US20260001005A1

US20260001005A1 - Robust children's toy and set of robust children's toys

Info

Publication number: US20260001005A1
Application number: US19/320,416
Authority: US
Inventors: Jacqueline Ziska
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2023-11-17
Filing date: 2025-09-05
Publication date: 2026-01-01

Abstract

A robust children's toy system includes at least one base formed by a base material, at least one item located on the base material, at least one indent, and at least one prong. The system may include multiple bases that are connectable via corresponding prongs and indents. The at least one may base may include a coating material at least partially encapsulating the base material. The at least one item may be secured to the base material through mechanical and non-mechanical mechanisms.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/949,113, filed Nov. 15, 2024, entitled “ROBUST CHILDREN'S TOY AND SET OF ROBUST CHILDREN'S TOYS”, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/600,388, filed Nov. 17, 2023, entitled “ROBUST CHILDREN'S TOY AND SET OF ROBUST CHILDREN'S TOYS”, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to the field of durable and robust children's toys.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to robust children's toys. More particularly, the present invention provides a robust toy for children, which in some instances has the ability to connect to additional toys to enhance the environment.
There are many different toys with which a child can play. Items such as doll houses, Legos®, and Lincoln Logs are not new inventions. However, many of these toys have at least one drawback. Therefore, new children's toys need to be invented in order to present all of the upsides and none of the down for children.
The most obvious drawback to many of the above-listed toys are the size of the parts. Many of the above toys may include small parts, which in some instances, can present choking hazards. In other cases, the toys themselves do not include small parts; but, as the toys begin to break down due to heavy use, smaller parts may break off and present a choking hazard.
Some toys are made specifically to allow a child to build them and put them together. However, some children, whether due to age or other circumstances, simply cannot build toys. This means that a parent or guardian must put the toys together for the child. This can be a large task in view of all the other childcare being provided. In addition, if a child cannot put the toys together, they may lose interest in the toys, directly leading to a need or desire for new toys.
Many children, especially boys, are less gentle with their toys. This rough play can lead to a toy breaking rather quickly. It can be extremely difficult to put a toy back together, especially one made of wood or plastic. Many toys are not meant to be disassembled or reassembled. Therefore, once a toy breaks it may become unsafe and will need to be discarded. If the child is attached to this toy then a new toy will need to be purchased, leading to increased expense over time.
Another less obvious drawback to toys is the openings in a toy and the size of the toy itself. Even with smaller hands, the openings in toys such as doors, windows, hatches, and gates, can be difficult to operate or fit another toy through. This can quickly lead to frustration and subsequent breakage of or loss of interest in the toy.
Consequently, there is a need for an improvement in the art of children's toys. The present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art while at the same time solves a problem many people face when needing a toy that holds up to rough play while at the same time captivates a child's attention. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY

In a first aspect of the present invention, a robust children's toy system, comprising: at least one base comprising a first base and a second base, each base of the at least one base comprises a base material, at least one item located on the base material, at least one indent, and at least one prong; the first base is configured to be connectable with the second base, and an indent of the at least one indent of the first base engages a corresponding one prong of the at least one prong of the second base, or a prong of the at least one prong of the first base engages a corresponding indent of the at least one indent of the second base.
In another exemplary aspect, the at least one item is a house.
In another exemplary aspect, the house includes at least one wall, a doorway, and a plurality of windows.
In another exemplary aspect, the at least one base further includes a weighted section.
In another exemplary aspect, the at least one base has a thickness of 0.125 inches to about 1 inch.
In another exemplary aspect, each base of the at least one base further includes a coating material.
In another exemplary aspect, the coating material has a Shore A hardness of 30-70.
In another exemplary aspect, the coating material at least partially encapsulates the base material.
In another exemplary aspect, the at least one item is secured to the base material by a fastening means.
In another exemplary aspect, the fastening means is selected from the group consisting of adhesives, screws, bolts, and nails.
In another exemplary aspect, the fastening means includes corresponding projections and recesses on the at least one item and the base material.
In another aspect, any one or more aspects or features described herein may be combined with any one or more other aspects or features for additional advantage.
Other aspects and embodiments will be apparent from the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the present disclosure and realize additional aspects thereof after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in association with the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the robust children's toy of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of the robust children's toy of the present invention, wherein the robust children's toy is part of a set of robust children's toys.

