Human Figure Having Movably Attached Arm Or Leg Portion Moved By Motive Power Means Patents (Class 446/354)
  • Patent number: 5505652
    Abstract: A motorized mechanical doll for positioning within miniaturized vehicles capable of actuating body portions separate from any mechanical workings of the vehicle. The doll has a plurality of gears for engaging one another for turning a rotating head from side to side. There is a rotation means comprising a set of three magnets having the same polarity. The magnets are mounted to one of the gears and to a rotatable shaft for repelling one another and rotating the rotatable shaft which in turn communicates with the head portion. An alternate embodiment further includes a pivoting hand portion wherein a first end of a lever attaches to the pivoting hand and at a second end attaches to one of the gears slightly off-set from a center portion of the gear. Rotation of the gear causes the lever to move actuating the pivoting hand up and down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Inventor: Roy M. Click
  • Patent number: 5470270
    Abstract: A doll with baby-hugging capabilities having a main body portion with a chest and with arms extending outwardly therefrom; a motion imparting mechanism within the doll having a horizontally-disposed central plate, the plate having a forward end with a shield positionable in the chest area of the doll; a secondary plate positioned beneath the central plate, the secondary plate being adapted to move toward and away from the shield upon the application of forces to the rear surface of the secondary plate; a pair of similarly-shaped squeezer arms in an L-shaped configuration with short interior segments and long exterior segments positioned in the arms of the doll; first pivot pins securing the interior ends of the squeezer arms to the central plate adjacent to its rearward edges thereof for rotational movement with respect thereto, the apertures in the L-shaped plates being elongated; and secondary pivot pins securing the central sections of squeezer arms to the lower plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Inventors: Cecil H. Beamon, Jr., Linda L. Beamon
  • Patent number: 5468172
    Abstract: This invention provides a doll having a head, a body, a motorized appendage for providing a caress, and a recorder for recording a personal, audible message to be played back. The doll further includes disengagement means for disengaging said motor upon the incidence of a threshold force level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Inventor: Pauline R. Basile
  • Patent number: 5416995
    Abstract: A display device includes a decorative model for simulating a doll, people, animal and the other articles with the decorative model having a base provided with a driving device within the base, a rotary body such as a crystal ball rotatably mounted in a central or middle portion of the decorative model and driven by the driving device such as a spring or a motor and a swing device such as a pair of swinging arms of a doll or a people universally secured to the decorative model by a universal joint, having at least a coupling link slidably coupled to an endless groove recessed in a universal rail circumferentially sinuously wound on a spherical surface of the rotary body, whereby upon operation of the driving device to rotate the rotary body, the swinging arms of the swinging device will be swung along the universal rail disposed on the rotary body to produce a three-dimensional decorative effect for the decorative model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Inventor: Hsieh-Yi Teng
  • Patent number: 5413517
    Abstract: A doll action mechanism which comprises a plurality of movable members for a doll or the like, a plurality of rotational drive sources arranged outside of the doll or the like, and a plurality of drive shafts individually connected to the rotational drive sources and the movable members and arranged on a common axis. Further, in another construction, a doll action mechanism has a plurality of movable members and a plurality of rotational drive sources individually coupled to the movable members. The improvement comprises a first rotational drive source for imparting an initial motion, a first movable member enabled to move by the first rotational drive source, a second movable member connected to the first movable member through a planetary gear mechanism, and a second rotational drive source for driving the second movable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Sankyo Seiki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Kamijima
  • Patent number: 5394766
    Abstract: A robotic assembly is provided that simulates the size, appearance and movement of a human torso. The torso includes a unique combination of high speed rotary and linear actuators arranged in a geometry that enables anatomically correct human-like movement, and which provides sufficient internal room and mounting surfaces for the actuators and related equipment such as hydraulic or pneumatic lines, electronic control circuits, valves, and audio playback devices. A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides up to nine degrees of freedom. The upper torso includes a pair of rotary arm actuators ("rotacs") for rotating arms up to 200 degrees. The rotacs are pivotally attached to a centrally located mounting structure for up-and-down motion (shoulder shrugging) and for forward-and-back motion (shoulder forward).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Assignee: The Walt Disney Company
    Inventors: Bruce S. Johnson, Robert H. Gurr
  • Patent number: 5320572
