TITLE :

EDUCATIONAL TOY DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to an educational toy which consists of a structure having a variable configuration. The structure can be used alone or coupled to an publishing product, such as a book, an album, a manual, etc. ..

The Patent EP-I 449 678 relates to a structure with has a surface having variable appearance and geometry, usable for stationery articles, books and casings or packaging; the user can interact with said structure by changing the appearance, even for game or fun. In particular, the structure has two components coupled with each other, among which is interposed a piece of cloth or tissue. On one of these elements or on both elements there is at least an opening through which can project out the fabric, which is preferably loose and whose appearance is temporarily modified manually.

This invention has the aim to provide a structure which can be changed in a more stable and more evident way, particularly through the use of reversible locking elements of the configuration which fix a tissue in a variable way, providing a more complete and satisfactory interaction for users. According to the invention, these results have been achieved by adopting the idea of a structure having the features described in the independent claims. Further features are the subject of the dependent claims.

Among the advantages of this invention may be listed teh following: the invention provides a fun-educational structure which allows a high degree of manipulation, giving rise to various types of different embodiments;

- the structure can be used alone for developing in the user, particularly when he is a child, the creative and emotional aspects; for example, it is important to note that when the

opening of the structure is designed according to a face or a profile, it is possible to provide examples of the possibilities of expression, determining a great value under the pedagogical an teaching aspects;

- the structure can be applied to various kinds of articles, giving rise to a high number of new items and new use objects; for example, the structure may be associated with covers of books and notebooks, on boxes and other containers, to ornaments for party, Christmas trees, and so on. ;

- the structure, with its ability to "fix" in three dimensions what is usually represented on a plan, is a useful tool for approaching the study of sculpture;

- the structure is simple to be produced and and retains its own characteristics over time.

Every technician who works in this field will better understand these advantages and further advantages and features of the present invention thanks to the following description and to the enclosed drawings as a practical exemplification which should not be considered in a limitative sense wherein:

- Fig.l is a schematic and exploded side view of a possible embodiment of structure of the invention, represented without the reversible fixing elements;

Fig.2 is a schematic perspective view of the example of Fig.l, in which the structure is provided with the reversible fixing elements;

- Figs.3, 4 relates to two possible configurations of use of an embodiment of the invention, represented in a schematic plan view;

- Fig.5 is a perspective schematic view of another example of embodiment of the invention; in this example, the structure is not provided with the fixing elements;

- Figs.6, 7 are schematic exploded side views of two possible embodiments of the invention, in which the structure is shown without the reversible fixing elements and a fixing element (3)

has a surface not even (Fig. β) and, respectively, non-uniform (Fig.7) ;

- Fig. 8 is a schematic side view of a piece of fabric provided with a plurality of fixing elements.

An educational toy (1) according to the invention comprises:

- a first element (2), having an aperture (20) whose outline defines a predetermined figure, geometric or fancy;

- a second element (3) associated with the back surface of the first element (2) ;

- a strip or piece of fabric or cloth (4) applied between the first (2) and the second element (3), the same cloth (4) could partly protrude from the surface defined by the first-element

(2);

- one or more reversible fixing elements (5) suitable to be associated with the second element (3) for fixing said piece of fabric (4) in order to dispose the same piece of fabric on one of different positioning depending on the number and on the position of fastener elements (5) used.

More specifically, the second element (3), or base (3), can advantageously have ferromagnetic characteristics and the reversible fixing elements (5) may be suitable to be involved for magnetic attraction to the second element (3) . For example, the fasteners (5) may include magnets. Alternatively, the basis (3) may include one or more magnets on which the fasteners (5), made of iron, are to be fixed.

In another embodiment, alternatively to the magnetic attraction, it is possible to have other types of reversible fasteners elements between the base (3) and the fabric (4) . For example, it may be snap buttons, rivets, "Velcro", stickers, etc.. suitably prepared and/or sized.

The fabric (4) may be loose or not stretched, and/or elastic in correspondence of said the opening (20), so that it can be deformed according to the desired effect to be obtained.

Advantageously, the opening (20) can have profile which reproduces a particular design; also cloth (4) can have said design. In this case, the fasteners (5) can be conformed according to a part of the picture.

For example, if the fabric (4) shows a panorama (i.e. a landscape) the elements (5) will be represent parts of this landscape, as trees, mountains, animals, etc. ..

In Fig. 2, the fabric (4) reproduces the sea (having, for example the same colour and a design that copies the waves) and the fixing elements are represented by boats. In this example, the placement of the boats (5) allows to set the fabric (4) (which is loose) for forming a movement that represents the waves of the sea, with the possibility to increase or decrease the width of same waves.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the opening (20) has a contour that reproduces a human face. In this case, the elements (5) are formed as parts of the face, i.e. the lips, the nose and the eyes .

The two placements of the structure of the figures show how it is possible to reproduce different facial expressions, obtainable through the tension of facial muscles. It is evident the effect of clear-dark and/or empty/full which results from this particular shape of the cloth, with eventual gatherings, zones more stretched, zones more loose, etc. ..

With the different embodiments of the structure it is possible to obtain a very high interaction between the structure and the users, particularly when they are children of school age or learning.

In Fig.5, the first element (2) has several openings (20). The toy (1) is therefore provided with corresponding different portions of fabric: this will determine three different areas of play with different settings. It is possible, on the upper surface of (2), to form a unique design which has different fields (including each one of the frames 20) ; a possible

embodiment can reproduce the drawing of a farm disposed near the banks of a lake with a pen for animals; in this case, each sector will be provided with fasteners (5) which will be reproduce parts of the game (animals, tractors, trees, houses, etc. .. ) .

In Figs.6 and 7 are shown two possible configurations of the upper surface of the base (3) . In Fig.6, the base (3) has its upper surface (30) wavy, for reproducing, for example, the profile of a hill. In Fig.7 the base (3) is provided with protruding elements (31) and cavity (32) contributing to vary more chance to play.

The Fig.8 shows a further example of embodiment of the invention, in which the fasteners (5) are integral with the tissue (4) . In this case, the elements (5) can be magnets or iron elements associated with a magnetic base (3)

In practice, the execution details may vary as regards the shape the size, the arrangement of the elements, the kind of material used , but they are within the limits of the solution adopted and within the limits of the protection offered by the present patent.