A TOY HAVING THE APPEARANCE OF A BOAT

Abstract: A child's toy comprises a structure (2) which can float on water and which has the outward appearance of a boat. To enable the child to carry the boat, a part (18) of the structure is displaceable into a position in which it serves as a carrying handle for the toy.

Description: This invention relates to a toy which comprises a structure, conveniently of plastics material, having the outward appearance of a boat and which is capable of floating in water. Floating toys are well known, boats in particular being a popular plaything for children. The child also likes to carry the toy within the home or to an area outside the home, such as a park having a pond or stream, on which the child floats the toy. It is convenient, therefore, for the boat structure to have a part which serves as a handle for carrying the toy. Such a toy is disclosed in US-A-4292758. In this toy, a manual handle is located towards the rear of the toy boat and is suitable for carrying the toy or propelling it through water. According to the present invention, a toy comprises a structure having an outward appearance of a boat and which is capable of floating in water, said structure having a lengthwise dimension which extends from the front to the rear of the boat and a widthwise dimension which extends from side-to-side of the boat and including an elongate part which serves as a handle for carrying the toy, characterised in that the elongate part is displaceable into and out of the position where it serves as a carrying handle, the elongate part when being out of position fits into the outward appearance of a boat. By arranging for the elongate part, when it is out of position, to fit into the outward appearance of a boat, it gives a more realistic impression of a boat. Conveniently, the said part of the structure is pivotable into and out of the positon in which it serves as a carrying handle. In one embodiment of the invention, the elongate part extends in the widthwise dimension and is connected at its ends to a pair of arms which are pivoted about axes extending parallel to the widthwise dimension of the structure. Conveniently, the structure includes a hinged portion providing a lid for a hollow compartment within the structure. Thus, as well as being a plaything, the toy can be used to provide a small amount of storage space. In order that the invention may be more readily understood, it will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of a toy boat; Figure 3 shows the boat in an up-ended position; and Figure 4 is a sectional view. The toy boat comprises a structure 2, conveniently moulded from plastics material, although it could be shaped from wood or thin sheet metal. The structure has the outward appearance of a speed boat having a generally flat bottom surface 4 and an upstanding stern 6 and shaped nose or bows 8. The structure has a lengthwise dimension which extends from the bows to the stern and which is somewhat greater than the widthwise dimension which extends from side-to-side of the boat. Side rails 10 are provided on the structure and a flat deck 12 is located between the side rails. The deck 12 is hinged along one edge extending parallel to the lengthwise dimension of the structure and it serves as a lid for a compartment 13 within the hull. A simple latch (not shown in detail) is provided to latch the lid in the closed position and the latch includes a moulded head and shoulders of a driver 14 of the boat. By twisting the moulded head and shoulders 14 the latch is operated. In the normal position, with the head looking forward towards the front of the boat, the deck 12 is latched in the closed position. At the stern of the structure there are a pair of simulated outboard motors 16 and each motor has a generally flat surface 17 which is substantially at right angles to the bottom surface 4 of the structure so that the structure can be stably supported either on the flat bottom surface 4, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or supported on the surfaces 17, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Particularly when the structure is supported on the surfaces 17, the toy can serve as a small cabinet for the storage of small items, such as a tube of toothpaste, a child's toothbrush or the like. The inside of the hinged deck 12 may have a mirror attached to it so that, when the toy is acting as a storage cabinet, it may be useful to open the deck 12 to use the mirror on the inside thereof. As an alternative, each of the simulated motors 16 has a recess 22 formed in it, the recess being of a size to accommodate the handle of a child's toothbrush when the boat is placed on its flat bottom 4. A toothbrush 23 is shown in broken lines in Figure 2. One or more holes 24 may be formed in the front of the structure to allow a piece of string to be attached to the boat so that the boat can be towed by a child when it is floating on a stretch of water. Although the toy may be used by the child in the bath and subsequently used as a small bathroom cabinet, the child may also wish to carry the boat away from the bathroom so as to play with it on some other stretch of water. To this end, a built-in carrying handle is provided. A part of the structure is displaceable into and out of a position in which it serves as the carrying handle. In the arrangement shown, a part of the structure which extends parallel to the widthwise dimension, that is a part 18 which also represents a windscreen on the boat, is connected at its ends to a pair of arms 19 which are, in turn, pivoted to the structure about pivots 20 positioned at the forward end of the structure. The axes of the pivots extend parallel to the widthwise dimension of the structure and so the arms supporting the part 18 can pivot forward from the position shown in the drawings to the position shown in broken lines in Figure 4 where the part 18 is forward of the front end of the structure. In this position, the child may grip the part 18 in order to readily carry the boat. When the child has carried the boat to the stretch of water where the child wishes to play with the boat, the arms and the part 18 are pivoted about the pivots 20 back to the position shown in full lines in the drawings where the part 18 represents a windscreen on the boat.

Claims: 1. A toy comprising a structure (2) having an outward appearance of a boat and which is capable of floating in water, said structure having a lengthwise dimension which extends from the front to the rear of the boat and a widthwise dimension which extends from side-to-side of the boat and including an elongate part (18) which serves as a handle for carrying the toy, characterised in that the elongate part is displaceable into and out of the position where it serves as a carrying handle, the elongate part when being out of position fits into the outward appearance of a boat. 2. A toy as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said part (18) of the structure is pivotable into and out of position in which it serves as a carrying handle. 3. A toy as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the elongate part extends in the widthwise dimension and is connected at its ends to a pair of arms (19) which are pivoted about axes (20) extending parallel to the widthwise dimension of the structure. 4. A toy as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the structure has the appearance of a speed boat and the elongate part when out of position also serves as a windscreen of the boat. 5. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the structure includes a hinged portion (12) providing a lid for a hollow compartment (13) within the structure. 6. A toy as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the lid is hinged about axes extending parallel to the lengthwise dimension of the structure. 7. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the structure has a first flat surface (4) which represents the bottom of the boat and a second flat surface (17) which represents the rear of the boat and is substantially at right angles to the first flat surface, the structure being supportable on either of said surfaces (4, 17).

Inventors: HARDY, JOHN CHARLES, HARDY, ROBERTA MARGARET
Applicants: GIBREW LIMITED
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A63H23
IPC codes: A63H23