1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a toy which can be manually and repeatedly mounted on a wide range of substantially vertical surfaces and remain in place until its position is adjusted by removal and replacement.
2. Prior Art
A great variety of toys are out on the market today. Among these there are model type toys and figures, along with accompanying sets of accessory environments in which they can be placed relatively precisely. Precise placement of toys enhance their role in a child's imagination of different situations and circumstances. For example, a toy vehicle designed for use with an action figure would preferably include a seat in which the figure can be accurately fitted. It would be less than ideal if the figure could not be relatively precisely placed within the vehicle, as it would significantly diminish the sense of realism. Clearly such precise placement plays an important role in a wide array of different toys, ranging from colorform type toys, to construction sets.
One category of toys encompasses those toys which involve the inclusion of a substance or apparatus that allows for repeated attachment and removal of their composite parts. In particular, the use of "Velcro" is fairly common (Velcro is a trademark of Velcro USA). For example, Dodge discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,301 an educational construction set whose pieces consist of rigid planar materials with attached strips of Velcro. This allows for the joining and parting of the corresponding pieces. Manger details in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,924 a stuffed animal which uses Velcro attached to external accessories to allow for readily altering the animal's appearance. Russell et al. disclose in U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,917 a tear-apart stress relief doll which has body parts attached to the main torso via Velcro. This allows for the doll to be disassembled easily and quickly.
In addition, in this category of toys there are a few involving a vertical surface. This includes toys designed for climbing down such a surface when thrown against it, and toys such as indoor basketball hoops which attach to walls via suction cups.