Amusement devices: toys – Construction toy – Including post having plural longitudinal slots for panel or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-15
2001-10-02
Muir, D. Neal (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Construction toy
Including post having plural longitudinal slots for panel or...
C446S120000, C446S125000, C206S504000, C215S010000, C220S023400, C220S023600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296541
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to toy capsules which can be used to contain figurine toys or related toy objects and can also be used to construct or erect honeycomb-shaped structures.
2. Description of Related Art
Such containers are known in the art. However, most are relatively delicate plastic small containers for use inside other objects such as chocolate eggs. After removal from the egg, the toys are usable for erecting objects but their durability is limited due to their original intended use inside chocolate eggs. Such known related art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,402,903 to Mann and 4,106,657 to Dogliotti. These prior art containers are also limited in the size and weight of toys due to their original intended use in chocolate eggs, and as such, the patents specifically disclose containers for small gifts.
However, known related art not used for insertion in chocolate eggs includes a capsule depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,774 to Shingyouchi, a toy packaging assembly depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,324 to Bertrand, and a toy assembly depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,143 to Gat et al.
An object of the present invention is to provide a durable reusable capsule which can contain a line of collectible figurine toys and related accessories. The capsules, for example, can be used to build a space station and figurines of space travelers and vehicles can be inserted in each capsule. A child's imagination in constructing or erecting three dimensional or honeycomb-shaped structures is virtually unlimited due to the many faceted interconnecting possibilities presented in the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a toy capsule for containing toys and for constructing structures comprising a generally hollow container which includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion has an open end, a closed end and a cylindrical wall portion while the lower portion has an open end, a closed end and a cylindrical wall portion.
The upper and lower portions have means for detachably connecting their respective open ends thereby defining a closed container when the open ends are connected.
The toy capsule includes a tapered thickened wall portion on each of the upper and lower portions. The tapered thickened wall portion extends concentrically from an intermediate location of an external surface of each of the cylindrical wall portions of the upper and lower portions and tapers to a thicker portion at the closed end of each of the upper and lower portions.
One of the upper and lower portion closed ends has a rounded projection and one of the remaining upper and lower closed ends has a projecting ridge defining a recess capable of receiving the rounded projection to form a releasable frictional tight fit connection.
The toy capsule has connecting means on the external cylindrical wall surface of each of the upper and lower portions for connecting the toy capsule to one of an upper and lower portion, and of a combination thereof, of another toy capsule. The connecting means includes a plurality of longitudinal cylinders fixed to an inside surface of corresponding arcuate-shaped longitudinal portions and are spaced apart at a predetermined angle along a periphery of each of the upper and lower portions. The inside surface of each arcuate-shaped longitudinal portion commences at a predetermined depth within the cylindrical wall of each of the upper and lower portions or commences substantially tangent to the perimeter of the non-tapered external cylindrical wall surface. The arcuate-shaped longitudinal portions further extend outwardly a predetermined distance beyond the non-tapered external surface of the cylindrical wall so as to form a vertical longitudinal peak at opposing ends of the arcuate-shaped longitudinal portion, wherein each vertical peak merges with a perimeter of the closed end of each of the respective upper and lower portions. The arcuate-shaped longitudinal portions have a radial arc greater in diameter than a diameter of the longitudinal cylinders so as to allow a clearance between the longitudinal cylinder and each peak.
The connecting means further includes a plurality of coupler means. The coupler means are spaced-apart a predetermined angle along the periphery of each of the upper and lower portions. Each coupler means further comprising a substantially C-shaped longitudinal portion, wherein an inside surface of the C-shaped longitudinal portion commences at a predetermined depth within the cylindrical wall of each of the upper and lower portions or commences substantially tangent to the perimeter of the non-tapered external cylindrical wall surface, and extends outwardly a predetermined distance beyond the non-tapered external surface of the cylindrical wall so as to form a vertical longitudinal peak at opposing ends of the C-shaped longitudinal portion, wherein each vertical peak extends a predetermined distance beyond the perimeter of the closed end of each of the upper and lower portions.
Each coupler means is capable of detachably engaging with a friction tight fit a corresponding longitudinal cylinder on another toy capsule. The vertical peaks of the C-shaped longitudinal portion are adapted to extend into the clearances between the longitudinal cylinder and the arcuate-shaped vertical peaks, thereby facilitating the fairly tight frictional fit.
Each of the plurality of longitudinal cylinders sequentially alternate along the periphery of each of the upper and lower portions with each of the plurality of coupler means.
In a practical application of the means for detachably connecting the respective open ends of the upper and lower portions, a lap joint is formed which comprises a rim portion which extends a predetermined width from one of the open ends. The rim portion has a circumferential bead at an intermediate location around an outside surface of the rim portion. The lap joint also includes a recess on an interior surface of the remaining open end, the recess being located circumferentially a predetermined distance from an edge of the remaining open end. The recess is adapted to receive the bead for interlocking the upper and lower portions together.
Although the closed ends may have flat ends, it is preferable that the external surface of the closed end of each of the upper and lower portions be domed-shaped or slightly curved.
In a practical application of the rounded projection on one of the upper and lower portion closed ends, it is preferable to include a concave portion at a center of said rounded projection. This will facilitate a better fit for the rounded projection into the recess area should there be any imperfections or extrusions present from the manufacture of the toy capsule. It also allows an air pocket area for air expansion as the two portions are joined.
It is also preferable that at least one of the longitudinal cylinders be hollow. Practically, all of the longitudinal cylinders will be hollow throughout for ease of manufacture thereby alleviating the needed to stock both solid and hollow cylinders. The hollow cylinders will enable a string, wire or chain or similar attachment to pass through the hole for ease of carrying, displaying, hanging, etc.
Although any angular position may be used, in a practical application of the invention, it is preferable that each of the plurality of longitudinal cylinders be spaced-apart at about 90° from each other, and each of the plurality of coupler means be spaced-apart at about 90° from each other. This resulting configuration will allow each of the plurality of longitudinal cylinders to be spaced-apart from each of the plurality of coupler means at about 45° from each other.
The benefit for these connections along the perimeter of the cylinder walls of the upper and lower portions as well as the connections at the closed ends of the upper and lower portions is that the toy capsule can be interconnected with similarly designed toy capsules to form three-dimensional structures.
The toy capsule is preferably made fro
Bezalel David
Wambach Andreas
Alottafun, Inc.
LaPointe Dennis G.
Mason & Associates, PA
Muir D. Neal
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