Toy figure with reconfigurable clothing article and output generating system

• US 9,724,615 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Chan, Patricia, Matheny, Kelly Rae, Ryniker, Steven, Zielinski, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berdichevsky, Aarti B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cegielnik, Urszula M
• Application Number:
  US13/151,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20120142249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 446485, 446219, 446175
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/00 Toy figures with self-moving parts, with or without movement of the toy as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/48 Mounting of parts within dolls, e.g. automatic eyes or parts for animation self-moving A63H13/00

Abstract

A toy doll with a reconfigurable clothing article is disclosed. In particular, a toy doll with a reconfigurable clothing article and an electronic system that generates outputs is disclosed. In one embodiment, the clothing article can be reconfigured relative to the body of the toy doll. In one embodiment, the body of the toy doll includes a display portion that can be used to generate various visual displays.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable doll, comprising:

a body having a torso portion, an output generating system, and an actuator coupled to the body and connected to the output generating system; and

a clothing article coupled to the body, the clothing article has an upper portion and a lower portion coupled to the upper portion, the clothing article being movable between a first configuration and a second configuration relative to the body, the upper portion of the clothing article covers the torso portion when the clothing article is in its first configuration, and when the clothing article is moved to the second configuration, the upper portion is folded down proximate to the lower portion and the clothing article can be engaged by a user to contact the actuator to cause an output to be generated by the output generating system.

2. The reconfigurable doll of claim 1, wherein the output includes a visual output and an audible output.

3. The reconfigurable doll of claim 1, wherein the output generating system includes at least one light emitting device.

4. The reconfigurable doll of claim 1, wherein the torso portion includes a translucent portion and the output generating system includes a light emitting device, and the light from the light emitting device is visible through the translucent portion.

5. The reconfigurable doll of claim 1, wherein the torso portion includes a front surface with a first translucent portion and a second translucent portion, the output generating system includes a first light emitting device and a second light emitting device, light from the first light emitting device passes through the first translucent portion, and light from the second light emitting device passes through the second translucent portion.

6. The reconfigurable doll of claim 5, wherein the body includes a guide element that defines a first chamber and a second chamber separate from the first chamber, the first chamber is proximate to the first translucent portion, the second chamber is proximate to the second translucent portion, the first light emitting device is located proximate to the first chamber, and the second light emitting device is located proximate to the second chamber.

7. The reconfigurable doll of claim 5, wherein the first light emitting device and the second light emitting device can be illuminated at different times.

8. The reconfigurable doll of claim 1, wherein the clothing article has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface is oriented outwardly when the clothing article is in its first configuration, and the second surface is oriented outwardly when the clothing article is in its second configuration.

9. The reconfigurable doll of claim 1, wherein the clothing article is rotated approximately 180 degrees about the body to move from the first configuration to the second configuration.

10. The reconfigurable doll of claim 1, wherein the clothing article includes an engagement member coupled thereto, the engagement member is proximate to and configured to contact the actuator when the clothing article is placed in its second configuration.

11. A doll, comprising:

a body defining an interior region, the body including an electronic system that includes an actuator coupled to the body, a first light emitting device and a second light emitting device, each of the light emitting devices is located in the interior region, the body defining a first translucent portion and a second translucent portion separate from the first translucent portion such that light from the first light emitting device passes through the first translucent portion only and light from the second light emitting device passes through the second translucent portion only; and

a clothing article coupled to the body, the clothing article being movable between a first configuration and a second configuration, the clothing article in its first configuration covers the translucent portions, and the clothing article in its second configuration is spaced apart from the translucent portions and is configured to engage the actuator, wherein actuation of the actuator results in illumination of the light emitting devices.

12. The doll of claim 11, wherein the body has a torso with a front portion, the translucent portions are formed in the front portion of the torso, and the clothing article covers the torso front portion in the first configuration.

13. The doll of claim 11, wherein the body includes a first chamber and a second chamber having a different size than the first chamber, the first chamber is located so as to direct light from the first light emitting device through the first translucent portion, and the second chamber is located so as to direct light from the second light emitting device through the second translucent portion.

14. A doll with a reconfigurable clothing article, comprising:

a doll body including a torso portion, a leg portion, and an actuator, the torso portion including a translucent portion, the doll body defining an interior region in which a light emitting device is located, the light emitting device being positioned so that light from the light emitting device passes through the translucent portion; and

a clothing article coupled to the doll body, the clothing article being reconfigurable between a first configuration and a second configuration, the clothing article in its first configuration covers the translucent portion, and the clothing article in its second configuration is configured to engage the actuator to actuate the light emitting device.

15. The doll of claim 14, wherein the clothing article in the second configuration is spaced apart from the translucent portion so that the translucent portion is visible.

16. The doll of claim 14, wherein the clothing article has a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the first side is exposed when the clothing article is in its first configuration, and the second side is exposed when the clothing article is in its second configuration, the clothing article is moved approximately 180 degrees relative to the torso portion when the clothing article moves between its first configuration and its second configuration.

17. The doll of claim 14, wherein the translucent portion is a first translucent portion and the light emitting device is a first light emitting device, and the doll body includes a second translucent portion and a second light emitting device, the first light emitting device is located so that light from the first light emitting device only passes through the first translucent portion, and the second light emitting device is located so that light from the second light emitting device only passes through the second translucent portion.