US20140099859A1 - Toy - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy having: a main body portion, the main body portion defining a receiving area; a member configured to be received within the receiving area; a mechanism for releasably securing the member in the receiving area, wherein the mechanism has a pair of arm members each having a protrusion for releasably engaging a detent on the member.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/710,163 filed Oct. 5, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
BACKGROUND
• Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a toy figure and an apparatus and/or method for launching the toy figure.
• Toys or toy figures are desired by children and adults. Toys or toy figures that can slid, roll, move or otherwise traverse across a play surface provide an enhanced feature that is further desired by the user whether they be an adult or child. Still further, a unique feature that allows the toy or toy figure or combination thereof to move across the play surface in a distinctive manner may further enhance the user's experience.
• Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a toy or toy figure or configured to traverse along a play surface as well as a method and/or apparatus for launching the same.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION
• In one embodiment, the invention relates to a toy that has a main body portion, the main body portion defining a receiving area; a member configured to be received within the receiving area; a mechanism for releasably securing the member in the receiving area, wherein the mechanism has a pair of arm members each having a protrusion for releasably engaging a detent on the member.
• In another exemplary embodiment, the invention relates to a combination of a toy and a figure. The toy has a main body portion defining a receiving area; a mechanism for releasably securing the figure in the receiving area, wherein the mechanism has a pair of arm members each having a protrusion for releasably engaging a detent on the figure and wherein the figure further comprises a weighted bottom portion and a pair of members rotatably secured to the action figure so that the figure can move upon a surface.
• In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method for releasably retaining a figure in a toy. The method includes the steps of: biasing a pair of arm members into a first position, wherein each of the pair of arm members have a protrusion configured to be received within a detent of the figure when it is received within a receiving area of the toy; biasing a plunger into a first position; moving the plunger to a second position via actuation of an actuation member, wherein the plunger pushes the figure out of the receiving area when it is in the second position; and wherein the figure has a weighted bottom with a pair of members rotatably mounted to the weighted bottom of the figure so that the figure can move along a surface when it is pushed out of the receiving area.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• These and/or other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy in a first configuration;
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a toy ofFIG. 1 in a second configuration;
• FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the toy ofFIG. 1;
• FIG. 4 is a front view of the toy ofFIG. 1;
• FIGS. 5A and 5B are front view of the toy ofFIG. 1 in the first and second positions; and
• FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a component or figure used with the toy ofFIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, atoy10 is capable of transitioning from a first configuration12 (see at leastFIG. 1 andFIG. 5A) to a second configuration14 (see at leastFIG. 2 andFIG. 5B). In one embodiment, thetoy10 resembles an airplane or other flying vehicle. However, in other embodiments, thetoy10 may have different configurations.
• Thetoy10 has amain body portion16. Themain body portion16 is configured to have areceiving area18. Receivingarea18 is configured to releasably receive amember20 in the receiving area. Thetoy10 includes amechanism22 that releasably secures themember20 in thereceiving area18.
• In one non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the mechanism22 (illustrated by the dashed lines in the attached figures) includes a pair of arm members24 (seeFIGS. 5A and 5B). Eacharm member24 is pivotally mounted to themain body portion16 proximate to receivingarea18 and is configured for movement. Thearm members24 are movable between a first position (see at leastFIG. 5A) in which aportion26 of eacharm member24 is positioned within receivingarea18 and a second position (see at leastFIG. 5B) in which theportion26 of eacharm member24 is retracted or moved away from receivingarea18 through actuation ofmechanism22.
• In accordance with one exemplary embodiment,portions26 are used to retainmember20 within receivingarea18.Portion26 is a protrusion configured to be received within a corresponding detent or recessed area28 (seeFIG. 6) located on either side ofmember20.
