Abstract:
A child&#39;s toy is provided which is convertible between an infant&#39;s gym and a toddler&#39;s piano. In the infant configuration, a small child can be placed under or seated in front of the toy within reach of hanging shapes. When the infant moves the hanging shapes, a sensory output of music and lights is produced through audio speakers and lighted keys. The infant&#39;s gym can be converted into a toddler configuration, which has keys arranged on top, resembling a piano. A toddler standing in front of the piano can produce a sensory output of music and lights by pressing the keys. A mode switch can be adjusted to vary the duration of the sensory output.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a child&#39;s toy that produces a musical output and a light display in response to activation by the child. More particularly, the invention is directed to a toy that can be converted from an infant&#39;s gym to a piano suitable for toddlers.  
           [0003]    2. Background of the Invention  
           [0004]    Children at different stages of development have widely varying physical capabilities and mental aptitudes. In order to entertain and stimulate children at different developmental stages, many different toys are needed, leading to increased expense and clutter. It is desired to provide a toy that is usable by a child over a range of years, and that continues to stimulate the child as he or she develops. Activity gyms have proven useful in this regard because they present different activities on a single toy that are tailored to different age groups. Many activity gyms also accommodate children of different height by allowing their display angle to be varied. However, known activity gyms have failed to provide activities of interest to children over a wide range of ages. A toy is needed that can entertain children of different ages with differing levels of physical and mental development.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention provides a child&#39;s toy which is convertible between an infant&#39;s gym and a toddler&#39;s piano. In the infant configuration, a small child can be placed under or seated in front of the toy within reach of hanging shapes. When the infant moves the hanging shapes, a sensory output of music and lights is produced. The infant&#39;s gym can be converted into a toddler configuration, which has keys arranged on top, resembling a piano. A toddler standing in front of the piano can produce a sensory output of music and lights by pressing the keys. Therefore, the present invention provides a toy which stimulates and entertains children over a range of ages, sizes, and interests.  
           [0006]    In a preferred embodiment, the toy has a substantially planar activity unit mounted on two supports. The activity unit has audio speakers and lighted keys to provide a sensory output when activated. Further, the activity unit and supports have interlocking elements which allow the activity unit to be moved between a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation, corresponding to the infant&#39;s gym and toddler&#39;s piano, respectively. In the infant configuration, several shapes are suspended from the lower edge of the activity unit. Movement of the shapes initiates a sensory output of music and lights. In the toddler configuration, a sensory output is produced by pressing the keys on the activity unit. The sensory output is controlled by an output control unit located in the activity unit. A mode switch on the activity unit can be adjusted to vary the duration of the sensory output.  
           [0007]    Numerous other objects and features of the invention should become apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the toy in the infant configuration.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toy in the toddler configuration.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a front view of the activity unit.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a rear view of the activity unit with the rocker bar deployed.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a rear view of the activity unit with the rocker bar stowed.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the rocker bar.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is a view taken along line  7 - 7  in FIG. 4.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a detailed view of the interlocking elements of the activity unit and base.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 is a schematic of the circuit of the present invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]    A convertible toy  20  embodying the principles of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown, the toy  20  comprises an activity unit  30  supported on a base  40 . The base  40  has two support members  42 , each having a pair of legs  44 . The activity unit  30 , shown in FIGS.  3 - 5 , has an elongated shape with generally parallel front and back faces  30 A, 30 B and a rounded top  30 C.  
         [0019]    Colored keys  32  are arranged across the front face  30 A of the activity unit  30 , as shown in FIG. 3. The keys  32  are transparent or opaque colored plastic and have a light bulb  32 A mounted inside. Audio speakers  34  are arranged on the front face  30 A at each end of the keys  32 . The keys  32  and speakers  34  provide the sensory output of the toy  20 . The keys  32  light up to provide a visual output and the speakers  34  play music to provide an audio output when the toy  20  is activated.  
         [0020]    The toy  20  is activated by pressing one of several switches. A rocker switch  36 , shown in FIG. 7, mounted inside the rear face  30 B of the activity unit  30 , is activated through motion of a rocker bar  50 . The rocker bar  50  is shown on the activity unit  30  in FIG. 4, and in a perspective view in FIG. 6. The rocker bar  50  is rotatably mounted on the rear face  30 B of the activity unit  30  with two hinges  52 . One of the hinges  52  has an integral cam surface  52 A which interacts with a leaf spring  38  to depress the rocker switch  36 , shown in FIG. 7. The rocker bar  50  can be moved between a deployed position, shown in FIG. 4, and a stowed position, shown in FIG. 5. In the deployed position, toys can be suspended from hooks  56  along the lower edge of the rocker bar  50 , shown in FIG. 6. When the rocker bar  50  is moved to the stowed position, the cam  52 A rotates out of engagement with the leaf spring  38 , and activation of the rocker switch  36  is prevented.  
         [0021]    A key switch  32 B, shown in FIG. 3, may also be used to activate the toy  20 . A key switch  32 B is mounted beneath each key  32  on the front face  30 A of the activity unit  30 . Pressing on a key  32  causes the key  32  to contact and depress the key switch  32 B.  
         [0022]    Lastly, a sound effects switch  60 A, shown in FIG. 3, is mounted on the front face  30 A of the activity unit  30  beneath the sound effects button  60 . Pressing on the sound effects button  60  will depress the sound effects switch  60 A.  
