Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
= %. = =
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ASSEMBLY WITH OBJECT IN HOUSING AND MECHANISM TO OPEN HOUSING
FIELD
[1] The specification relates generally to assemblies with inner objects
inside housings,
and more particularly to a toy character in a housing shaped like an egg.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[2] There is a continuing desire to provide toys that interact with a user,
and for the toys
to reward the user based on the interaction. For example, some robotic pets
will show
simulated love if their owner pats their head several times. While such
robotic pets are
enjoyed by their owners, there is a continuing desire for new and innovative
types of toys
and particularly toy characters that interact with their owner.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[3] In an aspect, a toy assembly is provided, and includes a housing, an
inner object
(which may, in some embodiments, be a toy character), at least one sensor and
a controller.
The inner object is positioned inside the housing and includes a breakout
mechanism that
is operable to break the housing to expose the inner object. The at least one
sensor detects
interaction with a user. The controller is configured to determine whether a
selected
condition has been met based on at least one interaction with the user, and to
operate the
breakout mechanism to break the housing to expose the inner object if the
condition is met.
Optionally, the condition is met based upon having a selected number of
interactions with
the user.
[4] According to another aspect, a method is provided for managing an
interaction
between a user and a toy assembly, wherein the toy assembly includes a housing
and a toy
character inside the housing. The method includes:
a) receiving from the user a registration of the toy assembly;
b) receiving from the user after step a), a first progress scan of the toy
assembly;
1
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c) displaying a first output image of the toy character in a first stage of
virtual
development;
d) receiving from the user after step c), a second progress scan of the toy
assembly; and
e) displaying a second output image of the inner object in a second stage of
virtual
development that is different than the first output image.
[5] In another aspect, a toy assembly is provided. The toy assembly
includes a housing,
an inner object (which may, in some embodiments, be a toy character) inside
the housing,
a breakout mechanism that is associated with the housing and that is operable
to break the
housing to expose the inner object. The breakout mechanism is powered by a
breakout
mechanism power source that is associated with the housing. Optionally, the
breakout
mechanism is inside the housing. As a further option, the breakout mechanism
may be
operable from outside the housing. Optionally, the breakout mechanism includes
a
hammer, positioned in association with the inner object, wherein the breakout
mechanism
power source is operatively connected to the hammer to drive the hammer to
break the
housing. Optionally, the breakout mechanism power source is operatively
connected to the
hammer to reciprocate the hammer to break the housing.
[6] In another aspect, a toy assembly is provided, and includes a housing
and a inner
object (which may, in some embodiments, be a toy character) inside the
housing, wherein
the housing has a plurality of irregular fracture paths formed therein, such
that the housing
is configured to fracture along at least one of the fracture paths when
subjected to a sufficient
force.
[7] In another aspect, a toy assembly is provided, and includes a housing
and a inner
object (which may, in some embodiments, be a toy character) inside the housing
in a pre-
breakout position. The inner object includes a functional mechanism set. The
inner object
is removable from the housing and is positionable in a post-breakout position.
When the
inner object is in the pre-breakout position, the functional mechanism set is
operable to
perform a first set of movements. When the inner object is in the post-
breakout position, the
functional mechanism set is operable to perform a second set of movements that
is different
than the first set of movements. In an example, the inner object further
includes, a breakout
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mechanism, a breakout mechanism power source, at least one limb and a limb
power
source that all together form part of the functional mechanism set. When the
inner object is
in the pre-breakout position, the limb power source is operatively
disconnected from the at
least one limb, and so movement of the limb power source does not drive
movement of the
at least one limb. However, in the pre-breakout position, the breakout
mechanism power
source drives movement of the breakout mechanism so as to break the housing
and expose
the inner object. When the inner object is in the post-breakout position the
limb power
source is operatively connected to the at least one limb and can drive
movement of the limb,
but the breakout mechanism is not driven by the breakout mechanism power
source.
[8] In another aspect, a polymer composition is provided, the polymer
composition
including about 15-25 weight-% base polymer; about 1-5 weight-% organic acid
metal salt;
and about 75-85 weight-% inorganic/particulate filler.
[9] In another aspect, an article of manufacture is provided, the article
of manufacture
formed of the polymer composition including about 15-25 weight-% base polymer;
about 1-
5 weight-% organic acid metal salt; and about 75-85 weight-%
inorganic/particulate filler.
[10] In another aspect, a toy assembly is provided and includes a housing, and
a inner
object (which may, in some embodiments, be a toy character) inside the
housing, wherein
the inner object includes a breakout mechanism that is operable to break the
housing to
expose the inner object, and wherein the housing includes a plurality of
fracture elements
provided on an inside face thereof to facilitate fracture upon impact from the
breakout
mechanism.
[11] In another aspect, a housing fracturing mechanism is provided, and
includes a first
frame member, a second frame member rotatably coupled to the first frame
member, an
aperture in which a housing to be broken is positioned, and at least one
cutting element
pivotally coupled to the first frame member and slidably coupled to the second
member that
is pivoted between a first position in which the at least one cutting element
is adjacent the
housing when placed in the aperture and a second position in which the at
least one cutting
element intersects the housing when placed in the aperture.
3
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[12] In still yet another aspect, a toy assembly is provided, comprising a
housing, an inner
object inside the housing, and a breakout mechanism that is associated with
the housing
and that is operable to break the housing to expose the inner object, wherein
the breakout
mechanism exhibits an additional behavior when placed back into the housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
[13] Fora better understanding of the various embodiments described herein and
to show
more clearly how they may be carried into effect, reference will now be made,
by way of
example only, to the accompanying drawings in which:
[14] Figures 1A and 1B are transparent side view of a toy assembly according
to a non-
limiting embodiment;
[15] Figure 2 is a transparent, perspective view of a housing that is part of
the toy
assembly shown in Figures 1A and 1B;
[16] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a toy character that is part of the toy
assembly
shown in Figures 1A and 1B;
[17] Figure 4 is a sectional side view of the toy character shown in Figure 2,
in a pre-
breakout position, prior to engagement of a hammer that is part of a breakout
mechanism;
[18] Figure 5 is a sectional side view of the toy character shown in Figure 2,
in a pre-
breakout position, after engagement of a hammer that is part of a breakout
mechanism;
[19] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the toy character that
causes rotation of
the toy character inside the housing;
[20] Figure 6A is a sectional side view of the portion of the toy character
shown in Figure
6;
[21] Figure 7 is a sectional side view of the toy character shown in Figure 2,
in a post-
breakout position, showing the hammer extended;
[22] Figure 8 is a sectional side view of the toy character shown in Figure 2,
in a post-
breakout position, showing the hammer retracted;
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[23] Figure 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the toy assembly shown in
Figures 1A
and 1B, showing sensors that are part of the toy assembly;
[24] Figure 10A is a front elevation view of a portion of the toy assembly,
illustrating a limb
of the toy character in a non-functional, pre-breakout position as it is
positioned when inside
the housing;
[25] Figure 10B is a rear perspective view of the portion of the toy assembly,
further
illustrating the limb of the toy character in the non-functional, pre-breakout
position as it is
positioned when inside the housing;
[26] Figure 10C is a magnified front elevation view of a joint between a limb
and a
character frame of the toy character;
[27] Figure 10D is a perspective view of the portion of the toy assembly
illustrating the
limb of the toy character in the functional, post-breakout position as it is
position when
outside the housing;
[28] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the toy assembly and an electronic
device used to
scan the toy assembly;
[29] Figure 12 is a schematic view illustrating the uploading the scan of the
toy assembly
to a server;
[30] Figure 13A is a schematic view illustrating transmitting an output image
from the
server to be displayed electronically showing a first virtual stage of
development for the toy
character;
[31] Figure 13B is a schematic view illustrating transmitting an output image
from the
server to be displayed electronically showing a second virtual stage of
development for the
toy character;
[32] Figure 14 is a flow diagram of a method of receiving the scan from the
electronic
device and depicting the toy character based on steps illustrated in Figures
11 and 13;
[33] Figure 15 is a schematic side view of a housing presented in the form of
an egg shell
having a combination of continuous and discontinuous fracture paths formed
therein;
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[34] Figure 16 is a perspective view of a housing presented in the form of an
egg shell
having a plurality of continuous fracture paths arranged in a random pattern;
[35] Figure 17A is a schematic side view of a housing presented in the form of
an egg
shell having a plurality of continuous fracture paths arranged in a geometric
pattern;
[36] Figure 1713 is a perspective view of the housing of Figure 17A, showing
in greater
detail the geometric pattern of the fracture paths;
[37] Figure 18 is perspective view of a housing presented in the form of an
egg shell
having a plurality of discontinuous fracture paths arranged in a random
pattern;
[38] Figure 19A is a schematic side view of a housing presented in the form of
an egg
shell having a plurality of fracture units arranged in a random pattern;
