Reconfigurable child's toy

Abstract

A reconfigurable child's toy features a first configuration including a table with a top and a supporting pedestal and chairs about the table. A second configuration includes two or more of the chairs stacked on each other and the table top and supporting pedestal interlocked with the stacked chairs forming a play structure such as a tower, a rocket ship, or other round or square play structure.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application hereby claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/205,552, filed on Jan. 21, 2009 under 35 U.S.C. §§119, 120, 363, 365, and 37 C.F.R. §1.55 and §1.78.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention relates to children's toys.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

“Transformer” type toys transform from a robot-like configuration to a car or plane, for example. But, no known transformer type toy serves a utilitarian type purpose in any configuration. Children's furniture is well known as is “puzzle” style furniture where various portions of the furniture, the sides of a bookshelf, for example, are in the shape of puzzle pieces.

There is, however, no known reconfigurable child's toy which serves a utility purpose in one configuration and forms a play structure in a second configuration.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new child's toy.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a toy which, in one example, converts from a table and chair set to a rocket, castle, or other play structure.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a toy which is fun, interesting, and easy to use.

The subject invention results from the realization that, in one embodiment, an interesting new child's toy converts from a table and chair set to a rocket, castle, or other play structure wherein the table top is fairly well secured to a supporting pedestal and yet the table top and the supporting pedestal components easily separate to reconfigure the toy as a castle, rocket, or other play structure where the chairs are uniquely configured to interlock with each other and the table top and supporting pedestal components.

The subject invention features, in one embodiment, a reconfigurable child's toy comprising a first configuration including a table with a top and a supporting pedestal and chairs about the table. A second configuration includes two or more of the chairs stacked on each other and the table top and supporting pedestal interlocked with the stacked chairs forming a play structure.

In one example, the table top forms a base for the play structure and the chairs form a tower. The supporting pedestal may form a tower balcony and one portion of the pedestal may include castellations for the balcony.

In some examples, pieces used in the second configuration are not used in the first configuration. For example, a flag and a tower top portion may be used only in the second configuration.

Typically, each chair includes a base, a seat on the base, and a backrest upstanding from the seat. In one example, the base, the seat, and the backrest of each seat are configured such that when one chair is placed upside down on another chair, the result is a structure. In one preferred embodiment, each seat includes spaced detents and the backrest includes spaced ball members for stacking the chairs. One seat base may include, on a bottom surface thereof, spaced ball members and one seat base may include, on a bottom surface thereof, spaced detents. The table top may include, on one surface thereof, spaced ball members receivable in the spaced detents in the bottom surface of the at least one seat base.

In some versions, the supporting pedestal includes a base portion and a column supported on the base portion. The base portion may include a cavity receiving the column partially therein. The cavity includes spaced ball member and the column member includes spaced detents in a bottom surface thereof. The table top includes, on an underside thereof, a threaded cavity and the column includes a threaded top portion releaseably received in the threaded cavity of the table top. Also, the supporting pedestal base portion includes a threaded cavity in a surface thereof and the column includes a threaded bottom portion releasably received in the threaded cavity of the supporting pedestal base portion.

Typically, the chairs, the table top, and the supporting pedestal includes means for interlocking them together in the play structure configuration. In one version, the means for interlocking includes balls on and corresponding detents in surfaces of the chairs, the table top, and the supporting pedestal. Also, the table top and supporting pedestal typically include means for interlocking them together in the first configuration. For example, the supporting pedestal can include a column with threaded ends and the base includes a threaded cavity receiving a threaded end of the column. Also, the table top includes a threaded cavity receiving therein an opposite threaded end of the column.

In one example, the chairs form a rocket body in the second configuration and the pedestal forms a nose piece for the rocket body. There may also be legs for the table forming legs for the rocket body in the second configuration. There may also be a needle for the rocket and wings for the rocket.

The subject invention also includes chairs each including a base portion, a seat on a base portion, and a backrest upstanding from the seat and means for interlocking the chairs together when stacked to form a play structure including at least one chair stacked upside down on another chair. Each chair may include a portion of a picture completed when the chairs are stacked to form the play structure.

