Expandable toy figurine with break apart housing

Abstract

A toy comprising an expandable figurine with a cavity and a valve adapted to allow a fluid to enter the cavity. When the cavity is filled with the fluid, the expandable figurine expands from a normal state to an expanded state. The toy further comprises a housing containing the expandable figurine in the normal state. The housing has one or more break apart elements and an opening proximate the valve of the expandable figurine contained in the housing. The one or more break apart elements of the housing are configured to rupture when the expandable figurine expands from the normal state to the expanded state while being contained within the housing.

1 . A toy comprising:
 an expandable figurine having a cavity and a valve adapted to allow a fluid to enter the cavity, wherein the expandable figurine expands from a normal state to an expanded state when the cavity is filled with the fluid; and   a housing containing the expandable figurine in the normal state, the housing having one or more break apart elements and an opening proximate the valve of the expandable figurine contained in the housing;   wherein the one or more break apart elements of the housing are configured to rupture when the expandable figurine expands from the normal state to the expanded state while being contained within the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein the housing prevents the expandable figurine from being removed from the housing unless the expandable figurine is in the expanded state and the one or more break apart elements has ruptured. 
     
     
         3 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more break apart elements are one or more parts of the housing that are perforated, cut, scored or weakened. 
     
     
         4 . The toy of  claim 3 , wherein the expanded state of the expandable figurine causes the expandable figurine to push against the housing and rupture the one or more break apart elements. 
     
     
         5 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein a size of the expandable figurine in the expanded state is at least twice the size of the expandable figurine in the normal state. 
     
     
         6 . The toy of  claim 5 , wherein the expandable figurine is deformable in both the normal state and the expanded state. 
     
     
         7 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes a removable section covering the opening such that the housing completely encapsulates the expandable figurine while the expandable figurine is in the normal state. 
     
     
         8 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the expandable figurine includes a mouth aperture and a passageway extending from the mouth aperture to the cavity; and   the valve is positioned within the mouth aperture and/or the passageway.   
     
     
         9 . The toy of  claim 1 , further comprising a bottle for introducing the fluid into the cavity of the expandable figurine, the bottle having a spout couplable to the valve. 
     
     
         10 . The toy of  claim 9 , wherein the fluid is water and the bottle is sized to contain a volume of water equal to a maximum volume of water retainable within the cavity of the expandable figurine. 
     
     
         11 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable figurine is in the form of an animal. 
     
     
         12 . The toy of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the expandable figurine comprises a torso and a head connected to the torso; and   the cavity extends into both the head and torso of the expandable figurine.   
     
     
         13 . The toy of  claim 12 , wherein the expandable figurine comprises one or more appendages attached to the head or the torso, and the cavity does not extend into the one or more appendages. 
     
     
         14 . The toy of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more appendages comprise a tail, ear or leg. 
     
     
         15 . The toy of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the expandable figurine comprises a torso and a head connected to the torso; and   the cavity is located only within the torso or head of the expandable figurine.   
     
     
         16 . A toy comprising:
 a housing with a surrounding wall that defines a hollow interior, the surrounding wall including one or more break apart elements and an opening that provides access to the hollow interior; and   an expandable figurine contained inside the housing, the expandable figurine having a cavity and a valve adapted to allow a fluid to enter the cavity and cause the expandable figurine to expand from a normal state to an expanded state;   wherein the expandable figurine is positioned inside the housing such that the valve is proximate the opening of the housing and the one or more break apart elements of the housing are configured to rupture when the expandable figurine expands from the normal state to the expanded state.   
     
     
         17 . The toy of  claim 16 , further comprising a bottle for introducing the fluid into the cavity of the expandable figurine, the bottle having a spout couplable to the valve; and
 wherein the bottle is sized to contain a volume of fluid that causes the expandable figurine to expand from the normal state to the expanded state when the volume of fluid in the bottle is transferred into the cavity of the expandable figurine.   
     
     
         18 . A toy comprising:
 an expandable figurine in the form of an animal, the expandable figurine having a body that defines a cavity and a valve adapted to allow a fluid to be added into the cavity, wherein filling the cavity with the fluid causes the expandable figurine to expand from a normal state to an expanded state;   a housing containing the expandable figurine in the normal state, the housing having one or more perforated, cut, scored or weakened parts and a removable section, wherein removing the removable section reveals an opening that provides access to the valve of the expandable figurine contained in the housing; and   a bottle for introducing the fluid into the cavity of the expandable figurine, the bottle having a spout couplable to the valve;   wherein the one or more perforated, cut, scored or weakened parts of the housing are configured to rupture when the expandable figurine expands from the normal state to the expanded state while being contained within the housing.   
     
     
         19 . The toy of  claim 18 , wherein the housing prevents the expandable figurine from being removed from the housing unless the expandable figurine is in the expanded state and the one or more perforated, cut, scored or weakened parts has ruptured. 
     
     
         20 . The toy of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the body of the expandable figurine comprises a torso and a head connected to the torso, wherein the cavity extends into both the head and torso of the expandable figurine; and   the expandable figurine further comprises one or more appendages attached to the body, wherein the cavity does not extend into the one or more appendages.