Amusement devices: toys – Convertible from – or serving as diverse article – Including container or storing toy parts
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-29
2003-01-14
Banks, Derris H. (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Convertible from, or serving as diverse article
Including container or storing toy parts
C446S085000, C446S124000, C446S267000, C220S004270, C220S023400, C220S023600, C206S216000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06506091
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to containers, and more specifically to a combination toy building block and container for holding liquids and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most parents would probably agree that a child's creative mind could turn almost any common household item into a toy. From soup-can-telephones to cardboard-box-racecars to blanket-broom-forts, most children can typically turn common household items into wondrous and imaginative creations.
Containers in general, have been traditionally recognized as serving one primary purposes, that of containing or holding substances such as liquids or granulates. More often than not, after depletion of a container's contents, the empty container is deemed useless and thus discarded, thereby becoming an environmental burden. Those retained may serve limited uses as temporary canisters for miscellaneous items or as accessories for a child's arts and crafts. However, even if employed in a child's arts and crafts, most containers have limited functionality, and typically do not serve as entertaining toys.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for a combination toy building block and container for holding liquids and the like, wherein the container has a functional configuration that allows it to both carry a dispensable substance and be interlockingly stacked on similar containers for building most any play toy such as, but not limited to, play forts/houses, play cars and boats, statues, tables and chairs.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages, and meets the recognized need for such a device by providing a combination toy building block and container for holding liquids and the like, wherein the functional configuration of the device permits both the carrying of a dispensable substance and the stacking of multiple containers, thereby enabling the imaginative play construction of buildings and objects such as, but not limited to, play forts, play houses, play cars and boats, statues, tables and chairs.
According to its major aspects and broadly stated, the present invention in its preferred form is a combination toy building block and container for holding liquids and the like having male connectors, female receptacles and a protrusion recessed within one of the female receptacles.
More specifically, the present invention is a combination toy building block and container for holding liquids and the like having male connectors formed on one side of the container and female receptacles formed on an opposing side, wherein at least one of the male connectors is preferably threadably engaged with the container side such that at least one male connector can be unscrewed to allow dispensing of the container's contents, and wherein a protrusion is recessed within one of the female receptacles for holding and/or carrying of the container. Containers possessing correspondingly dimensioned male connectors and female receptacles can be connected to one another and/or stacked by engaging the male connectors of a first container with the female receptacles of a second container, and so on, essentially providing toy building blocks.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to provide a toy building block.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to carry and hold liquids, granulates or any other chosen substance.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to be generally interlockingly connected to correspondingly dimensioned toy building block containers.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to be easily utilized by children.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to provide access to container contents for quick and easy dispensing thereof.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to be reused as a storage receptacle by simply refilling the container with a desired substance.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to function as a container yet possess an aesthetically pleasing appearance, thereby facilitating a child's belief that the container is a genuine toy building block.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to provide a container with a recessed protrusion, wherein the protrusion will not interfere with the connection and/or stacking of multiple containers, thereby enabling the containers to be used as toy building blocks or to be stacked for transport from one location to another.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description and claims when read in light of the accompanying drawings.
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Banks Derris H.
Miller Bena B.
Myers Joel D.
Myers & Kaplan, Intellectual Property Law, L.L.C.
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