Activity center toy

Abstract

An activity center toy comprises a base, a housing structure, and a ball track. The housing structure extends above the base and includes a first sidewall extending upwardly from the base and defining an entry opening extending through the first sidewall, and a second sidewall extending upwardly from the base in a different plane than the first sidewall. The second sidewall defines an exit opening extending through the second sidewall. The exit opening is positioned closer to the base than the entrance opening is positioned relative to the base. The ball track downwardly extends from the entry opening to the exit opening and includes a first rail and a second rail being spaced from one another and extending substantially in parallel with one another. A ball placed on the ball track adjacent the entry opening will contact and roll along each of the first rail and the second rail substantially simultaneously for at least a portion of the distance between the entry opening and the exit opening to and through the exit opening of the second sidewall.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An activity center toy comprising:
 a base;   a housing structure extending above the base and including:
 a first sidewall extending upwardly from the base and defining an entry opening extending through the first sidewall, and 
 a second sidewall extending upwardly from the base in a different plane than the first sidewall, the second sidewall defining an exit opening extending through the second sidewall, wherein the exit opening is positioned closer to the base than the entrance opening is positioned relative to the base; and 
   a ball track downwardly extending from the entry opening to the exit opening, the ball track includes a first rail and a second rail being spaced from one another and extending substantially in parallel with one another such that a ball placed on the ball track adjacent the entry opening will contact and roll along each of the first rail and the second rail substantially simultaneously for at least a portion of the distance between the entry opening and the exit opening to and through the exit opening of the second sidewall.   
     
     
         2 . The activity center toy of  claim 1 , wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall are substantially opaque and each defines two opposite and substantially planar surfaces. 
     
     
         3 . The activity center toy of  claim 1 , wherein the first sidewall extends substantially perpendicularly relative to the second sidewall. 
     
     
         4 . The activity center toy of  claim 1 , further comprising a third sidewall coupled to the second sidewall opposite the first sidewall to define an open cavity between the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the third sidewall, wherein the ball track is positioned within the open cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The activity center toy of  claim 1 , further comprising a third sidewall coupled to the second sidewall opposite the first sidewall to define an open cavity between the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the third sidewall, and the ball track is positioned substantially entirely within the open cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The activity center toy of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the ball track includes a spacer section extending from the first sidewall, adjacent the entry opening and away from the first sidewall,   the spacer section extends from the first sidewall to a remainder of the ball track, and   the spacer section extends substantially perpendicularly relative to the remainder of the ball track.   
     
     
         7 . The activity center toy of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the ball track includes a ball drop portion and a downwardly extending section,   the ball drop portion is spaced from the entry opening and extends above the downwardly extending section,   the first rail and the second rail bow outwardly relative to one another at the ball drop portion as compared to a remainder of the ball track, and   during use, a ball, initially supported between the first rail and the second rail, drops through the ball drop portion to the downwardly extending section before continuing to the exit opening.   
     
     
         8 . The activity center toy of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 the ball, wherein the ball is sized to fit through each of the entry opening, the ball drop section of the ball track, and the exit opening and has a diameter greater than a spacing of the first rail and the second rail of the ball track at positions adjacent each of the entry opening and the exit opening.   
     
     
         9 . The activity center toy of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the ball track includes a rearwardly extending section that extends away from the entry opening in a direction opposite the second sidewall.   
     
     
         10 . The activity center toy of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the ball track includes a spacer section, a rearwardly extending section, and a downwardly extending section,   the spacer section extends from the first sidewall, adjacent the entry opening, and away from the first sidewall,   the rearwardly extending section extends away from an end of the spacer section opposite the spacer section in a direction away from the second sidewall, and   the downwardly extending section extends from an end of the rearwardly extending portion opposite the spacer section and sloped toward the exit opening.   
     
     
         11 . The activity center toy of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the rearwardly extending section includes a ball drop portion above the downwardly extending section,   the first rail and the second rail bow outwardly relative to one another at the ball drop portion as compared to a remainder of the ball track, and   during use, the ball, initially supported between the first rail and the second rail, drops through the ball drop portion to the downwardly extending section before continuing to the exit opening.   
     
