Patent Application
20230001317
The present invention relates to toys and, more particularly, a multi-faced toy enabled to express a plurality of different emotions like sadness, anger, happiness, and surprise.
Human beings are complex emotional creatures. Every human has a multiplicity of emotional expressions based on underlying feeling(s) or thought(s). Every human being whether understood or not has different emotion al states ranging from happiness, sorrow, anger, or disappointment, etc. And emotions change sometimes without warning and in an unregulated manner for kids, the developmentally challenged, nonverbal and/or cognitive deficient adults, and others. Humans have more than two emotions, but most toys express only two emotions, some only express one emotion.
In short, current emotionally expressive toys tend to be binary.
As can be seen, there is a need for a multi-faced toy enabling users to express a plurality of different emotions like sadness, anger, happiness, and surprise in a successive manner.
Acting as both a toy and a developmental/communication tool, the present invention can be used for indicating and expressing the emotional state of an individual user as they enjoy it as a toy. The present invention adds more depth to expressing human emotions as in sometimes vague and hard-to-decipher emotional states can be singularly and clearly represented. It also gives the developmentally challenged, non-verbal child and/or adult suffering from cognitive difficulties more options to express to others how they feel at a given time as well as how they feel differently over a duration of time. The present invention may embody emotional logs adapted to track daily emotional health in long-term health facilities or other clinical settings.
This multi-faced toy/device when selectively moved to a particular emotional expression helps the individual zero in on what emotion(s) they are feeling at a particular time for the benefit of others. Accordingly, the individual can selectively communicate to others their shifting emotional states, thereby allowing for empathy to be expressed if necessary or as a critical indicator for mental state regulation and observation.
The present invention enables a plurality of emotional expressions for non-verbal users who are having a hard time verbalizing their emotions. In sum, the present invention aids a user in expressing emotional state to others, thereby serving as a communication device, toy, and rehabilitation tool all rolled into one.
In one aspect of the present invention, an emotion signaling toy including a facial object having a plurality of emotional indicium spaced along its outer surface; and a head-shaped portion defining a receptacle socket that communicates with an external environment via an opening, wherein the facial object operatively associates with the receptacle socket in a ball and socket configuration so that only one of the plurality of emotional indicium is visible through the opening.
In another aspect of the present invention, the emotion signaling toy further includes two diametrically opposing bearing points on each along an exterior of the facial object and along an interior of the receptacle socket, wherein said bearing points facilitate the ball and socket configuration, wherein each of the plurality of emotional indicium comprises a facial representation associated with happiness, sorrow, anger, or disappointment.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of non-verbally signaling emotions, the method includes providing the above-mentioned emotion signaling toy and selectively rotating the facial object so that one of the plurality of emotional indicium is visible through the opening.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides an emotion communication device having a ball and socket configuration where a facial object is rotatable within a receptacle socket provided by a head-shaped portion. Spaced apart along an exterior surface of the facial object are a plurality of emotionally indicative representations. The head-shaped portion provides an opening communicating to the external environment so that a user of the present invention can selectively swivel the facial object so that one of the plurality of emotionally indicative representations is visible through the opening, thereby signaling a present emotional state, while enjoying the present invention as a toy.
Referring now to
The present invention includes a spherical or ovoid facial object 14. A plurality of emotional indicium 16A, 16B, 16C, and 16D may be spaced apart along an exterior of the facial object 14. When there are four emotional indicium, they will be radially spaced apart at 90-degree increments. It is understood that there may be more or less than emotional indicium. Also, in certain embodiments, an emotion indicium may have spacing such that two emotional indicium may be visible through the opening 13 simultaneously, thereby affording a user to expressing ‘mixed-emotions’ embodying more than one emotional state.
The facial object 14 may provide a plurality of ball bearing points 19. In one embodiment, the facial object 14 may provide diametrically opposing ball bearings points 19. The facial object 14 may be dimensioned and adapted to operatively associate in the receptacle socket 12, defining a ball and socket configuration. In the ball and socket configuration the ball and socket bearing points 19 and 18 operatively associate so that the facial object 14 can be rotated within the receptacle socket 12 about the polar axis 40 that passes through the two socket bearing points 18.
The bearing points 18 and 19 may be adhesive hook and loop, magnet or other components enabling the facial object 14 to attach and swivel in the receptacle socket 14. The facial object 14 may be plushie material or any other conducive and child-friendly materials.
Each emotional indicium 16A, 16B, 16C, and 16D may represent a different face expressing a different emotional state. Through the ball and socket configuration a user may swivel the facial object 14 to show a particular emotion, visible through the opening 13, while concealing other emotions, thereby revealing one emotion at a time. Thereby, the present invention adds more depth to expressing human emotions. The present invention also gives the developmentally challenged, or non-verbal child or adult more options to express to others how they feel at a given time by rotating the facial object 14 within the receptacle socket 12 and allowing the emotive indicia 16A-16D associated with their emotional state to be displayed outside the receptacle socket 12 via the opening 13. Accordingly, a user is enabled to selectively show an array of emotions as they please. Emotional logs can be used to track the displayed emotive indicium 16A-16D, thereby capturing a snapshot of the user's emotional health in long-term health facilities or in clinical settings. A method of making the present invention may include the following. Using plushie material a manufacture may create a circular three-dimensional (3D) spheroid or ovoid with at least four emotional indicia 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D spaced along its outer surface, wherein each emotional indicia may be faces expressing different emotions or emotional indicia, such as laughing, crying, anger, and smiling, etc. The head-like portion 11 may also be made of plushie material with a cavity or socket to connect the 3D multi-faced object. Embedded along both an interior of the receptacle cavity 12 and the exterior of the facial object 14 will be aligned and cooperative bearing points 18 and 19. The bearing points 18 and 19 may include ball bearings, magnet, or the like to allow for rotative attachment of the two objects (facial object and receptacle cavity) being held in place.
The emotion communication toy 10 can help signal the emotional health of the user, e.g., a user can implicitly signal if they have a propensity for self-harm or signal where along a spectrum the user is in the emotional development. Mental health centers can use the emotion communication toy 10 as part of their programs to help measure and identify emotional cues. In the field of psychology and mental rehabilitation, soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can use the emotion communication toy 10 to convey emotions while in therapy. Counselors can use the emotion communication toy 10 in schools to help children cope with trauma or to express how they are feeling. Wives and husbands can use the emotion communication toy 10 to help describe their emotions without saying a word. Suicide prevention centers can use the emotion communication toy 10 to help their patients cope with how they are feeling. Children's hospitals can utilize the emotion communication toy 10 to comfort children with a toy they can both play with and express their feelings through.
Also, the present invention can be used for guessing the emotion of an individual, thereby it can also be used to raise money for charities and to send overseas to children in foreign countries to show someone cares for them.
This present invention is not limited to a physical toy, but the concept will also cover digital representations of the functionality of the design that can be used in apps, digital games, or drawings.
As used in this application, the term “about” or “approximately” refers to a range of values within plus or minus 10% of the specified number. And the term “substantially” refers to up to 90% or more of an entirety. Recitation of ranges of values herein are not intended to be limiting, referring instead individually to any and all values falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated, and each separate value within such a range is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (“e.g.,” “such as,” or the like) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the embodiments or the claims. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any unclaimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosed embodiments.
In the following description, it is understood that terms such as “first,” “second,” “top,” “bottom,” “up,” “down,” and the like, are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms unless specifically stated to the contrary.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 63/217,376, filed Jul. 1, 2021, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63217376 | Jul 2021 | US |
