Patent Publication Number: US-2023149820-A1

Title: Portable Ride-On Toy

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to ride-on toys, and more particularly relates to a ride-on toy that can be assembled from a number of components that can be stored in a smaller package for storage or transportation. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Ride-on toys are very popular among children. Most ride-on toys are provided in their “use” state where they are ready for a user to sit on, and ride the toy. Unfortunately, in such a use configuration, these toys can be bulky and large, which makes it inconvenient for storage and transportation. 
     Thus, there remains a need for a ride-on toy that can be conveniently stored and transported, and which is easy to use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a ride-on toy that can be assembled from a number of smaller components so that all these components can be packaged into a smaller package or box for convenient storage and transportation. 
     In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention, there is provided a ride-on toy having a base having a front piece and a rear piece, each of the front piece and the rear piece having a plurality of leg housings. The base further includes at least one connecting strap that removably connects the front piece and the rear piece. The ride-on toy also includes an inflatable body having a body portion and a plurality of legs, with each of the plurality of legs inserted into a corresponding one of the plurality of leg housings. The ride-on toy also includes a plurality of wheel holders, each wheel holder having a foot housing and an ankle section extending upwardly from the foot housing, with a rotatable wheel secured inside the foot housing, and with the ankle section inserted into a corresponding one of the plurality of leg housings. 
     The front and rear pieces of the base, the connecting strap(s), the inflatable body, and the wheel holders are provided as separate components that can be assembled together or taken apart for storage and transportation. This allows the overall assembly to be provided in smaller-sized pieces to facilitate a smaller overall package or box, and lighter-weight to reduce manufacturing and shipping costs. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is an exploded perspective view of the base for a ride-on toy according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of the assembled base of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is an exploded perspective view of a body for a ride-on toy according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  4    is an exploded perspective view of the body of  FIG.  3    and the base of  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of the base and the body of  FIG.  4    shown assembled together. 
         FIG.  6    is a bottom perspective view of  FIG.  5   . 
         FIG.  7    illustrates the inflation of the body of  FIG.  5   . 
         FIG.  8    is an exploded perspective view showing wheel holders being assembled to the body in  FIG.  5   . 
         FIG.  9    is a bottom perspective view of a fully-assembled ride-on toy of  FIGS.  1 - 8   . 
         FIG.  10    is an enlarged view showing a wheel holder secured to a leg housing. 
         FIG.  11    is exploded expanded perspective view showing two wheel holders being secured to the two front leg housings. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     The present invention provides a ride-on toy that can be quickly and conveniently assembled together for use. This ride-on toy can be provided in a smaller package or configuration that is convenient for storage and transportation, and then assembled into its larger use configuration. 
     The ride-on toy has a base  102 , an inflatable body  104 , and a plurality of detachable wheel holders  106 . Each of these components can be provided separately and then assembled quickly for use. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1 - 2   , the base  102  has a front piece  120  and a rear piece  122  that are removably coupled by two connecting straps  124  and  126 . In one embodiment, the front piece  120  and the rear piece  122  can be identical, with each piece  120  or  122  used as either the front or the rear piece. The front piece  120  has a generally concave configuration with a front wall  128  and a bottom wall  130 , and the rear piece  122  is also generally concave with a rear wall  132  and a bottom wall  134 . As mentioned above, the front wall  128  can be the same as the rear wall  132 . Each of the bottom walls  130  and  134  has two pear-shaped openings  136  adjacent the inner edge  138  and  140 , respectively, thereof. Each pear-shaped opening  136  defines two generally circular openings, with a larger opening  142  and a smaller opening  144 . Each of the front piece  120  and the rear piece  122  has two vertical and cylindrical leg housings  148 . Aligned openings  150  are provided in the annular wall of each leg housing  148 . 
