Sound-producing soft toy missile

• US 5,895,308 A
• Filed: 03/24/1998
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald Spector
• Original Assignee: Donald Spector
• Inventors: Spector, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Bena B.
• Application Number:
  US09/046,842
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 446/397, 446/399, 446/369, 446/184, 446/385, 473/571, 473/596, 473/597
• US Class Current: 446/397
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/02 made of fabrics or stuffed
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/18 Throwing or slinging toys, e.g. flying disc toys discs used in athletics A63B65/10as part of a game A63F9/02; sling weapons F41B3/00; spring toy guns F41B7/08
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 37/005 Popper toys, i.e. disc-shaped toys which jump when snapping to their original shape after distortion
• 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

A soft toy missile which when let fly by a player and then caught by a catcher, produces upon impact, sounds appropriate to the nature of the missile. When in the configuration of a humanoid figure, the missile includes a body defined by a fabric casing stuffed with a soft compressible filler, the face of the casing having printed thereon the head and torso of the figure. Embedded in the stuffing of the body is a sound-producing unit powered by a battery through an impact-sensitive switch whereby when the missile is caught. The switch turns the unit on to generate sounds that celebrate the catch. Hinged to the body of the figure and extending therefrom are arm and leg appendages, each formed by a fabric sock stuffed with soft compressible material. When the player grasps one of these appendages and whirls the missile to let it fly, the body of the figure then rotates in the course of flight, causing the appendages to stretch out from the body to stabilize the flight. Dispersed throughout the filler are plastic beads which impart to the body of the missile the feel of a bean bag.

Claims

1. A soft toy missile resembling an object which is a humanoid figure having a predetermined three-dimensional shape, said missile comprising:

A. a fabric outer casing having a two-dimensional form resembling the shape of the object; and

B. a compressible filler stuffing the casing to impart thereto the three-dimensional shape of the object, said filler having dispersed therein beads which cause the missile to feel like a bean bag, the stuffed casing constituting the body of the humanoid figure whose legs and arms are formed by appendages hinged to the casing, each appendage being defined by a fabric sock in which is entrapped a compressible pad.

2. A missile as set forth in claim 1, in which the fabric of the casing, the filler and the beads are all formed of synthetic plastic material.

3. A missile as set forth in claim 1, in which the object is a football.

4. A missile as set forth in claim 1, in which embedded in the filler is a sound-producing unit which reproduces sounds stored therein only upon impact of the missile.

5. A missile as set forth in claim 4, in which the unit is enveloped in a liquid-impermeable pouch that is permeable to sounds emanating from the unit.

6. A missile as set forth in claim 4, in which the unit includes an impact-actuated switch connecting a power source to the unit to activate the unit when the switch is closed.

7. A missile as set forth in claim 6, in which the unit includes an integrated-circuit chip in which is digitally stored the sounds which when the switch is closed is downloaded and converted into an analog signal which is reproduced.