Extendable hand amusement device

• US 4,466,649 A
• Filed: 05/26/1982
• Issued: 08/21/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tomy Kogyo Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tomy Kogyo Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Ozawa, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Cherry, Johnny D.
• Application Number:
  US06/382,241
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 294/19 R, 294/19 A, 294/20, 294/22, 294/50.8, 294/50.9, 294/99 R, 294/104, 294/106, 294/115, 3/12, 3/12.6, 3/12.7, 46/119, 46/120, 46/126, 56/332, 56/333, 403/109, 403/377
• US Class Current: 446/390
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/00 Other toys
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 1/04 rigid, e.g. shelf-reachers without grippers A47F13/06
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0009 comprising multi-articulated fingers, e.g. resembling a human hand
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32483 Spring biased

Abstract

In a mechanical hand amusement device there is provided a handle with a movable grip member joined to an elongated arm, and a hand member having a fixed thumb and four flexible finger members joined to a shaft housed within and capable of moving along the length of the elongated arm. A spring, one end of which is connected to the arm, and the other end of which is connected to the shaft, holds the shaft in tensioned relationship with the arm to induce sliding of the shaft along the arm when a release mechanism is activated. In addition, the grip member and the hand member are connected by a continuous string which further winds through two pulleys. One pulley is connected to the arm through a slit in the shaft, and the other pulley is connected to the shaft. When the release button is pushed, the shaft extends from the arm and the length of string between the respective pulleys is decreased but the length of string between the pulleys and the ends of the device is increased. Again, the grip member may be squeezed in this extended position to activate the flexible hand. Thus, with the shaft in either the non-extended or extended position, the grip member is capable of operating the hand member.

Claims

1. An amusement device, comprising:

(a) an arm having a first end and a second end;

(b) a shaft member also having a first end and a second end and being slidably connected in parallel relation to said arm for sliding in a direction away from said first end of said arm;

(c) a grip member movably mounted at said first end of said arm;

(d) a hand member mounted at said second end of said shaft member;

(e) a first spring means for holding said shaft member with potential energy for movement relative to said arm, wherein said first spring means has an elongated cylindrical spring, one end of which is connected to a hook located at the first end of said shaft member, the other end of said spring being connected to said first end of said arm, and the middle of said spring substantially surrounding a pulley rotatably mounted to said second end of said arm;

(f) means for releasing said shaft member from a normally stationary relationship relative to said arm and for allowing said first spring means to extend said shaft member from said arm;

(g) stopping means for preventing said shaft member from totally leaving said arm when said release means and said first spring means are activated; and

(h) means for operatively connecting said movable grip member with said hand member.

2. The amusement device as described in claim 1, wherein said means for connecting said grip member and said hand member comprises:

(a) a first rod connected to said grip member, said first rod terminating in a hook;

(b) a string connected to said hook on said first rod and extending along said shaft member in the direction of said hand member, wherein said string substantially surrounds a pulley rotatably connected to the second end of said arm through a slit in said shaft member parallel to and running almost the length of said shaft member;

(c) said string further extending in the direction of said grip member wherein said string substantially surrounds a pulley rotatably connected to said first end of said shaft member;

(d) said string again extending in the direction of the hand member wherein it attaches to a hook terminating a second rod;

(e) said second rod being connected to a displaceable member linearly movable relative to said hand member.

3. The amusement device as described in claim 2, wherein the release means comprises:

(a) a lever pivotally connected to said first end of said arm;

(b) a hollow button terminating one end of the lever for fitting into a hole in said first end of said arm;

(c) a projection located on the other end of the lever for fitting into a ho1e in said first end of said shaft member; and

(d) a spring having one end positioned within the button and the other end abutting a flange located at the first end of the shaft member for biassing the button into said hole in said arm and for biassing said projection into said hole in said shaft member.

4. The amusement device as described in claim 3, wherein the stopping means comprises:

(a) a plurality of projections located on said first end of said shaft member; and

(b) a plurality of corresponding flanges located on said second end of said arm for abutting said projections and stopping movement thereof.

5. The amusement device as described in claim 4 wherein said hand member further comprises:

at least one movable digit having a plurality of hollow segments joined by first flexible hinges.

6. The amusement device as described in claim 5, further comprising:

a flexible strap corresponding to each of said at least one movable digit, said strap being fixed to the end of said at least one movable digit and extending through the remainder of the digit.

7. The amusement device as described in claim 6, wherein said displaceable member is attached to said strap corresponding to each said at least one movable digit.

8. The amusement device as described in claim 7, further comprising:

second spring means disposed between said second end of said shaft member and said displaceable member to bias said displaceable member away from said shaft member.

9. The amusement device of claim 8, wherein said second spring means comprises:

a cylindrical spring wrapped around said second rod, one end of said cylindrical spring pressing against said displaceable member.

10. The amusement device of claim 9, wherein said hand member has four movable finger members and a fixed thumb member, each of said finger members having three segments, one being a terminal segment.

11. The amusement device of claim 10, further comprising:

four resilient fingertip members, one of said fingertip members being attached to the terminal segment of each finger member.

