This application claims the benefit of U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,384 filed Feb. 10, 2005; U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,389 filed Feb. 10, 2005; U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,385 filed Feb. 10, 2005; U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,387 filed Feb. 10, 2005; U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,386 filed Feb. 10, 2005; U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,383 filed Feb. 10, 2005; U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,392 filed Feb. 11, 2005; U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,391 filed Feb. 11, 2005; U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,397 filed Feb. 11, 2005; U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,388 filed Feb. 11, 2005; U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,395 filed Feb. 11, 2005; and U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,393 filed Feb. 11, 2005, the entire disclosures of which are all expressly incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to the field of toy figurines, and, more particularly, to toy figurines having magnetic joints.
Joints of various designs have, in the past, been developed for toy figurines to permit the selective attachment and removal of component parts, such as appendages and the like. An example of a joint for a toy figurine can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,889 to Ejima, which discloses a toy figurine having magnetically-coupled, ball-and-socket joints that allow appendages to be selectively attached to the figurine as desired. Another example of a joint for a toy figurine can be found in U.S. patent application Publication No. U.S. 2004/0077259 to Barri, which discloses a toy figurine having joints in the form of magnetized pegs and corresponding sockets for receiving the pegs. Other examples of joints include U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,396 to Asmussen, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,794 to Varner, et al., which disclose magnetically-coupled joints for mannequins with generally flat joint surfaces that allow for indexing of parts using protrusions and corresponding recesses (see the Asmussen, et al. Patent) or a pin and corresponding apertures (see the Varner, et al. Patent).
Existing joint designs suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, in the case of the magnetically-coupled, ball-and-socket joints currently available in toy figurines, only a single socket is provided, and the ball is attached to a component of the figurine (e.g., to an appendage or other part). Thus, the ball is neither removable from the figurine nor interchangeable with another ball. As such, the user cannot substitute balls of desired colors, patterns, or designs to achieve a desired appearance, nor can the user quickly and conveniently construct figurines using a multitude of interchangeable components.
Moreover, while existing joint designs allow for indexing of parts, such designs do not allow for indexing using magnets and completely planar (flat) joint surfaces. Rather, a pin and corresponding apertures or a protrusion and corresponding recesses (or other mechanical arrangement) are required to effectuate indexing. Further, current joint designs for toy figurines do not allow power to be transmitted through a completely planar or flat joint interface. Accordingly, there is a need to provide magnetic joints for toy figurines that address the foregoing limitations.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art discussed above by providing magnetic joints for toy figurines having various configurations that allow for the quick and easy assembly and disassembly of figurine components. In one embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic joint comprises a ball and a pair of sockets magnetically coupled to the ball, wherein the first socket is formed in a first figurine part and the second socket is formed in a second figurine part. Each socket includes a magnet embedded in the socket for magnetically coupling the socket to the ball. The joint allows for angulation and rotation of joined parts, as well as for quick and convenient assembly and disassembly of figurine components. The ball “floats” between the sockets, and can be removed by the user and substituted with another ball, as desired. A pair of friction inlays or O-rings can be provided between the ball and the sockets to provide sufficient friction when the joint is assembled to allow coupled figurine components to be retained in one or more desired positions.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic joint comprises a first socket formed in a first figurine component, a first hemispherical portion magnetically coupled with the first socket, a second hemispherical portion interconnected with the first hemispherical portion, and a second socket formed in a second figurine component and interconnected with the second hemispherical portion. A friction inlay could be provided between the first socket and the first hemispherical portion to provide sufficient friction when the joint is assembled to allow the first figurine component to be retained in one or more desired positions.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic joint comprises a pair of complementary, generally planar joint surfaces that are magnetically coupled to each other using complementary magnets embedded in the joint surfaces. Complementary central magnets could be embedded in central regions of the joint surfaces for coupling the joints together, and a plurality of satellite magnets could be disposed radially about each central magnet and embedded in the joint surfaces to allow coupled figurine components to be rotated and held in one or more predetermined positions (indexed). Complementary conductive regions, such as a central conductive region surrounded by an annular conductive region, could be provided on each joint surface for allowing electrical power to be transmitted through the joint.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic joint comprises a peg and corresponding socket construction that cooperate to permit rotation of coupled figurine components. The peg and socket each include corresponding end magnets for retaining the peg in the socket. A plurality of corresponding indexing magnets are embedded in the peg and the socket for allowing the joined parts to be retained in one or more predetermined positions (internally indexed) when the indexing magnets are rotated into alignment with each other.
