Toy telephones and cords for toy telephones
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to toy telephones and in particular to cords for toy telephones. 
     Toy telephones usually have a cord connecting the telephone base and the telephone handset in order to realistically simulate a real telephone. However, it has recently come to light that long cords can pose certain risks, for example entangling the user. For this reason, voluntary guidelines have been adopted by toy manufacturers limiting the length of cords in toy telephones and similar toys. However, the shortened cords are not long enough to allow a child to use the toy telephone in a conventional manner. Thus, the shortened cord detracts from the realism of the toy, and makes the toy less fun to play with. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a toy telephone with a cord which under normal conditions is sufficiently long to allow normal play use of the toy telephone, but which under abnormal conditions separates into shorter segments to reduce the risks associated with longer cords. Thus it is an object of the invention to provide a toy telephone in which the cord comprises at least two segments which are joined together sufficiently to resist separation under forces encountered during normal play use of the toy telephone but which readily separate under forces in excess of those encountered during normal play, such as if the cord entangles the user. 
     In general, the toy telephone of the present invention comprises a telephone base and a telephone handset and a cord extending between the base and the handset. The cord comprises first and second cord segments of preselected lengths. The first cord segment is connected at one end to the telephone base and the second cord segment is connected at one end to the telephone handset. The cord further comprises means for releasably connecting the free ends of the first and second cord segments together to form a single continuous cord between the base and the handset that is longer than either cord segment, and sufficiently long to allow the toy telephone to be used like a real telephone. The releasable connecting means is such that upon application of a force in excess of that normally encountered in play use of the telephone, the cord readily separates into the segments of pre-selected lengths. 
     Thus, the toy telephone of the present invention has a cord that has an apparent length sufficient to allow realistic play use of the toy telephone. The cord maintains its apparent length during normal play use of the toy telephone, but readily separates into its shorter components upon the application of forces in excess of those encountered in normal play use of the toy telephone, thereby reducing the risks associated with long cords. Furthermore, the toy telephone of the present invention is less likely to be damaged from abuse, because the cord readily separates so it is less likely that the cord will be detached from the base or the handset. 
     These and other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy telephone with a cord constructed according to the principles of this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a enlarged partial view of the cord, showing the connector for joining the segments of the cord; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial longitudinal cross sectional view of the cord taken along the plane of line 3--3 in FIG. 2, through the connector; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse cross sectional view of the cord taken along the plane of line 4--4 in FIG. 3, through the connector; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial exploded view of the cord, showing the cord segments separated; and 
     FIG. 6 is an end view of the stud half of the connector. 
     Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A toy telephone constructed according to the principles of this invention, indicated generally as 20, is shown in FIG. 1 as comprising a telephone base 22, a telephone handset 24, and a cord 26 extending between the base and the handset. 
     The cord 26 comprises a first cord segment 28, connected at one end to the telephone base 22, and a second cord segment 30, connected at one end to the telephone handset 24. The cord 26 further comprises means for releasably connecting the free ends of the first and second cord segments 28 and 30 together to form a single continuous cord between the base and the handset that is longer than either cord segment and sufficiently long for realistic play use of the toy telephone. However, the connecting means is such that upon application of a force in excess of that normally encountered in play use of the toy telephone, the cord separates into its two component segments. 
     In this preferred embodiment, the connecting means comprises a stud and socket connector 32. The free end of one of the cord segments, for example the first cord segment 28, is provided with a stud 34. A raised annular collar 36 surrounds the stud 34 at its base. The stud preferably has a generally circular cross section. A plurality of longitudinal splines 38 project radially from the stud 34, forming raised lands 40 on the surface of the stud. The free end of the other of the cord segments, =, the second cord segment 30, is provided with a socket 42, adapted to receive the stud 34. The socket 42 preferably has a generally circular cross-section, and is sized so that the lands 40 on the stud 34 frictionally engage the interior walls of the socket to releasably connect the ends of the segments. The circular cross sections of the stud 34 and the socket 42 in the preferred embodiment facilitate the connection of the segments, allowing the cord segments to be connected without careful alignment and making it easier for children to connect. 
     As best shown in FIG. 3, the stud 34 fits entirely within the socket 42, with the rim of the socket abutting the annular collar 36 to give the cord a smooth, continuous appearance. The frictional grip between the stud 34 and the socket 42 is sufficient to resist separation under the forces normally encountered in the play use of the toy telephone, but weak enough to allow the segments to separate upon the application of forces in excess of those encountered in the normal play use of the telephone. The frictional grip between the stud 34 and the socket 42 is preferably sufficiently strong to resist a disconnection force equal to the weight of the telephone base 22, and preferably weak enough to separate upon the application of about four pounds of force axially along the cord. It has been experimentally determined that four pounds is a satisfactory release tension for the cord. 
     Thus, the cord 26 of the present invention appears to be a single continuous cord extending between the base and the handset, having an apparent length that is longer than the length of either cord segment and sufficiently long for normal play use of the toy telephone. However, upon application of a force in excess of that normally encountered in play use, the cord 26 readily separates into its component segments 28 and 30. There are presently voluntary regulations in the industry regarding the maximum length for toy telephone cords. Each of the cord segments 28 and 30 may made a preselected length less than this maximum, but each may be sufficiently long that the total length of the cord 26 when the segments are connected is greater than the maximum, thereby providing a toy telephone that is more realistic and consequently more fun to play with than a toy telephone with a shorter cord. For any given cord length, the toy telephone of the present invention provides a phone in which, because of the ready separation of the segments, the effective length of the cord is shorter. 
     OPERATION 
     In operation, the toy telephone 20 of the present invention is assembled by inserting stud 34 into socket 42. The toy telephone 20 can then be used like any other toy telephone. The cord has an apparent length equal to the sum of the lengths of the cord segments. The cord 26 is sufficiently long to allow the toy telephone to be held and used by the user like a real telephone. The stud and socket fastener 32 resists separation of the cord in the forces encountered in the normal play use of the telephone. 
     However, if forces in excess of those normally encountered in the play use of the telephone are applied to the cord, for example if the cord gets tangled on a part of the user&#39;s body, the stud and socket connector 32 allows the cord 26 to separate into its two, relatively shorter, components segments 28 and 30. These segments are easier to untangle from the user; and because the are shorter they are less likely to tangle with the user or cause other harms associated with longer cords. Also, there is less chance for damage to the toy telephone, because the cord should separate before it is pulled from the base or the handset. 
     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. 
     As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.