FRICTIONAL JOINT FOR A TOY FIGURE
First Claim
1. A hip joint assembly for a toy figure, comprising:
- a pelvis housing having a front portion and a back portion, where the front portion and the back portion in combination define at least two side openings in the pelvis housing, and a contoured friction plate vertically disposed within the pelvis housing;
a first leg section having a first disk member coupled to the first leg section via a first hip post, and configured so that the first disk member is disposed within the pelvis housing and the first hip post passes through a side opening in the pelvis housing, and the first disk member having a first disk face;
a second leg section having a second disk member coupled to the second leg section via a second hip post, and configured so that the second disk member is disposed within the pelvis housing and the second hip post passes through a side opening in the pelvis housing, and the second disk member having a second disk face;
wherein the first disk face and the second disk face each abut an opposing face of the contoured friction plate, such that frictional interaction between each disk face and the corresponding contoured friction plate face renders each leg section posable as it is pivoted around an axis defined by the corresponding hip post.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Hip joint assemblies, and posable toy figures that incorporate the hip joint assemblies, including a pelvis housing having a front portion and a back portion, where the front and back portions in combination define side openings in the pelvis housing, and a contoured friction plate vertically disposed within the pelvis housing. The hip joint assembly further includes two leg sections, each leg section having a disk member attached via a hip post, and each leg combined with the pelvis housing so that the disk member lies within the pelvis housing and the hip post passes through a side opening so that the face of the disk member abuts a face of the contoured friction plate, and the frictional interaction between the disk face and the friction plate renders the attached leg posable as it pivots around the axis defined by its hip post.
35 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A hip joint assembly for a toy figure, comprising:
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a pelvis housing having a front portion and a back portion, where the front portion and the back portion in combination define at least two side openings in the pelvis housing, and a contoured friction plate vertically disposed within the pelvis housing; a first leg section having a first disk member coupled to the first leg section via a first hip post, and configured so that the first disk member is disposed within the pelvis housing and the first hip post passes through a side opening in the pelvis housing, and the first disk member having a first disk face; a second leg section having a second disk member coupled to the second leg section via a second hip post, and configured so that the second disk member is disposed within the pelvis housing and the second hip post passes through a side opening in the pelvis housing, and the second disk member having a second disk face; wherein the first disk face and the second disk face each abut an opposing face of the contoured friction plate, such that frictional interaction between each disk face and the corresponding contoured friction plate face renders each leg section posable as it is pivoted around an axis defined by the corresponding hip post. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A toy figure, comprising:
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a pelvis member, coupled to the upper torso member by an articulated waist joint; and two leg members coupled to the pelvis member by pivotable hip joint assemblies; where the pelvis housing includes a front portion and a back portion configured such that in combination the front portion and the back portion define two openings in the pelvis housing, and a contoured friction plate that is vertically disposed within the pelvis housing; and each pivotable hip joint assembly includes a disk member coupled to one of the leg section via a hip post, where the disk member is disposed within the pelvis housing and the hip post passes through one of the openings in the pelvis housing, and each disk member has a disk face; wherein each disk face abuts opposing faces of the contoured friction plate such that a frictional interaction between each disk face and the corresponding contoured friction plate face renders each leg section posable as it is pivoted on an axis defined by its hip post. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method of manufacturing a hip joint assembly, comprising:
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molding a front portion and a back portion of a pelvis housing;
where the front and back portions are configured to be combined to form a pelvis housing having at least two side openings, and at least one of the front portion and back portion incorporates a contoured friction plate having two opposing faces;molding a first leg section to include a disk member coupled to the first leg section via a first hip post, where the first hip post is sized so as to fit within a side opening in the pelvis housing, and the first disk member includes a first disk face; molding a second leg section to include a disk member coupled to the second leg section via a second hip post, where the second hip post is sized so as to fit within a side opening in the pelvis housing, and the second disk member includes a second disk face; assembling the pelvis housing by coupling the pelvis housing front portion to the pelvis housing back portion so that the first hip post of the first leg section is seated within a first side opening in the pelvis housing, the second hip post of the second leg section is seated within a second side opening in the pelvis housing, the first disk member of the first leg section abuts a first face of the contoured friction plate, and the second disk member of the second leg section abuts a second face of the contoured friction plate; provided that the width of each disk member and the space provided for that disk member between the corresponding face of the contoured friction plate and the wall of the pelvis housing are selected so that a frictional interaction between the disk face and the contoured friction plate face renders the coupled leg section posable as it is pivoted around an axis defined by its hip post. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification