HK1055091B - Transformable toy figure having alternative sounds - Google Patents

Description

Transformable toy figure having different sounds

Technical Field

The present invention relates to toy figures and, more particularly, to transformable toy figures.

Background

Plush toys are well known to be a popular type of toy. Its popularity has been around for many years and is enjoyed by boys and girls of a certain age group. It is not surprising that toy developers have developed a wide variety of plush toys for this purpose. As a result, a variety of plush toy figures are formed, including animal, human, fanciful, exotic, cartoon, etc. shaped figures. While the configuration of plush toys may be endless, all plush toy configurations include substantially identical parts or features. These basic parts or components include a soft skin, typically made of cloth or the like, which is used to support artificial wool or a soft outer material. The interior of the soft skin is filled or stuffed with a soft, resilient material such as foam rubber or foam plastic. Other common fillers include fibrous fillers or other filler materials such as particulate materials and the like. Many plush toy figures also include other features such as sound producing circuits disposed within the interior of the toy figure. The structure of a sound emitting circuit is a prior art, and there are various electric and electronic devices. Most sound circuits in toy figures today use an existing integrated circuit sound system supported on a printed circuit board, which incorporates a circuit chip, associated memory and sound output circuitry and a sound transducer such as a speaker or piezoelectric device. In many plush toy figures having an audio circuit, a plurality of activation switches, such as squeeze or pressure switches disposed in the hands or feet, are supported at selected locations on the body of the toy.

One interesting class of plush toy figures to which the present invention relates is the prior art "transformable toy". The transformable toy figure comes from being transformed into either of two states by a simple manipulation of the various components of the toy. For most cases, the deformability is achieved by two pieces of cloth or fabric attached to the same opening. Each cloth or fabric body may be inserted through the opening into the toy body to form at least a portion of the padding or padding material. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,505 to Schneider et al discloses a TRANSFORMABLE TOY FIGURE (TRANSFORMABLE TOY FIGURE) that is gradually TRANSFORMABLE into different configurations. These forms have a body portion that includes a compliant pack of filling material covered by a fabric. The fabric portion is secured to the body portion and forms a pocket which is resiliently deformable to force portions of the body and material thereof through the pocket as the toy is changed from one configuration to another.

U.S. patent specification US291,819 to Schneider et al sets forth a design of TOY stuffing FIGUREs OR the like (TOY STUFFED FIGURE OR SIMILAR ARTICLE) that can be converted between fanciful and odd animal FIGUREs and a ball that is difficult to describe in language.

U.S. patent No. 4,842,565 to von hilp Sr proposes a reverse STUFFED toy (REVERSIBLE STUFFED DOLL) consisting of a two-part fabric with a cavity between the two parts containing a filler. Each section of fabric has an outer surface with an acoustic device, and each section has a particular appearance. A piece of fabric is also used to cover one of the two surfaces to give the toy a different look.

US patent No. 4,413,442 to McSweeney proposes a THREE-DIMENSIONAL transformable toy (THREE DIMENSIONAL transformable toy) having a first and second surface with a break between the two surfaces. The plurality of component parts of the molding are secured to a surface such that the molding is deformable from a first configuration to a second configuration or vice versa.

US patent 4,695,264 to McLeod Jr proposes a reversible variable stuffer mold (reversible STUFFEDFIGURE) having two interconnected molds, each of which includes a respective internal cavity, each cavity capable of containing or containing another mold. The two shapes are connected together along the same opening.

U.S. patent No. 4,781,648 to Garfinkel teaches a REVERSIBLE PLUSH TOY (REVERSIBLE PLUSH TOY) having a pair of substantially equal-sized skins which are peripherally secured and configured to selectively expose one of the skins while covering the other. Each skin includes a plurality of appendages attached thereto that are aligned with appendages on the other skin. The appendages of each set of aligned appendages are reversible appendages of the other set of appendages such that the appendages on the exposed skin protrude outwardly.