[39] Figure 19B is a perspective view of a housing presented in the form of an
egg shell
having a plurality of fracture units arranged in a regular repeating pattern;
[40] Figure 20 is a sectional side view of a breakout mechanism forming part
of a toy
assembly according to another non-limiting embodiment prior to activation via
release of a
tab;
[41] Figure 21 is a side exploded view of the breakout mechanism of Figure 20;
[42] Figure 22 is another sectional side view of the breakout mechanism of
Figure 20 after
activation via release of the tab;
[43] Figure 23 is a side sectional view of a housing according to another non-
limiting
embodiment presented in the form of an egg shell having a plurality of
continuous fracture
paths formed therein;
[44] Figure 24 is an exploded view of a number of components of another
breakout
mechanism forming part of a toy assembly according to a further non-limiting
embodiment;
[45] Figure 25 is a side sectional view of the breakout mechanism of Figure 24
inside a
housing prior to activation of the breakout mechanism;
[46] Figure 26 is a side sectional view of the breakout mechanism of Figure 25
protruding
through the housing after activation;
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[47] Figure 27 is a side view of a breakout mechanism according to yet another
non-
limiting embodiment;
[48] Figure 28 is a top view of a housing fracturing mechanism according to a
further non-
limiting embodiment;
[49] Figure 29 is a top sectional view of the housing fracturing mechanism of
Figure 28
showing a housing being fractured;
[50] Figure 30 is a side sectional view of the housing fracturing mechanism of
Figure 28;
[51] Figure 31A is a top view of a housing fracturing mechanism according to
yet another
non-limiting embodiment having two pivotally-connected members;
[52] Figure 3113 is a top view of the housing fracturing mechanism of Figure
31A wherein
the two members have been pivoted relative to one another to restrict an
aperture defined
by the two members;
[53] Figure 32A is a front view of a breakout mechanism in accordance with
another
embodiment in an expanded state;
[54] Figure 3213 is a front view of a companion mechanism for placement in a
housing
with the breakout mechanism of Figure 32A;
[55] Figure 33 shows the breakout mechanism of Figure 32A and the companion
mechanism of Figure 326 in a stacked compacted state;
[56] Figure 34 is a sectional view of a housing in the form of an egg having
two toy
characters employing a breakout mechanism similar to that of Figure 32A and a
companion
mechanism similar to that of Figure 32B respectively;
[57] Figure 35 is a front cross section view of a smaller companion mechanism
than that
of Figure 326 for placement in a housing with a breakout mechanism such as
that of Figure
32A;
[58] Figure 36 is a partial sectional front view of a breakout mechanism
similar to that of
Figure 32A and two of the companion mechanisms of Figure 35 in a stacked
compacted
state;
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[59] Figure 37 is a sectional view of a housing in the form of an egg having
three toy
characters employing a breakout mechanism similar to that of Figure 32A and
two
companion mechanisms as shown in Figure 36 respectively;
[60] Figure 38 is a partial sectional view of a housing, an adapter disk, and
a breakout
mechanism in accordance with yet another embodiment;
[61] Figure 39 is a top perspective view of a bottom portion of the housing of
Figure 38;
[62] Figure 40A is a top perspective view of the adapter disk of Figure 38;
and
[63] Figure 40B is a bottom perspective view of the adapter disk of Figure 38.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[64] Reference is made to Figures 1A and 1B, which show a toy assembly 10 in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The toy assembly 10
includes
a housing 12 and a toy character 14 that is positioned in the housing 12. For
the purposes
of showing the toy character 14 inside the housing 12, parts of the housing 12
are shown as
transparent in Figures 1A and 1B, however the housing 12 may, in the physical
assembly,
be opaque in the sense that, under typical ambient lighting conditions, the
toy character 14
would be not visible to a user through the housing 12. In the embodiment
shown, the
housing 12 is in the form of an egg shell and the toy character 14 inside the
housing 12 is
in the form of a bird. However, the housing 12 and toy character 14 may have
any other
suitable shapes. For manufacturing purposes, the housing 12 may be formed from
a
plurality of housing members, individual shown as a first housing member 12a,
a second
housing member 12b and a third housing member 12c, which are fixedly joined
together so
as to substantially enclose the toy character 14. In some embodiments the
housing 12 could
alternatively only partially enclose the toy character 14 so that the toy
character could be
visible from some angles even when it is inside the housing 12.
[65] The toy character 14 is configured to break the housing 12 from within
the housing
12, as to expose the toy character 14. In embodiments in which the housing 12
is in the
form of an egg, the act of breaking the housing 12 will appear to the user as
if the toy
character 14 is hatching from the egg, particular in embodiments in which the
toy character
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14 is in the form of a bird, or some other animal that normally hatches from
an egg, such as
a turtle, a lizard, a dinosaur, or some other animal.
[66] Referring to the transparent view in Figure 2, the housing 12 may include
a plurality
of irregular fracture paths 16 formed therein. As a result, when the toy
character 14 breaks
the housing 14 it appears to the user that the housing 12 has been broken
randomly by the
toy character 14, to impart realism to the process of breaking the housing.
The irregular
fracture paths 16 may have any suitable shape. For example, the fracture paths
16 may be
generally arcuate, so as to inhibit the presence of sharp corners in the
housing 12 during
breakage of the housing 12 by the toy character 14. The irregular fracture
paths 16 may be
formed in any suitable way. For example, the fracture paths may be molded
directly into
one or more of the housing members 12a-12c. In the example shown, the fracture
paths
16 are provided on the inside face (shown at 18) of the housing 12 so as to
not be visible to
the user prior to breakage of the housing 12. As a result of the fracture
paths 16, the housing
12 is configured to fracture along at least one of the fracture paths 16 when
subjected to a
sufficient force.
[67] The housing 12 may be formed of any suitable natural or synthetic polymer
composition, depending on the desired performance (i.e., breakage) properties.
When
presented in the form of an egg shell, as shown for example in Figure 1A, the
polymer
composition may be selected so as to exhibit a realistic breakage behavior
upon impact from
the breakout mechanism 22 of the toy character 14. In general, suitable
materials for a
simulated breakable egg shell may exhibit one or more of low elasticity, low
plasticity, low
ductility and low tensile strength. Upon action by the breakout mechanism 22,
the material
should fracture, without significant absorption of the impact force. In other
words, upon
impact by the breakout mechanism 22, the material should not significantly
flex, but rather
fracture along one or more of the defined fracture elements. In addition, the
polymer
composition may be selected to demonstrate breakage without the formation of
sharp
edges. During the breakage event, the selected polymer composition should
enable broken
and loosened pieces to separate and fall cleanly away from the housing 12,
with minimal
unrealistic hanging due to flex or bending at undetached points.
9
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[68] It has been determined that polymer compositions having high filler
content relative
to the base polymer exhibit performance properties desired for simulating a
breaking egg
shell. An exemplary composition having high filler content may comprise about
15-25
weight-% base polymer, about 1-5 weight-% organic acid metal salt and about 75-
85 weight-
A inorganic/particulate filler. It will be appreciated that a variety of base
polymers, organic
acid metal salts and fillers may be selected to achieve the desired
performance properties.
In one exemplary embodiment suitable for use in forming the housing 12, the
composition
is comprised of 15-25 weight-% ethylene-vinyl acetate, 1-5 weight-% zinc
stearate and 75-
85 weight-% calcium carbonate.
[69] While exemplified using ethylene-vinyl acetate, it will be appreciated
that a variety of
base polymers may be used depending on the desired performance properties.
Alternatives
for the base polymer may include select thermoplastics, thermosets and
elastomers. For
example, in some embodiments, the base polymer may be a polyolefin (i.e.,
polypropylene,
polyethylene). It will be further appreciated that the base polymer may be
selected from a
range of natural polymers used to produce bioplastics. Exemplary natural
polymers include,
but are not limited to, starch, cellulose and aliphatic polyesters.
[70] While exemplified using calcium carbonate, it will be appreciated that an
alternative
particulate filler may be suitably used. Exemplary alternatives may include,
but are not
limited to, talc, mica, kaolin, wollastonite, feldspar, and aluminum
hydroxide.
[71] With reference to Figure 2, where the housing 12 is provided in the form
of an egg
shell, the wall thickness in structural regions 17, that is on portions of the
housing 12
surrounding the fracture elements (shown in Figure 2 as fracture paths 16) may
be in the
range of 0.5 to 1.0 mm. The selected wall thickness may take into account a
number of
factors, including ease of molding (i.e., injection molding), in particular
with respect to melt
flow performance through the mold tool for a selected polymer composition. For
the
exemplary polymer composition noted above, that is the composition comprised
of 15-25
weight-% ethylene-vinyl acetate, 1-5 weight-% zinc stearate and 75-85 weight-%
calcium
carbonate, a wall thickness of 0.7 to 0.8 mm for the structural regions 17 may
be selected
to achieve good molding performance. With this composition, a thickness of 0.7
to 0.8 mm
for the structural region 17 has also been found to provide sufficient
strength to maintain the
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integrity of the housing 12 during transport and handling, particularly when
being handled
by children.
[72] The arrangement of the plurality of fracture paths 16 formed on the
inside face 18 of
the housing 12 serves to facilitate the process of breaking the housing 12 by
the breakout
mechanism 22. In a housing 12 provided in the form of a breakable egg shell,
the fracture
paths 16 are generally provided in a breakage zone 19 of the first housing
member 12a. It
will be appreciated, however, that the breakage zone 19 may be provided in one
or more of
the various housing members 12a, 12b, 12c. The fracture paths 16 may be formed
in either
a random or regular (i.e., geometric) pattern, depending on the desired
breakage behavior.
Turning to Figures 15 to 19B, shown are a number of exemplary fracture
elements that may
be formed into the housing 12.
