Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
ASSEMBLY WITH OBJECT IN HOUSING
FIELD
[0001] 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
[0002] 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
[0003] 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.
[0004] 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;
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
b) receiving from the user after step a), a first progress scan of the toy
assembly;
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.
[0005] 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.
[0006] 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.
[0007] 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
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movements that is different than the first set of movements. In an example,
the inner
object further includes, a breakout 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.
[0008] 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.
[0009] 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.
[0010] 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.
[0011] 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
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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.
[0012] 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
[0013] For a 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:
[0014] Figures 1A and 1B are transparent side view of a toy assembly
according to a
non-limiting embodiment;
[0015] Figure 2 is a transparent, perspective view of a housing that is
part of the toy
assembly shown in Figures 1A and 1B;
[0016] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a toy character that is part
of the toy assembly
shown in Figures 1A and 1B;
[0017] 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;
[0018] 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;
[0019] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the toy character
that causes
rotation of the toy character inside the housing;
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0020] Figure 6A is a sectional side view of the portion of the toy
character shown in
Figure 6;
[0021] Figure 7 is a sectional side view of the toy character shown in
Figure 2, in a
post-breakout position, showing the hammer extended;
[0022] Figure 8 is a sectional side view of the toy character shown in
Figure 2, in a
post-breakout position, showing the hammer retracted;
[0023] 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;
[0024] 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;
[0025] 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;
[0026] Figure 10C is a magnified front elevation view of a joint between a
limb and a
character frame of the toy character;
[0027] 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;
[0028] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the toy assembly and an
electronic device
used to scan the toy assembly;
[0029] Figure 12 is a schematic view illustrating the uploading the
scan of the toy
assembly to a server;
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0030] 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;
[0031] 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;
[0032] 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;
[0033] 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;
[0034] 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;
[0035] 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;
[0036] Figure 17B is a perspective view of the housing of Figure 17A,
showing in
greater detail the geometric pattern of the fracture paths;
[0037] 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;
[0038] 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;
[0039] 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;
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0040] 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;
[0041] Figure 21 is a side exploded view of the breakout mechanism of
Figure 20;
[0042] Figure 22 is another sectional side view of the breakout mechanism
of Figure
20 after activation via release of the tab;
[0043] 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;
[0044] 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;
[0045] Figure 25 is a side sectional view of the breakout mechanism of
Figure 24
inside a housing prior to activation of the breakout mechanism;
[0046] Figure 26 is a side sectional view of the breakout mechanism of
Figure 25
protruding through the housing after activation;
[0047] Figure 27 is a side view of a breakout mechanism according to
yet another
non-limiting embodiment;
[0048] Figure 28 is a top view of a housing fracturing mechanism
according to a
further non-limiting embodiment;
[0049] Figure 29 is a top sectional view of the housing fracturing
mechanism of Figure
28 showing a housing being fractured;
[0050] Figure 30 is a side sectional view of the housing fracturing
mechanism of
Figure 28;
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0051] Figure 31A is a top view of a housing fracturing mechanism
according to yet
another non-limiting embodiment having two pivotally-connected members;
[0052] Figure 31B 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;
[0053] Figure 32A is a front view of a breakout mechanism in accordance
with another
embodiment in an expanded state;
[0054] Figure 32B is a front view of a companion mechanism for
placement in a
housing with the breakout mechanism of Figure 32A;
[0055] Figure 33 shows the breakout mechanism of Figure 32A and the
companion
mechanism of Figure 32B in a stacked compacted state;
[0056] 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;
[0057] Figure 35 is a front cross section view of a smaller companion
mechanism than
that of Figure 32B for placement in a housing with a breakout mechanism such
as that of
Figure 32A;
[0058] 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;
[0059] 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;
[0060] Figure 38 is a partial sectional view of a housing, an adapter
disk, and a
breakout mechanism in accordance with yet another embodiment;
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0061] Figure 39 is a top perspective view of a bottom portion of the
housing of Figure
38;
[0062] Figure 40A is a top perspective view of the adapter disk of
Figure 38; and
[0063] Figure 40B is a bottom perspective view of the adapter disk of
Figure 38.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0064] 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.
