Patents Examined by Kevin Hughes
  • Patent number: 6152799
    Abstract: A toy figure includes a body, a pair of wings, a pair of legs, a tail, and a head converted to generally resemble a bird or other flying creature. The legs and wings are pivotally mounted to the body using a mechanism by which the pivotal movement of the legs in response to the user squeezing and releasing them repeatedly produces a corresponding wing-flapping action. A spring urges the wings to a raised position and urges the legs to a spread position. The head is pivotally supported by the body and a cam follower and cam arrangement couples the head to the wing movement apparatus such that the head moves side-to-side simultaneous with the wing-flapping movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin F. Arriola
  • Patent number: 6149494
    Abstract: A toy includes a platform, a moving body, and a balance bar. The moving body has front and rear wheels rotatable about horizontal rotary axes, a turning wheel, and a drive unit coupled to the turning wheel and one of the rear wheels to drive movement of the moving body when the moving body is disposed on the platform. The turning wheel is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the rotary axes of the front and rear wheels, and prevents the moving body from falling off the platform when the moving body moves to a peripheral edge of the platform. The balance bar has an intermediate fulcrum portion mounted pivotally on the moving body about a horizontal pivot axis, and two arm portions projecting from two opposite lateral sides of the moving body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Dah Yang Toy Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chien-Nan Yang
  • Patent number: 6146234
    Abstract: An ascending/descending mechanism in which a face gear is rotated to drive two symmetrically arranged cylindrical gears, whereby two eccentric shafts fitted with the cylindrical gears are rotated in reverse directions. Two driven slide blocks are fitted with the short shafts of the eccentric shafts. The top ends of the driven slide blocks are fitted with two columns which are fitted in fitting holes of retaining blocks. When the cylindrical gears are reversely rotated, the short shafts of the eccentric shafts are slided within the slide slots of the driven slide blocks, whereby the columns are reciprocally moved up and down. Accordingly, the dolls or decorative articles at the top ends of the columns are alternately ascended or descended. The power source for driving the face gear can be a music bell or a motor, so that when the dolls or decorative articles at the top ends of the columns are alternately ascended or descended, a music or other audio/video effect is cooperatively created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Ya Yung Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shin-Ya Yang
  • Patent number: 6135842
    Abstract: A spill-resistant bubble-blowing apparatus, adapted to be used with a bottle filled with bubble solution and a bubble-blowing wand disposed in the bottle and being sized to allow the bubble-blowing wand to pass through the opening in the bottle, is provided with a cap portion adapted to be coupled to a bubble-solution bottle and having an opening formed therein and an insert adapted to be disposed adjacent the cap portion. The insert has a raised portion with a perimeter that corresponds to the opening in the cap portion and a central portion with a slot formed therein, with the central portion of the insert being composed of a flexible material. The slot in the central portion is sized to allow a bubble-blowing end of a bubble-blowing wand to pass through it and has a width small enough to prevent significant passage of bubble solution through the cap portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignees: Oddzon, Inc., TOI, LLC
    Inventor: John E. LaFata
  • Patent number: 6135847
    Abstract: A puppet (10) or other character representation includes an inner tube (11), an outer tube (12) and an extra tube (13) located within the inner tube (11). The upper ends of the inner and outer tubes (11 and 12) are connected by a sleeve (23) of simulation hair. A moulding (16) is secured to the outer tube (12) and has the appropriate facial characteristics including an opening (19) corresponding to the mouth of the character. The extra tube (13) has an upper edge which is connected to the part of the moulding (16) which provides the lower jaw of the character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Inventor: Andrew Stephen Coates
  • Patent number: 6132283
    Abstract: A toy apparatus includes a back housing portion which includes straps for connecting the apparatus to a crib. A plurality of item pressing members are connected to an interior portion of the back housing portion. A front housing portion includes a housing connector for connecting the front housing portion to the back housing portion. The front housing portion includes a plurality of item retainers and a plurality of windows placed in registration with the item retainers. A plurality of infant stimulus items are retained in the item retainers. The item retainers are placed in registration with the item pressing members when the front housing portion and the back housing portion are placed in a closed orientation. A housing lock assembly is connected between the back housing portion and the front housing portion, for keeping the back housing portion and the front housing portion closed with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Inventors: Teresa Hohol O'Donnell, Patrick Alan O'Donnell
  • Patent number: 6123600
    Abstract: A motor driven surface engaging multi directional and surface translating amusement device which simulates a creature of the sea or land, or a robot which has forward, reverse or rotational movement across a surface and which forward and reverse movement may be interval-cycling timed including forward-reverse speed control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Inventor: Po Man Yuen
  • Patent number: 6116984
    Abstract: A pop-out toy including a housing with an opening through a central portion thereof. A bottom wall of the housing has a gear mounted on a rod extending upwardly from the inner surface interiorly thereof. A figurine is provided and is mounted on a platform positioned within the opening in the housing. The platform is secured to a support rod extending rearwardly therefrom interiorly of the housing. The support rod has teeth extending along a side edge thereof. The teeth engage an upper portion of the gear. A release mechanism is provided that is comprised of a handle extending inwardly of the housing interiorly thereof. The handle has teeth disposed along a side edge thereof. The teeth engage a lower portion of the gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Inventors: Armando Munoz, Bonnie Munoz
  • Patent number: 6110050
    Abstract: A toy train hopper car has a simulated load which appears to be emptied from a full load position. An electric motor drives a rotatable crank arm which engages a pivot arm connected to a load support that holds the simulated load. A second parallel pivot arm provides added support and follows the first pivot arm. A push button control actuates the motor to move the simulated load from an upper raised full load position to a lower empty load position and to reverse the movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Inventor: Robert F. Tammera
  • Patent number: 6083077
    Abstract: A pop-up toy including a housing for enclosing a plurality of interlocking elements. The housing includes an opening through which the series of interlocking elements may be individually extracted by a child. The opening in the housing is provided with a gripping mechanism for separating a leading interlocking element from an immediately following interlocking element as the leading interlocking element is extracted from the housing. After the leading interlocking element has been extracted from the housing, the immediately following interlocking element in the series of interlocking elements is positioned and held in place within the opening by the gripping mechanism for subsequent extraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Inventor: Paul E. McGinn
  • Patent number: 6080034
    Abstract: A multi-cultural doll is provided including a color changing mechanism situated therein for changing a color of the doll to simulate persons of various cultures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Inventor: Shirley R. Bennett Harris
  • Patent number: 5993284
    Abstract: A toy and reciprocating lamp holder arrangement includes a toy body holding a power drive, and a lamp holder unit coupled to the power drive, the lamp holder unit including a shell, two eccentric wheels revolvably mounted inside the shell, a shaft coupled between the eccentric wheels, a gear transmission mechanism driven by the power drive to turn the eccentric wheel and the shaft, and a plurality of cylindrical lamp holders arranged around the shaft between the eccentric shells coupled to respective annular tracks on the eccentric wheels, the cylindrical lamp holders being reciprocated along radial guide grooves on the shell when the power drive is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Inventor: Jin-Long Chou