Busy ball child's toy
AssigneeMattel, Inc.
InventorsDonald E. Herring, Raymond J. Gross
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A busy ball child's toy including a generally spheroid structure having a plurality of openings, at least some of the openings being configured for captive yet rotatable retention of a generally hollow ball therein. Some of the balls may be at least partially transparent and contain an amusement element therein such as rotatable figures, beads, reflecting elements, lenticular labels, or the like. The toy is symmetrical about its center and balanced to enable the toy to be spun as a top. An interconnecting post positioned centrally relative to the balls acts as a shock absorber in the event of dropping or striking of the toy on the balls.
Claims17
A toy ball device comprising:
- a generally hollow structure having a generally spherical outer surface;
- diametrically extending generally tubular post means within said generally spherical structure;
- a plurality of openings in said structure configured for forming socket means;
- a plurality of ball members configured for being received within said socket means with a portion thereof extending beyond the outer surface of said structure, said socket means and said post means being configured for captively retaining said ball members therein and for permitting rotation of said ball members with respect thereto, at least one of said ball members being generally hollow and having an at least partially transparent surface;
- and
- an amusement element generally contained within said at least one ball member.
A toy ball device comprising:
- a generally hollow structure having a generally spherical outer surface and having a diametrically extending post means therein;
- a plurality of openings in said structure having the centers thereof lying in a common plane generally perpendicular to said post means, each of said openings having an arcuate lip portion about the periphery thereof configured for forming socket means;
- a plurality of ball members configured for being received within said structure intermediate said socket means and said post means with a portion of said ball members extending beyond the outer surface of said structure, said socket means and said post means captively retaining said ball members therein while permitting rotation of said ball members with respect to said structure, at least one of said ball members being generally hollow and having an at least partially transparent surface;
- and
- an amusement element generally contained within said at least one ball member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.