Amusement devices: toys – Figure toy or accessory therefor – Having movably joined body parts
Patent
1999-03-22
2000-04-25
Muir, D. Neal
Amusement devices: toys
Figure toy or accessory therefor
Having movably joined body parts
446371, 446320, A63H 346
Patent
active
06053799&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a joint for fastening movable elements to a doll's body, in particular doll's arms to an upper part.
Dolls of many shapes and design are known. The present case is concerned primarily with extremely high quality dolls which are extremely valuable not only because of the design but also because of the material used. These dolls are intended to be as lifelike as possible, some of them being of a size which corresponds to the actual life size. Each type of doll is only manufactured in a small number and is generally made of a special, body-approximating plastic, such as a vinyl. It is compression-molded in special molds.
To connect the individual, movable elements, such as the head, arms and legs, coupling parts are known (EP-A-0 087 567) but these merely permit rotation of the movable elements. This does not give a lifelike portrayal.
DE-A 40 37 962 discloses a further connecting piece which comprises a textile material which is filled with filler. Although by this means each limb of a doll can be brought into a lifelike position, this position cannot be maintained without assistance.
The object of the present invention is to be able to bring the movable elements of the doll permanently into a desired position which is as lifelike as possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is achieved by inserting a rotary part into the doll's body, in particular the upper part, and a rotary insert into the movable element, in particular the doll's arm, and connecting both rotary parts to one another in the manner of a joint.
This joint according to the invention permits a greatly expanded possibility for positioning the movable elements of dolls. Any lifelike position can be achieved.
The joint-like connection of the two rotary parts preferably comprises a forked joint, two lugs being provided on one rotary part, which lugs form a slot in which a tongue of the insert engages. The lugs and tongues are connected to one another via a pin or a sleeve, this sleeve being inserted into corresponding holes in the lugs and tongue. The sleeve ends are then widened at both ends so that the lugs and the tongues are clamped together. This results in friction between the tongue and lugs, with the result that this friction has to be overcome to adjust the arms. This ensures that arms remain in a desired position.
The lugs are adjoined by a disk, then a ring, then a rotary cone which is then adjoined by an inner disk. All of the elements have a synchronized diameter, the diameter of the disk being the largest. The diameter of the ring then follows and then the diameter of the inner disk. The rotary cone has the smallest diameter since it sits in an insert hole in the doll's body in the position of use. In this case, the insert hole is designed such that it likewise surrounds; the rotary cone again in a frictionally locking manner, with the result that to rotate the cone this friction has to be overcome with force. The frictional locking thereby likewise contributes to the permanent positioning of the movable elements.
In the same manner, the tongue is adjoined by a disk, the latter by a cone and the latter by an inner disk. The disk has a larger diameter than the inner disk since it bears from the outside against the movable element. The cone sits in an insert hole in the movable element and is likewise held there in a frictionally locking manner as described above.
The rotary part and rotary insert are preferably in each case produced integrally from plastic. For insertion into the doll's body or into the movable element, at least that region around the particular insert hole is heated, thereby making the plastic soft.
The joint according to the invention is primarily provided to connect the doll's arms to an upper part. However, it can also be used equally well to connect legs or leg parts to the doll's body and even, but this would only happen in relatively rare cases, for a head so that in this case it would not only be possible for the head to rotate but also to nod.
In a
REFERENCES:
patent: 553643 (1896-01-01), Fausel
patent: 1134716 (1915-04-01), Wulkan et al.
patent: 3319846 (1967-05-01), Wolf
patent: 3805302 (1974-04-01), Mathys
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