Amusement devices: toys – Building – tower – bridge or habitation – Including electrical feature
Utility Patent
1999-08-05
2001-01-02
Ackun, Jacob K. (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Building, tower, bridge or habitation
Including electrical feature
C446S111000, C446S112000, C446S484000
Utility Patent
active
06168494
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to playsets. Stated more particularly, disclosed herein is an expandable and changeable playset building system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It will be recognized that the prior art discloses playsets of many types, each designed with the intent of providing recreation and education to children and adults. For example, many playsets have been designed that are of a permanent type wherein a miniature structure of a fixed configuration is provided. Although these structures certainly provide entertainment to users, they can be disadvantageous for a number of reasons. For example, the fixed arrangement of such structures makes shipment and storage problematic. Furthermore, the inability to modify these structures limits the exercise of the user's imagination and consequently may reduce the enjoyable lifetime of the dollhouse.
Other play structures are of a knockdown type that can be assembled and disassembled.
Often, this type of playset enables varied configurations. Advantageously, such structures address the shipping and storage difficulties exhibited by permanent type dollhouses. Furthermore, they often allow a user to exercise his or her imagination. Unfortunately, however, these knockdown type structures to date have tended to be relatively complicated in construction. For example, such playsets often require various fasteners, locking members, and, possibly, tools for their proper construction and use.
With regard to either type of playset structure, however, one will appreciate that such structures can present potential dangers to users due to the typically rigid configurations of the playsets. Furthermore, prior art playsets often present sharp edges and corners that can injure users and make use of the playset structure less safe and, possibly, less comfortable to work with and manipulate.
Still other miniature settings have been created that enable a user to connect a number of miniature building members together mechanically and electrically. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,552 to Hine et al. provides a plurality of base units that can be connected both mechanically and electrically. Each base unit is designed to retain a miniature building. Disadvantageously, such structures as that disclosed by Hine et al. historically have been mechanically and electrically complex. Consequently, they can be costly and difficult to manufacture, and they often have required a degree of expertise on the part of a user for proper assembly and operation.
In light of the above, it becomes clear that a playset solving one or more of the above-described problems left by the prior art would be useful. It is still more clear that a playset providing a solution to each and every deficiency exhibited by the prior art while demonstrating a number of heretofore-unrecognized advantages thereover would comprise a marked advance in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the above-described state of the prior art, a few objects and advantages of the present invention are worth particular mention.
Advantageously, a broadly stated object of the invention is to meet the needs left by the prior art while providing a number of heretofore unrealized advantages thereover.
Stated more particulary, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a playset that is capable of assuming a wide variety of configurations.
Another object of the invention is to provide a playset that can be configured and supplemented in an exceedingly simple manner with little expertise or dexterity whereby a user can create large, specially adapted playsets quickly and easily.
Resultant objects of the invention include enabling a user to exercise his or her ingenuity and imagination and enabling a user to enjoy an extended duration of enjoyment of the playset.
A further object of the invention is to provide a playset that can be disassembled readily and stored in a compact manner for convenient storage and efficient transportation.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a playset that not only allows a user to exercise his or her ingenuity and imagination during play with the playset but that also allows a user S to demonstrate analytical ability during disassembling and storage of the playset.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a playset that can transmit electric power across members of the playset structure in a safe and simple manner that requires substantially no expertise on the part of a user.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a playset structure that is exceedingly safe and comfortable in use.
Undoubtedly, these and further objects and advantages of the instant invention will be obvious both to one who reviews the present disclosure and to one who has an opportunity to make use of an embodiment of the expandable and changeable playset building system disclosed herein.
In accomplishing these objects, a most basic embodiment of the present invention for an expandable and changeable playset building system comprises at least one retained playset member, which has a portion that is resiliently compressible, and at least one squeeze connector for selectively retaining the retained playset member by frictional engagement. Under this arrangement, the at least one squeeze connector and the at least one retained playset member can be retained in a given configuration by a frictional engagement between the squeeze connector and the retained playset member. Preferably, the retained playset member will comprise a panel of resiliently compressible material with an ornamental design applied to its surface. An expandable and changeable playset building system according to the present invention could provide a plurality of resilient compressible panels.
The resiliently compressible panels could be cut from a sheet of resilient compressible material. Indeed, the expandable and changeable playset building system could be distributed with the resiliently compressible panels removably and replacably retained within the sheet of resiliently compressible material in a jigsaw puzzle arrangement. With this, a user could remove the plurality of resiliently compressible panels from the sheet of resiliently compressible material for play, and the user could return the resiliently compressible panels to their respective places and orientations in the sheet of resiliently compressible material. As a result, not only will the invention be subject to storage and shipment in an exceedingly neat and efficient block configuration, but also a user will enjoy the added challenge of replacing the resiliently compressible panels in their proper location and orientation.
Each squeeze connector may comprise a pair of opposed inner gripping surfaces for frictionally engaging the resilient compressible portion of the retained playset member. Preferably, the opposed inner gripping surfaces will terminate in arcuate outer edges that are inwardly angled such that the outer edges exhibit a funnel-type configuration for better receiving and compressing the resiliently compressible portion of the retained playset members. Still more preferably, the opposed inner gripping surfaces of the squeeze connectors will be closer together than a thickness of the resiliently compressible portion of the retained playset member so that frictional engagement will be ensured.
Although the squeeze connectors could be employed in a number of ways, one preferred embodiment of the invention could rotatably couple a first squeeze connector to a second squeeze connector. With this, the orientation of the first squeeze connector relative to the second squeeze connector can be varied readily. Another embodiment of the invention could fix first and second squeeze connectors in a back-to-back relationship whereby the first and second squeeze connectors exhibit an H configuration in what may be termed a fixed connector. Under this arrangement, the fixed connector can couple first and second resilient foam panels in a butting relationship when laying flat relativ
Engel Robert William
Fouke Stephen George
Hollis John Rey
Ackun Jacob K.
Cegielnik Urszula M.
O'Connell Law Firm
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