[0065] 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 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.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0066] 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.
[0067] 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.
[0068] 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
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
about 15-25 weight-% base polymer, about 1-5 weight-% organic acid metal salt
and
about 75-85 weight-% 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.
[0069] 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.
[0070] 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.
[0071] 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 integrity of the housing 12 during transport and handling,
particularly when
being handled by children.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0072] 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.
[0073] 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.
[0074] 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
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
12
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
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.
[0075] 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.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0076] 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.
[0077] 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.
[0078] 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
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
15 through 19B, 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.
[0079]
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.
[0080] 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.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0081] 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, 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.
[0082] 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.
[0083] 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.
16
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0084] 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.
[0085] 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.
[0086] 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.
[0087] 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
17
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
bushing 60 on the bottom housing member 12c and without engagement of the
wheels
56a and 56b on the housing member 12c.
[0088] 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 causes the toy character 14 to eventually break through the entire
perimeter of
the housing 12.
[0089] 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.
18
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0090] 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 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.
[0091] 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
19
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
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 14, which may depend on
factors
including the interactions that have occurred between the toy character 14 and
the user.
[0092] 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
10C, 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,
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
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.
[0093] For each wing connector link 100, a wing connector link biasing
member 102
(Figure 10C) biases the associated wing connector link 100 to urge the
associated wing
96 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.
[0094] 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.
[0095] 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.
[0096] 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.
[0097] 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
21
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
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.
[0098] The motor 36 depicted in the figures includes an energy source,
which may be
one or more batteries.
[0099]
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.
22
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0100] 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 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.
[0101] 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).
[0102] 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
23
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
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.
[0103] 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
24
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
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.
[0104] 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 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 'Meer 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.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0105] 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.
[0106] 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. 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.
[0107] 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.
26
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0108] 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.
[0109] 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,
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.
[0110] 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
27
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
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.
[0111] 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.
[0112] 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.
[0113] The release element can, in some alternative embodiments, restrict
expansion
of the spring or other biasing element.
[0114] 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.
[0115] 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
28
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
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.
[0116] 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.
[0117] 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 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
29
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
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.
[0118] 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.
[0119] 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 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.
[0120] 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
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
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.
[0121] Again,
the breakout mechanisms described and illustrated herein may be
provided a decorative cover to simulate the appearance of any suitable
character.
[0122]
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.
[0123] 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 and/or crack the housing 648. In this manner, the housing
648 placed
in the housing fracturing mechanism 600 may be fractured.
[0124] 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.
31
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0125] 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.
[0126] 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.
[0127] 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.
[0128] 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.
[0129] 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 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.
32
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0130] Figure 33 shows the breakout mechanism 800 of Figure 32A and the
companion mechanism 820 of Figure 32B 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.
[0131] 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.
[0132] 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.
[0133] 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.
[0134] 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 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.
33
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0135] 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.
[0136] 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.
[0137] 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.
[0138] 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
34
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
surface 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).
[0139] 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.
[0140] 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.
[0141] 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.
[0142] 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.
[0143] 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
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
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 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.
[0144] 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.
[0145] 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.
36
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0146] 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 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.
[0147] 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.
[0148] 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.
[0149] 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.
37
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
[0150] 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.
[0151] 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 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.
[0152] 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.
[0153] The dimensions and shape of the recesses, and the materials of
the cutting
elements can be varied to accommodate housing shapes, materials, and
dimensions.
[0154] 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.
[0155] 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.
[0156] Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that there are yet
more alternative
implementations and modifications possible, and that the above examples are
only
38
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
illustrations of one or more implementations. The scope, therefore, is only to
be limited
by the claims appended hereto.
39
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-27
