US3445955A - Changeable feature figure toy - Google Patents

Description

J. W. RYAN ET AL GHANGEABLE FEATURE FIGURE TOY May 27, 1969 Filed Feb. 9, 1967 100/; .1, xfizzc/mwz 775 2 A. laws m [rams tr;

May 27, 1969 J w, RYAN ET AL 3,445,955

CHANGEABLE FEATURE FIGURE TOY Filed Feb. 9, 1967 Sheet 3 of 2 Ava awn, 754m 40. PM?

,f xzpx/ lass United States Patent O ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A doll having a compressible body is provided with soft, flexible eye openings, cheeks and a normally open 8 Claims mouth. A water reservoir is mounted in an upper portion of the head and has a bottom wall in which a vent, two water outlets and a water inlet are provided for connection to pressurized air in the body, the eye openings and the mouth, respectively. Fixed members depend from the reservoir into engagement with the face above the eye openings and above the dolls upper lip. A combined cheek and mouth animator is pivotally connected to the reservoir and may be swung to push the dolls lower lip and cheeks outwardly and upwardly. Squeezing the body SWingS cheek-mouth animator and pressurizes reservoir forcing water out eye openings.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The figure toy is shown herein for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, as including a head of the type disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 614,975, filed Feb. 9, 1967.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The background of the invention is set forth in two parts:

Field of the invention The present invention pertains generally to the field of changeable feature figure toys and more particularly to such toys in combination with tearing means.

Description of the prior art Changeable feature figure toys are known from a great many prior art patents including United States Patents Nos. 962,154, 3,005,283, 3,053,009 and 3,195,269.

While generally satisfactory, figure toys of the types disclosed in these patents do have certain disadvantages.

A major disadvantage with figure toys of the type disclosed in Patent No. 962,154 resides in the fact that the changeable feature mechanism is of a strictly mechanical nature making no change whatever in the contour of the toys facial features.

A disadvantage with the figure toys disclosed in Patents Nos. 3,005,283 and 3,195,269 resides in the fact that the means employed for effecting a change in the toys features changes only the mouth and the facial area surrounding the mouth without a consummate change in the remaining portions of the face.

A disadvantage with the figure toy disclosed in Patent No. 3,053,009 resides in the fact that the means employed for squeezing the toys eyes to squinting positions imparts only sympathetic movement to the remaining portions of the face resulting in a less realistic feature change than can be obtained by using means to control the movement of all portions of the face.

In view of the foregoing factors and conditions characteristic of changeable feature figure toys, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and useful changeable feature figure toy not subject to the 3,445,955 Patented May 27, 1969 disadvantages enumerated above and having facial animating means especially designed for changing the facial expression of the figure toy realistically.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a figure toy of the type described which includes means for moving the toys lower lip upwardly to a mouthclosing position while simultaneously moving the toys cheeks upwardly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a toy of the type described which combines a tearing mechanism with a mechanism for changing the facial expression of the toy from a happy expression to a sad expression.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful reservoir for a changeable-feature, figure toy which includes a bottom wall to which a facial animating means is attached.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a new and useful changeable-feature, figure toy is provided. The toy includes a head having an upper portion and flexible facial means in which there are first, second and third means simulating imaginary or real, normally-open, eye openings, cheeks, a normally-open mouth and a lower jaw, respectively. The mouth has upper and lower lips.

Support means is mounted in the upper portion of the head and facial animating means is carried by the support means. The facial animating means includes means placing it in operative association with the lower jaw and the cheeks for forcing the lower jaw and the lower lip upwardly and forwardly to a mouth closing position while simultaneously moving the cheeks forwardly and up wardly in such a manner that the cheeks move the eye openings to at least partially closed positions. This imparts to the facial means a simulated, imaginary or real crying expression. The support means may comprise reservoir means having a bottom wall in which a vent, two water outlets and a water inlet are provided for connection to pressurized air in the toys body, the eye openings, and the mouth, respectively. Fixed members depend from the reservoir means into engagement with the face above the eye openings and above the upper lip. Alternatively, the reservoir means may be divided into three compartments forming a water-storage chamber, a water-metering chamber and a water-supply chamber.

