Toy apparatus and method of using same for promoting gross motor development in children

• US 6,619,962 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Parker, Kenneth G., Gubitosi, Domenic T., May, Jerry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Application Number:
  US09/855,691
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 434/258, 434/255, 434/247, 446/168, 446/169-174, 446/444, 33/15.P, D21/564, 473/167, 482/142, 482/140, 273/118.R
• US Class Current: 434/258
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/386 Rolling boards adapted to be rocked during play
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A toy for promoting gross motor development includes a base and a support communicating with the base. The toy also includes an activity area disposed on the support above the base. The activity area is attractive to an infant and encourages the infant to reach up to the activity area by pulling up from a seated position to a standing position using handles or grips disposed on the support or the activity area. The toy also includes sensory output generators configured to encourage the infant to pull up using the handles or grips to reach the activity area. The toy further includes a track coupled to the support and positioned between the top activity area and the base. The track is configured for guiding an object between the top and the base. The top activity area, track, and gripping regions interact to provide an enjoyable and stimulating toy for the child while at the same time promoting the child'"'"'s gross motor development.

Claims

1. A toy, comprising:

a base;

a support coupled to said base and extending upwardly therefrom, said support including an upper end and a lower end;

a ramp coupled to said support and extending from proximate said upper end to said base, said ramp being configured to guide an object from said upper end of said support to said lower end of said support;

a first handle coupled to said support, said first handle including a first opening formed in said ramp;

a second handle coupled to said support, said second handle including a second opening formed in said ramp, said second handle disposed between said first handle and said base to allow the infant user to reach said first handle; and

an activity area coupled to said upper end of said support and disposed at or above said first handle, said activity area having an object disposed thereon.

2. The toy of claim 1, wherein said activity area comprises a gripping region disposed thereon.

3. The toy of claim 1, wherein said ramp is a spiral ramp disposed around said support.

4. A toy, comprising:

a base;

a support having an upper end and a lower end and coupled to said base and extending upwardly therefrom;

a spiral track, said spiral track being coupled to said support;

a plurality of handles coupled to said support and spaced between the upper end and the lower end of said support, each of said plurality of handles being disposed on said track and including an opening formed in said spiral track; and

an activity platform coupled to the upper end of said support and having an object disposed thereon.

5. The toy of claim 4, wherein said spiral track forms a plurality of levels between said activity platform and said base.

6. The toy of claim 4, wherein said activity platform comprises a gripping region disposed thereon.

7. A toy, comprising:

a base having an interior and an exterior;

a support coupled to said base and extending upwardly therefrom, said support having a passageway disposed therein extending from an upper end of said support to a lower end of said support and communicating with the interior of said base such that an object placed in the upper end of said support travels along the passageway from the upper end to the lower end and enters the interior of said base; and

a track coupled to said support and extending between said upper end and said lower end, said track including a gripping region disposed on said track and an opening disposed in said track adjacent said gripping region, whereby an infant user can grasp said gripping region by placing a portion of a hand of the infant user through said opening and around the adjacent gripping region.

8. The toy of claim 7, wherein said track communicates with the interior of said base such that the object exits said track and enters the interior of said base.

9. The toy of claim 7, wherein said support further includes an opening disposed therein between the upper end and lower end of said support and in communication with the support passageway such that an object can pass through said opening in said support and into said support passageway.

10. The toy of claim 9, further comprising:

a gate disposed adjacent said opening in said support for selectively diverting an object from said track into said opening in said support.

11. The toy of claim 7, wherein said base further comprises a plurality of openings disposed in said base and a plurality of pathways disposed in the interior of said base communicating with said plurality of openings for guiding an object from the interior of said base to the exterior of said base.

12. The toy of claim 11, further comprising:

a diverter disposed in the interior of said base for directing the object through one of said plurality of openings in said base.

13. The toy of claim 7, wherein said base further comprises an opening formed therein such that an object can travel from the interior of the base to the exterior of the base.

14. A toy, comprising:

a base having an interior and an exterior;

a support coupled to said base and extending upwardly therefrom, said support having a passageway disposed therein extending from an upper end of said support to a lower end of said support and communicating with the interior of said base such that an object placed in the upper end of said support travels along the passageway from the upper end to the lower end and enters the interior of said base;

a top coupled to said support and having an opening formed therein in communication with the upper end of the support passageway such that an object placed in the opening of said top travels through the opening into the support passageway; and

a track coupled to said support and extending between said top and said base, said track being in communication with said passageway, said track including a gripping region having an opening disposed in said gripping region, whereby a user can use said gripping region in said track to pull up and reach said top.

