Interactive role-playing posable toy

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6435936
  • Patent Number
    6,435,936
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, August 3, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, August 20, 2002
    22 years ago
Abstract
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an interactive posable toy that when positioned in various configurations, emits electronic sounds and/or produces motions indicative of such configurations. The posable toy includes a head pivotally attached to an upper torso. The upper torso is also pivotally attached to a mid-section, which is further pivotally attached to a lower torso. The arms and legs of the posable toy are pivotally and/or rotatably attached to the upper torso and lower torso, via shoulder and hip joints, respectively. The posable toy also includes a motor coupled a pair of cams. When activated, one of the cams laterally rocks the upper torso while the other cam tilts the mid-section relative to the lower torso. Positioned within each joint are means for triggering responses to specific positions of the arms and legs. A PC board is coupled to the triggering means as well as a power source, the motor and a speaker unit. The PC board upon receiving responses from the triggering means controls the motor to produce movement through the cams to the upper torso and mid-section. Moreover, the PC board also produces sounds through the speaker unit indicative of the specific positions of the posable toy.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to interactive posable toys programmed to emit electronic sounds and produce motions in response to specific body positions.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Interactive posable toys have appeared for many years in a variety of forms, such as doll, toy figures, animal figures and fanciful characters, action figures and the such. Many of these toys produce various sophisticated sound effects such as simulated speech, music, animal and mechanical sounds. Generally, such devices require the use of some form of mechanical switch to stimulate the electronic production of sound. In most cases, the switch is mounted externally on the toy and must be literally turned on and off by the user. Other more sophisticated toys have been developed to incorporate the switch internally, and responsive to touch, such as petting or squeezing.




The more sophisticated toys, which incorporate internal mechanisms, also increase the level of interaction between the user and the toy. For instance, interactive toy babies may generate certain simulated speech such as laughing when squeezed, or crying until a bottle is placed in their mouth, and interactive toy animals may purr when petted or touched. However, these toys are still generally limited in their responses and level of interaction. For example, the ability for an interactive toy to role play different characters or produce various role playing response to various configurations of the toy is not known.




Often, when young children play, they imagine or pretend to be different characters, people, or things. For example, children will often extend their arms straight out from their bodies, pretending to be an airplane and generate sounds indicative of the same. Similarly, children may hold one of their hands straight up, pretending to be a police officer. As such, it would therefore be desirous to provide an interactive posable toy that when placed in certain positions or poses, emits responses indicative of the certain positions, such as an airplane, police officer, dog, race car driver, and etc.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an interactive posable toy that when moved in various positions, emits and produces responses by way of sounds and/or motions indicative of such positions. For example, when the toy is placed in a prone position with its legs and arms extended outwardly from the toy, the toy emits sounds indicative of a dog or cat. In a second example, when placed in an upright position with its legs and arms extended outwardly directly in front of the toy, the toy emits sounds indicative of being a racecar driver, bus driver, or cowboy. Moreover, specific positions of the toy may also trigger electronically controlled motions that further increase the role-playing characteristics of the interactive toy.




More specifically, the toy includes a head pivotally attached to an upper torso. The upper torso is also pivotally attached to a mid-section, which is further pivotally attached to a lower torso. The arms and legs of the toy are pivotally and/or rotatably attached to the upper torso and lower torso via shoulder joints and hip joints, respectively. The toy further includes a motor coupled to a pair of cams, which when activated, laterally rocks the upper torso and tilts the mid-section relative to the lower torso. Positioned within each joint are means for triggering electronic sounds and motions responsive to specific positions of the arms and legs. A PC board, coupled to the triggering means, a power source, the motor and a speaker unit, receives responses from the triggering means and controls the motor to produce motion through the cams to the upper torso and mid-section. Moreover, the PC board also produces sounds through the speaker unit indicative of the specific positions of the arms and legs.




In another embodiment of the invention the shoulder joints includes a second means of triggering sounds and motion when the arms are extended substantially perpendicular from the torso. In yet another embodiment of the invention a gravity switch is included in the mid-section to provide a means of triggering sounds and motion when the torso is in the prone and upright configuration.




Numerous other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




A fuller understanding of the foregoing may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of an interactive posable toy having a generic form of a child character;





FIGS. 2A-2D

are views showing the skeleton of the interactive posable toy and illustrating the range of motion of the interactive posable toy;





FIG. 3

is a partially exploded view of a foot;





FIG. 4

is an exploded view of the interactive posable toy;





FIG. 5

is an exploded view of the shoulder joint;





FIG. 6

is a top view of a second means for triggering electronic sounds and motions positioned in the shoulder socket;





FIG. 7

is a perspective view of the hip joint and the leg joint; and





FIGS. 8A-8F

are perspective views of a schematic illustration of various configurations that may be utilized for triggering different role playing characters of the interactive posable toy of the present invention;





FIGS. 9A-9D

are perspective views of the shoulder joint housing; and





FIG. 10A

is a perspective view of the neck joint of an other embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 10B

is an exploded view of the neck joint shown in

FIG. 10



a


; and





FIGS. 11

A-


11


I are perspective views of an other embodiment of the interactive posable toy having a generic form of a puppy and shown in various configurations that may be utilized for triggering different sound and motion responses.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




While the invention is susceptible to embodiments in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described herein, in detail, the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the spirit or scope of the invention and/or claims of the embodiments illustrated.