The means for placing the facial animating means in operative association with the lower jaw and the cheeks may comprise a single member which is pivotally connected to the bottom wall of the reservoir means and which may be swung by squeezing the toys body portion to actuate a lever mounted therein. The toys body is compressible forming an air chamber for supplying compressed air to the reservoir means forcing water therefrom through the outlets and associated conduits into the eye openings. Suitable valve means is provided for preventing back-flow from the conduits to the reservoir when the body is released.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like elements in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a partial, front-elevational view of a changeable-feature, figure toy constituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention exhibiting a happy expression;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing a sad expression;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical, cross-sectional view of a changeable-feature, figure toy constituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, showing a sad expression;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing a happy expression;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 6'-6 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 77 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view of a modified reservoir means which may be used in the toy of FIG- URE 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring again to the drawings, a changeable-feature, figure toy constituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, generally designated 10, includes a compressible body portion 12 which may be made from a suitable flexible material, such as polyvinyl chloride, forming an air chamber 14 into which air may be admitted through an aperture 16 and a check valve 17 provided in a bottom wall portion 18 of the body portion 12.

The bottom wall 1 8 is provided with a pair of apertures, like the one shown at 20 in FIGURE 3, for receiving legs, like the one shown at 21, which, in conjunction with check valve 17, seal associated aperture 20 to assure pressurization of air in chamber 14 when body portion 12 is squeezed. Air is supplied to check valve 17 through an aperture 21a provided in leg 21. The body portion 12 includes an encompassing side wall 22 and an open top 24 and is small enough in size that a child user may conveniently use one hand to squeeze body portion 12.

The toy also includes a head 26 having a cylindrical neck 28 engaged in the open top 24 for connecting the head 26 to the body portion 12. The head 26 includes an upper portion 30 and a lower portion 32 which are joined together along a parting line 34 forming a predetermined angle A with a vertical centre line B-B passing through toy 10. The angle A preferably lies within a range of 30 to 60 so that the head 26 may be manufactured by injection molding techniques, as more fully discussed in copending application Ser. No. 614,975 filed Feb. 9, 1965. The upper portion 30 is substantially hemispherically shaped having an open bottom 36, an encompassing side wall 38 and a closed top wall 40. An annular groove 42 is provided On the inner surface 44 of side wall 38 slightly above the open bottom 36 and a slight annular recess 46 is provided on the lower end 48 of side wall 38. The top wall 40 is provided with simulated, rooted hair 49 mounted in a plurality of perforations 40a therein.

The lower portion 32 includes an open top 50, an encompassing side wall 52 and an open bottom 54, which is provided in the hollow, cylindrical neck 28 forming an integral part of lower portion 32. The lower portion 32 also includes an upper end which carries an annular ridge 58 mating with the recess 46 along the joining line 34 when the upper portion 30 is conected to the lower portion 32 as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. This side wall 52 includes an outer surface 60 which is provided with a plurality of simulated, imaginary or real facial features comprising a forehead 62, a pair of eye openings 64, 6'5, a pair of simulated eyes 66, 67, a nose 68, a mouth 70, a lower jaw 71 and a pair of cheeks 72, 74. The lower portion 32 is preferably made from a soft, pliable material, such as polyvinyl chloride, for facilitating animation of these features in a manner to be hereinafter described. The mouth 70 includes an upper lip 76 and a lower lip 78 which may be joined together by an inwardly concave member 80 formed integrally therewith during the molding operation, The lower lip 78 and the lower jaw 71 are formed integrally with a chin 82 which also comprises one of the simulated imaginary or real facial features. The side wall 32 also includes an inner surface 84 which is provided with an annular groove 86 at the open top 50, a pair of upwardly-open pockets, like the one shown at 88 in FIGURES 3 and 4, above associated eye openings 64, 65, a pair of water- outlet nipples 90, 92 communicating with associated openings 64, 65 through associated apertures 94, 96, respectively, a downwardly-open pocket 98 below each nipple 90, 92, as shown in FIGURE 4 for the nipple 90, an upstanding nipple 100, communicating with mouth 70 through an aperture 102, and a rearwardly-open pocket 104, which is located behind chin 82 in lower jaw 71.