    Abstract: A toy is hung and is movable on a cord between an upper limit position and a lower limit position. The toy includes a frame unit, a driving device, a planetary gearing, and a cord winding gearing assembly. The driving device has a power source installed on the frame unit, and a first output shaft journalled on the frame unit and driven by the power source. The sun gear of the planetary gearing is sleeved fixedly on the first output shaft so that, when driven by the driving device, the planetary gear of the planetary gearing rotates about the first output shaft. A return spring interconnects the frame unit and the cord winding gearing assembly so as to bias the driving gear of the cord winding gearing assembly to engage the planetary gear of the planetary gearing. The cord winding gearing assembly includes a reel connected to the cord winding gearing assembly so as to be driven by the power source to rotate in a direction, thereby winding the cord thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1994
    Inventor: Hwa-Lo Chen
  • Patent number: 5318471
    Abstract: A robotic joint for use in toys or other robotic assemblies to provide locomotion to animated figures, sub-assemblies, and toy construction building sets. The robotic joint is particularly adaptable because one side of the joint carries the motor that is powering the joint. It also provides for four-way action in a joint in a very compact space by attaching a motorized joint directly to the shaft of another motor. It can also provide omni-directional action in a joint, since each motor turns the shaft or turns the motor housing based on the amount of resistance applied to the shaft. This can be demonstrated in a joint that is used to support a leg in which the joint has two motors attached by their shafts, perpendicular to each other in the same joint. A joint structure is provided in which two parallelograms are placed substantially perpendicular to one another to distribute the weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1994
    Inventor: Lloyd H. Glovier
  • Patent number: 5247753
    Abstract: This invention is related to an AC motor with larger torque which is adapted to plug into a lamp socket of a string-set of series connected decorative lamps directly so as to utilize the output of the AC motor to drive the transmission means of the doll apparatus to do a variety of action just in low current of the string-set. Furthermore, utilizing this doll apparatus, we can design an ornamental Santa Claus, a tree top angel, or a flying angel saving as the ornament of X'mas tree with the string-set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1993
    Inventor: Steve Yang
  • Patent number: 5224896
    Abstract: A motorized, self supporting ambulatory doll having pivoting foot or ankle, knee and hip joints with internal hidden parallelogram linkages driving the legs in a realistic articulation as the doll walks or jogs. In addition, the doll's torso, head and arms pivot in cooperation and synchronization with the movement of the legs to enhance the realism of the movement of the doll. Two speed operation of the doll provides for selective walking or jogging operation and electronic speech is coordinated with the selected speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Assignee: Breslow, Morrison, Terzian & Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Rouben T. Terzian
  • Patent number: 5176560
    Abstract: A free-standing dancing doll having a sound actuated motor and drive mechanism for rotating each of two drive rods extending through the doll. The drive mechanism includes a gear train for simultaneously rotating each of the drive rods at different speeds to impart asymmetric motion to selected doll body parts including the legs, arms, and head, to thereby simulate compound dance movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Inventors: Joseph J. Wetherell, Larry Reiner, Allan Buckwalter
  • Patent number: 5158492
    Abstract: An automotive doll that is activated by light. The doll has at least two moving parts, preferably the head, arms and torso of a girl like figure. Within the torso of the doll is a motor that is connected to a plurality of gears and cams that are attached to the moving parts. The motor is preferably powered by batteries that are connected to a light sensor attached to the doll. The sensor switches on the motor when light is directed toward the sensor. When the motor is activated, the torso, arms and head all move relative to each other. The parts move through predetermined cycles, such that the head, arms and torso rotate back and forth between two positions. The drive mechanism is constructed and arranged so that each moving part rotates through a different cycle. Such an arrangement creates a doll that can move into an almost infinite variety of positions, greatly reducing the mechanical appearance of the toy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: Elliott A. Rudell
    Inventors: Elliot A. Rudell, Joseph S. Cernansky, George T. Foster, Richard P. Kamrath, Raymond E. Fisher, Alan R. Pitkanen
  • Patent number: 5139827
    Abstract: A statue has a body with at least one raisable and lowerable extremity, and a motor drive connected with the extremity through a counterweight, so that the extremity is lowered under the action of its own weight and raised by the motor drive with the assistance of the counterweight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1992
    Inventor: Oleg Faigel
  • Patent number: 5121646
    Abstract: The invention relates to the driving mechanism of multi-action doll. The driving mechanism comprises an eccentric roller, a cross-shaped driving component and several driving gears. The cross-shaped driving component has a rectangular hole which accommodates the eccentric roller which moves the cross-shaped driving component back and forth in a linear direction when the roller rotates in the hole. The cross-shaped driving component has racks that mesh with and rotate the driving gears when the driving component is moved by the eccentric roller. Rotation of the gears also rotates shafts on the gears which convey motion to selected portions of a moveable doll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1992
    Assignee: New Wonder Company Limited
    Inventor: J. Zebmour Cho
  • Patent number: 5087219
