Amusement devices: toys – Construction toy – Including connectable panels or strips
Patent
1996-03-19
1998-07-07
Muir, D. Neal
Amusement devices: toys
Construction toy
Including connectable panels or strips
446 82, 446128, 446486, A63H 3308, A63H 1900, A63H 3300
Patent
active
057759693
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a toy element comprising a thin, flexible material and means for suspending it.
In connection with e.g. doll's houses it is known to use such devices which, in this connection, can form window curtains or shower curtains, with associated suspension. These known devices may be formed by a traditionally suspended curtain rod, i.e. a rod suspended by e.g. a suspension fitting at each of its ends, with the associated curtain hung up on the curtain rod. An alternative solution is e.g. to secure the curtain fabric directly to the wall of the doll's house by glueing or other known methods.
Since, as it well-known, toys are frequently subjected to rather rough handling during play, these known devices frequently involve the problem either that the thin, flexible material, which forms e.g. a curtain, can easily be torn because of the manner in which it is secured to the toy, e.g. by glueing, stitching, etc. or that the suspension device, e.g. the above-mentioned curtain rod with traditional fittings, is made relatively fragile in order to have reasonably natural dimensions and can therefore easily break.
The above-mentioned-problem also arises in other toy connections where a thin, flexible material is to be suspended from or secured to a stationary element.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is therefore to provide a toy element comprising a thin, flexible material, such as a plastics sheet and woven textiles, as well as means for suspending it, so that tearing of the thin, flexible material as well as its suspension means is made difficult, while making the toy element suitable to create the illusion of e.g. window curtains or shower curtains and the like, which means i.a. that it must be possible to adapt the toy element in such a manner that the thin, flexible material can be moved on its suspension so as to have a reasonable function e.g. as a curtain.
This object is achieved with a toy element in accordance with the present invention, since, when it is attempted to pull the thin, flexible material out of the longitudinal slot, said material acts on the holding means enclosed in the longitudinal cavity so as to provide a clamping effect between the said holding means and the elongate cavity on both sides of the holding means, said thin, flexible material, which encloses the holding means, being retained by clamping action on both sides of the holding means. Since this clamping action is provided solely by a pull in the thin, flexible material, there will be no permanent clamping effect that may be destructive for the thin, flexible material, and the thin, flexible material does not drop down when the clamping action ceases. In addition, it is possible to avoid discrete fittings which are used e.g. in connection with suspension of curtain rods at its ends, since the suspension member may be constructed such that it can be secured to an underlying structure along its entire length, without this reducing the possibility of moving the thin, flexible material on the suspension.
The invention additionally improves the protection against tearing of the thin, flexible material, since, when engaging the inner side of the cavity, the rod member locks the thin, flexible material in a continuous engagement with the inner side of the cavity.
The invention defines an expedient embodiment providing a special structure which is easy to mount and easy to manufacture, since the cavity and the longitudinal slots are not established until the main element and the locking parts are assembled, thereby making it simple to position the thin, flexible material as well as the holding means prior to the assembling process.
The invention provides a considerably reduced friction between the thin, flexible material and the associated holder when the thin material is moved in the holder.
Depending upon the use of the thin, flexible material, e.g. a window curtain, a shower curtain, the shape of the cavity and the slots may be adapted to the use, e.g. be rectili
REFERENCES:
patent: 798873 (1905-09-01), Case
patent: 1766896 (1930-06-01), Goyke et al.
patent: 2834150 (1958-05-01), White
patent: 3640017 (1972-02-01), Christiansen
patent: 3839816 (1974-10-01), Fischereder
patent: 4731042 (1988-03-01), McKay et al.
patent: 5352149 (1994-10-01), Melashenko et al.
PCT International Application No. WO 93/04622--Filed Aug. 28, 1992.
INTERLEGO AG
Muir D. Neal
LandOfFree
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