WO2013070835A1

WO2013070835A1 - Toy inflated from folded article

Info

Publication number: WO2013070835A1
Application number: PCT/US2012/064047
Authority: WO
Inventors: Zeev PERLMUTTER
Original assignee: Morphdesign Llc; Klein, David
Priority date: 2011-11-08
Filing date: 2012-11-08
Publication date: 2013-05-16

Abstract

A toy (10) includes a folded body (12) including a plurality of folded surfaces (14), and an inflatable conduit unit (16) disposed in the folded body and occupying only part of an interior volume of the folded body, the inflatable conduit unit having an inflated configuration that transforms the folded body from a folded state into a three-dimensional toy.

Description

TOY INFLATED FROM FOLDED ARTICLE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to inflatable toys and particularly to a folded article, which when inflated, transforms into a rigid toy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many types of inflatable toys have been created through the years. Examples include figurines or dolls whose interior volume is inflatable like a balloon. Other examples include inflatable cars, boats or airplanes. Here again, the interior volume is inflated, and remote controlled motor modules may be attached to the outside surface with wheels and the like to propel the vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide a novel inflatable toy, wherein instead of inflating the entire interior volume, one or more conduits of an inflatable conduit unit are inflated to create a 3D object, as is described more in detail hereinbelow.

The toy starts as a folded body. Inflation of the inflatable conduit unit transforms the folded body into a three-dimensional toy; the inflated conduit unit becomes an inner supporting structure or skeleton. The inflated conduit unit serves as a pneumatic or hydraulic "jack" or "piston" to inflate and rigidly support the finished 3D structure. Placing the conduits in different locations can lead to different ways in which the surfaces of the folded article expand and grow into the 3D rigid body. Examples of different parameters which can be modified by placing the conduits in different places and/or by using different kinds and sizes of conduits include, but are not limited to, direction (including angle, length, etc.) of inflation, inflation speed, stiffness, moment of inertia, and many more. The combination of the conduits and the folded surfaces has synergy: the combination creates a toy with improved structural rigidity, ease and speed of construction than previously known toys.

The term toy as used in the description and claims encompasses items for amusement, education and gifts.

There is thus provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention a toy including a folded body including a plurality of folded surfaces, and an inflatable conduit unit disposed in the folded body and occupying only part of an interior volume of the folded body, the inflatable conduit unit having an inflated configuration that transforms the folded body from a folded state into a three-dimensional toy. Non-limiting embodiments of the invention include one or more of the following features:

The inflatable conduit unit may have two portions attached to two different places in the folded body. At least some of the folded surfaces may overlap each other in the folded state. At least some of the folded surfaces may shift position upon transformation from the folded state to the three-dimensional toy. The three-dimensional toy may be rigid.

At least one pair of the folded surfaces may be joined to each other at a static joint, wherein one of the pair of folded surfaces rotates with respect to the other one of the pair of folded surfaces upon inflation of the inflatable conduit unit.

At least one pair of the folded surfaces may be joined to each other at a dynamic joint, wherein one of the pair of folded surfaces translates with respect to the other one of the pair of folded surfaces upon inflation of the inflatable conduit unit.

The toy may also include an inflator operative to inflate the inflatable conduit unit. The inflator may be a pneumatic inflator, or a chemical inflator that causes inflation by triggering a chemical reaction.

A functional member may be attached to a portion of the three-dimensional toy. The inflatable conduit unit may include multiple folding points. The inflatable conduit unit may be in fluid communication with a movable element of the three-dimensional toy so as to cause movement of the movable element. The inflatable conduit unit may include a luminescent portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Figs. 1A and IB are simplified illustrations of a toy, respectively, in a folded configuration, prior to inflation, and in an inflated configuration, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 2A and 2B are simplified illustrations of a pin and hitch, respectively, for connecting an element in the toy to an inflatable conduit unit (also referred to as an expandable inflating bag), in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a simplified illustration of a toy in a folded configuration, prior to inflation, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a simplified illustration of a tool used to expand the inflatable conduit unit, such as by triggering a chemical reaction that releases gas, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a simplified illustration of the inflatable conduit unit, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 6A and 6B are simplified pictorial illustrations of a functional member attached to the folded and inflated configurations of the toy, respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 7 A, 7B and 7C are simplified pictorial illustrations of inflatable conduit units, in accordance with different embodiments of the present invention, wherein Fig. 7A shows a conduit unit with an H shape, Fig. 7B shows a conduit unit with a double I shape, and Fig. 7C shows a conduit unit with an X shape;

