Abstract:
A new and improved children&#39;s toy is disclosed having an internal cavity where valuables and the like may be stored. The cavity is easily and repeatedly accessible without damaging the toy. A container is provided for placing the valuables in, and then placing the container into the cavity.

Description:
I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    A. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to the art of children&#39;s toys and dolls and the art of time capsules and storage devices, and more particularly to a doll or children&#39;s toy containing a time capsule. This application claims priority to a U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/149,079, entitled CHILDREN&#39;S TOY WITH SELECTIVELY ACCESSIBLE INTERNAL CAVITY WITH ASSOCIATED STORAGE DEVICE, filed on Aug. 16, 1999.  
           [0003]    B. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Dolls and children&#39;s toys are well known in the art. Storage devices, such as safe deposit boxes, jewelry boxes, and safes, are also well known. However, until the current invention, it was not known to place a storage device within a cavity in a children&#39;s toy and have the storage device be repeatedly accessed by the user without damaging the toy.  
           [0005]    One known type of doll containing a time capsule has a canister sewn into the doll and can only be removed by tearing and damaging the doll.  
           [0006]    The present invention contemplates a new and improved collectible item or children&#39;s toy that contains a selectively accessible internal cavity with an associated storage device, which is simple in design, effective in use, and overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.  
         II. DEFINITIONS  
         [0007]    The following term will have the following definition throughout the patent application:  
           [0008]    Time Capsule—a container holding historical records or objects representative of current culture as deposited for preservation until discovery by some future age.  
         III. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    In accordance with the present invention, a new and improved children&#39;s toy includes a selectively accessible internal cavity and a storage device.  
           [0010]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the toy also includes a door, preferably made of a soft material and attached to the body of the toy via Velcro™.  
           [0011]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the toy includes a rigid container inside the body of the toy for use as a container or time capsule.  
           [0012]    In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, the opening, cavity, and door can be made of any material or any design chosen using sound engineering judgment.  
           [0013]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a porcelain doll includes a front, a back, arms, legs, a head, a body, a cavity, the cavity being located in the back of the doll, the cavity for receiving an associated time capsule, a connecting strip, a first flap, a second flap, and a third flap, the flaps for concealing the cavity, the first flap being selectively attachable to the connecting strip via hook and eye connectors, the second and third flaps having second and third connecting strips, the second and third flaps being selectively attachable to each other.  
           [0014]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the collectible item has an associated body and an associated head, the collectible item comprising a time capsule, the time capsule being located substantially within the collectible item.  
           [0015]    In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, the collectible item is chosen from a list comprising dolls, stuffed animals, and toys.  
           [0016]    In accordance with another aspect of the current invention, the collectible item has receiving means for receiving the time capsule, the receiving means is an internal cavity and the item further comprises enclosing means for enclosing the time capsule with the cavity.  
           [0017]    In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, the collectible item has the receiving means located substantially within the associated body.  
           [0018]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the enclosing means includes a flap and connecting means for connecting the flap to the associated body and the enclosing means is selectively adjustable.  
           [0019]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of encapsulating deposited materials for preservation includes the steps of providing a collectible item having a body, a head, and receiving means for receiving the materials, placing the materials within the receiving means, placing the receiving means within the collectible item, the receiving means being located within the body of the collectible item, and enclosing the receiving means within the collectible item.  
           [0020]    One advantage of the current invention is that a time capsule can be placed inside the toy.  
           [0021]    Another advantage of the current invention is that the time capsule can be removed and replaced repeatedly without damaging the toy.  
           [0022]    Still another advantage of the current invention is that the toy functions as both a toy and a time capsule.  
           [0023]    Still other benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the following detailed specification. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]    The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts. Several embodiments of these parts will be described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this disclosure and wherein:  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 1 is a back view of the doll, showing the storage means in the open position, with the capsule inside;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 2 is another embodiment of the invention, showing the storage means in a stuffed animal;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the storage means; and,  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the embodiments of the capsule.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0029]    Referring now to the drawings, which are for purposes of illustrating several embodiments of the invention only, and not for purposes of limiting the same, FIG. 1 shows a doll  10  with a storage means  24  in the open position. In this embodiment, the storage means  24  closes on the back side (shown, but not referenced)) of the doll  10 . It is to be understood that the storage means  24  can be located any place on the doll  10 , as long as chosen using sound engineering judgment. For example, the storage means  24  could be located in either of the arms or legs or head of the doll  10 . Any place that is large enough to receive a capsule  12  can be used as the storage means  24 . It is also to be understood that this invention is not limited to the use of the doll  10  or the time capsule  12 . Any toy, collectible item, stuffed animal, etc. can be used with this invention to contain the time capsule  12 , as long as chosen using sound engineering judgment.  