Referring first to

FIG. 1

, a role playing interactive toy designated generally by numeral


10


is programmed to respond to various body configurations. The toy


10


has an external soft covering


11


placed over the inner rigid structures or skeleton, discussed in detail below. While the toy


10


is illustrated and discussed as a doll or child, the toy may be an interactive animal, insect or any type of fantasy character, without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention. The toy


10


includes a torso


12


, two legs


14


, two arms


16


and a head


18


, each pivotally and/or rotatably attached to the torso


12


. The toy


10


further includes two hands and two feet


22


attached to the arms


16


and legs


14


, respectively. Through a series of detents the legs


14


, arms


16


and head


18


may be placed in numerous positions, discussed below in detail.




As illustrated in

FIG. 1

, the toy


10


is in a sitting position with the arms


16


extending outwardly from the torso


12


. By positioning the toy


10


in this configuration, the toy emits electronic sounds and/or produces motions responsive to this configuration. The sounds may be any type of pre-recorded sound effects or voice/speech patterns, or may alternatively be capable of recording a user's voice or sound effects to be replayed when activated. When children role-play, this configuration is typically synonymous with driving a vehicle or being a race car driver. As such, the toy


10


when in this configuration, emits electronic sounds and/or produces motions responsive to pretending to be a race car driver, a bus driver or alternatively a cowboy. Additional costumes or accessories may be added to increase the attractiveness of each role-playing character, such as including a detachable steering wheel


24


positioned in between the two hands


20


. Various other accessories or costumes may be held in a backpack


26


attached to the torso


12


.




Moreover, while the interactive toy of the present invention produces sounds and motions in response to various positions of the arms


16


, legs


14


and torso


12


, the toy


10


may also respond to various movements of the head


18


or alternatively different accessories. By incorporating various responsive means in the head


18


, hands


20


, or feet


22


the toy


10


may respond differently to various hats, shoes, or other items. Such responsive means may be various electronic RF tags placed in different hats, such as a cowboy hat or firemen's hat, and a receiver placed on the head


18


. When one of the hats is placed on the head


18


, the toy


10


may emit sounds and produce motions indicative of the hat. Additionally multi-prong connectors placed on the hands


20


, may permit the toy


10


to produce sounds and movement indicative of various items, such as a hammer, steering wheel or sword. Also, the incorporation of various responsive means in the feet


22


will permit the toy


10


to respond differently to different shoes, such as roller blades, snow skis, or a skate board.




Referring now to

FIGS. 2A-2D

, the toy


10


is illustrated with the external soft covering


11


removed and is generally referred to herein as a skeleton


27


of the toy


10


. It is important to note that the external soft covering


11


is not essential to the invention and as such may be provided separately from the toy


10


. The torso


12


includes an upper torso


30


, a mid-section


40


, two side sections


46


and a lower torso


50


. Alternatively, the two side sections


46


may be integrally formed into the lower torso


50


forming a U-shaped section. The head


18


includes a speaker unit


28


that emits electronically stored sounds. A neck


29


, protruding from the speaker unit


28


, pivotally attaches the head


18


to the upper torso


30


, also shown in FIG.


2


D. The upper torso


30


also has two shoulder sockets


32


, each for receiving a shoulder joint


34


that pivotally and rotatably attaches the arms


16


to the upper torso


30


. The arms


16


include a forearm


36


attached to a flexible spring member


37


. The flexible spring member


37


further attaches to the shoulder joint


34


, and permits the arm


16


to bend and flex beyond the relative movement permitted by the shoulder joint


34


. The upper torso


30


is also pivotally attached to the mid-section


40


about an upper torso axle


38


. The upper torso axle


38


permits the upper torso to rock from one side to another side, illustrated in FIG.


2


B.




Additionally, a circuit board, discussed in further detail below, is stored or housed in the upper torso


30


. The circuit board contains various programming instructions and memory to store and control the sounds and motions of the interactive toy


10


. When activated the programming instructions will send appropriate responses to the speaker


28


and various electronic motors (discussed below) that will cause the interactive toy


10


to imitate various role-playing characters.




Continuing to refer to

FIG. 2A

, the mid-section


40


, which houses the motor, and gears, discussed in greater detail below, has a bottom portion


42


and an axle


44


. The axle


44


pivotally attaches the mid-section


40


to the two side sections


46


. The two side sections


46


are further attached to the lower torso


50


. The lower torso


50


has a top portion


52


and a channel


54


formed therein. The channel


54


is sized accordingly to receive the bottom portion


42


of the mid-section


40


. When the mid-section


40


tilts forwards or backwards about the axle


44


, the bottom portion


42


of the mid-section


40


glides unobstructively above the lower torso


50


through the channel


54


illustrated in FIG.


2


C.




Referring to

FIG. 2A

, the lower torso


50


has two hip joint sockets


56


for receiving a hip joint


58


. The legs


14


pivotally attach to the hip joints


58


via a leg joint


59


. When attached the legs


14


may be rotated forwards and backwards relative to the lower torso


50


about the hip joint socket


56


, illustrated in

FIG. 2D

, and pivoted outwardly about the leg joint


59


. Each leg


14


further has a foot


22


attached thereto. The foot


22


includes a foot housing


60


removably attached to a foot base


62


. Contained in one of the feet


22


is a power source enclosure


64


, which houses a power source


65


, such as a battery pack, best seen in FIG.


3


. The power source


65


provides electric power to a motor, a circuit board and the speaker unit


28


discussed in greater detail below.




Referring now to

FIG. 4

, an exploded view of the toy


10


is illustrated. As indicated above, the toy


10


has an external soft covering


11


. The design or character of the external soft covering may change in accordance to specific desired characters or as mentioned above, not included. The head


18


of the skeleton


27


consists of a speaker unit


28


, defined by a speaker


70


contained within a front speaker housing


72




a


and a rear speaker housing


72




b


. The front and rear speaker housings


72




a


and


72




b


, respectively, are fixedly attached to each other by screws


66


, or any other securing means well known in the art. As illustrated, a protruding neck member


74


is integrally molded into the front and rear speaker housings


72




a


and


72




b


, respectively. When assembled, the protruding neck members


74


combine to form the neck


29


. The protruding neck member


74


in the rear speaker housing


72




b


has a pair of opposing pins


76




a


, which pivotally attaches the head


18


to the upper torso


30


, discussed in further detail below.




A front and rear upper torso,


80




a


and


80




b


respectively, define the upper torso


30


, which interconnect and are rigidly attached to each other by screws


66


. The front and rear upper torsos


80




a


and


80




b


have notches


82


, which form the shoulder sockets


32


when the front and rear upper torsos


80




a


and


80




b


are assembled together. The front and rear upper torsos


80




a


and


80




b


also have a pair of extending members


84


. Each extending member


84


has a notch


76




b


, which when the upper torso


30


is assembled, combine to receive the pair of opposing pins


76




a


in the neck


29


. The notches


76




b


when combined also form detents (not shown) that support the head


18


in a specific position but also does not prevent the head


18


from being pivoted to another position.




The shoulder sockets


32


are sized accordingly to receive a shoulder joint


34


, also illustrated in FIG.


5


. The shoulder joint


34


includes a ball joint housing


85


and a ball joint


92


. The ball joint housing


85


, also shown in greater detail in

FIGS. 10A-10D

, is dome shaped with a circular bore


88


extending from the base


86




a


(surface facing the shoulder socket


32


) to the peak


86




b


(surface facing away from the shoulder socket


32


). The ball joint housing


85


also has a slot


90


, which extends along a side of the ball joint housing


85


from the base


86




a


to the peak


86




b


. A portion


91


of the slot


90


at the peak


86




b


is eccentric such that the arm


16


is positioned away from the horizontal, or slightly less then 90° from the upper torso


30


. When assembled the ball joint


92


is received and contained within the ball joint housing


85


. Discussed in greater detail below, this eccentric portion


91


in combination with the ball joint


92


and the shoulder joint housing


94


prevents the arm


16


from breaking away from the shoulder socket


32


.




The ball joint


92


, which has a flat area


92




a


, is inserted through the base


86




a


of the ball joint housing


85


and is fixedly attached to one end of the flexible spring member


37


by an arm joint


93


, which permits the flexible spring member


37


to pivot. Referring now to

FIG. 4

the arm


16


is defined by attaching the other end of the flexible spring member


37


to the forearm


36


. The assembled shoulder joint


34


attaches to a shoulder joint housing


94


, which is received and rotatably attached to the shoulder socket


32


in the upper torso


30


. Additionally, a guard


96


may fit over the arm


16


and secure to the upper torso


30


protecting the internal mechanisms and the shoulder joint


34


.




Referring to

FIG. 2A

, when the shoulder joint


34


is assembled, the ball joint


92


may turn within the ball joint housing


85


such that the arm


16


may turn about a Z-axis. The slot


90


also permits the arm


16


to move in an X-Y direction. Lastly, the shoulder joint housing


94


which rotates 360° within shoulder socket


32


also rotates the shoulder joint


34


360° in the Y-Z plane. As mentioned above, the combination of the shoulder joint


34


, the shoulder joint housing


94


and the shape of the slot


90


prevents the arm


16


from being forced out of the shoulder socket


32


, or broken or snapped out of its shoulder socket


32


.




