fig1 depicts a device 10 for converting a container 14 into a figure to simulate an interactive game with a player in accordance with the invention . in the use of device 10 , container 14 can be any size , shape , or material , which has an internal cavity 15 . typically , container 14 would be a trash can , a laundry basket , or a cooler ; it is understood , however , that other containers may also be used . headboard 12 is made in the shape of a figure such as a sports figure , an animal , either real or imaginary , or any combination thereof ( one example would be a monster head in a football helmet with a favorite team logo ). headboard 12 can either be two or three dimensional . further , headboard 12 may optionally have a location 16 for inserting a photo . a clip 18 is attached to headboard 12 such that a portion 20 extends below headboard 12 . fig5 illustrates the &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; shape of clip 18 . clip 18 can be made of any material which can withstand the forces with which it will be subjected to during use of device 10 , yet flexible enough to easily allow its placement on and removal from container 14 . preferably clip 18 is made from a polycarbonite material having a high stress resistance such as ge lexan ™. a sensor 22 is mounted onto extending portion 20 of clip 18 , as illustrated in fig1 and 5 . sensor 22 can be any type of sensor which generates an electrical signal in response to some sort of stimulus to sensor 22 . preferably , sensor 22 is either vibration , force , or motion activated . remotely located from sensor 22 is a feedback device 24 for providing feedback to the game player . fig6 illustrates one possible configuration for feedback device 24 which incorporates three optional sound effects 25 and a recording device 26 . a battery 27 is electrically connected to both a recording switch 28 and sensor 22 . when recording switch 28 is closed , a digital sound recording chip 29 is activated to modify and save one of the optional sound effects 25 . 1 , 25 . 2 , and 25 . 3 selected using a switch 35 . volume control 30 and microphone 31 assist in the recording process . optionally , optional sound effects 25 . 1 to 25 . 3 may be prerecorded with feedback appropriate to the figure ( such as a cheering crowd or a siren ). using switch 35 , the game player can select which of the optional sound effects 25 . 1 to 25 . 3 to alter with recording device 26 and which to use as pre - recorded . use of recording device 26 would also allow a purchaser of device 10 to personalize a gift of device 10 to incorporate a message prior to delivery . because sensor 22 is located apart from feedback device 24 , sensor 22 is electrically coupled to feedback device 24 . when sensor 22 is activated , the loop is closed which activates one of optional sound effects 25 . 1 , 25 . 2 , or 25 . 3 which is delivered by speaker 32 . the selection of which of optional sound effects 25 . 1 , 25 . 2 , or 25 . 3 is played can be accomplished in several ways . either the game player can select which sound it would like to hear in response to a successful shot using a switch 35 for selecting an optional sound effect ( as illustrated in fig4 and 6 ), sound effects 25 could be programmed to be played at random , or each optional sound effect 25 . 1 , 25 . 2 , and 25 . 3 could be connected to a separate sensor 22 to provide different feedback when each sensor 22 was activated . sensor 22 can be optionally located at other locations in device 10 . it can be in the form of a pad or an extending wire and placed in internal cavity 15 of container 14 . use of different types sensors 22 , or of combinations of types , provides different levels of difficulty for the game player &# 39 ; s enhanced enjoyment of the simulated interactive game created by device 10 . as pointed out above , each of these sensors 22 can be coupled with a different sound effect 25 . 1 , 25 . 2 , or 25 . 3 to provide different responses when objects are received by device 10 at different locations . the electrical signal generated when sensor 22 is stimulated can also be used to trigger other effects which further enhance the enjoyment of device 10 . flashing lights , not shown , can be attached to headboard 12 which are triggered by the electrical signal . an electronic counter and corresponding display , also not shown , may also be employed to register the number of times sensor 22 was triggered . different types of sensors can also be combined which result in a different type of display and sound when each sensor is triggered . for example , headboard 12 could be equipped with a sensor 22 on extending portion 10 of clip 18 which creates a certain noise and / or flashing lights when struck . a pad type sensor 22 could also be placed at the bottom of internal cavity 15 of container 14 which triggers an electronic counter and corresponding display each time it is struck . light sensitive switches could also be used to trigger the audible module when an object disrupts the light around the switch . these are examples of a number of combinations that could be employed . interconnected appendages 34 may also be employed to further enhance the illusion of a head and body to simulate play with another . as illustrated in fig2 c , interconnected appendages 34 are equipped with means 42 for attaching interconnected appendages 34 to container 14 . means 42 for attaching interconnected appendages 34 to container 14 employed will typically depend on the surface characteristics of container 14 . preferably , a combination of velcro 44 and a clip 46 ( similar to clip 18 ) are employed to secure interconnected appendages 34 to container 14 , as illustrated in fig1 c and 2d . interconnected appendages 34 are made of any material which