Plush toy having a coil spring backbone

Abstract

A plush toy includes a head section, a hind section opposite the head section, and a mid section. The mid section has opposite first and second ends, where the first end is mounted to the head section and the second end is mounted to the hind section. The mid section incorporates an elongate helical-coiled backbone spring extending longitudinally the length of the mid section from the first end to the second end. A plush body is mounted around the backbone spring. The plush body includes a soft, flexible coiled member formed as a coil coiled around the background spring so as to not restrict bending or rotational deformation of the backbone spring. The bending or rotational deformation of the backbone spring lends to the apparently acrobatic ability of the plush toy to twist and bend its body.

1 . A plush toy comprising:
 a head section, a hind section opposite said head section, a mid section having opposite first and second ends, said first end mounted to said head section and said second end mounted to said hind section,   an elongate helical-coiled backbone spring extending longitudinally the length of said mid section from said first end to said second end,   a plush body mounted around said backbone spring, wherein said plush body includes a soft, flexible coiled member formed as a coil coiled around said background spring so as to not restrict bending or rotational deformation of said backbone spring,   a substantially non-elastic flexible member extending longitudinally said length of said mid section and mounted at opposite ends thereof to said head section and said hind section to inhibit resilient elongation of said backbone spring without inhibiting said bending or rotational deformation of said backbone spring.   
   
   
       2 . The toy of  claim 1  wherein said plush toy includes hind legs mounted to said hind section and fore legs mounted to said head section, and wherein said mid-section is a body section, and wherein said coil has a core through which said backbone spring is journalled and a fur-like exterior formed around said core to provide said plush body. 
   
   
       3 . The toy of  claim 2  wherein said core is of greater density than said exterior surface. 
   
   
       4 . The toy of  claim 3  wherein said coil is formed as a radially spaced apart array of flexible plush members extending radially outwardly from said core. 
   
   
       5 . The toy of  claim 4  wherein said flexible plush members are loops. 
   
   
       6 . The toy of  claim 5  wherein said coil is formed of fur-like material. 
   
   
       7 . The toy of  claim 6  wherein said coil is formed from a sheet of said fur-like material wherein a first edge of said sheet is folded over the opposite second edge, and the folded portion segmented to form said loops and the overlapping first and second edges of said sheet are un-segmented and coiled into a helix around said spring to form said core. 
   
   
       8 . The toy of  claim 7  wherein said material is fun-fur and wherein said sheet is folded to overlap said first and second edges a fur-side of said sheet is exposed outwardly so that said fur-side is exposed outwardly of said loops. 
   
   
       9 . The toy of  claim 2  wherein said backbone spring is adapted to provide for at least one hundred eighty degree rotation of said hind section relative to said head section about a longitudinal axis of said spring, to simultaneously provide for bending of said spring so as to deform said longitudinal axis into a curve whereby said hind section is brought into contact with said head section, and wherein said spring resiliently urges said head section and said hind section into a non-deformed position wherein said hind section is substantially aligned behind said head section. 
   
   
       10 . The toy of  claim 9  wherein said spring is adapted to support said mid section and said head section substantially vertically over said hind section when said hind section is placed into a sitting position with said hind legs extending forwardly.