Toy cup and toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of beverage into the toy cup

Abstract

A toy cup, and a toy dispenser for simulating the dispensing of a beverage therein, which are realistic because a liquid in the toy cup gradually goes out of sight when the toy cup is tilted, and returns when the toy cup is set on the toy dispenser and an operating member is operated, as if a drink were poured from a dispenser into a cup. The toy cup includes a hermetically closed container and a division plate dividing an interior of the container into upper and lower chambers. The division plate has a plurality of small holes at its periphery at predetermined intervals for communicating the chambers and permitting a liquid to flow, and an upwardly protruding vent tube provided at the center thereof to communicate the chambers with each other. Opening/closing of the vent tube is controlled by a control valve. The toy dispenser includes a placement base, on which the toy cup is placed, and a control device provided above the placement base for controlling opening/closing of the control valve.

1 . A toy cup, comprising:
 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,   wherein 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.   
   
   
       2 . The toy cup according to  claim 1 , wherein the control valve has a first magnet provided therein; the urge-releasing member includes a second magnet acting on the first magnet; and the control valve is moved against the urging force of the urging member and opens the vent tube when the second magnet acts on the first magnet. 
   
   
       3 . The toy cup according to  claim 2 , wherein the second magnet is provided at an end of a toy drink container formed to simulate a bottle containing a drink. 
   
   
       4 . The toy cup according to  claim 1 , wherein 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. 
   
   
       5 . A toy dispenser for simulating dispensing of a beverage into a toy cup according to  claim 1 , the toy dispenser comprising:
 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.   
   
   
       6 . The toy dispenser according to  claim 5 , wherein the control valve has a first magnet provided therein; 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. 
   
   
       7 . The toy dispenser according to  claim 6 , wherein 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. 
   
   
       8 . A toy, comprising:
 a toy cup including
 a hermetically closed container; 
 a division plate dividing an interior of the hermetically closed container into a first chamber and a second chamber, the division plate having a plurality of holes and a vent for fluid communication between the first chamber and the second chamber; 
 a liquid contained in the container, the liquid moving between the first chamber and the second chamber through the plurality of holes; 
 a control valve for opening and closing the vent; and 
 a member for urging the control valve to close the vent, 
 wherein the control valve operates to open the vent against an urging force of the urging member by an urge-releasing member, thereby allowing the liquid to move from the second chamber to the first chamber. 
   
   
   
       9 . The toy according to  claim 8 , wherein the control valve has a first magnet provided therein; the urge-releasing member includes a second magnet acting on the first magnet; and the control valve is moved against the urging force of the urging member and opens the vent when the second magnet acts on the first magnet. 
   
   
       10 . The toy according to  claim 9 , wherein the second magnet is provided at an end of a toy drink container formed to simulate a bottle containing a drink. 
   
   
       11 . The toy according to  claim 8 , wherein the container is formed of a cup forming the second chamber and a cap forming the first chamber combined with the division plate therebetween, the cap having a depressible portion, and wherein, when the depressible portion is depressed, the control valve is pressed, thereby opening the vent. 
   
   
       12 . The toy according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a dispenser, including
 a base, on which the toy cup is placed; and 
 a control device controlling opening and closing of the vent by the control valve. 
   
   
   
       13 . The toy according to  claim 12 , wherein the control valve has a first magnet provided therein; 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, when the movable member comes into proximity to the control valve, the second magnet acts on the first magnet and moves the control valve against the urging force of the urging member to open the vent. 
   
   
       14 . The toy according to  claim 13 , wherein the dispenser has a depressible operating member which operates the movable member, wherein, when the depressible operating member is depressed, the movable member moves and the second magnet thereof moves to be adjacent the first magnet of the control valve and moves the control valve due to an attractive force between the second magnet and the first magnet against the urging force of the urging member. 
   
   
       15 . The toy according to  claim 8 , wherein an area of the plurality of holes is less than an area of the vent. 
   
   
       16 . A toy, comprising:
 a toy cup including
 a hermetically closed container; 
 a division plate dividing an interior of the hermetically closed container into a first chamber and a second chamber, the division plate having a plurality of holes and a vent for fluid communication between the first chamber and the second chamber; 
 a liquid contained in the container, the liquid moving between the first chamber and the second chamber through the plurality of holes; 
 a control valve for opening and closing the vent; and 
 a member for urging the control valve to close the vent, a separate urge releasing member external of the toy cup, 
 wherein the control valve operates to open the vent against the urging force of the urging member by an urge-releasing member, thereby allowing the liquid to move from the second chamber to the first chamber, and 
 wherein the control valve has a first magnet provided therein; the urge-releasing member includes a second magnet acting on the first magnet; and the control valve is moved against the urging force of the urging member and opens the vent when the second magnet acts on the first magnet. 
   
   
   
       17 . The toy cup according to  claim 16 , wherein the second magnet is provided at an end of a toy drink container formed to simulate a bottle containing a drink. 
   
   
       18 . The toy according to  claim 16 , wherein the urge releasing member includes dispenser has a depressible operating member which operates a movable member having the second magnet therein, wherein, when the depressible operating member is depressed, the movable member moves and the second magnet thereof moves to be adjacent the first magnet of the control valve and moves the control valve due to an attractive force between the second magnet and the first magnet against the urging force of the urging member. 
   
   
       19 . The toy according to  claim 16 , wherein an area of the plurality of holes is less than an area of the vent.