The base portions of the chairs can be square and then the backrests typically include a half-square outer surface forming a box shaped play structure. In another example, the base portions of the chairs are round and the backrests then typically include a half-circle outer surface forming a round play structure.

The toy may further include a table configured to be stacked with the chairs to form the play structure. The table may include a table top, a column supporting the table top, and a base portion supporting the column. The table can, in some designs, include legs and a supporting pedestal. In another version, the table is in the form of a block member stackable with the chairs.

The subject invention, however, in other embodiments, need not achieve all these objectives and the claims hereof should not be limited to structures or methods capable of achieving these objectives.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic three-dimensional view showing a reconfigurable child's toy in accordance with an example of the subject invention in a configuration where there is a table and chairs or stools about the table;

FIG. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional front view showing a second configuration, in one example of the subject invention, where the stools of FIG. 1 are stacked on each other and the tabletop and supporting pedestal are also stacked with the stools forming a castle-type play structure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the underside of the table shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic bottom view of the table, supporting pedestal, and stool shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic three-dimensional view of the column member portion of the pedestal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the top of the base portion of the pedestal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic three-dimensional front view of the tower top shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a schematic bottom view of the top portion shown in FIGS. 2 and 7;

FIGS. 9A-9D are schematic views of another version of a toy in accordance with the subject invention configured as four chairs;

FIG. 10 is a view of a play structure formed by stacking the chairs of FIG. 9;

FIGS. 11A-11C depict still another version of a toy with two chairs and a cube shaped table;

FIG. 12 shows the table of FIG. 11C stacked on the two chairs in FIGS. 11A and 11B forming a play structure;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing another version of a child's table and chair set in accordance with the subject invention;

FIG. 14 is a schematic top view of one of the chairs shown in FIG. 13 showing how the seat portion is removable for storing items in the chair body;

FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing the table and chairs of FIG. 13 rearranged as a play structure;

FIG. 16 is schematic view showing still another example of a child's table and chair set in accordance with the subject invention; and

FIG. 17 is a schematic view showing the table and chairs of FIG. 16 rearranged and stacked on top of each other forming a toy rocket structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aside from the preferred embodiment or embodiments disclosed below, this invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. If only one embodiment is described herein, the claims hereof are not to be limited to that embodiment. Moreover, the claims hereof are not to be read restrictively unless there is clear and convincing evidence manifesting a certain exclusion, restriction, or disclaimer.

The subject invention features reconfigurable child toys. In one preferred embodiment, the child's toy has a first configuration including a table with a top and a supporting pedestal and stools or chairs about the table. In a second configuration, the stools are stacked on each other and the table top and supporting pedestal are interlocked with the stacked stools forming a play structure. FIG. 1 shows an example where the table is assembled on top of its supporting pedestal and there are stools about the table. FIG. 2 shows the table, supporting pedestal, and stools reconfigured as a tower or castle with a balcony. Typically, the table top forms a base for the play structure shown in FIG. 2. The stools form the body of the tower. The supporting pedestal forms the tower balcony, one portion of which includes castellations for the balcony.

In this specific example, a reconfigurable child's toy 10 in a first configuration includes table 12 having top 14 and supporting pedestal 16 itself including base portion 18 with castellations 20. Supporting pedestal 16 also includes separate column member 22. Column member 22 screws into the underside of table top 14 and side 66 of base 18. Chairs or stools 24a-24d are shown about table 12 and each typically include, as shown for stool 24a, base 26a, seat 28a thereon, and backrest 30a upstanding from seat 28a. In this example, backrest 30 is circular and forms a half circle on seat 28a.

The toy also has a second configuration shown in FIG. 2 where stools 24a-24d are stacked on top of each other such that, for example, backrest 30a of seat 24a, FIG. 1 mates with seat 28b of stool 24b and backrest 30b of stool 24b mates with seat 28a of stool 24a. When so combined, the stools form a round portion 41, FIG. 2 of tower 40.

