disclosure herein relates to dolls and action figures that are capable of lifelike movement via a manual controller. In some embodiments, only the movement of the arms or legs is manually controlled. In another embodiment, the movement of both the arms and legs is manually controlled. In some embodiments, the actuator gearing system includes a clutch to help prevent the gears from stripping. In other embodiments, the controller is removable.
For generations, kids, teens, and adults have played with dolls or action figures. Most dolls are motionless and require manual manipulation to move the doll or action figure into specific configurations, e.g. sitting or standing. With advancements in photography and videography, more kids, teens, and adults are making movies of their dolls or action figures. With most dolls or action figures, this requires “stop-motion” type filming that can take hours to make short videos. Accordingly, there is a need for dolls and action figures that allow for more lifelike movement without having to manually adjust the parts of the doll or action figure.
The following simplified summary provides a basic understanding of some aspects of the claimed subject matter. This summary is not an extensive overview, and is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of the claimed subject matter. Its purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented below.
The disclosure herein is directed to a controller that allows a user to manipulate the movement of an action figure or doll (herein collectively referred to as “doll”). The controller uses a series of actuators and gears to affect the doll's movement, in particular, the movement of the arms and/or legs. The user engages the actuators and gears by moving buttons on the controller. In general, the controller is set up such that the buttons on the right side of the controller control movement of the right side of the doll whereas the buttons on the left side of the controller control movement of the left side of the doll. The controller can be used with one hand or with both hands. The general layout of the controller can be scaled to fit dolls of different sizes.
In one embodiment, the controller includes, a handle, a shaft, at least two buttons, at least two actuators, and a gear box. In one embodiment, the handle is generally knob-like in shape, however, other shapes are also contemplated. In one embodiment, the shaft is generally hollow and cylindrical in shape, however, other shapes are also contemplated. The handle is attached to the shaft at one end and the gear box is attached at the opposing end. On the outside of the shaft are at least two buttons. The buttons generally move in a linear fashion along the longitudinal axis of the shaft. In one embodiment, the buttons are located on opposing sides of the shaft. Each button maybe roughly half doughnut-like in shape, however other shapes are also contemplated. When aligned, the buttons form a doughnut-like shape with the shaft running through the center. Inside the shaft are at least two actuators. The actuators are attached to the buttons at one end and have a gear mesh section at the opposing end. The actuators attach to the buttons through holes in the side of the shaft. The hole must be long enough to allow the actuator to move up and down in conjunction with the movement of the button. In one embodiment, the gear mesh section is comb-like in shape, however other shapes are also contemplated. The gear mesh section of each actuator engages or meshes with at least one gear in the gear box. Generally, the gear box has two sets of gears, one for the right half of the doll and one for the left half of the doll. In some embodiments, each set of gears includes at least two gears and another actuator. In other embodiments, each set of gears includes at least three gears and another actuator. In yet another embodiment, each set of gears includes at least four gears and another actuator. At least one gear in each set of gears is attached to another actuator. This actuator actuates the movement of the arm or leg that it is connected to. Thus, when the user moves the button on the controller, the actuator moves and engages a first gear. The first gear in turn engages a second gear that is in turn connected to another actuator. Movement of the second gear results in movement of the arm or leg. The end result is the controlled movement of the arm or leg through the buttons on the controller.
In some embodiments, additional gears can be used to help with spacing and/or to increase the range of motion of the arm and/or leg movement. For example, two thinner gears stacked together could be used in place of one thicker gear. Or a smaller gear could be stacked on top of a larger gear. Generally when gears are stacked, they should move as one unit. In another embodiment, additional gears could be used for clutch-like a purpose, that is to allow the gears to slip passed each other to prevent damage or stripping of the gears. For example if the user moved the arm or leg under force. In these embodiments, the gears may also be modified to give the gears more flexibility to slip past each other. For example, the gears may have gaps in the cogs or open spaces. The number of gaps or open spaces may vary. In embodiments have more than one gap or open space, the gaps or open spaces should be distributed equidistant along the circumference of the gear. Alternatively, the gear may be an internal gear, i.e., having the teeth, cogs, spurs, etc. on the inside of the cylindrical shape. Or both modified and internal gears may be use.
