Toy With A Degradable Release Mechanism And Containment Device

Abstract

The toy system has a liquid degradable component used to obscure a hidden component that is release or revealed upon application of a liquid on the liquid degradable component. The toy may resemble the blooming of a plant to reveal a doll or figuring for further enjoyment after it is revealed to the user.

1 . A method of growing a doll, comprising:
 providing a playset having an enclosure, a hidden component that is rigid positioned within the enclosure, an expandable component positioned within the enclosure, and a material, wherein the expandable component have an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration and the material is used to retain the expandable component in a compressed configuration;   applying liquid to the material to degrade the material; and   releasing the expandable component to reveal the hidden component after application of the liquid to the material.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein revealing the hidden component comprises elevating the hidden component relative to the enclosure with the expandable component. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising applying pressure onto the material while the hidden component is within the enclosure and the expandable component is in the compressed configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising breaking the material through the application of the pressure after liquid is applied to the material to release the hidden component to the expanded configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising transitioning the playset from a first position before the application of liquid to a second position through the application of liquid and the release of the expandable component, wherein the first position comprises the hidden component fully contained within the enclosure and the second position comprises the hidden component extending out of the enclosure. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the enclosure is rigid and comprises an opening and the hidden component extending out of the enclosure is through the opening. 
     
     
         7 . A playset comprising:
 an enclosure having an opening;   a degradable material;   a substrate comprising a rigid structure;   an expandable component positioned within the enclosure, the expandable component have an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration and the degradable material is configured to retain the expandable component in a compressed configuration;   an applicator configured to retain and dispense fluid,   wherein the playset comprises two positions, a first position in which the substrate is positioned and fully contained within the enclosure and obscured from view by the enclosure with the expandable component in the compressed configuration retained by the degradable material, and a second position in which the degradable material is broken and the substrate extends through the opening to expose the substrate and the expandable component is in the expanded configuration, and the playset is configured to transition from the first position to the second position by the application of fluid to the degradable material by the applicator.   
     
     
         8 . The playset of  claim 7 , wherein the enclosure comprises a rigid body. 
     
     
         9 . The playset of  claim 8 , wherein the first position comprises the substrate positioned below a plane defined by the opening of the enclosure and the second position comprises the substrate extending above the plane. 
     
     
         10 . The playset of  claim 9 , wherein the first position comprises an application of pressure against the degradable material to bias the substrate toward the second position in which the substrate extends above the plane. 
     
     
         11 . The playset of  claim 10 , wherein the substrate traverses the plane in the second position. 
     
     
         12 . The playset of  claim 11 , wherein the rigid body defines a pot shape. 
     
     
         13 . The playset of  claim 12 , wherein the substrate is a doll figurine. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The playset of  claim 10 , wherein the expandable component applies the pressure on the degradable material in the first position. 
     
     
         17 . The playset of  claim 16 , further comprising a removeable, protective lid coupled to the enclosure over the opening. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable component is a spring. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the spring is positioned under the hidden component to elevate the hidden component through an opening in the enclosure after the application of liquid to the material to break the material and release the spring. 
     
     
         20 . The playset of  claim 16 , wherein the expandable component is a spring.