US20250281845A1

US20250281845A1 - Reversible Lovey Security Blanket

Info

Publication number: US20250281845A1
Application number: US19/072,145
Authority: US
Inventors: Bradley Kagan; Shireen May Brown
Original assignee: Novus Importing Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Novus Importing Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2024-03-11
Filing date: 2025-03-06
Publication date: 2025-09-11
Also published as: WO2025189232A1

Abstract

A combination reversible blanket and plush has a fabric body with a top surface and a bottom surface and extending from a central aperture to a perimeter edge. A plush toy is attached to the fabric body via a fastener, the plush toy comprising a first head portion and a second head portion, each head portion being substantially hollow. The plush toy is adapted to be moved from a first configuration wherein the second head portion is stored within the first head portion, to a second configuration wherein the first head portion is stored within the second head portion. The first head portion is distinct in shape in the first configuration from the second head portion in the second configuration.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application for a utility patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/563,612, filed Mar. 11, 2024.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to blankets, and more particularly to a reversible blanket having a plush toy.

Description of Related Art

Jay at Play Intl (Pillow Pet), Sutton, U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,201,762 and 9,975,053, both teach a toy that includes a body having a first side representative of a first body appearance, and a second side opposite the first side and representative of a second body appearance different from the first body appearance. The toy also includes a head coupled to the body, the head being reversible between a first face and a second face, the first face corresponding to the first body appearance and the second face corresponding to the second body appearance. The first and second faces of the head are joined along a seam that defines an opening. When the first face of the head is exposed to view, the second face of the head is concealed from view inside the head, and when the second face of the head is exposed to view, the first face of the head is concealed from view inside the head. The claims appear to further requires a fastener (or a “fastening arrangement”) for drawings opposing edges of the perimeter towards each other.
Badie, U.S. Pat. No. 11,338,215 (Tee Turtle, Inc.) teaches a reversible toy (octopus). A similar product is shown in Zhang, U.S. 2012/0108141. The Badie patent claims a reversible toy that includes first and second material layers, with a fill material between the material layers. There must be an opening to the interior cavity (which contains the fill material) opposite of the closed top end.
Li, U.S. 20110070802 teaches a stuffed animal and an attached blanket that is stored within the body cavity of the stuffed animal. A liner is permanently attached within the body cavity to allow the blanket to be attached to it either by being permanently sewn-in or by fabric hook-and-loop fasteners. The torso of the stuffed animal is larger in proportion to the rest of the body parts and an aperture is located on the front of the torso by fabric hook-and-loop fasteners which will allow for easy access and storage of the blanket.
Smoot, U.S. 20130171906 teaches a toy figure having a flexible body, an extremity, and a blanket. The flexible body in the first configuration includes a first surface defining a first internal cavity. A second surface substantially opposing the first surface defines an exterior surface of the flexible body. The extremity is coupled to and extends from the second surface of the flexible body and is external to the first internal cavity. The blanket is positioned within the first interior cavity. The method includes inverting the flexible body from the first configuration to a second configuration where the second surface defines a second internal cavity and the first surface defining an exterior surface of the flexible body. In the second configuration, the extremity is positioned within the second internal cavity and substantially the entire blanket is external to the second internal cavity in the second configuration.
Pickens, U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,633 teaches a doll that includes a pocket for receiving and storing a blanket. The doll includes a hollow conical body fashioned from one or more sheets of flexible material. The body serves as a bag or casing for containing the blanket. Affixed to and enclosing the tapered end of the conical body comprising the casing is a doll head. A sheet of bedding material is connected to the inner surface of the casing through the open end thereof.
Danova, U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,930 teaches a soft-sculptural creature (plush) that is provided with a torso having a front panel and a back panel respectively having upper edges joined to the front and rear of the perimeter of a neck, opening into a hollow head. The front half of the head is stuffed and has a face. Stuffed arms and legs are attached at respective ends to the front panel. The soft-sculptural creature is sandwiched onto a marginal portion of a blanket at a location offset to one side of the top edge of the blanket and the front panel is sown around at least part of its perimeter to the blanket. The blanket can be removably stuffed into the soft-sculptural creature by rolling, folding or similarly condensing the blanket, stuffing some of it into the back half of the head through the neck opening, removably joining corresponding parts of the left margins of the front and rear panels to one another, corresponding parts of the right margins of the front and rear panels to one another, and wrapping rearwardly a flap provided on the front panel and removably joining it to the lower margin of the back panel. When the blanket is opened out and in use, the back panel can be stuffed into the back half of the head, and a person covered by the blanket can lie with an arm curled around the neck of the soft-sculptural creature.
Turner, U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,267 teaches a blanket and stuffed toy combination including a blanket, a first and second end, and a stuffed toy having a first portion affixed to the first end of the blanket, a second half affixed to the second end of the blanket and a rear portion affixed to the back of the blanket. In an alternative embodiment, the first and second portions of the stuffed animal define first and second interior chambers. When folded, portions of the blanket can be received into the first and second interior chambers such that the invention substantially resembles a complete stuffed animal.
The prior art teaches reversible plush toys and double-sided blankets. However, the prior art does not teach a combination reversible blanket and plush having two configurations that are distinct in shape. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further advantages as described in the following summary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
The present invention provides a combination reversible blanket and plush comprising a fabric body with a top surface and a bottom surface and extending from a central aperture to a perimeter edge. A plush toy is attached to the fabric body via a fastener, the plush toy comprising a first head portion and a second head portion, each head portion being substantially hollow. The plush toy is adapted to be moved from a first configuration wherein the second head portion is stored within the first head portion, to a second configuration wherein the first head portion is stored within the second head portion. The first head portion is distinct in shape in the first configuration from the second head portion in the second configuration.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a combination reversible blanket and plush having advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide a combination reversible blanket and plush wherein the plush can be converted from a first configuration to a second configuration, and each configuration is different in shape.
A further objective is to provide a combination reversible blanket and plush that is a novel construction of a “lovey” product.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a combination reversible lovey security blanket according to one embodiment of the present invention and shown in a first configuration;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the combination, shown in a second configuration;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view thereof, showing the reversible lovey security blanket in transition between configurations;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of a second embodiment of the combination, in the first configuration;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view thereof, in the second configuration;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of a third embodiment of the combination, in the first configuration and showing an elastic portion; and