U.S. patent No. 5,090,938 to Reynold teaches a TOY OR OTHER article that can be changed between TWO different shapes (TOY OR OTHER OBJECT alternate energy tire wheel TWO DIFFERENT SHAPES) having an animal form and a generally spherical skin that assembles into a ball at an opening such that the animal form can be inserted into the ball to form a stuffed ball shape OR the spherical skin can be inserted into the animal shape to form a stuffing.

US patent US5,649,848 to Clark proposes a REVERSIBLE PLUSH TOY (REVERSIBLE PLUSH toe) having two designs, such as two animal shapes. The two are turned in and out to and fro through the wide openings.

US patent US4,404,689 to DeWan proposes a FLEXIBLE CONTAINER (flexile CONTAINER HAVING A PREDETERMINEDTHREE DEMENSIONAL SHAPE) having a predetermined three-dimensional SHAPE for use in retrieving a desired article. The container is connected to a garment or the like so that the garment or the like can be inserted into the container. The garment or article may be completely removed from the container and used as is conventional.

U.S. patent 5,813,895 to Cho and U.S. patent 5,846,116 to DiResta et al teach toy figures that can be enclosed in a simulated egg.

Ancestors of this field also provide a variety of TOY FIGUREs WITH vocalization systems such as the reading TOY (READING TOY) set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,213 to Goodwin, the hispid function baby TOY (CHILDREN "S TOY WITH PEAK-A-BOO ACTIVATION) set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,627 to Ekstein, and the TOY FIGURE WITH a tuner and flag (TOY FIRE HAVING TUNED SOUND PROCEDURS ANDINDICIA) set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,292 to Favilli et al. U.S. patent No. 5,316,515 to Hyman et al proposes a sound producing toy structurally assembled with a horse's head and neck which is secured to the wearer's waist and has a sound producing device therein.

Despite the advances in the art and the commercial success of the above-described art, there is a continuing need for improvements in the art to improve the novelty and entertainment of toys.

Disclosure of Invention

It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide an improved transformable toy figure. It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide an improved transformable toy figure in which the alternating configuration has unique characteristics and properties.

The present invention provides a transformable toy figure comprising: a first skin defining a first configuration, a second skin defining a second configuration, and an opening therebetween, such that each skin is transferable into the remaining skins to change the toy figure between the first configuration and the second configuration; a sound generating unit supported within the first epidermis for generating first and second sounds; a first set of switches supported in the first skin and connected to the sound emitting unit; and a second set of switches supported in the second skin and connected to the sound emitting unit, the sound emitting circuit being responsive to the first set of switches to produce a first sound and responsive to the second set of switches to produce a second sound, in a first configuration the first set of switches being accessible and the second set of switches being inaccessible, and in a second configuration the second set of switches being accessible and the first set of switches being inaccessible.

Brief description of the drawings

What is mentioned in the characterizing part of the claims is the novel feature of the invention. The invention, together with its objects and advantages, may best be understood by making reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify identical elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an animal-shaped transformable toy figure constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the animal-shaped transformable toy figure of the present invention;

figure 3 sets forth a perspective rear view of the transformable toy figure of the present invention beginning at its transformation into another shape;

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the transformable toy figure of the present invention with two skin portions exposed in the middle of the transformation;

figure 5 sets forth a front perspective view of the transformable toy figure of the present invention being transformed into another egg-shaped configuration;

figure 6 sets forth a perspective view of the transformable toy figure of the present invention in its egg-shaped configuration;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a sound generating unit of the transformable toy figure of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the sound unit of FIG. 7 taken along line 8-8;

fig. 9 is a block schematic diagram of a sound generating circuit for the sound generating unit of fig. 7 and 8.

