MESH TOY APPARATUS
A toy apparatus includes a mesh formed of at least one loop structure assembly, each of the loop structure assemblies including at least one loop structure. Each loop structure defines a loop opening having a shape selected from a circular opening, an oval opening and a polygonal opening. A plurality of loop structure assemblies can be joined together to form a toy apparatus, with each loop structure assembly including an outer perimeter having at least one mating surface disposed at least partially around the outer perimeter for coupling to at least one adjacent loop structure assembly.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/755,363, filed Jun. 30, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/647,137, filed Oct. 8, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/615,156, filed on Nov. 9, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,282,518, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/347,323, filed on Dec. 31, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,052,552, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/018,472, filed on Jan. 1, 2008. The disclosures of each of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUNDBalls are one of the oldest forms of toys and sports equipment, and many popular games today still involve rolling, passing, kicking, tossing, catching, bouncing, or hitting balls. Other toys may have similar play patterns as balls, and both balls and other toys may have smooth surfaces. Children and young adults and are also drawn to toys that can be accessorized with characters or other accessories that give the ball visual, acoustic and tactile interest. However, conventional balls and other toys having a smooth surface are not always suitable for attaching accessories, and can be difficult to grasp for some users, especially small children and infants.
SUMMARYA toy apparatus having a surface is provided. The toy apparatus may include a mesh including a plurality of loop structures having cooperative mating surfaces disposed at least partially around an outer perimeter of each loop structure. The plurality of loop structures may have curved inside perimeter surfaces, and the cooperative mating surfaces of adjacent loop structures may be configured to couple together for a distance along their lengths. The loop structures form the surface of the toy when the cooperative mating surfaces are coupled with each other. The toy apparatus may further include a rattle positioned in a loop structure in the mesh, the rattle having a body with a mounting structure having an outer perimeter sized to conform to the curved inside perimeter surface of the loop structure in which the rattle is mounted. In some aspects, the mesh of the toy apparatus may be formed in the shape of a ball or other object that encloses a void. In other aspects, the mesh of the toy apparatus may not enclose a void.
According to another aspect, an apparatus is provided, which includes a plurality of elongated strands having joinder regions uniting adjacent strands at a distance along a length of an outer perimeter of the elongated strands, the elongate strands being configured to couple together for a distance along their lengths. The elongated strands form a surface of a mesh when the joinder regions are coupled. The apparatus may further include a manducable protrusion coupled to the mesh and extending a distance away from an exterior surface of the mesh.
According to another aspect, a toy apparatus is provided, which includes a mesh formed of a plurality of loop structure assemblies, each of the plurality of loop structure assemblies including at least one loop structure, each loop structure defining a loop opening. The loop opening of at least one of the loop structures has a shape selected from a circular opening, an oval opening and a polygonal opening. Each loop structure assembly includes an outer perimeter having at least one mating surface disposed at least partially around the outer perimeter for coupling to at least one adjacent loop structure assembly.
According to another aspect, a toy apparatus is provided, which includes a mesh formed of a plurality of loop structure assemblies. Each of the plurality of loop structure assemblies includes at least one loop structure, each loop structure defining a loop opening, at least one of the loop openings having a shape selected from a circular opening, an oval opening and a polygonal opening.
According to another aspect, a toy apparatus is provided, which includes a mesh formed of a plurality of loop structure assemblies. Each of the plurality of loop structure assemblies includes at least one loop structure, each loop structure defining a loop opening. Each loop structure assembly includes an outer perimeter having at least one mating surface disposed at least partially around the outer perimeter for coupling to at least one adjacent loop structure assembly.
According to another aspect, a toy apparatus is provided, which includes a mesh formed of at least one loop structure assembly. Each loop structure assembly includes at least one loop structure, each loop structure defining a loop opening, wherein at least one of the loop openings has a shape selected from a circular opening, an oval opening and a polygonal opening.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.
The toy apparatus of the present disclosure may include a mesh of the form described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,984, entitled TOY BALL APPARATUS, which issued May 4, 2004, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
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It will be appreciated that the body 116 of each rattle 122 may be substantially watertight, and may provide buoyancy to the apparatus 100, enabling it to float in water, which may be advantageous. Further, the domed shape construction of the top half 124A and bottom half 124B provide strength to the rattles 122. Further, since the domed shape is usually of a relatively low profile, the top half 124A does not extend outward from the surface 102 of the toy apparatus 100 to an extent that inhibits rolling of the toy apparatus in the embodiment of
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An alternate way of describing the toy apparatus is as follows. Toy apparatus 100 may include a mesh structure 104B formed from a plurality of elongated strands 106. Mesh structure 104B may also include a joinder region 108 uniting adjacent strands to form a plurality of closed-perimeter openings 139. In particular the joinder regions may unite adjacent strands at a distance along the length of an outer perimeter of the elongated strands, and may be configured to couple together for a distance along their lengths. As previously discussed the closed-perimeter openings may be curved or alternatively may be in the shape of a polygon.
Container 138 may store liquids such as milk, juice, water, etc. As depicted, the container may be positioned in the void 105 enclosed by the mesh. However, in alternate embodiments, as shown in
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For convenience, a plurality of clips 140 may be coupled to the toy apparatus allowing the toy apparatus to be attached to an object such as a stroller, chair, car seat, etc.