Fig. 8 is a simplified pictorial illustration of a snap pin connecting the inflatable conduit unit to the toy, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 9 A and 9B are simplified illustrations of an inflatable conduit unit, respectively in deflated and inflated configurations, showing multiple folding points, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 10 is a simplified illustration of an inflatable conduit unit, which is inflated from a hole in the center of the toy and connected at two or more points, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 11A and 11B are simplified illustrations of a toy, respectively, in a folded configuration, prior to inflation, and in an inflated configuration, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Reference is now made to Figs. 1A and IB, which illustrate a toy 10, respectively, in a folded configuration, prior to inflation, and in an inflated configuration, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Toy 10 includes a folded body 12 including a plurality of folded surfaces 14. Body 12 may be made of any durable material suitable for folding and able to withstand forces of inflation, such as but not limited to, paper (which may be treated for increased strength and/or increased resistance to moisture, wetness, chemicals, etc.), plastic, fabric and others. The folded surfaces 14 (or folds 14 for short) may be folded in any manner. In a preferred embodiment, at least some of the folded surfaces 14 overlap each other in the folded state, as can be seen in Fig. 1A (indicated by arrow 15). The folds 14 may be origami-type folds, for example. One side of the folded surface may be colored differently (or have a different texture) than the opposite side of the folded surface. This may provide different effects when transforming from the folded state to the expanded state.

At least some of the folded surfaces 14 may shift position upon transformation from the folded state to the three-dimensional toy. This can be readily seen by comparing the positions of folds 14A and 14B in Fig. 1A (folded state) with their positions with respect to each other in Fig. IB (the expanded, inflated state).

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an inflatable conduit unit 16 (or more than one such unit) is disposed in the folded body 12. The inflatable conduit unit 16 is in the form of an expandable inflating bag, and may be made of any durable material suitable for expanding by inflation, such as but not limited to, rubber or other elastomeric materials. In contrast with the prior art, inflatable conduit unit 16 occupies only part of an interior volume of folded body 12. Inflatable conduit unit 16 has an inflated configuration that transforms the folded body 12 from a folded state (Fig. 1A) into a three-dimensional toy 18 (Fig. IB), which may be rigid. The toy in Fig. IB is a toy car. Another non-limiting example of a toy is shown in Fig. 3, which shows a toy airplane 17 in a folded state. Figs. 11A and 11B illustrate yet another toy, which is a figurine. It is appreciated that the invention is not limited at all to these embodiments.

Inflatable conduit unit 16 may have two portions 20 and 22 that are attached to two different places in folded body 12, as seen in Fig. 1A. In this embodiment, inflatable conduit unit 16 is fixedly attached to folded body 12 at the attachment points, such as by bonding or sonic welding and the like.

The inflatable conduit unit 16 may be in fluid communication with a movable element 23 of the three-dimensional toy so as to cause movement of movable element 23. For example, inflatable conduit unit 16 may include a channel 33 that causes fluid to flow to movable element 23 (a wheel) to cause the wheel to rotate.

As another feature, inflatable conduit unit 16 may be luminescent, such as containing a compound of phosphorus that glows in the dark, or by including an LED.

Reference is now made to Figs. 2A and 2B, which illustrate other embodiments in which inflatable conduit unit 16 is attached to folded body 12 with a joint that permits rotation or translation of inflatable conduit unit 16 with respect to folded body 12. For example, in Fig. 2A, inflatable conduit unit 16 has a flange 24 with an attachment hole 26 that is placed over a pin 28 in folded body 12. It is appreciated that this joint permits rotation of inflatable conduit unit 16 with respect to folded body 12. In the example of Fig. 2B, a hitch 30 is received in flange 24 of inflatable conduit unit 16. Hitch 30 is either fixedly or rotatably attached to folded body 12 at attachment point 32. Hitch 30 can stretch so that this joint permits translation (and rotation if hitch 30 is rotatably attached to folded body 12) of inflatable conduit unit 16 with respect to folded body 12.

Likewise, at least one pair of the folded surfaces 14 may be joined to each other at a static joint 27 (Fig. 2A), wherein one of the pair of folded surfaces rotates (about the fold line) with respect to the other one of the pair of folded surfaces upon inflation of the inflatable conduit unit 16. Additionally or alternatively, at least one pair of the folded surfaces 14 may be joined to each other at a dynamic joint 29 (Fig. 2B), wherein one of the pair of folded surfaces translates with respect to the other one of the pair of folded surfaces upon inflation of the inflatable conduit unit 16.

Fig. 8 illustrates an example of a snap pin 80 for connecting inflatable conduit unit 16 to the toy. As in Fig. 2A, inflatable conduit unit 16 has flange 24 with attachment hole 26 that is placed over pin 80 in folded body 12. The snap pin 80 may be made of a male part 81 and a female part 82 that snap together.