FIG. 9 is a front elevation view thereof, in the second configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The above-described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a combination reversible blanket and plush (aka a lovey) that is adapted for moving between different configurations wherein either a first head portion is visible, or a second head portion is visible.
FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of one embodiment of a combination reversible blanket and plush 10 of the present invention and shown in a first configuration wherein a first head portion 34 is visible, and FIG. 2 is a front elevation view thereof, shown in a second configuration wherein a second head portion 36 is visible. As shown in FIGS. 1-2 , the combination reversible blanket and plush 10 comprises a fabric body 20 with a plush toy 30 attached thereto, and further is adapted to move between the two configurations by turning the fabric body 20 over and inverting the plush toy 30, discussed further below.
As illustrated, the fabric body 20 is in the form of a sheet of fabric that includes a top surface 22 and a bottom surface 24 and extends from a central aperture 26 to a perimeter edge 28. The fabric body 20 may be constructed of a wide range of materials, which may include elastic or non-elastic fibers, organic or synthetic fibers, or a combination of these. In some embodiments, the top surface 22 is distinguishable from the bottom surface 24, having different colors, textures, fabrics, patterns, etc., so that the fabric body 20 is reversible. As such, the top surface 22 and bottom surface 24 may be constructed as separate sheets of material that are fastened together, or alternatively they may be formed as a single sheet of material. In this embodiment, the top surface 22 includes a pile/plush fabric (i.e., as in stuffed animal “fur”), and the bottom surface 24 includes a “clothing” fabric (i.e., satin, jersey, etc.). Obviously, other materials may be used to distinguish the top and bottom surfaces 22 and 24, and the illustrated embodiment is intended only for the purpose of example. Further, in some embodiments, the top and bottom surfaces 22 and 24 may be indistinguishable.
In various embodiments, the plush toy 30 is attached to the fabric body 20 via a fastener (not shown), which may be in the form of stitching, a permanent adhesive, buttons, clips, etc., or any suitable fastener known in the art. The plush toy 30 may be attached to the fabric body 20 adjacent the perimeter edge 28, the central aperture 26, or any other suitable location. The plush toy 30 comprises the first head portion 34 and the second head portion 36, wherein each head portion is substantially hollow. The plush toy 30 is adapted to be moved from the first configuration (FIG. 1 ) wherein the second head portion 36 is stored within the first head portion, to the second configuration (FIG. 2 ) wherein the first head portion 34 is stored within the second head portion 36. Importantly, the plush toy 30 may be manufactured with or without a fill material.
In this embodiment, the first and second head portions 34 and 36 each comprise a lower edge 32, a front portion 38, a rear portion 40, and a top portion 42, the rear portions 40 a and 40 b being best shown in FIGS. 6-7 . The plush toy 30 is attached to the fabric body 20 at each lower edge 32. The front portions 38 a and 38 b may each include character features such as eyes, a nose, etc., or any features that may characterize the plush toy 30, which may be printed/painted thereon, or otherwise attached, engraved, etc., according to the desires of the manufacturer. In some embodiments, a first pair of arms 46 may be attached to the top surface 22 of the fabric body 20 adjacent the first head portion 34, and a second pair of arms 48 may be attached to the bottom surface 24 adjacent the second head portion 36. In some embodiments, each pair of arms 46 and 48 includes the same outer material as the respective top or bottom surface 22 or 24 of the fabric body 20 i.e., the first pair of arms 46 has the plush fabric, and the second pair of arms 48 has the clothing fabric. However, in alternative implementations, any desired materials may be used for either pair of arms. Further, in some embodiments, the arms are excluded altogether.
In this embodiment, the character features are that of a teddy bear, including a pair of ears for each head portion 34/36. However, in alternative embodiments, the character features may portray any desired character, two examples of which are shown in the following figures. Other possible characters may include a koala bear, dog, cat, human dolly, a mythical creature, or any animal compatible with the invention as-claimed. Furthermore, the character features may be an abstract design instead. In the first configuration, the first head portion 34 is visible, and the character features may show the teddy bear with open eyes. In the second configuration, the second head portion 36 is visible, and the character features may show the teddy bear with closed eyes. Furthermore, the second head portion 36 includes a sleeping cap 52, which is an extension of the second head portion 36 (rather than a separate component), best shown in FIG. 3 and discussed further below. However, in some embodiments, the sleeping cap 52 is a separate component. In this manner, the first configuration may be considered a “daytime” configuration, and the second may be considered a “sleeping” configuration, so a child using the present invention can switch between configurations for awake time and sleeping time. Alternatively, different character features may be added, e.g., “happy” vs. “sad” faces, or similar, or the first and second head portions 34 and 36 may instead include identical character features. Further still, the first and second head portions 34 and 36 may be different animals/characters altogether or include indicia (e.g., letters, numbers, other symbols, etc.) instead of character features. While one embodiment of the plush toy 30 is shown and described, it should be understood that a wide range of potential designs for the plush toy 30 is well within the scope of the claimed invention.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1 , FIG. 4 is a sectional view thereof, showing the reversible lovey security blanket 10 in transition between configurations, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 2 . As shown in FIG. 3 , in the first configuration, the second head portion 36 is stored within an interior cavity 54 a of the first head portion 34. As shown in FIGS. 4-5 , the plush toy 30 can be inverted so that the first head portion 34 is stored within an interior cavity 54 b of the second head portion 36, which extends into the sleeping cap 52.