     Each connecting strap  124 ,  126  is elongated in configuration, and has two tabs  152  and  154  provided at opposite ends. The two connecting straps  124 ,  126  are used to connect the front piece  120  and the rear piece  122 , and can be identical. Specifically, each tab  152  and  154  is inserted through a separate pear-shaped opening  136  in one of the two pieces  120 ,  122 . Referring to  FIG.  1   , the tab  152  is inserted through the larger opening  142  in the pear-shaped opening  136  of the front piece  120 , and the tab  154  is inserted through the larger opening  142  in the pear-shaped opening  136  of the rear piece  122 . The two tabs  152  and  154  are then moved to the smaller opening  144  in the two pear-shaped openings  136  to lock or secure the connection.  FIG.  2    shows the two connecting straps  124 ,  126  securing the two pieces  120 ,  122  together. 
     As best shown in  FIGS.  1 - 2   , a space  155  is defined between the two pieces  120 ,  122 . In a conventional ride-on toy, the base would extend from the front to the rear, so that by providing the space  155 , the present invention actually reduces the amount of material required for the base  102 , which provides the following benefits: (i) lower cost as less material is needed, (ii) lighter weight as there is less material, and (iii) the two separate pieces  120 ,  122  allow for the size of the base  102  to be reduced into the individual sizes of the two separate pieces  120 ,  122 . 
       FIG.  3    shows the inflatable body  104 , which can be configured to be an animal having a head  160 , a body portion  162 , and four legs  164 . The inflatable body  104  can be inflated to be half-full of air. The inflatable body  104  needs to be inflated half-full so that the legs  164  are still flexible enough to be squeezed and pushed into a separate leg housing. If the body  104  is not inflated at all, it cannot be assembled because it is too soft. If the body is fully inflated, the legs  164  will be too hard to be inserted into the leg housings. 
     Next, in  FIG.  4   , the half-inflated body  104  is inserted into the space defined by the two pieces  120 ,  122 , and each of the legs  164  of the half-inflated body  104  is inserted into a separate leg housing  148 , and pulled to extend through most of the corresponding leg housing  148 .  FIGS.  5  and  6    show the resulting assembly of the half-inflated body  104  to the base  102 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  7   , the body  104  is then inflated to its fully inflated size and configuration, and a pin  168  is inserted to seal in the internal bladder of the body  104  to prevent the escape of air. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  8 - 11   , the wheel holders  106  are inserted into each leg housing  148 . While the wheel holders  106  are shown to be identical in the drawings, it is possible to configure the wheel holders differently. For example, the front wheel holders can be different from the rear wheel holders. In this embodiment, each wheel holder  106  has an elongated foot housing that is configured like a foot with a surrounding wall  170  and a top part  172 . An annular ankle section  174  extends upwardly from the surrounding wall  170 , and two pressable lock buttons  176  are provided opposite each other along the ankle section  174 . A rotatable wheel  178  is fixed inside the shoe in the space defined by the wall  170  and the top part  174 . To secure a wheel holder  106  at a leg housing  148 , the ankle section  174  is inserted into the leg housing  148  from the bottom thereof. The lock buttons  176  will slide against the inner wall of the leg housing  148  and be snap-fitted into the aligned openings  150 . See  FIG.  8    and  FIG.  9   .  FIG.  9    shows the fully assembled ride-on toy  100  that is ready for use. Because the body  104  is fully inflated, the legs  164  will become larger than the upper opening inside the leg housing  148 , and therefore be secured inside the leg housing  148 . 
     To dis-assemble the ride-on toy  100 , the user can press the two locking buttons  176  simultaneously and remove the ankle sections  174  from the four leg housings  148 . After removing the pin  168 , the body  104  is deflated, and then removed from the pieces  120 ,  122 . The connecting straps  124  and  126  are then detached from the pieces  120 ,  122  by sliding the tabs  152  and  154  from the smaller openings  144  to the larger openings  142 . The separate components can then be packed away in a smaller package or container. 
     Thus, the present invention provides a ride-on toy  100  that can be quickly and conveniently assembled for use, and quickly and conveniently taken apart and stored in a smaller package or container. 
     While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.