Stuffed animal figure with sound and illuminated face

• US 6,139,394 A
• Filed: 11/24/1999
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maxim, John G.
• Original Assignee: Maxim, John G.
• Inventors: Maxim, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Application Number:
  US09/449,264
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 446/81, 446/219, 446/268, 446/295, 446/297, 446/397, 446/485
• US Class Current: 446/219
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/006 provided with electrical lighting electrical lighting F21

Abstract

An imitative figure apparatus includes a figure body with a body torso and a body head having a face portion with an illumination sheet of luminescent material for absorbing and storing ambient light energy and for producing illumination from the stored light energy, the sheet being oriented so that the produced illumination is directed forwardly from the figure; and a translucent cover secured over the illumination sheet, the translucent cover representing at least part of the face portion. The translucent cover preferably is configured as a dome having a dome apex. The apparatus additionally includes a mouth and nose representing structure secured to the exterior of the dome substantially at the dome apex. The dome has a dome inner surface which is frosted, and additionally includes eye representing structures having two eye support structures, each eye support structure being fitted with an eye disk for representing the pupil of an eye and which is visible through the dome; so that light emitted by the luminescent sheet enhances the visibility of the eye disks within the dome and also causes each eye disk to cast a shadow on the dome inner surface which appears from outside the dome to surround the eye disks and thus to represent eye whites around eye pupils. An electric light circuit is preferably provided for illuminating the face dome, and sound generating circuits preferably are provided which are activated by applying pressure to the figure mouth or squeezing the figure torso.

Claims

1. An imitative figure apparatus, comprising:

a figure body comprising a body torso and a body head having a face portion comprising an illumination sheet of luminescent material for absorbing and storing ambient light energy and for producing illumination from the stored light energy, said sheet being oriented such that the produced illumination is directed forwardly from said figure;

and a translucent cover secured over said illumination sheet, said translucent cover representing at least part of said face portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said translucent cover is configured as a dome having a dome apex.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, additionally comprising a mouth and nose representing structure secured to the exterior of said dome substantially at said dome apex.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said dome has a dome inner surface which is frosted, additionally comprising eye representing structures comprising two eye support structures, each said eye support structure being fitted with an eye disk for representing the pupil of an eye and which is visible through said dome;

such that light emitted by said luminescent sheet enhances the visibility of said eye disks within said dome and also causes each said eye disk to cast a shadow on said dome inner surface which appears from outside said dome to surround said eye disks and thus to represent eye whites around eye pupils.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said dome has a dome inner surface which is frosted, additionally comprising eye representing structures comprising two coil springs each having a coil spring first end secured to said dome inner surface behind said mouth and nose representing structure and each having a coil spring second end fitted with an eye disk for representing the pupil of an eye and which is visible through said dome;

such that light emitted by said luminescent sheet enhances the visibility of said eye disks within said dome and also causes each said eye disk to cast a shadow on said dome inner surface which appears from outside said dome to surround said eye disks and thus to represent whites around eye pupils, and such that movement of said apparatus causes said coil springs and eye disks to giggle.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, additionally comprising a sheet back plate, wherein said sheet back plate is secured across said face portion and has a forward surface and said luminescent sheet is secured to said forward surface, and wherein said dome is removably secured to said back plate with fastener means.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, additionally comprising:

an electric light source mounted within said dome;

and a light source circuit including said electric light source and a power source and light source circuit switch means.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said electric light source is an incandescent bulb and is fitted into a socket mounted to said back plate with wiring extending through said back plate and downward into said chest cavity and wherein said power source is located within said chest cavity.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said dome is hand deformable and resilient to substantially return to its original shape, and wherein said light source switch means comprises:

a first pressure switch located inside said dome and having a switch actuation means which is positioned to be operable by rearwardly depressing and deforming said dome against said first pressure switch actuation means.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first pressure switch comprises a double pole double throw momentary switch,

such that said light source remains activated after pressure against said first pressure switch is removed, and the electricity reaching said light source from said power source gradually diminishes such that the light emitted by said light source progressively diminishes.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said electric light source switch means comprises:

a second pressure switch within said chest cavity having switch actuation means directed forwardly;

such that squeezing the figure torso depresses said actuation means and closes said second pressure switch and thereby activates said electric light source.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said electric light source switch means comprises:

a magnetic switch and an adjacent magnet contained within at least two said limb ends;

such that placing one said limb end against one of;

an opposing said limb end and a limb end of another such figure, positions the magnet in one said limb end adjacent to the magnetic switch in the opposing said limb end, thereby activating said electric light.

