Infant's toy--rattle and peek-a-boo ball

• US 4,282,679 A
• Filed: 11/20/1979
• Issued: 08/11/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johnson and Johnson Consumer Products Inc (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Johnson and Johnson Baby Products Co (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Williams, David M., Grubb, Lawrence B., Hoffman, Louis S., Simpson, Danny E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foycik, Jr., Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US06/096,074
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 46/193, 46/1 R, 46/190, 46/189, 46/191, 46/11, 46/175 R, D21/65, D21/64, 273/156, 273/160
• US Class Current: 446/419
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/00 Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical musical tops A63H1/28; sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14; music, sound or noise production in general G10

Abstract

An infant'"'"'s toy with a hollow ball having openings disposed about its surface and having a freely movable insert trapped within the hollow ball, said insert provided with a pair of pivotally connected stems with a cage structure disposed at the end of each stem, each cage structure containing at least one loosely confined ball. The cage structures are readily movable in and out of the openings of the hollow ball but the insert is restrained from being removed from the hollow ball.

Claims

1. An infant'"'"'s toy comprising, in combination:

a hollow ball;

an insert for said ball; and

retaining means for trapping said insert at least partially within said ball;

said hollow ball having a plurality of openings, the opening being of such a size that the hand of an infant may be readily inserted therethrough into the hollow ball;

said insert having an elongated stem portion with first and second enlarged portions at each end thereof, said enlarged portions being small enough to fit through said hollow ball openings;

said retaining means being provided within said hollow ball and having a maximum dimension sufficient to prevent said retaining means from being withdrawn from said ball through said hollow ball openings while being freely movable inside said ball;

said retaining means being provided with a hole large enough to accommodate the stem of said insert but small enough to prevent said enlarged portion of said insert from passing therethrough;

said insert being provided with one enlarged portion inside said hollow ball and with said stem passing through the hole of said retaining means and with said second enlarged portion extending out of a hollow ball opening;

whereby the configuration of the toy may be freely varied by having any of said insert enlarged portions pass through any of said hollow ball openings while said insert is still restrained by said retaining means.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein said plurality of openings comprise at least three openings.

3. The toy of claim 1 wherein said elongated stem portion of said insert comprises a pair of pivotally connected stems.

4. The toy of claim 1 wherein said enlarged portions of said insert comprises cage structures.

5. The toy of claim 4 wherein said cage structures contain a loosely confined ball.

6. The toy of claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprises a disk.

7. An infant'"'"'s toy comprising in combnation:

a hollow ball;

an insert for said ball; and

retaining means for trapping said insert at least partially within said ball;

said hollow ball having at least three openings disposed about its surface, the openings being of such a size that the hand of an infant may be readily inserted therethrough into the hollow ball;

said insert having an enlarged stem portion comprising a pair of pivotally connected stems and first and second enlarged portions comprising a cage structure at each end thereof;

said cage structure including a loosely confined ball and said enlarged portions being small enough to fit through one of said hollow ball openings;

said retaining means being provided within said hollow ball and having a maximum dimension sufficient to prevent said retaining means from being withdrawn from said ball through said hollow ball openings while being freely movable inside said ball;

said retaining means being provided with a hole large enough to accommodate the stem of said insert but small enough to prevent said enlarged portion of said insert from passing therethrough;

said insert being provided with one enlarged portion inside said hollow ball and with said stem passing through the hole of said retaining means and with said second enlarged portion extending out of a hollow ball opening;

whereby the configuration of the toy may be freely varied by having any of said insert enlargements pass through any of said hollow ball openings while said insert is still restrained by said retaining means.