BOBBLE DOLL

Abstract

A bobble doll is formed and configured as a human figurine and, in a preferred embodiment, a female adult. The body of the doll has three portions, namely: an upper portion formed to include a head, arms and a torso; a mid-portion formed to include a buttocks and hips; and a lower portion formed to include legs and feet. The mid-portion is supported on a biasing element (e.g., a spring) and is movable in a reciprocating up and down and/or side to side motion relative to the upper and lower body portions. The doll is supported on a base that can be decorated to resemble a beach, sports field, dance floor or other environment. In a further embodiment, a motion sensor detects motion of the mid-portion and triggers activation of a battery powered sound producing device that emits audio from a speaker in the base.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This non-provisional patent application is based on provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/481,413 filed on May 2, 2011.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to bobble dolls and, more particularly, to a bobble doll that includes a buttocks portion that is movable on a spring element relative to a remainder of the doll's body.

DISCUSSION OF THE RELATED ART

Bobble dolls are well known in the art and are popular as novelty items, gifts, and collectibles. Typically, a bobble doll has a head that is movable on a spring element relative to the remainder of the body. The popular bobble dolls are commonly referred to as “bobble heads” or “bobble head dolls.” Bobble head dolls are commonly made to resemble popular professional athletes and celebrities that may include the athletes or celebrities names displayed on a base. In the case of a professional athlete, the bobble head doll may be dressed in a team uniform displaying the athlete's number on a jersey. The head of the doll is made to resemble that of the professional sports star or celebrity and is usually exaggerated in size relative to a remainder of the doll's body. When the head of the bobble head doll is gently tapped, the head shakes or bobbles while a remainder of the doll's body remains stationary.

In light of the popularity of bobble head dolls, there remains a need for a bobble doll that is structured to allow other body parts to shake or bobble in a reciprocating motion relative to stationary body parts. In particular, there remains a need for a bobble doll that allows a mid-portion of the doll, including the buttocks and hips, to shake in a reciprocating motion (i.e., up and down and/or side to side) while the legs and upper body remain stationary. There is a further need for a bobble doll that provides for activation of a sound producing device that emits music and/or other audio from a speaker upon detecting reciprocating motion of the mid-section (i.e., buttocks and hips) of the doll in relation to the stationary upper body and legs.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a bobble doll that is formed and configured as a human figurine and, in a preferred embodiment, a female adult. The body of the doll has three separately molded portions, namely: an upper portion preferably formed to include a head, arms and a torso; a mid-portion preferably formed to include a buttocks and hips; and a lower portion preferably formed to include legs and feet. The mid-portion is supported on a biasing element (e.g., a spring) and is movable in a reciprocating up and down and/or side to side motion relative to the upper and lower body portions. The upper and lower body portions are connected with a post that passes through an opening in the mid-portion. The doll is preferably supported on a base that can be decorated to resemble a beach, sports field, dance floor or other environment. In a further embodiment, a motion sensor detects motion of the mid-portion and triggers activation of a battery powered sound producing device that emits audio from a speaker in the base.

STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

Considering the foregoing, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a bobble doll device having upper mid and lower body portions wherein the mid-portion is movable in a reciprocating up-and-down and/or side-to-side motion with respect to the upper and lower body portions.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a bobble doll device as described above wherein the bobble doll is mounted to a base specifically sized, shaped and designed to adhere to a particular theme of the overall device, including but not limited to a beach, sports field, dance floor or other environment.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a bobble doll device as described above that further includes a motion sensor that detects movement of the mid-portion to trigger activation of a sound producing device that emits audio from a speaker in the base.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a bobble doll device as described above wherein the doll (comprised of the upper, mid and lower body portions) may be made to resemble a particularly popular figure such as, but not limited to in any way, celebrities, fictional characters, famous athletes, non-human characters (e.g. an alien) or any such variations thereof that can be envisioned by a person having an ordinary skill in the art of the present invention.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are more readily apparent with reference to the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view showing the bobble doll of the present invention in accordance with a first preferred embodiment, wherein the mid-portion, including the buttocks and hips, is shown in cross-section and is moveably supported on a spring, thereby allowing the mid-portion to shake or bounce in a reciprocating motion relative to the upper and lower portions of the doll;