     
         12 . The activity center toy of  claim 10 , wherein the rearwardly extending section extends upwardly between the ball drop portion and an intersection with the downwardly extending section to define a ball stop adjacent the ball drop portion. 
     
     
         13 . The activity center toy of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first coupling block secured to the first sidewall adjacent the entry opening, wherein each of the first rail and the second rail are coupled to the first sidewall via the first coupling block.   
     
     
         14 . The activity center toy of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a second coupling block secured adjacent to the exit opening, wherein each of the first rail and the second rail are coupled to the second coupling block.   
     
     
         15 . The activity center toy of  claim 1 , further comprising the ball being sized to fit through each of the entry opening and the exit opening and having a diameter greater than a spacing of the first rail and the second rail of the ball track at positions adjacent each of the entry opening and the exit opening. 
     
     
         16 . The activity center toy of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the housing structure includes a door coupled to a surface of the second sidewall opposite the ball track,   the door is rotatable between a closed position covering the exit opening and an open position at least partially revealing the exit opening, and   during use the ball rolls from the ball track through the exit opening and contacts the door with sufficient force to rotate the door into the open position such that the ball is expelled from the housing structure through the exit opening and past the door.   
     
     
         17 . The activity center toy of  claim 16 , wherein the ball track is substantially hidden when the activity center toy is viewed from a side of the second sidewall opposite the ball track. 
     
     
         18 . The activity center toy of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a roof extending over the first sidewall and the second sidewall such that an open cavity is formed below the roof between the first sidewall and the second sidewall;   wherein the ball track is substantially entirely maintained in the open cavity.   
     
     
         19 . The activity center toy of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the roof includes an elongated opening extending through the roof providing visual access to the open cavity through the roof, and   the activity center toy further comprises:
 a serpentine wire extending from one end of the elongated opening to an opposing end of the elongated opening, and 
 a wire follower extending around the serpentine wire and configured to readily slide along the length of the wire when a user applies an appropriate force to the wire follower. 
   
     
     
         20 . An interactive toy comprising:
 means for defining an internal cavity, the means for defining the internal cavity including two panels, each of the two panels defining a different one of means for entering the internal cavity and means for exiting the internal cavity; and   means for directing a spherical object under gravitational forces to move from the means for entering the internal cavity to the means for exiting the internal cavity, wherein the means for entering the internal cavity and the means for exiting the internal cavity are provided on two different and non-parallel planes.   
     
     
         21 . The interactive toy of  claim 20  further comprising:
 means for selectively opening and closing the means for exiting the internal cavity. 
 
     
     
         22 . The interactive toy of  claim 20 , wherein the means for defining the internal cavity includes an open side opposite the means for exiting the internal cavity. 
     
     
         23 . The interactive toy of  claim 20 , wherein the means for directing includes two substantially parallel means for contacting the spherical object. 
     
     
         24 . A method of assembling a toy, the method comprising
 constructing a housing structure defining an open cavity therein, wherein the housing structure includes a first window and a second window, the first window is defined on a different plane of the housing structure than the second window, and the first window is positioned higher on the housing structure than the second window;   coupling a first end of a ball track to the housing structure adjacent the first window; and   coupling a second end of a ball track adjacent the second window such that the ball track has a downwardly angled orientation as it extends from the first end of the ball track to the second end of the ball track and such that a ball placed on the ball track through the first window will move from the first end of the ball track to the second end of the ball track and out the second window due to gravitational forces;   wherein the ball track includes a first rail and a second rail extending substantially parallel to one another such that the ball is supported between the first rail and the second rail as the ball moves along the ball track.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 providing a ball with the toy;   wherein coupling the first end of the ball track to the housing structure includes positioning the ball track such that a ball drop portion of the ball track is positioned directly above the downwardly extending section of the ball track, the ball track having a distance between the first rail and the second rail that is smaller than a diameter of the ball everywhere along the ball track other than along the ball drop portion, and first rail and second rail are spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the ball at the ball drop portion of the ball track.