Stuffed Toy With Simulated Heartbeat and Method of Making Same
There is provided a stuffed toy with a simulated, illuminating heartbeat and a method of making thereof. An individual, or an assistant thereof, is provided with an empty, sewn fabric skin, a simulated heartbeat device, and a supply of stuffing material. The simulated heartbeat device has at least one light source and an optional heart-shaped design on one side. At least one battery holder on the opposite side contains at least one replaceable battery for energizing the light source. The individual, or an assistant therof, removes an insulating tab from the heartbeat device, energizing the light source and producing an illuminated light. After filling the toy with stuffing material, the individual, or an assistant thereof, places the heartbeat device inside the stuffed toy near the skin of the chest area. The individual, of an assistant thereof, then closes the rear opening. In appropriate lighting conditions and with appropriate placement within the fabric skin, the light from the heartbeat device is visible through the fabric skin, simulating the heartbeat of a stuffed toy.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/780,160 entitled, “Stuffed Toy With Simulated Heartbeat and Method of Making Same,” filed on Mar. 8, 2006, in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the Invention. The present invention relates generally to stuffed toys, and, more specifically, to a stuffed toy with a simulated, illuminating heartbeat, and a method of making thereof.
Description of the Related Art. Toys of many kinds have included lights for entertaining or other special effects. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,886 to Josephine Wood discloses a stuffed bulldog toy with a battery powered, squeeze operated light in one of its front feet. The light is operated by raising the light supporting foot and squeezing it to energize the light. The toy dog includes lights on a neck collar that flash when a control circuit in the toy body is triggered. A flashing light is also located on the tip of a helmet on the dog's head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,888 to Worsham discloses a scarecrow doll having battery-powered lights in several of its parts. By manually operating various switches on the body of the doll, both visual and audible indications are produced. Lights in the doll's eyes are operated by pulling the upper lip of the doll to activate a switch in the mouth, or by pulling the nose of the doll to activate a switch in the nose.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,743 to Steven Hanson discloses a skull-shaped novelty toy. The skull has a pair of light bulbs mounted into eye sockets. Reflectors are rotatably mounted in the eye sockets and surrounding the light bulbs. The reflectors are connected by a gear train to a manually operated gear that provides rotation to the reflectors. The reflectors include colored lenses that may be rotated in front of the light to provide a varying appearance to the skull. The lights are connected to a battery through a switch mounted in the housing. The switch has a plurality of positions that produce alternate lighting or flashing effects to the toy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,638 to Trevor Ward discloses a removable light and sound module for dolls. The module is contained within a housing that clips to the back surface of a doll toy figure. A battery operated electronic circuit in the housing produces audible sounds in response to a button-operated switch. When the sound circuit is energized, light-emitting diodes connected to the sound circuit will flash. A cape attached to the doll includes a reflective surface facing the light-emitting diodes that reflects the flashing light produced by the diodes, thereby providing an amusing visual effect.
While the foregoing described toys employing lights in various ways have provided some increased entertainment and amusement value and have, in some instances, enjoyed a measure of commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the toy art for evermore improved and interesting plush toys and the like. While the foregoing described toys may be suitable for the particular purposes that they address, they are not suitable for the purposes of the present invention as hereinafter described.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to one embodiment of the invention, a child is provided an empty, sewn fabric skin, a simulated heartbeat device, and a supply of stuffing material. The simulated heartbeat device has a light-emitting diode and a heart-shaped design on one side. A battery holder on the other side contains a replaceable battery for energizing the light-emitting diode. The child, or an adult assisting him, removes an insulating tab from the heartbeat device energizing the light-emitting diode, which produces a flashing red light. After filling the toy with stuffing material, the child places the heartbeat device inside the stuffed toy near the skin of the chest area. The child or adult assistant then closes the rear opening. In appropriate lighting conditions and with appropriate placement within the fabric skin, the flashing light from the heartbeat device is visible through the fabric skin, simulating the heartbeat of a stuffed animal or doll.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stuffed toy that a child can easily assemble. It is another object of the invention to provide a stuffed toy that includes a heartbeat simulated by a flashing or non-flashing light internal to the toy that may be visible through the skin of the toy. Other objects of the invention are apparent from the following description of an example embodiment of the invention and the accompanying drawings.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following Detailed Description of an Example Embodiment of the Invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The invention and its advantages are best understood by referring to the drawings, like numerals being used for like and corresponding parts of the various drawings. In
Simulated heartbeat device 12 is placed inside the chest area near the front surface of the toy along with the stuffing material. Heartbeat device 12 emits a flashing light that simulates the heartbeat of the toy. With appropriate placement and materials, the flashing light is visible from the outside of the toy through the fabric skin 11 and stuffing material.
