Information
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Patent Grant
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6537129
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Patent Number
6,537,129
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Date Filed
Friday, May 31, 200222 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, March 25, 200321 years ago
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Inventors
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Original Assignees
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Examiners
- Ackun; Jacob K.
- Francis; Faye
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 446 268
- 446 308
- 446 309
- 446 323
- 446 334
- 446 335
- 446 336
- 446 479
- 446 486
- 446 330
- 446 482
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A generally square-shaped doll bed includes a square base supporting a quartet of vertical posts at its corners. The base defines a center recess within which a platform is supported by a pivoting arm. The pivoting arm is secured to a further pivoting arm which extends outward beyond the base and terminates in a depressible pad. A doll is supported above the platform by a pair of resilient bands secured to frame members coupled between the vertical posts. As the user depresses and releases the pad, the platform exerts upward forces against the doll causing it to move in a jumping action.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to dolls and doll accessories and particularly to those doll accessory which impart motion or activity to a cooperating doll.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Dolls and doll accessories are well known in the art and have proven to be a popular and long lasting form of toys for young girls in particular. Not surprisingly, the popularity of dolls and doll accessories has prompted practitioners in the art to provide a virtually endless variety of dolls and doll accessories for use therewith.
One of the more pervasive types of doll accessories is found in doll sized furniture and accommodations for playsets having doll houses or other play environments. Such accessories have often included doll sized furniture items such as kitchen equipment, chairs, couches, tables and bedroom apparatus such as beds and night tables. A somewhat different type of doll accessory has also been provided in sport or game activity type accessories. Thus, accessories have been provided which, in part, jumping or other motions to dolls. In many of these doll apparatus, the doll itself is a simple molded plastic or similar doll fabrication completely lacking in any motion or movement capability.
Despite the continuing and virtually tireless effort of practitioners in the toy arts to provide new and more amusing doll accessories for use in play patterns with dolls, there remains a continuing need in the art for evermore improved, amusing and interesting doll accessories.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved accessory for use in a doll play sets. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved accessory for use in a doll playset which imparts jumping motion to a cooperating doll.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a toy doll bed comprising: a base having an upper surface and a recess; a fabric layer loosely spanning the recess; a platform and a pivot arm supporting the platform within the recess beneath the fabric layer; a depressible pad and arm coupled to the pivot arm; a pivot pivotally supporting the arm and the pivot arm; a doll; and means for resiliently supporting the doll upon the fabric and the platform.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements and in which:
FIG. 1
sets forth a perspective view of a toy doll bed having a jumping doll constructed in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2
sets forth a section view of the present invention toy doll bed having jumping doll.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1
sets forth a perspective view of a toy doll bed having a jumping doll constructed in accordance with the present invention and generally referenced by numeral
10
. Toy doll bed
10
includes a generally rectangular base
11
having a fabric cover
17
formed thereon. Base
11
further supports a plurality of vertical posts
13
,
14
,
15
and
16
positioned at the corners of base
11
and linked by a plurality of frame members
20
,
21
,
22
and
23
. Base
11
further defines a recess
12
within which fabric cover
17
is loosely sagging.
In accordance with the present invention, a platform
30
is positioned beneath fabric cover
17
in recess
12
and is supported by a post
31
which in turn is supported by an arm
32
. Arm
32
is pivotally secured to a pivot
33
and an arm
34
. Arm
34
extends outwardly beyond base
11
and fabric cover
17
and is joined to a pad
35
.
In accordance with the present invention, a doll
40
is supported above recess
12
by a waist band
41
and a pair of extending elastic bands
42
and
43
. Bands
42
and
43
resilient secure doll
40
to frame members
20
and
22
. Doll
10
is movable vertically as elastic bands
42
and
43
are stretched.
In operation, doll
40
, due to its weight and balance generally rests upon the upper surface of fabric cover
17
above platform
30
as fabric cover
17
relaxes downwardly into recess
12
. Play is initiated as the child user forces pad
35
downwardly in the direction indicated by arrow
50
. This downward movement of pad
35
causes platform
30
to be moved vertically in the direction indicated by arrow
51
raising doll
40
against the resilient force of bands
42
and
43
.
The user then releases pad
35
which, due to the offset positioning of pivot
33
, causes pad
35
to rise in the direction indicated by arrow
54
. The rise of pad
35
is accompanied by a corresponding drop of platform
30
. As platform
30
drops, the support of doll
40
is removed and the elastic energy stored in bands
42
and
43
drives doll
40
downwardly in the direction indicated by arrow
53
.
The user is able to depress and release pad
35
to provide successive jumping and falling of doll
40
as the dolls weight and the forces exerted by platform
30
interact with the resilient forces of elastic bands
42
and
43
.
The result is a jumping action for doll
40
which, after the user masters the timing and skill of moving pad
35
, can be caused to undergo various trick or stunt movements.
FIG. 2
sets forth a section view of the present invention toy doll bed having a jumping doll shown partial depiction therewith. As described above, toy doll bed
10
includes a base
11
having a fabric cover
17
and forming a recess
12
therein. Within recess
12
, a platform
30
is positioned beneath the portion of fabric cover
17
which overlies recess
12
. Platform
30
is supported by a post
31
which, in turn, is supported by an arm
32
. An arm
34
is joined to arm
32
at a pivot
33
. Arm
34
extends outwardly from base
11
and supports a pad
35
. A doll
40
is movable above recess
12
and is acted upon in the manner described above by the movement of platform
30
and its own weight together with the elastic force of elastic bands
42
and
43
(seen in FIG.
1
).
In the solid line depiction shown in
FIG. 2
, platform
30
is lowered due to the greater length of arm
32
relative to arm
34
and the placement of pivot
33
. Also shown in
FIG. 2
in dashed phantom line depiction, is the raised position of platform
30
produced as the user depresses pad
35
in the above described manner to exert upward force against doll
40
.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
- 1. A toy doll bed comprising:a base having an upper surface and a recess; a fabric layer loosely spanning said recess; a platform and a pivot arm supporting said platform within said recess beneath said fabric layer; a depressible pad and arm coupled to said pivot arm; a pivot pivotally supporting said arm and said pivot arm; a doll; and
US Referenced Citations (20)