FIG. 2 is a side-elevational view of the bobble doll of the embodiment of FIG. 1, and wherein the mid-portion of the doll is shown in cross-section to illustrate the spring attached to the mid-portion and a post connecting the lower body portion to the upper body portion;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the bobble doll of FIG. 1 shown with the mid-portion removed;

FIG. 3A is a top plan view of the mid-portion of the bobble doll of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3B is a side cross-sectional view of the mid-portion of the bobble doll, taken along the line 3B-3B of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3C is a bottom plan view of the mid-portion of the bobble doll of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the bobble doll of FIG. 1 shown exploded and with the mid-portion removed;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the mid-portion of the bobble doll;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the bobble doll of the present invention in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, including a motion sensor fixed to the mid-portion of the bobble doll and a battery source and sound producing mechanism with a speaker in the base;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the bobble doll of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 5 showing the reciprocating, shaking movement of the mid-portion relative to the upper and lower portions of the doll;

FIG. 7 is a is a front elevational view of a further embodiment of the bobble doll of the present invention and wherein the mid-portion is shown in cross-section to illustrate connection of a spring element between a lower portion and the mid-portion and a post extending through the spring and connecting the lower portion to the upper portion; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of yet a further embodiment of the bobble doll of the present invention, showing the mid-portion of the doll in cross section to illustrate attachment of a spring element to the mid-portion and a Y-shaped skeletal support member that holds the spring element and fixedly attaches to the lower portion and the upper portion, while allowing the mid-portion to move on the spring element in the reciprocating, shaking movement relative to the upper and lower portions.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a novel bobble doll device that has a fixed body comprising an upper body portion, a lower body portion and a skeletal rod between those body portions, and a mid-portion that is supported on a biasing element attached to the fixed body wherein the mid-portion is movable in a reciprocating up and down and/or side to side motion in relation to the fixed body, and wherein the fixed body is preferably supported on a base.

The terminology and structure employed herein is for describing, teaching and illuminating the present invention and its specific features and elements and do not limit, restrict or reduce the spirit and scope of the present invention.

More specifically, any terms used herein such as “includes,” “comprises,” “has,” “consists,” and grammatical variants thereof do not specify an exact limitation or restriction and certainly do not exclude the possible addition of one or more features or elements and furthermore must not be taken to exclude the possible removal of one or more of the listed features and elements.

All references herein to any features or elements of the present invention such as “a,” “an,” “an additional,” “another,” or “the” feature or element do not, unless otherwise specified, specifically prevent the inclusion and implementation of more than one of those features or elements.

All references herein including the language “one or more,” “at least one,” or grammatical variants thereof are nonlimiting and may taken to mean that only a singular feature or element may be used, or that only a plurality of elements or features may be used, or that either a singular or a plurality of features or elements may be used. The use of this terminology herein does not specifically admit that more than one feature or element has to be used, nor does it specifically admit that only one feature or element has to be used.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein should be understood as one having an ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs would understand those terms.

The description herein includes several mentions of the term “biasing element.” The primary intention of the use of this term should be taken to include, but not necessarily limited only to, an element that is “capable of recovering size and shape and original position after deformation” and/or “capable of being easily stretched or expanded and resuming former shape” that corresponds to materials and elements that, when affected by appropriate forces, undergo “elastic deformation,” herein defined as “a type of deformation that is reversible, such that when the forces that caused the deformation are no longer applied, the object that underwent the deformation returns to its original shape and/or position.” The use of the term “biasing element” does not specifically refer to only one type of material and/or only one type of element, but rather it refers to a variety of possible elements, all of which fall under the scope of the present invention.

The present invention is herein described by reference to one or more “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible and preferred implementation of the present invention given by the applicant as a method of illuminating the specific features and elements that define the present invention's exclusivity, utility and non-obviousness.

Numerous references to “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” or variants thereof do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments and should be understood as terminology only specifically teaching that one or more particular features, elements, or other piece of important subject matter described in connection with one or more embodiments is included in at least one embodiment, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the present invention.

Although one or more features, elements, or other important subject matter may be described hereinafter in the context of only a single embodiment, or alternatively in the context of a few but not all of the disclosed embodiments, or further alternatively in the context of all of the disclosed embodiments, the features, elements or other important subject matter may alternatively be provided separately or in any appropriate combination. Conversely, any features, elements, or other important subject matter hereinafter described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized in the context of a single embodiment.