When a force is applied against the arm


16


such that the arm


16


is being extended horizontal (along the slot


90


towards the peak


86




b


of the ball joint housing


85


), the ball joint


92


moves the arm


16


into the eccentric portion


91


of the ball joint housing


85


. The eccentric portion


91


being off center from the peak


86




b


of the ball joint housing


85


causes the force being applied to the arm to be redirected off center. In turn the shoulder joint housing


94


, which is attached to the ball joint housing


85


, will begin to rotate within the shoulder joint


32


. As the shoulder joint housing


94


rotates, the ball joint housing


85


also rotates. This causes the direction of the force to continue to rotate until the slot


90


moves in front of the direction of the force, causing the arm


16


to slide back through the slot


90


(towards the base


86




a


). Once the arm


16


moves towards the base


86




a


the force will no longer be forcing the arm


16


out of the shoulder socket


32


. Thus the combination of the ball joint


92


, the ball joint housing


85


, the should joint housing


94


and the shoulder joint


32


, impedes the ability to bend or break the arm


16


out of its shoulder socket


32


.




As mentioned above, when positioned in various configurations the toy


10


emits sounds and produces motions responsive to the specific configurations. To facilitate the responsive sounds and motions, the arms


16


and legs


14


have means for triggering the electronics when pivoted to specific positions. These response triggering means are positioned in the joints of the arms


16


and legs


14


. Continuing to refer to

FIG. 4

, the response triggering means positioned in each shoulder joint


34


includes an arm wiper board


100


in communication with an arm brush contact


102


. The arm wiper board


100


is secured in the upper torso


30


, while the arm brush contact


102


is secured to the shoulder joint housing


94


. When the shoulder joint housing


94


rotates, the arm brush contact


102


rotates and touches various contacts on the arm wiper board


100


. If the arms


16


are rotated to a specific position, preferably pre-defined by detents in the shoulder socket, such as in

FIG. 1

, the arm brush contacts


102


remain in contact with specific contacts on the arm wiper boards


100


. A PC board


99


, in communication with the arm wiper boards


100


, receives signals from the wiper boards indicating the specific positions in the arms


16


and will trigger responsive sounds and motion in the interactive posable toy


10


, as long as other arm and leg positions and relative contacts are made.




In order to trigger sounds and motion responsive to when the arms


16


are extending outward, such as when pretending to be an airplane, a second response triggering means is positioned in each shoulder joint


34


. The second response triggering means in each shoulder joint


34


includes a rod


104


, a spring


108


, and a switch


110


. In reference to

FIGS. 4 and 6

, when the second response generating means is assembled, the rod


104


extends through apertures


106


in the arm wiper board


100


, brush contact


102


and the shoulder joint housing


94


. The spring


108


biases the rod


104


outwardly from the center of the upper torso


30


. When the arm


16


extends outwardly, the flat area


92




a


of the ball joint


92


allows the rod


104


to be pushed away from the switch


110


by the biasing of the spring


108


, thus opening the switch


110


. The position of the switch, open and closed, is communicated to the PC board


99


. The PC board


99


recognizing the open or closed position of the switch


110


triggers electronic sounds and motions, as long as the other respective contacts in the toy


10


are made. When the arm


16


extends downwardly, the spherical area of the ball joint


92


moves into contact with the rod


104


, which is moved toward the center of the torso


30


compressing the spring


108


and closing the switch


110


.




In accordance with the present invention, the toy


10


will emit responsive sounds and produce motions when the torso


12


is placed in an upright configuration and alternatively in a horizontal configuration. To facilitate these responses, the upper torso


30


includes a gravity switch


120


. When the upper torso


30


is in the upright configuration a roller contact


122


, housed within the gravity switch


120


, makes contact with a first set of specific contacts


124


. This is communicated to the PC board


99


, which recognizes that the upper torso


30


is in the upright configuration. Similarly, when the upper torso


30


is horizontal, the roller contact


122


moves and makes contact with a second set of contacts


126


. When this is communicated to the PC board


99


, the PC board


99


recognizes that the upper torso


30


is in the horizontal configuration.




Continuing to refer to

FIG. 4

, the mid-section


40


is formed by securing a left mid-section housing


130




a


to a right mid-section housing


130




b


. Each mid-section housing includes a pair of extending members


132


, each having a notch, which when assembled combine to form a pair of openings


134


. The pair of openings


134


receives the upper torso axle


38


, which is also rigidly connected to the front and rear upper torso housing


80




a


and


80




b


, respectively. The pair of openings


134


engages the upper torso axle


38


, such that the upper torso


30


may rock about the upper torso axle


38


, while being maintained in any given position.




