Method and Apparatus for Body-worn Entertainment Devices

• US 20090176433A1
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: William Mark Corporation
• Original Assignee: William Mark Corporation
• Inventors: Forti, William Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/111,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20090176433A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/26
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 21/02 with cable- or rail-suspended vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/00 Other toys
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 7/02 by pushing or drawing
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 5/02 Arrangements for making stage effects; Auxiliary stage appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A light-weight toy is attached to a player via a near-invisible fixed-length tether, typically using a low-tack adhesive at the ends of the tether. In especially preferred embodiments, the toy has a mechanism that creates an appearance of plausible possibility of flight without actually providing sufficient lift and/or propulsion for flight. Imaginary flight is achieved by manual lifting and moving the toy via the tether. Thus, the tether forms an integral part of the imaginary play for the player and is not used as an implement of a ‘magic trick’ for an audience.

Claims

1. A kit comprising:

a light-weight toy, and a near-invisible fixed-length tether having a length and first and second ends;

wherein first and second ends are modified with an adhesive having a tackiness sufficient to allow reversible coupling of the first end of the tether to a person and to allow reversible coupling of the second end of the tether to the toy; and

wherein the light-weight toy comprises a mechanism that imparts appearance of plausible possibility of flight to the toy without providing sufficient lift or propulsion for flight.

2. The kit of claim 1 further comprising a packing element that is configured to allow coiled and reversible affixing of the near-invisible fixed-length tether to the packing element using the adhesive on the first and second ends.

3. The kit of claim 2 wherein the packing element comprises a spool that is configured to allow coiled and reversible affixing of the near-invisible fixed-length tether, and further optionally comprises an opening that is configured to accommodate at least a portion of the light-weight toy.

4. The kit of claim 1 wherein the light-weight toy is configured as a toy fairy having human appearance, as a butterfly, as a dragon, or as a dinosaur, and wherein the mechanism that imparts appearance of plausible possibility of flight comprises a pair of wings.

5. The kit of claim 4 further comprising a control circuit that controls movement of the pair of wings as a function of proximity of the toy to a surface selected from the group consisting of a floor of a room, a bottom surface of a storage container, and a body surface.

6. The kit of claim 4 further comprising a control circuit that controls illumination of the pair of wings, optionally as a function of movement of the pair of wings.

7. The kit of claim 1 wherein the light-weight toy is configured as a UFO, and wherein the mechanism that imparts appearance of plausible possibility of flight comprises a plurality of airfoils.

8. The kit of claim 1 wherein the adhesive is selected from the group of wax, and a low-tack polymer.

9. The kit of claim 1 wherein the light-weight toy has a weight of between 5 and 50 gram.

10. The kit of claim 1 wherein the near-invisible fixed-length tether has a length of between 30 cm and 90 cm.

11. The kit of claim 1 further comprising an instruction that instructs a user to attach the first end of the tether to the person and to attach the second end of the tether to the toy to thereby suspend the toy mid-air.

12. A method of providing a body-worn entertainment device, comprising:

providing the kit of claim 1, and providing an instruction to a user to

(a) attach the first end of the near-invisible fixed-length tether to a person and to attach the second end of the near-invisible fixed-length tether to the light-weight toy;

(b) support the near-invisible fixed-length tether with at least one finger at a position between the first and second ends.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising a step of instructing the user to further support the near-invisible fixed-length tether with another body portion.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the another body portion is an ear.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the light-weight toy is configured as a toy fairy having human appearance, as a butterfly, as a dragon, or as a dinosaur, and wherein the mechanism that imparts appearance of plausible possibility of flight comprises a pair of wings.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the light-weight toy is configured as a UFO, and wherein the mechanism that imparts appearance of plausible possibility of flight comprises a plurality of airfoils.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the adhesive is selected from the group of wax, and a low-tack polymer.

18. A kit comprising a spool to which a near-invisible tether is releasably coupled using first and second adhesives at respective ends of the tether, and an articulated puppet that is configured to allow controlled movement of the puppet using the tether when (a) the tether is in horizontal position and (b) coupled to a person using one end of the tether.

19. The kit of claim 18 further comprising a post that is configured to allow coupling of the tether to the post such that the tether moves along the post.

20. The kit of claim 18 wherein the tether has a length of at least 90 cm.