In FIG. 2, table top 14 is turned upside down and forms the base of the play structure. Surface 42 may include indicia 43 as shown. Stacked stools 24a-24d form tower 40 and supporting pedestal 16, FIG. 1 forms tower balcony 42 when base portion 18 is seated on upside down stool 24d and column member 22 is seated on pedestal 18. Tower top portion 44 sits on column member 22 and flag 46 sits in a cavity 90, FIG. 7 in the top of top portion 44.

To releasably interlock the stools together in this configuration, each stool, as shown in FIG. 1, includes spaced detents 32 on seat portion 28 and spaced ball members 34 on the top of backrest 30. Ball portions 34a, of stool 24a, for example, are received in detents 32b of stool 24b and ball portions 34b of stool 24b are received in detents 32a of stool 24a when the stools are stacked in the configuration shown in FIG. 2.

The underside of table 14, FIG. 3 includes circular depression 50 with spaced ball members 52 thereon for receipt in corresponding detents 54, FIG. 4, in the bottom surface 56 of stool 24a base 26a. The underside of table 14, FIG. 3 also includes threaded cavity 60 for receiving threaded top 64, FIG. 5 of column 22. The bottom of column 22 also includes a threaded portion 65 secured into a threaded cavity 65, FIGS. 1 and 6 in surface 66 of base portion 18. In this way, when the table and chairs are configured as shown in FIG. 1, the table is fairly robust but table top 14 and base 18 can be decoupled from column 22.

The top and bottom of column 22, FIG. 5 also includes spaced detents 70 as shown for the top of column 22. These detents receive spaced ball members 72, FIG. 4 in cavity 74 on the top surface of base portion 18 when base portion 18 supports column 22 as shown in FIG. 2.

The other end of column 22, FIG. 5 also includes spaced detents receiving spaced ball members 23, FIG. 8 on the underside 21 of top member 44, FIG. 1.

Stool 24c, FIG. 1 has on its bottom surface 80, FIG. 4, spaced detents 82, receiving spaced ball members 84 in the bottom of stool 24b. The bottom of stool 24d has spaced detents 86 receiving spaced ball members 67, FIG. 6 on the underside of base portion 18, FIGS. 2 and 6.

Thus, in this particular design, three stools 24a, 24c, and 24d, FIG. 1 have, on their bottom surfaces, spaced detents while stool 24b has, on its bottom surface, ball members. Base portion 18 has ball members on its top and bottom, table 14 includes, on its underside, ball members, and top 44 includes, on its underside, ball members, and both ends of column 22 include ball members and threaded portions 64, 65, FIG. 5. The underside of table 14, FIG. 1, in turn, includes a threaded recess 65 in surface 66, FIG. 6, and base member 18, FIG. 1 includes a threaded recess 61, FIG. 6. Also, the seats of each stool member include detents as shown in FIG. 1 and the raised half circle backrests include spaced ball members.

There are other equivalent means, however, for releasably securing the chairs together in the stacked configuration as shown in FIG. 2 along with tabletop 14, base member 18, column 22, and top member 44. There are also equivalent means for releasably securing table 14 and base 18 to column 22 in the configuration shown in FIG. 1.

In the design shown in FIGS. 9-10, chairs 100a-100d, FIGS. 9A-9D, are stackable to form play structure 102a, FIG. 10. Surfaces of each chair include a portion of one or more pictures as shown at 104 and 106 for chair 100a, FIG. 9A. When the chairs are properly stacked as shown in FIG. 10, each wall of the structure includes now a complete picture, e.g., pictures of popular movie or TV show characters. In FIG. 10, chair 100a is stacked on chair 100b itself stacked on chair 100c which is stacked on chair 100d.

As shown for chair 100a, FIG. 9A, all these chairs include square base 110a with seat 112a including spaced detents 114a. Backrest 116a includes curved inner wall 118a, half-square outer wall 120a, and spaced ball members 122a on top surface 124a. Thus, when stacked, the chairs form the box shaped play structures shown in FIG. 10.

