy with a transparent, fluid-filled base, and yet is both highly resilient and resistant to impact forces. The details of this novel invention are described and claimed below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a self-righting toy. The toy has a base with a convex-shaped exterior bottom surface. A watertight internal chamber is disposed within the base.
Liquid fill material is used to fill the internal chamber. The liquid fill material is visible through the material of the convex bottom surface. Flotsam objects are disposed within the internal chamber that swirl within the liquid fill material when the liquid fill material is disturbed.
A toy body section is affixed to the base. The toy body section is lighter than the base. This causes the toy body section to self-right into an upright position when said self-righting toy is placed on a flat surface.
In a variation of the self-righting toy, games can be formed within the internal chamber that are played by disturbing the flotsam objects swirling within the internal chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a self-righting toy;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate second exemplary embodiment of a self-righting toy; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate second exemplary embodiment of a self-righting toy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the present invention self-righting toy novelty can be configured in many ways, the embodiments illustrated show the toy configured as a variety of self-righting characters. These embodiments are selected in order to set forth various features contemplated for the invention. The illustrated embodiments, however, are merely exemplary and should not be considered a limitation when interpreting the scope of the appended claims.
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a self-righting toy 10 is shown. The self-righting toy 10 is configured as a character that is little more than a head with arms. The body 12 in the shown embodiment is generally round. However, the body 12 can have many shapes and its overall shape is a matter of design choice. The body 12 is divided into two sections, which include a fluid-filled base 14 and an upper plush section 16. The fluid-filled base 14 is configured as a half-sphere. The fluid-filled base 14 includes a hemispherical shell 20 having a convex bottom surface 22 and a flat top surface 24. The hemispherical shell 20 defines an internal chamber 26. The walls of the hemispherical shell 20 are thick, having a thickness of at least three millimeters. The hemispherical shell 20 is preferably made from a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material 28. Preferably, the TPU material 28 is transparent or at least highly translucent so that the contents of the internal chamber 26 can be viewed through the TPU material 28.
The internal chamber 26 is filled with at least one liquid fill material 30 and optional flotsam objects 32. The liquid fill material 30 is non-toxic, non-staining, and preferably water-based. The liquid-fill material 30 may contain small amounts of water-soluble lubricant, such as soap, to prevent the flotsam objects 32 from sticking together and from sticking to the TPU material 28. The liquid fill material 30 also preferably contains trace amounts of antimicrobial compounds to prevent the growth of algae and/or bacteria within the internal chamber 26. The flotsam objects 32 may include glitter, colorants, and small plastic objects that have densities that are near buoyant neutral.
When the self-righting toy 10 is tilted, rolled, thrown or dropped, the velocity of the self-righting toy 10 suddenly changes. This creates deceleration or acceleration forces within the self-righting toy 10 that are transferred to the liquid fill material 30 and flotsam objects 32 held within the internal chamber 26. When the liquid fill material 30 and flotsam objects 32 become jarred, they swirl within the confines of the internal chamber 26. In this manner, the liquid fill material 30 becomes very interesting to observe when the self-righting toy 10 is shaken, pushed, turned, or tipped. Alternatively, the flotsam objects 32 within the internal chamber 26 can include game pieces, such as small hoops or balls. Targets, such as goals, posts, or similar game structures can be molded or mounted within the internal chamber 26. In this manner, when the self-righting toy 10 is tipped, the jarring forces make the game pieces randomly move within the confines of the internal chamber 26. The game pieces may or may not land upon the targets for points.
The upper plush section 16 of the self-righting toy 10 is made using traditional plush construction techniques. That is, the upper plush section 16 has a fabric shell 36 that is stuffed with lightweight fill 38. Auxiliary features, such as eyes 40, arms 42, antennae 43 and the like are sewn or glued to the exterior of the fabric shell 36 to complete the character.
In the shown embodiment, the fabric shell 36 also has a generally hemispherical shape. The result is a self-righting toy 10 that is both a character and a ball. This makes the toy easy to toss and bounce. The self-righting toy 10 can also be rolled. However, the toy will roll erratically due to the difference in weights between the fluid-filled base 14 and the upper plush section 16.
Since the fluid-filled base 14 is far heavier than the upper plush section 16, gravity will always orient the fluid-filled base 14 downwardly. Due to the shape of the fluid-filled base 14, the self-righting toy 10 comes to rest upon the apex of the curved bottom surface 22 that is the bottom of the fluid-filled base 14. It will therefore be understood, that if the self-righting toy 10 is placed, rolled, thrown or dropped onto a flat surface, the toy 10 will come to rest in an upright position.
Due of the construction of the fluid-filled base 14 of the self-righting toy 10, the self-righting toy 10 can be bounced upon its fluid-filled base 14. If the self-righting toy 10 is dropped or thrown against a surface and the fluid-filled base 14 contacts that object, then the self-righting toy 10 will bounce back with a significant degree of resiliency. The TPU material 28 is highly resilient. When backed with the liquid fill material 30, the TPU material 28 absorbs and rebounds with great efficiency. The self-righting toy 10 is therefore capable of being repeatedly bounced, provided impact is maintained on the fluid filled base 14. Should the self-righting toy 10 impact a hard surface with its upper plush section 16, then the upper plush section 16 will absorb the energy of impact with little or no rebound. It will therefore be understood that a game can be played to see how long the self-righting toy 10 can be bounced in a controlled manner until the upper plush section 16 inadvertently is impacted and the bouncing stops.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the upper plush section 16 is affixed to the fluid filled base 14. This interconnection can be permanent, using adhesives or heat bonding. Alternatively, mechanical fasteners can be used to make the interconnection temporary.
Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that hook and loop material 44 can be attached to both the fluid filled base 14 and the upper plush section 16. Accordingly, the upper plush section 16 can be selectively detached from the fluid filled base 14. This enables differently configured upper plush sections to be applied to a single fluid filled base 14.
The use of hook and loop material 44 is merely exemplary of many possible mechanical fastening systems that can be used. For example, snaps, zippers, interconnecting slots and even buttons can be used in place of the hook and loop material.
Referring now to FIG. 4, an alternate embodiment of the present invention self-righting toy 50 is shown. In this embodiment, a fluid-filled base 51 has a flat top surface 52 and a curved bottom surface 54, as has been previously shown. However, in this embodiment a flexible diaphragm 56 is bonded to the flat top surface 52 and holes 58 are formed through the flat top surface 52. Consequently, when the flexible diaphragm 56 is depressed in one area, it displaces the liquid fill material 59 through some of the holes 58 and disrupts both the liquid fill material 59 and flotsam objects 60 in the confined chamber 62.
Within the confined chamber 62 can be game elements 64, such as goals. In the shown embodiment, the game element 64 is configured as a basketball hoop. The flotsam objects 60 can be game pieces, such as the shown basketballs. By selectively pressing the diaphragm 56, a person can attempt to move the flotsam objects 60 into a game goal.
The diaphragm 56 is positioned inside the plush section 66 of the self-righting toy 50. As such, the diaphragm 56 is protected from direct contact when the self-righting toy 50 is bounced or thrown. To manipulate the diaphragm 56, a person needs to press and distort the plush section 66 of the toy 50.
The motif of the self-righting toy 50 and the game contained within the confined chamber 62 can have a common theme. For example, the character of the overall self-righting toy 50 can be that of a basketball or a basketball team mascot. Likewise, the game within the confined chamber 62 can be basketball themed. Basketball is just one of many themes and games that can be utilized.
It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention that are illustrated and described are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art can make many variations to those embodiments. All such embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A self-righting toy, comprising:

