Patents Examined by Urszula M. Cegielnik
  • Patent number: 9937433
    Abstract: A toy construction system comprising a releasably connectable tendon or tether (“tendon”) to connect to at least two building blocks. The tendon being resiliently deformable and providing a range of motion for each of at least two blocks, relative to each other, in at least two Cartesian axes. The tendon having an engagement, and each block having a corresponding receiving element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Inventor: Mark Randall Stolten
  • Patent number: 9925471
    Abstract: A toy includes a rotational lift mechanism having a rotatable drive shaft, a helical guide track positioned about the drive shaft, a receiver basin positioned atop the drive shaft, an upper track, a tilted panel, a chute having an opening formed therein and a lower track. In example forms, one or more balls traverse a closed-loop pre-defined path including along the guide track and within the basin, along the upper track, through an airborne trajectory into contact with the tilted panel, bouncing into the opening of the chute, and back along the lower track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: KIDS II, INC.
    Inventor: Milton Aaron Flores
  • Patent number: 9914068
    Abstract: The toy structure kit includes an accessory defining an opening, a toy structure defining an opening, and a connector having a base member and a collar, the connector configured to couple the accessory to the toy structure, the base member including a first projection member and a second projection member, the first projection member configured to extend through the opening defined by the accessory and receive the collar, the second projection member configured to extend through the opening defined by the toy structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: Ethan K. Wood, Rawn Trinidad, Nicole Luo, Tai To Lee, Xuan Liang, Leo Shen, Chun Kit Ho
  • Patent number: 9878262
    Abstract: A bubble generating device. The apparatus may include a housing, a fan device, and a motor operably coupled to the fan device. The motor may rotate the fan device about a rotational axis. The apparatus may further include one, or a plurality, of bubble generating devices that are coupled to the housing. Each of the bubble generating devices may comprise a bubble producing member that converges towards the rotational axis with increasing distance from the fan device. Stated another way, each of the bubble producing members may define an opening that lies on a plane that intersects the rotational axis of the fan device at an oblique angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: HONOR METRO LIMITED
    Inventor: Adam Hing Ping Chan
  • Patent number: 9873059
    Abstract: A toy includes a first head of a rigid material and a second head of a rigid material coupled to the first head and facing in an opposite direction to the first head. A flexible flap intervenes between the first and second heads and is movable from a first position, in which the flap covers the second head with the first head exposed to view, to a second position, in which the flap covers the first head with the second head exposed to view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: JAY AT PLAY INTERNATIONAL HONG KONG LIMITED
    Inventor: Joseph A. Sutton
  • Patent number: 9861902
    Abstract: An edible spinning device and method of operation provides: a spinning toy; a container; and an edible component for consumption. An outer sphere contains the candy and medicine. The outer sphere separates into a first sphere portion and a second sphere portion. An edible member having a pair of diametrically opposed depressions positions between the first sphere portion and the second sphere portion. A first cord extends along an axis between the first sphere portion and the edible member. A second cord extends along the axis between the second sphere portion and the edible member. Moving the first sphere portion away from the second sphere portion increases torque in the first and second cords to spin the edible member along the axis. Moving the first sphere portion towards the second sphere portion releases momentum from the generated torque to spin the edible member off-center from the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Inventor: Rolando Perez
  • Patent number: 9849393
    Abstract: A toy top includes a body and a shaft unit. The shaft unit includes a spinning shaft which includes projections that extend downward at a lower end of the spinning shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: TOMY COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Makoto Muraki
  • Patent number: 9833720
    Abstract: A system for launching a toy projectile from a clip connector. The toy projectile has elongated arm elements and elongated leg elements. The toy projectile is launched from a clip connector launcher. The clip connector launcher has a housing with a top opening, side openings, and an internal divider. The elongated arm elements and the elongated leg elements from the toy projectile are inserted into the top opening of the clip connector housing. The elongated arm elements mechanically interlock with the side openings in the clip connector housing when in a fully engaged position. The leg elements are spread by the divider within the clip connector housing when in the fully engaged position. The elongated arm elements and the elongated leg elements store spring energy that releases to accelerate the toy character out and away from the clip connector housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: KMA Concepts Limited
    Inventor: Steve Walterscheid
  • Patent number: 9802134
    Abstract: An automatic detachable combined toy gyro is characterized in that: the gyro is formed by vertically jointing at least two gyros, and tips of the gyros are all elastic tips, so that an upper gyro in the gyros automatically releases the connection with a lower gyro when it is impacted or the rotation thereof is blocked during rotation, and the upper gyro is ejected under the action of the elastic tip to form two separately rotating gyros. During playing of the present invention, the gyro may be split into two or three gyros during a confrontational match, which greatly increases the aggressiveness of the gyro and obtain a higher win rate; moreover, because the tip of the gyro is an elastic tip, during splitting and separating when playing, the upper gyro is generally split by the elasticity of the tip thereof, and has little impact on the lower gyro.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignees: Guangdong Alpha Animation & Culture Co., Ltd., Guangdong Auldey Animation & Toy Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Alpha Culture Communications Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dongqing Cai
  • Patent number: 9796403
    Abstract: A shopping cart liner includes a body configured to nest in the child seat portion of a shopping cart. The body may define one or more openings positioned to enable the feet of a child seated in the shopping cart to protrude through the body, and the shopping cart liner includes a track at least partially embedded in a portion of the shopping cart liner. A clip is slidingly engaged with the track, and defines an opening for attaching an item to the shopping cart liner. An item such as a toy, teething ring, pacifier, or other item may be attached. The body may be padded, and, and may include one or more pockets. The shopping cart liner may include a seat belt for securing a child to the shopping cart liner, and may be used in combination with a pillow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Inventors: Paul Fair, Kristin A. Tidwell, Catherine P. McNeil, Clarice Bonzer