[73] Figure 15 shows an embodiment where the fracture elements are presented
as
fracture paths 16 in the breakage zone 19, the fracture paths 16 including a
combination of
continuous (i.e., interconnected) and discontinuous (i.e., dead-end) channels
21 formed on
the inside face 18 of the housing 12. To facilitate breakage, the channels 21
are positioned
so as to provide a generally continuous centrally-located fracture path (shown
at dotted line
C) through the breakage zone 19. The fracture paths 16 define a region of
reduced wall
thickness, generally 40 to 60% thinner in comparison to the wall thickness of
the structural
regions 17. In some embodiments, the fracture paths 16 are dimensioned to
present a wall
thickness that is 50% thinner than the wall thickness of the surrounding
structural region 17.
Accordingly, where a housing 12 is provided having a wall thickness of 0.8 mm
in the
structural region 17, the fracture paths 16 will generally exhibit a wall
thickness of 0.4 mm.
As shown, the width of the channels 21 vary between 0.5 to 1.5 mm along the
length thereof,
with some channels exhibiting a generally decreasing width towards the
terminal (i.e., dead-
end) regions thereof.
[74] Figure 16 shows an embodiment where the fracture elements are presented
as
fracture paths 16 in the breakage zone 19, the fracture paths 16 being
randomly positioned,
and where the channels 21 forming the fracture paths 16 are continuous (i.e.,
interconnected) therethrough. Similar to the embodiment of Figure 15, the
fracture paths
16 in Figure 15 define a region of reduced wall thickness, generally 40 to 60%
thinner in
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comparison to the wall thickness of the structural regions 17. In some
embodiments, the
fracture paths 16 are dimensioned to present a wall thickness that is 50%
thinner than the
wall thickness of the surrounding structural region 17. Accordingly, where a
housing 12 is
provided having a wall thickness of 0.8 mm in the structural region 17, the
fracture paths 16
will generally exhibit a wall thickness of 0.4 mm. Although the width of the
channels 21 may
vary, in particular at regions where two or more channels intersect, the
channels are formed
having a width generally in the range of 0.8 to 1.2 mm.
[75] Figure 17A shows an embodiment where the fracture elements are presented
as
fracture paths 16 in the breakage zone 19, the fracture paths 16 being
arranged in a
geometric pattern, and where the channels 21 forming the fracture path 16 are
continuous
(i.e., interconnected) therethrough. As shown, the geometric pattern includes
a plurality of
hexagons arranged in a grid, where the perimeter (i.e., sides) of the hexagons
define the
fracture path 16. Each hexagon is further provided with a central fracture
path 16a bisecting
the hexagon, either through opposing vertices, or opposing sides. Similar to
the embodiment
of Figure 15, the fracture paths 16/16a in Figure 17A define a region of
reduced wall
thickness, generally 40 to 60% thinner in comparison to the wall thickness of
the structural
regions 17. In some embodiments, the fracture paths 16/16a are dimensioned to
present a
wall thickness that is 50% thinner than the wall thickness of the surrounding
structural region
17. Accordingly, where a housing 12 is provided having a wall thickness of 0.8
mm in the
structural region 17, the fracture paths 16/16a will generally exhibit a wall
thickness of 0.4
mm. Within each geometric shape, the area delimited by the surrounding
fracture paths 16
may be formed with uniform wall thickness. In an alternative arrangement, the
region 25
delimited by the surrounding fracture paths 16 may be tapered as shown in
Figure 17b. As
shown, each region 25 includes a central ridge 27 having a first thickness
(i.e., similar to or
greater than the thickness of the structural region 17) and a plurality of
tapered walls 29
extending from the central ridge 27 in the direction towards an adjacent
fracture paths 16.
In comparison to the embodiments of Figures 15 and 16, the width of the
channels 21 is
more uniform where the fracture paths 16 are arranged in a geometric pattern.
Although
the width of the channels may vary, the channels in some embodiments may be
formed
having a width of approximately 0.8 mm.
12
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[76] Figure 18 illustrates an embodiment where the breakage zone 19 includes a
series
closely associated but discontinuous and randomly positioned fracture elements
(shown as
fracture units 23). Each fracture unit 23 generally presents in the form of a
T- or Y-shaped
channel, having a width of 0.5 to 1.5 mm. The fracture unit 23 defines a
region of reduced
wall thickness, generally in the region of 40 to 60% compared to the wall
thickness of the
structural regions 17. In some embodiments, the fracture units 23 are
dimensioned to
present a wall thickness that is 50% thinner than the wall thickness of the
surrounding
structural region 17. Accordingly, where a housing 12 is provided having a
wall thickness
of 0.8 mm in the structural region 17, the fracture units 23 will generally
exhibit a wall
thickness of 0.4 mm.
[77] With reference to Figures 19A and 19B, shown are additional alternative
embodiments where a discontinuous array of fracture elements is provided to
establish the
breakage zone 19. Figures 19A and 19B present a plurality of fracture elements
(shown as
fracture units 23) in the form of a circular and/or oval depressions formed in
the housing 12.
The circular and/or oval fracture units 23 may be provided in various sizes
and orientations,
to achieve a generally random breakage behavior. In addition, the fracture
units 23 may be
arranged in a generally random pattern, as shown in Figure 19A, or in a
regular repeating
pattern as shown in Figures 19B. The fracture units 23 in Figures 19A and 19B
define a
region of reduced wall thickness, generally 40 to 60% thinner in comparison to
the wall
thickness of the structural regions 17. In some embodiments, the fracture
units 23 are
dimensioned to present a wall thickness that is 50% thinner than the wall
thickness of the
surrounding structural region 17. Accordingly, where a housing 12 is provided
having a wall
thickness of 0.8 mm in the structural region 17, the fracture units 23 will
generally exhibit a
wall thickness of 0.4 mm.
[78] The fracture elements (fracture paths 16/ fracture units 23) may account
for 20 to
80% of the area within the breakage zone 19. In some embodiments where the
housing is
required to fracture at a higher impact force, the fracture paths/units may
account for 20 to
30% of the area within the breakage zone 19. Conversely, where the housing 12
is required
to fracture at a lower impact force, the fracture elements may account for 70%
to 80% of the
area within the breakage zone 19. In the embodiments shown in Figures 15
through 19B,
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the fracture elements account for approximately 40 to 60% of the area within
the breakage
zone. Selection the proportion of fracture elements relative to the structural
region of the
housing 12 will consider a number of factors, including, but not limited to,
the materials used,
the forces required to fracture the housing, as well as the shape of the
housing. For
example, in an embodiment where the polymer composition incorporates a base
polymer
having higher strength characteristics compared to ethylene-vinyl acetate, the
housing may
require a higher proportion of fracture elements (i.e., 70% to 80%) to achieve
housing
fracture under the same impact conditions. It will be appreciated that other
embodiments
may incorporate a proportion of fracture elements that may be less than 20%,
or greater
than 80%, depending on the intended application and the impact forces used to
achieve
housing fracture.
[79] Although the housing 12 has been exemplified in the form of an egg shell,
it will be
appreciated that the materials and molding features discussed above may be
applied to
other articles of manufacture, including but not limited to other housing
configurations as
well as consumer packaging. For example, where the toy character is provided
in the form
of an action figure, the housing may be provided in the form of a building,
with the action
figure being configured to impact the housing from the inside upon being
activated. It will
be appreciated that a multitude of toy/housing combinations may be possible.
[80] The toy character 14 is shown mounted only on the housing member 12c in
Figure
3. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the toy character 14 includes a toy character
frame 20, a
breakout mechanism 22, a breakout mechanism power source 24 and a controller
28. The
breakout mechanism 22 is operable to break the housing 12 (e.g., to fracture
the housing
12 along at least one of the fracture paths 16) to expose the toy character
14. The breakout
mechanism 22 includes a hammer 30, an actuation lever 32 and a breakout
mechanism
cam 34. The hammer 30 is movable between a retracted position (Figure 4) in
which the
hammer 30 is spaced from the housing 12 and an advanced position (Figure 5) in
which the
hammer 30 is positioned to break the housing 12.
[81] The actuation lever 32 is pivotably mounted via a pin joint 40 to the toy
character
frame 20 and is movable between a hammer retraction position (Figure 4) in
which the
actuation lever 32 is positioned to permit the hammer 30 to move to the
retracted position,
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and a hammer driving position (Figure 5) in which the actuation lever 32
drives the hammer
30. The actuation lever 32 is biased towards the hammer driving position by an
actuation
lever biasing member 38. In other words, the actuation lever 32 is biased by
the biasing
member 38 towards driving the hammer 30 to the extended position. The
actuation lever
32 has a first end 42 with a cam engagement surface 44 thereon, and a second
end 46 with
a hammer engagement surface 48 thereon, which will be described further below.
[82] The breakout mechanism cam 34 may sit directly on an output shaft (shown
at 49)
of a motor 36 and is thus rotatable by the motor 36. The breakout mechanism
cam 34 has
a cam surface 50 that is engaged with the cam engagement surface 44 on the
first end 42
of the actuation lever 32. When the breakout mechanism cam 34 is rotated by
the motor 36
(in the clockwise direction in the views shown in Figures 4 and 5), from the
position shown
in Figure 4 to the position shown in Figure 5) a stepped region shown at 51 on
the cam
surface 50 causes the cam surface 50 to drop away from the actuation lever 32
abruptly,
permitting the biasing member 38 to accelerate the actuation lever 32 to
impact at relatively
high speed with the hammer 30, thereby driving the hammer 30 forward (outward)
from the
frame 20 at relatively high speed, which provides a high impact energy when
the hammer
30 hits the housing 12, so as to facilitate breaking of the housing 12. In
some embodiments,
this will present the appearance of a bird pecking its way out of an egg.
