Patent ID: 6491567
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: A63H

Abstract:
A contractile toy structure, comprising:a flexible housing having a contractible portion composed of a flexible material; a resilient supporting mechanism composed of a plurality of supporting plates having a top supporting plate and a plurality of intermediate supporting plates to support said flexible housing and a plurality of retractable tube sets, each of said intermediate supporting plates having at least one recess positioned on a top surface thereof and linked in series by said retractable tube sets, each of said retractable tube sets defining a tube, a rod and a spring, said rod having a first end attached to a bottom surface of an upper supporting plate and a second end slidably accommodated in said tube fixedly secured to a lower intermediate supporting plate; said spring being located within said tube and bearing against said rod and said intermediate supporting plate on opposing ends thereof; a base for supporting said supporting plates; and, a lock mechanism having a lock rod attached to a bottom surface of said upper supporting plate and a pair of lock blocks defining a first lock block and a second lock block, said lock rod having a stud projecting outwardly on two opposing sides at a lower portion thereof, each of said lock blocks located within said at least one recess of an intermediate lower supporting plate, each of said lock blocks positioned below said upper supporting plate for receiving said lock rod, said first lock block being rotatably mounted in a ring plate, said first lock block having a plurality of spaced ratchet teeth defining spaces between said ratchet teeth and a plurality of slots formed in a wall of said first lock block, each of said ratchet teeth being inclined downwardly to an inwardly inclined surface forming protrusions and a top surface having a raised central portion and two downwardly inclined side portions, said second lock block being a tube with a closed lower end and having a plurality of ratchet teeth and protrusions extending from a sidewall thereof, each of said ratchet teeth having a tooth crest, a tooth valley and tooth shoulders, said protrusions positioned at a lower end of said second lock block and respectively corresponding to said slots of said first lock block such that said second lock block is inserted into an interior of said first lock block and said protrusions of second lock block engage within said slots of said first lock block with each of said spaces aligned with said tooth shoulder in order to form a pivotal lock unit for said lock blocks to rotate around a central axis.