Further features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly upon a reading of the following detailed description of various exemplary embodiments thereof, which are given below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
a is an exploded, cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the magnetic joints of the present invention, wherein friction inlays are provided between the sockets and the ball;
b is a perspective view of one of the friction inlays shown in
c is a cross-sectional view showing the components of
a is an exploded, cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the magnetic joints of the present invention, wherein O-rings are provided between the sockets and the ball;
b is a cross-sectional view showing the components of
a is an exploded, cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the magnetic joints of the present invention, including a two-piece, ferromagnetic ball which is coupled to only one of two socket members;
b is a cross-sectional view showing the components of
a is a perspective view of one of the magnetic joints for the toy figurine shown in
b is a front elevational view of the magnetic joint shown in
a is a perspective view of another embodiment of the magnetic joints of the present invention, wherein each joint includes generally planar surfaces having conductive areas for allowing power transmission through the joint;
b is a front elevational view of the magnetic joint shown in
a is a perspective view of one of the magnetic joints for the toy figurine shown in
b is a front elevational view of the magnetic joint shown in
Referring to
As shown in
a is an exploded, cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the magnetic joints of the present invention, indicated generally at 60, for coupling a first figurine portion 62a to a second figurine portion 62b. The joint 60 includes friction inlays 65a, 65b positioned between sockets 72a, 72b (formed in portions 62a, 62b, respectively) and a ball 66. The friction inlays 65a, 65b include cup-shaped portions 68a, 68b which conform to the shape of the ball 66. Magnets 64a, 64b extend through apertures 67a, 67b formed in the cup-shaped portions 68a, 68b, and are positionable within recesses 73a, 73b formed in the centers of the sockets 72a, 72b. The magnets 64a, 64b could include rounded faces 69a, 69b, respectively, which conform to the shape of the ball 66. The inlays 65a, 65b could be interconnected with the sockets 72a, 72b in any known manner, such as by gluing or by means of a friction fit. Importantly, the inlays 65a, 65b provide sufficient friction against the ball 66 when the joint 60 is assembled (see
a is an exploded, cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the magnetic joints of the present invention, indicated generally at 80, wherein O-rings 88a, 88b are positioned between generally cup-shaped sockets 89a, 89b and a ball 86. The sockets 89a, 89b are formed in figurine components 82a, 82b (which could be any desired components of a figurine), and include magnets 84a, 84b positioned in recesses 83a, 83b formed in the sockets 89a, 89b. When the magnetic joint 80 is assembled (see
a is an exploded, cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the magnetic joints of the present invention, indicated generally at 90, for joining first and second figurine components 91a, 91b (which could be any desired components of a figurine). The joint 90 includes a first socket 92a formed in the first figurine component 91a, a second socket 92b formed in the second figurine component 91b, a friction inlay 94, a first hemispherical portion 96, and a second hemispherical portion 98. The socket 92a includes a recess 93a for receiving a magnet 95 formed in the friction inlay 94, and the friction inlay 94 could be permanently attached to the socket 92a (such as by gluing) or temporarily by means of a friction fit. The socket 92b includes a recess 93b for receiving a protrusion 99 formed on the second hemispherical portion 98. The second hemispherical portion 98 can be permanently attached to the second socket 92b in any suitable manner, such as by gluing, etc.
The first hemispherical portion 96 includes an annular lip 97a that is configured to be received by an annular external recess 97b formed on an external surface 98a of the second hemispherical portion 98. Similarly, the second hemispherical portion 98 includes an annular lip 97c that is configured to be received by an annular recess 97d formed on an internal surface 96a of the first hemispherical portion 96. The lips 97a, 97c and recesses 97b, 97d cooperate to interconnect the first hemispherical portion 96 to the second hemispherical portion 98. The first hemispherical portion 96 is preferably manufactured from a ferromagnetic material, so as to facilitate magnetic attraction to the magnet 95. When the joint 90 is assembled (see
a is perspective view of the magnetic joint 120a shown in
a is a perspective view of another embodiment of the magnetic joints of the present invention, indicated generally at 130, for coupling a first figurine component 132 to a second figurine component 134. The joint 130 comprises a pair of complementary, generally planar joint surfaces 136a, 136b having annular conductive regions 138a, 138b surrounding central conductive regions 140a, 140b. The annular conductive regions 138a, 138b or the central conductive regions 140a, 140b, or both, could be magnetic to retain the joint surfaces 136a, 136b in position against each other. An electrical circuit 142 in the first figurine component 132 (e.g., a battery positioned in a torso portion of a figurine) is in electrical communication with the annular conductive region 138a and the central conductive region 140a via leads 144. When the joint surface 136a is coupled with the joint surface 136b, the annular conductive region 138a makes electrical contact with the annular conductive region 138b and the central conductive region 140a makes electrical contact with the central conductive region 140b to allow power to be transmitted from the circuit 142 through the joint 130 and into the second figurine component 134. Leads 146 in the second figurine component 134 are connected to the annular conductive region 138b and the central conductive region 140b to transfer electrical power to a circuit in the second figurine component 146 (e.g., to a light or motor). As shown in
a-11b are perspective and front elevational views, respectively, of the magnetic joint 170b shown in
The indexing magnets 182 of the socket 174 are magnetically attracted to the indexing magnets 186 of the peg 172 to allow the arm 158 to be rotated and held in one or more predetermined positions (i.e., indexed). It should be noted that the indexing magnets 182, 186 could be replaced with corresponding protrusions and recesses to allow for indexing. Moreover, either set of the indexing magnets 182, 186 could be replaced with a ferromagnetic material, so that only a single set of magnets is required to provide indexing. Still further, one of the end magnets 180, 184 could likewise be replaced with a ferromagnetic material so that only a single magnet is required to retain the peg 172 in the socket 174. Additionally, in each of the embodiments of the magnetic joints of the present invention, the magnets could be poled (e.g., one set of magnets could correspond to a south magnetic pole, and another set of magnets could correspond to a north magnetic pole), so as to further facilitate indexing of the joined components.
The magnetic joints of the present invention could be used to couple figurine components in any desired configuration. For example, the arm 26 (see
It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and/or modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 29223384 | Feb 2005 | US |
Child | 11182212 | Jul 2005 | US |
Parent | 29223389 | Feb 2005 | US |
Child | 11182212 | Jul 2005 | US |
Parent | 29223385 | Feb 2005 | US |
Child | 11182212 | Jul 2005 | US |
Parent | 29223387 | Feb 2005 | US |
Child | 11182212 | Jul 2005 | US |
Parent | 29223386 | Feb 2005 | US |
Child | 11182212 | Jul 2005 | US |
Parent | 29223383 | Feb 2005 | US |
Child | 11182212 | Jul 2005 | US |
Parent | 29223392 | Feb 2005 | US |
Child | 11182212 | Jul 2005 | US |
Parent | 29223391 | Feb 2005 | US |
Child | 11182212 | Jul 2005 | US |
Parent | 29223397 | Feb 2005 | US |
Child | 11182212 | Jul 2005 | US |
Parent | 29223388 | Feb 2005 | US |
Child | 11182212 | Jul 2005 | US |
Parent | 29223395 | Feb 2005 | US |
Child | 11182212 | Jul 2005 | US |
Parent | 29223393 | Feb 2005 | US |
Child | 11182212 | Jul 2005 | US |