The toy 10 also includes a tearing means 106 for supplying simulated imaginary or real tears 108 (FIGURE 2) to the eye openings 64, 65 through associated nipples 90, 92 and associated apertures 94, 96, respectively. The tearing means 106 includes a reservoir means 110 having a top wall 112 and a bottom wall 114 which are seated in associated grooves 42, 86 along planes lying parallel to the parting line 34 for maintaining the reservoir means 110 in an upper portion of head 26 which lies above the eye openings 64, 65 with the front end 116 of reservoir means 110 lying above its rear end 118. The walls 112, 114 include means comprising their size and shape for maintaining associated head portions 30, 32 in a predetermined shape in the vicinity of parting line 34 and for preventing the flow of air from body portion 12 through perforations 40a. The walls 112, 114 are preferably inserted into their associated portions 30, 32 prior to the joinder thereof along parting line 34 for facilitating mating open bottom 36 with open top 50.

The bottom wall 114 is provided with a vent 120 at the forward, upper end 116, a pair of liquid outlets 122, 124 at the lower, rear end 118 and a water inlet 126 intermediate the ends 116 and 118. First, second, and third conduits 128, 130 and 132 connect inlet 126 to nipple 100, outlet 122 to nipple 90 and outlet 124 to nipple 92, respectively. The vent 120 is in fluid communication with the chamber 14 so that compression of body portion 12 pressurizes a suitable liquid, such as water, 134 in reservoir means 110 causing the liquid to flow through outlets 122, 124, conduits 130, 132 and apertures 94, 96 producing the tears 108. The liquid 134 may be supplied to reservoir means 110 through mouth 70, aperture 102, conduit 128 and inlet 126. Backflow through inlet 126 may be prevented by a valve member 136 (FIGURE 5) which is retained in position over a concave seat 136:: at inlet 126 by a pin 137 depending from a cylindrical cage 138 aflixed to the top wall 112. The cage 138 is provided with an opening 140 permitting the liquid 134 to flow from inlet 126 into reservoir means 110. Liquid entering the reservoir means 110 through inlet 126 flows to the rear end 118 of reservoir means 110 where it collects in a sump 142 provided in the bottom wall 114 around the outlets 122, 124 for assuring proper drainage of the reservoir means 110. Should the reservoir means 110 be filled with sufiicient liquid 134 to also fill the upper, forward end 116 thereof, excess liquid will be drained through vent 120 into chamber 14 which, in turn, is drained through aperture 16 for simulating a wetting doll.

The bottom wall 114 and the top wall 112 are connected together by engaging an annular channel 144, which is provided on the top wall 112, with an upstanding annular flange 146, which is provided on the bottom wall 114. The bottom wall 114 is also provided with a second upstanding flange 148 having the same predetermined shape as the top and bottom walls 112, 114 engaging the open end 36 of the upper portion 30 for lending support thereto. Thus, the upper portion 30 may also be made from a soft, pliable material, such as polyvinyl chloride.

The bottom wall 114 of reservoir means 110 serves as a support means for a facial animating means 150 including a lever means 152 placing the animating means 150 in operative association with the lower jaw 71 and the cheeks 72, 74. The lever means 152 is swingably connected to the bottom wall 114 by a pin 154 journaled in a bearing block 156 depending from the bottom wall 114 and includes an L-shaped jaw means 158 which is seated in the pocket 104 for engaging lower jaw 71. The jaw means 158 includes a flat portion 160 (FIGURE 6) adapted to give chin 82 and lower jaw 71 predetermined shapes and a constricted, lip-engaging portion 162 forming shoulders 164, 166 with the flat portion 160. The portion 162 and the shoulders 164, 166 give a predetermined shape to the lower lip 78 and the corners 168, 170 of mouth 70 when the lever means 152 is swung to the position shown in FIGURE 3. The lever means 152 also includes a pair of cheek-engaging means 174, 176 which are connected to the lever means 152 by gusset plates 178, 180, respectively, and each of which includes a contoured portion 182 which is shaped in such a manner that associated cheeks 72, 74 will be given a predetermined form when the facial animating means 150 is actuated forcing the lower lip 78 and lower jaw 71 forwardly and upwardly to a mouth closing position while simultaneously moving the cheeks 72, 74 forwardly and upwardly. Such upward movement may also impart upward movement to the upper lip 76, nose 68 and the portions of surface 62 surrounding eye openings 64, 65, nose 68 and upper lip 76. Movement in the immediate vicinity of lip 76 and eye openings 64, 65 is controlled, however, by a plurality of fixed members 184, 186 and 188, respectively, which depend from the bottom wall 114 into engagement with associated lip 76, eye opening 64 and eye opening 65. The inner surface 84 of lower head portion 32 is maintained in a proper position in the vicinity of eye openings 64, 65 by the upwardly open pockets 88 which receive ends 190' of associated members 186, 188. The ends 190 engage the surface 84 along a line defined approximately by the upper edges 192 of openings 64, 65 and have the cross-sectional shape shown in broken lines in FIGURE 7 for holding the contour of the outer surface 62 to a predetermined shape in the vicinity of edges 192 while lower edges 194 of openings 64, 65 are free to move upwardly to the approximate position shown in FIGURE 2 under the influence of cheek-engaging means 174, 176 acting on associated pockets 98. The material forming eyes 66, 67 is thicker than the material surrounding openings 64, 65 so that the lower edges 194 thereof will move up over eyes 66, 67.