• Accordingly, asmechanism22 is actuated, eacharm member24 moves from its first position in whichprotrusions26 are received within detents or receivingareas28 to the second position in which each protrusion is removed from detents or receivingareas28. At this point, themember20 is free to be removed or launched from receivingarea18.
• Themechanism22 also includes aplunger30 that can move between a first position (see at leastFIG. 5A) in which theplunger30 is retracted from receivingarea18 and a second position (see at leastFIG. 5B) in which theplunger30 extends into thereceiving area18 through actuation ofmechanism22. The plunger is biased into its first position by a biasing member, such asspring32. As theplunger30 moves from the first position to the second position, the plunger30contacts member20 and forces themember20 out of receivingarea18. Simultaneously, thearm members24 are moved from their first position to their second position. Similar to plunger30, thearm members24 are biased into their first position by biasing members, such as a pair ofsprings34.
• Movement ofplunger30 and thearm members24 from their respective first positions to their respective second positions is achieved through movement of anactuation member36 that is movably mounted totoy10.Actuation member36 is coupled to plunger30 and the pair ofarm members24 via linkage members and/or cam members located within themain body portion16 oftoy10. As illustrated in at leastFIGS. 1 and 2,actuation member36 is capable of movement from a first position (FIG. 1) to a second position (FIG. 2).Actuation member36 is spring biased into the first position by aspring38 received withinmain body portion16.
• Accordingly, asactuation member36 is moved downwardly in the direction ofarrow40 inFIG. 1, plunger30 moves into receivingarea18 while theprotrusions26 of thearm members24 are retracted fromarea18 as well asareas28 ofmember20. The movement ofplunger30 downward causesmember20 to be forced out of receivingarea18 in the direction of arrow42 (seeFIG. 2).
• In addition, themain body portion16 has acanopy44 pivotally mounted thereto and configured for movement between a first position (seeFIG. 1) in which thereceiving area18 andmember20 are covered bycanopy44 and a second position (see at leastFIGS. 2,4,5A,5B) in which thecanopy44 is moved upwardly in the direction ofarrow46 asmember20 is forced out of receivingarea18 viaplunger30.
• In accordance with one embodiment,member20 is configured to resemble a figure or character.Member20 may be referred to as an action figure alternatively herein.Member20 has a weightedbottom portion48 such that themember20 maintains a generally upright configuration whenmember20 rests upon asurface50.Member20 is configured to roll alongsurface50 via a pair of rotatingmembers52 secured to member orFIG. 20. The rotatingmembers52 are hemispheres or substantially hemispherical and are rotatably mounted to the weightedbottom portion48 ofmember20. Accordingly, the rotatingmembers52 allowmember22 roll uponsurface50 when a force is impacted thereon such as, a force applied byplunger30 as theplunger30 moves from the first position to the second position.
• In addition and sincemember20 has a weightedbottom portion48, which in one non-limiting configuration has a curved surface,member20 is capable of oscillating or wobbling as it travels or rolls alongsurface50. Thereafter, theweighted bottom portion48causes member20 to rest in an upright position.
• Afterwards, a user can graspmember20 and reinsert themember20 back into receivingarea18 so thatprotrusions28 engagerecesses28 onmember20. Then, the user can once again launch themember20 from the receivingarea18 of thetoy10.
• Receivingarea18 is open to surface50 when thetoy10 is resting upon thesurface50. As such, the rotatingmembers52 are already resting onsurface50 or are in close proximity thereto such that whenactuation button36 is depressed,member20 moves alongsurface50.
• In accordance with various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,member20 can resemble a character from a story, book, movie, etc. and thetoy10 can be configured to resemble a vehicle related to the aforementioned story, book, movie, etc. For example and as illustrated in the attached FIGS. thetoy10 resembles a flying spacecraft andmember20 resembles a character from a movie. Of course, numerous other variations are contemplated to be within the scope of various embodiments of the present invention.
• As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another, and the terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. In addition, it is noted that the terms “bottom” and “top” are used herein, unless otherwise noted, merely for convenience of description, and are not limited to any one position or spatial orientation.
• The modifier “about” used in connection with a quantity is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity).
• In the preceding detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details, that the present invention is not limited to the depicted embodiments, and that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of alternative embodiments. Moreover, repeated usage of the phrase “in an embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Lastly, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used in the present application, are intended to be synonymous unless otherwise indicated.

