Twist-waist punching figure

• US 9,259,659 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Sopinsky, Brandon, Wu, Zeng, Fang, Alan, Aguirre, Mario E, Martinez, Ruben L
• Primary Examiner(s): MENDIRATTA, VISHU K
• Application Number:
  US13/873,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20140323012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 446/330, 446/333, 446/334, 446/336, 446/338, 446/339, 446/340
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/06 imitating boxing or fighting

Abstract

A toy figure, with an upper torso; a shoulder flange rotatably mounted on the upper torso; and an extendable arm pivotally mounted to the shoulder flange. The extendable arm may pivot with respect to both the shoulder flange and the upper torso to extend away from the upper torso, and includes an elbow that allows the extendable arm to straighten and bend. The toy figure includes an actuating mechanism disposed within the upper torso that forces the extendable arm to pivot and extend away from the upper torso. A tie rod may interconnect the shoulder flange to a portion of the extendable arm through the elbow so that so that pivotal movement of the arm around the shoulder flange causes the extendable arm to straighten.

Claims

1. A toy figure, comprising:

an upper torso;

a pivoting lever disposed within the upper torso;

a shoulder flange rotatably mounted to the upper torso and including a passageway extending from within the upper torso;

an upper arm pivotally mounted to the shoulder flange;

a sliding plunger operatively connecting the pivoting lever to the upper arm through the passageway, the pivoting lever being configured to slide the plunger through the shoulder flange thereby forcing the upper arm to pivot with respect to the shoulder flange;

a lower arm pivotally mounted to the upper arm;

a tie rod interconnecting the shoulder flange to the lower arm so that pivotal movement of the upper arm around the shoulder flange causes the lower arm to pivot with respect to the upper arm;

a lower torso rotatably mounted to the upper torso and operatively connected to the pivoting lever;

wherein rotation of the lower torso is configured to force the pivoting lever to pivot with respect to the upper torso thereby causing simultaneous pivoting of the upper arm with respect to the shoulder flange and pivoting of the lower arm with respect to the upper arm.

2. The toy figure according to claim 1, further comprising an actuating mechanism disposed within the upper torso.

3. The toy figure according to claim 2, wherein the actuating mechanism further comprises a sound emitting element such that actuating the actuating mechanism causes the sound emitting element to emit sound.

4. The toy figure according to claim 2, wherein the actuating mechanism further comprises a light emitting element such that actuating the actuating mechanism causes the light emitting element to emit light.

5. The toy figure according to claim 2, wherein the actuating mechanism further comprises an activation switch that triggers activation of the actuating mechanism.

6. The toy figure according to claim 2, wherein the actuating mechanism further comprises an activation pushbutton operatively connected to the upper torso such that manual activation of the actuating mechanism is configured to be triggered from the outside of the toy figure.

7. The toy figure according to claim 1, wherein the lower torso further comprises a waist-biasing element that operatively connects to the upper torso, such that the lower torso is configured to rotate relative to the upper torso and be urged back to an unrotated position.

8. The toy figure according to claim 1, wherein the lower arm further includes a rotatably mounted hand.

9. An action figure comprising:

an upper torso;

a lower torso;

an upper arm;

a lower arm;

a swivel waist joining the upper torso to the lower torso;

a rotating shoulder flange joining the upper arm to the upper torso, the upper arm being pivotally mounted to the shoulder flange;

a plunger extending through the shoulder flange and configured to push the upper arm to cause the upper arm to pivot around the shoulder flange;

a bending elbow joining the lower arm to the upper arm; and

a tie rod interconnecting the shoulder flange to the lower arm, the tie rod being configured to cause the lower arm to bend relative to the upper arm as the upper arm pivots around the shoulder flange;

wherein swiveling the waist is configured to extend the plunger further through the shoulder flange thereby causing the plunger to push on the upper arm, the upper arm to pivot relative to the shoulder flange, and the lower arm to bend relative to the upper arm.

10. The action figure according to claim 9, further comprising a pivoting lever inside the upper torso with a lower end configured to be pushed by the lower torso and an upper end configured to push on the plunger.

11. The action figure according to claim 9, wherein the lever inside the upper torso includes an intermediate pivot with a spring that allows forced bending of the lever to relieve stresses caused by pushing the upper arm or lower arm counter to swiveling the waist.

12. The action figure according to claim 9, wherein the waist includes a waist-biasing element operatively connected to the upper torso and the lower torso, and configured to allow forced swiveling of the waist and to cause return of the waist to an unswivelled position.