Abstract:
The educational toy includes a toy figure having a body, a frame affixed within a portion of the body, and an earth globe disposed within the frame. The globe is configured to rotate within the frame. The globe is configured to represent the earth, and has outlines representing the continents and at least larger countries or geographical regions, and may have contours representing mountains or other features. The globe may alternatively be retained on an outstretched hand or limb of a figure and may be rotated on a shaft attached to the limb or limbs of the figure. Optionally, the educational toy may be illuminated, play back an educational audio message, or include a motor for rotating the globe.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This is a continuation-in part of my prior application Ser. No. 11/035,738, filed Jan. 18, 2005 now abandoned and titled “Educational Toy,” which is a continuation of my prior application Ser. No. 10/873,137, filed Jun. 23, 2004 and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,655 B1. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an educational toy and, more particularly, to a toy figurine which has a revolving globe disposed therein. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Knowledge of geography is essential for appreciating the physical and social aspects of the complex global world in which we live. Traditional teaching devices for facilitating comprehension of world geography are rarely useful for most children. A conventional world globe, for example, is a teaching device which is frequently used to educate children on world geography. In the classroom, however, few children feel comfortable familiarizing themselves with a heavy globe which may rest on a teacher&#39;s desk or bookshelf. Outside of the classroom, most children would prefer to amuse themselves with toys rather than a traditional learning device, such as a globe of the earth. Thus, an educational toy incorporating a globe to teach world geography and the earth&#39;s rotation about an axis is desirable. 
   Educational toys associated with geographical or multicultural concepts are described or disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. 67,422, issued May 26, 1925 to V. C. Thompson (a doll); U.S. Design Pat. No. 367,686, issued Mar. 5, 1996 to Lolita B. Decanay (a doll); U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0045400, published Apr. 18, 2002 (set of dolls for simulating a universal beauty pageant); U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0102909, published Aug. 1, 2002 to Derraugh et al. (cloth shape with pockets for objects; U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,457, issued Jul. 22, 1975 to E. Koskiewicz (global sphere yo-yo device); U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,935, issued Feb. 25, 1992 to C. S. Monson (composite toy having interconnectable toy components); U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,938, issued Feb. 25, 1992 to C. Reynolds (toy or other object alterable between two different shapes); U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,840, issued Dec. 9, 2003 to Chastain et al. (set of dolls for simulating a universal beauty pageant); U.K. Patent No. 2,235,805, published Mar. 13, 1991 (educational globe toy); and Japanese Patent No. 7-631, published Jan. 6, 1995 (toy for intellectual training). 
   None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, an educational toy solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The educational toy includes a toy figure having a body, a frame affixed within a portion of the body, and an earth globe disposed within the frame. The globe is configured to rotate within the frame. The toy figure may be a doll, a figurine, a teddy bear or other stuffed animal, an inflatable water toy, a hand or string puppet, an angel, a Santa Claus or any other toy figure depicting a human, animal, alien, fantasy, or other character having a body capable of mounting a revolving globe therein. The globe is configured to represent the earth, and has outlines representing the continents and at least larger countries or geographical regions, and may have contours representing mountains or other features. 
   The three-dimensional globe may alternatively be retained on an outstretched hand or limb of a figure and may be rotated on a shaft or ball bearings attached to the limb or limbs of the figure. 
   The educational toy may optionally include electronic features for lighting all or part of the globe, for rotating the globe, and/or for playing an audio message containing educational information regarding a geographical region displayed on the globe, or relating to the rotation of the earth, or other educational information. 
   Since most children generally engage in play with a doll, figurine, or other toy of some kind, children will feel comfortable handling the educational toy of the present invention frequently. The educational toy also helps children understand world geography, how the earth revolves on its axis, and day/night cycles. 
   These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon consideration of the following specification and drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an educational toy according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2A  is a fragmented section view of a portion of an educational toy according to the present invention, showing a first embodiment of a rotating globe. 
       FIG. 2B  is a fragmented section view of a portion of an educational toy according to the present invention, showing a second embodiment of a rotating globe. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an educational toy according to the present invention showing a second embodiment of a supporting frame. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of optional electronic circuitry for an educational toy according to the present invention for illuminating the globe, playing an audio message, or rotating the globe. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the educational toy according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the educational toy according to the present invention. 