In FIGS. 11-12, block structure table 130 (in this example a cube) is included along with chairs 110e and 110f. When stacked, table 130 sits on chair 110e itself stacked upside down on chair 110f. The bottom of table 130 may include spaced ball members received in detents in the bottom of chair 110e. Again, table 130 and chairs 110e and 110f include parts of a picture completed in the play structure configuration shown in FIG. 12. Chairs 110e and 110f are similar in design to chairs 100a-100d, FIG. 9.

A round play structure can also be formed in this manner by making table 130 in the form of a cylinder and the bases and backrests of each chair circular in configuration.

FIG. 13 depicts another example where table 150 has table top 152 and pedestal column 154 with base 155. Chairs 156a-d are also included. The seat portions 158, FIG. 14 of each chair may be removable for storage in chamber 160 of each seat base as shown. When table 150 is turned upside down as shown in FIG. 15, and chairs 156a-156b are stacked along with top member 162, a play structure is formed with indicia (e.g., a corporate logo or trademark) 164 thereon. Again, the ball and detents discussed above can be employed to stack the chairs on table top 152.

FIG. 16 shows table 180 with four legs 182a, 182b, and the like along with pedestal 185 supporting top 184. Four chairs 186a-d are shown.

In this example, the second configuration is a toy rocket ship 190, FIG. 17 where chairs 186a-186d are stacked on upside down table top 184 and pedestal 185 is stacked on top as a rocket nose piece. Toy rocket 190 also includes nose 192 and wings 194a and 194b. These pieces are not used in the table and chairs configuration shown in FIG. 16. In FIG. 17, legs 182a, 182b and the like of table 180 form legs for the rocket.

The balls and detents discussed above or equivalent interlocking structures can be used to retain the chairs in the stacked configuration shown in FIG. 17.

In some examples, there are pieces supplied used in the second configuration but not in the first configuration and perhaps vice versa. For example, the flag and top portion of the castle shown in FIG. 2 does not serve any purpose in the furniture configurations shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. In FIG. 16, the wings of the rocket and the needle of the rocket do not serve any purpose in the furniture configuration shown in FIG. 11.

Typically, the components interlock in some fashion in the second configuration and preferably all of the components are made of plastic. The result is a highly versatile concept for a new toy examples of which are disclosed above.

Although specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not in others, however, this is for convenience only as each feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention. The words “including”, “comprising”, “having”, and “with” as used herein are to be interpreted broadly and comprehensively and are not limited to any physical interconnection. Moreover, any embodiments disclosed in the subject application are not to be taken as the only possible embodiments.

In addition, any amendment presented during the prosecution of the patent application for this patent is not a disclaimer of any claim element presented in the application as filed: those skilled in the art cannot reasonably be expected to draft a claim that would literally encompass all possible equivalents, many equivalents will be unforeseeable at the time of the amendment and are beyond a fair interpretation of what is to be surrendered (if anything), the rationale underlying the amendment may bear no more than a tangential relation to many equivalents, and/or there are many other reasons the applicant can not be expected to describe certain insubstantial substitutes for any claim element amended.

Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable child's toy comprising:

a first configuration including: a table with a top and a supporting pedestal, and chairs about the table; and

a second configuration including: two or more of the chairs stacked on each other, and the table top and supporting pedestal interlocked with the stacked chairs forming a play structure.

2. The toy of claim 1 in which the table top forms a base for the play structure.

3. The toy of claim 1 in which the chairs form a tower.

4. The toy of claim 3 in which the supporting pedestal forms a tower balcony.

5. The toy of claim 4 in which one portion of the pedestal includes castellations for the balcony.

6. The toy of claim 3 further including pieces used in the second configuration not used in the first configuration.

7. The toy of claim 6 in which said pieces include a flag and a tower top portion.

8. The toy of claim 1 in which each chair includes a base, a seat on the base, and a backrest upstanding from the seat.

9. The toy of claim 8 in which the base, the seat, and the backrest are configured such that when one chair is placed upside down on another chair, the result is a structure.

