Appendage motion responsive doll

• US 5,011,449 A
• Filed: 03/26/1990
• Issued: 04/30/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Spector, Sterling S., Handy, John N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US07/498,680
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 446/297, 446/303, 446/298, 446/301, 446/397, 446/484
• US Class Current: 446/297
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/48 Mounting of parts within dolls, e.g. automatic eyes or parts for animation self-moving A63H13/00

Abstract

An appendage motion responsive doll includes a body having a torso portion and outwardly extending leg and arm appendages as well as a neck and head simulation. The arm appendages are pivotally secured to the torso to permit motion with respect to the torso. The arms are further fabricated in a manner permitting bending or flexing of the arm appendages. One or more bend sensors are supported within one or more of the arms and cooperate with an internally supported voice unit to produce a selected group of sounds corresponding to the degree of arm motion and bending induced by the user.

Claims

1. An appendage motion responsive doll comprising:

a torso portion;

a first appendage movably joined to said torso portion;

a first bend sensor coupled to said appendage and responsive to motion thereof; and

vocalizing means capable of producing a plurality of sound patterns coupled to said bend sensor for producing a selected one of said sound patterns corresponding to the degree of bending of said first bend sensor.

2. An appendage motion responsive doll as set forth in claim 1 wherein said doll replicates a human infant having a head, first and second arm appendages and two leg appendages.

3. An appendage motion responsive doll as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first bend sensor is coupled to said first arm appendage.

4. An appendage motion responsive doll as set forth in claim 3 further including a second bend sensor coupled to said second arm appendages.

5. An appendage motion responsive doll as set forth in claim 4 wherein said first and second arm appendages define respective first and second internal arm passages and wherein said bend sensors are received within said first and second arm passages.

6. An appendage motion responsive doll as set forth in claim 5 wherein said first and second bend sensors include elongated bend transducers having a resistance which changes in response to bending.

7. An appendage motion responsive doll as set forth in claim 6 wherein the sounds produced by said vocalizing means to replicate the general responses of a human infant to each type of arm motion used.

8. An appendage motion responsive toy figure comprising:

a primary portion;

a secondary portion movably joined to said primary portion;

a first bend sensor coupled to said secondary portion responsive to motion thereof; and

vocalizing means coupled to said bend sensor for producing a sound pattern corresponding to the degree of bending of said first bend sensor.