It must be understood that any and all details set forth herein do not limit or restrict an application of the present invention. Any descriptions of elements or features or of the materials used to create those elements or features or examples or methods included in the descriptions of the various embodiments are nonlimiting and are given as an illustration only. Accordingly, the present invention can be manufactured, distributed, used, practiced, and carried out in numerous ways.

The present invention can be realized in the context of embodiments other than the ones used as illustrative examples in the description herein.

Reference is now made to the several views of the drawings, wherein the bobble doll of the present invention is shown in accordance with several preferred embodiments. In each of these embodiments, the bobble doll is generally indicated as 10 and includes an upper body portion 12, a lower body portion 14 and a mid-portion 16. As seen throughout the several views of the drawings, the bobble doll 10 is formed and configured to resemble a human, and preferably a female adult.

During manufacturing, the three main body portions, including the upper body portion 12, the lower body portion 14, and the mid-portion 16 are molded as three separate pieces. The lower body portion 14 may be molded to include a base 18. Alternatively, the lower body portion 14 may be glued or otherwise fixedly attached to the base 18.

The upper body portion 12 is molded, configured and decorated to include a head, arms and a torso from the neck down to the waist. The lower body portion 14 is formed to include a pair of legs with feet that stand on the base 18. The mid-portion 16 is formed to include a buttocks and hips. In one preferred embodiment, the bobble doll 10 is molded and painted to include a bikini top and a bikini bottom or shorts. The buttocks and hips may be exaggerated in size so that they are disproportionately larger than the remainder of the doll's body.

In each of the embodiments of the bobble doll 10, the mid-portion 16 is attached to and supported on one or more biasing elements 20, such as a spring(s), with the mid-portion 16 positioned between the upper body portion 12 and the lower body portion 14. As seen in FIGS. 1-5, one embodiment of the bobble doll 10 provides a mid-portion 16 having an exterior shell 22 formed to resemble the buttocks and hips and an inner plate 24 extending generally horizontally and transversely across the interior of the shell 22 of the mid-portion 16. The shell 22 has an open top 26 and an open bottom 28. The biasing element 20 (e.g., spring) is fixed at one end to a top surface 15 of the lower body portion 14, as seen in FIGS. 1-3. A top end of the biasing element 20 attaches to an underside of the plate 24 within the mid-portion 16, as seen in FIGS. 1-2. When the bobble doll 10 is assembled, the top part of the lower body portion 14 is partially received within the open bottom 28 of the shell of the mid-portion and a bottom part of the upper body portion 12 is received within the open top 26 of the shell of the mid-portion, as seen in FIGS. 1-2.

The plate 24 within the shell 22 of the mid-portion 16 further includes an opening 30 that allows passage of a skeletal post 32 therethrough. The skeletal post 32 is fitted into the interior of the upper and lower body portions to effectively attach the upper and lower body portions together. The skeletal post 32 may be glued within drilled or molded bores formed within the upper and lower body portions. The opening 30 in the plate 24 is substantially larger than the diameter of the skeletal post 32 to allow side to side, horizontal reciprocating movement of the mid-portion 16 relative to the upper 12 and lower 14 body portions. Accordingly, by tapping the exterior of the mid-portion, the mid-portion is able to move in a shaking or bouncing reciprocating movement on the biasing element 20 while the upper and lower body portions remain stationary. This reciprocating movement of the mid-portion 16 is generally indicated by the broken lines and arrows in FIG. 6.

FIG. 5 illustrates a further embodiment wherein a motion sensor 40 may be fitted to the mid-portion 16, within an interior, such as on the plate 24. The motion sensor 40 is wired through the leg of the lower portion 14 and into the base 18 and attaches to circuitry within the base 18 that includes a sound producing device 42. The circuitry, including the sound producing device 42 and motion sensor 40 are powered by a battery source 44 contained within the base 18. A switch 46 on the base is operable between an ON and OFF position to energize and de-energize the sound producing device 42. When energized, the motion sensor 40 detects reciprocating motion of the mid-portion 16 which triggers activation of the sound producing device 42. A speaker 48 connected to the sound producing device 42 emits audio, such as music or other sounds, for a preset length of time (e.g., 15 seconds).

