# US 12,179,127 B2 · Toy with integrated light pipes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,179,127 B2 - Document ID: US12179127B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/764,383 - Filed: 2020-09-28 - Published: 2022-09-15 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-27 - Assignees: The Marketing Store Worldwide, LP - Applicants: The Marketing Store Worldwide, L.P. - Inventors: Warren Kronberger; Francis Ng; Tom Brosseau; Steve Novak - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179127B2 ## CPC - A63H 33/22: Optical, colour, or shadow toys ({puzzles with optical elements A63F9/0613}; kaleidoscopes G02B27/08) - A63H 3/006: {provided with electrical lighting (electrical lighting F21)} - A63H 3/38: Dolls' eyes - A63H: TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS ## Abstract Devices and methods for illuminating an interactive toy via a light pipe and an external light source. The toy may include a housing. The housing may include a collector portion and at least one output portion. The toy may not have any internal battery, light, or electronics. The light source may be provided via a mount for the toy, such as an electronic device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A toy comprising: a housing comprising a first exterior surface, a second exterior surface, and a feature at the second exterior surface; and a unitary thermoplastic light pipe mounted to the housing and comprising: a collector portion comprising a surface area proximate the first exterior surface of the housing, a transmitter portion, and an output portion comprising a surface area proximate the feature of the housing, wherein the surface area of the collector portion is greater than or equal to twice the surface area of the output portion, the unitary thermoplastic light pipe configured to transmit light incident on the first exterior surface of the housing to the output portion, illuminating the feature of the housing, wherein the unitary thermoplastic light pipe provides a maximum angle of deflection of about 35-45 degrees. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The toy of claim 1, the unitary thermoplastic light pipe comprising at least one curve that is less than or equal to the maximum angle of deflection. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The toy of claim 1, wherein the maximum angle of deflection is about 41 degrees. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The toy of claim 1, the unitary thermoplastic light pipe being formed of PMMA. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The toy of claim 1, the unitary thermoplastic light pipe comprising two or more collector portions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The toy of claim 5, the unitary thermoplastic light pipe comprising two or more output portions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The toy of claim 1, wherein the unitary thermoplastic light pipe is only attached to the housing at one or both of the collector portion and the output portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The toy of claim 1, wherein the collector portion comprises a truncated conical shape. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The toy of claim 1, the collector portion provided in a portion of a base of the toy. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The toy of claim 1, the output portion mounted in one or more of a head, eyes, hands, clothing, and weapon of the toy. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The toy of claim 1, wherein the toy does not comprise a light source. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The toy of claim 1, wherein the surface area of the collector portion is between two times and ten times the surface area of the output portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The toy of claim 12, wherein the surface area of the collector portion is approximately 7.5 times the surface area of the output portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The toy of claim 1, wherein the unitary thermoplastic light pipe provides a maximum angle of deflection of approximately 44 degrees. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The toy of claim 1, wherein the unitary thermoplastic light pipe provides a maximum angle of deflection of approximately 35-41 degrees. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The toy of claim 15, wherein the unitary thermoplastic light pipe provides a maximum angle of deflection of approximately 35 degrees. ### Claim 17 A toy system, comprising: a mount; a light source, the light source not comprised within the mount; and a toy comprising: a base sized to support the toy on the mount, a housing comprising a first exterior surface, a second exterior surface, and a feature at the second exterior surface, and a light pipe mounted to the housing and comprising: a collector portion proximate a first exterior surface of the housing, a transmitter portion, and an output portion proximate the feature of the housing, the light pipe configured to transmit light from the light source to the output portion, illuminating the feature of the housing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The toy system of claim 17, the light pipe comprising at least one curve that is less than or equal to a maximum angle of deflection, wherein the maximum angle of deflection is about 35-45 degrees. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The toy system of claim 17, the mount comprising a predetermined placement area for the base of the toy, wherein the light source is configured to illuminate a portion of the base of the toy when the base of the toy is located in the placement area of the mount. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The toy system of claim 19, the mount comprising two or more predetermined placement areas corresponding to two or more toys comprising different features. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The toy system of claim 17, wherein the mount comprises an elevated platform configured to allow ambient light to reach the base of the toy when the toy is on the elevated platform, wherein the light pipe is configured to transmit the ambient light from the base of the toy to the output portion of the light pipe. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The toy system of claim 17, wherein the light source comprises a display of an electronic device, the display configured to show: an outline of a base of said toy defining a placement area, an illumination area corresponding to a collector portion of the light pipe, and an activation button. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The toy system of claim 17, further comprising an electronic device comprising the mount and the light source. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The toy system of claim 17, the toy comprising two or more toys, the light source configured to output a different color light to each of the two or more toys. ### Claim 25 (depends on 17) The toy system of claim 17, further comprising: the toy comprising a first toy and a second toy comprising different features; the mount comprising a first placement area corresponding to the base of the first toy and a second placement area of the second toy; and the light source comprising a first light source corresponding to the first placement area of the mount and a second light source corresponding to the second placement area of the mount, wherein the first light source is configured to illuminate the collector portion of the light pipe at the base of the first toy and to not illuminate a collector portion of a light pipe at a base of the second toy, and wherein the second light source is configured to illuminate the collector portion at the base of the second toy and to not illuminate the collector portion at the base of the first toy. ### Claim 26 (depends on 17) The toy system of claim 17, wherein a surface area of the collector portion is between two times and ten times a surface area of the output portion. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The toy system of claim 26, wherein the surface area of the collector portion is approximately 7.5 times the surface area of the output portion. ### Claim 28 (depends on 17) The toy system of claim 17, wherein the unitary thermoplastic light pipe provides a maximum angle of deflection of approximately 44 degrees. ### Claim 29 (depends on 17) The toy system of claim 17, wherein the unitary thermoplastic light pipe provides a maximum angle of deflection of approximately 35-41 degrees. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The toy system of claim 29, wherein the unitary thermoplastic light pipe provides a maximum angle of deflection of approximately 35 degrees.