US3221444A

US3221444A - Child's noise producing placater

Info

Publication number: US3221444A
Application number: US221200A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hettinga Siebolt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-09-04
Filing date: 1962-09-04
Publication date: 1965-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 1982-12-07

Description

Dec. 7, 1965 s. HETTINGA CHILD'S NOISE PRODUCING PLACATER Filed Sept. 4, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //V VEN TOR. 6/5501. T HETT/NGH Dec. 7, 1965 s. HETTINGA CHILD'S NOISE PRODUCING PLACATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 4, 1962 United States Patent 3,221,444 CHILDS NUISE PRODUCING PLACATER Eiehoit Hettinga, 734 Washington St, Peila, Iowa Filed Sept. 4, W62, er. No. 221,200 6 Illaims. (Ci. 46-175) The present invention relates to infants toys and more particularly to improvements in infants toys which produce motions and sounds that amuse and appeal to the childs inquisitive sense.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a relatively inexpensive, durable, flexible and washable childs placater which when manipulated by an infant produces a novel crinkling and crushing sound which appeals to the child.

Another object of the invention is to provide an infants toy made from lightweight and tough materials that are non-toxic, and chemical and moisture resistant.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sound producing infants toy with a teething ring which also functions as a handle.

According to the invention, the childs placater includes a rigid handle secured to a tough and flexible body means. The body has the characteristics of producing a crinkling and crushing sound when it is distorted from its normal shape. These characteristics of the body are developed by utilizing a relatively thin, deformable tough sheet material in combination with a resilient reinforcing member. The resilient member is positioned adjacent the sheet material and functions to hold the material in its normal shape. When a child deforms the body, the sheet material produces a distinctive crinkling and crushing sound. This sound is continued after the child releases the body by the spring action of the reinforcing member. The crinkling and crushing sound amuses the child by appealing to the childs natural curiosity and destructive instincts.

The exact nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will be readily apparent from the consideration of the following specification relating to the annexed drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view partly in section of a placater constructed according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view partly in section of a modification of the placater of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view partly in section of a further modification of the placater of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view partly in section of another modification of the placater of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view partly in section of still another modification of the placater of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a childs placater having a handle 11 and a body 12. The body includes several juxtaposed layers, at least one of the layers being deformable and having the characteristics on being deformed of producing a crinkling and crunching sound. The layer 13 is a washable flexible fabric and is secured by means of stitches 14 to a soundproducing layer 16 to form an enclosed chamber 17. To provide the body with support and shape, a resilient reinforcing layer 18 is positioned in the chamber 17 and sandwiched between the layers 16 and 18. The reinforcing layer is soft and easily deformable and is formed from material such as foam rubber or a natural sponge.

In order to increase the intensity of the noise a second sound-producing layer 21 is positioned between the re inforcing layer 18 and the layer 13. The sound-producing layers 16 and 21 are formed from relatively thin, tough sheet material that is non-toxic, and chemical and moisture resistant.

An example of an effective sound-producing layer is the polyester film sold under the trademark Mylar by the 3,221,444 Patented Dec. 7, I965 E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company of Wilmington, Delaware. The film Mylar, between 0.0005 to 0.005 inch in thickness, produces a sharp and distinct crinkling and crunching sound when deformed as by being crushed. This sound is accentuated after the Mylar film has been pre-wrinkled. This film is flexible, tough, resists abrasion, and is non-volatile and inert to water. In addition, Mylar has a high tensile strength, a resistance to failure by repeated flexing, and a resistance to initial tear. These properties form a body 12 which is washable in hot water and cannot be penetrated by an infants sharp teeth.

The handle portion 11 has a rectangular shaped teething ring 22 integrally secured to a fastening clamp 23. The clamp has a pair of laterally spaced

male rivet projections

24 and 26 mounted on a base plate 27 and a rotatable plate member 28 integrally secured by a thin isthmus 29 to a portion of the ring 22. The plate member 28 has a pair of

bores

31 and 32 adapted to receive the

projections

24 and 26.

A portion of the body 12 is placed on the base plate 27 and held thereon by rotating the plate member 28 into engagement with the

projections

24 and 26. The clamping action of the plate member 28 is maintained by the coaction of the rivet projections with the edges of the

bores

31 and 32.

The modified placater 33 shown in FIGURE 2 has a handle 11a which is identical in construction with the handle 11 of FIGURE 1. The body 34 has outer surface layers 36 formed from sound-producing sheet ma terial substantially identical to the sheet material forming the layers 16 and 21 of FIGURE 1.. A plurality of resilient reinforcing

layers

37 and 38 are sandwiched between the surface layers and provide the body with flexibility and shape. When the body 34 is deformed the

layers

37 and 38 will restore it to its initial shape.