[83] As the breakout mechanism cam 34 continues to rotate, the cam surface 50
draws
the actuation lever 32 back to the retracted position that is shown in Figure
4. The hammer
engagement surface 48 of the actuation lever 32 may have a first magnet 52a
there in that
is attracted to a second magnet 52b in the hammer 30. As a result, during the
drawing back
of the actuation lever 32, the actuation lever 32 pulls the hammer 30 back to
a retracted
position shown in Figure 4.
[84] The breakout mechanism cam 34 is rotatable by the motor 36 to cyclically
cause
retraction of the actuation lever 32 from the hammer 30 and then release of
the actuation
lever 32 to be driven into the hammer 30 by the actuation lever biasing member
38. Thus,
the motor 36 and the actuation lever biasing member 38 may together make up
the breakout
mechanism power source 24.
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[85] The breakout mechanism biasing member 38 may be a helical coil tension
spring as
shown in the figures, or alternatively it may be any other suitable type of
biasing member.
[86] Additionally, the toy character 14 includes a rotation mechanism shown
at 53 in
Figure 6. The rotation mechanism 53 is configured to rotate the toy character
14 in the
housing 12. The controller 28 is configured to operate the rotation mechanism
53 when
operating the breakout mechanism in order to break the housing 12 in a
plurality of places.
[87] The rotation mechanism 53 may be any suitable rotation mechanism. In the
embodiment shown in Figure 6, the rotation mechanism 53 includes a gear 54
that is fixedly
mounted to the bottom housing member 12c. The output shaft 49 of the motor 36
is a dual
output shaft that extends from both sides of the motor 36 and drives first and
second wheels
56a and 56b. On one of the wheels, (in the example shown, on the first wheel
56a) is a
drive tooth 58. When the motor 36 turns the output shaft 49, the drive tooth
58 on the first
wheel 56a engages the gear 54 once per revolution of the output shaft 49 and
drives the toy
character 14 to rotate relative to the housing 12. A bushing 60 supports the
toy character
14 for rotation about the axis (shown at Ag) of the gear 54. In the example
shown, the
bushing 60 is slidably, rotatably engaged with a shaft 62 of the gear 54, and
is axially
supported on support surface 64 of the bottom housing member 12c, as shown in
Figure
6A. The toy character 14 may be releasably held to the bushing 60 via
projections 66 on
the bushing 60 that engage apertures 68 on the toy character frame 20. When
the toy
character 14 is desired to be removed from the bushing 60, a user may pull the
toy character
14 off of the projections 66. The bushing 60 also supports the wheels 56a and
56b off of
the housing 12. As a result, while the toy character 14 is in the housing 12,
rotational
indexing of the toy character 14 takes place by sliding of the bushing 60 on
the bottom
housing member 12c and without engagement of the wheels 56a and 56b on the
housing
member 12c.
[88] As can be seen from the description above, once per revolution of the
output shaft
49, the rotation mechanism 53 rotates the toy character 14 by a selected
angular amount
(i.e., the rotation mechanism 53 rotationally indexes the toy character 14),
and the actuation
lever 32 is drawn back to a retracted position and then released to drive the
hammer 30
forward to engage and break the housing 12. Thus, continued rotation of the
motor 36
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causes the toy character 14 to eventually break through the entire perimeter
of the housing
12.
[89] Once the toy character 14 has broken through the housing 12, a user can
help to
free the toy character 14 from the housing 12. It will be noted that the
housing member 12c
may be left to serve as a base for the toy character 14 if desired in some
embodiments.
Once the toy character 14 is freed from the housing 12 and the hammer 30 is no
longer
needed to break through the housing 12, the user may move at least one release
member
from a pre-breakout position to a post-breakout position. In the example shown
in Figure 5,
there are two release members, namely a first release member 70a, and a second
release
member 70b. Prior to breaking of the housing 12 to expose the toy character
14, the release
members 70a and 70b are in the pre-breakout position. When in the pre-breakout
position,
the first release member 70a connects the first end (shown at 72) of the
actuation lever
biasing member 38 to the toy character frame 20. The second end (shown at 74)
of the
biasing member 38 is connected to the actuation lever 32, and therefore, the
biasing
member 38 is connected to drive the hammer 30 forward (via actuation of the
actuation lever
32) to break the housing 12. Movement of the release member 70a to the post-
breakout
position in the example shown, entails removal of the release member 70a such
that the
biasing member 38 is disabled from driving the actuation lever 32 and
therefore the hammer
30, as shown in Figure 7. As a result, when the motor 36 rotates, which causes
rotation of
the breakout mechanism cam 34, the passing of the stepped region 51 of the cam
surface
50 does not cause the actuation lever 32 to be driven into the hammer 30.
[90] With reference to Figure 4, the second release member 70b, when in the
pre-
breakout position, holds a locking lever 78 in a locking position so as to
hold a hammer
biasing structure 80 in a non-use position. In the non-use position the hammer
biasing
structure 80 is fixedly held to the actuation lever 32 and acts as one with
the actuation lever
32. With reference to Figures 7 and 8, when the second release member 70b is
moved
from the pre-breakout position to the post-breakout position, the locking
lever 78 releases
the hammer biasing structure 80. The hammer biasing structure 80 includes a
pivot arm 82
that is pivotally connected to the actuation lever 32 (e.g., via a pin joint
84), and a pivot arm
biasing member 86 that may be a compression spring or any other suitable type
of spring
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that acts between the actuation lever 32 and the pivot arm 82 so as to urge
the pivot arm 82
into the hammer 30 to urge the hammer 30 towards the extended position shown
in Figure
7. As a result, the hammer 30 can integrate into the toy character's
appearance. In the
embodiment shown, wherein the toy character 14 is in the form of a bird, the
hammer 30 is
the beak of the bird. Because the hammer 30 is urged outwards by the biasing
member 86
and is not locked in the extended position, it may be pushed in against the
biasing force of
the biasing member 86 by an external force (e.g., by the user), as shown in
Figure 8, which
can reduce the risk of a poking injury to a child playing with the toy
character 14.
[91] Any suitable scheme may be used to initiate breaking out of the housing
12 by the
toy character 14. For example, as shown in Figure 9, at least one sensor may
be provided
in the toy assembly 10 which detects interaction with a user while the toy
character 14 is in
the housing 12. For example, a capacitive sensor 90 may be provided on the
bottom of the
housing member 12c so as to detect holding by a user. A microphone 92 may be
provided
on the toy character frame 20 to detect audio input by a user. A pushbutton 94
may be
provided on the front of the toy character 14. A tilt sensor 96 may be
provided on the toy
character 14 to detect tilting of the toy character 14 by the user. The
controller 28 may count
the number of interactions that a user has had with the toy assembly 10 and
operate the
breakout mechanism 22 so as to break the housing 12 and expose the toy
character 14 if a
selected condition is met. For example, the condition may be a selected number
of
interactions with a user, such as 120 interactions. Interaction with the toy
character 14 using
the microphone 92 could entail the user saying a command that is recognized by
the
controller 28, or alternatively it could entail the user making any kind of
noise such as a clap
or a tap, which would be received by the microphone 92. An interaction could
entail the
user holding or touching the housing 12 in places where the capacitive sensor
will receive
it. In another example, an interaction could entail the user pushing the
pushbutton 94 of the
toy character 14 by pressing on the correct spot on the housing 12, which may
be sufficiently
flexible and resilient to transmit the force of the press through to the
pushbutton 94. The
pushbutton 94 may control operation of an LED 95 that is inside the toy
character 14 and is
sufficiently bright to view through the housing 12. The LED 95 may illuminate
in different
colours (controlled by the controller 28) to indicate to the user the 'mood'
of the.toy character
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14, which may depend on factors including the interactions that have occurred
between the
toy character 14 and the user.
[92] When the toy character 14 is outside of the housing 12, the toy character
14 may
carry out movements that are different than those carried out inside the
housing 12. For
example, the toy character 14 may have at least one limb 96. In the example
shown, there
are provided two limbs 96 which are shown as wings but which may be any
suitable type of
limb. When inside the housing, the wings 96 are positioned in a pre-breakout
position in
which they are non-functional, as shown in Figures 10A, 10B and 100, and, when
outside
the housing, are positioned in a post-breakout position in which they are
functional, as
shown in Figure 10D. As shown in Figure 10D, the wings 96 are connected to the
character
frame 20 via a wing connector link 100 that is pivotally mounted at one end to
the associated
wing 96 and at another end to the character frame 20. For each wing 96, a wing
driver arm
104 is pivotally connected at one end to the associated wing 96 and has a wing
driver arm
wheel 106 at the other end. The wing driver arm wheels 106 rest on the toy
character's
main wheels 56a and 56b when the toy character 14 is in the post-breakout
position. The
toy character's main wheels 56a and 56b have a cam profile on them with at
least one lobe
108 on each wheel (shown in Figure 6, in which two lobes 108 are provided on
each wheel).