12. The amusement device of claim 11, further comprising:

an element fixedly mounted within said hand member, each of said finger members being attached to said element by a further flexible hinge.

13. The amusement device of claim 12, wherein said element has four openings therein, each of said openings corresponding to one of said finger members, and said straps extend from said displaceable member to said finger members through said openings.

14. An amusement device, comprising:

(a) a hollow arm;

(b) a hollow shaft member slidably housed within the arm;

(c) a grip member movably mounted at one end of said hollow arm;

(d) a hollow hand member having a wrist end and a finger end, one end of said hollow shaft member being attached to said hand member at the wrist end thereof, and said finger end of said hand member having at least one slot therein;

(e) at least one movable finger member having a plurality of hollow segments joined by first flexible hinges and having a terminal segment;

(f) an element fixedly mounted within said hand member and positioned at said finger end thereof adjacent said at least one slot;

(g) a second flexible hinge extending through said at least one slot to movably join said at least one finger member to said element;

(h) a linearly movable displaceable member positioned within said hand member between the wrist end thereof and said element;

(i) a flexible strap corresponding to each said at least one finger member, said strap having one end thereof fixed to the terminal segment of said at least one finger member and the other end thereof fixed to said displaceable member;

(j) spring means to bias said displaceable member toward said element; and

(k) means extending through said hollow arm for operatively connecting said displaceable member and said grip member, said operatively connecting means having a first rod terminating in a hook connected to said grip member, a string connected to said hook and extending along the inside of said shaft member in the direction of said hand member wherein the string substantially surrounds a pulley rotatably connected to said arm through a slit in said shaft member, then further extending in the direction of said grip member, wherein the string substantially surrounds a pulley rotatably connected to the shaft member, and again extends in the direction of said hand member where the string attaches to a hook terminating a second rod, said second rod being connected to a displaceable member linearly movable within said hand member and said displaceable member also being attached to the strap corresponding to each said at least one movable finger member.

15. The amusement device as described in claim 14, wherein said spring means is a spring disposed between said shaft member and said displaceable member for biassing said displaceable member away from said shaft member.

16. The amusement device of claim 15, further comprising:

means positioned between said spring and said shaft member for retaining said spring within said hand member.

17. The amusement device of claim 16, wherein said means for retaining said spring within said hand member comprises:

a flange having an opening therein through which said second rod extends, one side of said flange abutting one end of said shaft member and the other side of said flange abutting one end of said spring.

18. The amusement device as described in claim 17, wherein said hand member comprises a top member having two holes disposed therein adjacent the finger end, a palm member having two first threaded cylinders extending towards the two holes adjacent said finger end in said top member, and two screws extending through the holes adjacent said finger end in the top member to the first threaded cylinders of the palm member joining the top member and the palm member, and wherein said element is fixedly mounted within said hand member and has two second openings therein through which said first threaded cylinders pass to fixedly mount said element.

19. The amusement device of claim 18, wherein said top member has two holes therein disposed adjacent the wrist end, wherein said palm member has two second threaded cylinders extending towards the two holes adjacent the wrist end in the top member, and wherein said shaft member at the wrist end has two holes through which said second threaded cylinders pass, and further comprising two screws extending through the holes adjacent the wrist end in said top member to the second threaded cylinders of the palm member to join said top and palm members and to attach said shaft member thereto.

20. The amusement device as described in claim 19, wherein said element has a first opening therein corresponding to each said at least one finger member, and said strap corresponding to each said at least one finger member extending through the corresponding first opening.

21. The amusement device as described in claim 20, wherein said finger end of said hand member has four slots therein, wherein there are four finger members having a plurality of hollow segments joined by first flexible hinges, each finger member corresponding to one of the slots, wherein there are four second flexible hinges, each second hinge corresponding to one of the finger members and extending through one of the slots to movably join the corresponding finger member to said element, wherein said element has four first openings therein, each first opening corresponding to one of the finger members, and wherein there are four flexible straps, each strap corresponding to one of the finger members and extending through the corresponding first opening in said element, one end of each strap being fixed to the terminal segment of the corresponding finger member and the other end being fixed to said displaceable member, and further comprising a fixed thumb member mounted on said hand member.

22. An amusement device, comprising:

(a) a grip member connected to an elongated arm;

(b) a flexible member connected to a shaft;

(c) said shaft being slidably housed within said arm;

(d) a first rod connected to said grip member, said first rod terminating in a hook;

(e) a string connected to said hook on said first rod and extending along said shaft in the direction of said flexible member, wherein said string substantially surrounds a pulley rotatably connected to said arm through a slit in said shaft which is parallel to and running substantially the length of said shaft;

(f) said string further extending in the direction of said grip member wherein said string substantially surrounds a pulley rotatably connected to said shaft;

(g) said string again extending in the direction of the flexible member wherein the string attaches to a hook terminating a second rod;

(h) said second rod being connected to the flexible member.

23. The amusement device as described in claim 22, further comprising:

an elongated cylindrical spring, one end of which is connected to a hook connected to said shaft, the other end of said spring being connected to said arm, and the middle of said spring substantially surrounding a pulley rotatably mounted to said arm.