The fixed member 184 includes a lower end 196 which engages inner surface 84 behind upper lip 76 and which is forwardly curved in elevation and cross-section, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 6, respectively, for shaping upper lip 76 to a predetermined contour when it is drawn into firm engagement with lower end 196 by the upward movement of surface 62 under the influence of cheekengaging means 174, 176. The corners 168, 170 of mouth 70 are simultaneously wedged between lateral edges 198 of lower end 196 and shoulders 164, 166 of lever means 152 while lower lip 78 moves upwardly abov'e corners 168, 170 closing against upper lip 76 for imparting a sad expression to toy 10.

Lever means 152 may be swung by a lever arm 200 having a lower portion 202 defining a gripping surface adjacent the encompassing side wall 22 of body 12 and an upper end 204 carrying a cam 206. The lever arm 200 is provided with a pin 207 intermediate the end 204 and the lower portion 202 for pivotally connecting the arm 200 to a fixed arm 208 having a lower portion 210 forming a gripping surface adjacent the gripping surface 202 and an upper end 212 atfixed to the bottom wall 114 by a substantially U-shaped plate 214 having a pair of arms 216, 218 straddling the lever means 152 and aflixed to the bearing block 156 for maintaining pin 154 in operative association therewith. When the body portion 12 is squeezed, lever arm 200 is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 4, swinging cam 206 into engagement with lever means 152 for swinging it in a clockwise direction moving lower lip 78, lower jaw 71 and cheeks 72, 74 forwardly and upwardly. Simultaneously, body portion 12 is compressed forcing air under pressure through vent 120 into reservoir means to pressurize liquid 134 causing it to flow through outlets 122, 124, conduits 130, 132 and apertures 94, 96 causing tears 108 to appear.

Back-flow through conduits 130, 132 into reservoir means 110 is prevented upon release of body portion 12 by air entering resrevoir means 110 through conduit 128 and valve member 136. In addition, air enters body portion 12 through check valve 17. The arm 200 is normally biased to the position shown in FIGURE 4 by the natural resiliency of lower portion 32 returning mouth 70 to its normally open position. This swings lever means 152 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG- URE 4, exerting a force on cam 206 which swings arm 200 in a clockwise direction. The arms 200' and 208 may comprise rigid plastic members and may be given the cross-sectional shape shown in FIGURE 6 so'that the arm 200 will nest within the arm 208, as shown in FIGURE 3, when body portion 12 is compressed.

The fixed members 184, 186 and 188 may be integrally formed from a suitable rigid plastic material and they may be aflixed to the bottom wall 114 by a plate 220 having arms 222, 224 straddling conduit 128. The plate 220 may be properly located on bottom wall 114 by a plurality of protuberances 226, 228 and 230 depending therefrom.

The check valve 17 includes a cylindrical member 232 having an air inlet 234 and a valve seat 236. A ball 238 is mounted in cylindrical member 232 and is normally seated on seat 236 by gravity. A read-type noisemaker 238 is also mounted in cylindrical member 232 for actuation by air flowing in the direction of arrow 240 through inlet 234 when body portion 12 is released after the air has been exhausted therefrom.