FIG. 3 is front perspective view of a third embodiment of the robust children's toy of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as being “on” or extending “onto” another element, it can be directly on or extend directly onto the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” or extending “directly onto” another element, there are no intervening elements present. Likewise, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as being “over” or extending “over” another element, it can be directly over or extend directly over the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly over” or extending “directly over” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present.
Relative terms such as “below” or “above” or “upper” or “lower” or “horizontal” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element, layer, or region to another element, layer, or region as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including” when used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
Referring now to FIG. 1 , there is shown a perspective view of one embodiment of the robust children's toy. The robust children's toy may include any number of items which will serve as an interactive toy for children. Each robust children's toy will include a base 101. In different embodiments the base 101 may have a variety of structures as dictated by the items to be placed on top. In the embodiment shown, the base 101 is a single base 101 having items placed thereon
In different embodiments the base 101 may be of different shapes and sizes. In one embodiment the base 101 is a weighted base 101. A weighted base 101 will better ensure that the robust children's toy does not tip over during play. The weighted base will allow for more stability during play.
In an exemplary embodiment, the base 101 is formed from wood or from a wood-like material. In the exemplary embodiment, the base 101 is formed from plywood or medium-density fiberboard (MDF). In an exemplary embodiment, the base 101 may have a thickness of 0.125 inches, 0.25 inches, 0.5 inches, 0.75 inches, or 1 inch. In another embodiment, the base 101 may have a thickness in the range of 0.125 inches to about 1 inch. In an exemplary embodiment, the base 101 may be covered by a coating material. The coating material may be a rubber material, a polyurethane material, an elastomeric material, and/or any other suitable coating material. The coating material may have a thickness ranging between 0.1 inches to about 0.375 inches. In a further embodiment, the coating material may be selected from a suitable material having a Shore A hardness ranging between 30 and 70. The coating material may be adhered to the base 101, may be laminated to the base 101, or may be secured by any other suitable method. In an exemplary embodiment, the coating material may be configured to absorb sound. Particularly, the coating material may dampen or otherwise reduce noise levels when the robust children's toy is hit, impacted, or otherwise contacted against another surface.
In the embodiment shown, there are two items placed on the base 101. The items placed onto the base 101 may be secured to the base 101 by adhesive, screws, bolts, nails, and/or any other suitable mechanical or non-mechanical fastening means. In an alternative embodiment, the items may be secured to the base by woodworking joint without requiring additional fastening means. These items do not have to appear the same, and one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that different objects containing the same features as described herein will still be well within the spirit of the invention. In the shown embodiment the first item is a house 102. The house 102 includes a plurality of walls 102 a and a variety of windows 102 b. The house also includes at least one doorway 102 c. The windows 102 b and the doorway 102 c are unobstructed with sills or actual doors. The windows 102 b and doorways 102 c are represented by apertures and openings within the walls 102 a. This simple structure better allows for a child to be rough with the robust children's toy, without having breakable parts.
In addition to the lack of sills and doors such openings are disproportionally larger than that of the house 101. This will hold true throughout the theme of the invention. For example, a skyscraper design may have windows 102 b which are equal in height to a quarter of the skyscraper height. This would allow windows 102 b to be extremely large. A child could easily place a toy into the building without the windows 102 b interfering.
In order to further allow for a child to gain easy access to the interior of the house 102, the roof 102 d is at least partially removed. This allows for a child to easily place toys in the house 102 or other items. In the example of the skyscraper, the skyscraper could be a rectangle having no top to allow for access to the interior.
Another item placed on the base 101, in the shown embodiment, is a tree 103. In this embodiment the tree 103 includes a trunk 103 a and at least part of a tree top 103 b. In the shown embodiment the tree top 103 b includes a flat surface 103 c. In other embodiments the tree top 103 b may include items such as a swing or a tree house.
Referring now to FIG. 2 , there is shown a perspective view of one embodiment of a robust children's toy which is part of a set of robust children's toys. In another embodiment the items placed on top of the base 101 may represent a playground. In the embodiment shown there is a slide 201 and a rainbow tube 202 to crawl through. In other embodiments other items may be featured. The items for the playground have limited movable parts. This will help to better ensure the robustness of the toy. In addition, in one embodiment the playground items are made from metal components. This further leads to robustness. In one embodiment the metal parts are covered to ensure injuries do not occur. In other embodiments metal parts may be made from corrugated board or silicon. In another embodiment the parts have rounded edges. Rounded edges will allow for a safety aspect while still ensuring there are very few parts which can sustain wear.
In one embodiment the playground base 101 includes a pool 203 or pond area. In one embodiment the pool 203 is represented by paint. In another embodiment different materials may be placed on top of the base 101. These materials will be further described in the description of FIG. 3 .
In one embodiment each robust children's toy is part of a larger set of robust children's toys. In some embodiments the items placed on the base 101 will simply sit near each other to create a town, for example. In this example, there could be one toy which is a house, one toy which is playground, one toy which is a police station, and one toy which is a school.
In another embodiment each robust children's toy is configured to secure to another robust children's toy. In one embodiment the robust children's toys will be secured together via hardware such as screws or bolts. In another embodiment the base 101 is configured to work like a puzzle piece. In this embodiment the base 101 has at least one indent 101 a and at least one prong 101 b. The indent 101 a and the prong 101 b are of shapes which will match the respective indent or prong of another toy. This will allow for different toys to be easily connected and disconnected, creating different setups.
Referring now to FIG. 3 , there is shown a perspective view of one embodiment of the robust children's toy. In yet another embodiment the robust children's toy represents a stadium 301 or coliseum. In the shown embodiment the stadium 301 is a football stadium and has a field 301 a therein. In another embodiment, the stadium 301 may include a racetrack. In this embodiment there are various types of roads 302 which border the stadium 301.
In one embodiment the stadium 301 includes a second level 301 c. In the shown embodiment the second level is held aloft by a plurality of supports 301 b. In other embodiments the second level 301 c is self-supporting and no other supports will be needed. In some embodiments the second level is positioned so that a miniature car may be driven thereon. In other embodiments the second level 301 c includes lines or stripes to resemble a road.
In different embodiments as discussed in the description of FIG. 2 , the bases 101 may include various surface items. In different embodiments the surface items are represented in different ways. In the present embodiment the surface items, specifically the roads 302 are shown by using a carpet material. In the call out there is shown the base 101, and two different pieces of carpet material 303 a and 303 b. In another embodiment silicone material may be used instead of cardboard. In yet another embodiment corrugated cardboard may be used. Each piece of carpet material 303 a and 303 b is used to resemble a road and display the same one the base 101.
Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A robust children's toy system, comprising:

