Patent Publication Number: US-2011053452-A1

Title: Novelty storage container/display apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a novelty storage container/display apparatus, and more particularly, to a storage container and/or display apparatus configured as a toy figure or character. 
     Numerous commercial consumer products are directed to young consumers, such as toddlers and babies. Moreover, with the every increasing number of providers of such consumer products, young consumers, or purchasers of such consumer products for young consumers, can select from any number of providers of their choosing. As such, it has become a much more competitive marketplace for providers to successfully market and sell consumer products for use by young consumers, especially commodities, such as bed sheets, blanket throws and pillows. 
     Attempts to differentiate such commodities to win over purchasers have included the use of celebrity endorsements, character prints, and/or discounts. However, such brand differentiation means are now commonplace in the market and therefore, in essence, no longer sufficiently differentiate such commodity products to purchasers. 
     As such, there is still a need for a means to differentiate products with purchasers of commodity products, especially for young consumers, that provides for a market and/or advertising advantage. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, the problem of providing a novel means to differentiate a product is solved by a novelty storage container/display apparatus that can store or display a product and then function as a novelty secondary storage or display item. In this way, both packaging and product/brand differentiation can be provided to the consumer. 
     In an embodiment, the present invention provides for a toy character or figure comprising: a head; a torso; arms, legs; and a belly in the shape of a container configured to receive an item. 
     In another embodiment, the present invention provides for an apparatus comprising: a container that includes: a head, torso, arms, and legs; wherein the container is formed partially of fabric. 
     In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides for a method of displaying a product comprising the steps of providing an apparatus comprising: a container that includes: a head, torso, arms, and legs; wherein the container is formed partially of fabric, and partially inserting a product in the container. 
     In a further embodiment, the present invention provides for a display apparatus comprising: a base that includes: a mounting section for mounting a product; legs; and a backboard that includes: a torso; arms; and a head; wherein the base and backboard are configured as a character in the seated position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a toy character having a belly in the form of a container configured to receive a sheet set in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the toy character of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the toy character of  FIG. 1  with internal fasteners and without a sheet set; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the toy character of  FIG. 1  with external fasteners and without a sheet set; and 
         FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of a display apparatus in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same or like reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like features. It should be noted that the drawings are in simplified form and are not drawn to precise scale. In reference to the disclosure herein, for purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms such as top, bottom, above, below and diagonal, are used with respect to the accompanying drawings. Such directional terms used in conjunction with the following description of the drawings should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention in any manner not explicitly set forth. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides for a toy figure, character or doll  10  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The toy character  10  includes a head  12 , a torso  14 , arms  16 , legs  18 , and a belly  20 , configured as shown on  FIG. 1 . 
     The belly  20  is generally configured as a storage container. While the storage container can be configured in an number of ways, the belly  20  is preferably configured as an open toped parallelpiped shaped storage container. More preferably, the belly  20  is configured with a substantially planar bottom wall  22  and four substantially planar side walls  24   a - d  extending generally perpendicular to the bottom wall  22 . The substantially planar bottom and side walls  22 ,  24   a - d , form a substantially rectangular basket. The internal volume or storage capacity of the belly or container  20  is sufficient to store or hold an item or product  26 , such as a sheet set  26 , blanket throws, pillows, or the like. Preferably, the internal volume of the belly  20  is configured such that the product  26  is only partially stored in the belly  20  so that a top portion of the product  26  stands exposed and viewable by a consumer. 
     The product  26  stored in the belly  20  can be any commercial consumer product such as a sheet set, blanket throw, pillows, or combinations thereof. Preferably, the product  26  stored in the belly  20  is a separately packaged product. Separately packaging the product  26  advantageously allows for the product to be sold separately and in combination with the toy character  10 . 
     The belly  20  can also be configured with fasteners  28  (see  FIG. 3 ) along the inside of any of the substantially planar side walls  24   a - d  (only side wall  24   c  illustrated with a fastener  28  for convenience) or the bottom wall  22  to retain the product  26  within the belly  20  or to allow a user to open and securely close the belly  20 . Any conventional fastener readily known in the art can be used, as such a detailed explanation of such fasteners is not necessary for a complete understanding of the present invention. However, such fasteners  28  can include, a button, hook and loop fasteners, ties, zippers and the like. 