         [0023]    The activation of the toy  20  to produce a sensory output is controlled by an electronic control circuit. In a preferred embodiment, power is supplied by batteries stored in a battery compartment  62  on the back  30 B of the activity unit  30 , shown in FIG. 4. A schematic of the control circuit is shown in FIG. 9. As shown, an output control unit  72  receives an input signal from one of the switches and, in response, sends a signal to the output devices  32 , 34  to produce the proper sensory output. An output mode of the output control unit  72  is set using a mode switch  70  located on top  30 C of the activity unit  30 , shown in FIG. 3. The mode switch  70  has three settings: off, short play, and long play. For a given output mode, the sensory output varies depending on whether the rocker bar  50  or a key  32  is used to initiate the output. The volume of the audio output can be adjusted between a high and a low setting with a slider switch  64  on the rear face  30 B of the activity unit  30 . The preferred embodiments of the operation of the output control unit  72  will be described with reference to each configuration of the toy  20 .  
         [0024]    The activity unit  30  may be positioned on the support members  42  in a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation, corresponding to an infant configuration and a toddler configuration, respectively. The activity unit  30  is secured in a given orientation through the engagement of interlocking elements  82 , 86  on the activity unit  30  and the support members  42 . A detailed view of the interlocking elements  82 , 86  is shown in FIG. 8. First interlocking elements  82  are arranged at each end of the activity unit  30 . The first interlocking elements  82  have a four-sided hub  84 . Two adjacent sides of the hub  84  have a projection  84 A on an outer surface. The hub  84  also has a threaded opening  84 B in the center. Second interlocking elements  86  are arranged on an upper portion of the support members  42 . The second interlocking elements  86  have a housing with a four-sided recess  86 A for receiving the hub  84 . Three sides of the recess  86 A are formed with an indentation  86 B for receiving a hub projection  84 A. This arrangement of indentations  86 B allows the recess  86 A to receive the hub  84  in two different orientations. A captive screw  88  in the support member  42  is threaded into the opening  84 B to draw the interlocking elements  82 , 86  together and hold them in locked engagement.  
         [0025]    In the infant configuration, the activity unit  30  is oriented vertically and several shapes  54  are suspended from the rocker bar, as shown in FIG. 1. The toy  20  in this configuration can be used to entertain an infant lying underneath or a small child sitting in front of the toy. Although the keys  32  are active, the preferred way of producing a sensory output is by moving the hanging shapes  54 . The shapes  54  can be moved by a parent or by a child sitting in front of the toy. When the shapes  54  are moved, the rocker bar  50  is caused to pivot, which causes the cam  52 A to press on the leaf spring  38 , which in turn activates the rocker switch  36 . When the mode switch  70  is set on short play mode and the rocker switch  36  is activated, one song will play. While the song is playing, the keys  32  will light up in a random pattern. There are a number of songs stored in the control unit memory, each song having a unique light display associated with it. If the rocker switch  36  is activated additional times, the control unit  72  will cycle through the songs stored in memory, each time playing the next song and displaying its associated light pattern. In the long play mode, activation of the rocker switch  36  will result in ten minutes of continuous music. During the musical output, the control unit  72  will play the stored songs sequentially, and during each song, display the light pattern associated with the song that is playing.  
         [0026]    Several steps are required to convert the toy  20  to the toddler configuration. First the hanging shapes  54  are removed from the rocker bar  50  and are placed on hooks  46  on the support members  42 , shown in FIG. 2. Next, the rocker bar  50  is pivoted to the stowed position, taking the cam  52 A out of contact with the leaf spring  38 . The rocker bar is shown in the stowed position in FIG. 5, and in FIG. 7 in broken lines. With the rocker bar  50  in the stowed position, the rocker switch  36  is effectively disabled. Next, the screws  88  are loosened, allowing the interlocking elements  82 , 86  to come out of engagement. The activity unit  30  is then rotated into a horizontal orientation. The interlocking elements  82 , 86  are engaged, and finally, the screws  88  are tightened to lock the activity unit  30  in position.  
         [0027]    The toy  20  is shown in the toddler configuration in FIG. 2. As shown, the activity unit  30  is oriented horizontally with keys  32  arranged on an upper surface. In the toddler configuration, the toy  20  can be used to entertain small children standing in front of the toy  20  and playing it, similar to a piano. Here, pressing the keys  32  is the preferred way of producing a sensory output. When a key  32  is pressed, the key switch  32 B beneath the key  32  is activated and an output is produced. In both the short play and long play output modes, a key  32  will light up when it is pressed. In the short play mode, when a key  32  is pressed, a single tone is produced. In the long play mode, when a key  32  is pressed, a segment of a song is played. If any key  32  is subsequently pressed, the next segment of the song will be played. The child user is therefore able to “compose” pieces of music using either discrete tones or segments of songs.  
         [0028]    The effects button  60 , located above the keys  32  on the activity unit  30 , is active in both the infant and toddler configurations. The effects button  60  produces an audio output independently of the output mode setting. Pressing the effects button  60  will produce an audio output comprising one of several stored sound effects. If the effects button  60  is repeatedly pressed, the stored sound effects will be played sequentially.  
         [0029]    Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.