Talking stick horse

• US 6,524,156 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tek Nek Toys International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tek Nek Toys International Incorporated
• Inventors: Lai, Kevin, Mucaro, Damian, Horchler, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, JAMILA O
• Application Number:
  US09/968,069
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 446/29, 446/330, 446/313, 446/331, 446/369, 446/397, 446/408, 446/411, 446/301, 434/322, 280/1.13, 280/1.14, 472/95-98
• US Class Current: 446/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 17/00 Hobby-horses
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/00 Other toys

Abstract

An interactive ride-on toy, having a stuffed toy horse'"'"'s head which includes ears, a movable mouth and is connected to a stick. One or more buttons, each with an icon depicting an image, is positioned on one or both ears of the horse'"'"'s head. An electronically programmed chip responds to activation of the button to operate a speaker and a mechanism for moving the horse'"'"'s mouth, the speaker playing sounds relating to the image depicted on each button.

Claims

1. An interactive ride-on toy, comprising:

a toy animal'"'"'s head, having a movable mouth;

a riding member connected to said head;

at least one button on said head;

an electronically programmed chip for responding to activation of the button; and

a speaker and a mechanism for moving said mouth located within the head, wherein the chip is programmed to operate both the speaker and the mechanism in response to activation of the button.

2. An interactive ride-on toy, comprising:

a toy animal'"'"'s head, having a movable mouth;

a stick connected to said head;

at least one button on said head;

an electronically programmed chip for responding to activation of the button; and

a speaker and a mechanism for moving said mouth located within the head, wherein the chip is programmed to operate both the speaker and the mechanism in response to activation of the button.

3. The interactive toy of claim 2, wherein the stick comprises two pieces adapted to interconnect, whereby packaging of the toy is facilitated.

4. The interactive toy of claim 2, wherein said head is a stuffed toy.

5. An interactive ride-on toy, comprising:

a toy animal'"'"'s head, having a movable mouth and at least one ear;

is a riding member connected to said head;

at least one button on said ear;

an electronically programmed chip for responding to activation of the button; and

a speaker and a mechanism for moving said mouth located within the head, wherein the chip is programmed to operate both the speaker and the mechanism in response to activation of the button.

6. An interactive ride-on toy, comprising:

a toy animal'"'"'s head, having a movable mouth;

a riding member connected to said head;

at least one button on said head, wherein said button has an icon depicting an image;

an electronically programmed chip for responding to activation of the button; and

a speaker and a mechanism for moving said mouth located within the head, wherein the chip is programmed to operate both the speaker and the mechanism in response to activation of the button, wherein the speaker produces sounds relating to said image.

7. The interactive toy of claim 6, wherein said image is a musical note and said chip is programmed to operate said speaker to play a song.

8. The interactive toy of claim 6, wherein said image is a horse and said chip is programmed to operate said speaker to play a horse'"'"'s neigh.

9. The interactive toy of claim 6, wherein said image is a horse and said chip is programmed to operate said speaker to play galloping sounds.

10. The interactive toy of claim 6, wherein said image is a horse'"'"'s head and said chip is programmed to operate said speaker to play a phrase.

11. An interactive ride-on toy, comprising:

a toy animal'"'"'s head, having a movable mouth and two ears, wherein each ear has at least one button and each button has an icon depicting a different image;

a riding member connected to said head;

an electronically programmed chip for responding to activation of the button; and

a speaker and a mechanism for moving said mouth located within the head, wherein the chip is programmed to operate both the speaker and the mechanism in response to activation of the button, wherein the speaker produces different sounds corresponding to each different image.

12. An interactive stick horse, comprising:

a head depicting a horse'"'"'s head;

a movable mouth located on the head, the mouth comprising upper and lower members;

a stick connected to said head;

at least one button on said head, said button having an icon depicting an image;

an electronically programmed chip for responding to activation of said button; and

a speaker and a mechanism for moving said mouth, said chip programmed to operate said speaker to produce sounds relating to said image and to operate said mechanism to move at least one member of said mouth in response to activation of said button.

13. The stick horse of claim 12, wherein the head has two ears, each ear has at least one button, each button having an icon thereon depicting an image, and the chip is programmed to operate the speaker to produce sounds relating to each image.

14. The stick horse of claim 13, wherein the head includes a compartment, and at least one battery located therein for generating electrical power to activate the chip and the mechanism for moving the mouth.

15. The stick horse of claim 14, wherein the mechanism for moving the mouth includes an electric motor, a series of gears driven by the motor, and a pivoting arm driven by the gears and connected to one of the upper and lower members of the mouth, causing that member to move in relation to the other.

16. The stick horse of claim 15 wherein the head is provided with a mane of simulated hair.

17. The interactive stick horse of claim 16, wherein said head is a stuffed toy, and the compartment is located within the mane and contains a closure having a hook and loop fastener that conceals the battery within the compartment.

18. The interactive stick horse of claim 17, wherein at least one image is a musical note and said chip is programmed to operate said speaker to play a song.

19. The interactive stick horse of claim 17, wherein at least one image is a horse and said chip is programmed to operate said speaker to play a horse'"'"'s neigh.

20. The interactive stick horse of claim 17, wherein at least one image is a horse and said chip is programmed to operate said speaker to play galloping sounds.

21. The interactive stick horse of claim 17, wherein at least one image is a horse'"'"'s head and said chip is programmed to operate said speaker to play a phrase.

22. The interactive stick horse of claim 17, wherein the stick has at least two parts adapted to fit together, whereby packaging of the stick horse is facilitated.

23. An interactive ride-on toy, comprising:

a toy figure having a movable mouth;

a stick connected to said figure;

at least one button on said figure, said button having an icon depicting an image;

an electronically programmed chip for responding to activation of said button; and

a speaker and a mechanism for moving said mouth, said chip programmed to operate said speaker to produce sounds relating to said image and to operate said mechanism to move said mouth in response to activation of said button.

24. The interactive ride-on toy of claim 23, wherein the stick comprises two pieces adapted to interconnect.

25. The interactive ride-on toy of claim 23, wherein said figure has at least two buttons, each button having an icon depicting a different image, and said chip is programmed to operate the speaker to produce different sounds corresponding to each different image.

26. The interactive ride-on toy of claim 23, wherein said image is a musical note and said chip is programmed to operate said speaker to play a song.