In use, the empty fabric skin 11 is provided to a child, with a supply of stuffing material and a simulated heartbeat device 12. Referring to
Referring to
The battery holder 20 is affixed to the back side of the heartbeat device 12. A coiled spring 22 is affixed to the heartbeat device 12 inside the battery holder 20. The spring 22 is electrically conductive and is attached at its lower end to a light-emitting diode 17. The battery 24 is disposed proximate the spring 22 within the battery holder 20. A removable tab 28 is inserted through a slot 30 in the battery holder 20. The narrow portion 32 of the tab 28 is placed between the battery 24 and the spring 22 in order to electrically insulate the spring 22 from the battery 24. Therefore, the light-emitting diode 17 is not energized by the battery 24 when the tab 28 is in place. The cap 26 threadably attaches to the battery holder 20, and retains the battery 24 within the battery holder 20. When the cap 26 is installed on the battery holder 20, the spring 22 is compressed against the removable tab 28.
When the child is ready to insert the heartbeat device 12 into the stuffed toy 10, he, or an adult assisting him, removes the tab 28 from the heartbeat device 12 by pulling on its grip portion 34. Removal of the tab 28 places the battery 24 into electrical contact with the spring 22. This in turn electrically energizes the light-emitting diode 17, causing it to begin visibly flashing on the front face of the heartbeat device 12. The frequency of the flashing approximates the heartbeat rate of the toy. The child then places the illuminated heartbeat device 12 through the filling opening 14 and into the stuffed toy 10, as seen in
The child, or adult assistant, then closes the inner pouch 16 and pushes it inside the outer zippered closure 36, as seen in
In one example embodiment of the invention, the simulated heartbeat device 12 is manufactured by Chengdu Eastsun International Co., Ltd. Hong Kong Eastsun International Co. as part number 08050001. The battery 24 is a 3-volt lithium button cell, as commonly used in many digital watches.
Advantageously, the heartbeat device 12 or its battery 24 is easily replaceable after the initial making of stuffed toy 10. The installations process may be reversed should a person desire to restart the stuffed toy's heartbeat after a battery has discharged. To install a replacement battery the person unzips outer zippered closure 36, then pulls out and unzips the inner zippered pouch 16. He then reaches through the filler material and removes the heartbeat device 12. He then removes the cap 26 and replaces the battery 24 in the battery holder 20. He then replaces any filler material that was removed and closes the inner zippered pouch 16 and the outer zippered closure 36, completing the remaking of the stuffed toy 10. The entire heartbeat device 12 may be replaced by following the same steps enumerated above. Instead of replacing the battery the individual will completely remove the current heartbeat device 12 and insert a different device 12.
In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the stuffed toy 10 has no inner pouch 16, and the filler material and simulated heartbeat device 12 are inserted into the stuffed toy 10 directly through its zippered closure 36.
Referring to
In another alternative embodiment of the invention, the simulated heartbeat device 12 includes a non-flashing light source (not illustrated) instead of the flashing light-emitting diode 17. In a further embodiment, the heartbeat device 12 includes a thumping-generating device (not shown) instead of a light-generating device. This device would provide a tactile sensation to mimic a beating heart. In another embodiment of the invention, the heartbeat device 12 includes a sound-generating device (not shown) instead of a light-generating device. This device will produce audible heartbeats to aid in the enjoyment of the stuffed toy 10. In a still further embodiment of the invention, the heartbeat device 12 includes a vibration-generating device (not shown) instead of a light-generating device. In still further embodiments of the invention, the heartbeat device 12 includes a device or devices for generating a combination of light, thumping, sound, and/or vibration.