FIG. 7 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention wherein the biasing element 20 is attached to the lower body portion 14 and the plate 24 of the mid-portion 16 in concentric alignment with the opening 30 in the plate. This allows the skeletal post 32 to be received through the center of the spring 20 and the concentrically aligned opening 30 in the plate.

FIG. 8 illustrates yet a further embodiment of the invention wherein the upper and lower body portions are attached to one another using a Y-shaped skeletal member 50. In this particular embodiment, the biasing element 20 is fixed to one leg 52 of the Y-shaped skeletal member 50 and a distal end of the spring 20 is attached to an inner surface of the shell 22 of the mid-portion 16. Similar to the other embodiments, as described above, the mid-portion 16 is able to move in a reciprocating shaking or bouncing motion on the biasing element 20 while the upper 12 and lower 14 body portions remain stationary, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

The base 18 may be formed and configured to any desired shape such, but not limited to as a circle, oval, square or rectangle. Moreover, the base 18 may be molded and/or decorated (e.g., painted) to resemble a beach, sports field, dance floor, urban setting or other environment.

While the present invention has been shown and described in accordance with a preferred and practical embodiment thereof, it is recognized that departures from the instant disclosure are contemplated within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bobble doll comprising:

an upper-body portion having a bottom part, said bottom part having a bottom surface;

a lower-body portion having a top part and a bottom part, said top part having a top surface, and said bottom part having a bottom surface;

a mid-portion having an exterior shell, said exterior shell having at least one top opening and at least one bottom opening and at least one interior wall and at least one exterior wall, thereby defining at least one interior space within said exterior shell that is in communication with said at least one top opening and with said at least one bottom opening and, said mid-portion being positioned between said upper-body portion and said lower-body portion;

at least one skeletal post having a top portion and a bottom portion, said top portion connecting to said upper-body portion, and said bottom portion connecting to said lower-body portion, thereby defining a fixed body comprising said upper-body portion and said lower-body portion and said at least one skeletal post wherein said upper-body portion is held fixed in relation to said lower-body portion, and said at least one skeletal post further having a central portion defining a separation between said upper-body portion and said lower-body portion; and

at least one biasing element connected to said mid-portion and said fixed body, wherein said mid-portion is movable in relation to said fixed body.

2. The bobble doll as recited in claim 1, wherein said mid-portion further includes at least one inner plate positioned within said at least one interior space, said at least one inner plate having at least one opening therethrough, said at least one opening having a diameter of a predetermined size, and wherein said central portion of said at least one skeletal post passes through said at least one opening of said at least one inner plate of said mid-portion, said central portion of said at least one skeletal post having a diameter that is less than the diameter of said at least one opening.

3. The bobble doll as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one biasing element is connected to said at least one top surface of said at least one top part of said lower-body portion, and wherein said at least one biasing element is connected to said at least one inner plate of said mid-portion.

4. The bobble doll as recited in claim 3, wherein said central portion of said at least one skeletal post passes through said at least one biasing element.

5. The bobble doll as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one biasing element is connected to said at least one top surface of said at least one top part of said lower-body portion.

6. The bobble doll as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one biasing element is connected to said at least one skeletal post.

7. The bobble doll as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one skeletal post further includes at least one branch, said at least one branch connecting to said central portion of said at least one skeletal post, and wherein said at least one biasing element is connected to said at least one branch of said at least one skeletal post.

8. The bobble doll as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a base connected to said at least one bottom surface of said at least one bottom part of said lower-body portion.

9. The bobble doll as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a motion sensor for detecting motion of said mid-portion relative to said fixed body;

a sound producing device housed within said base, said sound producing device communicating with said motion sensor, and wherein the activation of said sound producing device is triggered upon said motion sensor detecting motion of said mid-portion relative to said fixed body;

at least one speaker housed within said base, said at least one speaker connected to said sound producing device, and said at least one speaker being structured for emitting sound upon activation of said sound producing device;

at least one battery source housed within said base, said at least one battery source providing power for energizing said motion sensor and said sound producing device; and

a switch on said base, said switch being operable between ON and OFF positions, said ON position energizing said sound producing device, and said OFF position de-energizing said sound producing device.

10. The bobble doll as recited in claim 9, wherein said motion sensor is connected to said mid-portion and wherein said sound producing device is connected to said motion sensor by a wire conductor which passes through the interior of said lower-body portion and through said at least one bottom surface of said at least one bottom part of said lower-body portion into said base.