JOUET ARTICULE AYANT GENERALEMENT LA FORME D'UN ANIMAL OU D'UNE POUPEE

JOINTED PLAYTHING, FOR EXAMPLE IN THE FORM OF A SMALL ANIMAL OR DOLL

Abrégé français

Jouet pouvant former de petits animaux ou des poupées, comprenant essentiellement un corps principal (2) de forme sphérique et deux corps auxiliaires (4, 7) qui reproduisent des parties anthropomorphes et/ou zoomorphiques et comportent des surfaces de coupelle internes (6, 9) qui s'accouplent en coulissant avec le corps principal (2). Les deux corps auxiliaires (4,7) sont munis d'éléments complémentaires (10 à 15) définissant un joint à rotule dont le centre (P) est essentiellement confondu avec le centre de la surface sphérique du corps principal (2).

Abrégé anglais

The plaything, which lends itself to the formation of
small animals or dolls, comprises essentially a main body
(2) of spherical shape and two auxiliary bodies (4, 7)
which reproduce anthropomorphic and/or zoomorphic parts
and which have respective internal cup surfaces (6, 9)
slidingly coupled with the main body (2). The two
auxiliary bodies (4, 7) carry complementary elements (10
to 15) together defining a ball joint whose ball centre
(P) is substantially coincident with the centre of the
spherical surface of the main body (2).

Revendications

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR
PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A jointed plaything, including:
- a generally spherical first body, and
- two auxiliary bodies, each of which is coupled to said
first body so as to be orientable relative there along
a circular path on a spherical surface formed by said
first body, characterised in that said first body
constitutes the main body of the plaything and in that
a ball and socket type extending through said main body
and defining a joint centre substantially coincident with
the common centre of said circular path and of said
spherical surface.
2. A plaything according to Claim 1, characterised in that the
auxiliary bodies have respective outer surfaces which reproduce
anthropomorphic and/or zoomorphic parts.

3. A plaything according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in
that the ball and the socket are carried by respective shafts
extending generally radially of the said spherical surface.

4. A plaything according to Claim 3, characterised in that the
socket is overall of yielding material so as to enable it to
receive the ball within it generally by snap-engagement.

Description

2081151


- DESCRIPTION




The present invention relates to playthings and has been
developed with particular regard to its possible use for
the manufacture of toys in the form of small animals or
dolls which can, for example, be associated with food
products as gifts or "surprises" inserted in hollow food
products such as chocolate eggs.



In this field there is a need to give the presents or
surprises an ever more marked play component: here one is
dealing with a requirement which is rather difficult to
satisfy with conventional playthings formed in a single
piece. For this reason a solution already used in the
past, for example for surprises in chocolate eggs, has
been to provide toys or playthings in several parts: in
this way the consumer (typically a child) takes the toy
from the egg (usually inserted in a protective container)
and must then assemble it, thereby following a play
activity.



The object of the present invention is to provide a

plaything which is improved from this point of view,
particularly with regard to the possibility of providing
a small animal or doll which can assume various selected


2 f~n~ ~s~


poses at the pleasure of the user.



Generally speaking, the present invention provides a jointed
plaything, including: a generally spherical first body, and
two auxiliary bodies, each of which is coupled to the first
body so as to be orientable relative thereto along a circular
path on a spherical surface formed by the first body,
characterised in that the first body constitutes the main body
of the plaything and in that the two auxiliary bodies carry
joint coupling means of a ball and socket type extending
through the main body and defining a joint centre substantially
coincident with the common centre of the circular path and of
the spherical surface.



The invention will now be described, purely by way of non-
limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in
which:
Figures 1 and 2 are general perspective views of a
plaything according to the invention illustrated in two
different positions of use, and
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the plaything of
Figures 1 and 2, intended to illustrate its internal structure.


lcd: jj


2a




In the drawings a plaything is generally indicated 1 and, in
the embodiment illustrated, is in the form of a small animal
such as, for example, a cow or buffalo. Naturally this choice
of characterisation is entirely open and may extend in general
for example to various personages of an anthropomorphic and/or
zoomorphic character. Furthermore, the invention lends itself
readily to the realisation of entirely different playthings
(for example vehicles, etc.).




k(~D
B

208115~




In the embodiment illustrated, the toy 1 is composed
essentially of three parts, that is to say:
- a central spherical body 2 with a diametral through-
hole 3,
- a front body 4 which generally can be seen to have
an outer surface 5 which defines anthropomorphic and/or
zoomorphic features and an inner surface 6 of spherical
cup shape, and
- a rear body 7 which, like the front body 4, can be
seen to have an outer surface 8 which reproduces
anthropomorphic and/or zoomorphic features as well as an
inner surface 9 of spherical cup shape.



