ACTUATABLE TOY ANIMAL

Children can love, nurture, and feed their toy puppy and then monitor the appearance of growth. After feeding, the toy puppy can defecate. Educational efforts have been taken to teach children of the interconnection of separate biological and/or chemical processes without the need for employing the same. The toy animal can employ sound effects based upon the biological and/or chemical processes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and corresponding method of use in at least the toy industry. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a actuatable toy that simulates growth after feeding.

BACKGROUND

The background description provided herein gives context for the present disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art.

Children love toys, games, and activities. For children, toys, games, and activities are more than just fun. Most provide at least some opportunity for children to learn. The best toys engage the senses and spark imaginations. The best activities encourage children to interact with others and teach teamwork.

From a very early age, children are eager to learn more about the world around them. Every new shape, color, texture, taste, and sound presents an opportunity to learn more. Parents quickly identify giving their children toys that are safe and stimulating will help their children discover their senses. Rattles and toys that make music are favorites of infants. Toys with contrasting colors are fascinating to babies and stimulate their developing vision. As they grow, infants can use toys to explore object permanence and cause and effect relationships. They also need objects such as blocks to help them build motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Toddlers can play with a wider variety of toys than infants. Toddlers may still enjoy some of the toys they played with as babies, however they also need that are designed with their increased capability to learn in mind. Even the same blocks they played with previously can provide them with new and different educational opportunities as their knowledge expands. Shape sorters are great for toddlers. They teach them how to match similar items and provide parents the opportunity to teach them the names of the shapes. Lego R blocks, for example, provide an opportunity to learn more about colors and symmetry developing a child's motor skills.

When children reach schooling age, parents and teachers shift their focus from helping children discover their senses to developing a child's aptitude for lingual (e.g., written and spoken), numeric, memorial, and social skills. There are a lot of toys that encourage this type of learning, from simple alphabet puzzles to high-tech electronic gadgets. These toys help give children a head start by introducing them to the things they will be learning in school. Kids who are in school can supplement their learning with recreational and educational toys. Giving children the opportunity to have fun while practicing the things they are learning in school will increase their retention of those things.

Children often make an emotional connection with their toys. Not surprisingly, the value a child assigns to any given collection is not monetary but sentimental. Thus, some connections are stronger than others. The collections allow children to relive previous experiences and connect themselves to a period or to a time they feel strongly about. This in effect helps ease insecurity and anxiety and allows the past to continue to exist in the present.

It is often a challenge for creators of games and activities to establish for kids a unique emotional connection to each and every individual experience a child has. Toys to often offer only a static or one-way experience, employ gimmicks for cheap thrills, and/or teach children nothing. For example, most people remember fondly their first experiences playing with a yo-yo, but are quickly frustrated by the process required to develop enough skill to make the journey worth the effort. The issue of creating strong emotional connections with individual experiences along the way is even more vulnerable for those children who want more than to be merely distracted by their toys and/or than to focus on developing only a limited set of skills.

Some toys in the art have attempted gain a child's attention in an effort to teach the child about growth and development by employing chemical or biological means. An example of such toys are expandable water toys, which are novelty items made from a superabsorbent polymers that retain extremely large amounts of a liquid relative to their own mass. These toys can expand significantly in size after being submerged in water for several days. Some even shrink through the prolonged exposure to salty water and/or air, hey are made from polymers that can absorb. While the science employed by these toys is impressive, the toys remain novelty items because their gimmick fails to create that strong emotional connection with the toy that most children seek. If anything, the child's patience is tested.

Thus, there exists a need in the art for an apparatus which employs a quicker means for emulating growth and other biological processes and simultaneously creates a strong emotional connection between children and the toy.

SUMMARY

The following objects, features, advantages, aspects, and/or embodiments, are not exhaustive and do not limit the overall disclosure. No single embodiment need provide each and every object, feature, or advantage. Any of the objects, features, advantages, aspects, and/or embodiments disclosed herein can be integrated with one another, either in full or in part.

It is a primary object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to improve on or overcome the deficiencies in the art.

It is a further object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to emulate growth using preferably, only mechanical and electric actuation means, less preferably pneumatic and hydraulic actuation means. In other words, and in most embodiments, no chemical and/or biological means are employed to give the appearance of growth.

It is still yet a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to track the progression of the appearance of growth. For example, children may be encouraged to manually track said progression for scientific study and/or said progression may be automatically tracked through computational means and children may be encouraged to select how the results of said progression should be interpreted and/or displayed. The toy will “grow” at least in length, possibly in height over time.

Any suitable growth mechanism can be employed, including but not limited to ratchet, expanders, etc. At least two types of growth mechanisms can be employed: a manual version, wherein feeding and growth are simultaneously tied to cranking something, and a battery operated version, wherein automatic means are provided. Moreover, a hybrid of the two versions can be employed. In other words, the toy animal can grow and consume on its own, but the user might also be able to override that process through manual means.

It is still yet a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide a toy which can be used by children of different skillsets and skill levels.

It is still yet a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide a child the ability to engage in an activity which can be practiced along and/or while playing with other children. For example, a means for engaging social media may be provided with the toy.

It is still yet a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide a toy that may be played with in a wide variety of applications. For example, children can collect different toy animals (e.g. dog, cat, etc.), play with individual components of the toy (e.g., place apparel on the toy, repair electromechanical components of the toy upon failure, etc.), or arrange components of the toy for easy storage until later play.

It is still yet a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide a toy that is safe (e.g., non-toxic, eliminates choking hazards, etc.), cost effective, and durable.