The modified placater 39 shown in FIGURE 3 includes a handle 11b and a body 41. The handle 11b is substantially identical in construction with the handle 11 of FIG- URE 1. The body 41 includes a plurality of sound-producing

layers

42 and 43 formed from sheet material substantially similar to the sheet material forming the layers 16 and 21. The layers 4-2 and 43 are enclosed by a washable fabric cover 44. The shape of the body is maintained by the resilient characteristics of the sound-producing

layers

42 and 43.

The modified placater 46 shown in FIGURE 4 has a handle 11c substantially identical to the handle 11 of FIGURE 1 and a body 47. The body 47 comprises a layer 48 formed from sound-producing material substantially similar to the material forming layers 16 and 21 of FIGURE 1 and a flexible fabric layer 49. The layers 48 and 49 are secured together along their peripheral edges by conventional means such as stitching 51.

Referring to FIGURE 5, there is shown a modified placater 52 having a body 53 secured to a handle 11d. The handle 11d is similar in construction to the handle 11 of FIGURE 1. The body 53 has a resilient reinforcing member 54 sandwiched between a pair of

soundproducing members

56 and 57. The

members

56 and 57 are formed from sheet material substantially identical to the sheet material forming the layers 16 and 21. A washable fabric cover 53 encloses the

members

54, 56 and 57.

While there have been shown, described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, changes in form and details of the childs placater illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It is intended to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A childs placater comprising:

(a) handle means,

(b) resilient reinforcing means,

(c) surface layers of a deformable means which on being deformed has the characteristics of producing a crinkling and crunching sound, said layers being positioned adjacent said reinforcing means to sandwich said reinforcing means therebetween and cover the reinforcing means whereby the deformed layers will resume their undeformed shape, and

(d) means securing the handle means to a portion of the outer surface layers.

2. A childs placater comprising:

(a) resilient reinforcing means, and

(b) surface layers of a deformable means which on being deformed has the characteristics of producing a crinkling and crunching sound, said layers being positioned adjacent but movable relative to said reinforcing means to sandwich said reinforcing means therebetween and cover the reinforcing means whereby the resilient reinforcing means return the deformed layers into their initial positions.

3. A childs placater comprising:

(a) a first layer of deformable sheet material which on being deformed has the characteristics of producing a crinkling and crunching sound,

(b) a second layer of washable fabric,

(0) resilient reinforcing means sandwiched between but movable relative to the first and second layers to hold said layers in a substantially flat position, and

(d) means securing the peripheral edges of said layers together to form a unitary body.

4. The childs placater defined in claim 3 including:

(a) a third layer of washable fabric positioned adjacent the first layer whereby the entire body is covered with a washable fabric.

5. A childs placater comprising:

(a) a flexible body means including a layer of a resilient member and at least one layer of a deformable means positioned adjacent to but movable relative to the resilient member, said deformable means on being deformed from an initial position having the characteristics of producing a crinkling and crunching sound, and

(b) means securing opposite adjacent peripheral portions of said deformable means and said resilient member against relative movement,

(0) said deformable means after deformation being returned to the initial position therefor by said resilient member.

6. A childs placater comprising:

(a) a first layer of deformable sheet material which on being deformed from an initial position has the characteristics of producing a crinkling and crunching sound,

(b) a second layer of a resilient reinforcing means positioned adjacent to said first layer and in a back to back relation therewith,

(c) said first and second layers surrounded and enclosed by a third layer of washable fabric, and

(d) said first layer movable relative to said second and third layers to produce a crinkling and crunching sound and returned to the initial position therefor by said second layer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,210,024 8/1940 Cayo 272-77 2,579,294 12/1951 Brown 273-65 2,987,317 6/1961 Acevedo 27367 3,120,718 2/1964 Glass et al. 46-14 OTHER REFERENCES Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, page 603, vol. 10, and Supplement 1 of the above, page 691.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD c. PINKHAM, Examiner.

Claims

2. A CHILD''S PLACATER COMPRISING: (A) RESILIENT REINFORCING MEANS, AND (B) SURFACE LAYERS OF DEFORMABLE MEANS WHICH ON BEING DEFORMED HAS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCING A CRINKLING AND CRUNCHING SOUND, SAID LAYERS BEING POSITIONED ADJACENT BUT MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID REINFORCING MEANS TO SANDWICH SAID REINFORCING MEANS THEREBETWEEN AND COVER THE REINFORCING MEANS WHEREBY THE RESILIENT REINFORCING MEANS RETURN THE DEFORMED LAYERS INTO THEIR INITIAL PORTIONS.