The lobes 108 serve two purposes. Firstly, as the motor 36 turns, the wheels
56a and 56b
drive the toy character 14 along the ground, and the lobes 108 lend a wobble
to the toy
character 14 to give it a more lifelike appearance when it rolls along the
ground. Secondly,
as the wheels 56a and 56b turn, the presence of the lobes 108 cause the wheels
56a and
56b to act as wing driver cams, which drive the wing driver arms 104 up and
down as the
wing driver arm wheels 106 follow the cam profiles of the main wheels 56a and
56b. The
up and down movement of the wing driver arms 104 in turn, drives the wings 96
to pivot up
and down, giving the toy character 14 the appearance of flapping its wings as
it travels along
the ground. Preferably, the lobes 108 on the first wheel 56a are offset
rotationally relative
to the lobes 108 on the second wheel 56b so that the toy character 14 has a
side-to-side
wobble as the toy character rolls to enhance the lifelike appearance of its
motion.
[93] For each wing connector link 100, a wing connector link biasing member
102 (Figure
100) biases the associated wing connector link 100 to urge the associated wing
96
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downward to maintain contact between the driver arm wheels 106 and the main
wheels 56a
and 56b when the character is in the post-breakout position shown in Figure
10D.
[94] In the example shown, where the limbs 96 are wings, the driver arms 104
are referred
to as wing driver arms, the driver arm wheels 106 are referred to as wing
driver arm wheels
106 and the wheels 56a and 56b are referred to as wing driver cams. However,
it will be
understood that if the wings 96 were any other suitable type of limbs, the
driver arms 104
and the driver arm wheels 106 may more broadly be referred to as limb driver
arms 104 and
limb driver arm wheels 106 respectively, and the wheels 56a and 56b may be
referred to as
limb driver cams.
[95] The motor 36 drives the limbs 96 in the example shown, by driving the
wheels 56a
and 56b. Thus, when the limbs 96 are in the post-breakout position, the motor
36 is
operatively connected to the limbs 96.
[96] The motor 36 is thus the limb power source. However, the motor 36 is just
an
example of a suitable limb power source, and alternatively any other suitable
type of limb
power source could be used to drive the limbs 96.
[97] When the wings 96 are in the pre-breakout position (Figures 10A-10C), the
links 100
may hinge relative to the character frame 20 as needed so that the wings fit
within the
confines of the housing 12. In the example shown the wing connector links 100
hinge
upwardly against the biasing force of the biasing members 102. While in the
housing 12,
the wings 96 thus remain in their non-functional position wherein the wing
driver arms 104
are held such that the wing driver arm wheels 106 are disengaged from the toy
character's
main wheels 56a and 56b. Thus, the motor 36 (i.e., the limb power source) is
operatively
disconnected from the limbs 96 when the limbs 96 are in the pre-breakout
position. As a
result, when the toy character 14 is in the housing 12 and the motor 36
rotates (e.g., to
cause movement of the breakout mechanism 22), the rotation of the main wheels
56a and
56b does not cause movement of the wings 96. As a result, the wings 96 do not
cause
damage to the housing 12 during operation of the motor 36 while the character
14 is in the
housing 12.
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[98] The motor 36 depicted in the figures includes an energy source, which may
be one
or more batteries.
[99] Reference is made to Figure 11, which illustrates a way that a user can
play with the
toy assembly 10 prior to breakout of the toy character 14 from the housing 12.
The lower
housing member 12b is shown as transparent in Figure 11 to show the toy
character 14
inside. At a first point in time, the user may scan the toy assembly 10 by any
suitable means,
such as by a camera 150 on a smartphone 152 to produce a first progress scan
153 of the
toy assembly 10 (i.e., which may be an image of the toy assembly 10 taken from
the
smartphone camera 150). The user may then upload the scan 153 to a server 154
as part
of, or after, registering the toy assembly 10 via a network such as the
internet, shown at 156.
The server 156 may, in response to the uploaded scan, generate an output image
158a
representing a first virtual stage of development of the toy character 14 in
the housing 12,
so as to convey the impression to the user that the toy character 14 is a
living entity growing
inside the housing 12. The output image 158a may be displayed electronically
(e.g., on the
smartphone 152). The user may at a second, later point in time take a second
progress
scan 153 of the toy assembly 10 and may upload it to the server 154, whereupon
the server
154 will generate a second output image 158b (shown in Figure 13B) that
represents a
second virtual stage of development of the toy character 14 inside the housing
12. In the
second virtual stage of development the toy character 14 may appear to be
further
developed than in the first virtual stage of development.
[100] Figure 14 is a flow diagram of a method 200 of managing an interaction
between a
user and the toy assembly 10 in accordance with the actions depicted in
Figures 11-13. The
method 200 begins at 201, and includes a step 202 which is receiving from the
user a
registration of the toy assembly 14. This may take place by receiving from a
user,
information regarding the model number or serial number of the toy assembly
14. Step 204
includes receiving from the user after step 202, a first progress scan of the
toy assembly, as
depicted in Figure 12. Step 206 includes displaying an image of the toy
character 14 in a
first stage of virtual development, as depicted in Figure 13A. Step 208
includes receiving
from the user after step 206, a second progress scan of the toy assembly 10,
as depicted in
Figure 12 again. Step 210 includes displaying a second output image 158b of
the toy
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character 14 in a second stage of virtual development that is different than
the first output
image 158a depicting the first stage of development, as shown in Figure 13B.
[101] While it has been described for the toy assembly 10 to include a
controller and
sensors, and to include the breakout mechanism inside the toy character 14,
many other
configurations are possible. For example, the toy assembly 10 could be
provided without a
controller or any sensors. Instead the toy character 14 could be powered by an
electric
motor that is controlled via a power switch that is actuatable from outside
the housing 12
(e.g., the switch may be operated by a lever that extends through the housing
12 to the
exterior of the housing 12).
[102] The breakout mechanism 22 has been shown to be provided inside the toy
character
14. It will be understood that this location is just an example of a location
in association with
the housing 12 in which the breakout mechanism 22 can be positioned. In other
embodiments, the breakout mechanism can be positioned outside the housing 12,
while
remaining in association with the housing 12. For example, in embodiments in
which the
housing 12 is shaped like an egg (as is the case in the example shown in the
figures), a
'nest' can be provided, which can hold the egg. The nest may have a breakout
mechanism
built into it that is actuatable to break the egg to reveal the toy character
14 within. Thus, in
an aspect, a toy assembly may be provided, that includes a housing, such as
the housing
12, a toy character inside the housing, that is similar to the toy character
14 but wherein a
breakout mechanism is provided that is associated with the housing, whether
the breakout
mechanism is within the housing or outside of the housing, or partially within
and partially
outside of the housing, and that is operable to break the housing 12 to expose
the toy
character 14. The breakout mechanism is powered by a breakout mechanism power
source
(e.g., a spring, or a motor) that is associated with the housing 12. In some
embodiments
(e.g., as shown in Figure 3), the breakout mechanism includes a hammer (such
as the
hammer 30), which the breakout mechanism power source is operatively connected
to, so
as to drive the hammer to break the housing 12. In some embodiments (e.g., as
shown in
Figure 4), the breakout mechanism power source is operatively connected to the
hammer
to reciprocate the hammer to break the housing 12.
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[103] Another aspect of the invention relates to the movement of the toy
character 14 when
in the pre-breakout position and when in the post-breakout position. More
specifically, the
toy character 14 may be said to include a functional mechanism set that
includes all of the
movement elements of the toy character 14, including, for example, the limbs
96, the main
wheels 56, the limb connector links 100 and associated biasing members 102,
the limb
driver arms 104, the driver arm wheels 106, the hammer 30, the actuation lever
32, the
breakout mechanism cam 34, the motor 36 and the actuation lever biasing member
38. The
toy character 14 is removable from the housing 12 and is positionable in a
post-breakout
position. When the toy character 14 is in the pre-breakout position, the
functional
mechanism set is operable to perform a first set of movements. In the example
shown, the
limb power source (i.e., the motor 36) is operatively disconnected from the
limbs 96, and so
movement of the limb power source 36 does not drive movement of the limbs 96.
However,
in the pre-breakout position, the breakout mechanism power source drives
movement of the
breakout mechanism 22 (by reciprocating the hammer 30 and indexing the toy
character 14
around in the housing 12) so as to break the housing 12 and expose the toy
character 14.
When the toy character 14 is in the post-breakout position, the functional
mechanism set
that is operable to perform a second set of movements that is different than
the first set of
movements. For example, when the toy character 14 is in the post-breakout
position the
limb power source 36 is operatively connected to the limbs 96 and can drive
movement of
the limbs 96, but the breakout mechanism 22 is not driven by the breakout
mechanism
power source.
[104] Some optional aspects of the play pattern for the toy assembly are
described below.
While the toy character 14 is in the housing 12 (when the toy character 14 is
still in the pre-
break out stage of development), the user can interact with the toy character
in several ways.