Claims (20)

1. A toy, comprising:

a main body portion having a receiving area;

a member configured to be received within the receiving area, the member having a first side, a second side, a first detent on the first side, and a second detent on the second side; and

a mechanism that releasably secures the member in the receiving area, wherein the mechanism has a pair of arm members, each arm member having a protrusion for releasably engaging one of the detents on the member.

2. The toy as recited inclaim 1, wherein the member is a figure having a weighted bottom with a pair of hemispherical portions rotatably mounted to the weighted bottom.

3. The toy as recited inclaim 1, wherein the receiving area is located at a forward end of the main body portion, and the receiving area is open to the forward end and a bottom of the main body portion.

4. The toy as recited inclaim 3, wherein the arm members are spring biased into first positions in which its protrusion is located within the receiving area.

5. The toy as recited inclaim 4, wherein the mechanism includes a plunger that moves between a first position and a second position, the plunger pushing the member out of the receiving area when the plunger is in its second position.

6. The toy as inclaim 5, wherein the mechanism includes an actuation member movably mounted to the main body portion, the actuation member being coupled to the arm members and the plunger such that movement of the actuation member in a first direction causes the arm members to move from their first positions to their second positions and cause the plunger to move from its first position to its second position.

7. The toy as recited inclaim 6, wherein the main body portion includes a canopy pivotally mounted thereto, and the canopy is configured to cover the receiving area when the member is received therein.

8. The toy as recited inclaim 1, wherein the mechanism further comprises a plunger configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein the plunger pushes the member out of the receiving area when the plunger is in the second position.

9. The toy as recited inclaim 1, wherein the mechanism further comprises an actuation member movably mounted to the main body portion, the actuation member being coupled to the pair of arm members such that movement of the actuation member in a first direction will cause the pair of arm members to move from the first position to the second position.

10. The toy as recited inclaim 1, wherein the main body portion further comprises a canopy pivotally mounted thereto, wherein the canopy is configured to cover the receiving area when the member is received therein.

11. The toy as recited inclaim 1, wherein the pair of arm members are spring biased into the first position.

12. The toy as recited inclaim 11, wherein the mechanism further comprises a plunger configured for movement between a first position and a second position, wherein the plunger is spring biased into the first position and the plunger moves the member out of the receiving area when it is in the second position.

13. The toy as recited inclaim 12, wherein the member is a figure having a weighted bottom with a pair of hemispherical portions rotatably mounted to the weighted bottom, wherein the pair of members are configured to allow the figure to move upon a surface and each of the pair of members further comprise the detent configured for releasably engaging the protrusion.

14. The toy as inclaim 13, wherein the receiving area is located at a forward end of the main body portion and the receiving area is open to the forward end and a bottom of the main body portion.

15. The toy as inclaim 1, wherein the member is a figure having a weighted bottom with a pair of curved members rotatably mounted to the weighted bottom, wherein the pair of members are configured to allow the figure to move upon a surface and each of the pair of members further comprise the detent configured for releasably engaging the protrusion.

16. In combination, a toy and a figure configured for use with the toy, the toy comprising:

a main body portion defining a receiving area;

a mechanism for releasably securing the figure in the receiving area with a pair of arm members each having a protrusion for releasably engaging a detent on the figure;

a plunger for pushing the figure out of the receiving area; and

an actuator for moving the pair of arm members and the plunger so that the figure can be pushed out of the receiving area; and

wherein the figure has a weighted bottom with a pair of members rotatably mounted to the weighted bottom of the figure so that the figure can move along a surface when it is pushed out of the receiving area.

17. The combination as inclaim 16, wherein the weighted bottom and the pair of members of the figure are configured to have a curved surface so that the figure can also wobble upon the surface.

18. The combination as inclaim 16, wherein the pair of arm members and the plunger are spring biased into a first position.

19. The combination as inclaim 16, wherein the toy further comprises a canopy pivotally mounted to the main body portion proximate to the receiving area.

20. A method for releasably retaining a figure in a toy, comprising:

biasing a pair of arm members into a first position, wherein each of the pair of arm members have a protrusion configured to be received within a detent of the figure when it is received within a receiving area of the toy;

biasing a plunger into a first position;

moving the plunger to a second position via actuation of an actuation member, wherein the plunger pushes the figure out of the receiving area when it is in the second position; and

wherein the figure has a weighted bottom with a pair of members rotatably mounted to the weighted bottom of the figure so that the figure can slide upon a surface when it is pushed out of the receiving area.

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