Doll and method of operation

• US 5,324,201 A
• Filed: 03/26/1993
• Issued: 06/28/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joan Friedel
• Original Assignee: Joan Friedel
• Inventors: Friedel, Joan
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US08/037,750
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 446/268, 446/72-74, 446/304, 446/303, 446/297, 446/219, 446/485, 434/236, 434/262
• US Class Current: 434/236
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/003 specially adapted for a particular function not connected with dolls as electric lighting devices A63H3/006
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26

Abstract

A doll includes a body having a torso defining a cavity housing a shelf and closed by a door. A user tears a sheet from a note pad, writes a "secret" upon the sheet, inserts the sheet into a pocket into the star-like body and inserts the latter upon the shelf. The door of the cavity is closed and the star-like body and the "secret" upon the note is displaced for subsequent reuse. The "secret" can also be written upon the sheet torn from the note pad using a pen with conventional "disappearing" ink. Preferably a door or doors of the doll is then locked by a suitable time-delay mechanism to prevent access to the note until the ink/secret has disappeared, thus telling the user/child that the "secret" has been received by the "inner child" or doll and is respected (secret) thereby through its disappearance. Further, in lieu of blank sheets, a stack of preprinted sheets or cards may be provided each with a different "secret" or message thereon which the user can select, fold, insert into the star-like body, etc.

Claims

1. A doll comprising a body including a torso, means for defining a first cavity within said torso, a shelf upon which an object can be disposed within said first cavity, means for opening and closing access to said shelf via said first cavity, means for defining a second cavity, and means for displacing an object relative to said shelf and into said second cavity whereby said object is generally out of sight via said access means when the latter is open.

2. The doll as defined in claim 1 wherein said object displacing means is constructed and arranged for moving said shelf to displace the object thereupon.

3. The doll as defined in claim 1 including an object, and said object includes means for defining a chamber into which another object can be at least in part inserted.

4. The doll as defined in claim 1 including an object, said object includes means for defining a chamber into which another object can be at least in part inserted, another object and said another object is a piece of paper upon which a user can write "secret" or similar thoughts or indicia.

5. The doll as defined in claim 1 including an object, said object includes means for defining a chamber into which another object can be at least in part inserted, and said first-mentioned object is a star-like body.

6. The doll as defined in claim 1 including an object, said object includes means for defining a chamber into which another object can be at least in part inserted, said first-mentioned object is a star-like body, and said chamber is a pocket.

7. The doll as defined in claim 1 including an object, and another object said object includes means for defining a chamber into which another object can be at least in part inserted, said first-mentioned object is a star-like body and said another object is a piece of paper upon which a user can write "secret" or similar thoughts or indicia.

8. The doll as defined in claim 1 including an object, and another object said object includes means for defining a chamber into which another object can be at least in part inserted, said first-mentioned object is a star-like body, said another object is a piece of paper upon which a user can write "secret" or similar thoughts or indicia, and said chamber is a pocket into which the piece of paper can be inserted.

9. The doll as defined in claim 1 including means for conducting the object to said second cavity which is located beneath said shelf.

10. The doll as defined in claim 1 including means for conducting the object to said second cavity which is located beneath said shelf and exteriorly of said torso.

11. The doll as defined in claim 1 including means for conducting the object to a location beneath said shelf and exteriorly of said torso into said second cavity.

12. The doll as defined in claim 1 including means for conducting the object to a location beneath said shelf and exteriorly of said torso into said second cavity, and means for accessing said second cavity exteriorly of said torso.

13. The doll as defined in claim 1 including means for conducting the object to said second cavity which is located beneath said shelf and exteriorly of said torso.

14. The doll as defined in claim 1 including means for conducting the object to said second cavity which is located beneath said shelf and exteriorly of said torso via a passage.

15. The doll as defined in claim 1 including an object, said object is a medium upon which a child'"'"'s secret thoughts or like indicia can be written.

16. The doll as defined in claim 1 including an object, said object is a star-like body, and means for effecting illumination of said star-like body.

17. The doll as defined in claim 3 including another object, said first-mentioned object is a star-like body having a chamber into which said another object can be at least in part inserted, means for effecting illumination of said star-like body, and said another object initiates the illumination of said star-like body upon the insertion thereof into said chamber.

18. A doll kit comprising a doll including a body having a torso, means for defining a first cavity within said torso, a shelf upon which an object can be placed disposed within said first cavity, means for opening and closing access to said shelf via said first cavity, means for defining a second cavity, means for displacing an object relative to said shelf and into said second cavity whereby said object is generally out of sight via said access means when the latter is open;

and an object having or upon which a user can write "secret" or similar thoughts or indicia prior to placing said object upon said shelf.

19. The doll kit as defined in claim 18 including writing means for writing indicia upon said object.

20. The doll kit as defined in claim 18 wherein said object is notepaper.

21. The doll kit as defined in claim 18 including another object including a chamber into which said first-mentioned object can be inserted.

22. The doll kit as defined in claim 18 wherein said object is a writing "slate."

23. The doll kit as defined in claim 21 wherein said another object is a star-like body.

24. A doll comprising a body including a torso, means for defining a cavity within said torso, means in said cavity for supporting an object thereon which can be placed within said cavity, an object, means for opening and closing access to said cavity, print means carried by said object which disappears in a predetermined time interval, means for locking said opening and closing access means in its closed position to prevent access to said object after said object has been inserted into said cavity, and means for preventing the opening of said opening and closing access means until the lapse of said predetermined time interval.

25. The doll as defined in claim 24, wherein said supporting means is a shelf, said object is a piece of paper and said print means is indicia written in the disappearing ink.

26. The doll as defined in claim 25 including an "inner child" object permanently seated upon said shelf.