It is noted that the user can change the inflatable conduit units by snapping or otherwise mounting a new one in place of an old one. The user may be provided with a package of many such units for reuse or replacement.

Reference is now made to Fig. 4. The toy may also include an inflator 34 operative to inflate the inflatable conduit unit (not shown in Fig. 4). In one non-limiting example, inflator 34 triggers a chemical reaction that releases gas. For example, a bag 36 containing a first substance, such as an acid (e.g. vinegar), may be placed between jaws 38 of inflator 34, One or both jaws 38 may be provided with punches or spikes 40 that puncture bag 36, thereby releasing first substance therefrom. The first substance may then react with a second substance, such as sodium bicarbonate powder, contained in a capsule 42 to form a gas (such as carbon dioxide) which causes inflation of inflatable conduit unit 16. The capsule 42 may be overlaid with a membrane that is dissolved by the first substance to expose the second substance. The inflated inflatable conduit unit 16 is shown in Fig. 5.

Alternatively, the inflator may be a pneumatic or hydraulic inflator, such as a bellows-type inflator used to inflate balloons. The bellows-type inflator can be integrated into the conduit air sleeve.

Reference is now made to Figs. 6A and 6B, which illustrate a functional member 44, which may be attached to the folded and inflated configurations of the toy 10, respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The functional member 44 may be a windshield, aerodynamic member and many other kinds of items.

Reference is now made to Figs. 7A, 7B and 7C. Inflatable conduit unit 16 may have several branch conduits 46 that branch out from a plenum 48 in the same plane or in different planes (like a closed circuit fluid system with veins that branch out). For example, in Fig. 7A conduit unit 16 has an H shape. In Fig. 7B, conduit unit 16 has a double I shape. In Fig. 7C, conduit unit 16 has an X shape; the shapes and sizes are limitless.

Reference is now made to Figs. 9A and 9B, which illustrate an inflatable conduit unit 90, respectively in deflated and inflated configurations, showing multiple folding points 92, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The folding points 92 may be constructed by folding or pinching the material and then welding or otherwise joining the pinched points to form the folds. These folding points 92 may then cause the inflatable conduit unit 90 to assume a crescent or other curved shape upon inflation, as seen in Fig. 9B, or to inflate in gradual stages like a chain reaction.

Reference is now made to Fig. 10, which illustrates an inflatable conduit unit 100, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The inflatable conduit unit 100 is pneumatically or hydraulically inflated at a hole 102 in the center of the toy. Unit 100 may be connected at two or more points 104 to the toy.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A toy comprising:

a folded body comprising a plurality of folded surfaces; and

an inflatable conduit unit disposed in said folded body and occupying only part of an interior volume of said folded body, said inflatable conduit unit having an inflated configuration that transforms said folded body from a folded state into a three- dimensional toy.

2. The toy according to claim 1, wherein said inflatable conduit unit has two portions attached to two different places in said folded body.

3. The toy according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said folded surfaces overlap each other in the folded state.

4. The toy according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said folded surfaces shift position upon transformation from the folded state to the three-dimensional toy.

5. The toy according to claim 1, wherein said three-dimensional toy is rigid.

6. The toy according to claim 2, wherein said inflatable conduit unit is attached to said folded body with a joint that permits rotation or translation of said inflatable conduit unit with respect to said folded body.

7. The toy according to claim 1, wherein at least one pair of said folded surfaces are joined to each other at a static joint, wherein one of the pair of folded surfaces rotates with respect to the other one of the pair of folded surfaces upon inflation of said inflatable conduit unit.

8. The toy according to claim 1, wherein at least one pair of said folded surfaces are joined to each other at a dynamic joint, wherein one of the pair of folded surfaces translates with respect to the other one of the pair of folded surfaces upon inflation of said inflatable conduit unit.

9. The toy according to claim 1, comprising an inflator operative to inflate said inflatable conduit unit.

10. The toy according to claim 9, wherein said inflator is a pneumatic inflator.

11. The toy according to claim 9, wherein said inflator is a chemical inflator that causes inflation by triggering a chemical reaction.

12. The toy according to claim 1, further comprising a functional member attached to a portion of said three-dimensional toy.

13. The toy according to claim 1, wherein said inflatable conduit unit comprises multiple folding points.

14. The toy according to claim 1, wherein said inflatable conduit unit is in fluid communication with a movable element of said three-dimensional toy so as to cause movement of said movable element.

15. The toy according to claim 1, wherein said inflatable conduit unit comprises a luminescent portion.