    Abstract: An action character figure includes a torso portion, a rotatable arm portion on the torso portion, and a leg portion which is retractable into the lower end of the torso portion. The arm portion is connected to the leg portion in the interior of the torso portion such that rotation of the arm portion causes the leg portion to be retracted into the torso portion against the force of an internal biasing spring, and such that thereafter releasing the arm portion causes the arm portion to be rotated in a reverse direction and the leg portion to be resiliently propelled toward a normal outwardly extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1992
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel W. Price
  • Patent number: 5013276
    Abstract: An animated fashion doll including individually articulated arms, legs and head, each separately controlled by a separate thermal motor mounted within the doll torso and controlled from a base-mounted programmable controller which is in turn responsive to remote external stimulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1991
    Inventor: Henry A. Garfinkel
  • Patent number: 5011448
    Abstract: The spiral-spring driven doll toy according to the invention includes a driving mechanism in which a spiral spring is wound up via a gear mechanism by backward rotation of a driving wheel and then provides the restoring force which causes the wheel to rotate. Two leg portions of the doll toy are each rotatably driven by a driving wheel which has a wheel pin which engages in a groove on the leg portion and are similarly interlocked with two pivotable arm portions so that the leg portions move to and fro opposite to the arm portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1991
    Inventor: Kiyoji Asano
  • Patent number: 4985008
    Abstract: A wrestler character figure includes a main body portion which is receivable in free standing relation on a supporting surface, a pair of pivotally mounted arm portions on the main body portion, a pair of hand portions on the arm portions and a biasing assembly in the main body portion. The arm portions are pivotable between upwardly extending first positions and downwardly extending second positions, and the biasing assembly is operative for biasing the arm portions toward the downwardly extending second positions thereof. The hand portions are positioned on the arm portions so they face upwardly when the arm portions are in the upwardly extending first positions thereof. The wrestler character figure is operative by pivoting the arm portions to the upwardly extending first positions thereof, balancing an opponent wrestler character figure on the hand portions and then releasing the arm portions so that the opponent wrestler character figure is thrown to the floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1991
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel W. Price
  • Patent number: 4923428
    Abstract: An interactive, articulated talking toy talks and moves certain of its body parts (eyes, mouth, head and arms) under microprocessor control on the basis of the program material selected from a tape storage device incorporated in the body of the toy. The material selected is determined by a human's response to questions asked by the toy. The material stored on tape contains both audio and data. The processor chooses a particular one of a possible three audio tracks stored on tape on the basis of the specific response or nonresponse made by a human. The data track provides data to the processor which causes it to control the toy's body parts in concert with the audio program being reproduced. The toy has limited word recognition capabilities. The result is the appearance of interaction between the toy and a human by the toy's movement of its body parts and its speech seeming to respond to the human's input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignee: Cal R & D, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth J. Curran
  • Patent number: 4901459
    Abstract: The present invention provides a doll which has a pair of legs and a frame, with a generally horizontal slotted follower, fixed onto the top of the legs. A movable support frame for supporting the upper torso of the doll is pivotally mounted at its upper and lower ends onto the frame. A first motor is installed on the movable support frame, and an eccentric pin member is operatively connected to and activated by the first motor for actuating the hand rod and the head rod of the dolls. The slotted follower of the frame provides a slot which slidingly receives the eccentric pin member. While the eccentric pin member is rotating around the axis of the first motor, the movable support frame is activated and turn right and left reciprocatively thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1990
    Inventor: Yeong R. Lee
  • Patent number: 4875886
    Abstract: A hula doll including a base, a support shaft which is rotatably connected to and supported by the base, a doll body pivotably connected to the support column, a device for moving the doll body about the pivot, a device for rotating the support column relative to the base, and a device for pivoting the arms relative to the doll body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Inventor: Rak M. Sung
  • Patent number: 4869703
    Abstract: A driving mechanism for an animated toy includes a head having a movable mouth, a plurality of shafts having first ends and second ends connected to the limb and the head of the toy, a driving body securing thereon the shafts and a motor, an oscillating piece rotatably attached to the driving body and having a top hole engaging therin one of the first ends, a plurality of side holes each of which is capable of engaging therein another first end and a bottom hole, and a driving piece driven by the motor and having a protrusion which is eccentrical to the shaft of the motor and engages in the bottom hole such that when the motor is energized, the protrusion will oscillate the oscillating piece and in turn oscillate the shafts which in turn oscillate the limb and the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1989
    Inventor: Raymond Ong S.T.