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The above described embodiments provide an apparatus that is easily graspable, even by the small hands of infants and toddlers, due to its mesh structures, and that provides sound and visual stimulation to users when shaken through its rattles mounted in the mesh structures. The above described embodiments further provide an apparatus that may be used for a teething, suckling, or masticating, thereby comforting an infant and assisting in the infant's development.
It should be understood that the embodiments herein are illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that fall within metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds thereof are therefore intended to be embraced by the claims.
Claims
1. A toy apparatus comprising a mesh formed of a plurality of loop structure assemblies, each of the plurality of loop structure assemblies comprising at least one loop structure, each loop structure defining a loop opening, wherein the loop opening of at least one of the loop structures has a shape selected from a circular opening, an oval opening and a polygonal opening; and wherein each loop structure assembly comprises an outer perimeter comprising at least one mating surface disposed at least partially around the outer perimeter for coupling to at least one adjacent loop structure assembly.
2. The toy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one loop opening has a circular shape.
3. The toy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one loop opening has an oval shape.
4. The toy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one loop opening has a polygonal shape.
5. The toy apparatus of claim 1, wherein each loop structure comprises at least one elongated strand of resilient material defining a closed perimeter bounding the loop opening.
6. The toy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of loop structure assemblies are coupled to one another in the shape of a polyhedron.
7. The toy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mesh forms a closed structure enclosing a void.
8. The toy apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one accessory coupled to the mesh, the accessory selected from a rattle, a clip, a teething ring, a character shape, a disc comprising indicia, an ornament, a chain, a manducable protrusion, and a container.
9. A toy apparatus comprising a mesh formed of a plurality of loop structure assemblies, each of the plurality of loop structure assemblies comprising at least one loop structure, each loop structure defining a loop opening, wherein at least one of the loop openings has a shape selected from a circular opening, an oval opening and a polygonal opening.
10. The toy apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one loop opening has a circular shape.
11. The toy apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one loop opening has an oval shape.
12. The toy apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one loop opening has a polygonal shape.
13. The toy apparatus of claim 9, wherein each loop structure comprises at least one elongated strand of resilient material defining a closed perimeter bounding the loop opening.
14. The toy apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of loop structure assemblies are coupled to one another in the shape of a polyhedron.
15. The toy apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mesh forms a closed structure enclosing a void.
16. The toy apparatus of claim 9, further comprising at least one accessory coupled to the mesh, the accessory selected from a rattle, a clip, a teething ring, a character shape, a disc comprising indicia, an ornament, a chain, a manducable protrusion, and a container.
17. The toy apparatus of claim 9, wherein each loop structure assembly comprises an outer perimeter comprising at least one mating surface disposed at least partially around the outer perimeter for coupling to at least one adjacent loop structure assembly.
18. A toy apparatus comprising a mesh formed of a plurality of loop structure assemblies, each of the plurality of loop structure assemblies comprising at least one loop structure, each loop structure defining a loop opening, wherein each loop structure assembly comprises an outer perimeter comprising at least one mating surface disposed at least partially around the outer perimeter for coupling to at least one adjacent loop structure assembly.
19. The toy apparatus of claim 18, wherein the loop opening of at least one of the loop structures has a circular shape.
20. The toy apparatus of claim 18, wherein the loop opening of at least one of the loop structures has an oval shape.
21. The toy apparatus of claim 18, wherein the loop opening of at least one of the loop structures has a polygonal shape.
22. The toy apparatus of claim 18, wherein each loop structure comprises at least one elongated strand of resilient material defining a closed perimeter bounding the loop opening.
23. The toy apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of loop structure assemblies are coupled to one another in the shape of a polyhedron.
24. The toy apparatus of claim 18, wherein the mesh forms a closed structure enclosing a void.
25. The toy apparatus of claim 18, further comprising at least one accessory coupled to the mesh, the accessory selected from a rattle, a clip, a teething ring, a character shape, a disc comprising indicia, an ornament, a chain, a manducable protrusion, and a container.
26. A toy apparatus comprising a mesh formed of at least one loop structure assembly, each loop structure assembly comprising at least one loop structure, each loop structure defining a loop opening, wherein at least one of the loop openings has a shape selected from a circular opening, an oval opening and a polygonal opening.
27. The toy apparatus of claim 26, wherein each loop structure comprises at least one elongated strand of resilient material defining a closed perimeter bounding the loop opening.
28. The toy apparatus of claim 26, wherein the mesh forms a closed structure enclosing a void.
29. The toy apparatus of claim 26, further comprising at least one accessory coupled to the mesh, the accessory selected from a rattle, a clip, a teething ring, a character shape, a disc comprising indicia, an ornament, a chain, a manducable protrusion, and a container.
30. The toy apparatus of claim 26, comprising a plurality of loop structure assemblies, each loop structure assembly comprising an outer perimeter comprising at least one mating surface disposed at least partially around the outer perimeter for coupling to at least one adjacent loop structure assembly.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 5, 2015
Publication Date: Feb 25, 2016
Applicant: GOT I, LLC (Atlanta, GA)
Inventors: David E. SILVERGLATE (Santa Cruz, CA), Brian GULASSA (Berkeley, CA)
Application Number: 14/933,343