Description of the preferred embodiments

Figure 1 sets forth a front perspective view of toy figure 10 of the present invention. Toy figure 10 is shown in figure 1 as being animal-like in shape, which in the embodiment shown in figures 1-5 is generally a fanciful shape that looks like a small dinosaur. Accordingly, toy figure 10 includes a skin 11 formed of a flexible material or cloth, which includes a body 13, a head 12, and a tail 14. The epidermis 11 also includes an abdomen 19 and a pair of front legs or arms 15 and 16. In addition, toy figure 10 of the present invention includes a plurality of pressure sensitive switches 20, 21 and 22 supported on the interior surfaces of belly 19 and forearms 16 and 15, respectively, of cuticle 11. Although there are many support means for pressure sensitive switches 20 to 22, it is preferable to secure pressure sensitive switches 20 to 22 within fabric pockets formed on the inner surface of epidermis 11. Referring initially to fig. 6, an exemplary pocket 28 for supporting pressure sensitive switch 25 is shown disposed within an interior or inner surface of eggshell skin 50. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the various pressure sensitive switches of the embodiments of the present invention shown in fig. 1 to 9 are in this form of switch connection. Likewise, other forms of attachment, such as adhesive bonding, etc., may be used and are within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The location and support of pressure sensitive switches 20 through 22 is important so that they are in close proximity to epidermis 11 to aid in responding to contact pressure on the outer surface of epidermis 11 and activating the switches. With the forearms 15 and 16, the user can activate the pressure sensitive switches 22 and 21 by simply pressing on the hands or palm.

In the configuration shown in figure 1, toy figure 10 is an entertaining plush toy figure for conventional play. In the preferred embodiment and in the manner provided below in figure 9, the pressure sensitive switches 20, 21 and 22 cause an internal sound generating unit 23 (see figure 4) to generate a dinosaur "roar" or "scream" sound, which may also be other suitable real or phantom sounds.

Toy figure 10 may be altered from the animal shape shown in figure 1 to the egg shape shown in figure 6. The versatility of toy figure 10 is greatly enhanced over prior construction techniques by the use of a pair of skins connected along a common opening. Thus, as best seen in fig. 3, eggshell skin 50 is filled or stuffed into eggshell skin 11, thereby providing a soft stuffing when eggshell skin 50 is in the animal shape shown in fig. 1.

Figure 2 sets forth a perspective rear view of transformable toy figure 10 of the animal construction of the present invention beginning at the transition from the animal configuration illustrated in figure 1 to the egg configuration illustrated in figure 6. As described above, toy figure 10 includes a skin 11 having a torso 13, a plurality of legs, such as leg 17, a tail 14, a front leg or forearm 15, and a head 12. The cover 11 also has a zipper 40, the zipper 40 having a slider 41 and a flap 42. The cover edge 42 is typically formed of a loose fabric material, preferably a matching animal skin 11, and its primary function is to cover the exposed portion of the zipper 40.

In the configuration of figure 2, zipper 40 is in the closed configuration and toy figure 10 is in the animal-shaped configuration. The change from the animal-like shape shown in figure 2 to the egg-like shape shown in figure 6 of toy figure 10 begins by separating zipper 40 from cover edge 42, pulling slider 41 to open zipper 40.

Figure 3 sets forth a perspective rear view of toy figure 10 with zipper 40 open. More particularly, as described above, toy figure 10 includes a skin 11, skin 11 forming body 13, head 12, tail 14, legs 17, and arms 15. As also described above, the cover 11 has a zipper 40, the zipper 40 having a movable slider 41 and a flap 42.

In the configuration shown in fig. 3, zipper 40 has been opened to expose eggshell skin 50 formed of a flexible woven material. In accordance with the deformable nature of toy figure 10, eggshell skin 50 inserted into skin 11 provides a filler or stuffing material in the animal shape shown in figures 1 through 3. As shown in fig. 4, eggshell skin 50 is preferably formed of a flexible fabric or cloth that is attached to skin 11 along a common opening 45. When zipper 40 is opened, toy figure 10 continues to deform as the user inserts his hand into eggshell skin 11 to remove eggshell skin 50 and fully unfold, thereby forming the configuration shown in figure 4.

Figure 4 sets forth a side elevational view of toy figure 10 with the middle portion broken away during deformation. In this intermediate position, the two animal skins (skin 11 and eggshell skin 50) are fully exposed and joined along a common opening 45.

