EP0528092B1

EP0528092B1 - Sneezing doll

Info

Publication number: EP0528092B1
Application number: EP91500151A
Authority: EP
Inventors: José Manuel Poligono Ind.El Alfas Rodriguez Ferre
Original assignee: Creatividad y Diseno SA
Current assignee: Creatividad y Diseno SA
Priority date: 1991-08-19
Filing date: 1991-12-30
Publication date: 1994-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 2011-12-30
Also published as: DK0528092T3; HK64295A; ES1023341U; ES1023341Y; GR3015365T3; DE69105971D1; ATE115427T1; EP0528092A1; DE69105971T2

Abstract

A doll (1) comprising a trunk (4) of hard moulded material and head (10) of a soft material is provided with an electromechanical unit contained within a frame (2) situated within the neck (12) of the doll. The electromechanical unit includes a motor (5) which operates through a transmission to rotate the head backwards. A release mechanism allows the sudden spring return of the head to its initial position in a manner simulating sneezing. The movements are accompanied by appropriate sounds produced by an acoustic arrangement (17). <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention refers to a doll as set forth in the preamble of claim 1. A doll of this type is known from GB-A-2 060 416.
The known doll comprises a doll body having therein a bellows air chamber and, in pneumatic connection with the interior of the chamber, a whistle, whereby, on alteration of the volume of the bellows air chamber, air is caused to pass through the whistle, thereby generating a sneezing sound. Said sound generating means is disposed in the head of the doll which is affixed to a mounting base pivotally connected to the trunk of the doll. An actuation mechanism is provided in the trunk of the doll for creating a pivotal movement of the head with respect to the trunk, simultaneously thereto the volume of the bellows air chamber is varied.
From US-A-3 996 695 and US-A-4 003 157 dolls are known having a head pivotally connected to the trunk of the doll and having an actuation mechanism disposed in the head comprising a pressurized bellows which, upon relief, moves the doll's head forwardly under the influence of a spring while air from the bellows is simultaneously directed to a reservoir forcing water out through the dolls nose so as to simulate sneezing.
It is the object of the invention to provide a doll which is able to provide a special sneezing like behavior.
This object is attained by the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are subject matter of the dependent claims.
The doll of the invention has a design of the type externally adopting the configuration of a little boy or girl comprising an anatomical trunk of hard moulded material, pieces conforming the extremities and the head associated thereto and obtained with soft moulded material, specially that piece compounding the head and the neck portion being of remarkably flexible material so that deformation and subsequent retrieval is provided therewith in the operations pretending to be unintentional snuffles such as sneezing, and synchronised with the release of sounds and the pressing of specific points also being allowed so that respective sensors internal to said head piece can be activated without resorting to perforate the head component material. The existence of holes or openings in the doll's mouth and other parts for activating the incorporated sensors are therefore no longer required.
The doll includes within its head an electromechanical unit comprising a piece of hard moulded material interlockingly anchored to the trunk. Said piece makes up a frame for an electromotor and a support for the shafts of several engaged cogwheels and pinions setting up the power transmission organs for the operation of a pivoted parallelogram, one of which sides is upwardly extended, the base of the doll's head having a fastening thereon.
The toy includes an electronic circuit fed by a battery set connected to an on-off switch operated by means of a pushbutton preferably located at the doll's back. When the doll is connected the electromechanical unit performs a rearwardly slow pivotal movement of the head and the sudden return to the original position using a coil spring. The motion is synchronised with a sound pretending to be the one produced when sneezing, this sound being heard through an acoustic arrangement and is released consequently to the connection of the electronic circuit and other sounds like sentences are followed up being repeated separately and regulated by said electronic circuit, the sounds changing when the internal sensors located behind the doll's nose and mouth are pressed to return to the original sound and motion.
To facilitate the disclosure, the present description is accompanied by drawing sheets wherein a preferred embodiment cited only by way of example is shown.
In the drawings;
Figure 1 is a front view of the doll showing the internal electromechanical mechanism.
Figures 2 and 3 are respective elevation side views of the doll's head in the resting and rearwardly tilted positions.
Figure 4 is an external view of the doll's back.
Returning to the figures, in the embodiment is shown a doll generally designated as -1- externally adopting the required shape and including further internally an electromechanical unit contained in a frame -2- in the head piece -10- interlocked with a basic annular rim -3- to the piece -4- configuring the doll's trunk.
The frame -2- includes an electric motor -5- which through a reducing mechanism made up with a pulley and a belt and cogwheels and pinions based is converting the power of the driving shaft of the motor -5- for operating a specially pivoted parallelogram -6- , one of which sides is externally extended as an arm -7- provided with an arcuated tailpiece-8- with a fastening -9- to be interlockingly anchored to the base of the doll's head -10-.
The arm-7- is pivoting on its shaft -11-promoting the rearwardly pivotal movement of the head -10- as shown in figure 3, and cooperating with the flexible material making up the neck-12-. The mechanism includes a releasing arrangement allowing the sudden return of the parallelogram -6- to its initial resting position, when being required, by a spring -13-. When pivoting in this manner the doll's head makes faces similar to those produced when sneezing, this being enabled by the flexibility of the doll head material.
The arm-7- is configuring a cam -14- operating a flexible contact-15- connected to the electronic circuit -16- and from this very moment a sound similar to sneezing is initiated which is heard synchronised with the previously said head motion and subsequently a pluraliry of sounds like sentences are heard, their release being regulated by said circuit, all sounds being produced by an acoustic arrangement -17-
Upon pressing a sensor -18- located at the parallelogram -6- at a position coinciding with the doll's nose, the released sounds are changed and replaced by other similar sentences and sounds like those produced when blowing a nose. By successively pressing the sensor -18- the sounds are again being changed.
A second sensor -19- located at a position, coinciding with the doll's mouth can be activated to change the sentences released into other new ones repeated until the cycle is again started with the motion of the head and the sneezing sound.
Said sensors -18--19- are directly pressed from the outside because of the flexibility of the material compounding the doll's head, without requiring the help of any hole or opening whatever.
At the back of the doll-1- is provided a cavity -20- with a cover- 21- containing the power batteries.
The electronic circuit -16- is connected to an on-off switch -22- located at the doll's back.

Claims

Doll of the type externally adopting the configuration of a little child, comprising a hard material frame associated to the doll's trunk (4), pieces forming the extremities and the head (10) and movably engaged with the trunk (4), and means (5,6,7) for providing a pivotal movement of said head (10) with respect to the trunk (4), characterized by a frame (2) comprising an electric motor (5) which, through a reducing mechanism made up with a pulley and a belt, cogwheels and pinions, is operatively connected to a pivotal parallelogram (6) linked to the frame (2) and having on one of its sides an upwardly extending arm (7) anchored by its distal end to the base of the doll's head (10), said motor (5) being supplied with electric power from a battery set disposed in a cavity (20) in the doll's trunk (4) via an electronic circuit (16) connected to a switch and effecting a rearwardly pivotal movement of said head (10), said reducing mechanism comprising a trigger to effect the sudden return of the head (10) into its rest position under the bias of a return spring (13), the doll's head (10) being made of a flexible material to make faces similar to those produced when sneezing upon said pivotal movement of said head (10).
A doll as set forth in claim 1, further comprising means for producing sound, said parallelogram (6) having at one of its sides a cam (14) operatively arranged to actuate a flexible contact (15) connected to the electronic circuit (16) to release sound similar to the ones produced when sneezing and in form of sentences, by an acoustic arrangement (17) disposed in the doll's trunk (4).
A doll as set forth in claims 1 or 2, wherein the parallelogram (6) comprises two sensors (18,19), respectively, located at positions coinciding with the doll's nose and mouth, the sensors (18,19) being connected to the electronic circuit (16) and being susceptible of being activated by manual pressing from the outside because of the flexibility of the material of the doll's head (10), said activation provoking the release of sound, such as the noises similar to those produced when sneezing and also in form of sentences.
A doll as set forth in claim 3, wherein the electronic circuit comprises means for altering the sounds produced by the acoustic arrangement by pressing the sensors (18,19).