At least one embodiment disclosed herein comprises a distinct aesthetic appearance. Ornamental aspects included in such an embodiment can help capture a child's attention and/or identify a source of origin of a product being sold. Said ornamental aspects will not impede functionality of the present invention.

It is still yet a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to practice methods which facilitate use, manufacture, assembly, and repair of a toy accomplishing some or all of the previously stated objectives.

It is still yet a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to incorporate a toy into a system or kit accomplishing some or all of the previously stated objectives.

These and/or other objects, features, advantages, aspects, and/or embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reviewing the following brief and detailed descriptions of the drawings. Furthermore, the present disclosure encompasses aspects and/or embodiments not expressly disclosed but which can be understood from a reading of the present disclosure, including at least: (a) combinations of disclosed aspects and/or embodiments and/or (b) reasonable modifications not shown or described.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is not to be limited to that described herein. Mechanical, electrical, chemical, procedural, and/or other changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. No features shown or described are essential to permit basic operation of the present invention unless otherwise indicated.

Referring now to the figures, a toy animal100capable of emulating growth and/or other biological processes through non-biological and/or chemical means is shown inFIGS.1-5.

The toy animal100can be made and/or filled with any suitable materials. For example, external portions which get actuated may be made from plastic to retain some rigidity for actuation but may be coated with fur-like materials after the fact to enhance the play experience of the child.

The toy animal100can include those aspects which help give the appearance of a real animal, such a body101, head102, limbs104, muzzle106, mouth108, eye110, ear112, intestines114, a tail124, and an exit126.

Tokens and/or other solid objects may represent food114and may thus take any suitable shape to do so (e.g., dogbones). A botte118may be provided so as to provide children the opportunity to milk the puppy.

While only a bandana136and bow138are shown inFIG.1, any suitable or desirable apparel may be included. The combination140shown inFIG.1is particularly advantageous in that it can be rotated so as to be distinctly displayed, for example when the toy animal100has a minimally sized appearance130or maximally sized appearance132.

The actuatable external portions142of the toy animal which can be actuated along exemplary axes142need not always be the same. Said portions142can comprise anywhere from the entirety of a limb or head to only a small external plate or component of the toy animal100. The actuatable external portions142in some embodiments will include locking means (e.g. fasteners to prevent movement) so as to be more easily transported during periods of non-play. The actuatable external portions142may employ telescoping components.

Product packaging90can also be included with the kit150disclosed herein. Such product packaging90may be useful for shipping kits to children in a compact manner prior to first play. The product packaging90may completely subsume the toy animal100and all of the components therein or may only encompass a portion thereof. The product packaging90will typically include plastics, thermoplastics, glass, wood, wood wool, paper, paperboard, corrugated cardboard, other biodegradable or recyclable materials, and/or the like. Optionally, the product packaging90can include a product and/or source identifier91, such as a word or trade mark, on the packaging90; a viewing window92for viewing at least one component and/or the entirety of the toy system or kit on or near the product packaging90; instructions93for play, assembly, and/or configuring (e.g. resetting) the toy animal100in connection with the emulated biological processes described herein: a hang tab94from which the packaging can hang from shelves in public stores; and/or perforations, folds, pull strings, and/or other predefined points of failure95which facilitate ripping, cutting, and/or opening the product packaging90. The product packaging90should be selectively placed on shelves and/or in store locations such that the kit is best marketed to/for children.

A person may be broadcasted by way of an electronic recording device202on a social media platform playing with the toy animal100. Alternatively, said persons may broadcast data (historic or real-time) associated with growth or other emulated biological processes of the toy animal100, data related from other sensed characteristics, analyses (tables, charts, graphs, etc.) of said data, and/or the like. For example, children can compare results of play and/or growth of their toy animal100, which may potentially lead to the children inquiring about the best methods for facilitating growth. Said sharing may occur via any suitable wireless/wired electronic network and/or social media platforms204.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present disclosure accomplishes at least all of the stated objectives.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

The following table of reference characters and descriptors are not exhaustive, nor limiting, and include reasonable equivalents. If possible, elements identified by a reference character below and/or those elements which are near ubiquitous within the art can replace or supplement any element identified by another reference character.

Glossary

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used above have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which embodiments of the present invention pertain.

The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” include both singular and plural referents.

The term “or” is synonymous with “and/or” and means any one member or combination of members of a particular list.

The terms “invention” or “present invention” are not intended to refer to any single embodiment of the particular invention but encompass all possible embodiments as described in the specification and the claims.

The term “about” as used herein refer to slight variations in numerical quantities with respect to any quantifiable variable. Inadvertent error can occur, for example, through use of typical measuring techniques or equipment or from differences in the manufacture, source, or purity of components.

The term “substantially” refers to a great or significant extent. “Substantially” can thus refer to a plurality, majority, and/or a supermajority of said quantifiable variable, given proper context.

The term “generally” encompasses both “about” and “substantially.”

The term “configured” describes structure capable of performing a task or adopting a particular configuration. The term “configured” can be used interchangeably with other similar phrases, such as constructed, arranged, adapted, manufactured, and the like.

Terms characterizing sequential order, a position, and/or an orientation are not limiting and are only referenced according to the views presented.

The term “play” can be used herein as an adjective, a verb, a noun, or any other suitable part of speech given proper context. As an adjective, “play” means relating to an activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, especially by children. As a verb, “to play” means to engage in a game or activity for enjoyment or recreation. As a noun, “play” means an activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation.

The “scope” of the present invention is defined by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. The scope of the invention is further qualified as including any possible modification to any of the aspects and/or embodiments disclosed herein which would result in other embodiments, combinations, subcombinations, or the like that would be obvious to those skilled in the art.