FR2610532A1 - TOY FIGURINE - Google Patents

Abstract

A DOLL OR TOY FIGURE PRESENTS ILLUMINATED FACIAL FEATURES FROM BEHIND 32, 34 AND 36 WHICH MODIFY IN APPARENT SYNCHRONIZATION WITH WORDS FROM AN INTERNAL AUDIO SOURCE 24 ELECTRICALLY POWERED. AN AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF COMMAND IS PROVIDED TO ACT ON THE AUDIO SOURCE WHEN IT DETECTS THE ABSENCE OF SOUND.

Description

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  The present invention relates generally

  the to a toy figurine comprising a head offering a line of a face, comprising lighting means mounted in the doll behind the face line and means for excitation and de-excitation of the lighting means. By way of example in the drawings: FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a doll embodying the present invention;

  Figure 2 is a sectional view on a larger scale

  along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a sectional view along line 4-4 of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a sectional view along line -5 of Figure 2; Figure 6 is a diagram of the audio source control circuit; and

  FIG. 7 is a diagram of the control circuit for

lighting.

  Referring now to the drawings, on which

  the same parts are designated in all the various figures by the same reference numerals, we see in 10

  in Figure 1 a doll embodying the invention. The po-

  sword 10 has a soft body 12 filled with padding

  soft 14 and a head 16 also made of soft material carrying a

  che padding device 14. As shown best

  in FIG. 2, the trunk 12 and the head 16 can be formed

  of a continuous piece of fabric 18. However, one could

  apply the present invention to a doll or other figure

  toy with an elastic plastic body and / or head

  such as vinyl or hard plastic as long as the material

  constitutive of the head is on the whole opaque but of-

  come translucent if a lamp lights near it.

  A flap 20 provided on the back of the doll body 12 is removably fixed by a "Velcro" fastener 22

  or the like to allow access to the interior of the body.

  The flap 20 is shown open in dashed lines in Figure 2. In the interior of the body 12 is housed a reader

  audio tape 24 having an access door 26 for insertion

  tion of an audio tape cassette 27. In the body 12 are also contained batteries 28, access for their replacement

being offered by the flap 20.

  The head 16 has two ears 30 and a nose 32. The ears are formed integrally with the head and

  the nose can be shaped similarly, or can be a piece

  this in soft padding attached separately. The po-

  sword 10 has plastic eye lenses 34 and

  a mouth 36 whose outline is sewn or drawn on the fabric

  su 18. Inside the head 16 is an inner shell

  lower 38 which can be made of fabric but is preferably made of

a more rigid plastic.

  Behind each of the eyes 34 is placed a cylindrical piece 40 which passes through the padding 14 and the shell 38

  to enter optical communication with the ocular lens

  re transparent 34. Opposite the eye, a cap 42 is placed on the end of the cylindrical part 40. A small bulb 44 of 2.5 volts, carried by the cap 42, penetrates

in the cylindrical part 40.

  In the head 16 is mounted, behind the layout of the

  mouth 36, a mouth lighting assembly 46. Immediate

  behind the fabric 18 is a transparent screen 48 which contains three mouth contour marks 50, 52 and 54, preferably in a color such as red. The contour 50 represents a closed mouth with the lips joined together while the contours 52 and 54 respectively represent the lips

  separated upper and lower from an open mouth.

  Behind the screen 48 extend, through the padding-

  rage 14 and shell 38, three conduits 60, 62 and 64 which are respectively in optical communication with the contours of

  mouth 50, 52 and 54. Each of the three conduits is plas-

  opaque tick and shares, as best shown in Figure 3, a common wall with the neighboring conduits. The conduits are all three hermetically closed at their rear ends by a cap 66. Three small 2.5-volt lighting lamps 70, 72 and 74 are mounted in the cap 66. The lamp 70 enters the conduit 60, the lamp

  72, in the conduit 62 and the lamp 74, in the conduit 64.

26 10532

  None of the three conduits is in communication with any

others.

  In the head 16 is also contained an electro-

  pic 80 which is in electrical communication via

  diary of a wiring (not shown) with the audio tape player 24, the batteries 28, the two lighting lamps

  eyes 44, mouth lighting lamps 70, 72 and 74. At-

  tight that the doll 10 is intended to be able to hold a

  simulated payment with a child, he must necessarily

  appear pauses in the reproduction of an audio tape

  involving the doll's part in the conversation. Lemon-

  inside the electronic module ensures switching off

  the tape drive 24 is turned off at intervals governed by the content of the tape, as well as the lighting of the two lamps

  eyes 44 as well as mouth lamps 70, 72 and 74 in re-

  responds to audio signals from the tape.

  Reference is now made to the tape drive control circuit shown diagrammatically in FIG. 6, which includes a switch 82 for switching the audio tape player 24 on and off. The switch 82 is connected to a source powered by current batteries

  continuous 28 through a resistance of 480 ohms 84 for main-

  keep a low level on the input 86 of a rocker constituted by two NOR doors 88. A 0.1 microfarad capacitor

  90 and a 480 ohm resistor 92 are used for pre-

  tilting of the rocker. When the switch 82 is closed, a pulse is present on the other input 94 of the rocker

  to establish a high state at the diode 96. This

  ci then establishes at the terminals of a resistance of 4.7 kiloohms 97 a bias current of a standard NPN transistor 98 which excites a flexible blade relay 100 connected to an input

  remote 102 from reader 24. A diode 104 is mounted on the terminals

  relay 100 to absorb the energy stored in

the winding 106 of the relay 100.

