Motor element for facially animated mannequin

• US 4,683,669 A
• Filed: 06/08/1984
• Issued: 08/04/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas J. Greer Jr
• Original Assignee: Thomas J. Greer Jr
• Inventors: Greer, Thomas J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hakomaki, J.
• Application Number:
  US06/618,728
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 40/411, 40/412, 40/414, 40/416, 40/422, 40/455, 40/457, 40/463, 446/41, 446/44, 446/135, 446/156, 446/337, 446/338, 446/391-396
• US Class Current: 40/414
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/365 allowing a choice of facial features, e.g. to change the facial expression change of expression through animation A63H3/48, self-moving A63H13/005; movable eyes A63H3/40
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/32 with moving parts
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/08 Dolls, faces, or other representations of living forms with moving parts in the nature of toys A63H
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2019/086 Dolls
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2019/088 Faces

Abstract

An animated mannequin head for simulating human facial expressions. A rigid substrate in the form of a head is partially covered with elongated, pressurized fluid filled tubes. The tubes, termed tube motor elements, are either covered by or are embedded in a deformable layer/stratum, the outer surface of which is textured and tinted to simulate facial skin, the layer/stratum positioned on the head to simulate a face. Upon variation of the fluid pressure within various groups of the tube motor elements, various facial expressions may be simulated. In a first embodiment, helical coil springs are used instead of pressurized tubes, passage of direct current through the coils causing them to contract, the coils being embedded in a deformable layer/stratum. In a second embodiment, a grid of parallel wires is embedded in the simulated skin, passage of direct current through selected segments of selected pairs of wires causes them to move together, at right angles to their length, thus distorting the skin.

Claims

1. A facially animated mannequin of the type including a substrate in the form of a head, simulated skin placed over a least a portion of the head to form a face, and motor elements intimately associated with the skin for distorting the latter so as to simulate various facial expressions, in which the motor elements comprise skin deforming members which are in contact with and fixed to the skin so as to be invisible externally thereof, and which are generally parallel to and in conformation with the contour of the skin, each motor element being capable of actuation independently of the other motor elements, the motor elements producing upon their actuation movement substantially only parallel to and in conformation with the contour of the skin, each motor element being capable of acutation independently of the other motor elements, whereby the deformation of one or more selected motor elements causes distortion and changes in the external appearance of the skin contiguous thereto, thereby simulating facial expressions, the skin and motor elements defining a first layer or stratum.

2. The facially animated mannequin of claim 1 wherein the mannequin head is provided with a second layer or stratum which is positioned interiorly of the first stratum, the second layer or stratum being of the same construction as the first layer or stratum, whereby the second layer or stratum is employed to establish a first set of basic facial proportions corresponding to a first simulated individual and whereby the second layer or stratum is employed to simulate facial expressions such as those occurring during conversation, and whereby the second layer or stratum may later in time be employed to establish a second set of basic facial proportions corresponding to a second simulated individual.

3. The facially animated mannequin of claim 1 wherein the mannequin head is provided with a second layer or stratum which is positioned interiorly of the first stratum, the second layer or stratum including an elastomer skin and motor elements intimately associated therewith for distorting said skin, whereby the second layer or stratum is employed to establish a first set of basic facial proportions corresponding to a first simulated individual and whereby the first layer or stratum is employed to simulate facial expressions such as those occurring during conversation, and whereby the second layer or stratum may later in time be employed to establish a second set of basic facial proportions corresponding to a second simulated individual.

4. The facially animated mannequin of claim 1 wherein the motor elements are at least partially embedded in the skin.

5. The facially animated mannequin of claim 4 wherein each bellows has spiral edges and valleys, and a coil spring is positioned in the valleys of each bellows member.

6. The facially animated mannequin of claim 1 wherein the motor elements are defined by coils each formed from an electrically conductive wire having spaced whorls, whereby the passage of a direct current through each coil gives rise to a force between adjacent whorls of that coil to thereby cause the coil to change its length, the coils being in contact with and fixed to the skin, whereby upon application of direct current to selected ones of the coils, changes in the external appearance of portions of the skin contiguous to those selected coils, due to distortion of the skin, are effected to thereby simulate facial expressions.

7. The animated mannequin construction claim 6 wherein said coils are embedded in the simulated skin.

8. The facially animated mannequin of claim 6 wherein ferromagnetic particles are dispersed in the skin, whereby the ferromagentic particles increase the effective magnetic permeability of the skin to thereby increase the force between adjacent whorls of each coil when a current is passed therethrough.

9. The facially animated mannequin of claim 1 wherein the motor elements are arranged with respect to each other in the manner of human facial muscles.

10. The facially animated mannequin of claim 1 wherein at least one of the motor elements is defined by a generally helical coil whose longitudinal axis is substantially annular, to thereby simulate the human facial muscle orbicularis palpebrarum around the eyes or orbicularis oris around the mouth, the coil formed from an electrically conductive wire, whereby the passage of a direct current through the coil gives rise to a force between adjacent whorls of the coil to thereby cause the helical coil to change its length, means for mounting and supporting the annular coil to permit the coil to move radially from a normal position to a radially changed position upon the passage of direct current through the coil.