         [0030]    In this embodiment, the storage means  24  is a rigid container, or cavity, located inside the body of the doll  10 . The storage means  24 , one embodiment of which is shown in FIG. 3, is used for housing the capsule  12 , or on the other hand, can be used as the time capsule  12  itself. The materials that are to be deposited within the capsule  12  could also be deposited within the storage means  24 , without the use of the actual capsule  12 . The cavity  24  can be made of any rigid, or semi-rigid material chosen using sound engineering judgment. The current invention is not limited, however, to a rigid or semi-rigid container. The time capsule  12  could simply be placed inside the body of the doll  10 , without any type of housing. The cavity  24  could also be made of a soft, or non-rigid material. The invention encompasses any and all variations of the concept of placing a container  24  or time capsule  12  inside a toy.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 1 also shows a first flap  14 , a second flap  16 , and a third flap  18 . The flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  are used for enclosing the capsule  12  within the storage means  24 . In this embodiment, the first flap  14 , when in the open position, as shown in FIG. 1, extends outwardly and downwardly from the storage means  24 . In order to enclose the capsule  12  within the storage means  24 , the first flap  14  is folded in an upward direction toward the head of the doll  10 . Once the first flap  14  is secured over the opening of the storage means  24 , the second and third flaps  16 ,  18 , are folded inwardly to cover the first flap  14 . In this embodiment the flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  are secured to the storage means  24  via Velcro™ strips, but any means of connecting the flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  to the storage means  24 , or each other, can be used, as long as chosen using sound engineering judgment.  
         [0032]    The flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  can be opened and closed to cover or uncover the storage means  24  whenever necessary. This allows the capsule  12  to be selectively accessible.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the doll  10 ′. FIG. 2 shows a stuffed animal  10 ′ with a storage means  24 ′, connecting strip  22 , and third flap  14 ′. As in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the stuffed animal  10 ′ has the storage means  24 ′ located internally. The first flap  14 ′ is selectively detachable from the connecting strip  22 , using hook-and-eye connectors. This allows the capsule  12  to be selectively accessed by the user of the stuffed animal  10 ′. However, it is to be understood that the description of the first flap  14 ′ in FIG. 2 is only one embodiment of the invention, and any means of selectively accessing and closing the storage means  24 ′ can be used as long as chosen using sound engineering judgment. Also, the means for connecting the first flap  14 ′ to the connecting strip  22  does not have to be the hook-and-eye connection, but can be accomplished using any means chosen using sound engineering judgment.  
         [0034]    In another embodiment, the storage means  24  could be selectively accessible via a door (not shown), which is selectively movable on a vertical axis. In this embodiment, the door is made of cardboard or poster board and covered with material. The door attaches to the body of the toy  10  via Velcro™ or other hook-and-loop fasteners. However, it is to be understood that the type of door, the material used for the door, and the means for attaching the door to the body of the toy  10  are not limitations of this invention and this invention contemplates any and all possible varieties of such. For example, the door could be made completely of a soft material, or it could be made of wood or metal. The door could also have its hinge on any of the four sides of the door. It is also contemplated within this invention that the door could be rolled back from the opening, or folded back from the opening.  
         [0035]    The means of connecting the door to the toy could include buttons, hooks, snaps, zippers, ribbons, string, pins, straps, etc. Again, the invention is not limited to the particular means by which the door is attached to the opening.  
         [0036]    With reference now to FIGS.  1 - 4 , the invention contemplates a doll  10  with a rigid cavity  24  in the back area. The doll  10  can be any doll  10  made according to the known art of doll making. The rigid cavity  24  is large enough to house the capsule  12  that is approximately 6″×2½″. The time capsule  12  is preferably a cylindrical canister with a screw-on lid. However, it is to be understood that the capsule  12  could be any means for containing materials using sound engineering judgment. The cavity  24  is fixedly attached to the body of the doll  10 , and the top of the cavity  24  is flush with the back of the doll.  
         [0037]    The cavity  24  can be used to store valuables, or anything else that a person wishes to place in the cavity  24  directly, or the user can place the valuables into a separate container  12  that is selectively accessible as well, and place the container  12  into the cavity  24 . Once the valuables have been placed into the container  12  and the container  12  has been placed into the cavity  24 , the door, or flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  may then be shut and attached to the body of the doll  10 . When the user desires to retrieve the valuables, or whatever else was placed into the container  12  or cavity  24 , the user simply detaches the door, or flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  from the body of the doll  10  and removes the desired articles.  
         [0038]    With reference now to FIG. 4, another embodiment of the time capsule  12 ′ is shown. In this embodiment, the capsule  12 ′ resembles the canister used at drive-through banks for delivering money and other information. The time capsule  12 ′ has a door (shown, but not referenced) that slides along the interior of the capsule  12 ′.  
         [0039]    The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the specification. It is intended by applicant to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.  
         [0040]    Having thus described the invention, it is now claimed: