Helical coil spring toy and a response device therefor

• US 6,000,991 A
• Filed: 03/26/1998
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pragmatic Designs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pragmatic Designs, Inc.
• Inventors: Truchsess, Joseph, Stobbs, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carlson, Jeffrey D.
• Application Number:
  US09/048,639
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 446/176, 446/213, 446/397, 446/486, 446/491, 446/404, 446/408, 446/484, 446/188, 446/81, 84/723, 84/734, 84/735, 84/737, 84/600, 84/DIG. 24, 482/74, 482/84, 482/900
• US Class Current: 446/397
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/00 Other toys
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/08 Dolls, faces, or other representations of living forms with moving parts in the nature of toys A63H

Abstract

An amusement device for a helical coil spring toy that generates a response such as sound or light whenever the wave of the helical coil spring changes direction. The amusement device includes two end caps affixed to the two free ends of the coil spring. One of the two end caps is an active end cap which houses the mechanism for generating the response. When the helical coil spring is compressed at the active end cap end a trigger switch activates an integrated circuit thereby producing the desired response. When the wave of compressed coils travels to the passive end cap a second response is produced by a time delay circuit so that user selective alternating responses are produced each time the wave of coils travels from one end cap to the other.

Claims

1. A helical coil spring toy, comprising:

a coiled spring having a plurality of connected rings and two free ends, at least two of said plurality of connected rings being moveable relative to each other when said plurality of rings engage in wave-like movement;

an active end cap defining a housing and attachable to one of the free ends of the coiled spring; and

means, disposed at said active end cap, for generating an output in response to the wave-like movement of said plurality of rings of the coiled spring.

2. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means for generating an output includes an integrated circuit chip generating output signals, the integrated circuit chip having a plurality of inputs and outputs.

3. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 2, wherein the means for generating an output further includes a trigger switch electrically connected to one of the inputs of the integrated circuit chip, so as to initiate activation of the integrated circuit chip.

4. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 2, wherein the means for generating an output further includes a sound selector switch electrically connected to one of the inputs of the integrated circuit chip, so as to activate one of a plurality of sounds stored on the integrated circuit chip, and an output device connected to one of the outputs of the integrated circuit chip so as to receive the output signals from said integrated chip and produce a response thereto.

5. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 2, wherein the means for generating a response further includes an output device electrically connected to one of the outputs of the interred circuit chip, so as to receive the output signals from said integrated circuit chip and to produce a response thereto.

6. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 5, wherein the output device is a speaker.

7. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 5, wherein the output device is a light.

8. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 3, wherein the trigger switch is a push button switch.

9. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 8, wherein the generating means further includes a lever having a first end contactable with the trigger switch, the lever having a second end arranged so as to be contactable with the second free end of the helical coil spring, and a pivot mounted to the active end cap housing, the lever being rotatably mounted to the pivot at a point between the ends of the lever.

10. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 2, wherein the integrated circuit chip is programmed to generate a first output signal each time the trigger switch is activated, so as to produce a first response.

11. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 10, wherein the integrated circuit chip is programmed to generate a second output signal a predetermined amount of time after the first output signal is generated, so as to produce a second response.

12. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 2, wherein the integrated circuit chip is programmed to generate a continuous output signal when the trigger switch is activated.

13. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 6, wherein the active and passive end caps are generally cylindrical in shape.

14. The helical spring toy in accordance with claim 9, wherein the lever arm is of an approximate Z-shaped configuration.

15. A helical sprung toy, comprising:

a coiled spring having a plurality of connected rings and a first end and a second end, at least two of said plurality of connected rings being moveable relative to each other when said plurality of connected rings engage in wave-like movement; and

an active end cap arranged at said first end of said coiled spring, said active end cap including;

an electronic module including a circuit for outputting signals in response to the wave-like movement of said plurality of rings; and

a mechanical switch moveable between a first position at which said electronic module is activated and a second position at which said electronic module is deactivated, said mechanical switch being configured for contact engagement with one of said plurality of connected rings disposed adjacent to said active end cap such that said mechanical switch moves between said first position and said second position in response to the wave-like movement of said plurality of rings of said coiled spring.

16. The helical spring toy of claim 15, wherein said mechanical switch includes a lever pivotally mounted to said active end cap, said lever having an end dimensioned and shaped for contact engagement with said one of said plurality of rings adjacent said active end cap so that said lever pivots between said first and second positions of said mechanical switch in response to wave-like movement of said plurality of rings, thereby causing said mechanical switch to move between said first position and said second position.

17. The helical spring toy of claim 15, wherein said electronic module includes an integrated circuit chip.

18. The helical spring toy of claim 17, wherein said output signals represent sound.

19. The helical spring toy of claim 18, further comprising a speaker for converting said output signals into sound.