Naturally, the attributions "front" and "rear" applied to
the bodies 4 and 7 refer to the portions of the personage
reproduced by the toy: it should be said that this
connotation is entirely indictive and of open
interpretation and hence does not have any limiting
character.




In the assembled device, the auxiliary bodies 4 and 7 are
fitted to the spherical body 2 so as to bring the cup-
shaped surfaces 6 and 9 into contact with the spherical
body 2, in particular with the two polar zones thereof
into which the ends of the through-hole 3 open.



Couplings are thus formed between each auxiliary body 4,

- 2 0 ~ ~ ~ 5 ~ -




7 and the main body 2 which enable their relative
orientation along a spherical surface identified, in the
embodiment illustrated, by the outer surface of the body
2 to which the two cup shapes 6 and 9 conform.



The auxiliary bodies 4 and 7 also have complementary
formations 10 and 11 together arranged to define a ball
joint with a joint centre, indicated P, practically
coincident with the centre of the spherical surface of
the body 2.



In the embodiment illustrated, the joint part 10 is
constituted by a shaft 12 which projects radially from
the inner cup surface 6 of the body 4 in a direction
radially thereof and carries a ball head or core 13 at
its free end.



The complementary joint part 11 is also constituted by a

shaft 14 which projects radially from the inner cup
surface 9 of the body and carries a socket or cup
formation 15 at its free end defining a cup or seat
for receiving the ball 13.



Preferably the parts 10 and 11 and also the bodies 2, 4
and 7 are moulded entirely from plastics material.
Consequently the cup 15 is able to yield radially to a
certain exte~t (increased by any notches present in the


208115~L


mouth portion) which allows its snap engagement with the
ball head 13.



Naturally, the joint combination illustrated here is
purely exemplary and may be replaced by a functionally
equivalent joint configuration.



In order to optimise the invention however it is
important that the joint point P be coincident, or at
least substantially coincident, with the centre of the
surface of the spherical body 2.



It should however be appreciated that it is not necessary
for this body to have a spherical structure over its
entire development (although this solution appears
preferable for many reasons and for constructional
simplicity): it in fact suffices for those parts intended
to cooperate with the cups defined by the inner surfaces
6 and 9 of the auxiliary bodies 4 and 7 to have a
spherical conformation.



It should also be noted that it is not necessary for the

toy to include two auxiliary bodies: for the purposes of
carrying out the invention it in fact suffices for there
to be only one of these bodies. Again it is important to
note that it is not essential for the surfaces 6 and 9 to
have a spherical development complementary to that of the


20811~1


body 2 in order for the auxiliary bodies 4, 7 to bear
against a spherical surface of the main body. For this
purpose, the spherical cup surfaces (even though they are
a preferred solution) could be replaced by non-spherical
cups intended to remain spaced from the surface of the
body 2 except around their peripheral circular regions.
Again at least some of the advantages of the invention
could be retained if the coupling between the main body
2 and the auxiliary bodies 4, 7 ins~ad of ~ ng
obtained by means of a spherical surface were limllted
(also h~ng regar~ to ~he ~n~ ~ nt of the joint 10, 11)
dimensionally so as to be formed ~ong a circular surface

(that is, more correctly, a path), for example by means of
cylindrical coupling surfaces. - -

Coupling by means of spherical surfaces is obviously apreferred solution; coupling along a circular path
should, however, also be considered as falling within the
scope of the invention.



From the above it will be apparent that the structure of
the plaything described lends itself ideally to the
formation of toys in the form of small animals or dolls
which can take up different poses easily, such as those
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 by way of example, simply
as a result of the different orientations of the
auxiliary bodies 4 and 7 relative to the main body 2, and
hence the different relative orientations of the bodies


20811~1

4 and 7.



For example, Figure 1 illustrates a pose in which the
animal represented by the toy 1 is essentially straight
while the pose illustrated in Figure 2 is of the same
animal turned entirely to one side. Clearly the same
structure enables the personage represented by the device
to be turned into positions in which it is lying down or
erect etc., at the choice of the user.



As already stated, the application to the realisation of
personages such as dolls or animals, although preferred,
is not binding with regard to the use of the jointed toy
of the invention which can also be used for different
purposes.

Dessin représentatif