Sensorial activity toys

Abstract

A toy may include a platform including a surface, a channel defined by: the surface of the platform, a protrusion, including: a first protrusion segment extending from the surface of the platform, the first protrusion segment having a first distal edge segment disposed a protrusion distance from the surface of the platform; and a second protrusion segment extending from the surface of the platform, the second protrusion segment having a second distal edge segment, wherein the second distal edge segment is disposed the protrusion distance from the surface of the platform, wherein the platform and the protrusion are monolithic. A toy may include a removable member having a cross-sectional profile having a circumdiameter larger than a separation distance between the first distal edge segment and the second distal edge segment such that the removable member is configured for insertion into the channel to form a snap fit therebetween.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A toy, comprising:
 a rigid back plate;   a platform including a surface, wherein the platform is disposed on the rigid back plate and the surface of the platform is planar;   a plurality of channels, each channel defined by:
 the surface of the platform; and 
 a protrusion including:
 a first protrusion segment extending from the surface of the platform, the first protrusion segment having a first distal edge segment disposed a protrusion distance from the surface of the platform; and 
 a second protrusion segment extending from the surface of the platform, the second protrusion segment having a second distal edge segment, wherein the second distal edge segment is disposed the protrusion distance from the surface of the platform; 
 
 wherein the platform and the protrusion are monolithic; and 
   a removable member having a circular cross-sectional profile having a circumdiameter larger than a separation distance between the first distal edge segment and the second distal edge segment such that the removable member is configured for insertion into at least one of the channels to form a snap fit therebetween, wherein the removable member is slender, deformable, and laterally plastically deformable.   
     
     
         2 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein the first distal edge segment and the second distal edge segment are parallel. 
     
     
         3 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein the first distal edge segment and the second distal edge segment are concentric. 
     
     
         4 . A toy, comprising:
 a platform including a surface;   a channel defined by:
 the surface of the platform; and 
 a protrusion, including:
 a first protrusion segment extending from the surface of the platform, the first protrusion segment having a first distal edge segment disposed a protrusion distance from the surface of the platform; and 
 a second protrusion segment extending from the surface of the platform, the second protrusion segment having a second distal edge segment, wherein the second distal edge segment is disposed the protrusion distance from the surface of the platform; 
 
 wherein the platform and the protrusion are monolithic; and 
   a removable member having a cross-sectional profile having a circumdiameter larger than a separation distance between the first distal edge segment and the second distal edge segment such that the removable member is configured for insertion into the channel to form a snap fit therebetween.   
     
     
         5 . The toy of  claim 4 , further comprising a rigid back plate having the platform disposed thereon. 
     
     
         6 . The toy of  claim 4 , wherein the platform includes an interconnect configured to connect with a further platform of a further toy. 
     
     
         7 . The toy of  claim 4 , wherein the surface of the platform is planar. 
     
     
         8 . The toy of  claim 4 , wherein the surface of the platform is cylindrical. 
     
     
         9 . The toy of  claim 4 , wherein the surface of the platform is a polyhedron. 
     
     
         10 . The toy of  claim 4 , wherein the surface of the platform is spherical. 
     
     
         11 . The toy of  claim 4 , wherein the first distal edge segment and the second distal edge segment are parallel. 
     
     
         12 . The toy of  claim 4 , wherein the first distal edge segment and the second distal edge segment are concentric. 
     
     
         13 . The toy of  claim 4 , wherein the removable member is slender and deformable. 
     
     
         14 . The toy of  claim 4 , wherein the removable member is laterally plastically deformable. 
     
     
         15 . The toy of  claim 4 , wherein the removable member comprises a rigid rod. 
     
     
         16 . The toy of  claim 4 , wherein the cross-sectional profile is elliptical. 
     
     
         17 . The toy of  claim 16 , wherein the cross-sectional profile is circular. 
     
     
         18 . The toy of  claim 4 , wherein the cross-sectional profile is polygonal. 
     
     
         19 . A method of using a toy, comprising:
 providing the toy, comprising:
 a platform including a surface; 
 a channel defined by:
 the surface of the platform; and 
 a protrusion, including:
 a first protrusion segment extending from the surface of the platform, the first protrusion segment having a first distal edge segment disposed a protrusion distance from the surface of the platform; and 
 a second protrusion segment extending from the surface of the platform, the second protrusion segment having a second distal edge segment, wherein the second distal edge segment is disposed the protrusion distance from the surface of the platform; 
 
 wherein the platform, the first protrusion segment, and the second protrusion segment are monolithic; and 
 
 a removable member having a cross-sectional profile having a circumdiameter larger than a separation distance between the first distal edge segment and the second distal edge segment such that the removable member is configured for insertion into the channel to form a snap fit therebetween; and 
   inserting the removable member into the channel to form the snap fit therebetween.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising removing the removable member from the channel.