  • Patent number: 4867730
    Abstract: A motor actuating mechanism for animated figures has an eccentric pin member which rotates around a rotatable shaft fixing on the interior of a frame. While the motor is driving, the eccentric pin member will activate the first link member positioned on the frame to move the figure's head. Furthermore, the first link member will activate the second link member and the L-shaped third link member to swing and make the figure's hand/tail move, and also, the eccentric pin member will also activate several connected draw link member to cause the figure's foot to move.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1989
    Inventor: Yeong-ruey Lee
  • Patent number: 4840597
    Abstract: A doll is provided capable of blowing bubbles. The doll has a receptacle for holding bubble making liquid attached to the doll's trunk. A bubble making tool having a ring-shaped end is attached to a moveable arm of the doll. The arm is able to pivot about the trunk so that the tool may be dipped in the liquid and raised up to a mouth opening formed in the doll. An air impeller is located in the doll's head and forces air out of the doll's mouth when a circuit is closed by the motion of the arm in bringing the tool close to the mouth opening. Bubbles are produced when the air flows through the ring-shaped end of the tool coated with a liquid film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1989
    Assignee: Jesmar S.A.
    Inventor: Jose L. J. Perez
  • Patent number: 4836820
    Abstract: A moving animal toy consisting of a ski member having a guide slot at the center thereof, a toy member erected on the ski member and having right and left arms holding poles, and a wheel rotatably supported by the toy member and partially projected from the bottom of the ski through the guide slot, wherein as the wheel is turned, the toy member slides resting on the ski member, and the right and left arms alternately oscillate vertically to raise and lower the right and left poles alternately, performing slalom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1989
    Assignee: Iwaya Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Ebihara, Jiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 4828530
    Abstract: A simple device to activate a decorative doll's limbs by means of simple linkages is driven by two motors. One motor is able to drive the doll's upper torso to swing and the other motor, located in the torso, is able to activate the doll's head and arm so as to magnify the doll's decorative effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Inventor: Yeong R. Lee
  • Patent number: 4810227
    Abstract: An arm-bending apparatus for toys is disclosed which can allow toys to embrace their user or hang on their user's neck in response to their user's embrace. The apparatus desirably includes a motorized arm-bending means installed inside the toy's body and linked to its arms by strings, and a switching means attached to the bosom or neck of the toy's body likely to have contact with the user's body. When the toy is embraced or released, the switching means controls the operation of the motorized arm-bending means, causing the arms to be bent or spread out respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Inventor: Sae W. Kim
  • Patent number: 4778432
    Abstract: A doll of a person with a drum who alternately appears to be beating the drum with his left and right hands while his head rotates left and right and a melody is playing. The doll includes a head portion, a torso portion, a limbs portion, a drum portion, a base portion, means to alternately raise and lower the hands in sequence and to alternately rotate the head left and right, and a melody module. The head portion includes a head which resembles a human and a drive pin. The torso portion is hollow and resembles the body of a human. The limbs portion resembles a human and includes a right arm, a right hand, a left arm, a left hand, a right leg, and a left leg. The drum portion includes a drum with a seat at its rear. The base portion includes a housing with feet on its bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Michael & Park's Trading and Sales, Inc.