For example, the user can tap on the housing 12. The tapping can be picked up
by the
microphone on the toy character 14. The controller 28 can interpret the input
to the
microphone, and, upon determining that the input was from a tap, the
controller 28 can
output a sound from the speaker that is a tap sound, so as to appear as if the
toy character
14 is tapping back to the user. Alternatively, or additionally, the controller
28 may initiate
movement of the hammer 30 as described above, depending on whether the
controller 28
can control the speed of the hammer 30, so as to knock the hammer 30 against
the interior
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wall of the housing 12, lightly enough that it can be sensed by the user, but
not so hard that
it risks breaking the housing 12. The controller 28 may be programmed (or
otherwise
configured) to emit sounds indicating annoyedness in the event that the user
taps too many
times within a certain amount of time or according to some other criteria.
Optionally, if the
user turns the toy assembly 10 upside down a first time, the controller 28 may
be
programmed to emit a Weeer sound from the speaker of the toy character 14. If
the user
turns the toy assembly 10 upside down more than a selected number of times
within a
certain period of time, then the controller 28 may be programmed to emit a
sound (or some
other output) that indicates that the toy character 14 is queasy. Optionally,
when the
controller 28 detects, via the capacitive sensors, that the user is holding
the housing 12, the
controller 28 may be programmed to emit a heartbeat sound from the toy
character 14.
Optionally, the controller 28 may be configured to indicate that it is cold
using any suitable
criteria and may be programmed to stop indicating that it is cold when the
controller 28
detects that the user is holding or rubbing the housing 12. Optionally, the
controller 28 is
programmed to emit sounds indicating that the toy character 14 has the hiccups
and to stop
indicating this upon receiving a sufficient number of taps from the user. The
controller 28
may be programmed to indicate to the user that the toy character 14 is bored
and would like
to play and may be programmed to stop such indication when the user interacts
with the toy
assembly 10.
[105] Optionally, when the controller 28 has determined that the criteria have
been met for
it to leave the pre-break out stage of development and break out of the
housing 12, the
controller 28 may cause the LED to flash a selected sequence. For example, the
LED may
be caused to flash a rainbow sequence (red, then orange, then yellow, then
green, then
blue, then violet). After this, the toy character 14 may begin hitting the
housing 12 a selected
number of times, after which it may stop and wait for the user to interact
further with it before
beginning to hit the housing 12 again by a selected number of times.
[106] Optionally, after the toy character 14 has initially broken out of the
housing 12, the
controller 28 may be programmed to act in a first stage of development after
'hatching' (i.e.,
after the toy character 14 is released from the housing 12) to emit sounds
that are baby-like
and to move in a baby-like manner, such as for example only being able to spin
in a circle.
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During this first stage, the controller 28 may be programmed to require the
user to interact
with the toy character 14 in selected ways that symbolize petting of the toy
character 14,
feeding the toy character 14, burping the toy character 14, comforting the toy
character 14,
caring for the toy character 14 when the toy character 14 emits output that is
indicative of
being sick, putting the toy character 14 down for a nap, and playing with the
toy character
14 when the toy character 14 emits output that is indicative of being bored.
In this first stage,
the toy character 14 may emit output that indicates fear from sounds beyond a
selected
loudness. In this stage, the toy character may generally emit baby-like
sounds, such as
gurgling sounds when the user attempts to communicate with it verbally.
[107] Optionally, after some criteria are met during the first stage (e.g., a
sufficient amount
of time has passed, or a sufficient number of interactions (e.g., 120
interactions) have
passed between the user and the toy character 14) the controller 28 may be
programmed
to change its mode of operation to a second stage after 'hatching' (i.e.,
after the toy character
14 is released from the housing 12). Optionally, the LED will emit the rainbow
sequence
again to indicate that the criteria have been met and that the toy character
is changing its
stage of development.
[108] In the second stage of development, the toy character 14 can move
linearly as well
as moving in a circle. Additionally, the sounds emitted from the toy character
14 may sound
more mature. Initially in the second stage of development after hatching, the
controller 28
may be programmed to drive the toy character 14 to move linearly, but not
smoothly ¨ the
motor 38 may be driven and stopped in a random manner to give the appearance
of a
toddler learning to walk. Over time the motor 38 is driven with less stopping
giving the toy
character 14 the appearance of a more mature capability to 'walk'. In this
second stage of
development, the toy character 14 may be capable of emitting sounds at the
cadence that
the user used when speaking to the toy character 14. Also in this second stage
of
development, games involving interaction with the toy character 14 may be
unlocked and
played by the user.
[109] Figure 20 illustrates a breakout mechanism 300 in accordance with
another
embodiment of the present disclosure. The breakout mechanism 300 includes a
base
member 304 that is generally cup-shaped, having a feature, a plunger locking
recess 308,
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in its side wall and a slot 312 in its base wall. A plunger member 316 has a
tubular body 320
and a rounded cap 324. The outer circumference of the tubular body 320 of the
plunger
member 316 is dimensioned to be smaller than the internal circumference of the
side wall
of the base member 304, enabling the tubular body 320 to shift laterally as
needed within
the base member 316. A feature along the outer surface of the tubular body
320, a
protrusion 328, at a proximal end of the body 320 (i.e. the opposite end from
the rounded
cap 324) is sized to fit within the plunger locking recess 308 of the base
member 304.
[110] A biasing element, in particular a spring 332, is fitted inside of the
tubular body 320
of the plunger member 316 and exerts a biasing force between the plunger
member 316
and the base member 304. A collar 336 is mounted (e.g. via a thermal bond,
adhesive, or
any other suitable means) around the tubular body 320 of the plunger member
316 and
prevents the full exit of the plunger member 316 from the base member 304 via
abutment
of the protrusion 328 against the collar 336. The spring 332 is in a
compressed state
between the rounded cap 324 of the plunger member 316 and the base wall of the
base
member 304 when the plunger member 316 is in a retracted position, in which
the plunger
member 316 within the base member 304, as shown in Figure 25.
[111] A release element, namely a wedge 340, is inserted into the slot 312
when the
plunger member 316 is fully inserted into the base member 304, so as to hold
the tubular
body 320 of the plunger member 316 to one side of the interior of the base
member 304 and
positioning the protrusion 328 in the plunger locking recess 308. A ridge 344
along the
wedge 340 limits insertion of the wedge 340 into the slot 312.
[112] Figure 21 shows the breakout mechanism 300 in a compacted state, wherein
the
plunger member 316 is in a retracted position within the base member 304 with
the spring
332 in compression. The wedge 340 has been inserted into the slot 312, and is
biased
against the tubular body 320 by an internal protuberance 346 within the slot,
urging the
tubular body 320 of the plunger member 316 to one side of the interior of the
base member
304 and the protrusion 328 into the recess 308 to inhibit biasing of the
plunger member 316
by the spring 332.
[113] The release element can, in some alternative embodiments, restrict
expansion of the
spring or other biasing element.
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[114] Figure 22 shows the breakout mechanism in an expanded state. Removal of
the
wedge 340 enables the tubular body 320 of the plunger member 316 to shift
within the base
member 304, permitting the protrusion 328 to exit the plunger locking recess
308 and
releasing the plunger member 316 to be moved outwardly from the base member
304 by
the separating force of the spring 332.
[115] The breakout mechanism 300 can form part of a toy character similar to
the toy
character 14. For example, the plunger member 316 and the base member 304 may
together be included in the housing of the toy character. Thus, the plunger
member 316
and the base member 304 may be configured as needed so that they contribute to
the
appearance of a young bird, reptile, or the like. Further, the breakout
mechanism 300 can
be placed within a housing, such as an egg, that may be fractured via the
biasing force of
the spring 332 urging the plunger member 316 outwardly toward an extended
position
(Figure 22) relative to the base member 304. The housing has an aperture
permitting the
wedge 340 to be removed from the breakout mechanism 300. The spring 332 can
exert a
sufficiently strong biasing force to separate the plunger member 316 and the
base member
304 and fracture a housing in which the breakout mechanism 300 is placed.
[116] Figure 23 is a sectional view of a housing in which the breakout
mechanism 300 of
Figures 21 to 23 may be deployed. The housing in this example is in the form
of an simulated
egg shell 360 that has a series of fracture paths 364 formed along its
interior, the fracture
paths 364 having a decreased shell thickness relative to the surrounding
portions of the egg
shell 360. A wedge access aperture 368 in the egg shell 360 permits the pass-
through of
an end of the wedge 340 so as to permit a user to grasp the wedge 340 and
remove it to
activate the breakout mechanism 300.
[117] Figure 24 illustrates a breakout mechanism 400 in accordance with
another
embodiment. The breakout mechanism 400 includes a base member 404 being formed
of
two base member portions 404a, 404b, and a plunger member 408 formed of two
plunger
member portions 408a, 408b. The base member 404 has a tubular side wall 412
with a
generally hollow interior in which the plunger member 408 is received, and an
interior lip 416
along the top of the side wall 412. The plunger member 408 has a tubular side
wall 420, and
an exterior ridge 424 along the bottom of the side wall 420 that cooperates
with the interior
27
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lip 416 of the base member 404 to inhibit full exit of the plunger member 408
from the base
member 404. The plunger member 408 also has a set of internal walls 428 that
define a
channel. A screw drive 432 is secured inside of the base member 404 and
includes a motor
436 that turns a threaded shaft 440 (via a suitable mechanical drive will be
easily configured
by one skilled in the art based on the packaging requirements of the
particular application),
and a battery 444 for powering the motor 436. A traveler 448 having an
internally threaded
portion receives the threaded shaft 440. The traveler 448 is generally tubular
and has a
rectangular exterior profile dimensioned to prevent rotation in the channel
defined by the
internal walls 428 of the plunger member 408. A lip 450 on the exterior of the
traveler 338
limits insertion into the channel defined by the internal walls 428 as it
abuts against the lower
edge of the internal walls 428. A biasing element 452 (which is shown as a
helical
compression spring and which, for convenience may be referred to as a spring
452) is fitted
inside the end of the traveler 448 opposite the threaded shaft 440. A magnetic
switch 453 is
provided in the breakout mechanism 400 and controls power to the motor 436
from the
battery 444. The magnetic switch 453 is actuatable (i.e. closed) by the
presence of a magnet
454 proximate to the housing, as shown in Figure 24, thereby powering the
screw drive 432.
