Amusement devices: toys – Figure toy or accessory therefor – Nursing – eating – or drinking
Patent
1997-05-19
2000-03-28
Muir, D Neal
Amusement devices: toys
Figure toy or accessory therefor
Nursing, eating, or drinking
446305, 446341, 446348, 446351, 446376, A63H 324, A63H 340, A63H 1300, A63H 346
Patent
active
060424508
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a doll with simulated physiological functions and relates particularly, though not exclusively, to such a doll in the form of a toy doll, for example, a teddy bear.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
From time immemorial toy dolls have been a source of joy and comfort to children who use them to role play child-adult relationships and to explore parental role models. The doll will often acquire a personality in the child's mind and will be used to play-act various behaviour patterns with which the child is familiar or which the child is itself learning to accommodate. Doll manufacturers are well aware of the importance of simulation and try to assist the child's imagination by producing dolls which are as life-like as possible. Thus many dolls are now produced with eyes that close when the doll is placed in a recumbent position to simulate sleep. More recently, doll manufacturers have produced dolls which simulate ingestion of food and drink, examples of which are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,855,729; 3,858,352; 4,504,241; and, 5,083,962.
When assessing the commercial potential of a toy one of the factors taken into consideration is the so-called "play value" of the toy. The play value is to some extent a measure of the capacity of the toy to hold a child's attention and to evoke interest and involvement. The play value of a toy doll may be enhanced by increasing the number of moving parts, improving the doll's life-like appearance and/or by incorporating various simulated physiological functions as noted above. One of the difficulties faced by doll manufacturers is that such simulated physiological functions are by nature very mechanical and therefore predictable--if the child presses this button or operates that lever then the doll will do the same thing every time. This predicability can in fact reduce the long term play of the doll as it leaves little room for imagination and the child quickly becomes bored.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was developed with a view to providing a doll with a simulated physiological functions which, when embodied in the form of a toy doll improves the play value of the doll. Although the following description will be given primarily with reference to a toy doll, it will be understood that the doll may also be embodied in the form of an educational aid that can be used to demonstrate various physiological functions.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a doll with simulated physiological functions, including a head with eyes that can move, the doll further comprising:
a mouth that opens and closes, the head having a lower jaw that pivots about a first axis to provide the opening and closing action of the mouth; and,
mechanical linkage means having a first portion pivotally connected to said lower jaw and adapted to pivot about a second axis which is spaced from said first axis, said mechanical linkage means being adapted to transmit a movement of the lower jaw to another part of the doll whereby, in use, opening and/or closing of the mouth, for example to feed the doll, can produce a simulated physiological response from the doll.
Typically the doll's eyes are designed to pivot from an opened towards a closed position and vice versa. Each eye may be weighted so as to pivot towards the closed position when the orientation of the doll's head is changed from an upright towards a recumbent position. Advantageously each eye is provided with a secondary tilt mechanism to cause the eye to pivot to a fully closed position when the doll is lying down. In a preferred embodiment said secondary tilt mechanism comprises a projection provided at the back of each eye, and a moveable weight with a guide on which the moveable weight can move, said guide being mounted relative to the eye such that when the doll is lying down it is tilted at a sufficient angle to enable the moveable weight to move down the guide under the force of gravity whereby, in use, the moveable weight can engage sai
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Leversedge John Malcolm
Pracas Victor Manuel
Muir D Neal
Toy Concepts Pty. Ltd.
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