Animated musical alligator

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6699098
  • Patent Number
    6,699,098
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, August 20, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 2, 2004
    20 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Original Assignees
    • (Arcadia, CA, US)
  • Examiners
    • Banks; Derris H.
    • Miller; Bena B.
Abstract
This invention relates to an animated musical alligator which features movement while playing music. The object of the animated musical alligator is to provide an original, amusing toy and novelty item for adults and children, alike. When it plays songs, mouth movements occur in synchronization with the singing, as a result of its circuitry and mechanical operation system. In addition, the alligator produces realistic walking movements and up-and-down, as well as side-to-side head movements. The invention's integrated circuit, which creates sound signal and movement signal outputs, produces music through its amplifier and speaker. Additionally, the IC activates various motors, which trigger gears to create leg movements and side-to-side and up-and-down head movements. This operation system also creates mouth movements in synchronization with the playing of songs.
Description




BACKGROUND




1. Field of Invention




This invention relates to an animated musical alligator which features movement while playing music. When it plays songs, mouth movements occur in synchronization with the singing, as a result of its circuitry and mechanical operation system. In addition, the alligator produces realistic walking movements and up-and-down, as well as side-to-side head movements.




2. Description of Prior Art




Often, novelty items manufactured for the purpose of play or entertainment may produce music or include some movement by characters that the items may showcase. However, such products lack true entertainment value because their features are too predictable. In contrast, the animated musical alligator combines a variety of different functions to create an attractive and captivating novelty item that will appeal to individuals of all ages.




OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES




The object of the animated musical alligator is to provide an original, amusing toy and novelty item for adults and children, alike. The advantages of the invention are its combination of entertaining functions. These functions operate by means of the alligator's circuitry and mechanical operation system:




1) The alligator can play music and initiate mouth movements in synchronization with songs that it plays.




2) The alligator produces realistic walking movements.




3) The alligator can create head movements consisting of a swaying action from side to side, as well as an up-and-down action.




SUMMARY




This invention consists of an animated musical alligator designed to provide an interesting and unusual toy and novelty item for adults and children to enjoy. By means of its intriguing combination of functions, the alligator offers an especially attractive and unique type of entertainment. The invention can produce mouth movements in synchronization with the singing, as a result of its circuitry and mechanical operation system. In addition, the alligator produces realistic walking movements and up-and-down, as well as side-to-side head movements.











DRAWINGS




Drawing Figures




The following numbers correspond to specific drawings of the invention:





FIG. 1

provides an overall view of the invention's mechanism





FIG. 2

shows a view of the invention from above, featuring its head and leg movements





FIG. 3

offers a view of the invention's driving mechanism





FIG. 4

shows a block diagram of the invention











REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS






1


alligator's upper jaw






2


alligator's lower jaw






3


lever






4


eccentric gear






5


twisting spring






6


gear






7


gear






8


gear






9


motor






10


motor






11


gear






12


gear






13


gear






14


fan-shaped gear






15


foreleg






16


eccentric gear






17


gear






18


gear






19


gear






20


gear






21


motor






22


circuit board






23


lever






24


hind leg






25


batteries






26


speaker






30


alligator






40


IC






42


trigger circuit






44


amplifier






48


driving circuit






50


driving circuit






52


driving circuit




DETAILED DESCRIPTION




Description of Preferred Embodiments and Operation of Invention




IC


40


is an integrated circuit that creates sound signal output and movement signal output. It is driven by trigger circuit


42


. I-


1


is connected to an amplifier


44


, producing sound through a speaker


26


. I-


2


is connected to driving circuit


48


to drive motor


9


so that mouth movements are produced in synchronization with the sound that is created. I-


3


is connected to driving circuit


50


to drive motor


21


, causing the alligator's leg movements. I-


4


and I-


5


are connected to driving circuit


52


, activating motor


10


to cause the alligator's head to move up and down.




(A) Mouth movements: When electrified, motor


9


rotates and decelerates through gears


8


and


7


to drive gear


6


and eccentric gear


4


to cause the alligator's upper jaw


1


to raise upward. At the same time, eccentric gear


4


drives lever


3


to turn around so that the alligator's lower jaw


2


moves downward. When power is cut off, twisting spring


5


pulls the upper jaw


1


and lower jaw


2


back to their original positions.




(B) Leg and side-to-side head movements: When electrified, motor


21


decelerates through gears


19


,


18


, and


17


to drive eccentric gear


16


to rotate, so that lever


23


will move back and forth. This action, in turn, drives foreleg


15


and hind leg


24


to move forward. Since eccentric gear


16


is not symmetrical, the head sways from right to left as a result of the motion of eccentric gear


16


.




(C) Up-and-down head movements: When electrified, motor


10


rotates, decelerating through gears


11


,


12


, and


13


. Since fan-shaped gear


14


is fixed, gear


13


turns around it, causing the alligator's head to raise up. When the music that the alligator plays has ended, motor


10


reverses to return the alligator's head to its original position.




CONCLUSION




In conclusion, this invention is designed to create an unusual and amusing novelty item that is highly entertaining for adults and children, alike. The invention accomplishes this goal by means of its circuitry and mechanical system. The invention's integrated circuit, which creates sound signal and movement signal outputs, produces music through its amplifier and speaker. Additionally, the IC activates various motors, which trigger gears to create leg movements and side-to-side and up-and-down head movements. Finally, mouth movements are created in synchronization with the playing of songs.



Claims
  • 1. An animated musical reptilian figure comprising, in combination, a body, a head, a tail and appendages connected to said body; wherein said figure is capable of playing music, said figure having a circuitry system including an integrated circuit; said integrated circuit creating a sound signal output and being driven by a trigger circuit, said body also including an amplifier and a speaker wherein said amplifier and said speaker is connected to said integrated circuit; said integrated circuit activates said amplifier wherein said amplifier produces a sound through said speaker; said integrated circuit also producing a movement signal output activating a driving circuit; said driving circuit drives a first motor connected to a first set of gears to move the mouth of the reptilian in synchronization with said sound produced by said integrated circuit, said integrated circuit also providng a movement signal output activating a second driving circuit; said second drives a second motor connected to a second set of gears and an eccentric gear to move said tail and appendages of the reptilian figure; said integrated circuit also producing a movement signal output activating a third driving circuit, said third driving circuit driving a third motor connected to a third set of gears to move said head of said reptilian figure to produce head movements in said reptilian figure.
  • 2. An animated musical reptilian figure, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a lever connected to said eccentric gear, wherein movements of said appendages are created when said second motor decelerates through said second set of gears to drive said eccentric gear to rotate and activate said lever, thereby producing movement of the appendages of said reptilian figure; the rotation of said eccentric gear causing said tail of said reptilian figure to sway from side to side.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Number Name Date Kind
1187659 Savage Jun 1916 A
2329564 Thomas Sep 1943 A
3199248 Suzuki Aug 1965 A
3808734 Suzuki May 1974 A
5279514 Lacombe et al. Jan 1994 A