More specifically, the epidermis 11 comprises a body 13, which body 13 is formed with a common opening 45. The epidermis 11 also comprises a head 12, a tail 14, two legs 17 and 18, a pair of arms 15 and 16 and a belly 19. As described above with reference to fig. 1, the arms 15 and 16 are provided with pressure sensitive switches 22 and 21, respectively, while the belly 19 is provided with a pressure sensitive switch 20.

Toy figure 10 also includes an eggshell skin 50, where eggshell skin 50 has a common opening 45 therein that is joined to the common opening of epidermis 11 by conventional joining means such as stitching or the like. The cover rim 42 extends along one side of the common opening 45. Although not visible in FIG. 4, it can be seen in FIG. 3 that zipper 40 is capable of opening and closing common opening 45.

Eggshell skin 50 is provided with a plurality of pressure sensitive switches 25, 26 and 27 on its interior surface. As shown in fig. 6, pressure sensitive switches 25 through 27 may be attached to an interior surface of eggshell skin 50 via a corresponding plurality of woven pockets, such as woven pocket 28, as shown in fig. 6, with pressure sensitive switch 25 being disposed within pocket 28.

Fig. 7 and 8 are provided to describe the sound unit 23 of the present invention in detail, and an internal sound circuit (circuit 64 shown in fig. 9) is incorporated in the sound unit 23. In a preferred configuration of the present invention, sound generating unit 23 is housed within eggshell skin 50 using a pocket 28 similar to that shown in fig. 6. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the sound emitting unit 23 may be mounted in a variety of conventional support structures, including but not limited to a large amount of woven padding or padding around the periphery.

An important aspect of the present invention is that pressure sensitive switches 20, 21 and 22 are all housed within epidermis 11, and not within eggshell epidermis 50. In contrast, another important aspect of the present invention is that pressure sensitive switches 25, 26 and 27 are all housed within the interior surface of eggshell skin 50, rather than within eggshell skin 11. The pressure sensitive switches 20, 21 and 22 are connected to the sound emitting unit 23 through a plurality of wires. Also, the pressure-sensitive switches 25, 26, and 27 are connected to the sound emitting unit 23 through a plurality of wires.

Thus, as seen in figure 4 and in comparison figures 1 and 6, pressure sensitive switches 20, 21 and 22 are exposed and activated only when toy figure 10 is changed to the animal shape shown in figure 1, with pressure sensitive switches 25, 26 and 27 all embedded within the interior filler, eggshell skin 50. In contrast, pressure sensitive switches 25, 26 and 27 are exposed and pressure activated only when toy figure 10 is in the egg-like shape shown in figure 6, with pressure sensitive switches 20, 21 and 22 all encased within eggshell skin 50 and spaced from the pressure activation.

Figure 5 sets forth a perspective view of toy figure 10 at the final stage of deformation. As described above, toy figure 10 includes a skin 11, skin 11 including a head 12, a torso 13, a tail 14, arms 15 and 16, and legs 17 and 18. Toy figure 10 further includes an eggshell skin 50 joined to skin 11 at common opening 45. Zipper 40 and flap 42 close the common opening 45.

In the configuration or deformed state shown in fig. 5, epidermis 11 is folded and compacted to be inserted into eggshell skin 50 through common opening 45. Methods of deforming such plush toy figures are well known. When eggshell skin 50 is stuffed with skin 11, it provides a suitable filling or padding for toy figure 10 in the egg-shaped configuration shown in figure 6. Once eggshell skin 50 is inserted into epidermis 11, zipper 40 is zipped and the deformation is complete.

Figure 6 sets forth a perspective view of toy figure 10 in an egg-shaped configuration. In this configuration, eggshell skin 50 surrounds and encloses epidermis 11 (see fig. 5), while cover edges 42 cover zippers 40 to complete the eggshell enclosure. The resulting structure is an egg-shaped body, which is relatively soft. In the present invention, a plurality of pressure sensitive switches 25, 26 and 27 are mounted on the interior surface of eggshell skin 50 within toy figure 10. It can be seen that a pocket 28 of woven or other suitable material is secured to the interior surface of eggshell skin 50 to enclose and support pressure sensitive switch 25. Although not visible in fig. 6, pressure sensitive switches 26 and 27 are also obviously mounted within eggshell skin 50.

