Toy retention blanket and system

#The invention generally relates to a blanket for infants and children. In particular, the invention relates to a system including a blanket that provides warmth, comfort, and tactile stimulation to children while retaining toys and other articles at the blanket.

#Modern families are highly mobile and frequently on the go, which is often problematic where there are infants and toddlers that must necessarily be accompanied by an array of baby paraphernalia. The various items parents are typically obligated to carry around often include pacifiers, teethers, rattles, toys, dolls, action figures, and security blankets in addition to the bottles or snacks, diaper bag, and changes of clothes. Quite clearly, running errands and traveling with children presents a tremendous challenge for parents.

#To add to the frustration, parents are especially concerned about toys, especially oral devices like pacifiers, that may be dropped, thrown, or lost. Repeatedly seeing these toys ending up on a dirty grocery floor, under a restaurant table, across the airplane aisle, or jammed under a car seat is extremely frustrating and only elevates the parent's anxiety level. There is therefore a need for a device that can secure these toys where the child may have access to them, thereby preventing the toys from being dropped, lost, soiled or otherwise exposed to germs.

#The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention in accordance with the practical application of the principals thereof, and in which:

#FIG. 1 is a plan view of the front of the preferred embodiment of the portable toy retention system of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a plan view of the back of the preferred embodiment of the portable toy retention system of the present invention;

#Throughout the following description, reference will be made to the drawings. Identical reference numerals will be used throughout the several views to indicate the same or like parts of the invention. Dimensions are for illustrative purposes and may be scaled up or down.

#Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, the preferred embodiment of the portable toy retention system is illustrated. The system is comprised of a blanket generally including a blanket body 102 with tactile toy retainers 110-113, a border 104, and an attachment means for detachably affixing the blanket to any of a number of devices for seating or transporting infants or children.

#The blanket 102 is preferably comprised of fabric or other material generally sized to accommodate a newborn, infant, or small child. In the preferred embodiment, the blanket in plan view is in the shape of a square, although other geometric shapes including rectangles, circles, ovals, and polygons are within the scope of the invention. The length of sides of the square blanket body 102 of the preferred embodiment is approximately 15 inches although one skilled in the art will appreciate that the dimensions may be modified to tailor the blanket to children of different sizes, or to adapt the blanket to a stroller or shopping cart, for example, to which it might be attached.