Claim 1:
A puppet adapted to be mounted on a human digit for providing animated motion of a figurine responsive to movement of the human digit, the puppet comprising: a hollow, elastic cap having an interior wall defining an axially-extending cavity for snugly receiving said human digit; and a resilient neck having a proximal end connected to said cap and a distal end secured to said figurine, said neck extending along an axis transverse to the cavity axis wherein the neck is tapered so as to decrease in transverse dimension in a direction from said proximal end toward said distal end, and wherein said figurine is mounted to the distal end of said neck and is spaced from said cap, said neck and said figurine being oscillatable to and fro in response to movement of said human digit.
So...if you ever think your toes are looking boring and feel the need to accessorize them a bit, be sure to get your hands on these toe puppets! What can I say, puppets make great accessories for anywhere on the body. This patent essentially allows you to wear a puppet figure on your toe so you can maneuver it in whichever way and whatever motion you may desire. It is almost like playing with puppets on your fingers, a great way to channel your creativity and inner child regardless.
Prior Art? Possibly puppets made for hands or fingers.
Novel? Sure, so far I haven't seen anything like this being sold in store or online, tho I wouldn't say this combination of a puppet toy and a body part is anything new.
Useful? It would be good for entertainment purposes, maybe even appropriate for talent shows. It is also a good way to exercise your toes I assume.
Obvious? I could argue that it can be rather obvious to switch something originally made for hands/fingers to another body part such as one's toes.
Source: http://www.delphion.com/cgi-bin/viewpat.cmd/US05830035__?OUT_FORMAT=pdf&MODE=fstv
I think this invention goes to show how far an inventor can go to patent an idea. Personally, although I agree the toe puppet could be good or entertainment, or toe exercise, I don't think it is useful or novel in general. I mean, the hand puppet has been around for centuries, or even milleniums, I am certain someone has tried to use the toe puppet, especially since even those on the head has been done. It is, perhaps, just too useless and unpopular to have attracted any attention. Plus, there is probably no recorded history for the toe puppet and thus no prior art.
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