Compact motion mechanism for an animated doll

• US 6,988,928 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2004
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Willett, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Ashley, Boyer D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDELWAHED, ALI F
• Application Number:
  US10/865,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20040253906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 446/395, 446/268, 446/300, 446/301, 446/330, 446/337, 446/338, 446/342, 446/343, 446/344, 446/345, 446/346, 446/384, 446/391, 446/392
• US Class Current: 446/330
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/365 allowing a choice of facial features, e.g. to change the facial expression change of expression through animation A63H3/48, self-moving A63H13/005; movable eyes A63H3/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/40 movable

Abstract

A tiny articulation eye and mouth (facial-expression structures) opening and closing structure installable in the hollow interior of a doll head, and utilizing a single, upright-axis motor, and a rotary, co-axial, stepped-diameter drive drum which is rotated by the motor. Circumferential drive tracks formed on the outside of the drum drive followers and actuation which directly impart opening and closing motions in the doll head'"'"'s eyes and mouth.

Claims

1. An animated toy doll, comprising:

a head including a top and a bottom defining a vertical axis;

plural, changeable-position, movable facial-expression structures pivotally mounted to the head; and

a shared rotary drive device rotatably disposed within the head, wherein the drive device is configured to rotate in plural directions around an upright long axis that is parallel to the vertical axis, and to move each of the facial-expression structures, as the drive device rotates in any one of the plural directions, producing plural position-changing motions in each of the facial-expression structures,

wherein the shared rotary drive device includes a cylindrical drive drum body having different-diameter upper and lower portions and configured to rotate around the upright long axis, and wherein the facial-expression structures are configured to pivot around plural pivot axes and the plural pivot axes are at least substantially perpendicular to the upright long axis, and wherein the cylindrical drive drum body is operatively connected to the facial-expression structures such that rotary movement of the cylindrical drive drum body directly translates to pivotal movement of the facial-expression structures.

2. The doll of claim 1, wherein the facial-expression structures include eye and mouth structures.

3. The doll of claim 2, wherein the cylindrical drive drum body is configured to move each of the eye and mouth structures.

4. The doll of claim 1, wherein the facial-expression structures include elongate actuators.

5. The doll of claim 4, wherein the cylindrical drive drum body is configured to pivotally move the elongate actuators.

6. The doll of claim 1, wherein the facial-expression structures include first and second facial-expression structures, and the upper portion of the cylindrical drive drum body is configured to pivotally move the first facial expression structure and the lower portion of the cylindrical drive drum is configured to pivotally move the second facial expression structure.

7. The doll of claim 6, wherein the first facial-expression structure includes an eye structure and the second facial-expression structure includes a mouth structure.

8. The doll of claim 1, wherein the facial-expression structures include elongate actuators, and the cylindrical drive drum body is configured to pivotally move the elongate actuators.

9. The doll of claim 8, wherein the cylindrical drive drum body includes plural elongate circumferential tracks.

10. The doll of claim 9, wherein the elongate actuators include followers that extend into the plural tracks, and the plural tracks are configured to pivotally move the followers.

11. The doll of claim 9, wherein the plural elongate circumferential tracks include a first track and a second track, and the upper portion includes the first track and the lower portion includes the second track.

12. The doll of claim 1, further comprising a motor disposed within the doll and drivingly connected to the shared rotary drive device, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the shared rotary drive device.

26. The doll of claim 12, wherein the motor is disposed within the head.

13. An animated toy doll, comprising:

a head including a top and a bottom defining a vertical axis;

eye and mouth structures pivotally mounted to the head, wherein the eye and mouth structures are configured to pivot between open and closed positions that are around plural pivot axes;

a single shared rotary drive device rotatably disposed within the head, wherein the drive device is configured to rotate around an upright long axis that is parallel to the vertical axis, and wherein the shared rotary drive device includes plural elongate circumferential tracks that are operatively connected to the eye and mouth structures such that rotary movement of the shared rotary drive device translates to pivotal movement of the eye and mouth structures; and

a motor disposed within the doll and drivingly connected to the shared rotary drive device, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the shared rotary drive device.

14. The doll of claim 13, wherein the eye and mouth structures include elongate actuators, and the plural elongate circumferential tracks are configured to pivotally move the elongate actuators.

15. The doll of claim 13, wherein the shared rotary drive device includes a cylindrical drive drum body configured to rotate around the upright long axis.

16. The doll of claim 15, wherein the cylindrical drive drum body includes different-diameter upper and lower portions.

17. The doll of claim 16, wherein the plural elongate circumferential tracks includes a first track and a second track, and wherein the upper portion of the cylindrical drive drum body includes the first track that is configured to pivotally move the eye structure, and the lower portion of the cylindrical drive drum body includes the second track that is configured to pivotally move the mouth structure.

18. The doll of claim 15, wherein the eye and mouth structures include elongate actuators, and the plural elongate circumferential tracks are configured to pivotally move the elongate actuators.

19. The doll of claim 18, wherein the cylindrical drive drum body includes the plural elongate circumferential tracks.

20. The doll of claim 19, wherein the elongate actuators include followers that extend into the plural tracks and the plural tracks are configured to pivotally move the followers.

27. The doll of claim 13, wherein the plural pivot axe are at least substantially perpendicular to the upright long axis.

21. An animated toy doll, comprising:

a head including a top and a bottom defining a vertical axis;

plural facial-expression structures pivotally mounted and disposed within the head, wherein the plural facial-expression structures are configured to pivot around plural pivot axes at least substantially perpendicular to an upright long axis; and

a single shared cylindrical drive drum body rotatably disposed within the head, wherein the drum body is configured to rotate around the upright long axis that is parallel to the vertical axis and to pivotally move each of the plural facial-expression structures, and

wherein the shared cylindrical drive drum body includes at least one driver track structure that is operatively connected to the facial-expression structures such that rotary movement of the shared cylindrical drive drum body translates to pivotal movement of the plural facial-expression structures.

22. The doll of claim 21, wherein the plural facial-expression structures include eye and mouth structures.

23. The doll of claim 22, wherein the at least one driver track structure is configured to move each of the eye and mouth structures.

24. The doll of claim 21, further comprising a motor disposed within the doll and drivingly connected to the cylindrical drive drum body, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the cylindrical drive drum body.

25. The doll of claim 24, wherein the motor is disposed within the head.