DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and not for purposes of limiting the same, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-function mobile 8 from which a plurality of plush toys 9 , each comprising a plush character 10 and a plush ring 14 , is suspended. Each plush character 10 is removably attachable to a support bar 50 via an elongate strap 52 , one end of which is connected to the support bar 50 and the other end of which is releasably attachable to the plush character 10 . By way of example and not limitation, each elongate strap 52 may be releasably attached to a plush character 10 via a hook and loop system provided under the trademark VELCRO. Preferably, the loops are located on the elongate straps 52 and the hooks are located on the plush characters 10 . The multi-function mobile is described in more detail in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/970,062 entitled MULTI-FUNCTION MOBILE filed Oct. 3, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0023] The plush characters 10 of the present invention may each comprise a plush animal, as shown in FIGS. 6 a - 6 d . However, it should be understood that one or more of the plush characters 10 may comprise a doll or other object without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The plush characters 10 are generally manufactured of a plush outer material (e.g., cotton or nylon) and a soft inner material (e.g., a low density material such as cotton, foam, or rubber). Both the inner and outer materials of the plush characters 10 must be sufficiently light to enable an infant or toddler to easily play with each plush character 10 . Further, the inner and outer materials of each plush character 10 must be sufficiently soft to ensure that the infant or toddler would not be physically injured if impacted thereby.

[0024] A noisemaking device may be mounted within one or more of the plush characters 10 . The noisemaking device may comprise a squeaker 34 or a rattle 38 . The noisemaking device is covered by a soft, plush outer material and a soft, insulative inner material so that any hard materials used to manufacture the noisemaking device would not injure an infant or toddler if he or she were physically impacted by the plush character 10 within which the noisemaking device is located.

[0025] The plush rings 14 are frictionally engagable to respective ones of the plush characters 10 . Each plush character 10 may be configured such that one end or either of both ends is insertable into a corresponding ring opening 36 of a ring 14 . For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 a - 3 d , the upper extremities (i.e., legs and hooves, or, alternatively, wings) of each plush character 10 may be sufficiently large to prevent the upper end, i.e., the head and upper extremities, of the plush character 10 from entering into the ring opening 36 . However, the lower extremities of the plush characters 10 are sized and configured so as to allow entry thereof into the ring opening 36 . Each plush character 10 may be sized and configured so as to be insertable into and frictionally attachable to only a plush ring 14 of a certain size and/or configuration.

[0026] Each plush ring 14 has a generally planar upper surface 42 and a generally planar lower surface 46 disposed in opposed, generally parallel relation to each other. These upper and lower surfaces 42 , 46 facilitate the stacking of the plush rings 14 one on top of another such that the stacked rings 14 are independently stable, that is, would not tip over if stacked upon each other without being stabilized by another device.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4 , the perimeter of the opening 36 of each plush ring 14 may have a different geometric configuration (e.g., circular, triangular, or rectangular). The edges of each opening 36 are generally perpendicular to the planar upper and lower surfaces 42 , 46 of the associated plush ring 14 so that, when stacked, the plush rings 14 are independently stable as well as stackable upon another device.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 , the toy set of the present invention may be configured as a stacking ring toy 24 in which the rings 14 may be stacked on a base 22 and may circumvent a rod 18 . The rings 14 may be placed individually on the rod 18 or, alternatively, may be stacked simultaneously thereon. The rings 14 may be placed on the rod 18 in at least one logical order. By way of example and not limitation, the rings 14 may be stacked in an order of decreasing or of increasing diameter, in an order of decreasing or increasing number of peripheral sides, or in a sequentially numbered order.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4 , the base 22 comprises a base aperture 54 disposed in the center of an upper surface 62 thereof. The rod 18 may be inserted into the base aperture 54 and frictionally attached to the base 22 . The edges of the base aperture 54 are generally perpendicular to the generally planar upper surface 62 and a generally planar lower surface 64 disposed in opposed relation to the upper surface 62 . The base 22 must be sufficiently heavy to stabilize the stacked rings 14 , yet sufficiently soft to prevent injury to an infant or toddler. As further shown in FIG. 4 , the rod 18 is sized and configured so that a base end 32 thereof is frictionally engagable to the base 22 after being inserted into the base aperture 54 . Alternatively, the base end 32 of the rod 18 may be permanently attached to the base 22 .