As mentioned above, the mid-section


40


houses a motor


138


, which transfers torque to gear mechanisms


140


through axles


141


. The motor


138


is utilized to provide the rocking movement of the upper torso


30


, illustrated in

FIG. 2B

, and the tilting movement of the mid-section


40


, illustrated in FIG.


2


C. The rocking movement is accomplished by translating the torque from the motor


138


to a right cam


146


. The right cam


146


is attached to a lift mechanism


148


, which connects to a protrusion


150


on the front upper torso housing


80




a


. When the right cam


146


is rotated, the rotational movement laterally moves the lift mechanism


148


. Since the lift mechanism


148


is attached to the upper torso


30


, the upper torso


30


rocks to the left and right when the lift mechanism


148


laterally moves. The lift mechanism


148


is enclosed in a left housing


152


, which secures to the right mid-section


130




b


. The motor


138


also translates movement to a left cam


144


, which interfaces with a channel


163


located on the left side section


46


, via a pin


145


. As such, when the motor


138


rotates the left cam


144


, the mid-section


40


tilts forwards and backwards relative to the lower torso


50


. While not shown, the PC-board


99


includes programming to control the speed and direction of the motor


138


in response to various positions of the arm


16


and legs


14


. Through variable gear ratios in the gear mechanism


140


, or cam sizes the motor


138


may rotate the left cam


144


and the right cam


146


at two different rates or at the same rates but depending upon the gear ratios or cam sizes the motion of the posable toy may rock and tilt at the same or different rates.




Continuing to refer to

FIG. 4

, the lower torso


50


is defined by a front and rear lower torso housings


160




a


and


160




b


respectively. Each lower torso housing includes side sections


46


, which are integrally formed in the lower torso


50


. When assembled, the side sections


46


form openings


161


that secure to a pin (not shown) on the left mid section


130




a


and a pin


153


on the left housing


152


. In addition, when assembled the lower torso


50


forms the hip joint sockets


56


, which house the hip joints


58


. The hip joints


58


, best seen in

FIG. 7

, is a U-shaped joint


162


, with a circular base


164


, and two members


166


. The two members


166


have openings


167


(shown in FIG.


4


), which align with an aperture


168


on each leg


14


. A leg joint


169


, inserted through the openings


167


and the aperture


168


, secures the leg


14


to the hip joint


58


. The circular base


164


rotatably attaches the hip joint


58


to the hip joint socket


56


, which permits the leg


14


to move forward and backward, as illustrated in FIG.


2


D. Referring now to

FIG. 4

, the legs


14


as mentioned above, connect to the foot housing


60


by screws


66


. The foot housing


60


further connects to the foot base


62


. Moreover, one of the feet


22


houses the power source


64


. The power source is connected to the PC board


99


electric via electric wires, not shown. The circuit board then distributes the power to the motor and speaker to produce the motions and emit the sounds triggered by the triggering means.




To facilitate the responsive sounds and motions caused by the configuration of the legs


14


, response triggering means are also positioned on the circular bases


164


of each hip joint


58


and in the hip joint sockets


56


of the lower torso


50


. A pair of leg wiper boards


170


, similarly configured to the arm wiper boards


100


, is secured in the lower torso


50


and is in communication with a leg contact brush


172


, secured to the circular base


164


. When the leg


14


is moved, the leg contact brush


172


rotates and touches various contacts on the leg wiper board


170


. When the legs


14


remain in a specific position, preferably identified by detents in the hip joint socket


56


, such as illustrated in

FIG. 1

, and the arms


16


are also in position, the arm contact brushes


102


and the leg contact brushes


172


communicate with specific contacts on the arm wiper boards


100


and the leg wiper boards


170


, respectively. Moreover, when specific contacts or circuits within the gravity switch


1


are also activated, in either the prone or upright configuration, the PC board


99


will produce various sounds and motions, which are responsive to the specific positions of the torso


30


, the arm


16


and the legs


14


. The toy


10


further includes four coverings


180


that protect the torso


12


and provide support for the soft exterior covering


11


.




In another embodiment of the present invention additional triggering means, as described above, may be positioned in the neck. Referring now to

FIG. 10A and 10B

, a neck


200


, which is attached to the head of an interactive toy in accordance with the present invention (not shown), is pivotally attached to the upper torso by a pivot pin


202


. The upper torso, as described above, is defined by a front and rear upper torso


204




a


and


204




b


, respectively. The front and rear upper torsos


204




a


and


204




b


have a pair of extending members


206


, which are sufficiently spaced apart to receive the neck


200


. Each of the extending members


206


includes a notch


208


, which when the upper torso is assembled form openings that receive the pivot pin


202


. A neck triggering means


210


may then be placed in between the neck


200


and the upper torso, shown in FIG.