  • Patent number: 9789417
    Abstract: Construction toy, characterised in that it primarily consists of a set of construction elements of rods (1) with magnetic ends, balls (2) and one or more preformed attachments (15) that can be suitably affixed to the rods (1), and which to this end have a fastening clip (18) with arms (19) of an elastic material that have at least one rib on each of the sides facing one another, whereby the rods have a primarily octagonal cross-section with diagonally opposite sides (8) that are linked together by other diametrically opposite sides (9) that each have a groove (10) in which the aforementioned ribs (21) can snap in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Inventor: Rolf Vandoren
  • Patent number: 9776100
    Abstract: A discharge platform comprises an air propulsion mechanism that propels the discharge platform through the air. The discharge platform also comprises a special effect storage device that stores a special effect and is operably connected to the discharge platform. Further, the discharge platform comprises a processor. In addition, the discharge platform comprises an air delivery special effect mechanism that discharges a special effect from the special effect storage device toward a destination after receiving an instruction from the processor and during propulsion of the discharge platform through the air by the air propulsion mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford Wong, John Bouman, Kevin Kelley, Ken Wagner
  • Patent number: 9776098
    Abstract: A pillow includes a compressible fill material and a flexible shell covering the fill material. A track is at least partially embedded in the flexible shell, and a clip is slidingly engaged with the track. The clip defines an opening for attaching an item to the pillow. Various kinds of items may be attached. In another variation, a slipcover includes a flexible shell configured to conform to an outer shape of a particular pillow, and also includes a track at least partially embedded in the flexible shell. A clip is slidingly engaged with the track and defines an opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: The Boppy Company, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Fair, Kristin A. Tidwell, Catherine P. McNeil, Clarice Bonzer
  • Patent number: 9756846
    Abstract: A game call striker utilizes a hollow axially opening counter weight to its striker shaft as a chamber within which a weight supported on an axially extending resilient member is mounted in axial alignment with the striker shaft and in non-contacting relation to the walls of said chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: EBSCO Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory S. Burcham
  • Patent number: 9737824
    Abstract: An input device includes actuating pieces and keys. The actuating pieces are disposed inside a case and have portions disposed along a first direction at predetermined intervals. The portions are movable toward and away from each other and are urged closer to each other by a predetermined urging force. The keys are insertable in the first direction into a key hole in the case. The actuating pieces respectively include pressure receivers which are disposed without overlap in the first direction. Each key includes a pusher which selectively pushes the pressure receiver of at least one of the actuating pieces as a result of insertion of the key into the key hole and moves the actuating piece corresponding to the pushed pressure receiver in a direction against the predetermined urging force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: TOMY COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Takio Ejima
  • Patent number: 9737822
    Abstract: A spin speed measuring device almost free of malfunction is provided at low cost. The spin speed measuring device includes a casing, a spinning body pivotally supported in the casing, a pinion gear configured to spin together with the spinning body, a belt having a rack and a plurality of indicators, the rack being configured to mesh with the pinion gear, and a detector attached to the casing to detect the indicator passing by. The spin speed measuring device measures the spin speed of the spinning body. A spin speed of the spinning body is calculated from a time period from when one of the indicators passes by to when another one of the indicators passes by, the time period being obtained using signals output from the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: TOP RUNNER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masakiyo Kubo
  • Patent number: 9737820
    Abstract: A toy gyro has a gyro ring that can be assembled at both sides and includes an axis body, gyro ring, tip and cover that are disposed on the axis body. A direction of mounting the gyro ring on the axis body may be turned over vertically, so that by turning over vertical orientations of the gyro ring on the axis body, gyros having different shapes or different heights of center of gravity may be formed. In other words, the gyro ring may be mounted on the axis body with a front side facing upwards, or the gyro ring may be mounted on the axis body with a reverse side facing upwards, so that during playing of the present invention, gyros having different shapes or having different heights of center of gravity may be formed by assembling of the gyro ring on the axis body in different directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignees: Guangdong Alpha Animation & Culture Co., Ltd., Guangdong Auldey Animation & Toy Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Alpha Culture Communications Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dongqing Cai
  • Patent number: 9737826
    Abstract: A pairing block set has a right-hand toy block and a left-hand toy block, each of mutual, mirror symmetry and optionally incorporating a system of eight abutment points to each engaged studs on its mating block upon assembling. By providing two different layouts—one for the odd number, and one for the even number tier toy block groups respectively, using a combination of the pairing block set and other commonly seen basic type of blocks for each tier groups, and after stacking up tiers of block groups by different layouts alternatingly, in a tier-to-tier mutual interlocking manner, a structurally sound assembly of an oblique sided structure can be built with smoothly lined sides or walls. A plurality of latches is left at both ends of the assembly, to be further interlocked with its neighboring, mating toy blocks of the intended final structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Inventor: Pai-Chen Cheng
  • Patent number: 9731210
    Abstract: A toy vehicle launcher is disclosed. The launcher includes a cavity configured for receiving a plurality of toy vehicles. Furthermore, the launcher includes a launching mechanism that launches a single toy vehicle while loading the next vehicle into the launching position in a single action. Additionally, the launching mechanism includes an actuator for triggering the launching of the toy vehicles. Moreover, the launcher is configured for easy access to the storage of the plurality of toy vehicles in the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventor: Berrigan Lennon
  • Patent number: 9731216
    Abstract: A flying disc includes a hub composed of polymeric material, a ring composed of polymeric material and coupled to the hub. The hub and the ring may have different specific gravities by being composed of different materials or by having a weighting product embedded therein, or a weighting product may be carried between the hub and the ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: MVP Disc Sports, LLC
    Inventors: Brad Charles Richardson, Chad Michael Richardson