   

   Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The present invention relates to an educational toy, generally designated as  10  in the drawings. The educational toy includes a toy  FIG. 12  and a globe  14  which is rotatable within the toy  FIG. 12 . Although a hemispheric portion of the globe  14  is viewable from a front side of the toy  FIG. 12  in the drawings, the toy  FIG. 12  may be configured to display a hemispheric portion of the globe  14  from both sides of the body of the toy  FIG. 12 . It will also be understood that the toy  FIG. 12  is not limited to the scallop-shaped toy  FIG. 12  depicted in the drawings and that the toy  FIG. 12  can be of any suitable form or shape. As used in the present application, the term “toy figure” means a doll, figurine, stuffed animal, inflatable water toy, string or hand puppet, or any other toy having a body depicting a human, animal, alien, fantasy, or other character in which the body is capable of supporting a rotating globe. Thus, the toy  FIG. 12  can include, for example, dolls, Santa Claus dolls, teddy bears, hand puppets, string puppets, inflatable rubber ducks typically used in the bathtub, angels, figurines of real, cartoon, or fairy tale characters, Christmas trees, hearts, squares or any other shape. The toy  FIG. 12  can be made from plastic, fabric, or other suitable material. 
   The globe  14  includes a map or image of the earth on its exterior surface, including any or all of the indicia of a standard reproduction of the earth&#39;s surface. Thus, the map may include raised portions or contours to represent mountain ranges, as well as other topography. The globe  14  can be made from plastic, fabric, foam, or any other suitable material. 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B  depict exemplary sectional views of a portion of the toy  FIG. 12  and the globe  14  positioned within the toy  FIG. 12 . As can be seen, a supportive frame  16  may be disposed within the toy  FIG. 12  for receiving the globe  14 . The frame  16  can be hemispherical, semicircular, arcuate, or of any other suitable shape or structure. The frame  16  can be made from any suitable material, including, but not limited to, metal or plastic. 
   The globe  14  and frame  16  may be disposed in any suitable portion of the figurine. The globe  14  can be positioned within the frame  16  in any conventional manner which would allow a user to manually rotate the globe  14  within the frame  16 . As shown in  FIG. 2A , for example, a rod  18  or other suitable cylindrical structure may extend through the globe  14  and attach at its opposing ends to the frame  16 . The globe  14  may thereby revolve around the rod  18  when manually spun. The globe  14  may be equipped with bearings where the rod  18  enters and exits the globe to ensure smooth rotation of the globe around the rod  18 . 
   In another embodiment, shown in  FIG. 2B , pins  20  may be provided to connect the globe  14  to the frame  16 . The pins  20  may be fixed to diametrically opposed positions of the globe  14  and configured to rotate in holes defined within the frame  16 . Alternatively, the pins  20  may be fixed in the frame  16 , but rotatably mounted to the globe  14 . 
   Turning now to  FIG. 3 , the globe  14  may be positioned within the toy  FIG. 10  by first disposing the supportive frame  16  within the toy  FIG. 10 . The globe  14  is then positioned within the frame  16  in any conventional manner that would allow a user to manually rotate the globe  14  within the frame  16 , for example, using a rod  18  extending through the globe  14  or pins  20  fixed to diametrically opposed positions of the globe  14  and configured to rotate in holes defined within the frame  16 . The frame  16  may include attachment holes  40 , which may be used to attach the frame  16  to the toy  FIG. 12  when the toy  FIG. 12  is made from a soft material such as cotton or the like. The attachment holes  40  allow the frame  16  to be sewn to the toy  FIG. 12 , thereby retaining the frame  16  and globe  14  within the body of the toy  FIG. 12 . 
   The globe  14  may be removed from the frame  16  and any other spherical object may be replaced within the frame  16 . The globe  14  is therefore interchangeable with any spherical object. 
