Animated doll

• US 5,013,276 A
• Filed: 05/07/1990
• Issued: 05/07/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Henry A. Garfinkel
• Original Assignee: Henry A. Garfinkel
• Inventors: Garfinkel, Henry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US07/519,761
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 446/14, 446/358, 446/359, 446/365, 446/386, 446/352-355, 446/330, 446/333-336, 446/175, 446/297, 446/298, 446/303, 446/290, 446/484, 40/414, 40/418
• US Class Current: 446/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/00 Toy figures with self-moving parts, with or without movement of the toy as a whole

Abstract

An animated fashion doll including individually articulated arms, legs and head, each separately controlled by a separate thermal motor mounted within the doll torso and controlled from a base-mounted programmable controller which is in turn responsive to remote external stimulation.

Claims

1. An animated fashion doll adapted to be hand held and including multiple independently articulated appendages, a base, means removably mounting said doll to said base, a separate actuator means in said doll for each appendage, each actuator means being mounted in engagement with its associate appendage for effecting movement of the appendage upon actuation of the actuator means, controller means for controlled activation of said separate actuator means, said controller means including means for independently activating each of said separate actuator means, means for programming the activation of each of said actuator means, said means for programming the activation of said actuator means comprising a replaceable program element in said controller means, said controller means being electrically energizable and sensor means on said controller means responsive to external stimulation for energizing said controller, each of said actuator means being a thermal motor responsive to electrical stimulation from said controller means, each said thermal motor including a thermal member selectively moveable in response to application and removal of heat to and from said thermal member.

2. The animated doll of claim 1 including a fixed position mount for each thermal motor, each thermal motor including shaft means rotatably supported by said mount, said shaft means being fixed to an associated appendage for movement of said appendage, said thermal member including a first end portion fixed relative to said mount and a second end portion, means for engaging said second end portion with said shaft means, said second end portion of said thermal member, upon the heating of the thermal member, moving relative to the fixed first end portion for movement of the engaged shaft means, and the associated appendage fixed thereto, from a first position to a second position, and said thermal motor including memory means for returning said shaft means and associated appendage to said first position upon removal of said heating.

3. The animated doll of claim 2 wherein said shaft means includes a longitudinal axis and is rotatable about said axis, said means for engaging said second end portion with said shaft comprising an abutment fixed to said shaft means eccentric to said axis and engaged by said second end portion.

4. The animated doll of claim 3 wherein said controller means is located within said base, said controller means including an electrically energizable disk, said replaceable program element being juxtaposed said disk and having multiple circular tracks defined thereabout by a series of spaced slots therethrough opening to the juxtaposed disk, multiple electrically conductive brushes overlying said program element, means for effecting relative rotation between said brushes and said program element for selective engagement of the brushes with the disk through said program element slots, and electrical conductor means extending from each of said brushes to a separate one of said actuator means.

5. The animated doll of claim 4 wherein said means mounting said doll to said base includes a vertical stand supported on and extending upwardly from said base, said conductor means extending through said stand, and mating electrical connectors on said stand and said doll for electrically mating said doll to said stand, said connectors being respectively joined to said conductor means of said base and said actuator means within said doll.

6. The animated doll of claim 5 including means mounting said stand for rotation in conjunction with the relative rotation of said brushes and said program element.

7. The animated doll of claim 1 wherein said controller means is located within said base, said controller means including an electrically energizable disk, said replaceable program element being juxtaposed said disk and having multiple circular tracks defined thereabout by series of spaced slots therethrough opening to the juxtaposed disk, multiple electrically conductive brushes overlying said program element, means for effecting relative rotation between said brushes and said program element for selective engagement of the brushes with the disk through said program element slots, and electrical conductor means extending from each of said brushes to a separate one of said actuator means.

8. The animated doll of claim 7 wherein said means mounting said doll to said base includes a vertical stand supported on and extending upwardly from said base, said conductor means extending through said stand, and mating electrical conductors on said stand and said doll for electrically mating said doll to said stand, said connectors being respectively joined to said conductor means of said base and said actuator means within said doll.

9. The animated doll of claim 8 including means mounting said stand for rotation in conjunction with the relative rotation of said brushes and said program element.

10. An animated fashion doll adapted to be hand held and including multiple independently articulated appendages, a base, means removably mounting said doll to said base, a separate actuator means in said doll for each appendage, each actuator means being mounted in engagement with its associate appendage for effecting movement of the appendage upon actuation of the actuator means, and controller means for controlled activation of said separate actuator means, each of said actuator means being a thermal motor responsive to electrical energization from said controller means, said thermal motor including a thermal member selectively moveable in response to application and removal of electrical heating to and from the thermal member.

