AU2002303559A1 - Electrically interconnected snap for dolls - Google Patents

Description

ELECTRICALLY INTERCONNECTED SNAP FOR DOLLS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a sensor system for electronic

toys, and more particularly to a system using electrically interconnected snaps for

determining the presence of a removable attachment on an electronic doll. For

example, it may be used as part of an electronic doll to make the doll say or do

something in response to attaching or removing a diaper to or from the doll.

Background of the Invention

Interactive toys are popular for children. Interactive toys having

animated features and moving parts increase the life-like appearance of dolls and

enhance the realistic characteristics of other toys, thus increasing the appeal of these

toys to children. Examples of various interactive, animated or robotic dolls or other

toys are found in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,775,352, 4,808,142, 4,836,465, 4,900,289,

4,923,428, 5,108,341, 5,399,115, 5,820,441, and 5,855,502, the disclosures of which

are incorporated herein by reference.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention includes an interactive, animated and robotic doll

having a body, a processor, terminals linked to the processor, and a removable

garment. The terminals are connected to metal snaps on the body and the removable

garment includes complimentary snaps that secure the garment to the doll body. An

electric circuit is completed when the garment is secured by the snaps to the doll, and

the processor alters the doll's behavior. By altering the doll's behavior based on the

presence of the removable garment, the doll is more appealing to children. In the depicted embodiment, the doll resembles an infant and the removable attachment

resembles a diaper.

The advantages of the present invention will be understood more readily

after a consideration of the drawings and the Detailed Description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a simplified perspective view of a doll according to the present

invention, taken from the front and to the right of the doll, showing a diaper attached

to a body of the doll by snaps, and showing a processor and wiring contained within

the body of the doll in dashed lines.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the doll of Fig. 1, showing the diaper

partially removed from the body of the doll, with the snaps on the diaper detached

from corresponding snaps on the body of the doll, and with the diaper pulled back to

expose those corresponding snaps.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the diaper of Fig. 2, showing the

snaps and a conductive link that electrically interconnects the snaps.

Fig. 4 is an exploded side assembly view of the portion of the diaper of

Fig. 3, viewed along line 4-4 in Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a potion of the interior of the body of the doll of

Fig. 1, showing the snaps and associated wiring terminals.

Fig. 6 is an exploded side assembly view of the snap halves and

terminals of Fig. 5, viewed along line 6-6 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of the body, snaps, diaper, link and

terminals of Figs 1-6, taken along line 7-7 of Fig 5, showing the interconnection of

these parts, and including a schematic representation of the wiring and processor of

the doll.

Detailed Description and Best Mode of the Invention

Referring initially to Fig. 1 , a doll according to the present invention is

generally indicated at 10. Doll 10 includes a body 12, which preferably is shaped to

resemble an infant, and a garment 14, which preferably resembles a diaper.

Alternatively, the doll may be configured to resemble an animal or any other creature,

both real and imaginary.

Body 12 may include movable appendages such as arms 16, legs 18, and

a head 20. Motors, gears or other mechanisms (not shown) also may drive the motion

of these appendages, giving the doll robotic like attributes. A processor 22 may be

contained within body 12 and configured to control the movement of these

appendages. Similarly, doll 10 may include a speaker and lights to produce audible

and visual responses. Processor 22 may also be configured to activate these audible

and visual responses, such as speech and flashing lights.

Additionally, doll 10 includes a sensor subsystem 24 for determining the

presence of garment 14 on body 12. Sensor subsystem 24 includes fastening structure

26 and wiring 28. Fastening structure 26 secures garment 14 to body 12 of doll 10.

Wiring 28 forms an electric circuit connected to processor 22, electrically

interconnecting processor 22 and fastening structure 26. Fastening structure 26 and

wiring 28 cooperate with processor 22 to communicate the presence of garment 14, as explained below. Fastening structure 26 is configured such that wiring 28 may be

connected to fastening structure 26.

Turning to Fig. 2, diaper 14 is partially removed from body 12 of doll

10, with fastening structure 26 shown in a detached configuration with a portion

remaining connected to body 12 and a portion remaining connected to garment 14. Diaper 14 may be made of a pliant material to enable this partially removed, folded-

back configuration, if desired, or diaper 14 may be made of a harder, less pliable

material, not shown. Fastening structure 26 preferably is a set of snaps, which include

doll-side snaps 30 having terminal connectors 31 for attaching wiring 28, and diaper- side snaps 32 which are electrically linked together by a link 34. It should be

understood that fastening structure 26, while shown as snaps, could be some other

suitable structure that attaches the garment to the doll and is capable of completing an

electric circuit. Terminal connectors 31 may be integral with fastening structure 26 forming part of the aforementioned electric circuit. Doll-side snaps 30 may also be

referred to as body-side snaps 30. Diaper-side snaps 32 also may be referred to as

garment-side, attachment-side, or accessory-side snaps 32.

Diaper-side snaps 32 and link 34 are shown in more detail in Figs. 3 and 4. Link 34 electrically connects the two diaper-side snaps 32 on diaper 14. As a

result of the electrical connection between diaper-side snaps 32, a completed electric

circuit is formed when diaper-side snaps 32 are mechanically coupled to doll-side

snaps 30. Completion of this electric circuit causes processor 22 to produce

predetermined responses, such as increased movement of legs 18 and arms 16, or an

audible or visual response. Referring now to Fig. 4, the diaper-side snaps include an upper snap

piece 32a and a lower snap piece 32b. Snap pieces 32a and 32b are designed to punch

through diaper 14 and mechanically interlock when prongs 32c of lower snap piece

32b curl over, inside upper snap piece 32a, when the assembly is pressed together to

form completed snaps 32. Link 34 is configured to allow prongs 32c of lower snap

piece 32b to pass through an aperture, or series of apertures, so that the diaper-side

snap 32 sandwiches link 34 and a portion of diaper 14 between upper snap piece 32a

and lower snap piece 32b. This sandwich configuration electronically links the two diaper-side snaps 32, such that when attached to doll-side snaps 30 an electric circuit

is completed.

Turning to Figs 5 and 6, doll-side snaps 30 are shown in more detail.

Each doll-side snap 30 includes an upper snap piece 30a and a lower snap piece 30b.

Lower snap piece 30b includes prongs 30c that are configured to push through body

12 and fold back upon themselves as upper and lower snap pieces 30a and 30b are

pressed together. Electric terminals 31 and a portion of body 12 are sandwiched

between upper and lower snap pieces 30a and 30b such that electric terminals 31 are in electric connection with doll-side snaps 30 after the upper snap pieces and lower

snap pieces 30a and 30b are pressed together. Wires 28 are connected at one end to

electric terminals 31 and at another end to processor 22.

Turning to Fig. 7, a cross-section of sensor subsystem 24 is shown with

the portions of fastening structure 26 interconnected. The sensor subsystem shows

diaper-side snaps 32 secured to doll-snaps 30 and link 34 completing the circuit formed by wiring 28 and processor 22. Upon completion of the circuit, sensor subsystem 24 communicates the presence of garment 14 to processor 22.

Doll-side snaps 30 and diaper-side snaps 32 are shown pressed together

with prongs 30c, and 32c, folded over to lock the upper pieces 30a and 32a to lower

pieces 30b and 32b. Prongs 30c pass through body 12 and terminals 31 securing

snaps 30 in place. Prongs 32c pass through diaper 14 and link 34 securing snaps 32 in

place. Processor 22 may be configured to perform a number of tasks in response to

the connection of garment 14.

It should be understood that garment 14, shown in the depicted embodiment as a diaper, may include other removable accessories for example, but

not limited to, a purse, jewelry, a watch, glasses, a hat, etc. The location of fastening

structure 26 may be adjusted to accommodate the type of removable accessory used

on other embodiments of the present invention.

It should further be understood, that while doll-side snaps 30 are shown

as female-type snap portions and diaper-side snaps 32 are shown as male-type snap

portions, various reversals of these parts may be included within the present invention.

Additional types of fastening structures may be used provided they are capable of completing the electric circuit formed by terminals 31, wiring 28 and processor 22.

It is believed that the disclosure set forth above encompasses multiple

distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been

disclosed in its preferred form, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and

illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations

are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious

combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. Similarly, where the claims recite "a" or "a first" element

or the equivalent thereof, such claims should be understood to include incorporation

of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such

elements.

It is believed that the following claims particularly point out certain

combinations and subcombinations that are directed to one of the disclosed inventions and are novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and

subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of the present claims or presentation of new claims in this or a

related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to a

different invention or directed to the same invention, whether different, broader,

narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are also regarded as included within

the subject matter of the inventions of the present disclosure.

Claims (17)

I CLAIM:

1. A doll, comprising:

a body having a processor substantially enclosed within the body;

a pair of terminals positioned on the body including integral doll side fastening

structure, wherein the pair of terminals are each electrically linked to the processor as

part of an electric circuit; and a removable attachment having attachment side fastening structure configured

to couple to the doll side fastening structure of the terminals securing the attachment to the doll, and wherein the attachment side fastening structure is linked to complete

the electric circuit when attached to the doll.

2. The doll of claim 1, wherein the removable attachment includes a pliant

garment configured to conform to the doll.

3. The doll claim 2, wherein the pliant garment includes a diaper.

4. The doll of claim 1 , wherein the doll-side terminals include female snap portions and the attachment-side terminals include male snap portions.

5. The doll of claim 1, wherein the doll is a robotic doll.

6. A doll system for sensing the presence of an attachment, the doll system comprising:

an electric doll having a processor unit;

a removable attachment configured to attach to and detach from the electric

doll; and a sensor subsystem having an attachment-side connector positioned on the

removable attachment and a pair of doll-side terminals configured to electrically link to the processor unit positioned on the doll, wherein

the attachment- side connector includes fastening structure and the doll-side terminals include fastening structure integral with the terminals and adapted to couple

to the fastening structure of the attachment-side connector, and further wherein when

the removable attachment is attached to the doll, the attachment-side connector

electrically couples to the doll-side terminal to complete an electric circuit and thereby

send a signal to the processor unit indicating when the removable attachment is

attached to, and detached from, the electric doll.

7. The doll system of claim 6, wherein the doll-side terminal includes female snap portions and the attachment-side connector includes male snap portions.

8. The doll system of claim 6, wherein the removable attachment is a pliant

garment.

9. The doll system of claim 8, wherein the pliant garment is a diaper.

10. The doll system of claim 6, wherein the electric doll is a robotic doll.

11. The doll system of claim 10, wherein the robotic doll resembles an infant.

12. A doll, comprising:

a body; a processor contained within the body of the doll;

split terminals each electrically linked to the processor as part of an electrical

circuit and forming a fastening structure; and

a garment configured to attach to the fastening structure of the split terminals

of the doll, thereby completing the electrical circuit and holding the garment in place

on the body of the doll.

13. The doll of claim 12, wherein the split terminals include female snap

portions and the garment includes male snap portions.

14. The doll of claim 12, wherein the garment includes a pliant portion.

15. The doll of claim 12, wherein the pliant garment is a diaper.

16. The doll of claim 12, wherein the doll is a robotic doll.

17. The doll of claim 16, wherein the robotic doll resembles an infant.