GB2214093A

GB2214093A - Child's toy

Info

Publication number: GB2214093A
Application number: GB8800805A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harry S Thomson; David M Raffo; John A Pape
Original assignee: Hestair Kiddicraft Ltd
Current assignee: Hestair Kiddicraft Ltd
Priority date: 1988-01-14
Filing date: 1988-01-14
Publication date: 1989-08-31
Also published as: GB8800805D0

Abstract

The toy consists of tour rectangular blocks 1-4 disposed, in a first position (Figure 2) to form a first array; each of the blocks are separately attached to a hinge portion 5 to be movable about a first hinge 6 or a second hinge 7 which are at right angles to each other, whereby the blocks may be moved by rotating two blocks 3, 4 through 180 DEG with respect to the other two blocks 1, 2 about hinge 6 to form a second array (Figure 3) or rotating two blocks 2, 3 through 180 DEG with respect to the other two blocks 1, 4 about hinge 7 to form a third array (Figure 4). Hinge portion 5 is of thin sheet plastics and blocks 1-4 are of soft material e.g. foam plastics covered by thin sheet plastics. Blocks shown are cubes but may be elongated (Figure 5). <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE A child's toy.

INTRODUCTION The invention relates to a child's toy.

There are many toys for children which are intended to promote dexterity by the manipulation of blocks to form specific 'shapes and/or patterns. Thus, blocks having parts of patterns, pictures, shapes or other illustrations (hereinafter called "pictures") on their faces may have to be arranged into a rectangular array with the correct faces uppermost and the blocks in the correct array so as to expose a compl. ete picture.

Arranging the blocks in a different array with other faces exposed would present a different picture.

Such a toy has a high teaching facility but, all too frequently, blocks become lost or misplaced.

Other toys are known for more older children in which blocks, particularly cubes are joined together in such a manner that they can be displaced with respect to each other and yet be retained in the array. Such toys are too complicated for very young children to master.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is the main object of this invention to provide a young child's toy which is simple to manipulate and which can be formed into different arrays to present different pictures on its exposed faces and in which parts of the toy cannot become detached.

STATEMENTS OF INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a child's toy consisting of four rectangular blocks disposed, in a first position, to form a first rectangular array; four pairs of adjacent edges of the blocks which lie in the same plane being joined together by a first hinge and a second hinge which lie within the plane and at right angles to each other, whereby the blocks may be moved by rotating two blocks through 1800 with respect to the other two blocks about the first said hinge to form a second rectangu]ar array or rotating two blocks through 1800 with respect to the other two blocks about the second said hinge to form a third rectangular array.

Each of the two maicr exposed surfaces of the first, second and third rectangular arrays may have different pictures (as herein defined), , displayed thereon.

The blocks may be cubes and the hinges may be formed of sheet material which forms part of, or is attached to, the cubes. The cubes may be soft to the touch.

DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a toy constructed according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the toy of Figure 1 assembled and in a first array; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the toy of Figure 2 in a second array; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the toy of Figure 2 in a third array; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a further toy constructed according to the invention.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION Referring first to Figures 1 to 4, in Figure 1 there is shown four rectangular blocks (in this embodiment, cubes) 1, 2, 3 and 4, which may be made of a soft material, for example, foam plastics covered by thin sheet plastics and a hinge portion 5 also of thin sheet plastics. Each of the blocks 1, 2, 3 and 4 is separately attached to the hinge portion 5 to form the completed toy as illustrated in Figure 2.

Because the hinge portion 5 is made of thin plastics, and since the blocks 1, 2, 3 and 4 are only attached to the hinge portion 5 and not directly to each other, the blocks can move in pairs relative to the remaining pair about either hinge 6 or hinge 7 which are mutually at right angles.

With the blocks in a first array as illustrated in Figure 2, any complete picture, such as the circle 8, encompassing the uppermost, and therefore exposed, surfaces of the four blocks and any complete picture, on the exposed surface of the hinge portion 5, will be open to view by he child.

Any other surfaces of the toy open to view will reveal only part pictures.

The toy can be moved by the child to form a second array as illustrated in Figure 3 by moving the blocks 3 and 4 about hinge 6 through 1800 with respect to the blocks 1 and 2. Completion of this movement produces a toy of similar overall shape to the original toy but with different pictures on the two large exposed surfaces of the blocks, one such picture being, for example, the star 9 in Figure 3.

Alternatively, and starting from the first array of Figure 2, the child can move the blocks 2 and 3 about the hinge 7 through 1800 to form a third array as illustrated in Figure 4. This third array reveals a picture in the form of a diamond 10 on the large exposed surface and a further and different picture on the other large exposed surface.

Thus, by manipulating the blocks to form the different arrays, the child attains improved dexterity and the forming of the several pictures produces a sense of surprise and is run.

The blocks need not be cubes but could be shaped as other rectangles, for example, as illustrated in Figure 5 they could be in the form of elongate. blocks 11, 12, 13 and 14 with a hinge portion 15. Complete pictures would be on the exposed faces as in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4 and the toy would be manipulated by the child in a similar manner.

Claims

1. A child's toy, comprising a plane member having a first hinge and a second hinge at right angles to the first hinge, and four rectangular blocks so disposed on the plane member that eac biock is separately attached to a hinge portion to cause four pairs of adjacent edges of the blocks to be joined together by the first hinge and the second hinge, whereby the blocks may be moved by rotating two blocks through 1800 with respect to the other two blocks about the first hinge or the second hinge.

2. A child's toy consisting of four rectangular blocks disposed, in a first position, to form a first rectangular array; four pairs of adjacent edges of the blocks which lie in the same plane being joined together by a first hinge and a second hinge which lie within the plane and at rfight angles to each other, whereby the blocks may be moved by rotating two blocks through with respect to the other two blocks about the first said hinge to form a second rectangular array or rotating two blocks through 1800 with respect to the other two blocks about the second said hinge to form a third rectangular array.

3. A child's toy as claimed in Claim 2, in which each of the two major exposed surfaces of the first, second and third rectangular arrays may have different pictures (as herein defined), displayed thereon.

4. A child's toy as claimed in Claim 3, in which the blocks are cubes and the hinges are formed of sheet material which forms part of, or is attached to, the cubes.

5. A child's toy as claimed in Claim z in which the cubes may be soft to the touch.

6. A child's toy substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.