13. The apparatus of claim 2, additionally comprising:

a first sound circuit for producing a sound simulating a kiss upon rearwardly depressing and deforming said dome, said first sound circuit comprising a first speaker, an audio circuit containing a stored kiss sound, a power source and a first sound circuit pressure switch mounted within said dome.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, additionally comprising a second sound circuit for generating simulated vocal sounds, comprising:

an oscillator circuit located within said chest cavity comprising photocell frequency control means and a second speaker.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, additionally comprising:

a second sound circuit mounting structure contained within said chest cavity and comprising a channel member;

an activation lever having a lever first end pivotally mounted within said channel member and a lever second end protruding forwardly from said channel member, spring means biasing said lever second end outwardly from said channel member, said photocell being mounted to said activation lever forwardly of said figure, photocell blind means connected to said channel member and extending over said photocell such that said blind means substantially covers and prevents light from entering said photocell when said lever second end is pivoted forwardly and such that said photocell is spaced rearwardly from said blind means to admit light when said lever second end is pivoted rearwardly against the biasing of said spring means, said second speaker being mounted to said channel member, said apparatus further comprising a speaker baffle mounted on a leaf spring, said leaf spring having a free end including a leaf spring weight element and having a leaf spring anchored end secured to said channel member, such that said speaker baffle is positioned in front of said second speaker and pivots to cover and then uncover said speaker as said leaf spring free end swings forwardly and rearwardly about its anchored end to cause sound emitted by said speaker to babble;

wherein said on/off switch is mounted on the forward surface of said activation lever;

such that depressing said torso inwardly turns said off/on switch on and pivots said lever second end rearwardly toward said channel member, thereby progressively spacing said photocell away from said blind means, and light passing into said figure body reaches said photocell in progressively increasing intensity, thereby progressively increasing the frequency of sound emitted by said audio circuit through said second speaker.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said activation lever has an arched segment extending from said lever second end above said lever pin, said arched segment pivoting with said lever forwardly and rearwardly to engage said nose and mouth structure to move said nose and mouth structure in synchronization with sound variations produced by movement of said speaker baffle.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, additionally comprising a second sound circuit for generating simulated vocal sounds, comprising:

an oscillator circuit located within said chest cavity comprising rheostat frequency control means and a second speaker.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, additionally comprising:

a second sound circuit mounting structure contained within said chest cavity and comprising a channel member;

an activation lever having a lever first end pivotally mounted within said channel member and a lever second end protruding forwardly from said channel member, spring means biasing said lever second end outwardly from said channel member, said rheostat having a rheostat axle which is rotatable to alter the rheostat resistance, said rheostat axle being mounted to said activation lever to rotate as said activation lever pivots, said second speaker being mounted to said channel member, said apparatus further comprising a speaker baffle mounted on a leaf spring, said leaf spring having a free end including a leaf spring weight element and having a leaf spring anchored end secured to said channel member, such that said speaker baffle is positioned in front of said second speaker and pivots to cover and then uncover said speaker as said leaf spring free end swings forwardly and rearwardly about its anchored end to cause sound emitted by said speaker to babble;

wherein said on/off switch is mounted on the forward surface of said activation lever;

such that depressing said torso inwardly turns said off/on switch on and pivots said lever second end rearwardly toward said channel member and against the biasing of said spring means, thereby progressively rotating said rheostat axle and thus progressively increasing the frequency of sound emitted by said audio circuit through said second speaker.