Multi-skill development and educational toy bead for infants and a toy piece of jewelry comprising a plurality of such toy beads

Abstract

The present invention concerns a toy bead (10, 100) comprising: two conjugated parts (11, 12; 110, 120), each part comprising a proximal end and a distal end; proximal ends of said conjugated parts comprising conjugated screwing means (11a, 12a; 110a, 120a) adapted to screw conjugated parts to each other in order to build the bead; distal ends of said conjugated parts comprising plugging means (17, 18; 170, 180), either male or female, adapted to plug said parts respectively to parts of other similar toy beads comprising corresponding plugging means; each conjugated part further comprising an internal canal (15, 16; 150, 160) extending from its proximal end to its distal end and opening to each end, the internal canal of one part being collinear to the internal canal of the its conjugated part when the conjugated parts are screwed to each other, so that a yarn can be threaded successively into internal canals of said conjugated parts.

Claims

1. A toy bead comprising: two conjugated parts, each part comprising a proximal end and a distal end, proximal ends of said conjugated parts comprising conjugated screwing means adapted to screw conjugated parts to each other in order to build the bead, distal ends of said conjugated parts comprising plugging means, respectively male and female, adapted to plug said parts respectively to parts of other similar toy beads comprising corresponding plugging means, each conjugated part further comprising an internal canal extending from its proximal end to its distal end and opening to each end, the internal canal of one part being collinear to the internal canal of the its conjugated part when the conjugated parts are screwed to each other, so that a yarn can be threaded successively into internal canals of said conjugated parts.

2. The toy bead of claim 1 wherein each conjugated part is hemispherical, the distal end being located on the top of the hemisphere and the proximal end being located at the base of the hemisphere.

3. The toy bead of claim 1 wherein said plugging means extend in the direction of the internal canal.

4. The toy bead of claim 1 wherein it further comprises a centrally hollowed intermediate part with two ends, each end comprising screwing means adapted to be screwed reciprocally to the screwing means of each conjugated part, so that the intermediate part can join the conjugated parts together and extend in between the two parts when the bead is built.

5. A toy piece of jewelry comprising a plurality of toy beads, each toy bead comprising two conjugated parts, each part comprising a proximal end and a distal end, proximal ends of said conjugated parts comprising conjugated screwing means adapted to screw conjugated parts to each other in order to build said bead, distal ends of said conjugated parts comprising plugging means, respectively male and female, adapted to plug said parts respectively to parts of another toy bead of the toy jewelry, each conjugated part further comprising an internal canal extending from its proximal end to its distal end and opening to each end, the internal canal of one part being collinear to the internal canal of the its conjugated part when the conjugated parts are screwed to each other, so that a yarn can be threaded successively into internal canals of said conjugated parts.

6. The toy piece of jewelry of claim 5, wherein said screwing means of each bead are identical so that each part of any bead can be combined to one part of any other bead of the toy jewelry.

7. The toy piece of jewelry of claim 5, wherein said plugging means of each bead are identical so that each part of any bead can be plugged into one part of any other bead of the toy jewelry.

Description

LIST OF FIGURES

(1) Other aims, features and advantages of the invention will emerge from reading the following description given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a toy bead according to a first embodiment of the invention in the split state,

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the toy bead of FIG. 1 in the built state,

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a toy bead according to a second embodiment of the invention in the built state,

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the internal structure of the toy bead of FIG. 3,

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the toy bead according to the first embodiment and the toy bead according to the second embodiment showing the plugging functionality of such toy beads,

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of the toy bead according to the first embodiment and the toy bead according to the second embodiment showing the lacing functionality of such toy beads,

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of the toy bead according to the first embodiment and the toy bead according to the second embodiment showing the interchangeability of such toy beads,

(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of the toy bead according to another embodiment of the invention showing an intermediate part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(10) In the figures, scales and proportions are not strictly respected, for the purposes of illustration and clarity. Identical, similar or analogous elements are designated by the same reference signs in the different embodiments. Although the description refers to one or more embodiments, this does not necessarily mean that each reference relates to the same embodiment or that features apply only to one embodiment. Single features of various embodiments may also be combined in order to provide other embodiments.

(11) FIGS. 1 and 2 represents a toy bead 10 according to a first embodiment of the invention in the built state. The toy bead 10 comprises two conjugated parts 11, 12, said hereafter the upper part 11 and the lower part 12 of the toy bead 10. Each part presents a hollowed hemispherical shape. Such hollowed hemispherical shape defines an internal wall and an external wall. In particular, the lower part 12 comprises an internal wall 13 and an external wall 14. The external well 14 can present some specific design.