10


A. Similarly configured to triggering means in the arms and the legs, as described above, the neck triggering means


210


includes a wiper board


212


in communication with a brush contact


214


. When the neck


200


is positioned to a specific position, the brush contact


214


remains in contact with specific contacts on the wiper board


212


. The PC board


99


, also in communication with the wiper board


212


, recognizes the specific position in the neck


200


and will trigger responsive sounds and/or motion in the interactive posable toy


10


.




Generally illustrated in

FIGS. 8A-8F

, the toy


10


in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in six different configurations. In

FIGS. 8A-8C

, the toy


10


is in a standing configuration with the arms


16


positioned in various configurations. In

FIG. 8A

, the toy


10


provides an introduction phrase, prompting a user to position the toy


10


in another configuration. In

FIG. 8B

the toy


10


, having one of the arms


16


positioned upwardly and the torso


12


in the upright configuration, emits vocal sounds and/or motions responsive to being a police officer or a train conductor. Various accessories, for instance a police cap or train conductor's hat may be provided to increase the role-playing characteristics of the toy


10


. In

FIG. 8C

the toy


10


, having both arms


16


extended upwardly and having the torso


12


in the upright configuration, emits sounds and/or produces motions responsive to being a monster. In

FIG. 8D

, the toy


10


is illustrated in a sitting configuration with its arms


16


extending outwardly from the torso


12


and the torso


12


is in an upright configuration, similarly illustrated in FIG.


1


. In this seated configuration, the toy


10


emits sounds and/or produces motions responsive to being a racecar driver or cowboy. Referring now to

FIGS. 8E and 8F

the torso


12


has been positioned in a horizontal or prone configuration with the arms


16


and legs


14


moved to different positions. In

FIG. 8E

, the arms


16


and legs


18


are positioned is the same configuration as illustrated in

FIG. 8D

, however, the torso


12


is in a prone configuration. In this configuration, the configuration of the toy


10


is synonymous with an animal, such as a dog or cat. In

FIG. 8F

, the arms


16


are extending outwardly from the torso


12


. In this configuration, the toy


10


emits sounds and/or generates sounds responsive to being an airplane or to imitate Superman®. By positioning the torso


12


, legs


14


, arms


16


, head


18


, hands


20


and feet


22


, in separate and distinct positions it is contemplated by the present invention that the toy


10


may be positioned in numerous additional configurations.




In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the hand


20


may include a sensor or switch that triggers a sound when squeezed, such as “HELLO” or another greeting. In yet another alternate embodiment of the present invention, the interactive toy


10


may include a replay switch which when depressed triggers to the PC board


99


to replay the same sounds or play sounds indicative of the configuration but in reference to a different role. For instance, when in a configuration as shown in

FIG. 8E

, the toy


10


may produce sounds synonymous with a cat. Afterwards, if the replay switch is depressed the toy may produce sounds synonymous with a dog. The interactive posable toy may further replay pre-programmed responses or motions which are not triggered by positions but which may be triggered by inactivity of the toy, which prompt the user to initiate, cease or continue play. For instance, if the user after playing the toy for a period of time, leaves the toy for a specified period of time in the position indicative of the dog or cat, the toy may emit sounds enticing the user to continue playing, such as playing “LETS PRETEND TO BE A COWBOY” or may play “IT WAS NICE PRETENDING WITH YOU LETS PLAY AGAIN SOON.”




As mentioned above, the interactive posable toy may be various animals, insects, or fantasy characters. As such and in accordance with the present invention, reference is made to

FIGS. 11A-11I

, where the interactive posable toy is a puppy


250


. The puppy


250


has two front legs


252




a


and two rear legs


252




b


, which are pivotally and or rotatably attached to a torso


254


. As seen in

FIG. 11A

, the front legs


252


are out and the back end is up causing the puppy to emit a YIP! YIP! sound. However, as seen in the other illustrations, when the legs


252


and the configuration of the torso


254


is moved, the puppy


250


emits different sounds, indicative of the configurations. For example, in

FIG. 11B

the puppy


250


is in a standing begging position emitting a whimpering sound. In

FIG. 11C

, the puppy


250


is in a sitting beginning position emitting a whimpering painting sound. In

FIG. 11D

, the puppy


250


is lying on the ground with its legs


252




a


and


252




b


extending out, causing the sound emitting means to provide a yawn. In

FIG. 11E

the puppy


250


is lying on its back with its legs


252




a


and


252




b


up, indicative of a playful position. In

FIG. 11F

the puppy


250


is on all its four legs


252




a


and


252




b


, panting. In

FIG. 11G

the puppy


250


is sitting with both front legs


252




a


on the ground. In

FIG. 11H

, the puppy


250


is in a standing pose emitting a barking noise and in

FIG. 11I

the puppy


250


is sitting with one it its front legs


252




a


up emitting a barking noise.




From the foregoing and as mentioned above, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concept of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific methods and apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.



