Patent Publication Number: US-2022226743-A1

Title: Sock Plush Toys

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/138,551, which was filed on Jan. 18, 2021 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of toys. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sock-based plush toy specially designed for children and adults that brings their personal creations to life. The sock plush toys of the present invention are shaped in the form of dolls featuring eyes, nose, hair, hands, legs and/or more, and can be of any color, size and shape to suit the wants and/or needs of different users. The sock plush toys can be used as toys, keychains, pendants for necklaces, gift items and more to bring joy to both children and adults. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     By way of background, a variety of toys are available in the market for the fun and entertainment of children, adults and the like. Stuffed toys, also referred to as “plush toys” are commonly used by children and adults. Stuffed toys are comprised of an outer fabric that is manufactured of a sewn cloth, velvet, fur, velour, etc., or other plush woven fabric as known in the art, and an inner filling made of a flexible material such as fiber, cotton or the like. Stuffed toys are soft and pliable to touch and are commonly used and enjoyed by children. Also, stuffed toys currently used by children are typically used for entertainment purposes. Furthermore, current stuffed toys known in the art may be manufactured of a rough outer fabric that is usually colored with toxic paints, which makes said stuffed toys unsafe for use by children. 
     Adults who need to find solace when they are sad, stressed or lonely may also use a stuffed toy to relieve their anxiety, stress and other negative feelings. Typically, adults tend to invest in stress-relieving activities and/or therapy sessions which can be quite expensive. Further, the complete process of coping with anxiety and stress is a time-consuming process, and some people may be interested in getting quick results. 
     Therefore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for an improved stuffed toy that brings joy to both children and adults. There is also a long-felt need in the art for an improved plush toy that is entertaining and keeps both children and adults engaged in fun activities. Moreover, there is a long-felt need in the art for a uniquely-designed plush toy that can be used for multiple purposes by children and adults, including coping with anxiety and stress issues. There is also a long-felt need in the art for a stuffed toy that is soft on the outside and does not use any toxic materials such that it is safe to use for all users. 
     The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a plush toy device in the form of a doll, toy, animal or other shape. The plush toy device of the present invention comprises a sock-like material which forms a housing, having a stuffing or filler material stuffed therein. The device also has a face having wiggly eyes, a nose, a mouth, a torso portion and a plurality of appendages extending outward and forming legs, arms, ears and the like. The plush toy device also has an optional slit to allow users to refill the filler material inside the housing as per a user&#39;s wants and needs. Additionally, the plush toy device comprises a fastening mechanism to attach to a keychain or a clipped band allowing the plush toy device to be used as a keychain holder and/or a necklace. Further, the plurality of appendages are removably-attached and are designed to provide different shapes and/or designs to the plush toy device. 
     In this manner, the novel plush toy device of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives, and provide a relatively safe, joyful and cost-effective solution in keeping both children and adults entertained. The device of the present invention is also user friendly, helps adults in coping with their anxiety or stress, and is safe for use by children. Additionally, the device can be used for multiple purposes such as keyrings, necklace pendants and more. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
     The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a plush toy device. The plush toy device is designed to resemble a doll, toy, animal or other shape according to the wants and/or needs of a user. The plush toy device further comprises a single sock-like material which forms a housing, and a stuffing and/or filler material stuffed within the housing. The plush toy device also comprises a face having wiggly eyes, a nose and a mouth, a torso portion, and a plurality of appendages extending outward and forming any number of legs, arms, ears and the like. The plush toy device also has a fastening mechanism which attaches to a keychain or a clipped band, both of which allow the plush toy device to be used as a keychain holder and/or a necklace. The plurality of appendages are preferably formed using rubber bands and/or ribbons that can be designed to provide different shapes and/or designs to the plush toy. The face and the torso also form a main body, wherein the plurality of appendages can be formed at different positions in relation to the body using the rubber bands and/or ribbons. 
     In a further embodiment of the present invention, a sock-based plush toy device is disclosed. The sock-based plush toy device comprises a sock-like fabric body cover and an internal filling material. The sock-based plush toy device comprises a torso, a head and a plurality of appendages. The head comprises a face which includes a pair of eyes and a nose attached using any suitable adhesive as is known in the art. The plurality of appendages further comprises a pair of arm appendages and a pair of legs appendages which extend from the torso, and a pair of ears and/or antennas which extend from the head of the sock-based plush toy device. A plurality of rubber bands or ribbons are used for creating a neck portion and for creating the plurality of appendages on the sock-like fabric body cover. The device can also be made into a keychain and/or can be hung from a clipped band. 