(12) The upper part 11 comprises a proximal end comprising screwing means 11a adapted to be screwed in conjugated screwing means 12a of the lower part 12.

(13) As shown on the FIGS. 1 and 2, the screwing means 12a of the lower part 12 are formed in the internal wall 13 and the screwing, means 11a of the upper part 11 are formed in an extension of the external wall of the upper part.

(14) The screwing means 11a, 12a of the two conjugated parts 11, 12 of the toy bead 10 can be combined together to link the two parts together.

(15) The man of the art will understand that the screwing means can be arranged differently without changing the results achieved by the invention. In particular, the screwing means of the lower part can be formed in the extension of the external wall while the screwing means of the lower part can be formed in the internal wall of the upper part.

(16) FIG. 1 shows the toy bead built when the lower part 12 and the upper part 11 are screwed to each other by an action of twisting the parts respectively.

(17) FIG. 1 also shows the internal canal 15 of the lower part 12. The upper part 11 of the toy bead comprises a similar internal canal so that, when the parts 11, 12 are screwed to each other, the internal canal of the toy bead, formed by the internal canal of the upper part and the internal canal of the lower part, extends from the distal end of the lower part to the distal end of the upper part. A yarn 22 can be introduced into the canal in order to form a piece of jewelry by combining several toy beads according to the invention as shown on FIG. 6.

(18) As shown on FIG. 1, the toy bead further comprises plugging means 17, 18, also said snapping means. In the embodiment shown on the Figures, plugging means 17 are male while plugging means 18 are female.

(19) Such plugging means 17, 18 enables an infant to connect beads together by slightly pressing both ends together. Therefore, the male plugging means 17 enters into the female plugging means 18 in order to connect two toy beads together, as shown on FIG. 5.

(20) The yarn 22 can be introduced into the canal, either after beads are plugged to each other or before plugging beads to each other.

(21) Beads according to the invention can also be used to create a piece of jewelry without the use of any yarn as the beads can be linked to each other by the plugging means.

(22) In other words, toy beads according to the invention are versatile and provide a wide range of usage for infants.

(23) FIG. 3 represents a toy bead 100 according to a second embodiment of the invention in the built state. The toy bead 100 comprises two conjugated parts 110, 120, said hereafter the upper part 110 and the lower part 120 of the toy bead 100. Each part presents a hollowed hemispherical shape.

(24) Screwing means of toy bead 100 are not visible on the FIG. 3 as the toy bead is in the built state. However, the plugging means 170, 180, respectively male plugging means 170 and female plugging means 180 are shown.

(25) FIG. 4 shows the internal structure of the toy bead 100. In particular, it shows the internal canal 150 of the lower part 120 and the internal canal 160 of the upper part 110. It also shows the screwing means 110a of the upper part 110 screwed in the screwing means 120a of the lower part 120. As it is apparent on this Figure, when the upper part and the lower part are screwed to each other, the internal canal is formed and can receive a yarn to create a piece of jewelry by combining together several toy beads according to the invention, either according to the first embodiment or to the second embodiment or to any other embodiment that will differ from the first or second embodiments essentially by the outside aspect of the parts.

(26) FIG. 7 shows the toy bead 10 according to the first embodiment and the toy bead 100 according to the second embodiment, respectively in the split state and in the built state. It also shows the interchangeability functionality of toy beads according to the invention. In particular, the upper part 110 can be screwed either to the lower part 120 or to the lower part 12 to form a mix toy bead. The lower part 120 can be screwed either to the upper part 11 or to the upper part 110.

(27) FIG. 8 shows a toy bead 200 according to another embodiment of the invention. It comprises two conjugated parts 210, 220, said hereafter the upper part 210 and the lower part 220 of the toy bead 200.

(28) The toy bead further comprises an intermediate part 215 with two ends, each end comprising screwing means adapted to be screwed reciprocally to the screwing means of each conjugated part.

(29) As shown on the right of the figure, once the bead 200 is built, the intermediate part 215 extends in between the upper part 210 and the lower part 220. The intermediate part 215 presents a general flat shape on FIG. 8. However, the man of the art will understand that the intermediate part can be of any shape without modifying the object of the invention.

(30) The toy bead of the invention is not only limited to the embodiments describes. In particular, it is obvious that other shapes, dimensions, outside aspects of the toy bead can be used without changing the scope and results achieved by the invention.