1

PLAYFUL DEVICE

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a playful device.

Background Art

Among the toys that have been the most successful in the course of history, the "yo-yo" should certainly be included.

These playful devices are made up of a disc- shaped element having a groove around its circumference which divides it into two portions, usually two cups or two disc-shaped portions associated with each other by means of a central pin. Around the central pin can be wound a flexible element, i.e., a string or a ribbon, with one end attached to the pin itself and the opposite end held by a user of the playful device.

This way, the user can throw the yo-yo to unwind and rewind the flexible element, exploiting the effect of accumulation and dissipation of rotational and translational energy.

There are different types of yo-yos, from the traditional ones, in which the discshaped portion is locked together with the pin, to more modern ones, in which the disc-shaped portion is free to rotate around the pin.

Other toys which have been hugely successful throughout history are anthropomorphic toys such as puppets, dolls, robots and other characters with human or pseudo-human features, very often combined with vehicles or other means of fantasy that can be associated with puppets, dolls, robots, etc. for the creation of different play situations.

This type of toy usually comprises assemblages of pieces shaped in such a way as to represent portions of the human body and associated with each other in such a way as to be able to take up different positions.

For example, in classic robot-toys, with a central body representing the torso, are associated two arms, two legs and one head, all inserted in special seats. The coupling of the arms and of the legs in the seats usually defines spherical joints which allow the arms and legs themselves to take up different positions with respect to the torso.

Despite the huge popularity of yo-yos and anthropomorphic toys, the need is known to introduce new products onto the market, which meet the needs of modern consumers, oriented towards innovation, fun and the transversal use of products.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a playful device that can have multiple forms of use.

One object of the present invention is to provide a playful device that can be customized and diversified for inclusion in collection lines.

One object of the present invention is to provide a playful device that can be used for new forms of amusement.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a playful device that allows overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art within the scope of a simple, rational, easy, efficient to use and cost-effective solution.

The aforementioned objects are achieved by the present playful device having the characteristics of claim 1.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of the following preferred, but not exclusive embodiment of a playful device, illustrated by way of an indicative, but non- limiting example, in the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an axonometric view of the device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an axonometric exploded view of the device according to the invention;

Figure 3 is an axonometric sectional view of the device according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a view of the device in use according to the invention.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to these illustrations, reference numeral 1 globally indicates a playful device.

The playful device 1 comprises a substantially disc-shaped body 2 having an annular groove 3 which separates the body itself into a first disc- shaped portion 4 and a second disc- shaped portion 5 connected to each other by a central pin 6. In the present embodiment, the body 2 is made in a single piece, but the solution cannot be ruled out whereby the first disc- shaped portion 4, the second discshaped portion 5 and the pin 6, or a combination of these, are separate pieces assembled to form the body 2.

The first disc-shaped portion 4 and the second disc-shaped portion 5 have respective first outer surface 7 and second outer surface 8 which face in opposite directions with respect to the groove 3.

From the point of view of a user of the device, the outer surfaces 7, 8 are the surfaces of the disc-shaped portions 4, 5 visible by the user itself, facing outwards.

The playful device 1 also comprises a flexible element 9 windable to the pin 6 and having a fixing end fixed to the pin, not visible in the illustrations, and a gripping end 10 adapted to be taken by a user for the winding or unwinding of the flexible element 9.

As shown in the illustrations, the flexible element 9 can be wound around and unwound from the pin 6 in order to give rotational and translational energy to the body 2 in order to make the playful device 1 playable like a traditional yoyo.

According to the invention, the playful device 1 comprises anthropomorphic means 13 associated with the body 2 in a removable way.

In the present embodiment, the anthropomorphic means 13 comprise a character element 13 which is associated with the first outer surface 7.

In particular, the character element 13 is shaped to define a character.

In the present embodiment, the character element 13 is a puppet of reduced size compared to the body 2 and with humanoid features, but solutions cannot be ruled out whereby the character element 13 has different features, e.g., alien, or animal, or hybrid.

Alternative solutions cannot be ruled out whereby the anthropomorphic means 13 comprise, in addition to the character element 13, also a pair of arms and a pair of legs associated with the body 2.

Advantageously, the playful device 1 comprises attachment means 14, 23 of the anthropomorphic means 13 to the body 2. In particular, the attachment means 14, 23 comprise an attachment seat 14 formed onto at least one of the first outer surface 7 and the character element 13.

Furthermore, the attachment means 14, 23 comprise an attachment portion 23 formed onto at least the other of the first outer surface 7 and the character element 13.