[118] Figure 25 shows the breakout mechanism 400 in a compacted state
positioned inside
a housing. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing is an egg shell 460. The
egg shell 460
includes a fracturable shell portion 464 secured to an annular shell portion
468. The annular
shell portion 468 snap-fits to a base shell portion 472. The traveler 448 is
positioned inside
the channel created by the internal walls 428 of the plunger member 408 and is
positioned
at a lower end of the threaded shaft 440. The spring 452 is compressed between
a shoulder
in the interior of the traveler 448 and an end surface in the channel. The
motor 436 is used
to drive the screw drive 432 to drive progressively increasing flexure of the
spring 452 so as
to increase a biasing force exerted by the spring 452 urging the plunger
member 408
outward from the base member 404.
[119] Figure 26 shows the breakout mechanism 400 in an expanded state after
activation
of the screw drive 432 via placement of a magnet proximate to the egg shell
460 adjacent
the motor 436. The screw drive 432 operably exerts a separating force urging
the plunger
member 408 and the base member 404 apart. Upon sufficient fracturing of the
egg shell
28
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CA 2959244 2017-02-27
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460, the spring 452 expands from a compressed state to push apart the broken
egg shell
460 abruptly to heighten the realism of the hatching action.
[120] Figure 27 shows a toy character 500 that includes a breakout mechanism
similar to
the breakout mechanism 400 shown in Figures 24 to 26. The breakout mechanism
shown
in Figure 27 has a base member 504 and a plunger member 508 shown in an
expanded
state. The toy character 500 includes a swiveling wheel assembly 512 that has
a pair of
wheels 516 that are driven, optionally by the same motor that drives the base
member 504
and the plunger member 508 apart. A pair of non-swivelling wheels 520 is
attached to the
base member 504. The swivelling wheel assembly may be connected to the motor
in such
a way that the wheel assembly 512 is intermittently rotated by some angle by
the motor.
This provides somewhat erratic movement to the breakout mechanism 500. This
erratic
movement can convey a sense of realism to the character during its movement.
[121] Again, the breakout mechanisms described and illustrated herein may be
provided a
decorative cover to simulate the appearance of any suitable character.
[122] Figures 28 to 30 illustrate a housing fracturing mechanism 600 according
to an
embodiment. The housing fracturing mechanism 600 has a base frame member 604
that
includes an outer bowl 608 secured to an inner bowl 612. The outer bowl 608
has an inner
lip 616 about its top periphery. An upper frame member 620 is rotatably
coupled to the base
frame member 604 about the top periphery of the outer bowl 608. An inner lip
624 of the
upper frame member 620 securely receives the inner lip 616 of the outer bowl
608. Three
cutting elements 628 are pivotally coupled at a first end thereof to the base
frame member
604 via a fastener such as a partially threaded screw 632. A second end 636 of
the cutting
elements 628 is slidably coupled to the upper frame member 620 via their
protrusion through
openings 640 in a side wall of the upper frame member 620. The cutting
elements 628 are
somewhat arcuate in shape and define an aperture 644 into which a housing 648
to be
fractured may be positioned.
[123] As will be understood, rotation of the upper frame member 620 in a
counter-clockwise
direction relative to the base frame member 604 causes the cutting elements
628 to pivot
and intersect / constrict the aperture 644 like an analog camera aperture.
Sharp protrusions
652 along the cutting elements 628 project towards the aperture 644 and act to
puncture
29
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and/or crack the housing 648. In this manner, the housing 648 placed in the
housing
fracturing mechanism 600 may be fractured.
[124] As will be understood, the cutting elements can be slidably connected to
the upper
frame member via a number of ways, such as by having a channel therein into
which is
secured a fastener fastened to the upper frame member. Further, the cutting
elements may
be pivotally connected to the upper frame member and slidably connected to the
base frame
member.
[125] One or more cutting elements can be employed and can act to compress the
housing
to be fractured against other cutting elements or against a portion of the
frames.
[126] Figures 31A and 31B illustrate a housing fracturing mechanism 700 in
accordance
with another embodiment. The housing fracturing mechanism 700 includes a pair
of cutting
elements 704 that are pivotally coupled via a fastener 708, such as a bolt or
rivet. One or
both of the cutting elements 704 has a recess 712 in a cutting edge 716
thereof. A housing
to be broken can be placed in the one or more recesses 712 and can be broken
via pivoting
of the cutting elements 704, as shown in Figure 31B, thereby permitting access
to the toy
character provided in the housing.
[127] Toy characters employing the breakout mechanisms described above,
particularly
those illustrated in Figures 20 to 23 and 24 to 27, can be used in conjunction
with companion
toy characters that may or may not be placed inside a housing with the toy
characters.
[128] Figure 32A shows a breakout mechanism 800 for a toy character similar to
that of
Figure 27 in an expanded state. The breakout mechanism 800 has a base member
804 that
nests within a plunger member 808 in a compacted state and is urged away from
the plunger
member 808 via a screw drive having a motor to the expanded state shown.
Movement of
the toy character on a surface is provided by wheels 812 that have a cam
profile on them
with at least one lobe on each wheel, similar to those shown in Figure 6). The
wheels 812
are driven by the motor.
[129] Figure 32B shows a companion mechanism 820 for a companion toy character
that
is placed in a housing with the toy character (employing the breakout
mechanism 800 of
Figure 32A). The companion mechanism 820 has a main body 824 and a wheel base
828
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that nests within the main body 824, but is biased outwards via an internal
helical metal coil
spring to an expanded state as shown. The wheel base 828 has a set of wheels
832
enabling movement of the companion mechanism 820 along a surface with minimal
pushing.
[130] Figure 33 shows the breakout mechanism 800 of Figure 32A and the
companion
mechanism 820 of Figure 326 in a stacked compacted state. In the compacted
state, the
screw drive of the breakout mechanism 800 has not yet been activated to drive
the plunger
member 808 away from the base member 804. The companion mechanism 820 is also
in a
compacted state, with the wheel base 828 being held under compression within
the main
body 824 against the force of the helical metal coil spring. The companion
mechanism 820
is atop the plunger member 808 of the breakout mechanism 800.
[131] Figure 34 is a sectional view of a housing in the form of an egg shell
840 having two
toy characters positioned inside. A primary toy character 844 employs the
breakout
mechanism 800, which is in a compacted state. A ancillary toy character 848
employs the
companion mechanism 820, which is also in a compacted state. Upon activation
of the motor
and attached screw drive of the breakout mechanism 800 within the primary toy
character
844, such as via a magnet to draw two contacts together to close a circuit,
the screw drive
urges the plunger member 808 away from the base member 804, causing the
breakout
mechanism 800 to expand and push the ancillary toy character 848 through the
egg shell
840 to fracture it. At the same time, the wheels 812 commence to rotate, and
their lobes
help push against the interior of the egg shell 840 to fracture it.
[132] Upon its fracturing, the companion mechanism 820 within the toy
character 848 is no
longer held in compression and the wheel base 828 is urged away from the main
body 824
by the helical metal coil spring.
[133] Once the primary toy character 844 is freed from the egg shell 840, the
wheels 812
cause the primary toy character 844 to move across a surface upon which it is
placed.
[134] The breakout mechanism 800 and the companion mechanism 820 can include
electronic components that are activated upon expansion. In the case of the
breakout
mechanism 800, the electronic components can be placed on the same circuit as
the motor
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and be activated upon closing of the circuit. For the companion mechanism 820,
its
electronic components may be activated upon the closing of a circuit once the
main body
824 and the wheel base 828 are urged apart by the helical metal coil spring.
[135] The electronic components can enable the primary toy character 844 and
the
ancillary toy character 848 to make audible noises such as bird chirps,
display lights, etc.
Further, the primary toy character 844 and the ancillary toy character 848 can
"interact"
through sensing the other. For example, the primary toy character 844 can be
equipped with
an audio speaker for generating a bird chirping noise, and the ancillary toy
character 848
can be equipped with an audio sensor (i.e. a microphone), a processor to
discern the bird
chirping noise from other audio signals, and an audio speaker to output a
corresponding
higher-pitched bird chirp. Both the primary toy character 844 and the
ancillary toy character
848 can be equipped with sensors, such as microphones, light detectors,
network antennas,
etc., processors, and output devices, such as audio speakers, light emitting
diodes, network
radios, etc. In this manner, the primary toy character 844 and the ancillary
toy character 848
can interact, with one setting off the other.
