Sound-producing soft toy missile

• US 5,975,982 A
• Filed: 12/31/1998
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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:
  US09/224,402
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 446/369, 446/385, 446/268, 446/267, 446/223, 446/225, 446/226, 446/397, 446/400
• 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 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 torso defined by a fabric casing stuffed with a soft filler. Embedded in the stuffing of the torso is a sound-producing unit powered by a battery through an impact-sensitive switch whereby when the missile is caught, on impact the switch then turns the unit on to generate sounds which are appropriate to the figure. Hinged to the torso of the figure and extending therefrom are fabric arm and leg appendages. When the player grasps one of these appendages and whirls the missile to let it fly, the torso of the figure then rotates in the course of flight, causing the appendages to stretch out from the torso to stabilize the flight.

Claims

1. A toy missile resembling a humanoid figure comprising:

A. a generally oval torso formed by a fabric casing stuffed with a compressible filler to assume a three-dimensional form;

B. a battery-powered, sound-producing unit provided with an impact sensitive switch which activates the unit only upon impact of the missile;

said unit having digitally stored therein sounds appropriate to the figure;

C. leg and arm fabric appendages hinged to the casing of the torso, the appendages being substantially equi-spaced whereby when a player grasps one of these appendages and whirls the missile to let it fly, the appendages then stretch out from the torso to stabilize the flight, and when the missile is then caught by a player, the resultant impact activates the unit to produce said sounds;

D. a hand-shaped fabric glove joined to each of said arm appendages and filled with beads which act to impart weight to the end of each arm appendage; and

E. a fabric boot joined to each of said leg appendages and filled with beads which act to impart weight to the end of each leg appendage.

2. A toy missile as set forth in claim 1, further including a hollow head molded of flexible plastic material joined to said torso to define the head of the figure.

3. A toy missile as set forth in claim 2, in which the head resembles the head of a well-known character, and the sounds generated by the unit are appropriate to the character.

4. A toy missile as set forth in claim 3, in which the sounds are derived from the recorded voice of the character.

5. A missile as set forth in claim 1, in which the unit includes an integrated circuit chip in which is digitally stored the sounds to be reproduced.