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 , the rod 18 has an elongate, cylindrical configuration. The rod 18 comprises an outer material 68 and an inner material 70 . One or both of the outer and inner materials 68 , 70 must be sufficiently rigid so as to allow the stacking of the rings 14 onto the rod 18 and the insertion of the rod 18 into the base aperture 54 of the base 22 and frictional attachment of the rod 18 to the base 22 . The inner material 68 may comprise two different materials. For example, a hard inner core may be surrounded by a layer of soft, insulative material (e.g., cotton, foam or rubber). In this regard, the soft material protects an infant or toddler from the hard inner core during use. Alternatively, the inner material 68 may comprise a single soft, rigid material, thus precluding the necessity of any soft insulative material. The outer material 70 comprises a soft material (e.g., cotton or nylon).

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5 a , the rod may further comprise a rattle 38 contained therewithin. The rattle 38 mounted within the rod 18 is a noisemaking device that produces a sound or noise in response to a shaking or side-to-side movement of the rod 18 . More particularly, the rattle 38 may comprise a hard outer container 56 with hard individual objects 58 contained therein. The sound is produced when objects 58 strike other objects 58 or when objects 58 strike the container 56 , when the rod 18 is shaken. Alternatively, the container 56 of the rattle 38 may be manufactured from a soft material. In this case, the sound is produced solely by the hard individual objects 58 striking each other. The rattle 38 may alternatively be an electronic device with a motion sensor programmed to respond to a side-to-side motion by producing a sound. The sound may be pre-programmed by the manufacturer or it may be programable by the toy user. The rattle 38 is completely contained within the rod outer material 68 and a sufficient amount of inner material 70 to protect an infant or toddler from injury by any hard component of the rattle 38 .

[0032] The rod 18 has an end 28 to which a ball 26 having a generally spherical configuration is permanently attached. The ball 26 may contain a squeaker 34 , as shown in FIG. 5 b . The squeaker 34 is a device that produces an audible sound in response to a compressive force. The squeaker 34 may comprise a flexible bellow 60 filled with air. When the flexible bellow 60 is compressed, air is forced out through an aperture of the bellow 60 , thus creating a sound. Alternatively, the squeaker 34 may comprise an electronic device programmed to produce a sound when the sensors of the electronic device sense a compressive force. The sound may be pre-programmed by the manufacturer or, alternatively, the sound may be programmed by the user. The squeaker 34 is completely circumvented by a soft, insulative inner material which protects an infant or toddler from injury by any hard component of the squeaker 34 . The soft inner material is itself circumvented by a soft outer material. Both the inner and outer materials of the ball 26 must be flexible so as to allow an infant or toddler to compress the squeaker 34 to activate the same. The size of the ball 26 is limited to the size of an infant's or toddler's hand so that he or she will be able to squeeze the ball 26 to activate the squeaker 34 contained therewithin.

[0033] The diameter or maximum width (if non-circular) of the ring opening 36 of each plush ring 14 is dependent on the diameter of the rod 18 and the diameter of the ball 26 attached thereto. The diameter of the ring opening 36 may be less than the diameter of the ball 26 to prevent the insertion of the ball 26 through the ring opening 36 and, thus, to prevent the insertion of the rod 18 through the ring opening 36 via the end 28 . Alternatively, the diameter of the ring opening 36 may be greater than the diameter of the ball 26 to allow the insertion of the rod 18 through the ring opening 36 via the end 28 . In either event, the diameter of the ring opening 36 must be greater than the diameter of the rod 18 to allow the insertion of the rod 18 into the ring opening 36 .

[0034] Additional modifications and improvements of the present invention may be apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the particular combination of parts described and illustrated herein is intended to represent only one embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to serve as a limitation of alternative devices within the spirit and scope of the invention.