It should be noted that it is not necessary for the successful practice of the invention that the light, thumping, sound, or vibration be detectable or readily detectable from the outside of the stuffed toy after installation. The experience of providing an operational element in the toy body by a user is considered a desirable aspect of the invention, because of the user's knowledge that the heartbeat device is operational within the body of the stuffed toy.
Although the present invention is described and illustrated herein as it might be applied to a stuffed animal, it will be understood that the invention can be practiced with any stuffed toy, such as a baby doll.
The stuffed toy with a simulated, illuminating heartbeat and the method of making thereof of the present invention, and many of its intended advantages, will be understood from the foregoing disclosure and description, and it will be apparent that, although the invention and its advantages have been described in detail, various changes, substitutions, and alterations may be made in the manner, procedure, and details thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims, or sacrificing any of its material advantages. The present invention should only be limited by the following claims and their legal equivalents.
Claims
1. A stuffed toy comprising:
- a skin defining an inner cavity;
- stuffing provided in said inner cavity;
- said skin comprised of a material that allows at least partial light transmission through said skin;
- at least one light source placed within said cavity; and
- said light source arranged sufficiently close to said skin to allow light to emanate from said skin when said light source is illuminated.
2. The stuffed toy of claim 1, further comprising:
- a power source contained in said inner cavity; and
- said power source providing power to said light source.
3. The stuffed toy of claim 2 wherein:
- said power source is contained in a housing; and
- at least one replaceable battery is removably disposed in said housing.
4. The stuffed toy of claim 2, wherein said light source is placed proximate an area of said stuffed toy corresponding to a chest cavity.
5. The stuffed toy of claim 2, wherein said light source is intermittently operable.
6. The stuffed toy of claim 2, wherein said light source includes a heart design.
7. The stuffed toy of claim 2, further comprising:
- an openable and closeable aperture provided in said skin.
8. The stuffed toy of claim 2, further comprising:
- a second cavity contained within said skin;
- said light source contained in said inner cavity;
- stuffing contained in said inner cavity; and
- said power source contained in said second cavity.
9. The stuffed toy of claim 8, further comprising:
- an openable and closeable aperture provided in said second cavity.
10. A stuffed toy comprising:
- a skin defining an inner cavity;
- said skin having at least one aperture;
- said at least one aperture selectively openable and closeable;
- material fixedly attached about the periphery of said material proximate an area of said stuffed toy corresponding to a chest cavity to define a semi-enclosed interior space;
- at least one light source removably disposed in said semi-enclosed interior space;
- said skin comprised of a material that allows at least partial light transmission through said skin, whereby light emanates through said skin when said light source is illuminated; and
- stuffing provided in said skin.
11. The stuffed toy of claim 10, further comprising:
- a power source contained in said inner cavity;
- said power source providing power to said light source; and
- said power source comprising at least one replaceable battery.
12. The stuffed toy of claim 11 wherein:
- said power source is contained in a housing; and
- at least one replaceable battery is removably disposed in said housing.
13. The stuffed toy of claim 11, wherein said light source is intermittently operable.
14. The stuffed toy of claim 11, wherein said light source includes a heart design.
15. The stuffed toy of claim 11, further comprising:
- a second cavity contained within said skin;
- said light source is removably disposed in said semi-enclosed interior space;
- stuffing contained in said inner cavity; and
- said power source contained in said second cavity.
16. The stuffed toy of claim 15, further comprising:
- an openable and closeable aperture provided in said second cavity.
17. A method for constructing a stuffed toy containing a simulated heart comprising the steps of:
- providing a skin, said skin comprising a material at least partially allowing light transmittal therethrough;
- defining at least one openable and closeable aperture in said skin;
- inserting at least one light source in said skin through said closeable aperture;
- activating said at least one light source;
- inserting at least one light source in said skin through said aperture;
- inserting a stuffing material through said aperture;
- arranging said light source proximate said skin; and
- closing said aperture.
18. The method for constructing a stuffed toy containing a simulated heart of claim 17 wherein said step of inserting at least one light source in said skin through said aperture occurs after said step of inserting stuffing material through said aperture.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 9, 2007
Publication Date: Sep 13, 2007
Inventor: Jimmy D. Brewer (Houma, LA)
Application Number: 11/673,431
International Classification: A63H 3/02 (20060101);