is flexible enough to adjust to any size and shape container 14 , yet durable enough to withstand repeated use . preferably , interconnected appendages 34 are made of an opaque , vinyl material which is cut and sewn in the desired shape and stuffed with a filler such as batting made from cotton , polyester , or a combination thereof . interconnected appendages 34 could also be formed from a laminate which has an outer fuzzy material when the subject of headboard 12 is an animal type figure . the configuration , color and material of interconnected appendages 34 will be determined by the subject chosen for headboard 12 . for example , interconnected appendages 34 could be in the shape of hands in the case of a football player , lacrosse player , or basketball player ( as illustrated in fig1 - 3 ). they could be in the shape of fins if the subject of headboard 12 is a fish , or paws for a bear . as illustrated in fig7 when the subject of headboard 12 has arms which would typically hold a piece of equipment 36 ( such as a glove for a boxer , baseball player , baseball catcher , or hockey goalie or a racquet for a tennis player ) piece of equipment 36 can either be fabricated from the same material that interconnected appendages 34 are fashioned from , or from the same material which makes up headboard 12 , depending on the desired appearance . piece of equipment 36 can further include an aperture 38 in piece of equipment 36 . aperture 38 provides an additional level of skill in device 10 . aperture 38 may also be equipped with a sensor 22 as illustrated in fig7 . sensor 22 is attached to rim 40 of aperture 38 in piece of equipment 36 and extends radially inward from rim 40 . when an object passes through aperture 38 and strikes sensor 22 an electrical signal is generated which can be coupled with feedback device 24 for providing feedback to the game player as discussed above . device 10 can be further enhanced by use of a wrapper 48 for container 14 . wrapper 48 has a design appropriate to the subject of headboard 12 on at least one side and a means for attaching it to container 14 . preferably , the design on wrapper 48 pictures the body features and clothing appropriate to the subject of headboard 12 or scenery typical of the environment of the subject of headboard 12 . a different design could be located on each side of wrapper 48 in order to enable the game player to alter the setting of the game or to provide an alternative appearance to container 14 when headboard 12 and interconnected appendages 34 are not attached . wrapper 48 can be attached to container 14 in any manner sufficient for the intended use of device 10 . the positioning of wrapper 48 such that clips 46 , for the interconnected appendages , and 20 , for the headboard , hold it in place is one means . fig2 b illustrates another method for attaching wrapper 48 to container 14 . in fig2 b , velcro is located on the portion of interconnected appendages 34 abuts container 14 . velcro would also be located the side of wrapper 48 which faces away from container 14 , which when joined with the velcro on the interconnected appendages , holds wrapper 48 in place . wrapper 48 could also be supported by joining the two ends of wrapper 48 , thereby creating a cylindrical type shape , and attaching elastic , rubber , clips , or the like , to the edge of wrapper 48 nearest the rim of container 14 , for added support . wrapper 48 can also include a means 52 for propping wrapper 48 into a planar backdrop 54 . means 52 for propping wrapper 48 to form a backdrop 54 in a planar position can be any known in the art which can both accommodate wrapper 48 when flush against container 14 and can hold wrapper 48 in a planar position . for example , a stiff yet flexible strip of plastic , not shown , could be attached to the edge of wrapper 48 closest to the rim of container 14 . the ends of the strip of plastic could be fitted with a fastener which joins the two edges of the strip of plastic when it is desired that wrapper 48 fit snugly on container 14 . when , however , the edges of the strip of plastic are not joined , the stiffness in the strip of plastic is sufficient to hold wrapper 48 in a substantially planar position , thereby creating a backdrop 54 . other means 52 for propping wrapper 48 in a planar position could also be employed , such as two telescoping rods , not shown , which is attached to portion of clip 18 on the side opposite the location of sensor 22 . the rods are attached so that they can swivel to hang from their point of attachment or can extend away from each other and locked in a substantially horizontal position . when wrapper 48 is attached to the ends of the rods in their fully extended position , opposite their point of attachment to clip 18 , wrapper 48 achieves a substantially planar position . although the invention has been described with reference to a particular arrangement of parts , features and the like , these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features , and indeed many other modifications and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art .
a device for converting a container into a figure to simulate an interactive game with a player , comprising a headboard in the shape of the head of the figure , a clip affixed to the headboard for attaching the headboard to the container , wherein a portion of the clip extends below the headboard where the clip connects to the container , a sensor mounted to the extending portion of the clip for generating an electrical signal in response to impact from an object projected by the game player , and feedback device responsive to the electrical signal generated by the sensor for providing feedback to the game player when an object has been properly received by the figure .