     In any embodiment, the internal filling material can be a single material or a combination of materials such as fiberfill, polyfil, plastic pellets, beans and/or any other suitable soft stuffing material as is known in the art. The sock-like fabric can be a single material or a combination of sock-like materials, such as a fabric having a plain sheet structure and/or perforations. Said fabric can be made of cotton, flax, hemp, etc. In addition, or alternatively, the material can be nylon fabric, polyester fabric, wool fabric, etc. 
     In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, the device may be comprised of a plush toy kit device comprising a plurality of plush dolls and other plush toys. More specifically, the kit includes a plush doll that can be used as a keychain holder, a second plush doll that can be used as a necklace, and a third plush doll to be used as a magnet catcher. Each plush doll has a different design and is available in multiple colors. Each doll also has appendages and can be designed with a discrete head, ears, arms, legs, eyes, antennae, etc. 
     Any embodiment of the device may also disclose a plush toy device with a slit in a rear portion for refilling the filling material. The plush toy device can be in the form of a doll or any other cartoon or animal character as is known in the art. The slit is disposed at the rear portion and is configured to be opened when changing or refilling the filling material stored within the plush toy. The slit can be sewn or fastened using an adhesive or a zipper. 
     In another differing embodiment of the present invention, a plush toy device is disclosed. The plush toy device comprises a button battery for providing power to a built-in speaker, wherein the speaker emits an audible noise when the plush toy device is squeezed. Further, a plurality of LEDs are positioned and secured on a surface of the plush toy device. The plurality of LEDs are illuminated when the built-in speaker emits the audible noise. The audible noise can be any suitable noise as is known in the art, and can be stored in an internal memory of the plush toy device. The button battery, built-in speaker and internal memory are all secured within the plush toy device, whereas the plurality of LEDs are positioned on a surface of the plush toy device. 
     To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which: 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates a front perspective view of one potential embodiment of the plush toy device of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture; 
         FIG. 1B  illustrates a rear perspective view of one potential embodiment of the plush toy device of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of another potential embodiment of the plush toy device of the present invention utilized as a key chain in accordance with the disclosed architecture; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of a further potential embodiment of the plush toy device of the present invention utilized as a necklace in accordance with the disclosed architecture; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a rear perspective view of another potential embodiment of the plush toy device of the present invention with a magnetic attachment in accordance with the disclosed architecture; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of another potential embodiment of the plush toy device of the present invention comprising a tether in accordance with the disclosed architecture; and 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a block diagram showing the internal components of another potential embodiment of the plush toy device of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined. 
     As noted above, there exists a long-felt need in the art for an improved stuffed toy device that brings joy to both children and adults, wherein the toy is entertaining and keeps both children and adults engaged in fun activities. Moreover, there is a long-felt need in the art for a uniquely-designed plush toy device that can be used for multiple purposes by children and adults such as to aid in treating anxiety and stress issues. Furthermore, there is a long-felt need in the art for an inexpensive stuffed toy device that can be used to spread happiness to friends and families. There is also a long-felt need in the art for a stuffed toy device that is soft on the outside, nontoxic and child-safe. 
     The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is comprised of a plush toy device. The device comprises a sock-like fabric body cover and an internal filling material. The sock-like fabric body cover can be a single multicolored sock, and may also contain a torso, head and a plurality of appendages. The torso and the head then form the main body of the device, wherein the head is also comprised of a face which has a pair of eyes and a nose attached using a suitable adhesive. Further, a pair of arm appendages and a pair of leg appendages extend from the torso, and a pair of ears or antennas extend from the head of the toy device. A plurality of rubber bands and/or ribbons are used for creating a neck portion and for creating the plurality of appendages. Further, the plush toy device can be held in a hand, made into a keychain and/or hung from a clipped band. 
     Referring initially to the drawings,  FIG. 1A  illustrates a front perspective view of one embodiment of a plush toy device  100  of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The plush toy device  100  of the present embodiment is comprised of a sock-like material as an outer material or covering. Typically, a single sock is utilized for the covering or outer material and is filled with one or more various types of pliable material, such as but not limited to fiberfill, polyfil, plastic pellets, beans or other suitable stuffing as is known in the art which allows the outer material to hold the shape of the plush toy. The device  100  is also comprised of a doll face portion  102  and a torso portion  104 . A ribbon  114  is tied to form a distinction between the doll face portion  102  and the torso portion  104  to create a neck area  1140 . The face  102  comprises a right wiggly eye  106   a  and a left wiggly eye  106   b  and an optional nose (not shown). The wiggly eyes  106   a ,  106   b  can be attached to the doll face portion  102  using adhesive or sewn, or can be attached via any other suitable adhesive means as is known in the art. Other facial features such as eyebrows  1120  can be drawn using a waterproof color. 