An important point of the present invention is that a plurality of pressure sensitive switches are disposed on eggshell skin 50 and exposed to the environment when toy figure 10 is in the egg-shaped configuration and pressure activated by a user's touch, with the remaining pressure sensitive switches (switches 20, 21 and 22 shown in figure 1) being encapsulated within the interior of the egg-shaped object.

The operation of the sound emitting unit 23 is as follows. The sound emitting unit 23 generates a sound different from the sound generated when the pressure sensitive switches 20 to 22 (see fig. 1) are activated in response to the pressure activation of any of the pressure sensitive switches 25 to 27. In a preferred construction of the present invention, the heartbeat sound is selected in response to activation of switch pressure sensitive switches 25 through 27 when toy figure 10 is in the configuration shown in figure 6. It should be apparent that other suitable sounds may be selected for toy figure 10 in the egg-shaped configuration shown in figure 6. However, the selection of the heartbeat sound in the egg-shaped configuration of the toy figure of the present invention is particularly entertaining.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above-described deformation process can be reversed to return toy figure 10 to the animal shape. Similarly, as is known to those skilled in the art, upon reverse deformation to the configuration of FIG. 1, switches 25 through 27 will be isolated from the interior of epidermis 11 and thus not be activated by the user, while switches 20 through 22 return to a state in which they are activated by the user for operation. Accordingly, it is an important aspect of the present invention that toy figure 10 produce one set of acoustic responses or sounds in the animal shape and another set of different acoustic responses and sounds in the egg shape. Thus, a feature of the transformable toy figure of the present invention is the ability to vary the appropriate sound output based on the different shapes of the transformable toy figure.

Fig. 7 is a front view of the sound emitting unit 23. The sound unit 23 comprises a housing 60 carrying a grill 61. The sound generating unit 23 may be manufactured by conventional construction techniques such as molding, etc.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of sound unit 23 taken along line 8-8 of fig. 7. The sound unit 23 includes a housing 60 carrying a grill 61, the grill 61 having a plurality of openings therein. The sound unit 23 further comprises a battery power source 62 and a piezoelectric transducer 63. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other sensors may be substituted for the piezoelectric transducer 63, such as a small speaker, etc., without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Sound circuit 64 includes a printed circuit board 59 on which are mounted a plurality of conventional electronic circuit components such as an integrated circuit 65 and an audio output transducer 66. The housing 60 further carries a connector 69 to which the plurality of wires 30 to 32 and 35 to 37 are connected, the connector 69. A connector 69 is received and supported in the housing 60 and is connected to the wires 30 to 32 and 35 to 37 using conventional manufacturing techniques. Although not shown in fig. 8, it is clear that there are a plurality of internal connections to make the connection between the connector 69 and the sound outputting circuit 64. Further, although not shown in FIG. 8, it is clear that there are a plurality of wires that operatively connect the sound outputting circuit 64 to the battery power source 62 and the piezoelectric transducer 63. To avoid excessive clutter in fig. 8, these connections are omitted and may be implemented entirely according to conventional techniques to form the circuit shown in fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a block diagram of the sound generating circuit 64 and its operating elements. Sound outputting circuit 64 may well be fabricated using conventional manufacturing techniques to provide a low cost, small sound outputting circuit for a toy or other device. In this case, the sound generating circuit 64 includes an integrated circuit 65 for generating sound, to which a memory device 67 is connected. The integrated circuit 65 is also connected to an audio output circuit 68, which output circuit 68 is in turn connected to an electroacoustic transducer 63. As shown in fig. 8, the transducer 63 may be, for example, a piezoelectric device. The first set of pressure-actuated pressure-sensitive switches 20, 21 and 22 are connected to the trigger inputs of the integrated circuit 65. A second set of pressure responsive pressure sensitive switches 25, 26 and 27 are connected to another input of the integrated circuit 65. From the foregoing description it can be appreciated that: in the animal configuration shown in fig. 1, pressure sensitive switches 20, 21 and 22 are exposed and can be activated; whereas in the egg-shaped configuration shown in fig. 6, pressure sensitive switches 25, 26 and 27 are exposed for activation.