As shown in FIG. 5 , the sleeping cap 52 may be integrally formed with the second head portion 36 so that the sleeping cap 52 forms the top portion 42 b, and the interior cavity 54 b of the second head portion 36 extends from the top portion 42 b to the lower edge 32. The first head portion 34 may exclude the sleeping cap 52, so the first head portion 34 has a different shape than the second head portion 36. Similarly, the second head portion 36 may be pushed into the interior cavity 54 a of the first head portion 34 in the first configuration (FIGS. 1 and 3 ). In other embodiments, the first head and second head portions 34 and 36 may have shapes that are differentiated by something other than the sleeping cap 52, one example being shown in FIGS. 6-7 and discussed below. In some embodiments, pairs of arms 46 and 48 and/or the fabric body 20 may also be pushed into either interior cavity 54. In some embodiments, a securing mechanism (not shown) such as a drawstring, clips, buttons, hooks and loops, etc., may be used to close the lower edges 32 of the first and second head portions 34 and 36 after converting to the desired configuration. However, in other embodiments, the securing mechanism may be excluded. Furthermore, in some embodiments, a retaining mechanism 64 such as an elastic portion may be included, best shown in FIGS. 8-9 and discussed further below.
While FIGS. 3-5 show a generally “smooth” exterior shape of the first and second head portions 34 and 36, various shapes may be manufactured, e.g., including a snout or other protruding feature, which should be considered within the scope of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of second embodiment 56 of the invention in the first configuration and showing an alternative first head portion 58, and FIG. 7 is a side elevation view thereof, in the second configuration and showing an alternative second head portion 59. As discussed, in various embodiments, the first head portion 34/58 is distinct in shape from the second head portion 36/59 in the first and second configurations, respectively. In the first embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 , the first configuration is distinct in shape from the second configuration due to the sleeping cap 52. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6-7 , the first and second head portions 58 and 59 are differentiated in shape by a snout portion 60 of the first head portion 58 (FIG. 7 ). The second head portion 59 may or may not include a sleeping cap, but in this embodiment, the top portion 42 b of the second head portion 59 does not include the sleeping cap, and an alternative sleeping cap 51 is a separated component without filling. As illustrated, the snout portion 60 may protrude more on first head portion 34, and the second head portion 59 does not include the snout portion 60, so that a different shape of head is displayed in each configuration. The embodiment of FIGS. 6-7 illustrated a rabbit plush instead of the teddy, but it should be understood that the relevant differentiations between the first and second configurations may be applied to either embodiment. It should also be understood that the plush toy 30 is not limited to a teddy and a rabbit, another example being shown in FIGS. 8-9 and discussed below.
FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of a third embodiment 62 of the combination, in the first configuration and showing an elastic portion 64, and FIG. 9 is a front elevation view thereof, in the second configuration. As shown in FIGS. 8-9 , in this embodiment, the plush toy 30 is in the form of a deer, but as discussed, the present invention should not be construed as limited to the illustrated examples. In this embodiment, the shape differentiation between the first and second configurations may be the snout, sleeping cap, or other differentiation (e.g., different ears, hats/accessories, other feature protrusions/depressions, etc.).
As shown in FIGS. 8-9 , in this embodiment, the optional retaining mechanism is in the form of the elastic portion 64, which may be a band of elasticized material lining the lower edges 32 of the plush toy 30. The retaining mechanism 64 may be equivalent to the securing mechanism (not shown) or be included instead of or in addition to the securing mechanism. The elastic portion 64 may also be applied to the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5 and 6-7 , or any other potential embodiments. Alternatively, the elastic portion 64 may be excluded.
The title of the present application, and the claims presented, do not limit what may be claimed in the future, based upon and supported by the present application. Furthermore, any features shown in any of the drawings may be combined with any features from any other drawings to form an invention which may be claimed.
As used in this application, the words “a,” “an,” and “one” are defined to include one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. The terms “approximately” and “about” are defined to mean +/−10%, unless otherwise stated. Also, the terms “have,” “include,” “contain,” and similar terms are defined to mean “comprising” unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the terminology used in the specification provided above is hereby defined to include similar and/or equivalent terms, and/or alternative embodiments that would be considered obvious to one skilled in the art given the teachings of the present patent application. While the invention has been described with reference to at least one particular embodiment, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments, but rather the scope of the invention is defined by claims made to the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A combination reversible blanket and plush comprising:

