Transformable toy

• US 8,500,508 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spin Master Limited (Spin Master Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Spin Master Limited (Spin Master Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Satoshi, Nobata, Fujio
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Alvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIMMS JR, JOHN ELLIOTT
• Application Number:
  US12/821,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20100252990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 446129-132, 446/137, 446/139, 446/269, 446/298, 446308-311, 446/376, 446/390, 446/486, 446/487, 273/108, 273/456
• US Class Current: 446/130
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/00 Self-movable toy figures
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/008 Launching devices for motorless toy vehicles start mechanisms for trackways A63H18/026; for toy aircraft A63H27/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/003 specially adapted for a particular function not connected with dolls as electric lighting devices A63H3/006
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/003 Convertible toys, e.g. robots convertible into rockets or vehicles convertible into planes
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068

Abstract

A toy with an exterior structure. Constructed to transform from a rollable first shape to a second shape. An interior structure inside the exterior structure is endowed with a magnetic body that moves by way of a magnetic force that acts from the exterior of the toy, an interior locking portion that moves simultaneously with the movement of this magnetic body, and a biasing member that effects a force which moves or turns this interior locking portion in a particular direction. If the magnetic force does not act from the exterior of the toy, the first shape of the exterior structure maintained. In the event that a magnetic force has acted from the exterior of the said toy, the exterior structure transforms from the first shape to the second shape.

Claims

1. A toy comprising a main body element and at least one first moveable element associated with said main body element and moveable with respect thereto from a first position adjacent said main body element in which the toy is rollable along a playing surface containing a metal or magnetic material, to a second position in which at least a portion of said first moveable element has moved away from said main body element and the toy is not rollable along the playing surface, said at least one first moveable element being permanently biased toward said second position, and being provided with catch means co-operable with moveable releasable latch means in said main body element to maintain at least one said first moveable element in said first position until said latch means is released, wherein said releasable latch means is provided with a magnet, whereby said releasable latch means is moveable out of engagement with said catch by attraction to said playing surface, whereby a rolling of the toy along the playing surface ceases when said latch means is moved out of engagement with said catch.

2. The toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main body element, together with said at least one first moveable element, are a first shape when said at least one first moveable element is in said first position, and a second shape when said at least one first moveable element is in said second position.

3. The toy as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first shape is selected from the group consisting of spheres, cubes, tetrahedrons, pyramids, triangular prisms, egg shapes, parallelepipeds, cylinders, discus shapes, toruses, teardrops, lozenges, animal shapes, planet shapes, robot shapes, vehicle shapes, building shapes, tree shapes, sports equipment related shapes, weapons shapes, character-head shapes, and the like.

4. The toy as claimed in claim 3, wherein said releasable latch means is biased to a position in engagement with said catch.

5. The toy as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one second moveable element, hinged to said at least one first moveable element and moveable from a closed position adjacent said at least one first moveable element, to an open position away from said at least one first moveable element, said at least one second moveable element being biased toward said open position, and foldable to said closed position, said at least one second moveable element being restrained against movement toward said open position while said catch is in engagement with said releasable latch means.

6. A transformable toy movable between a first shape of a sphere and a second shape of a character, said toy comprising:

an outer structure formed with a plurality of outer members rotatably connected with adjoining ones and elastic means disposed between the rotatably adjoining outer members, wherein, when assembled, said outer members are combined to provide the first shape of the sphere which is rollable along a playing surface, and wherein, when transformed into the second shape such that rolling of the toy along the playing surface substantially ceases, the outside members are configured to constitute part of said character;

an inner structure formed with at least an inner member which constitutes another part of said character wherein the inner member is held within an inner space constituted by the combined outer members in the first shape so that the inner member is not seen from the outside when the toy is in the first shape; and

a holding means formed with an inner magnetic member arranged movably inside of the toy for holding said plurality of outer members in a holding state against the elastic force of the elastic means to maintain the toy in the first shape,

wherein a magnetic force, which may operate between the inner magnetic member and an outer magnetism member arranged at a location along the playing surface on which the toy in the first shape of the sphere rolls over in response to being rolled by the user, interaction between the outer magnetism member and the inner magnetic member causes the inner magnetic member to move and such movement of the inner magnetic member causes the holding member to release the holding state, and said plurality of outer member burst open outwardly by the released elastic force of the elastic means, and the hidden inner member to appear whereby a rolling of the toy along the playing surface ceases, the toy transforms from the first shape to the second shape and said character configured by said plurality of outer member and said inner member pops up.

7. The toy according to claim 6, wherein said inner member constitutes a head of the character and is hidden in the inner space of the sphere in the first shape, and wherein the character is constituted with the inner member as the head and said plurality of the outer members burst open outwardly in the second state.

8. The toy according to claim 6, wherein said outer structure further comprises a lower member the lower surface of which is formed of a hemisphere, wherein the inner members to constitute a head and a body of the character are arranged on the upper portion of the lower member, wherein an opening is formed at lower portion of said hemisphere and said inner magnetic member is movably disposed in the opening.

9. A transformable toy comprising:

a plurality of character-forming members to constitute a character;

a lower member;

a holding member;

an inner magnetic member movably disposed inside of said lower member and configured to move when a magnetic force is operated between the inner magnetic member and an outer magnetism member; and

elastic members;

wherein said plurality of character-forming members and said lower member are maintained to a first shape by maintaining at least some of said plurality of character-forming members at a predetermined arrangement against elastic forces of the elastic members by said holding member under surroundings without the magnetic force with the outer magnetism member,

wherein, when a magnetic force is operated between the inner magnetic member and the outer magnetism member, such magnetic force causes the inner magnetic member to move to release the holding member, thereby to cause said plurality of character-forming members and said lower member to transform to a second shape of a character,

wherein said plurality of character-forming members comprise at least an inner member and a plurality of outer members, which are configured to constitute the character when transformed to the second shape,

wherein, in the first shape, said outer members are arranged to constitute an outer shape together with said lower member the outer shape capable of being rolled or tumbled, to provide an inner space in which said inner member is held such that the inner member is not seen from the outside, and to maintain such outer shape against elastic forces of the elastic members by the holding member, whereby the toy rolls over a playing surface in response to rolling by a user while such outer shape is maintained,

wherein, when the toy reaches a location on the playing surface at which the outer magnetism member is arranged, the inner magnetic member moves by the magnetic force of interaction with the outer magnetism member to release the holding member, thereby ceasing rolling movement of the toy over the playing surface,

wherein said outer members move outwardly by the elastic forces of the released elastic members to cause the hidden inner member to appear whereby the character, which is composed of said plurality of outer members and said inner member, appears.