   Optionally, the educational toy  10  may be configured to allow for automated rotation of the globe  14 , illumination of the globe  14 , and/or activation of an audio device. Automation of the educational toy  11  can be accomplished in any conventional manner known in the art. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the educational toy may be equipped with one or more switches  22 , which may be located on the body of the toy  FIG. 12 , on the globe  14 , or on the frame  16 , that can be triggered to connect a power supply  26  to an appropriate electrical device or circuit. The power supply  26  can be, for example, one or more batteries, e.g., a watch battery, AA or AAA alkaline batteries, a lithium battery, etc. The power supply  26  may be a direct current from an electrical outlet or other source of current. The power supply  26  provides sufficient voltage and current to activate a motor  28 , a sound device  30  and/or a light source  32 . Alternatively, however, the educational toy  10  may be configured in any suitable manner known in the art which would allow the motor  28 , the sound device  30 , and/or the light source  32  to be activated when a user touches designated portions of the globe  14  or the toy  FIG. 12 , e.g., by capacitance switches, etc., as is well known in the electrical arts. 
   Activation of the motor  28  initiates rotation of the globe  14 . Rotation of the globe  14  provides a child with a better understanding of how the earth revolves on its axis and the cycles of day and night. The motor may be a small piezoelectric motor, a stepper motor, or any other motor known in the art. 
   Activation of the light source  32  illuminates the globe  14 . Illumination of the globe  14  allows a child to use the toy  10  at night, while traveling in a car, for example. The light source  32  may be an incandescent light, one or more light emitting diodes, a fluorescent light, or any other illumination source known in the electrical arts. For this purpose, the globe  14  may be made of translucent material and the light source may be disposed within, behind, above, or below the globe  14 . 
   Activation of the sound device  30  triggers an audio message which identifies or describes the geographic location(s) which are displayed once the globe  14  has returned to a stationary position after spinning. The sound device  30  may be a magnetic tape or audio chip connected to a speaker. For example, if the globe  14  stops its rotation with the continent of Europe displayed, the audio may recite an appropriate informational message, such as: “This is Europe, an area with many countries. These countries are Spain, France, Germany . . . . ” 
     FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of the educational toy  100 . In this embodiment, the toy  FIG. 102  is shaped as an angel, but any figure may be used that has arms, legs or limbs. The globe  14  is situated on the outstretched hand  104  of the toy  FIG. 102 . A shaft  106  extends from the outstretched hand  104  and is adapted to receive the globe  14 . The globe  14  may include an opening for receiving the shaft  106 . The shaft  106  allows the globe  14  to be positioned and retained on the hand  104 , and permits the globe  14  to be removable in order to substitute other spherical objects. The shaft  106  may be electrically connected to a motor  28 , located either within the toy  FIG. 102  or attached to the outside of the toy  figure 102 , that may initiate rotation of the shaft  106  such that when the globe  14  is positioned on the shaft  106 , the globe  14  is rotated. The motor  28  may be omitted and a user may be able to manually rotate the globe  14  about the shaft  106 . Although a shaft  106  is shown to retain the globe  14  and allow for the rotation of the globe  14 , any other means for retaining and rotating the globe  14  on the hand  104  may be used. 
   Turning now to  FIG. 6 , another embodiment of the educational toy  200  is shown. In this embodiment, the toy  FIG. 202  is shaped as a Santa Claus, although any figure may be used that has arms, legs or limbs. The globe  14  may be situated on the outstretched hands  104  of the toy  FIG. 202 . Any method of rotating the globe  14  may be used, including use of a shaft  106  (shown more clearly in  FIG. 5 ) connected to a hand  104  or any other similar manner of allowing the globe  14  to be rotated may be employed. A motor  28  may be electrically connected to the shaft  106  or other rotating device in order to revolve the globe  14 . The motor  28  may be attached within the toy  FIG. 202  or outside of the toy  FIG. 202 . The globe  14  may be removed from the hands  104  of the  FIG. 202  and replaced with any other spherical object. Although a shaft  106  is shown to retain the globe  14  and allow for the rotation of the globe  14 , any other means for retaining and rotating the globe  14  on the hand  104  may be used, for example, providing ball bearings in either hand  104  and situating the globe  14  on the ball bearings such that the globe  14  may be rotated. 
   While a rotating globe  14  is shown in the drawings, any spherical object may be used in place of the globe  14 , for example a snow globe. 
   Hence the educational toy  10  provides an amusing diversion for children that also provides education regarding geography and the structure of the earth. 
   It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.