Amusement devices: toys – Having enclosed liquid
Reexamination Certificate
2003-11-14
2004-11-09
Fernstrom, Kurt (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Having enclosed liquid
C446S129000, C040S426000, C040S409000, C040S406000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06814646
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toy or an amusing ornament wherein a doll, a model of a fish, or another figure, is caused to move or dance in a clear liquid inside a transparent container, and wherein that movement can be enjoyed.
2. Description of the Related Art
If a figure is caused to move inside a liquid, then the movement thereof will be a comparatively leisurely, wavering movement, compared to movement over the ground or in the air. A toy of this kind is one that can be enjoyed simply by watching the wavering motion.
A toy wherein a figure is caused to move in a liquid is described, for example, in the Japanese Utility Model Application No. S59-124909 (Utility Model Laid-open No. S61-39597). In this toy, a fish-shaped object is disposed floatingly in a container filled with water and tied up through a fine string with a weight having a permanent magnet attached thereto. The weight is rotatably set on the bottom of the container filled with water. A coil, which generates alternating lines of magnetic force, is arranged under the bottom on the outer side of the container. Swimming actions are caused to the fish-shaped object by the alternating magnetic force generated by the coil.
However, the expression of this toy is poor, since it merely causes the weight to rotate in a circle, and it does not provide satisfactory entertainment as a toy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a toy which is able to create varied and entertaining movements by means of a simple mechanism.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, the toy of the present invention comprises: a liquid container section containing a liquid therein; a figure of specific gravity lower than that of the liquid, accommodated inside the liquid container section; a magnetic body accommodated inside the liquid container section and arranged movably in a vertical direction; a line member extended between the figure and the magnetic body; and an electromagnetic mechanism that acts on the magnetic body. Without a magnetic field the magnetic body is pulled up by a buoyant force caused to the figure. Then a descent movement is caused to the figure so as to move against the buoyancy force of the figure by the descent movement of the magnetic body when an electric current is applied through the electromagnetic mechanism. The figure and the magnetic body are caused to return to their original positions by the buoyancy force of the figure, by releasing the passage of current through the electromagnetic mechanism. Thereby, the figure can be caused to make upward and downward movement, and since it returns to its original position by means of the buoyancy force, a natural movement is achieved.
In the toy described above, desirably, a control device for passing a pulse current through the electromagnetic mechanism is provided. Since the movement of the figure is created by a pulse current, power consumption is reduced and varied movement can be achieved by combining pulse currents or changing periods of pulses.
In the toy described above, desirably, plural line members and magnetic bodies may be connected to a plurality of positions on the figure, and the plural magnetic bodies can be arranged so as to move at different timings. By causing the magnetic bodies to move simultaneously, or by causing one only to move, or causing each to move alternately, it can provide a more varied movement.
In the toy described above, desirably, the interval between the line members is greater in the vicinity of the figure than in the vicinity of the magnetic bodies. Thereby, it is possible to cause the figure to move in a horizontal direction, rather than simply the vertical direction, by causing the magnetic body connected to one of the line member to move, or by causing both of the magnetic bodies to move in alternating fashion.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a toy which is able to create varied and entertaining movements by means of a simple mechanism and arrangement.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4578044 (1986-03-01), Saitoh
patent: 5050876 (1991-09-01), Chuang
patent: 5272681 (1993-12-01), Lee
patent: 5483764 (1996-01-01), Lin
patent: 6148770 (2000-11-01), Lin
patent: U 59-124909 (1984-08-01), None
patent: U 61-39597 (1986-03-01), None
patent: 06343768 (1994-12-01), None
patent: 11047451 (1999-02-01), None
patent: 2001327768 (2001-11-01), None
patent: 2001327770 (2001-11-01), None
patent: 2002028381 (2002-01-01), None
patent: SU 1 045 898 (1983-10-01), None
Atobe Hirohiko
Kanauchi Shigeru
Onishi Tomohiko
Ueda Mie
Cegielnik Urszula M
Fernstrom Kurt
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Sega Toys Ltd.
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