Patent Publication Number: US-2002013117-A1

Title: Decorated play figures with flat spot

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a toy ball which has a flat surface.  
       [0003] 2. Background Information  
       [0004] There has been marketed a number of different small toy figures that are marketed for young children. For example, Playskool has marketed a line of figures under the trademark WEEBLES. WEEBLES are small toys which have characters depicted on an outer surface of an egg shape figure. The egg shape WEEBLE characters have a weighted bottom section which allows the figures to wobble back and forth. The WEEBLE characters can be sold with playsets such as a WEEBLES farm or a WEEBLES playground.  
       [0005] Fisher Price has marketed small figures under the trademark LITTLE PEOPLE. The Fisher Price LITTLE PEOPLE each have a sculpted head and a torso that extend from a flat bottom surface. Human characters are painted on the outer surface of the figures. Fisher Price has also marketed a line of characters under the trademark ROLL A ROUNDS. Each ROLL A ROUNDS character includes a sphere that moves within an outer housing much like a computer “mouse”.  
       [0006] Amtoy has marketed a line of products under the trademark MAD BALLS. The MAD BALLS were molded with the face of a cartoon monster in the outer surface of the ball. The MAD BALLS were generally tossed between participants of a game.  
       [0007] Parker Brothers marketed a toy under the trademark NERFULS. Each NERFUL has a ball that is located within a detachable cup. The ball has an image of a face. Each NERFUL also has a hat that can be removed from the ball.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008] One embodiment of the present invention is a toy spherical ball which has a flat spot.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0009]FIG. 1 is a bottom side view of an embodiment of a toy ball of the present invention;  
     [0010]FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the toy ball;  
     [0011]FIG. 3 is a side view of the toy ball;  
     [0012]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a playset which includes the toy ball;  
     [0013]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another playset which includes the toy ball.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0014] One embodiment of the present invention is a toy spherical ball which has a flat spot. The flat spot causes the toy ball to move in a relatively unpredictable manner when the ball is rolled across a surface. Additionally, the flat spot may be such that the ball consistently comes to rest on the flat spot. An image may be depicted on the ball. The ball image may be located on a curved surface so that the image can be observed by a player when the ball is resting on the flat spot. The flat spot may provide a reference surface so that when the user places the ball on a playing surface, the image is facing the user. Alternatively, the ball image may be located on the flat spot so that the image is only revealed when the ball is rolling and not in the rest position.  
     [0015] Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numbers, FIGS.  1 - 3  show a toy ball  10  of the present invention. The toy ball  10  includes a sphere  12  which has a flat spot  14 . The sphere  12  may be constructed from a rubber, a lightweight foam, a hollow high impact styrene, or other material.  
     [0016] The ball  10  may have an image  16 . The image  16  may be molded into, painted onto, or incorporated into the ball by any means. The image  16  may be a face or other animated character. The ball image  16  may be located on a curved surface of the sphere  12  so that when the ball  10  is resting on the flat spot  14  the image  16  is facing a player(s). As an alternate embodiment, the ball image  16  may be located on the flat spot  14  so that the image  16  is hidden when the ball  10  is resting on the flat spot  14 .  
     [0017] The ball  10  should preferably be large enough so that it cannot be swallowed by a small child. In one embodiment, the sphere  12  has a diameter that is no less than 1.5 inches in diameter.  
     [0018] It is desirable to provide a flat spot  14  which has a diameter that will increase the likelihood of the sphere  12  coming to rest on the surface  14  when the ball  10  is rolled. To accomplish this result it is desirable to provide a flat spot  14  diameter that is no less than 25% of the diameter of the sphere  12 . In one embodiment, the sphere  12  may have a diameter of 1.8 inches and the flat spot  14  may have a diameter of 1 inch.  
     [0019] As an alternate embodiment, it may be desirable to have a toy ball  10  that merely utilizes the flat spot  14  as a reference surface for orienting the image  16  in view of a player. The flat spot  14  allows a player to place the toy ball on a playing surface without the ball rolling along the surface. For such an embodiment, the flat spot  14  should have a diameter that is no less than 10% of the sphere diameter.  
     [0020]FIG. 4 shows a playset  18  with a ball  10  that can roll along an inclined surface(s)  20  of a structure  22 . The structure  22  may be constructed from a molded plastic which simulates a house. The toy ball  10  can be inserted through openings  24  in the structure  22  to initiate a rolling action of the ball  10 . The ball  10  can roll down the inclined surface  20  and onto a playing surface  26 . The flat spot  14  can create a relatively unpredictable movement of the ball  10 . Additionally, the ball  10  may have a high likelihood of stopping on the flat spot  14 . The ball  10  may also activate a device such as the door  27  of the structure  22 .  
     [0021]FIG. 5 shows another playset  30  which includes a toy ball  10 . The playset  30  may include a toy golf club  32  and a toy green  34 . A player may project the toy ball  10  toward a hole  36  in the green  34  with the toy club  32 . The flat spot  14  may cause the toy ball  10  to move in a non-linear path, thereby increasing the adventure of directing the ball into the hole  36 .  
     [0022] While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications may occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art. For example, although only one flat spot  14  is shown and described, it is to be understood that the ball  10  may have more than one flat spot  14 .