COLLAPSIBLE PLUSH PILLOW TOY WITH SOUND TRIGGER
A plush toy comprises a malleable outer covering and a malleable inner filler. One or more sensors are configured to detect folding and unfolding of the plush toy. A speaker is provided. A controller causes the speaker to produce context sensitive sounds depending on the folding and unfolding of the plush toy.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTIONDisclosed and described is a collapsible plush pillow toy with sound trigger. Specifically, a plush toy includes a system and method for triggering optional or pre-determined sounds upon folding and unfolding.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONPrior art systems have tried and failed to provide for enjoyable personality traits in the form of a plush toy for children and the like.
For example, the famed Tickle Me Elmo® doll produces predetermined sounds upon actuation of one or more buttons located on the doll's stomach and ear. Other toys provide for randomized sounds in an attempt to simulate behaviour, such as a baby crying or the like.
None of these or other prior art systems provide more context sensitive sounds according to a child's manipulation of the toy, as shown and described in the instant invention as claimed. Thus, such a system for solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn order to solve the problems and shortcomings of the prior art, a collapsible plush toy with a sound trigger is disclosed. According to one preferred embodiment, a plush toy comprises: a malleable outer covering; a malleable inner filler; one or more sensors configured to detect folding and unfolding of the plush toy; a speaker; and a controller for causing the speaker to produce context sensitive sounds depending on the folding and unfolding of the plush toy.
According to another preferred embodiment, a plush toy comprises: a malleable outer covering; a malleable inner filler; one or more sensors configured to detect folding of the plush toy; a speaker; and a controller for causing the speaker to produce context sensitive sounds depending on the folding of the plush toy.
According to yet another preferred embodiment, a plush toy comprises: a malleable outer covering; a malleable inner filler; one or more sensors configured to detect unfolding of the plush toy; a speaker; and a controller for causing the speaker to produce context sensitive sounds depending on the unfolding of the plush toy.
For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the accompanying drawings several embodiments of the invention. However, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown therein and described below.
The collapsible plush toy with sound trigger in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention is illustrated in
With reference to
One embodiment of this inner structure is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,814. Therein is described an inner pillow structure that is resiliently compressible and has contents of a foam material that may be used with the embodiment of
However, in one embodiment, the plush toy 10 may comprise a standard foam or pillow stuffing, including, by way of example, and not by way of limitation, a feather, down or hypoallergenic down substitute. The only requirement is that the stuffing is malleable so as to allow the plush toy 10 to be collapsed or folded, preferably by the hand of a child.
With reference to
With reference to
Similarly, as the plush toy 10 is unfolded, and each successive button-type sensor 100 is depressed. Such depressing may cause the controller 120 to cause the speaker 122 to make different noises, such as noises of satisfaction from the plush toy 10 as it is being unfolded.
In one embodiment, instead of comprising pressure sensitive buttons, the sensors 100 may comprise magnetic or electrical sensors arranged in pairs along the back and/or front of the plush toy, or on the side. For example, when a pair of sensors 100a and 100b become arranged in close contact or proximity, a circuit is completed by magnetic detection to cause the controller 120 to cause the speaker 122 to make the context-sensitive sounds. Such electrical and magnetic sensors are described and shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,390,282, 8,305,07 and 8,363,457, and are widely commercially available.
The various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the invention. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize various modifications and changes that may be made to the claimed invention without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described herein, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. A plush toy comprising:
- a malleable outer covering;
- a malleable inner filler;
- one or more sensors configured to detect folding and unfolding of the plush toy;
- a speaker; and
- a controller for causing the speaker to produce context sensitive sounds depending on the folding and unfolding of the plush toy.
2. The plush toy of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors each comprise a button.
3. The plush toy of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to for detection of whether each button is pressed or depressed.
4. The plush toy of claim 3, wherein the context sensitive sounds depend on whether each button is pressed or depressed.
5. The plush toy of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors each comprise a magnetic sensor.
6. The plush toy of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors each comprise an electrical sensor.
7. A plush toy comprising:
- a malleable outer covering;
- a malleable inner filler;
- one or more sensors configured to detect folding of the plush toy;
- a speaker; and
- a controller for causing the speaker to produce context sensitive sounds depending on the folding.
8. The plush toy of claim 7, wherein the one or more sensors each comprise a button.
9. The plush toy of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to for detection of whether each button is pressed.
10. The plush toy of claim 7, wherein the one or more sensors each comprise a magnetic sensor.
11. The plush toy of claim 7, wherein the one or more sensors each comprise an electrical sensor.
12. A plush toy comprising:
- a malleable outer covering;
- a malleable inner filler;
- one or more sensors configured to detect unfolding of the plush toy;
- a speaker; and
- a controller for causing the speaker to produce context sensitive sounds depending on the unfolding.
13. The plush toy of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors each comprise a button.
14. The plush toy of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to for detection of whether each button is pressed.
15. The plush toy of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors each comprise a magnetic sensor.
16. The plush toy of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors each comprise an electrical sensor.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 6, 2013
Publication Date: Dec 11, 2014
Applicant: HLL Design, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA)
Inventors: Han Lim Lee (La Mirada, CA), Jacqueline Marie Rivera (Long Beach, CA)
Application Number: 13/911,575
International Classification: A63H 3/28 (20060101);