Invertible playset

• US 5,971,833 A
• Filed: 01/30/1998
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Russell G. Rasmussen, Virginia M. Bala
• Original Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Russell G., Bala, Virginia M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Muir, D Neal
• Application Number:
  US09/016,298
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 446/478, 446/477, 446/476, 446/479, 446/482, 446/487, 446/489, 446/321, 446/147, 446/148, 446/149, 446/150, 446/151, 446/152, 40/428, 40/539
• US Class Current: 446/478
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/52 Dolls' houses, furniture or other equipment simulating liquid flow A63H33/3022; Dolls' clothing or footwear
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 5/00 Means for displaying samples packaging per se B65

Abstract

A playset toy provides multiple play environments selected by inverting the toy. The toy includes a playset body and parts attached to the body. The parts are constructed to alter their position relative to the body upon inversion such that inversion conceals one play environment and reveals another play environment.

Claims

1. A toy that provides multiple play environments selected by inverting the toy, the toy comprising:

a playset body, and

at least one rigid Part attached to the body, the part altering position relative to the body upon inversion, of the body the altered position causing the part to conceal one play environment and reveal another play environment.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein the part comprises a part configured to suggest different environments on opposite part surfaces.

3. The toy of claim 1 wherein the at least one part comprises a movable flap that forms at least part of a surface that conceals a body portion behind the flap.

4. The toy of claim 3 further comprising a movable platform flexibly attached to the movable flap.

5. The toy of claim 1 wherein the at least one part comprises:

a pair of lids attached on opposite ends of the body, and

a connection between the lids, the connection constructed to hold the lids in positions relative to the body.

6. The toy of claim 5 wherein the connection holds one lid in a substantially vertical position above the body.

7. The toy of claim 1 wherein the at least one part comprises shelves constructed to either fold-out from the body or to rest more compactly against the body depending on the vertical orientation of the toy.

8. The toy of claim 7 wherein the shelves hold other objects.

9. The toy of claim 1 wherein the environment comprises miniatures attached to the playset.

10. The toy of claim 1 wherein a first environment comprises a model of a room or occupational setting.

11. The toy of claim 10 wherein a second environment comprises a model of a room having a scale the same as the first environment and having different properties than the first environment.

12. The toy of claim 1 wherein the parts include openings that permit objects to pass between the different environments.

13. A toy that provides different playset environments that can be interchanged by inverting the toy, comprising:

a playset body comprising;

a back panel; and

two side panels attached to the back panel; and

a flap attached to the playset body, the flap altering position relative to the body upon inversion, the altered position causing the part to conceal one play environment and reveal another play environment.

14. The toy of claim 13 further comprising a platform flexibly attached to the flap, the platform being constructed with a different playset environment on either platform side, the platform being further constructed to expose a different platform side based on the vertical orientation of the toy.

15. The toy of claim 13 further comprising:

a pair of lids, each lid being flexibly attached to opposite ends of the playset body, and

a connection between the lids constructed to maintain a supported lid'"'"'s position relative to the playset body.

16. The toy of claim 13, wherein the playset body further comprises a shelf.

22. The toy of claim 16, wherein the flap attaches to the shelf.

23. The toy of claim 16, wherein the shelf comprises a shelf at substantially the vertical midpoint of the body.

24. The toy of claim 16, wherein the shelf comprises a shelf attached to the back panel and the two side panels.

17. A playset toy that provides different playset environments that can be interchanged by inverting the toy, the toy comprising:

a playset body;

a flap flexibly attached to the playset body, the flap being constructed with a different playset environment on either flap side, the flap further being constructed to expose a different flap side and conceal different portions of the playset body based on the vertical orientation of the toy;

a platform flexibly attached to the flap, the platform being constructed with a different playset environment on either platform side, the platform being further constructed to expose a different platform side based on the vertical orientation of the toy;

a pair of lids, each lid being flexibly attached to opposite ends of the playset body; and

a connection between the lids constructed to maintain a supported lid'"'"'s position relative to the playset body.

18. A toy that provides different playset environments that can be interchanged by inverting the toy, comprising:

a vertical body that includes different gravity operated structures, the gravity operated structures oriented such that in a first vertical orientation a first set of structures lie substantially flush against the vertical body and a second set of structures extend radially outward, and in a second vertical orientation, the first set of structures extend radially outward and the second set lie substantially flush against the vertical body.

19. The toy of claim 18 further comprising a base that surrounds and can move along the vertical body.

20. The toy of claim 18 wherein the gravity operated structures themselves include gravity operated structures.

21. The toy of claim 20, wherein the side panels are substantially perpendicular to the back panel.