a fabric body having a top surface and a bottom surface and extending from a central aperture to a perimeter edge;

a plush toy attached to the central aperture of the fabric body via a fastener, the plush toy comprising a first head portion and a second head portion, each head portion being substantially hollow;

wherein the plush toy is adapted to be moved from a first configuration wherein the second head portion is stored within the first head portion, through the central aperture, to a second configuration wherein the first head portion is stored within the second head portion; and

wherein the first head portion is distinct in shape in the first configuration from the second head portion in the second configuration.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the top surface is formed of a first material, and the bottom surface is formed of a second material.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein the top surface includes a first color, and the bottom surface includes a second color.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein the top surface includes a first pattern, and the bottom surface includes a second pattern.

5. The combination of claim 1, wherein the first and second head portions each comprise a lower edge, a front portion, a rear portion, and a top portion, and wherein the plush toy is attached to the fabric body at each lower edge.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein the front portion of each head portion includes character features.

7. The combination of claim 5, further comprising a securing mechanism for closing the lower edges of the first and second head portions after converting to the desired configuration.

8. The combination of claim 5, wherein the lower edges include an elastic portion.

9. The combination of claim 1, wherein a first pair of arms is attached to the top surface of the fabric body adjacent the first head portion, and a second pair of arms is attached to the bottom surface adjacent the second head portion.

10. A combination reversible blanket and plush comprising:

wherein the plush toy is adapted to be moved from a first configuration wherein the second head portion is stored within the first head portion, through the central aperture, to a second configuration wherein the first head portion is stored within the second head portion;

wherein the first head portion is distinct in shape in the first configuration from the second head portion in the second configuration;

wherein the first and second head portions each comprise a lower edge, a front portion, a rear portion, and a top portion, and wherein the plush toy is attached to the fabric body at each lower edge; and

wherein the lower edges include an elastic portion.