Claims
  • 1. An interactive posable toy comprising:an upper torso having two shoulder sockets for receiving two arms; a mid-section pivotally attached to the upper torso; a lower torso pivotally attached to the mid-section, the lower torso having two hip sockets for receiving two legs; a head pivotally attached to the upper torso; two shoulder joints pivotally and rotatably attach the two arms separately, to one of the shoulder sockets, each shoulder joint including, a ball joint housing and a ball joint, the shoulder joint being rotatably attached to the shoulder socket such that the shoulder joint may rotate within the shoulder socket, the ball joint housing having a slot and being fixedly attached to the shoulder joint, the ball joint having a flat area and rotatably positioned in the ball joint housing such that the ball joint may turn within the ball joint housing, the ball joint further pivotally attached to the arm, whereby the shoulder joint permits the arm to turn, rotate and pivot in relation to the shoulder socket; two hip joints pivotally attach the two legs to one of the hip sockets separately; a means for emitting sounds responsive to specific positions of the arms and legs; and a first means for triggering said sound emitting means, said first triggering means located in the arms and legs, wherein when the arms and legs of the posable toy are positioned in said specific positions, the first triggering means triggers the sound emitting means to emit sounds indicative of said specific positions of the arms and legs.
  • 2. The interactive posable toy of claim 1 further comprising:a means for producing motion responsive to specific positions of the arms and legs, wherein when the arms and legs of the posable toy are positioned in said specific positions, the first triggering means further triggers the motion producing means to produce motion indicative of said specific positions of the arms and legs.
  • 3. The interactive posable toy of claim 2 further comprising:a second means for triggering the sound emitting means and the motion producing means when the position of the posable toy is in a prone position and an upright position.
  • 4. The interactive posable toy of claim 3 further comprising:a third means for triggering the sound emitting means and the motion producing means when the arms are extended to a substantially horizontal position.
  • 5. The interactive posable toy of claim 4 further comprising:a fourth means for triggering the sound emitting means and the motion producing means when the head is positioned in a specific position.
  • 6. An interactive posable toy comprising:an upper torso having two shoulder sockets for receiving two arms; a mid-section pivotally attached to the upper torso; a lower torso pivotally attached to the mid-section, the lower torso having two hip sockets for receiving two legs; a head pivotally attached to the upper torso; two shoulder joints pivotally and rotatably attach the two arms separately, to one of the shoulder sockets, each shoulder joint including, a ball joint housing and a ball joint, the shoulder joint being rotatably attached to the shoulder socket such that the shoulder joint may rotate within the shoulder socket, the ball joint housing having a slot and being fixedly attached to the shoulder joint, the ball joint having a flat area and rotatably positioned in the ball joint housing such that the ball joint may turn within the ball joint housing, the ball joint further pivotally attached to the arm, whereby the shoulder joint permits the arm to turn, rotate and pivot in relation to the shoulder socket; two hip joints pivotally attach the two legs to one of the hip sockets separately; a means for producing motion; and a means for triggering said motion producing means when the interactive posable toy is positioned in a specific configuration, wherein when the interactive posable toy is positioned in said specific configuration, the triggering means triggers the motion producing means to produce motion responsive to the specific configuration.
  • 7. The interactive posable toy of claim 6 further comprising:a means for emitting sounds; and a means for triggering said sound emitting means when the interactive posable toy is positioned in said specific configuration, wherein when the interactive posable toy is positioned in said specific configuration, the triggering means triggers the sound emitting means to emit sounds responsive to the specific configuration.
  • 8. The interactive posable toy of claim 7 further comprising:a power source; and an integrated circuit coupled to the power source, the sound emitting means, the motion producing means and the triggering means, the integrated circuit when triggered by the triggering means, controls the sound emitting means and the motion producing means to emit sounds and produce motion.
  • 9. The interactive posable toy of claim 8, wherein the triggering means includes:a first triggering means configured to send signals to the integrated circuit when the arms and the legs are moved to specific positions, wherein the integrated circuit upon receiving said signals controls the sound emitting means and said motion producing means to emit sounds and produce motion indicative of said specific positions.
  • 10. The interactive posable toy of claim 9, wherein the first triggering means comprises:a brush attached to each shoulder and hip joint and corresponding to one of the arms and one of the legs; and a wiper board having contacts and in communication with one of the brushes and in communication with the integrated circuit, such that when an arm or a leg is positioned in a specific position, the corresponding brush connects with the contacts on the wiper board and sends a signal to the integrated circuit.
  • 11. The interactive posable toy of claim 9, wherein the triggering means includes:a second triggering means configured to send signals to the integrated circuit when the interactive posable toy is in a prone and upright position, wherein the integrated circuit upon receiving said signals from the first and second triggering means controls the sound emitting means and said motion producing means to emit sounds and produce motion indicative of said specific positions.
  • 12. The interactive posable toy of claim 11 wherein the second triggering means includes a gravity switch housed in the upper torso.
