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Toy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cupToy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cup description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20090253346, Toy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cup. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toy cup, and a toy dispenser for simulating the dispensing of a beverage into the toy cup. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a toy feeding bottle has been proposed in which a liquid simulating a drink contained in a container appears to have disappeared when the container is inverted (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3079103). This toy feeding bottle has a lower container and an upper container divided by a division wall and communicated with each other only by through-holes. When a hollow wall of the lower container is filled with a white opaque liquid simulating milk, and subsequently an end of the toy feeding bottle is inserted into a mouth of a doll and the toy feeding bottle is tilted as if feeding the doll with milk, the liquid in the lower container gradually moves into the upper container through the through-hole and the amount of the liquid in the lower container decreases, thereby giving an observer an impression as if the amount of the milk in the feeding bottle had decreased because the doll had drunk the milk. In the above-described toy feeding bottle, the liquid in the lower container gradually moves into the upper container through the through-holes when the toy feeding bottle is tilted, but the liquid in the upper container gradually returns into the lower container when the toy feeding bottle is restored from a tilted state to a vertical state. Accordingly, the above-described toy feeding bottle has a problem that, although it is realistic when feeding milk, it lacks reality in that the liquid spontaneously returns into the lower container when the toy feeding bottle is restored to its original state. The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problem. An object of the present invention is to provide a toy cup, and a toy dispenser for simulating the dispensing of a beverage into the toy cup, which are realistic in that a liquid in the toy-cup gradually goes out of sight when the toy cup is tilted, the liquid which has gone out of sight does not return even when the toy cup is restored from a tilted state to a vertical state, and the liquid returns into the toy cup when the toy cup is set on the toy dispenser and an operating member is operated, whereby it appears as if a drink were being poured from the dispenser into the cup. In order to solve the foregoing problem, a toy cup according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a hermetically closed container; a division plate dividing an interior of the hermetically closed container into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the division plate having a plurality of small holes formed at a periphery thereof at predetermined intervals for communicating the upper chamber and the lower chamber with each other, and a vent tube provided at a center thereof to communicate the upper chamber and the lower chamber with each other; a liquid simulating a beverage contained in the container, the liquid moving between the upper chamber and the lower chamber through the plurality of small holes; a control valve for opening and closing the vent tube; and an urging member for urging the control valve so as to close the vent tube. The control valve operates so as to open the vent tube against an urging force of the urging member by means of an urge-releasing member. Preferably, the control valve has a first magnet provided therein; the urge-releasing member is composed of a second magnet acting on the first magnet; and the control valve is moved against the urging force of the urging member and the vent tube is opened when the second magnet acts on the first magnet. The second magnet may be provided at an end of a toy drink container formed to simulate a bottle containing a drink. Desirably, the container is formed of a cup forming the lower chamber and a cap forming the upper chamber combined with the division plate therebetween, the cap having a pressure-deformable top plate, the top plate having a push-button provided in abutment with an inner surface thereof for pressing down the control valve, the push-button constituting the urge-releasing member; and the control valve is pressed down through the push-button and the vent tube is opened when the top plate of the cap is pressed from above. Moreover, a toy dispenser according to a second aspect of the present invention is a toy dispenser for simulating the dispensing of a beverage into the above toy cup. The toy dispenser includes a placement base, on which the toy cup is placed; and a control device provided above the placement base, the control device controlling opening and closing of the vent tube by the control valve. Preferably, the control device includes a movable member having a second magnet constituting the urge-releasing member, the movable member moving toward and away from the control valve, and an operating member for operating the movable member; and the movable member comes into proximity to the control valve, and the second magnet acts on the first magnet provided in the control valve and moves the control valve against the urging force of the urging member to open the vent tube when the operating member is operated. Further, preferably, the toy dispenser is formed in a shape of a box having an open front and has a top plate disposed above the placement base; the operating member protrudes at an upper portion thereof from the top plate, is disposed in a vertically movable manner, and has a horizontally elongated engaging hole; the movable member is pivotably journaled on the top plate at an upper end thereof, has the second magnet disposed at a lower end thereof, and has an engaging shaft for engaging with the engaging hole; and the movable member pivots downwardly, and the second magnet becomes located immediately above the first magnet of the control valve and raises the control valve by means of an attractive force between the second magnet and the first magnet against the urging force of the urging member when the operating member is pressed down. According to a first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to achieve a toy cup which is realistic in that a beverage in the cup can maintain its state of having been drunk from when the toy cup is tilted and a liquid in a lower chamber is caused to flow into an upper chamber through small holes, because small holes are blocked with the liquid which has flowed in, the upper chamber becomes a closed space, further entry of air into the upper chamber is prevented, and the liquid in the upper chamber cannot return into the lower chamber even when the toy cup is restored to its original vertical state, and in that the liquid which has once flowed into the upper chamber does not return into the lower chamber until a control valve is moved against the urging force of the urging member, by means of an urge-releasing member, and a vent tube is opened. According to one embodiment of the present invention, since a first magnet is provided in the control valve and the urge-releasing member is composed of a second magnet, it is possible to achieve a toy dispenser which is realistic in that it appears as if the dispenser were dispensing a drink into a cup when the second magnet is brought into proximity to a toy cup, because the second magnet attracts the first magnet provided in the control valve and moves the control valve to open the vent tube, and therefore an air in the lower chamber flows into the upper chamber and the liquid in the upper chamber flows into the lower chamber through the small holes. According to a second aspect of the present invention, since the toy dispenser includes a placement base, on which a toy cup is placed, and a control device provided above the placement base for controlling the opening and closing of the vent tube, it is possible to achieve a toy dispenser which is realistic in that it appears as if the dispenser were dispensing a drink into a cup when a toy cup is placed on the placement base and the control device is operated, because the control valve is moved, the vent tube is opened, the air in the lower chamber flows into the upper chamber, and the liquid in the upper chamber flows into the lower chamber through small holes. According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to achieve a toy dispenser which allows the user to enjoy a feeling as if he/she is operating an actual dispenser in that it appears as if the toy dispenser were dispensing a drink into a cup by merely operating an operating member, without directly touching the toy cup, because when the operating member is operated, a second magnet provided in a movable member comes into proximity to the toy cup and attracts a first magnet, thereby moving the control valve and opening the vent tube, the air in the lower chamber flows into the upper chamber, and the liquid in the upper chamber flows into the lower chamber through small holes. Continue reading about Toy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cup... Full patent description for Toy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cup Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Toy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cup patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Toy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cup or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Spinner for toy top Next Patent Application: Birdman Industry Class: Amusement devices: toys ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Toy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cup patent info. 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