In another embodiment, the controller as described above may further include another set of buttons, actuators, and gear box. In this embodiment, the first set of buttons, actuators and gear box control either the arms or legs and the second set controls the other. For example, if the first set controls the arms than the second set control the legs. The second set of buttons, actuators, and gear box are set up similarly to the set described above.
In general, the gear boxes are located within the torso portion of the doll. The gear box controlling the legs may be located in the lower torso whereas the gear box controlling the arms may be located in the upper torso.
In another embodiment, the controller may be detached and re-attached to the doll. In one embodiments, the point of detachment is above the gear box(es) such that the gear box(es) remain with the doll. In this embodiment, a locking and/or guiding system may be needed to ensure that the actuators are functional after detachment and re-attachment. For example, the actuators could use male to female coupling. Alternatively, the actuator could remain intact and be pulled out with the detached portion of the controller. In another embodiment, the entire controller, including the gear boxes may be detached. In this embodiment, a locking and/or guiding system may need to be used to ensure that the arm and leg actuators are properly fitted when the controller is re-attached.
The disclosure herein is directed to action figures or dolls (herein collectively referred to as “doll” or “dolls”) that are moveable through the use of a manually manipulated controller. Similar toy manipulators have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,939,196; 7,255,625; and 7,338,342, all entitled “Omnidirectional Toy Manipulator,” the content of all are incorporated by reference herein. The controller allows the user to move the doll in a life-like manner. Through the controller, the user can independently move each leg and each arm as well as rotate the torso. The controller extends from the back of the doll such that movement of the doll can occur without the hands covering any part of the body of the doll. In some embodiments, the gearing includes a clutch to prevent gears from stripping during forceful movements. In other embodiments, the controller is removable, returning the doll to a standard doll. The ability to manipulate the dolls introduces a dynamic range of activities for the dolls and encourages imaginative play. Additionally, these dolls help develop hand eye coordination and fine motor skills.
When the terms “one,” “a,” or “an” are used in this disclosure, they mean “at least one” or “one or more,” unless otherwise indicated.
The terms “invention” or “present invention” as used herein are intended to be non-limiting and are not intended to refer to any single embodiment of the particular invention but encompasses all possible embodiments as described in the specification and the claims.
Turning to the figures,
Although the above controller and gear box has been described for use in manually controlling leg movement, it can also be adapted to control arm movement.
In another embodiment, controller 17 has two sets of actuator buttons, two sets of actuators, and two gear boxes. One set controls the legs and the second set controls the arms. In these embodiments, the set of actuator buttons that controls the arms may be located above or below the set of actuator buttons that controls the legs.
Returning to the embodiment illustrated in
The internal portions of the controller may also include a lubricant. Use of a lubricant may reduce the friction that occurs from the individual pieces (e.g. actuators, gears, etc.) moving against each other. Non-limiting embodiments of lubricant include silicone, grease, petroleum based, mineral oils, vegetable oils, synthetic oils, powders, graphite, polytetrafluoroethylene, metal alloys, polymers, etc. In one embodiment, the lubricant is non-toxic for humans and/or animals.
In general, the controller 17, actuator buttons, actuators, gear box, and gears may be made from a number of different materials. Non-limiting materials include: plastic, polymers, rubber, nylon, metals, alloys, composites, and the like. In one embodiment, the material is non-toxic for humans and/or animals.
To manipulate the arms and/or legs, a user grasps the handle 47 and uses the thumb and finger tips to move the buttons. Alternatively, the user may use both hands to move the arm and leg buttons.
The disclosure set forth above is provided to give those of ordinary skill in the art a complete disclosure and description of how to make and use embodiments of the controller and doll, and are not intended to limit the scope of what the inventors regard as their invention. Modifications of the above-described modes (for carrying out the invention that are obvious to persons of skill in the art) are intended to be within the scope of the following claims. All publications, patents and patent applications cited in this specification are incorporated herein by reference as if each such publication, patent or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference.
This Application is a Continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2017/040985 filed on Jul. 6, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/359,010, filed on Jul. 6, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20190344189 A1 | Nov 2019 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62359010 | Jul 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/US2017/040985 | Jul 2017 | US |
Child | 16241819 | US |