     The plush toy device  100  further has a right arm appendage  108   a  and a left arm appendage  108   b  sewn to the torso portion  104  or adjacent to the ribbon  114 . At the bottom  1160  of the torso portion  104 , a right leg appendage  110   a  and a left leg appendage  110   b  are sewn to the torso portion  104 , thus providing the look of a doll. A head portion  112   a , a pair of ear-like or antennae structures are also provided, i.e., a right ear  112   b  and a left ear  112   c . Said ears  112   b  and  112   c  are typically sewn onto the toy device  100 . 
     It should be noted that the plurality of appendages i.e., the right arm appendage  108   a , the left arm appendage  108   b , the right leg appendage  110   a , the left leg appendage  110   b , the right ear  112   b  and the left ear  112   c , can also be formed at a desired position using rubber bands or other suitable fasteners. Specifically, the plurality of appendages  108   a ,  108   b ,  110   a ,  110   b  are created via securing a portion of the outer material or covering with a rubber band thus forming the plurality of appendages, wherein the rubber bands can be of different sizes and widths. Alternatively, the plurality of appendages can be removably-attached to the torso portion  104  via a button or a buttonhole, a hook or an eye, a snap, a magnet, an adhesive surface, hook and loop, etc., or any other suitable securing means as is known in the art. Each appendage  108   a ,  108   b ,  110   a ,  110   b  may also be multiple colors, shapes, and/or sizes. Stuffing can be customized in each of the plurality of appendages  108   a ,  108   b ,  110   a ,  110   b , as well as the face portion  102  and the torso portion  104  providing a customized appearance of the sock plush toy device  100 . Further, the stuffing of the plush toy device  100  can have an infused scent which may be released through the porous sock material. 
     In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the covering or outer material is not limited to sock-like material but can also include a fabric having a plain sheet structure or perforations. Such fabric can be made of cotton, flax, hemp, etc. In addition, or alternatively, the fabric can be nylon, polyester, wool, etc. Preferably, the fabric can be of a single length with no sewn portions. 
       FIG. 1B  illustrates a rear perspective view of one embodiment of the plush toy device  100  of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The device  100  further has a rear head portion  116  and a back portion  118 . The back portion  118  is distinguishable from the rear head portion  116  via a ribbon, or alternatively a rubber band  120 , which is secured in place to form a neck area  1140 . Further, there can be a slit  1180  at the back portion  118  of the device  100  allowing a user to refill and/or customize the stuffing within the sock plush toy device  100 . The slit  1180  can have a fastening mechanism such as hook and loop, a button or a hook, etc. to allow the user to open the slit  1180  to refill and/or customize the filling material/stuffing inside the sock plush toy device  100  and close the slit  1180  when the sock plush toy device  100  is refilled. The slit  1180  is optional and provides a way of refilling and/or customizing the stuffing within the device  100 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of a plush toy device  100  of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. This embodiment  200  of the device  100  is embodied to be used as a keychain holder. The plush toy device  200  has a torso portion  204  and a head portion  212 . The head portion  212  comprises a face portion  202  which has a right wiggly eye  206   a  and a left wiggly eye  206   b  and optionally can have a nose (not shown). The wiggly eyes  206   a ,  206   b  can be attached to the face portion  202  via adhesive or sewing, or any other suitable securing means as is known in the art. 
     The device  200  also has a right arm appendage  208   a  and a left arm appendage  208   b  sewn or removably-attached to the torso portion  204 . A neck area can be formed using a rubber band or any elastic material positioned between the face portion  202  and the torso portion  204 . At the bottom of the torso portion  204 , a right leg appendage  210   a  and a left leg appendage  210   b  are sewn or removably attached to the torso portion  204 . At the head portion  212 , a key holder  214  is secured which utilizes a button or buttonhole, a hook or an eye, a snap, a magnet, an adhesive surface, hook and loop surfaces, etc. Further, the key holder  214  comprises a continuous opening  216  allowing a key  218  to be secured thereto and thus allowing the plush toy device  200  to be used as a keychain. In this embodiment  200 , the sock plush toy device  200  can be embodied as a teddy bear. However, other characters, including other animals, or other toy or character shapes can also be used, depending on the wants and/or needs of a user. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the plush toy device  100  of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. This embodiment  300  of the device  100  has a clip retainer  306  in the form of a hook sewn to the top portion  304  of the sock plush toy device  300 , or any other suitable securing means can be used as is known in the art. Further, a clip  308  can be clipped to the clip retainer  306  allowing a band  310  from which to hang the sock plush toy device  300 . The clip  308  is detachably-attached to the band  310 , and can be unfastened allowing the plush toy device  300  to be used with any other suitable band as is known in the art. For example, the device  300  can be used with a backpack to increase the aesthetic appeal of the backpack. 
