Toy Creature

The present invention relates to a toy and, more particularly, to an inflatable toy creature.

It is well known to provide a plush toy in the form of a real or imaginary creature, for example teddy bears and the like. However, the respective postures of such plush toys are generally substantially fixed.

We have now devised an arrangement whereby the posture of a plush toy may be readily varied, to thereby make the toy more engaging for a child.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a toy creature which is biased towards a closed body posture, wherein the creature has the general appearance of being asleep, and which is inflatable to assume a more open body posture, wherein the creature has the general appearance of being awake.

Preferably the toy creature is arranged to be inflated by manually compressing a pump disposed in one of its limbs, such as an arm, a leg or the tail of the creature. Preferably the pump comprises a resiliently-compressible, elastomeric chamber having a non-return inlet valve communicating with the outside of the toy and a non-return outlet valve communicating with the interior of the toy.

Preferably the toy creature comprises a vent arranged such that, from an inflated state, the creature will gradually deflate to resume a closed body posture over a period of time.

Preferably the toy creature is substantially spherical in shape in its closed body posture, for example the toy creature may comprise a hedgehog which, in its closed posture, appears to be curled into a ball.

Preferably, the toy creature comprises an outer skin of a plush material, preferably enveloping an inflatable bladder.

The outer skin of the toy creature may comprise an elasticised material, which provides the required biasing of the creature towards a closed body posture or the biasing.

Furthermore, it would remain in accordance with the present invention for the toy to be at least partially stuffed and/or to contain a substantially rigid or articulated former.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of an example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a full-frontal view of a toy creature in accordance with the present invention, biased into a closed body posture;

Figure 2 illustrates the manual process by which the creature may be inflated to assume a more open body posture; and

Figure 3 is a full-frontal view of the toy creature, having assumed an open body posture. Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, a toy hedgehog is shown comprising an outer skin 2 of a plush "furry" material, formed around an inner inflatable bladder, with an intermediate layer of soft stuffing material disposed between the outer skin and the bladder.

A panel 4 of material covering the front of the creature's torso comprises an elasticised material which, when the bladder is in a deflated state, acts to bias the arms 6 and legs 8 of the creature towards it, such that the creature assumes a closed posture, as if sleeping.

By compressing a resiliently-deformable, elastomeric chamber disposed within a limb 6 of the creature, for example as shown in Figure 2, a quantity of air is forced from the chamber and into the bladder via a non-return outlet valve of the chamber. When manual pressure upon the chamber is then released a further quantity of air is drawn into the expanding chamber, from the atmosphere surrounding the toy, via a non-return inlet valve of the chamber.

Thus, by repeatedly compressing and then releasing the limb 6 of the creature, the bladder may be progressively inflated.

As the bladder is inflated, the biasing effect of the elasticised panel is progressively overcome and the creature thereby assumes a more open body posture, as if awaking from a sleeping state, eventually assuming the fully-open body posture shown in Figure 3. A pressure-release vent 10 situated, for example, where the navel of the creature might be expected to be found, provides a means by which air may slowly escape from the bladder of the toy to the surrounding atmosphere so that, having first been either fully or partially inflated, the creature will then gradually resort to the closed body posture of Figure 1 , as if falling back to sleep over a period of time. The toy creature thus described is more engaging for a child than a conventional plush toy whose posture is substantially fixed.