[136] In one embodiment, the audio and/or light signals output by an ancillary
toy character
can be received and used by a primary toy character to locate and move to the
ancillary toy
character.
[137] Figure 35 shows another companion mechanism 900 for a smaller ancillary
toy
character similar to the companion mechanism 820 of Figure 32B in accordance
with
another embodiment. The companion mechanism 900 has a main body 904 and a
wheel
base 908 that nests within the main body 904, and that is biased outwards via
an internal
helical metal coil spring to an expanded state as shown. The wheel base 908
has a set of
wheels 912 enabling movement of the companion mechanism 900 along a surface
with
minimal pushing.
[138] Figure 36 shows a breakout mechanism 920 similar to that of Figure 32A
and two of
the companion mechanisms 900 of Figure 35 in a stacked compacted state. The
breakout
mechanism 920 has a base member 924 that nests within a plunger member 928 in
a
compacted state as shown, and is urged away from the plunger member 928 to an
expanded state via a screw drive. Movement of the breakout mechanism 920 on a
surface
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is provided by wheels 932 that have a cam profile on them with at least one
lobe on each
wheel, similar to those shown in Figure 6).
[139] Each of the two companion mechanisms 900 has its wheel base 908 being
held
under compression within the main body 904 against the force of the helical
metal coil
spring. One of the companion mechanisms 900 is positioned atop of the other
companion
mechanism 900, which is, in turn, positioned atop the plunger member 928 of
the breakout
mechanism 920.
[140] Figure 37 is a sectional view of a housing in the form of an egg shell
940 having three
toy characters positioned inside. A primary toy character 944 employs the
breakout
mechanism 920, which is in a compacted state. Each of two ancillary toy
characters 948
employ the companion mechanism 900, which is also in a compacted state. Upon
activation
of the screw drive of the breakout mechanism 920 within the primary toy
character 944, such
as via a magnet to draw two contacts together to close a circuit, the screw
drive urges the
plunger member 928 away from the base member 924, causing the breakout
mechanism
920 of the primary toy character 944 to expand and push the toy characters 948
positioned
on top through the egg shell 940 to fracture it. Upon its fracturing, the
companion mechanism
900 within each of the ancillary toy characters 948 is no longer held in
compression and the
wheel base 908 is urged away from the main body 904 by the helical metal coil
spring.
[141] The primary toy character 944 and the ancillary toy characters 948 can
include
electronic componentry to provide additional functionality as described above
with regards
to the primary toy character 844 and the ancillary toy character 848.
[142] A breakout mechanism can be configured with one or more additional
behaviors
when the breakout mechanism is placed back in a housing. For example, the
breakout
mechanism may move, emit audible noises, light up, etc.
[143] Figure 38 shows an exemplary breakout mechanism 1000 that is configured
with
additional behaviors when placed in a housing. The housing is an egg shell
1004 that has a
raised inner ring 1008. A small magnet 1012 magnetizes a metal rod 1016 that
protrudes
from the centre of the bottom inside surface of the egg shell 1004. An adapter
disk 1020 is
positioned atop of the raised inner ring 1008 of the egg shell 1004. The
adapter disk 1020
33
- = =r= = - - = . r u=-=
- = .
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snaps onto the breakout mechanism 1000 and enables movement of the breakout
mechanism 1000 relative to the egg shell 1004 as part of an additional
behavior. A
frustoconical metal disk 1024 is secured to the bottom of the breakout
mechanism 1000 to
guide placement of the metal rod 1016 to a Hall sensor 1028 inside of the
breakout
mechanism 1000. The Hall sensor 1028 senses the magnetism of the metal rod
1016 to
detect when the breakout mechanism 1000 is positioned inside of the egg shell
1004.
[144] Figure 39 shows a bottom portion of the egg shell 1004 with the raised
inner ring
1008 along its inside surface. A crenelated ring 1032 protrudes from the
interior surface of
the bottom of the egg shell 1004 within the raised inner ring 1008. A post
anchor 1036 inside
of the crenelated ring 1032 has an aperture in which the metal rod 1016 is
secured.
[145] Figures 40A and 40B show the adapter disk 1020 having an annular plate
1040 with
a peripheral lip 1044 extending downwards. A pair of wheel recesses 1048a,
1048b are
dimensioned to receive wheels of the breakout mechanism 1000. One of the wheel
recesses, 1048a, is deeper than required to receive a wheel of the breakout
mechanism
1000. A disk grip 1052 projects from a bottom surface of the annular plate
1040. Together,
the wheel recess 1048a and the disk grip 1052 enable a person to pull the
adapter disk 1020
off of the breakout mechanism 1000 onto which it snaps so that the wheels of
the breakout
mechanism 1000 may be exposed and used to mobilize the breakout mechanism 1000
on
a surface. A central gear disk 1056 is rotatably coupled to the annular plate
1040 and has a
number of gear teeth on its upper surface. Two arcuate walls 1060 extend from
a lower
surface of the central gear disk 1056. The arcuate walls 1060 have thickened
vertical edges
1064. A through-hole 1068 enables passage of the metal rod 1016 through the
adapter disk
1020. A pair of securement posts 1072 extend from the upper surface of the
annular plate
1040 to releasably engage corresponding holes in the bottom surface of the
breakout
mechanism 1000.
[146] The breakout mechanism 1000 is configured such that, prior to its
triggering to
fracture the egg shell 1004, detection of the magnetism of the metal rod 1016
does not
trigger the motor of the breakout mechanism 1000. To trigger the additional
behaviors of the
breakout mechanism 1000 thereafter, the adapter disk 1020 is secured to the
bottom of the
breakout mechanism 1000 via the securement posts 1072, and the combined
breakout
34
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Millman IP Ref: SPI-447
mechanism 1000 and adapter disk 1020 are placed into the bottom portion of the
egg shell
1004. The arcuate walls 1060 of the adapter disk 1020 fit within the
crenelated ring 1032 of
the egg shell 1004, and the thickened vertical edges 1064 engage the
crenelated ring 1032
to inhibit rotation of the central gear disk 1056 relative to the egg shell
1004.
[147] During placement of the breakout mechanism 1000 and the adapter disk
1020, the
metal rod 1016 inserts into the breakout mechanism 1000 guided by the
frustoconical metal
disk 1024 so that the metal rod 1016 engages the Hall sensor 1028. The
magnetism of the
metal rod 1016 is sensed by the Hall sensor 1028 and triggers the motor of the
breakout
mechanism 1000 to start up.
[148] The breakout mechanism 1000 includes an angled piston arm coupled to the
motor
that projects from its bottom surface. The motor drives the angled piston arm
cycles between
extending angularly below the bottom surface of the breakout mechanism 1000
and
retracting back into it by its off-center attachment to a rotating disk driven
by the motor. On
its downward stroke, the angled piston arm engages the gear teeth on the upper
surface of
the central gear disk 1056 to rotate the breakout mechanism 1000 and annular
plate 1040
secured thereto relative to the central gear disk 1056. On the upward stroke
of the angled
piston arm, the breakout mechanism 1000 and the annular plate 1040 secured to
it remain
stationary relative to the egg shell 1004. As will be understood, continued
operation of the
motor of the breakout mechanism 1000 causes it to intermittently rotate within
the egg shell
1004.
[149] The motor of the breakout mechanism 1000 can also drive other
mechanisms, such
as the rotation of extending wing members, providing the illusion that the
breakout
mechanism 1000 is flapping its wings.
[150] In addition, the Hall sensor 1028 may trigger other elements of the
breakout
mechanism 1000. For example, the breakout mechanism 1000 can include one or
more of
lights, an audio speaker emitting a bird chirp, etc. that can be triggered by
the Hall sensor
1028.
[151] Other types of sensors and mechanisms can be used in place of the Hall
sensor to
trigger the additional behaviors. For example, the metal rod may complete an
electrical
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CA 2959244 2017-02-27
Millman IF Ref: SPI-447
circuit to drive the motor when inserted into the breakout mechanism. In a
further example,
a rod can urge two metal contacts into contact to complete a circuit to drive
the motor when
inserted into the breakout mechanism.
[152] Movement of the breakout mechanism relative to the housing can be
achieved in
other manners. For example, a circular track on the inside of the housing can
enable the
rotation of one wheel to rotate the breakout mechanism relative to the
housing.
[153] The dimensions and shape of the recesses, and the materials of the
cutting elements
can be varied to accommodate housing shapes, materials, and dimensions.
[154] The breakout mechanism and companion mechanisms can be provided with one
or
more switches to modify their behavior. The switches can take the form of
buttons, physical
switches, etc. and can include audio sensors, optical/motion sensors, magnetic
sensors,
electrical sensors, heat sensors, etc.
[155] In the figures, a toy character has been shown as being provided in the
housing.
However, it will be noted that the toy character is but one example of an
inner object that is
provided in the housing. In some embodiments described herein, the inner
object may be
animate and may include a breakout mechanism. In some embodiments the inner
object
may not be animate. In some embodiments the inner object may be animate but
may not
itself include a breakout mechanism. In some embodiments the inner object may
be a toy
character. In some embodiments, the inner object may not be a character in the
sense that
it may not be configured to appear as a sentient entity.
[156] Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that there are yet more
alternative
implementations and modifications possible, and that the above examples are
only
illustrations of one or more implementations. The scope, therefore, is only to
be limited by
the claims appended hereto.
36