  • 13. The interactive posable toy of claim 11, wherein the triggering means includes:a third triggering means configured to send signals to the integrated circuit when the arms are extended to a substantially horizontal position, wherein the integrated circuit upon receiving said signals from the first, second and third triggering means controls the sound emitting means and said motion producing means to emit sounds and produce motion indicative of the configuration of the posable toy.
  • 14. The interactive posable toy of claim 13, wherein the third triggering means includes:a switch housed in the upper torso and coupled to the integrated circuit; a rod having two ends and extending through an shoulder joint such that one end is in communication with a ball joint; and a spring positioned between the rod and the switch, the spring biasing the rod outwardly from the upper torso, wherein when the arm is extended substantially perpendicular from the upper torso the flat area of the ball joint permits the spring to bias the rod outwardly away from the upper torso causing the spring to form an open contact with the switch and sends a signal to the integrated circuit.
  • 15. The interactive posable toy of claim 13 wherein the head includes a neck pivotally attached to the upper torso, the neck including a fourth triggering means configured to send signals to the integrated circuit when the head is positioned in specific positions, and as long as the arms, legs and torso are positioned in a specific position the integrated circuit triggers the sound emitting means and said motion producing means to emit sounds and produce motion indicative of the configuration of the posable toy.
  • 16. The interactive posable toy of claim 15 wherein the fourth triggering means includes:a brush attached to the neck; and a wiper board having contacts and in communication with the brush and in communication with the integrated circuit, such that when the neck is positioned in a specific position the brush connects with the contacts on the wiper board and sends a signal to the integrated circuit, wherein as long as the arms, legs and torso are positioned in a specific position the integrated circuit triggers the sound emitting means and said motion producing means.
  • 17. The interactive posable toy of claim 15 wherein the motion producing means includes:a motor coupled to the power source and the integrated circuit; gear mechanisms attached to the motor and coupled to a first and second cam; a lifter laterally connected to the first cam attached to the upper torso, such that when the motor is operative the first cam may laterally rock the upper torso; and the second cam acting on the lower torso and attached to the mid-section, such that when the motor is operative the second cam may tilt the mid-section relative to the lower torso.
  • 18. The interactive posable toy of claim 17 wherein the sound emitting means comprises a speaker unit coupled to the circuit and the power source.
  • 19. The interactive posable toy of claim 7 wherein the ball joint housing is defined as having a base and a peak and being substantially domed shape, and wherein the slot is defined from the base to an eccentric portion at the peak, such that when a force is applied against the arm moving the ball joint to the eccentric portion, the force is redirected causing the shoulder joint and in turn the ball joint housing to rotate about the shoulder socket until the slot moves in front of the force causing the arm to move from the eccentric portion to the base.
  • 20. The interactive posable toy of claim 7 further comprising:two hands separately attached to the two arms; and a fifth means for triggering the sound emitting means and the motion emitting means positioned in at least one of the hands and responsive to receiving a specific object, wherein when the hand receives said specific object, the fifth triggering means triggers the sound emitting means and the motion emitting means to emit sound and produce motion responsive to the specific object.
  • 21. The interactive posable toy of claim 20 wherein the specific object is a steering wheel.
  • 22. The interactive posable toy of claim 7 further comprising:two feet separately attached to the two legs; and a sixth means for triggering the sound emitting means and the motion emitting means positioned in at least one of the feet and responsive to connecting to a specific object, wherein when the foot receives said specific object the sixth triggering means triggers the sound emitting means and the motion emitting means to emit sound and produce motion responsive to the specific object.
  • 23. The interactive posable toy of claim 22 wherein the specific object is a pair of roller blades.
  • 24. The interactive posable toy of claim 22 wherein the specific object is a skate board.
  • 25. An interactive role-playing posable toy comprising:a torso having at least two sockets, each socket being sized accordingly to pivotally and rotatably receive a joint, each joint further being attached to an appendage; a means for emitting electronic sounds; and a means for triggering said sound emitting means when the at least one appendage is positioned in a specific position, wherein when a user positions the at least one appendage in the specific position, the triggering means triggers the sound emitting means to emit electronic sounds responsive to the specific position.
  • 26. The interactive role-playing posable toy of claim 25 further comprising:a means for producing motion; and a means for triggering said motion producing means when the at least one appendage is positioned in a specific position, wherein when the at least one appendage is positioned in said specific position, the triggering means triggers the motion producing means to produce motion responsive to the specific position.
  • 27. The interactive role-playing posable toy of claim 25 further comprising a means for triggering said sound emitting means and said motion producing means responses to specific configurations of the torso.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Number Name Date Kind
3755960 Tepper Sep 1973 A
4179842 Fauls Dec 1979 A
4869701 Kawai Sep 1989 A
5295889 Ejima Mar 1994 A
5346418 Arad Sep 1994 A
6126509 Berman Oct 2000 A
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
2250688 Aug 1991 GB