There is a wide array of different toys, games, and toy construction systems that are intended to entertain not only children but also adults.
One particular category of toys that is a favorite of children, especially boys, is toy cars. Toy cars are typically used on hard surfaces, such as a floor or countertop or the like. Children drive toy cars on imaginary or physically represented toy roads that are part of a broader playscape.
While there are some toys for constructing roads and playscapes for use with toy cars, these existing products suffer from a number of deficiencies, as noted below, that the present invention solves.
One particular toy product is a toy racetrack, on which a car travels along a fixed-path, semi-enclosed plastic track. Such racetrack is sold in sections and interconnects using a variety of proprietary connection pieces. This racetrack is expensive to purchase, bulky to store, cumbersome and in-the-way when constructed, and offers limited flexibility for arbitrary playscape design, particularly because vehicles travel explicitly in a single lane and the racetrack can only be assembled end-to-end in a pre-defined fashion, often in a pre-defined configuration suitable for downhill racing only. By contrast, the present invention provides the ability to construct fully arbitrary playscapes for imaginative play, is far lower cost, is easier to use, requires little storage, is not in-the-way when constructed, and is removable and disposable.
Another type of product is a plastic building and road set that, in some cases, interconnects with plastic racetrack and incorporates buildings with certain features (such as a “car wash” or an “auto lift”). This set is difficult and complex to assemble (requiring adult assembly typically), offers only a fixed play configuration, is extremely cumbersome to store, is frustrating for a small child because of its penchant for coming apart, and costly. By contrast, the present invention requires no adult assembly, is easier to use, enables the child to construct fully arbitrary playscapes for imaginative play, is far lower cost, requires little storage, is not in the way when constructed, and is removable and disposable.
Other products are elastic or carpet mats that have a pre-defined set of roads printed on the mat on which the child can drive his toy cars. Such mats are inflexible in their ability to foster creative play because they have but a single playscape design pre-printed on the mat. The plastic mats are dangerous if left unattended because they are very slippery. Carpet mats are similarly restrictive in their play value and are costly. Especially for the carpet mats, storage is a big challenge. These mats provide no construction capability, being a fixed design. By contrast, the present invention enables the construction of arbitrary playscapes, requires little storage, is not slippery or dangerous when constructed, and is far lower cost.
There are some basic tape-based products; however, these products are rudimentary as none of them begins to address the sophistication and variety of the playscape construction concepts of the present invention as will be described below. Nor do they contemplate the broad applicability of an adhesive playscape construction system such as described in the present invention. Even in their simple form, these other tapes also fail basic tests required of a suitable tape-based playscape construction toy for small children—the proper adhesive properties (easily removable, repositionable, tear-able, etc.), paper-based (none of them are paper-based), ease-of-use, and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)-approved (none is marked as a toy or identified as passing CPSIA testing). By contrast, the present invention enables the creation of an endless variety of playscapes, has the proper physical properties for use as a child's toy, is easier to use, and is already approved by the CPSC for sale as a child's toy, suitable for ages 3+, having passed required third-party testing procedures.
There is a need for an easy to use, safe, customizable, easy to store, install, reposition, and remove, playscape construction system which can be used in combination with other toys, such as toy vehicles. This invention addresses that need with a new type of toy playscape construction system.