Dolls and Hairpieces for Dolls

Abstract

A doll having hair formed from extruded elastic filaments and a hairpiece for a doll, the hairpiece including hair formed from extruded elastic filaments.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This is a §371 of International Application No. PCT/GB2005/003315, with an international filing date of Aug. 24, 2005 (WO 2006/021789 A1, published Mar. 2, 2006), which is based on Patent Application No. GB 0418885.0, filed Aug. 24, 2004.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to dolls and hairpieces for dolls.

SUMMARY

This disclosure relates dolls having hair formed from extruded elastic filaments.

This disclosure also relates hairpieces for dolls, the hairpieces including hair formed from extruded elastic filaments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the disclosure may be more readily understood, specific aspects thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows extruded elastic filaments for forming a doll's hair;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, schematic, sectional view of the head of a doll;

FIG. 3 shows the head of a doll; and

FIG. 4 shows brushing of the hair of the doll of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be appreciated that the following description is intended to refer to specific examples of structure selected for illustration in the drawings and is not intended to define or limit the disclosure, other than in the appended claims.

I provide dolls having hair formed from extruded elastic filaments. For example, the filaments may be of polyurethane or a similar compound.

The filaments may extend through holes in an outer surface, in particular a head surface, of the doll and may be secured by means of adhesive, by means of knots in the filaments and/or by stitching, such as conventional hair stitching. The filaments may be of different colors. The filaments may be translucent. If so, the doll's head may include a light source for illuminating the hair. The filaments may have a curled or tangled form or may be braided (plaited) by hand or by machine.

I also provide hairpieces for dolls, the hairpieces including hair formed from extruded elastic filaments.

In a particular aspect, the hairpiece comprises a shaped section designed to engage in a hole in a doll's head.

The filaments of hair of doll or hairpiece may include magnetic material. In this way, brushing of the doll's hair can be simulated using a hairbrush containing a magnet.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows filaments 1 extruded in a web, in a manner known in the garment industry, from an elastomeric material such as polyurethane. The filaments are joined by thin longitudinal sections of the material 2 and can be separated by pulling apart as shown and breaking these sections. The filaments can be decorated in bright colors and if the filaments are of different colors a multi-colored effect is achieved. Color-changing and photoluminescent pigments or the like may also be used in the elastic material to give different decorative effects. Paint, glitter and the like may also be used to decorate the hair.

FIG. 2 shows how each filament 1 is threaded into a hole 3 in the doll's head 4 and threaded back through an adjacent hole. When the filaments have been fitted in this way, they are secured in place using an adhesive. Alternatively, since the head is usually a soft pvc material made by roto casting, the filaments may be stitched into the head in a similar manner to regular fashion dolls.

FIG. 3 shows a finished doll's head.

As an alternative to threading the filaments directly into a doll's head, they can be threaded into a hairpiece comprising, for example, a shaped section of poly(vinyl chloride) or the like which is then plugged and glued into a hole in the doll's head in a known manner.

Iron filings or other magnetic material may be incorporated into the hair. As shown in FIG. 4, a small hairbrush 5 containing a magnet is used to simulate brushing of the hair.

The filaments may be “curled” or “tangled” during the extrusion process (or afterwards by shaping methods, such as using curlers) to give a different appearance. Alternatively, the filaments may be braided (plaited) by hand or by machine.

The doll's hair has a very good feel and texture and can be styled using normal hair accessories.

The expression “doll” as used herein includes at least humans, toy pets or animals, as well as toy figurines representing monsters, cartoon characters and the like, the hair being body hair.

Claims

1-25. (canceled)

26. A doll having hair formed from extruded elastic filaments.

27. The doll according to claim 26, wherein the filaments are polyurethane.

28. The doll according to claim 26, wherein the filaments extend through holes in an outer surface of the doll.

29. The doll according to claim 28, wherein the outer surface is a head surface.

30. The doll according to claim 28, wherein the filaments are secured to the surface by an adhesive.

31. The doll according to claim 28, wherein the filaments are secured to the surface by knots in the filaments.

32. The doll according to claim 28, wherein the filaments are secured to the surface by stitching.

33. The doll according to claim 26, wherein the filaments are different colors.

34. The doll according to claim 26, wherein the filaments are translucent.

35. The doll according to claim 34, comprising a head including a light source for illuminating the hair.

36. The doll according to claim 26, wherein the filaments include magnetic material.

37. The doll according to claim 26, wherein the filaments have a curled or tangled form.

38. The doll according to claim 26, wherein the filaments are braided.

39. A hairpiece for a doll, the hairpiece including hair formed from extruded elastic filaments.

40. The hairpiece according to claim 39, comprising a shaped section that engages in a hole in a doll's head.

41. The hairpiece according to claim 40, wherein the filaments extend through holes in the shaped section.

42. The hairpiece according to claim 40, wherein the filaments are secured to the shaped section by an adhesive.

43. The hairpiece according to claim 40, wherein the filaments are secured to the shaped section by knots in the filaments.

44. The hairpiece according to claim 40, wherein the filaments are secured to the shaped section by stitching.

45. The hairpiece according to claim 39, wherein the filaments are polyurethane.

46. The hairpiece according to claim 39, wherein the filaments are different colors.

47. The hairpiece according to claim 39, wherein the filaments are translucent.

48. The hairpiece according to claim 39, wherein the filaments include magnetic material.

49. The hairpiece according to claim 39, wherein the filaments have a curled or tangled form.

50. The hairpiece according to claim 39, wherein the filaments are braided.