at least one base comprising a first base and a second base, each base of the at least one base comprises:

a base material,

at least one item located on the base material,

at least one indent, and

at least one prong;

wherein:

the first base is configured to be connectable with the second base, and

an indent of the at least one indent of the first base engages a corresponding one prong of the at least one prong of the second base, or a prong of the at least one prong of the first base engages a corresponding indent of the at least one indent of the second base.

2. The robust children's toy system of claim 1, wherein the at least one item is a house.

3. The robust children's toy system of claim 2, wherein the house comprises at least one wall, a doorway, and a plurality of windows.

4. The robust children's toy system of claim 1, wherein the at least one base further comprises a weighted section.

5. The robust children's toy system of claim 1, wherein the at least one base has a thickness of 0.125 inches to about 1 inch.

6. The robust children's toy system of claim 1, wherein each base of the at least one base further comprises a coating material.

7. The robust children's toy system of claim 6, wherein the coating material has a Shore A hardness of 30-70.

8. The robust children's toy system of claim 6, wherein the coating material at least partially encapsulates the base material.

9. The robust children's toy system of claim 1, wherein the at least one item is secured to the base material by a fastening means.

10. The robust children's toy system of claim 9, wherein the fastening means is selected from the group consisting of: adhesives, screws, bolts, and nails.

11. The robust children's toy system of claim 9, wherein the fastening means comprises corresponding projections and recesses on the at least one item and the base material.