11. The facially animated mannequin of claim 10 wherein said mounting and supporting means includes radially disposed slots in the head substrate, the slots carrying mounting members slidable therein, the annular coil being mounted on and supported by the slidable mounting members, the mounting members being spaced from each other along the annular longitudinal axis of the coil.

12. The facially animated mannequin of claim 11 wherein said mounting members are defined by railroad rail like members whose web portions include at least one through slot which receives at least one whorl of said coil, said coil being a continuous helical coil at least a portion of whose whorls encircle the upper, rounded portion of the mounting members, whereby the passage of direct current through the coil causes the coil to radially contract from the normal position by virtue of a force of attraction between adjacent whorls of the coil.

13. The facially animated mannequin of claim 12 wherein said coil is resilient and thus returns to a normal position when not energized.

14. The facially animated mannequin of claim 11 wherein said mounting members are defined by railroad rail like members, and whereby the major annular extent of the whorls of the coil, at those portions of the coil which are supported by the mounting members, encircles the upper, rounded portion of the mounting members, each whorl being generally circular and joined at its ends to the ends of its next adjacent whorls, by generally V-shaped segments, whereby the passage of direct current through the coil causes the coil to radially expand from a normal position by virtue of a force of repulsion between adjacent whorls of the coil.

15. The facially animated mannequin of claim 14 wherein said coil is resilient and thus returns to a normal position when not energized.

16. The facially animated mannequin of claim 6 wherein the coils are helical coils and the force between adjacent whorls is a force of attraction to thereby cause the coil to contract along its length.

17. The facially animated mannequin of claim 6 wherein the coils are generally helical, each whorls of a coil being generally circular and joined at its ends to the ends of its next adjacent whorl by generally V-shaped segments, wherein the forced between adjacent whorls is a force of repulsion to thereby cause the coil to expand along its length.

18. The facially animated mannequin of claim 1 wherein the motor elements are defined by conductive, flexible wires, each wire being parallel to an adjacent wire over at least segments of its length, the wires being embedded in said skin, whereby the passage of a direct current through selected pairs or portions of selected pairs of the wires gives rise to a force of attraction between adjacent, parallel segments of the selected pairs or portions thereof to thereby cause the parallel segments to move towards each other at right angles to their length, whereby upon application of direct current to the coils, changes in the external appearance of portions of the skin contiguous to selected pairs or portions of parallel segments, due to distortion of the skin, are effected to thereby simulate facial expressions.

19. The facially animated mannequin of claim 18 wherein the wires form two grids of wires at right angles to each other, each of the two grids defined by parallel wires.

20. The facially animated mannequin of claim 18 wherein ferromagnetic particles are dispersed in the skin, whereby the ferromagentic particles increase the effective magnetic permeability of the skin to thereby increase the force of attraction between adjacent wire segments when a current is passed therethrough.

21. The animated mannequin of claim 1 wherein the motor element are completely embedded in the skin.

22. The facially animated mannequin of claim 1 wherein the motor elements are defined by expansible tubes which upon their actuation produce motion with negligible increase of their diameters, the tubes varying their lengths upon variation in fluid pressure therein.

23. The animated mannequin construction of claim 22 wherein said tubes are elastic and have the property of contracting to a normal length upon relaxation of fluid pressure therein.

24. The animated mannequin construction of claim 22 wherein said skin is elastic, the skin having a normal configuration, whereby increase of fluid pressure within any tube causes the skin contiguous to that tube to stretch parallel to the direction of tube elongation and whereby relaxation of fluid pressure within that tube results in the skin returning to its normal configuration.

25. The facially animated mannequin construction of claim 24 wherein said skin is in the form of a sheet and wherein the tubes are positioned between the head substrate and the skin sheet.

26. The facially animated mannequin construction of claim 24 wherein said skin is in the form of a layer whose thickness is greater than the diameter of the tubes and wherein said tubes are at least partially embedded in said layer.

27. The facially animated mannequin construction of claim 26 wherein said tubes are completely embedded in said layer.

28. The facially animated mannequin construction of claim 22 wherein the expansible tubes are defined by bellows.

29. The facially animated mannequin construction of claim 23 wherein the expansible tubes are defined by bellows.

30. The facially animated mannequin construction of claim 24 wherein the expansible tubes are defined by bellows.

31. The facially animated mannequin construction of claim 25 wherein the expansible tubes are defined by bellows.

32. The facially animated mannequin construction of claim 26 wherein the expansible tubes are defined by bellows.

33. The facially animated mannequin construction of claim 27 wherein the expansible tubes are defined by bellows.

34. The facially animated mannequin of claim 28 wherein each bellows has spiral edges and valleys, and a coil spring is positioned in the valleys of each bellows member.

35. The facially animated mannequin of claim 29 wherein each bellows has spiral edges and valleys, and a coil spring is positioned in the valleys of each bellows member.

36. The facially animated mannequin of claim 30 wherein each bellows has spiral edges and valleys, and a coil spring is positioned in the valleys of each bellows member.

37. The facially animated mannequin of claim 31 wherein each bellows has spiral edges and valleys, and a coil spring is positioned in the valleys of each bellows member.

38. The facially animated mannequin of claim 32 wherein each bellows has spiral edges and valleys, and a coil spring is positioned in the valleys of each bellows member.