Soft Toy with Item Cavity

Abstract

A soft children's toy with a cavity for storing items. The cavity has a recessed storage area to prevent items from falling out, and at least one entry point large enough for adult fingers to reach into the cavity. The soft children's toy allows children to store items in the toy or parents to hide gifts in the toy.

Description

The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/256,946 filed Oct. 31, 2010, which application is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to children's toys and in particular to a soft child's toy with a cavity for storing items.

Children often have small items they save and enjoy. Unfortunately, the children often misplace such items. Further, parents, care givers, and others often wish to surprise a child, or even adult, with an unexpected gift. Boxes or envelopes often do not provide a fun or endearing delivery for such gifts. A simple and possibly childlike product is needed for convenient storing by children and gift delivery.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a soft children's toy with a cavity for storing items. The cavity has a recessed storage area to prevent items from falling out, and at least one entry point large enough for adult fingers to reach into the cavity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a soft child's toy according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the soft child's toy according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the soft child's toy taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing a rounded cavity.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the soft child's toy taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of a mid section of the soft child's toy showing a rectangular cavity.

FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of a mid section of the soft child's toy showing a straight cavity.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.

A front view of a soft child's toy 10 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 and a top view of the soft child's toy is shown in FIG. 2. The toy 10 may be any soft toy but is preferably a soft animal toy 10 and more preferably a soft animal toy 10 with a large mid portion 16. A hook 12 may be included for hanging the soft child's toy 10.

A cross-sectional view of the soft child's toy 10 taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 3, and a cross-sectional view of the soft child's toy 10 taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 5. The soft child's toy 10 has a height H of preferably approximately eight inches. The soft child's toy 10 preferably includes a rounded cavity 14a for storing small items, and entries (or slits) 20 into the cavity 14a. The cavity 14a has a height Hc and the entries 20 have a height He. The height Hc is preferably approximately 2.5 inches and the height He is preferably approximately 1.5 inches. The entries 20 may be centered on the arms 18 (see FIG. 1), in front of the arms 18 or behind the arms 18. The entries 20 relax to a very narrow shape to resist articles escaping the cavity 14a.

The soft child's toy 10 is preferably is made from a soft material and filled with a soft stuffing with a soft covering 11, preferably of a fur like material. The cavity 14a is preferably lined with a soft smooth material 15 to avoid snagging objects on the lining.

A cross-sectional view of a mid section of the soft child's toy 10 showing a rectangular cavity 14b is shown in FIG. 5A and a cross-sectional view of a mid section of the soft child's toy 10 showing a straight cavity 14c is shown in FIG. 5B.

The present invention has been described in one shape having a head, mid section, arms, and feet, however, any soft toy having a cavity and entries as described herein is intended to come within the scope of the present invention. Further, the cavity may include deviations from a rectangle or circle and is intended to come within the scope of the present invention.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A storage object comprising:

a soft toy;

a cavity in the toy for storing items having a cavity for storing items; and

a small entrance just large enough for adult fingers to reach into the cavity.

2. The storage object of claim 1, wherein the soft toy is about eight inches tall.

3. The storage object of claim 1, wherein the soft toy has the appearance of an animal.

4. The storage object of claim 1, wherein the soft toy has the appearance of a monster.

5. The storage object of claim 1, wherein the small entrance relaxes to a very narrow slit.

6. The storage object of claim 5, wherein the small entrance comprises two small entrances relaxing to very narrow slits on opposite sides of the cavity.

7. The storage object of claim 6, wherein the very narrow slits on opposite sides of the cavity are about 1.5 inches high.

8. The storage object of claim 7, wherein the cavity is approximately 2.5 inches high at it's highest point.

9. The storage object of claim 7, wherein the cavity is circular.

10. The storage object of claim 7, wherein the cavity is rectangular.

11. The storage object of claim 7, wherein the cavity and entrances form a straight passage having approximately constant height.

12. A storage object comprising:

a soft toy;

a cavity in the toy for storing items having a cavity for storing items, the cavity about 2.5 inches high; and

small entrances into the cavity on each side of the cavity, the entrances about 1.5 inches high.

13. A storage object comprising:

a soft toy having the shape of an animal and about eight inches in height;

a rectangular cavity in the toy for storing items having a cavity for storing items, the cavity about 2.5 inches high; and

small entrances into the cavity on each side of the cavity, the entrances about 1.5 inches high.