GB2110549A - A toy for storing articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy is for storing articles, in particular the items of a tea-set to enable them to be transported whilst packed away. The toy comprises a base (1) to which a shaped member (5) in the form of a doll is secured. The member (5) serves as a handle (7) for lifting the toy. A cover 15 extends between the base and member (5) and serves to enclose the items of the tea-set. As shown, the cover functions as a table cloth, but when it covers the items it serves as the lower part of a doll's dress. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A toy The present invention relates to a toy.

According to the present invention there is provided a toy for storing articles of a tea-set comprising a base, a shaped member secured directly or indirectly to the base and serving as a carrying handle and a removable cover for enclosing the stored articles.

More particularly, the base is a rigid circular tray and the shaped member is substantially planar and extends substantially perpendicularly upwardly from the base bisecting the base into two equal semi-circular portions. Each semicircular portion receives a semi-circular shaped liner which is adapted to retain pieces of the teaset. The cover is preferably in the form of a fabric material which extends between the base and the shaped member and is releasably secured to the shaped member and/or the base.

Preferably, the shaped member has an outline which corresponds to that of a female figure - at least from the waist upwards, and it carries an illustration of a female figure in a dress. The handle is formed by an aperture in the shaped member, Conveniently the cover is a circular piece of fabric material which, when in position, extends beneath the base and is shaped to be secured by its edge to the shaped member by a draw string arrangement, so as to from a frusto-conical shaped cover giving the appearance of a full or bell-shaped skirt.

The liners are preferably made of cardboard and formed with punched out recesses for locating the pieces of the tea-set.

In a preferred embodiment one liner is adapted to locate four saucers, a tea-pot, four forks and four knives, whilst the other liner locates four plates, a milk jug, a sugar bowl and four spoons.

Preferably the frame carries two hooks on each side on each of which can be hung a respective cup.

When the cover is untied it can be used as a table cloth and with the liners removed from the base this can serve as a food tray. The flat platelike frame may when removed from the base serve as a flat cutting surface.

The present invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of the toy, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the toy with the cover released to reveal the articles stored thereby, Figure 3 is a plan view, with the cover removed illustrating the location of the articles, Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the toy in use with the articles removed, and Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating how the central shaped member may be used as a cutting board.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the novelty holder takes the appearance of a female doll. The holder comprises a rigid base 1, in the form of a circular tray having a raised outer lip 3 and a central rigid shaped member 5 which is preferably releasably secured to the base by means of interengaging clips (not shown). The shaped support 5 is positioned so as to bisect the base into two equal halves. The central shaped member 5 is preferably flat plate-like and has a shaped outer periphery which conforms in outline to that of a female figure at least from the waist upwards. An illustration of a female figure and dress is applied to the member 5. The lower portion of the member 5 from the waist downwards, preferably curves and diverges outwardly in a direction towards the base.

An aperture 7 is formed in the member 5 at a location remote from the base and serves as a handle for lifting the holder. The handle is shaped to represent a ribbon tied in the hair and carries an appropriate illustration of a ribbon. The toy is intended for retaining a tea-set comprising four cups and saucers, four plates, four knives, forks and spoons, a milk jug, a sugar bowl and a tea-pot.

In order to retain these articles two semicircular liners 9, 11, made from cardboard, are received within the base 1 and are located between the shaped support 5 and the lip 3 of the base 1. One of the liners 9 has appropriately shaped recesses for receiving and locating, the milk jug, sugar bowl, four plates and four items of cutlery, e.g. four spoons. The other liner 11 has appropriately shaped recesses for receiving and locating the tea-pot, four saucers and eight items of cutlery, e.g. four forks and four knives.

Preferably the shaped support carries two hooks 1 3 on each side, on which are received a respective one of the four cups. In an alternative the liners may be an injection moulded plastics material.

A cover 15 is provided for enclosing the items of the tea-set when they are located in the toy. In the preferred embodiment the cover 1 5 comprises a substantially circular piece of material which is provided at its periphery with a draw string (not further illustrated) by means of which the cover can be gathered and secured around the waist portion of the shaped member 5. When the draw string is released the cover opens out so that it can be used as a table cloth on which the items of the tea-service can be laid out.

Once the tea-set has been removed from its stored position, the base 3 can be used as a tray for holding items of food. See Figure 4. The shaped member 5 can be released from the base 3 so permitting use of the base as a serving tray. In one embodiment, see Figure 5, the shaped member 5 may be used as a cutting board when released from the base.

According to one construction the member 5 carries two pairs of spaced apart feet which extend perpendicularly from the lower edge of the frame and these feet are adapted to be received in pairs of spaced apart apertures defined by L-shaped clips secured to the tray. The member 5 fits between the clips of each pair whereby displacement of the frame relative to the base in the appropriate direction permits the two parts to be assembled or released.

In an alternative construction the member 5 comprises a thin plate-like sheet having a stiffening rib around the periphery, or at least part of the periphery, and projecting from either side thereof so as to give the frame a generally I-shaped cross-section.

It will be appreciated that the shaped member 5 need not necessarily be flat, so that in certain cases the depth may vary to impart a more life like shape - in the case of a doll, to the central frame.

The base shaped member and other parts, with the exception of the cover are preferably plastics formed by injection moulding.

In an alternative embodiment, the cover comprises two substantially rigid shells which are adapted to be releasably secured to the base and shaped member. For example, the shells may be demi-hemispherical.

In a still further embodiment the shaped member forms part of a hemispherical shaped rigid cover, the cover being releasably securable to the base.

Claims (13)

1. A toy for storing articles of a tea-set comprising a base, a shaped member secured directly or indirectly to the base and serving as a carrying handle and a removable cover for enclosing the stored articles.

2. A toy as claimed in claim 1 in which the base is a rigid circular tray and the shaped member is substantially planar and extends substantially perpendicularly upwardly from the base bisecting the base into two equal semi-circular portions.

3. A toy as claimed in any of claims 1 or 2 in which the cover in the form of a fabric material which extends between the base and the shaped member and is releasably secured to the shaped member and/or the base.

4. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim in which the shaped member has an outline which corresponds to that of a female figure - at least from the waist upwards, and it carries an illustration of a female figure in a dress.

5. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim in which the handle is formed by an aperture in the shaped member.

6. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim in which the cover is a circular piece of fabric material which, when in position, extends beneath the base and is adapted to be secured by its edge to the shaped member by a draw string arrangement, so as to form a frusto-conical shaped cover giving the appearance of a full or bell-shaped skirt.

7. A toy as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6 in which each semi-circular portion receives a semicircular shaped liner which is adapted to retain pieces of the tea-set.

8. A toy as claimed in claim 7 in which the liners are preferably made of cardboard and formed with punched out recesses for locating the pieces of the tea-set.

9. A toy as claimed in claims 7 or 8 in which one liner is adapted to locate four saucers, a teapot, four forks and four knives, whilst the other liner locates four plates, a milk jug, a sugar bowl and four spoons.

10. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim in which the shaped member carries two hooks on each side, which serve to retain a respective cup.

11. A toy as claimed in claim 6 in which the cover, when untied, serves as a table cloth.

12. A toy as claimed in claim 7, 8 or 9 in which the base serves as a food tray when the liners are removed.

13. A toy constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.