Amusement devices: toys – Figure toy or accessory therefor – Having mechanism or manipulatable means to move figure or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-18
2003-02-25
Ackun, Jacob K. (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Figure toy or accessory therefor
Having mechanism or manipulatable means to move figure or...
C446S352000, C040S414000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06524158
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
(Not Applicable)
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT
(Not Applicable)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to motion toys, and more particularly to an animated toy comprising a plurality of structural elements pivotally connected to each other in a manner defining a human body, and a reversible motor which is disposed externally of the body and cooperatively engaged to the structural elements thereof so as to be operative to cause portions of the body defined by the structural elements to alternatively tilt or sway in different directions.
There is currently known in the prior art a wide variety of animated or motion toys which employ the use of one or more motors and associated transmission gear trains to facilitate the movement of various parts of the toy. These animated toys include figurines which have the shape of a human body, with the motor(s) and gear train(s) thereof being operative to cause various parts of the body, such as the arms, legs and/or head, to move separately and/or in unison.
One such animated or motion toy currently known in the prior art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,617 issued on Jun. 15, 1999 to Chou. The motion toy disclosed in the Chou patent differs from those known in the prior art by,among other things, the capability of the upper and lower parts of the body thereof to alternatively tilt inwardly and outwardly and reverse directions. To achieve this particular range of motion, the motion toy disclosed in the Chou patent comprises a pair of waist cover shells, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to respective ones of a pair of shoulder cover shells, with the lower ends of the waist cover shells being pivotally connected to respective ones of a pair of foot cover shells. Also included in the motion toy is a pair of trunk cover shells which are connected to respective ones of the shoulder cover shells and a motor mount which is mounted within a cavity collectively defined by the waist, shoulder and trunk cover shells. A reversible motor is attached to the motor mount and disposed between the trunk cover shells, with the motor being mechanically coupled to the foot cover shells via a pair of main racks which are integrally formed on respective ones of the foot cover shells.
Though the body of the motion toy disclosed in the Chou patent is configured in a manner wherein the upper and lower parts thereof alternatively tilt inwardly and outwardly in reverse directions, the motion toy is of a relatively large size due to the inclusion of the drive unit within the interior of the body (i.e., between the trunk cover shells). Due to this relatively large size, the motion toy is not well suited to being mounted to a decorative/ornamental item such as, for example, a holiday wreath. Due to the inclusion of the drive unit within the interior of the body, the motion toy disclosed in the Chou patent is also not well suited to being used in an aqueous environment, such as within the interior of a decorative water ball. Additionally, the motion toy disclosed in the Chou patent is devoid of any structures which provide for the movement of the arms and head of the toy which are attached to the shoulder cover shells thereof. As will be recognized, such movement of the arms and/or head would provide a more life-like, appealing appearance during the operation of the motion toy.
The present invention provides an animated or motion toy similar in structure and operation to that disclosed in the Chou patent, but significantly differing in that the drive unit or reversible motor of the present motion toy is external of the body as opposed to being disposed within the interior thereof. Making the drive unit external to the body allows for the manufacture of the motion toy of the present invention in a size substantially less than that of the motion toy disclosed in the Chou patent, thus allowing for the mounting of the present motion toy to decorative/ornamental items such as a holiday wreath. With particular regard to a holiday wreath, the drive unit or motor of the present motion toy may be embedded within the wreath itself, with the body of the motion toy extending into the open interior thereof to provide a decorative holiday item wherein the ornamental attributes of the wreath are enhanced by the body (e.g., a Santa Claus).
Additionally, the motion toy of the present invention is preferably provided with an internal linkage arrangement which facilitates the alternating upward and downward movement of the arms attached to the shoulder member of the body thereof. This linkage arrangement also provides for the rotation of the head attached to the shoulder member in a back and forth motion. Moreover, due to the drive unit not being disposed therewithin, the body of the present motion toy may itself be disposed and operated within an aqueous environment. In this instance, the drive unit would not itself be disposed within such aqueous environment, but rather would cooperate with the body either through a mechanical linkage or magnets. These and other unique attributes of the present invention will be discussed in more detail below.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an animated toy comprising a toy body which itself comprises at least one shoulder member and a pair of waist members, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to the shoulder member. The toy body also includes a pair of leg members, with the lower ends of the waist members being pivotally connected to the upper ends of respective ones of the leg members. In addition to the toy body, the animated toy of the present invention comprises a support base to which the lower ends of the leg members are pivotally connected. Also included in the animated toy is a drive unit which is disposed adjacent to the support base and includes a motor which is cooperatively engaged to at least one of the leg members and operative to reciprocally tilt the leg members in first and second directions. The toy body of the present animated toy is configured such that the tilting of the leg members in the first direction causes the waist members to be tilted in the second direction, with the tilting of the leg members in the second direction causing the waist members to be tilted in the first direction.
The toy body of the animated toy further preferably comprises a pair of arm members which are rotatably connected to the shoulder member and mechanically coupled to the upper ends of respective ones of the waist members, so as to be alternately movable in different directions thereby. More particularly, the arm members are mechanically coupled to the waist members such that the tilting of the waist members in the first and second directions causes the arm members to alternately move in different directions. To facilitate such coupling, each of the waist members preferably includes a waist rack portion which defines the upper end thereof. Additionally, each of the arm members preferably includes a pinion gear portion which protrudes therefrom and is cooperatively engaged to a respective one of the waist rack portions. The tilting of the waist members in the first and second directions causes the waist rack portions to act against the pinion gear portions in a manner facilitating the alternate rotation of the arm members in opposite directions.
The toy body of the present invention further comprises a head member which is rotatably connected to the shoulder member and mechanically coupled to the waist members such that the tilting of the waist members in the first and second directions causes the head member to alternately rotate in different directions. To facilitate such rotation, the toy body further preferably comprises an upper support strut which is pivotally connected to and extends between the waist members such that the tilting of the leg members in the first direction causes the upper support strut to be tilted in the second direction, and the tilting of the leg
Ackun Jacob K.
Stetina Brunda Garred & Brucker
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