10. The toy of claim 8 in which each seat includes spaced detents and the backrest includes spaced ball members for stacking the chairs.

11. The toy of claim 8 in which at least one seat base includes, on a bottom surface thereof, spaced ball members and at least one seat base includes, on a bottom surface thereof, spaced detents.

12. The toy of claim 11 in which the table top includes, on one surface thereof, spaced ball members receivable in the spaced detents in the bottom surface of the at least one seat base.

13. The toy of claim 1 in which the supporting pedestal includes a base portion and a column supported on the base portion.

14. The toy of claim 13 in which the base portion includes castellations.

15. The toy of claim 13 in which the base portion includes a cavity receiving the column partially therein.

16. The toy of claim 15 in which the cavity includes spaced ball members and the column member includes spaced detents in a bottom surface thereof.

17. The toy of claim 16 in which the table top includes on an underside thereof a threaded cavity and the column includes a threaded top portion releasably received in the threaded cavity of the table top.

18. The toy of claim 17 in which the supporting pedestal base portion includes a threaded cavity in a surface thereof and the column includes a threaded bottom portion releasably received in the threaded cavity of the supporting pedestal base portion.

19. The toy of claim 1 in which the chairs, the table top, and the supporting pedestal includes means for interlocking them together in the play structure configuration.

20. The toy of claim 19 in which said means for interlocking includes balls on and corresponding detents in surfaces of the chairs, the table top, and the supporting pedestal.

21. The toy of claim 1 in which the table top and supporting pedestal include means for interlocking them together in the first configuration.

22. The toy of claim 21 in which the supporting pedestal includes a column with threaded ends and a base including a threaded cavity receiving a threaded end of the column and the table top includes a threaded cavity receiving therein an opposite threaded end of the column.

23. The toy of claim 1 in which the chairs form a rocket body in the second configuration.

24. The toy of claim 23 in which the pedestal forms a nose piece for the rocket body.

25. The toy of claim 23 further including legs for the table forming legs for the rocket body in the second configuration.

26. The toy of claim 23 further including pieces used in the second configuration not used in the first configuration.

27. The toy of claim 26 in which said pieces include a needle for the rocket and wings for the rocket.

28. A reconfigurable child's toy comprising:

chairs each including a base portion, a seat on the base portion, and a backrest upstanding from the seat; and

means for interlocking the chairs together when stacked to form a play structure including at least one chair stacked upside down on another chair.

29. The toy of claim 28 in which the means for interlocking include spaced detents in the seat portion of each chair and spaced ball members on the backrest of each chair.

30. The toy of claim 28 in which each chair includes a portion of a picture completed when the chairs are stacked to form the play structure.

31. The toy of claim 28 in which the base portions of the chairs are square and the backrests include a half-square outer surface forming a box shaped play structure.

32. The toy of claim 28 in which the base portions of the chairs are round and the backrests include a half-circle outer surface forming a round play structure.

33. The toy of claim 28 further including a table.

34. The toy of claim 33 in which the table is configured to be stacked with the chairs to form the play structure.

35. The toy of claim 34 further including means for interlocking the table with the stacked chairs.

36. The toy of claim 35 in which the means for interlocking includes balls on a surface of the table and detents in the base portion of a chair.

37. The toy of claim 33 in which the table includes a table top, a column supporting the table top, and a base portion supporting the column.

38. The toy of claim 37 in which the base portion includes castellations.

39. The toy of claim 37 further including means for interlocking the column with both the top and the base portion.

40. The toy of claim 39 in which the column has threaded ends, the base includes a threaded cavity receiving a threaded end of the column and the table top includes a threaded cavity receiving therein an opposite threaded end of the column.

41. The toy of claim 33 in which the table includes legs and a supporting pedestal.

42. The toy of claim 33 in which the table includes a block member stackable with the chairs.