     The belly  20  can further be configured with fasteners  30  (see  FIG. 4 ) along the outside of any of the substantially planar side walls  24   a - d  (only side wall  24   a  illustrated with a fastener  30  for convenience) to allow a user to secure the arms  16  of the toy character  10  over the belly  20 , if desired. The fasteners  30  can by any conventional fasteners, such as those described above for fasteners  28 . The fasteners  30  advantageously allows for any product  26  retained within the belly  20  to be further secured by the arms  16  fastened over the belly  20 . 
     The appendages of the toy character  10  can be configured in any of numerous ways, however, the toy character  10  is preferably configured such that the container formed out of the belly  20  is in the upright position when the toy character  10  is in an upright seated position. This is accomplished by preferably positioning the legs  18  along a front end of the belly  20  and the torso  14  along a back end of the belly  20 . That is, the toy character  10  is preferably configured as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The toy character  10  can be made out of any material readily known in the art for making toy characters, such as wood, plastics, textiles, and metals. Preferably, the toy character  10  is formed out of a soft textile, such as fabric or a plush fabric, and filled with a soft material, such as cotton. The belly  20  is also preferably formed out of a soft textile so as to be collapsible and soft. 
     The toy character  10  can also be configured with an informational hang tag  32 . The hang tag  32  can be positioned and fastened to the toy character  10  about any location, but is preferably positioned on one of the arm(s)  16  of the toy character  10 . The hang tag  32  is configured to resemble a book or other item readily associated with or held by the character embodied by the toy character  10 . The hang tag  32  also includes information such as a pictorial image, sizing information, UPC code, laundering information, or any other information necessary or preferably conveyed with the product  26 . 
     The toy character  10  can be configured as any toy character known in the art, such as a teddy bear, animal, person, or even an object such as a vehicle (e.g., Lighting McQueen from the movie Cars). Preferably, the toy character  10  is configured as a well known character, such as Big Bird, Elmo, Bugs Bunny, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Sportacus, Lighting McQueen, or any other well known character. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the head  12 , torso  14 , arms  16 , and legs  18  are all detachably connectable to the belly  20 . The head  12 , torso  14 , arms  16 , and legs  18  can be connected to the belly  20  via fasteners (not shown) that are readily known in the art. 
     In a further embodiment, the present invention provides for a method of displaying a product  26 . The product  26  can be any consumer product such as bed sheets, blanket throws, pillows, or combinations thereof. The method includes the steps of providing an apparatus that includes a container having a head  12 , torso  14 , arms  16 , and legs  16 , wherein the container  20  is formed partially of fabric. Thereafter, a product  26  is partially inserted into the container  20 . 
     In yet another embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the present invention provides for a display apparatus  100 . The display apparatus  100  includes a base  102  and a backboard  104 . 
     The base  102  includes a mounting section  106  for mounting e.g., a product  116 , and legs  108 . The legs  108  are preferably attached to a front end of the mounting section  106 . The mounting section  106  can be configured as an open toped container. Preferably, the mounting section  106  of the base  102  is configured to partially store a product  116  within the mounting section  106  and to leave the product  116  partially exposed for viewing by a consumer, such as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     The backboard  104  includes a torso  110 , a head  112 , and arms  114 . The backboard  104  is connected to the base  102  about a back end of the base  102  (e.g., towards the back of the torso  110 ). 
     The display  100  is preferably configured as a character, such as a doll or other animated object, that is in a seated position as best shown in  FIG. 5 . While the display can be made out of any material, such as wood, plastic, textile, or metal, the display is preferably formed at least partially out of a soft fabric. 
     The embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide for a novel storage container or display apparatus that can be used to package or display a product to differentiate the product from other similar products. With the present invention, a consumer is provided with a novel packaging or display means for a product and is further advantaged by being provided with a novelty storage container or display apparatus for use after the product is opened or excised from the storage container or display apparatus. As such, the present invention also advantageously reduces the overall amount of waste associated with packaging materials while providing a reusable packaging (i.e., the storage container or display apparatus) that can be used as a secondary novelty storage container or display apparatus. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concepts thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover all modifications which are within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.