15. The toy of claim 14, wherein said track forms a plurality of levels.

16. The toy of claim 14, wherein said track communicates with the interior of said base such that the object exits said track and enters the interior of said base.

17. The toy of claim 14, wherein said top further comprises a gripping region disposed about the perimeter of said top.

18. The toy of claim 14, wherein said support further includes an opening disposed therein between the upper end and lower end of said support and in communication with the support passageway such that an object passes through said opening in said support into said support passageway.

19. The toy of claim 18, further comprising:

a gate disposed adjacent said opening in said support for selectively diverting an object from said track into said opening in said support.

20. The toy of claim 14, wherein said base further comprises a plurality of openings disposed in said base and a plurality of pathways disposed in the interior of said base communicating with said plurality of openings for guiding an object from the interior of said base to the exterior of said base.

21. The toy of claim 20, further comprising:

a diverter disposed in the interior of said base for directing the object through one of said plurality of openings in said base.

22. The toy of claim 14, wherein said base further comprises an opening formed therein such that an object can travel from the interior of the base to the exterior of the base.

23. The toy of claim 14, further comprising:

a sensory output generator; and

an actuator operatively coupled to said sensory output generator and operable to initiate operation of said sensory output generator.

24. The toy of claim 23, wherein said actuator is disposed in said opening in said top and is actuated by an object passing through said opening in said top.

25. The toy of claim 23, wherein said sensory output generator generates visible output.

26. The toy of claim 23, wherein said sensory output generator generates audible output.

27. A toy, comprising:

a base having an interior and an exterior;

a support coupled to said base and extending upwardly therefrom, said support having a passageway disposed therein extending from an upper end of said support to a lower end of said support and communicating with the interior of said base such that an object placed in the upper end of said support travels along the passageway from the upper end to the lower end and enters the interior of said base;

a top coupled to said support and having a first opening and a second opening disposed therein configured to allow passage of an object therethrough, said first opening in communication with the upper end of the support passageway such that the object travels through said first opening into the support passageway, said top having a gripping region disposed about the perimeter of said top adjacent said second opening; and

a spiral ramp coupled to said support and extending between said top and said base and forming a plurality of descending levels, said ramp configured for guiding an object from the upper end of said support to the lower end of said support and for communicating with the interior of said base.

28. The toy of claim 27, wherein said ramp includes a gripping region disposed on said ramp and an opening disposed in said ramp adjacent said gripping region,

whereby the infant user can use said gripping region to pull up and reach said top.

29. The toy of claim 27, wherein said ramp is configured such that as the object passes through said second opening the object drops onto a portion of said ramp below said second opening.

30. The toy of claim 27, wherein said support further includes an opening disposed therein between the upper end and lower end of said support and in communication with the support passageway such that an object passes through said opening in said support into said support passageway.

31. The toy of claim 30, further comprising:

a gate disposed adjacent said opening in said support for selectively diverting an object from said ramp into said opening in said support.

32. The toy of claim 27, wherein said base further comprises a plurality of openings disposed in said base and a plurality of pathways disposed in the interior of said base communicating with said plurality of openings for guiding an object from the interior of said base to the exterior of said base.

33. The toy of claim 32, further comprising:

a diverter disposed in the interior of said base for directing the object through one of said plurality of openings in said base.

34. The toy of claim 27, wherein said base further comprises an opening formed therein such that an object can travel from the interior of the base to the exterior of the base.

35. The toy of claim 27, further comprising:

a sensory output generator; and

a first and a second actuator operatively coupled to said sensory output generator and operable to initiate operation of said sensory output generator.

36. The toy of claim 35, wherein said first actuator is disposed in said first opening in said top and is actuated by an object passing through said first opening and wherein said second actuator is disposed in said second opening in said top and is actuated by an object passing through said second opening.

37. The toy of claim 35, wherein said sensory output generator generates visible output.

38. The toy of claim 35, wherein said sensory output generator generates audible output.

39. The toy of claim 27, wherein said ramp comprises a plurality of interconnected sections.

40. The toy of claim 27, wherein said ramp comprises a plurality of sections communicating with said support passageway to form a continuous path for an object between the upper and the lower end of said support.

41. A method of using a toy having a base, a support coupled to the base and extending upwardly therefrom, an upper gripping region coupled to the support, a spiral track coupled to the support, a lower gripping region disposed on the spiral track and disposed between the upper gripping region and the base, the lower gripping region including an opening in the track, and an activity area coupled to an upper end of the support and disposed at or above the upper gripping region, the method comprising the steps of:

grasping the lower gripping region;

grasping the upper gripping region to reach a standing position and the activity area; and

performing an activity in the activity area while in the standing position.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising the steps of:

holding the upper gripping region while performing the activity in the activity area.