Referring now to FIGURE 8, a modified reservoir means 110a is shown in combination with lower portion 32 of head 26 and includes a bottom wall 11411 which is provided with a vent a, a pair of liquid outlets 122a, 124a and a water inlet 126a which are separated from each other by encompassing walls 242, 244 and 246, respectively, for forming a liquid outlet chamber 248, a metering chamber 250 and a liquid inlet chamber 252, respectively. The wall 246 is provided with an aperture 254 placing chamber 252 in fluid communication with chamber 250 and wall 244 is provided with an aperture 256 placing the chamber 250' in fluid communication with the chamber 248. A flap valve 258 is mounted in chamber 250 between walls 244 and 246 and has an end 260 affixed to wall 246. The valve 258 also has an end 262 biased into operative engagement with aperture 254 for preventing flow from metering chamber 250 into inlet chamber 252. Pressure in chamber 252 moves valve 258 to its broken line position where end 262 closes aperture 256 preventing flow from metering chamber 250 into chamber 248. Thus, each tme body portion 12 is compressed, a metered quantity of liquid in metering chamber 250 flows through aperture 256 into outlet chamber 248 forcing a proportionate amount of liquid therefrom through outlets 122a, 124a, which may be connected to apertures 94, 96 by conduits 130, 132. Then when body portion 12 is released higher pressure in chamber 252 causes valve 258 to open permitting liquid from chamber 252 to refill metering chamber 250.

While the particular figure toy herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a figure toy having a flexible hollow body and a head, said head having an upper portion and a resiliently pliable wall defining a face, said face defining a pair of simulated eyes, a pair of cheeks, a chin and a lower jaw, the combination comprising:

manipulable means in said doll for forcibly moving a portion of said pliable wall and thereby tend to distort the entire face;

said manipulable means including jaw engaging means engageable with said lower jaw and arranged to move said lower jaw forwardly and upwardly; said manipulable means also including cheek engaging means engageable in said cheeks and arranged to move said cheeks forwardly and upwardly; and

fixed means in said head engaging only the upper portion of said wall above said eyes to immobilize the same and cause said eyes to squint upon actuating said manipulable means and thereby moving said cheeks and said jaw.

2. A combination as stated in claim 1 wherein said face also defines a mouth having upper and lower lips, said fixed means including means retaining said upper lip immobilized relative to said cheeks and said lower jaw, said manipulable means including a lower-lip engaging member engageable in said lower lip for moving said lower lip upwardly and forwardly.

3. A combination as stated in claim 1 including tearing means comprising a reservoir means mounted in the upper portion of said head, said reservoir means including a bottom wall supporting said manipulable means.

4. A combination as stated in claim 3 wherein said face also defines a mouth and wherein said bottom wall includes a front end and a rear end, said front end being elevated above said rear end, said bottom wall being provided with vent means at said front end, liquid outlet means at said rear end and liquid inlet means intermediate said ends, said tearing means including first conduit means connecting said liquid outlet means to said eyes and second conduit means connecting said inlet means to said mouth, said reservoir means being pressurized by air passing through said vent means when said hollow body is squeezed.

5. A combination as stated in claim 3 wherein said face also defines a mouth and wherein said reservoir means includes a liquid inlet chamber, a metering chamber, an outlet chamber and valve means controlling flow of liquid from said metering chamber, said bottom wall being provided with a vent communicating said body with said metering chamber, a liquid inlet communicating with said inlet chamber and a pair of liquid outlets communicating with said outlet chamber, said tearing means including first and second conduits connecting said liquid outlets to associated eyes and a third conduit connecting said liquid inlet to said mouth.

6. A combination as stated in claim 3 wherein said manipulable means includes a fixed arm depending from said bottom wall into said body and a swingable arm pivotally connected to said fixed arm and wherein said jaw means includes a lever swingably connected to said bottom wall adjacent said swingable arm, said swingable arm including cam means engageable with said lever when said swingable arm is swung, said swingable arm being swung by squeezing said hollow body to manipulate said manipulable means, said cheek means being carried by said lever.

7. A combination as stated in claim 6 wherein said fixed means is mounted to depend from said bottom wall.

8. A combination as stated in claim 7 including fixed upper-lip retaining means comprising a fixed member depending from said bottom wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,686,388 8/1954 Seidl 46-135 XR 2,907,139 10/1959 Rekettye. 3,005,283 10/ 1961 Cohn 46-135 3,053,009 9/1962 Ostrander 46-135 3,070,921 1/1963 Baggott et al. 46-135 3,195,269 7/1965 Weih et a]. 46135 F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner.

H. DINITZ, Assistant Examiner.

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