a base having a hemispherical bottom surface, wherein said base defines a watertight internal chamber;

liquid fill material filling said internal chamber, wherein said liquid fill material is visible through said hemispherical bottom surface;

flotsam objects disposed within said internal chamber that swirl within said liquid fill material when said liquid fill material is disturbed;

a toy body section affixed to said base, wherein said toy body section is lighter than said base, causing said toy body section to self-right into an upright position when said self-righting toy is placed on a flat surface.

2. The self-righting toy according to claim 1, wherein said toy body section has a plush construction that includes a fabric shell stuffed with lightweight fill material.

3. The self-righting toy according to claim 1, wherein said toy body section is generally hemispherical in shape.

4. The self-righting toy according to claim 1, wherein said base is molded from a thermoplastic polyurethane.

5. The self-righting toy according to claim 1, wherein said hemispherical bottom surface has a wall thickness of at least five millimeters.

6. The self-righting toy according to claim 1, further including a mechanism for actively agitating said liquid fill material.

7. The self-righting toy according to claim 1, wherein said mechanism includes a squeezable diaphragm disposed within said toy body section.

8. The self-righting toy according to claim 1, wherein said base has an internal surface that communicates with said internal chamber.

9. The self-righting toy according to claim 1, wherein game elements are anchored to said internal surface and extend into said internal chamber.

10. The self-righting toy according to claim 1, wherein said flotsam objects include at least one game piece.

11. A self-righting toy, comprising:

a base having a convex bottom surface;

a watertight internal chamber;

liquid fill material filling said internal chamber, wherein said liquid fill material is visible through said bottom surface;

a body section affixed to said base, wherein said body section is lighter than said base, causing said body section to self-right into an upright position when said self-righting toy is placed on a flat surface.

12. The self-righting toy according to claim 11, further including flotsam objects that swirl within said internal chamber when said liquid fill material is disturbed.

13. The self-righting toy according to claim 11, wherein said body section has a plush construction that includes a fabric shell stuffed with lightweight fill material.

14. The self-righting toy according to claim 11, wherein said body section is generally hemispherical in shape.

15. The self-righting toy according to claim 11, wherein said base is molded from a polyurethane-based material.

16. The self-righting toy according to claim 11, wherein said convex bottom surface has a wall thickness of at least three millimeters.

17. The self-righting toy according to claim 11, further including a mechanism for actively agitating said liquid fill material.

18. A toy assembly having a low center of gravity, comprising:

a base having a convex bottom surface;

a watertight internal chamber;

liquid fill material filling said internal chamber, wherein said liquid fill material is visible through said bottom surface; and

a body section affixed to said base, wherein said body section is lighter than said base.

19. The toy assembly according to claim 18, wherein further including flotsam objects that swirl within said internal chamber when said liquid fill material is disturbed.

20. The toy assembly according to claim 18, further including a mechanical fastener for selectively joining said body section to said base.