11. The animated doll of claim 10 including a fixed position mount for each thermal motor, each thermal motor including a shaft movably supported by said mount, said shaft being fixed to an associated appendage for movement of the appendage, a thermal member selectively moveable in response to application and removal of heat to and from said thermal member, said thermal member including a first end portion fixed relative to said mount and a second end portion, means for engaging said second end portion with said shaft, said second end portion of said thermal member, upon the resistance heating of said thermal member, moving relative to said fixed first end portion for movement of the engaged shaft, and the associated appendage fixed thereto, from a first position to a second position, and memory means for returning said shaft and associated appendage to said first position upon removal of said resistance heating.

12. The animated doll of claim 11 wherein said shaft includes a longitudinal axis and is rotatable about said axis, said means for engaging said second end portion with said shaft comprising an abutment fixed to said shaft eccentric to said axis and engaged by said second end portion, said thermal member at least partially encircling said shaft.

13. The animated doll of claim 12 wherein the thermal member and memory means of each said actuator are at least partially coiled about a common longitudinal axis collinear with the longitudinal axis of said shaft means.

14. An animated fashion doll adapted to be hand held and including multiple independently articulated appendages, a separate thermal motor actuator means in said doll for each appendage, each actuator means being mounted in engagement with its associate appendage for effecting movement of the appendage upon actuation of the actuator means, and said thermal motor actuator means being adapted to coact with controller means for controlled activation of said separate actuator means.

15. The animated fashion doll of claim 14 including electrical connector means for electrical connection of said actuator means to the controller means with which they are adapted to coact.

16. The animated fashion doll of claim 14 wherein each of said actuator means being responsive to electrical energization from the controller means with which it is adapted to coact, each said thermal motor actuator means including a thermal member selectively moveable in response to application and removal of heat to and from the thermal member.

17. The animated fashion doll of claim 16 including a fixed position mount for each thermal motor actuator means, each thermal motor actuator means including shaft means rotatably supported by said mount, said shaft means being fixed to an associated appendage for movement of said appendage, said thermal member including a first end portion fixed relative to said mount, and a second end portion, means for engaging said second end portion with said shaft means, said second end portion of said thermal member, upon the heating of the thermal member, moving relative to the fixed first end portion for movement of the engaged shaft means, and the associated appendage fixed thereto, from a first position to a second position, and memory means for returning said shaft means and associated appendage to said first position upon removal of said heating.

18. The animated fashion doll of claim 17 wherein said shaft means includes a longitudinal axis and is rotatable about said axis, said means for engaging said second end portion with said shaft comprising an abutment fixed to said shaft means eccentric to said axis and engaged by said second end portion.

19. The animated fashion doll of claim 14 wherein each of said actuator means is responsive to electrical energization from the controller with which it is adapted to coact, said thermal motor actuator means including a thermal member selectively moveable in response to application and removal of electrical heating to and from the thermal member.

20. The animated fashion doll of claim 19 including a fixed position mount for each thermal motor actuator means, each thermal motor actuator means including a shaft movably supported by said mount, said shaft being fixed to an associated appendage for movement of the appendage, said thermal member including a first end portion fixed relative to said mount, and a second end portion, means for engaging said second end portion with said shaft, said second end portion of said thermal member, upon the resistance heating of the thermal member, moving relative to the fixed first end portion for movement of the engaged shaft, and the associated appendage fixed thereto, from a first position to a second position, and memory means for returning said shaft and associated appendage to said first position upon removal of said resistance heating.

21. The animated fashion doll of claim 20 wherein said shaft includes a longitudinal axis and is rotatable about said axis, said means for engaging said second end portion with said shaft comprising an abutment fixed to said shaft eccentric to said axis and engaged by said second end portion, said thermal member at least partially encircling said shaft.

22. The animated fashion doll of claim 21 wherein the thermal member and memory means of each said actuator means are at least partially coiled about a common longitudinal axis collinear with the longitudinal axis of said shaft.

23. An animated fashion doll adapted to be hand held and including multiple independently articulated appendages, a thermal motor actuator means in said doll for at least one of said appendages, said actuator means being mounted in engagement with its associate appendage for effecting movement of the appendage upon actuation of the actuator means, and said thermal motor actuator means being adapted to coact with controller means for controlled activation of said actuator means.

24. The animated fashion doll of claim 23 wherein a plurality of said articulated appendages are each provided with a separate thermal motor actuator means.

25. The animated fashion doll of claim 24 wherein each of said actuator means being responsive to electrical energization from the controller means with which it is adapted to coact, each said thermal motor including a thermal member selectively moveable in response to application and removal of heat to and from the thermal member.