     To personalize the device  300 , a colorful ribbon  302  can also be used. The face portion  314  of the sock plush toy device  300  can have a nose  312  in addition to wiggly eyes (not shown). The other structural features of the sock plush toy device  300  are similar to the other embodiments described supra and are not described in detail here. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a rear perspective view of another embodiment of the plush toy device  100  of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. This embodiment  400  of the device  100  comprises a magnetic attachment  404  at the rear portion  402  of the device  400 . The magnetic attachment  404  is a small magnet, secured via any suitable securing means as is known in the art, and can be used for attaching the sock plush toy device  400  to any magnetic surface. A ribbon  406  can be used for enhancing the aesthetic appearance of the device  400 . Further, one or more rubber bands  408  or other suitable elastics can be used to create a neck portion or to create appendages of the plush toy device  400 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a plush toy device  100  of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. This embodiment  500  of the device  100  is comprised of a tether  502  removably-attached to a tether hook  504  at the head  506  of the sock plush toy device  500 . The tether hook  504  is secured to the head  506  via gluing, sewing, etc., or any other suitable means as is known in the art. The tether  502  has a holding member  5020  at an end  5021 , thereby allowing a child to play with the sock plush toy device  500 . 
     In various embodiments of the device  100 , the device  100  may have a face-shaped design having eyes and a nose. In many embodiments, appendages attached to the torso and the face may form things such as a discrete head, ears, arms, legs, eyes, antennae, etc. to make the doll and/or toy more aesthetically appealing. Based on the design of the toy and/or doll, the appendages can have different colors, shapes and textures. The appendages of various embodiments of the present invention can be removably-attached to the main body of the doll and/or toy, thereby allowing a user to create various designs by removing and reattaching the appendages in different positions. Any desired type, color, texture, and/or print can be used for the plush toy device fabric. The face portion, torso portion, and plurality of appendages of the plush toy devices  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  600  are typically made with printed or solid sock-like fabrics. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a block diagram showing the internal components of an embodiment of the plush toy device  100  of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The plush toy device  600  of the present invention can be in the shape of any known toy or doll. The device  600  further has internal components housed within the sock-like or fabric outer covering. Specifically, a button battery  602  is used for providing power to built-in speakers  604  and LEDs  606 . The built-in speakers  604  can emit an audible sound when the plush toy device  600  is squeezed. The LEDs  606  are disposed on a surface of the sock-like fabric and can illuminate when the audible sound is activated. The LEDs  606  are secured to the surface of the sock-like fabric via gluing, welding, etc., or any other suitable securing means as is known in the art. A plurality of audible sounds, such as animal sounds or lullabies, may be stored in an internal memory  608  of the plush toy device  600  of the present invention. The button battery  602 , built-in speakers  604  and internal memory  608  are all secured within the plush toy device  600 , whereas the plurality of LEDs  606  are positioned on a surface of the plush toy device  600 . 
     The aforementioned plush toy devices comprise a head with a face portion. The face portion may optionally include a pair of eyes, a mouth and/or a nose. The plush toy device also includes a plurality of appendages. It should be understood that appendages as used herein can mean a leg or an arm, but should also be understood in its broadest sense to mean any outwardly extending portion of the plush toy devices (e.g., ears, tails, antennae, and the like). The plush toy device may optionally include any number of other ornamental accents, such as, for example, a collar, a tag, a bell, a ribbon, etc. 
     Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “plush toy”, “plush toy device”, and “sock-based plush toy device are interchangeable and refer to the plush toy devices  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  600  of the present invention. 
     Notwithstanding the forgoing, the plush toy devices  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  600  of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration, and material of the plush toy devices  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  600  as shown in  FIGS. 1-6  are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the plush toy devices  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  600  are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the plush toy devices  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  600  are important design parameters for user convenience, the plush toy devices  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  600  may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user&#39;s needs and/or preferences. 
     Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof. 
     What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.