Stuffed toy with embedded magnets and related method

Abstract

A stuffed toy and method for removably attaching appendages. The appendages are magnetically attached using permanent magnets embedded beneath the stuffed toy fabric. In some embodiments, the appendages include such parts as a head, legs, arms, trunk, tail, or other toy body parts. The magnetically attached toy appendages are removable, reattachable, and interchangeable between toys or in some embodiments, to different positions on the same toy. In other embodiments, the head attaches only to a head position on the body, and the tail attaches only to a tail position on the body. In some embodiments, the body is shaped to provide an additional support structure to help hold the head in a desired position.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This invention claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60 / 746,017, filed Apr. 28, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.[0002]This invention is related to the following applications:U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29 / 249,534, filed Oct. 10, 2006, titled “STUFFED TOY WITH DETACHABLE APPENDAGES”;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29 / 249,528, filed Oct. 10, 2006, titled “STUFFED TOY DRAGON WITH DETACHABLE APPENDAGES”;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29 / 249,530, filed Oct. 10, 2006, titled “STUFFED TOY ELEPHANT WITH DETACHABLE APPENDAGES”;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29 / 249,529, filed Oct. 10, 2006, titled “STUFFED TOY RABBIT WITH DETACHABLE APPENDAGES”;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29 / 249,531, filed Oct. 10, 2006, titled “STUFFED TOY PANDA WITH DETACHABLE APPENDAGES”;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29 / 249,533, filed Oct. 10, 2006, titled “STUFFED TOY GOLDFISH WITH DETACHABLE APPENDAGES”; andU.S....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]In some embodiments, the magnet is of sufficient strength that attachment is accomplished strictly from the magnetic attraction between the toy parts. In some embodiments, each one of the body magnets are held to the surface of the body with the same pole facing outward from the body (e.g., in some embodiments, the body magnets are attached such that the north pole is outward for each magnetic location on the body), and the appendage magnets are held to the surface of the appendage with the same pole facing outward from the appendage (e.g., in some embodiments, the appendage magnets are each attached such that the south pole is outward for every appendage). In this way the polarity of the permanent magnets is used to enable the body to attract and hold its appendages to any magnetic location on the animal body, while the appendages repel each other. In other embodiments, the magnet polarities are configured so the head appendage will only attract to the head location (and not the tail location) on the body, the tail appendage will only attract to the tail location (and not the head location) on the body, and the head will attract directly to the tail. For example, in some embodiments, the main body has its head-attaching magnet with its north pole outward and its tail-attaching magnet with its south pole outward and the head has its magnet with the south pole outward so it can attach only to the head-attaching magnet of the body, and the tail has its magnet with the north pole outward so it can attach only to the tail-attaching magnet of the body. In some embodiments, different types of stuffed toy animals are provided in various similar body and appendage colors (e.g., representing different real or imaginary animals with different colors, such as a rabbit having a tan body and tan head, a dragon having a green body and green head, a panda having a white and black body and a white and black head, or the like), but each type of stuffed toy animal has all of its body and appendages of the same or similar color, hue, and / or tint. Mixing and matching appendages from one type of toy animal with another type can result in a colorful mixture of strange looking animals, while a learning aspect can be provided in which a child is to find matching colors to form a complete animal of one type. In other embodiments, contrasting or complementary colors are used for one animal type, in order to teach those aspects of color. In other embodiments, different textures are used to distinguish the different animals, such as long versus short hair, smooth silky surfaces versus rough or sticky surfaces, or other identifiable or like textures, which can provide enriching experiences for vision-impaired children.

[0013]As is further described in the detailed description below, in some embodiments, the magnets are embedded with additional adaptations (such as snugly fitting padded enclosing pockets or pouches that act to cushion the impact of the magnets hitting one another upon magnetically accelerating and touching (protecting the magnets against cracking when they hit and providing better wear resistance for the fabric), and that act to resist rotation of the magnet so that the appendages continue to stick to the “correct” location on the body, thus allowing them to function properly without damaging stuffed toys or becoming dislodged therefrom.

Problems solved by technology

Many stuffed toys are rather static and lose children's interest after a short period of play.

Teagarden does not provide a stuffed toy, but rather is of plaster or other plastic.

Butt does not provide a toy with removably attached parts or appendages.

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