The sound outputting circuit 64 is manufactured using conventional manufacturing processes and employs an internal memory 67 and a microprocessor (in sound outputting integrated circuit 65) to store audio data and provide sound signal output for processing of the stored instruction set. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that any standard sound generating circuit may be used in place of the sound generating circuit 64. The nature of the sound emitting circuit 64 is to provide the transducer 63 with a suitable audio signal to form a predetermined sound message or set of sounds each time the switch is activated by pressure. For example, Texas Instruments TMS 50C44 is an integrated circuit chip that incorporates a suitable microprocessor, read only memory, audio synthesizer, and audio output amplifier to form sound generation circuit 64. However, the sound outputting circuit 64 may be implemented using various other standard integrated circuit devices.

In operation, sound circuit 65 and memory 67 cooperate such that sound circuit device 65, in response to activation of any one of pressure sensitive switches 20 to 22, extracts a first set of sound data from memory 67 and converts it into a suitable output format to drive sound output device 68. Thus, the sound outputting integrated circuit 65 here includes suitable digital/analog conversion means for the audio output device 68 to drive the speaker 63 with an audio analog signal. Similarly, integrated circuit 65 is programmed to extract a different set of sound data from memory 67 in response to activation of pressure sensitive switches 25 to 27 and convert it to a suitable analog format so that audio output device 68 drives transducer 63 with a different set of audio data to produce a different sound. Although any different sound sets may be used without departing from the invention, it is preferred to use the sounds of dinosaurs or other animals in response to pressure sensitive switches 20 to 22 and the sounds of heartbeats in response to pressure sensitive switches 25 to 27.

Accordingly, the transformable toy figure of the present invention may be transformed between an animal shape or an egg shape. An important aspect of the present invention is that the internal sound generating unit within the figure is capable of generating a first set of sounds in the animal shape and a second, different set of sounds in the egg shape. This adds a lot of fun and realism to the toy figure. In addition, the transformation of the deformable shapes is greatly enhanced because each structure produces a different sound.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims (9)

1. A transformable toy figure comprising, in combination,

a first skin forming a first contour;

a second skin defining a second contour, an opening common to both being formed between said first skin and said second skin, each of said skins being transferable through said opening into the other skin to thereby transform the toy figure between the first shape and the second shape;

a generating unit supported within the first skin for generating a first sound and a second sound;

characterized in that the transformable toy figure further comprises:

a first set of switches supported within the first epidermis and connected to the generating unit; and

a second set of switches supported in a second skin and coupled to the generating unit, the generating circuit generating the first sound in response to the first set of switches and the second sound in response to the second set of switches,

in the first configuration, the first set of switches may be on and the second set of switches may not be on, and in the second configuration, the second set of switches may be on and the first set of switches may not be on.

2. The transformable toy figure of claim 1 wherein the first shape is an animal and the second shape is an egg.

3. The transformable toy figure of claim 2 wherein the animal resembles a dinosaur.

4. The transformable toy figure of claim 1 wherein the first skin and the second skin are comprised of a flexible cloth material.

5. The transformable toy figure of claim 4 wherein the first shape is an animal and the second shape is an egg.

6. The transformable toy figure of claim 5 wherein the animal resembles a dinosaur.

7. A transformable toy figure, comprising:

a first epidermis and a second epidermis, each of which can be inserted into the other epidermis, so as to form a first structure and a second structure; and

a device that generates a first set of sounds in response to touching of the first skin when the toy is in the first configuration and a second set of sounds in response to touching of the second skin when the toy is in the second configuration.

8. The transformable toy figure of claim 7, wherein the first skin and the second skin are constructed of flexible fabric and are joined at a common opening.

9. The transformable toy figure of claim 8, wherein said first skin is formed in the shape of an animal and said second skin is formed in the shape of an egg.