GB2521120A

GB2521120A - BMSB - Plush toy with photographic material face

Info

Publication number: GB2521120A
Application number: GB1319302.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jessica Claire Hurford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-11-01
Filing date: 2013-11-01
Publication date: 2015-06-17
Also published as: GB201319302D0

Abstract

A plush toy with a photographic image, generally of an individual persons face, printed onto a round ball. The ball with the image is fastened into a cavity in the body of the soft toy. The image may be a photographic image printed onto the ball using a dye sublimation process. The body of the toy may be that of an animal, women, man or abstract.

Description

BMSB DESCRIPTION

1. Title: Plush Toy With Photographic Material Face

2. Background and Summary of the Invention

A plush toy or stuffed toy is a toy sewn from a textile, and stuffed with a soft material. They are often used as comfort objects often for babies and children, for display or collecting and given as gifts, such as for graduation, Valentine's Day or birthdays.

The plush toy is given the photographic face so that it is familiar or recognised by the receiver to create a further emotional attachment. The face is embedded into the plush toy through a dye sublimation process then using Velcro to attached two separate parts to complete the toy.

Dye Sublimation Process -A dye-sublimation printer (or dye-sub printer) is a computer printer which employs a printing process that uses heat to transfer dye onto medium materials such as a plastic card, paper, or fabric. The sublimation name is applied because the dye transitions between the solid and gas states without going through a liquid stage. Many consumer and professional dye-sublimation printers are designed and used for producing photographic prints, ID cards, etc. This printing process is also called dye diffusion.

3. Key Features * Soft Plush Toy of two parts -carcass and head ball both stuffed seperately * Photographic material face * Process -The photographic face is printed through Dye Sublimation onto head ball * Process -Fastened together with Velcro to make the photographic headball and carcass one complete plush toy.

4. Description of Drawings

The plush toy and head ball separate before the image is printed onto the head ball. Fig 1. There is a cavity in the place of the head where the head ball would fit tightly into. Both are filled with stuffing and soft.

Fig 2. Through a dye sublimation process the photographic image is printed onto the head ball to create the complete head ball.

Velcro attachments on the head ball and carcass allow the head ball to be fastened tighly into the carcass so it does not slip out. Fig 3. The Velcro positions may vary from time to time depending on the design of the carcass.

Fig 4. Is a picture of the complete plush toy with the head ball fastened into the carcass.

5. Description of the Related Patents

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,841 to Becker et al., a doll is described that enables a person to customize a doll's features by placing a picture on the face of the doll using hook and loop tape, magnetic material or adhesive strips. The process is sufficiently different as the photograph has become part of the material using a dye sublimation process onto the material of the head ball then fastened into the carcass to become part of the plush toy.

There is a requirement to integrate the photograph fully into the plush toy so it can be utilized by the children or adult as a fully customised/personalised toy using only soft textiles and seamlessly becoming part of the toy for safety with children.

In US Pat No US2O12O2523O5 Al to Mary Sandholt, isa doll that personalises through recording personalised sounds onto files to be present within the doll. The process is sufficiently different as it does not personalise the doll through recording devices and instead prints the images directly onto the material which forms part of the doll.

In EP19870104884 19870402 to KATZ MARCELLA M, the sheet material bearing the visual information is thereafter conformed and applied to an appropriate substrate structure. The process is sufficiently different as there is no detail on the inclusion of the printed substrate onto the structure which is subject of our claim 3. The printing process is also different as our claim features a Dye Sublimation process.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A personalized plush toy comprising a plush carcass including an empty cavity for a head and a separate head ball.
2. The plush toy of claim 1 further comprising a head ball which is printed with a photographic image and fastened into the plush carcass.
3. The doll of claim 1, wherein the fastening method means is Velcro.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the head ball is printed with a photographic image through dye sublimation process.