Toy assembly with blower and color changing features

• US 9,364,765 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Kane, Erika, Lau, Eric, Ozuna, Melissa, Wong, Catherine
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hylinski, Alyssa
• Application Number:
  US14/321,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20140315470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/44 Dolls' hair or wigs; Eyelashes; Eyebrows wigs, eyelashes, eyebrows for humans A41G
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/22 Optical, colour, or shadow toys puzzles with optical elements A63F9/0613; kaleidoscopes G02B27/08
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/30 Imitations of miscellaneous apparatus not otherwise provided for, e.g. telephones, weighing-machines, cash-registers savings boxes A45C1/12; toy ticket punches G07B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/3072 Tools or machine-tools
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 37/00 Jokes; Confetti, streamers, or other dance favours ; Cracker bonbons or the like

Abstract

A toy assembly includes an air blower than can blow air and particles such as glitter. In one embodiment, the toy assembly includes a doll and an air blower that can blow air and glitter particles as well as change the color of the hair of the doll.

Claims

1. A toy, comprising:

a housing;

a blowing mechanism disposed in the housing, the blowing mechanism generating a flow of air that is discharged from the housing;

a first component removably coupleable to the housing, the first component including a first chamber holding a plurality of glitter particles that can be dispersed from the housing by the air from the blowing mechanism when the air passes through the first chamber; and

a second component removably coupleable to the housing, the second component being engagable with a portion of a doll to change a color of the portion of the doll, wherein the second component comprises;

a body defining a second chamber in which a liquid or an object can be placed; and

a lid configured to seal the second chamber, wherein the lid seals the second chamber when the lid is coupled to the second component and the second component is coupled to the housing, such that the lid prevents the flow of air from passing through the second chamber and the liquid or the object disposed in the second chamber remains in the second chamber when the second component is coupled to the housing.

2. The toy of claim 1, further comprising:

an actuating switch operable by a user to activate the blowing mechanism; and

a mode switch operable by the user to select between a first mode of activation of the blowing mechanism alone and a second, different, mode of activation of the blowing mechanism, the blowing mechanism providing an intermittent flow of air in the first mode and a continuous flow of air in the second mode.

3. The toy of claim 1, further comprising:

a mounting portion, the first component and the second component each being removably coupleable to the housing via the mounting portion.

4. The toy of claim 3, wherein the mounting portion includes a threaded portion, and each of the first component and the second component includes a threaded member that can be used with the threaded portion to couple the first component and the second component to the mounting portion.

5. The toy of claim 1, wherein

the lid includes at least one projection configured to transfer the temperature of the liquid or the object in the second chamber to the portion of the doll when the second component engages the portion of the doll to change the color of the portion of the doll.

6. The toy of claim 1, wherein the portion of the doll is hair of the doll.

7. The toy of claim 1, wherein the glitter particles are dispersed through an opening in the first component when the air passes through the first chamber and exit the housing via an opening in the housing.

8. The toy of claim 1, further comprising:

a third component, the third component being removably coupleable to the housing and engagable with the portion of a doll to change a color of the portion of the doll, wherein the third component changes the color of the portion of the doll to a first color and the second component changes the color of the portion of the doll to a second color.

9. The toy of claim 8, wherein the second component is a cooling component.

10. The toy of claim 8, wherein the third component is a heating component.

11. The toy of claim 1, wherein the lid is only removable when the second component is removed from the housing.

12. A toy assembly for use with a doll, comprising:

a housing including;

an open front end;

an air source disposed in the housing and configured to blow air through the open front end; and

a mount on the front end configured to removably receive one of a plurality of components, the plurality of components including;

a first component defining a first chamber that is sealable by a lid, wherein the lid is removable from the first component when the first component is removed from the mount such that the first chamber is configured to receive a first liquid or a first object when the lid is removed from the first component, and wherein the lid seals the first chamber when the first component is secured to the mount to prevent the air blown through the open front end from passing through the first chamber, such that the first liquid or first object disposed in the first chamber remains in the first chamber when the first component is secured to the mount; and

a second component defining a second chamber that is sealable by the lid, wherein the lid is removable from the second component when the second component is removed from the mount such that the second chamber is configured to receive a second liquid or a second object when the lid is removed from the second component, and wherein the lid seals the second chamber when the second component is secured to the mount to prevent the air blown through the open front end from passing through the second chamber, such that the second liquid or second object disposed in the second chamber remains in the second chamber when the second component is secured to the mount.

13. The toy assembly of claim 12, wherein the first liquid and the first object are hot and the first component is configured to engage a portion of a doll to change a color of the portion of the doll to a first color and the second liquid and the second object are cold and the second component is configured to engage the portion of the doll to change a color of the portion of the doll to a second color.

14. The toy assembly of claim 13, wherein the portion of the doll is hair of the doll.

15. The toy assembly of claim 12, wherein the plurality of components further comprises:

a third component defining a third chamber, the third chamber holding a plurality of glitter particles that are dispersed from the third chamber when the air passes through the third chamber.

16. A toy assembly for use with a doll, comprising:

a housing including a nozzle;

an actuation switch;

a mode switch configured to switch between a first mode and a second mode; and

a blower configured to blow air through the nozzle at a first-rate upon actuation of the actuation switch when the mode switch is in the first mode and the blower configured to blow air through the nozzle at a second rate upon actuation of the actuation switch when the mode switch is in the second mode, wherein the nozzle includes a chamber configured to receive;

a first component holding a plurality of glitter particles and the air blown through the nozzle is configured to pass through the component when the component is received in the chamber of the nozzle in order to disperse a portion of the plurality of glitter particles from the component; and

a second component including a lid, wherein the lid is sealed to the second component when the second component is received in the chamber such that the lid prevents the air blown through the nozzle from passing through the second component and a liquid or an object disposed in the second component remains in the second component.

17. The toy assembly of claim 16, wherein the first rate is a continuous rate and the second rate is an intermittent rate.