Patents by Inventor Howard R. Stern

Howard R. Stern has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5256098
    Abstract: A doll playset includes a padded cloth pouch having an interior within which a small doll heartbeat and kick simulating unit are received and supported. A pair of shoulder straps are secured to the pouch to facilitate the wearing of the pouch on the front abdominal area of a child user. The heartbeat and kick simulator includes a motor driven mechanism which produces undulating motion of a pair of kick simulating buttons supported upon the front surface of the simulator. A triangular cam is coupled to the undulating mechanism to provide flexing of an elongated resilient sounder resulting in heartbeat-like sounds when the unit is activated. A push button is supported upon the front surface of the simulator and may be depressed to operate the unit from the exterior of the cloth pouch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1993
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: Robin K. Smith, Howard R. Stern
  • Patent number: 5238437
    Abstract: A bubble dispensing doll includes a hollow torso and head configured to resemble a mermaid. The doll head supports a quantity of simulated hair and a head piece ornament preferably formed in the configuration of a crown or the like. A bubble producing mechanism is formed into an integral self-supporting mechanism which is received and supported within an upper aperture of the doll's head. The majority of the bubble producing mechanism is received within the head and torso cavity of the doll and includes a battery-powered air impeller which drives an air stream through a foaming chamber within the bubble producing mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1993
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin Vowles, Jill E. Barad, Robin K. Smith, Howard R. Stern
  • Patent number: 5147238
    Abstract: A doll including a torso, a pair of arms rotatably joined to the torso, a pair of legs rotatably fixed to the torso, a pair of feet rotatably fixed to the legs, apparatus within each of the legs for raising the feet, and apparatus actuated by movement of the arms for actuating the apparatus within each of the legs for raising the feet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Kelley, Howard R. Stern
  • Patent number: 5141464
    Abstract: A touch responsive animated toy figure is fabricated of a soft or plush material and supports an internal housing formed of a rigid plastic material or the like. A rigid head chassis is supported within the head portion of the plush figure and is pivotally secured to a neck extension of the internal body housing. A motor driven operative mechanism produces a pivotal motion of the figure's head for a predetermined time interval each time the motor is energized. A reciprocating tongue motion is provided in response to head motion to cause a tongue to be successively extended and withdrawn from the head portion of the figure during head motion. A sensor located on the outer portion of the plush figure is operatively coupled to the motor control causing the initiation of an operative cycle for a predetermined interval each time the sensor is touched or manipulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1992
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard R. Stern, Ronald MacBain, Ben Guerrero
  • Patent number: 5094645
    Abstract: A soft bodied toy including an outer layer of material, an inner layer of material, a relatively dense object positioned within the inner and outer layers, apparatus fixing the outer and inner layers together to provide a space therebetween, stuffing material placed in the space to provide a soft cushion, the inner layer being of a form to provide a cavity for the hard inner mechanism, and apparatus for holding the mechanism firmly within the inner layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1992
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard R. Stern, Asako Ota, Yasuko Harvey
  • Patent number: 4718875
    Abstract: A toy vehicle having wheels which may be folded to a horizontal position under the vehicle by squeezing a hand grip. Two elongated axle members are rotatably engaged to the sides of the vehicle. The wheels are rotatably mounted on front and rear axles attached to the elongated axle members. A pivot plate is rotatably mounted to the bottom of the toy vehicle. When the hand grip is squeezed, a link connected to a trigger member causes the plate to rotate. The rotating plate then causes two slotted links to rotate the elongated axle members. As a result, the wheels mounted on the axle members also rotate until they reach a substantially horizontal position under the vehicle. The wheels remain in this folded position until the hand grip is released. When the grip is released, springs return the wheels to a vertical position. The slotted links are designed to allow the wheels at just one side of the toy vehicle to be folded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael McKittrick, David L. Maurer, Howard R. Stern
  • Patent number: 4521206
    Abstract: An improved track for a toy vehicle is disclosed which is in the form of a one-hundred-eighty degree curve. A wall portion of the track is configured to contact a front portion on a first side of the vehicle as it moves along the curve. A post is located at approximately the geometric center of the curve at a position which causes a rear portion on the second side of the vehicle to contact and to pivot around the post as the vehicle moves along the curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1985
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary M. Saffer, Gerard L. Lambert, Howard R. Stern