Toy ball

• US 7,166,047 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Rhein, John F., May, Jerry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US10/961,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20060079355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 473569-571, 473/575, 473/594, 473/596, 473/577, 473/610, 473/597, 473/600, 273/153.S, 273/155, 273/156, 446/268, 446/269, 446/122, 446/124
• US Class Current: 473/569
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29

Abstract

A toy ball is formed from two shells and a pair of lock mechanisms 220. During construction, the shells, which may be hemispherical, are mated together and then the lock mechanisms are secured to the shells to form a substantially smooth-surfaced sphere. The lock mechanisms provide a redundant locking feature to hold the two shells together to form the toy ball.

Claims

1. A spherical toy ball, comprising:

first and second shells, wherein said first and second shells are adapted to be connected together along a seam on an outer circumference to form a sphere; and

at least one lock mechanism, said at least one lock mechanism adapted to be attached to said sphere such that said lock mechanism covers a portion of said seam and said lock mechanism captures an outer peripheral portion of each of said first and second shells wherein said at least one lock mechanism prevents separation of said first and second shells along said seam.

2. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein said first and second shells and said at least one lock mechanism form a substantially continuous spherical surface.

3. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein said at least one lock mechanism comprises a partially spherical surface.

4. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein said first and second shells are hemispherical shells.

5. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein said first and second shells are transparent.

6. The toy ball of claim 5, wherein indicia is imprinted on at least one of said shells.

7. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein said at least one lock mechanism is opaque.

8. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein a lip is formed along a periphery of said at least one lock mechanism, said lip engaging a corresponding recess on each of said first and second shells.

9. The toy ball of claim 8, wherein said lip is annular and said corresponding recess on each of said first and second shells is annular.

10. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein said at least one lock mechanism includes a boss extending therefrom.

11. The toy ball of claim 10, wherein said first and second shells are adapted to be connected together to form at least one aperture disposed along said seam, and wherein said boss extending from said at least one lock mechanism is adapted to be received in said aperture.

12. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein said first and second shells are adapted to be connected together using a process selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic welding, heat sealing, dielectric welding, and chemical bonding.

13. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein said at least one lock mechanism adapted to be attached to said sphere using a process selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic welding, heat sealing, dielectric welding, and chemical bonding.

14. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein said at least one lock mechanism comprises two lock mechanisms located at diametrically opposite positions with respect to each other on said sphere.

15. The toy ball of claim 14, wherein each of said two lock mechanisms includes a boss extending therefrom.

16. The toy ball of claim 15, wherein an axle is mounted between the bosses extending from said two lock mechanisms.

17. The toy ball of claim 16, wherein an entertainment element is mounted on said axle.

18. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein at least one entertainment item is housed within said sphere.

19. The toy ball of claim 1, wherein said first and second hemispherical shells comprise:

at least one flange extending along a peripheral surface of said first shell, said flange following a surface contour of said first shell; and

at least one channel disposed in a peripheral surface of said second shell, said channel configured to receive said flange when said first and second shells are connected together.

20. The toy ball of claim 19, wherein said first shell has at least two flanges, and said second shell has at least two channels.

21. A method of constructing a spherical toy ball, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting first and second shells together along a seam on an outer circumference to form a sphere; and

attaching at least one lock mechanism to said sphere such that said at least one lock mechanism covers a portion of said seam and said at least one lock mechanism captures an outer peripheral portion of each of said first and second shells wherein said at least one lock mechanism prevents separation of said first and second shells along said seam.

22. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 21, further comprising the step of forming said first and second shells from a transparent material.

23. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 21, further comprising the step of forming said first and second shells as first and second hemispherical shells.

24. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 22, further comprising the step of printing indicia on at least one of said shells.

25. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 21, further comprising the step of forming said at least one lock mechanism from an opaque material.

26. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

forming a lip along a periphery of said at least one lock mechanism; and

engaging said lip with a corresponding recess on each of said first and second shells.

27. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 21, further comprising the step of forming a boss extending from said at least one lock mechanism.

28. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 27, further comprising the steps of:

forming at least one aperture disposed along said seam; and

engaging said at least one aperture with said boss extending from said at least one lock mechanism.

29. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 21, further comprising the step of connecting said first and second shells using a process selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic welding, heat sealing, dielectric welding, and chemical bonding.

30. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 21, further comprising the step of attaching said at least one lock mechanism to said sphere using a process selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic welding, heat sealing, dielectric welding, and chemical bonding.

31. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 21, further comprising the step of securing a pair of said lock mechanisms at diametrically opposite positions with respect to each other on said sphere.

32. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 31, further comprising the step of mounting an axle between said pair of lock mechanisms.

33. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 32, further comprising the step of mounting an entertainment element on said axle.

34. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 21, further comprising the step of housing at least one entertainment item within said sphere.

35. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

forming at least one flange along a peripheral surface of said first shell, said flange following a surface contour of said first shell; and

forming at least one channel in a peripheral surface of said second shell,

configuring said channel to receive said flange when said first and second shells are connected together.

36. The method of constructing a toy ball of claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

forming at least two flanges on said first hemispherical shell;

forming at least two channels on said second shell; and

configuring said at least two channels to receive said at least two flanges when said first and second shells are connected together.