The attachment portion 23 is associated in a removable manner with the first outer surface 7 between an assembly configuration, in which the character element 13 is mounted on the first outer surface 7, and a disassembly configuration, in which the character element 13 is disassembled from the first outer surface 7.

In the present embodiment, the attachment means 14, 23 comprise an attachment seat 14 formed onto the first outer surface 7 and an attachment portion 23 formed onto the character element 13.

Advantageously, the attachment seat 14 has a circular profile 22 and is formed onto the first outer surface 7.

The attachment portion 23, on the other hand, is formed on the character element 13 and has a polygonal shape the vertices of which are engageable with the circular profile 22.

Advantageously, the attachment portion 23 has an octagonal section.

Advantageously, the attachment seat 14 is deepened with respect to the outer surface 7.

The character element 13 is sized in such a way as to come out at least partially from the first outer surface 7 when it is inserted in the attachment seat 14.

The anthropomorphic means 13 and the attachment means 14, 23, together with the presence of the flexible element 9, are shaped and associated in such a way as to give the playful device 1 a double playability, allowing it to be used both as a yo-yo and as a puppet arranged on a vehicle or other fantasy means.

Different solutions cannot be ruled out wherein the attachment seat 14 is shaped differently, or wherein the attachment portion 23 is formed on the first outer surface 7 and the attachment seat 14 is formed on the character element 13. Different solutions cannot furthermore be ruled out wherein the attachment portion 23 is associated with the first outer surface 7 between an opening configuration wherein the character element 13 comes out of the first outer surface, and a closure configuration (for simplicity not shown in the illustrations), wherein the character element 13 is retracted in the first outer surface 7 to recompose a substantially disc-shaped outline.

In the present embodiments, moreover, the playful device 1 comprises at least an auxiliary seat 15 and at least an accessory element 16 engageable in the same auxiliary seat.

Usefully, the device 1 comprises protruding portions 25 associated with at least one of the character element 13 and the accessory element 16.

The protruding portions are adapted to facilitate the interlocking with protruding portions of other similar devices.

In contact with the latter, the protruding portions 25 facilitate the removal of the character element 13 from the body 2.

This feature allows having one more element to take advantage of in a playful situation, e.g., to be used as an indicator for the end of a battle based on making two playful devices 1 clash together.

In the present embodiment, the protruding portions are formed on the accessory element 16, but solutions cannot be ruled out in which such protruding portions are formed directly on the character element 13.

The accessory element 16 shown in the illustrations is of the type of a protective helmet and the protruding portions 25 represent protuberances typical of combat helmets, but different conformations or accessory elements of different types, such as armor parts or uniforms, weapons, clothing accessories or other similar accessories cannot be ruled out.

In particular, the auxiliary seat 15 surrounds at least part of the character element 13 for the positioning of the accessory element 16 to protect the character element 13.

The operation of the present invention is as follows.

The user can wind the flexible element 9 around the central pin 6, by retaining the gripping end 10 and rolling it around the pin.

By keeping a grip on the flexible element 9 and allowing the body 2 to drop, the latter will spin downwards and accumulate rotational energy.

Once the flexible element 9 has been fully extended, the accumulated rotational energy will generate a rotational motion of ascent, opposite to that of descent, of the body 2 which will tend to re-ascend and rewind the flexible element 9 to a point where such energy will be sufficient to overcome the force of gravity. At this point the body will start to descend again, rotating in the descending direction.

The user, therefore, can play with the playful device 1 following the methods and principles of traditional yo-yos.

By inserting the character element 13 in the respective attachment seat 14, the playful device 1 takes on the appearance of a vehicle or other fantasy means mounted by the character element, allowing a different playability, e.g., by simulating play situations simulating vehicles driven by different character elements 13.

As illustrated in the figures, with the body 2 is also associated the accessory element 16, which is suitably inserted in the auxiliary seat 15.

The protruding portions 25, besides giving a specific conformation to the device 1 in mounting configuration, allow the interaction with other similar devices, facilitating the interlocking with other protruding portions in order to disassemble the accessory element or the character element of the other devices from the respective bodies.

It has in practice been found that the described invention achieves the intended objects and in particular the fact is underlined that the devised playful device can have multiple forms of use.

In addition to being used as a yo-yo, in fact, the device has features that make it playable as an anthropomorphic puppet.

The device, moreover, thanks to the attachment means provided, can be customized and diversified with original and singular parts, so that it can be inserted in collection lines.

Finally, the dual playability, combined with the possibility of customizing the various parts, allows using the playful device for new forms of amusement, e.g., new games based on battles between robots rotating up and down like yo-yos.