    Inventor: Nam J. Yeu
  • Patent number: 4752272
    Abstract: A drive mechanism for a movable toy has a housing and a motor. A control gear which is movable both rotationally and axially is located on the housing and is connected to the motor through a gear train. Rotation of the control gear is transferred to a control element to rotate it. The control element in turn moves the control gear axially to engage or disengage it with an output member. The output member comprises a drive wheel which is mounted in a yoke which is pivotally mounted on the housing. Rotation of the drive wheel moves the toy along a supporting surface. Additionally, the control element is connected to a further output member and intermittently moves the further output member. Movement of the output member and the further output member are coordinated through the control element whereby when the control element engages the control gear, the drive wheel is moved and when the control element disengages from the control gear, the further output member is moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1988
    Assignee: Tomy Kogyo Co. Inc.
    Inventor: Hideyasu Karasawa
  • Patent number: 4717364
    Abstract: A voice actuated toy robot receives commands via a radio transmitter and receiver, and in response to receipt of these commands propogates a signal through a CPU. Initially the toy is programmed by storing records of commands in a memory which is associated with the CPU. Upon further receipt of identical commands, the CPU scans the memory and upon finding a match between a record in the memory and a new command, the CPU activates a switch associated with the record in the memory so as to set the switch. A mechanical interogator is capable of cycicly interogating a plurality of switches each of which corresponds to one of the records in the memory. Upon interogation of the switches, if it is determined a signal is present at one of the switches, the interogator ceases interogation and a mechanism is set so as to propogate motion from a motor to an appendage driving wheel or the like of the robot to produce an output in response to the audio command which was received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1988
    Assignee: Tomy Kogyo Inc.
    Inventor: Masami Furukawa
  • Patent number: 4657518
    Abstract: A motion delay mechanism is disclosed which can be mounted within the torso of an animated figure toy having articulated arms. A spring is used to rotate the arms and a governor is incorporated into the mechanism for the purpose of delaying movement of the arms.The governor features a worm gear which is used in conjunction with other gears to slow down rotation of the arms. A ratchet is used for selectively loading the spring and engaging the gears. The arms of the figure toy may be used to slowly move the hands of the toy through hair attached to the toy's head or to tilt the head backward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1987
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Kelley, Mark Wittenberg
  • Patent number: 4626164
    Abstract: A robot toy includes a movable arm which is constituted of alternatingly interconnected three first members and three second members. The first member has a first rotating unit for moving the adjacent second member about its longitudinal axis, and the second member has a second rotating unit for rotating the first member about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The transmission system for transmitting the output motion of a motor to the arm includes a plurality of transmission cords which are made of metal wires twisted together for the transmission along long transmission lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1986
    Assignee: Timestrong Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chin-Der Chang
  • Patent number: 4563163
    Abstract: A motor driven doll that rises from a face-down prone position to an erect standing position. Cam followers drive first one leg from an extended position behind the torso of the doll to a more forward position and then similarly drive the other leg to bring the doll to a splayed leg crouching position. Thereafter, simultaneous movement of the cam followers rotate the torso relative to both of the legs at the same time to raise the doll to an erect standing position. As the second leg is being moved from the rearward extended position, a third cam drive pivots the head rearwardly to shift the center of gravity and assist in raising the doll. As the doll reaches a fully erect position the head is driven to a forward position and, at the same time, a fourth drive effects a swiveling of the head so that the doll displays a pert glance of accomplishment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1986
    Assignee: Marvin Glass & Associates
    Inventors: Horst-Dieter Herbstler, Rouben T. Terzian, Lewis R. Dyson
  • Patent number: 4512748
    Abstract: A pendant having a housing with a movable member connected to the housing. The movable member is capable of swinging movement for a period of time. The movement is started by the wearer compressing a movable driving arm toward a stationary projection formed in the lower part of the housing and then releasing. The driving arm is provided centrally with a spring normally biasing the driving arm away from the projection, and gear teeth at its upper end. The gear teeth mesh with a gear train terminating in a shaft having a disc and an eccentrically located projection extending toward the front of the pendant. The projection is engaged within a guide slot in the movable member which is rotatable about an axis contained in the housing. Thus, when the driving arm is compressed and released, the energy of the spring is transferred through the drive train, causing the eccentric projection to move the movable member to which it is connected, and thus imparting an animated character to the pendant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1985
    Assignee: Toybox Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Matsumoto, Yoichi Abe