Patent Publication Number: US-2005130554-A1

Title: Toy with sticky layer

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a toy that allows for releasable adherence of accessories. More specifically, the present invention relates to a toy with a sticky layer for releasable adherence of related accessories.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Stick-on toys, such as paper dolls and stick-on activity boards, are known. Such toys use various means, such as fold-over tabs and stickers, to attach items, such as clothing or other accessories, to toys.  
      Typically, stick-on toys attach items to a doll or activity board by providing a glue or an adhesive, typically on one surface of the item to be attached. Often these items are stickers, designed for one-time use or may be removed and reattached until they lose stickiness.  
      Items or the like are often designed for one-time application provided with adhesive or glue thereon and cannot be removed once placed on a paper doll or activity board. The toy is limited to one-time use and cannot be further modified by the user. Toys with stickers or the like with a glue or an adhesive designed to be reusable are limited in their ability to be reused to the extent they remain sticky. As the adhesive or glue likely attracts dirt and lint to its adhesive surface and/or the adhesive wears off after continual use, reusable stickers are problematic. As such, these toys have a limited life, with items unable to attach to the toy in the first place or to remain attached to the toy due to an inevitable loss of stickiness.  
      The demand for more sophisticated toys grows, and there exists a need to develop better methods of attaching, removing and reattaching items to toys, and further, allowing toys to get dirty while not impairing their function.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a toy comprising at least one cutout having an at least partially printed surface completely covered by a washable and at least semi-transparent layer for releasably adhering accessories related to the printed surface. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a frontal view of a toy in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the toy shown in  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a toy in accordance with the present invention, having a different shape from the toy shown in  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of multiple toys shown in  FIG. 3  bound together to form a book.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present invention provides a toy that releasably adheres items without losing adhesiveness.  
      One embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 , including cutout  10 , shown here with the shape of an outline of a figure, shown here as a teddy bear. Cutout  10  has an at least partially printed surface, shown here depicting a figure, specifically a teddy bear. Printed surface may include an image, photograph, depiction, or any other printed matter.  
      The term “cutout” as used herein means a two-dimensional item whose edge or edges define a particular shape. Cutout may be made of paper, cardboard, plastic, wood, laminate or any other suitable material or combination of materials. Cutout is not limited to any shape and may include a simple shape, such as a rectangle.  
      The term “figure” as used herein means any real or imaginary being, person, or animal, such as a doll or a teddy bear. Figure may provide the outline of the cutout and/or may provide a depiction, photograph, image or other printed matter which is disposed on the printed surface of the cutout. The depiction, photograph, image or other printed matter provided on printed surface is not limited to that of a figure.  
      As shown in  FIG. 2 , the partially printed surface  12  is at least partially covered by a sticky layer  14  for releasably adhering accessories related to the printed surface  12 . Sticky layer  14  may continuously and completely cover the partially printed surface, or it may be disposed in non-continuous, discrete patches on the printed surface. Sticky layer  14  is at least semi-transparent or translucent, and preferably transparent, so that printed surface beneath is visible. Sticky layer  14  may be tinted with color, or otherwise contain decorative additives, such as glitter.  
      Sticky layer  14  may be made from a reusable adhesive product such as MemoACT®, available from Advance Creative Technology Enterprise Inc. in Ontario, Canada. Other adhesives and adhesive products with similar properties from alternate vendors, such as 3M® or Freckle Press, Inc. (“Sticky Sheets” product), may be used. Sticky layer  14  is releasably adhesive in that its surface non-permanently adheres to items and easily releases them. Upon releasing items, sticky layer does not lose its adhesiveness, allowing items to be reattached and removed, over and over again. Sticky layer  14  attaches and reattaches accessories without losing its adhesiveness. Additionally, sticky layer  14  is washable in that it may be wetted and wiped with damp cloth, and allowed to air dry, if sticky layer  14  becomes dirty or otherwise loses adhesiveness. Washing sticky layer  14  in this manner and allowing it to dry restores its adhesiveness, returning to an initial stickiness. It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a reusable toy with a renewable adhesive capability so that the toy may be repeatedly played with, accessories repeatedly attached, removed and re-attached, without a loss of adhesiveness. It is a further advantage that a loss of adhesiveness due to dirt, lint or other matter attaching to the adhesive can be remedied by washing the sticky layer  14  of the present invention and allowing it to dry.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , cutout  10  has neither a printed surface nor a sticky layer at its bottom portion  16 . Sides  18  of the bottom portion  16  may be folded along pre-impressed lines  20  to function as a stand for cutout  30 , as shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 2  is a side view of cutout  10  showing the sticky layer  14  covering printed surface  12  of cutout  30 , with shoe  22  in attached position.  
      The term “accessories” as defined herein means any item for placement on the cutout. Accessories may relate to each other or to the printed surface, sharing a common theme with each other and/or with the cutout. Accessories may include, but are not limited to, clothing, shoes, bags, sports equipment, and jewelry. Accessories may relate to a particular theme, such as “dress-up”, including a hat, glasses, dress, shoes and purse Accessories additionally relate to the printed surface, for instance, in the correct placement of the accessories to the printed surface (with accessories including items of clothing and printed surface depicting a figure for placement of clothing on related body parts), or in theme (accessories relating to the beach, including pail, shovel, beach umbrella, and boat, for placement on the printed surface depicting a beach and ocean scene.) Accessories may relate to learning, such as the numerals 1-10 or the letters of the alphabet, for correct ordered placement upon the cutout. Accessories may be made of any material which is suitable to adhere to sticky layer such as paper, cardboard, fabric, plastic, wood, metal, or any combination thereof.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , accessories may include clothing and jewelry, specifically shoes  22 , swimsuit  32 , glasses  34 , purse  38 , and necklace  36 . Accessories may relate to the printed surface, and may be attached to sticky layer  14  relative to the printed surface  12  of cutout  10 , for instance, so as to teach children how to dress and associate items with certain areas of the body. For example, shoes  32  are placed on the feet, while glasses  34  are placed on the eyes.  
      A toy according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 3  including cutout  40 , shown here shaped as a rectangle, having an at least partially printed surface  42  at least partially covered by a sticky layer  44  for releasably adhering accessories  46 ,  47 ,  48 . Printed surface  42  of cutout  40  may be completely covered by sticky layer  44 . Toy may include a single cutout  40  which may serve as an activity board, play-board or a page within a book, and the accessories for reliable attachment thereto.  
      While toy shown in  FIGS. 1-3  is shown as including one cutout  10 , in another aspect of the present invention, toy may include multiple cutouts. As shown in  FIG. 4 , toy may include a multiplicity of cutouts  40 ,  50 ,  60 ,  70  attached together to form a book. Cutout  50  has an at least partially printed surface  52 . Cutout  50  may be partially covered with a sticky layer  54  in that discrete portions of the at least partially printed surface  52  are covered by a sticky layer  54 . Releasable adherence or attachment of accessories  56 ,  57 ,  58  is achieved at these portions of sticky layer  44 . It is preferable that accessories to be adhered to portions of sticky layer are equal or larger in size than said portion to which they attach so that said sticky layer is not exposed so that it may adhere to other pages in the book as the pages are turned and/or when the book is closed.