  Once switch 82 is closed, the reed relay

  flexible 100 is energized and the remote input of the ban-

  de is under order. The audio tape player has now been turned on and is looking for words or phrases on the tape. A 4.7 kilohm resistor 108 is connected to the positive side of the speaker 110 of the reader.

  bandaged. An audio scrtie signal generated through the built-in

  speaker through the tape drive established across the resis-

  tance 108 of the current which controls a Darling transistor-

  tone 2N5306 112. Another resistor of 4.7 kiloohms 113 is mounted between the collector of the Darlington transistor 112

and the power source 28.

  The Darlington transistor 112 controls a universi-

  7444, 114. Double resetting brator. A resistor 116 and a capacitor 118 establish the duration of the pulsed output signal from the univibrator. When the output signal from

  the vibrator 114 goes high, signals are received

  mined through guide diodes 120 and 122, which

  establishes a high state on the input of transistor 98 for

  hold the flexible blade relay 100. The output signal to the

  high state of the univibrator 114 also establishes a high state

  on input 94 of the scale to reset it to the

  state zero so that the vibrator controls the transistor

  98. As long as an audio output signal is maintained at the terminals

  of resistor 108, the retriggerable univibrator con-

  keeps the flexible blade relay energized. After the end of the audio signal, the flexible blade relay remains energized for a certain period of time determined in relation to the values of the resistor 116 and of the capacitor 118 but then switches off the tape drive until

  that the switch 82 is closed again.

  The eye lighting lamps 44 as well as the lam-

  mouth lighting pes 70, 72 and 74 are controlled in response to the audio signal from the tape player 24 by the circuit shown schematically in Figure 7. The

  tape drive speaker 110 applies an input signal

  trée at the terminals of a resistance of 4,7 kiloohms 126 to excite a Darlington transistor 2N5306 128. Another

  resistance of 4.7 kiloohms 130 is mounted between the collec-

  transistor 128 and the power source 28. A

  signal taken from resistor 130 is applied to a universal

  double retriggerable breaker 74123 132. When it detects

  the audio signal, the transistor 128 retriggers the universal

132.

  When the dual vibrator trips, a high output signal from one half excites

  a transistor 2N2222 134 through a resistor of 4.7 ki-

  loohms 136. The open mouth lamps 72 and 74 came on.

  then returns for a determined time fixed by a resistance

  ce 138 and a capacitor 140. However, if it is not de-

  switched on by transistor 128, the vibrator 132 excites a

  transistor 2N2222 142, through a resistance of 4.7 kilo-

  ohms 144, to light the open muzzle lamp 70. However

  least one set of normally open contacts 146 prevents the lamp 70 from lighting. At the same time, the other half of the triggered univibrator 132 excites a transistor 2N2222 148 via a resistor of 4.7 kiloohms 150. The transistor 148

  then energizes a flexible blade relay 152 which closes

  normally open tacts 146, allowing the illumination of

  the lamp 70. Consequently, when the lamps 72 and 74 go out

  light up, the lamp 70 goes out and, when the lamps 72 and 74 are off, the lamp 70 lights up in response to signals

  modulation from speaker 110. The bulbs

  open che 72 and 74 and the closed mouth lamp 70 comes on

  alternately go out and go out, giving the illu-

  see the mouth open and close synchronously

  with the audio input signal from the tape drive.

  The signal taken from the resistor 130 is also applied to another dual-trigger 74123 154. A high output signal from

  the leveler 154 is regulated by the resistor 156 and the

  densifier 158 so as to illuminate the eye lamps

  44 for at least two seconds. The triggering of the uni-

  vibrator 154 excites a transistor 2N2222 160 through a

  resistor 162 to energize a flexible blade relay 164 iron-

  mant of normally open contacts 166. Closing of the contacts 166 then energizes a Darlington transistor 2N5306 168 through a resistor of 4.7 kiloohms 170 and

resistance 172.

  To maintain transistor 168 after stopping

  the entire audio, a constant delay time is in-

  produced by a resistor 172 and a capacitor 174. This delay is used jointly with the relay 152 to be extinguished in

  lamps 44 and 70 melt when the audio signals stop.

  Whereas no signal is present to excite the tran

  sistor 148 and thereby the relay 152, the normally open contacts 146 are open and the normally closed contacts 176 are closed. Consequently, the eye lamps 44 and the closed mouth lamp 70 are kept together in the lighting state under the control of the transistor 168. At

  after four or five seconds, lamps 44 and 70 go dark

  break under the effect of the exponential discharge of the re-

  sistor 172 and capacitor 174 mounted across the base of transistor 168. When audio signals reappear

  across resistor 126, the whole of the

  quence of excitation and de-excitation of recbmmence lamps.

Claims (13)

  1. Toy figurine comprising a head (16) with a facial feature (36), characterized in that it comprises   a lighting means (70, 72, 74) mounted in the headstock   laugh the facial feature; and means (Figure 7) of exci-   tation and de-excitation of the lighting means.   2. Toy figurine according to claim 1, character-   laughed at in that it includes an overall covering   opaque (14, 16) covering the lighting means and which   comes translucent when the lighting means are excited.   3. Toy figurine according to claim 1, character-   laughed at in that it comprises means (172, 174) making the lighting means gradually go out when the excitation and de-excitation means cease to excite the lighting means.   4. Toy figurine according to claim 1, character-   laughed at in that the facial feature is a mouth (36) and   in that the means of excitation and de-excitation provo-   quent a simulated animation of the mouth.   5. Toy figurine according to claim 4, character-   laughed at in that it comprises an audio means (24) generating   sounds and in that the means of excitation and de-excitation   tation cooperate with the audio means (24) to cause a simulated animation of the mouth (36) in synchronism with the sounds.   6. Toy figurine according to claim 5, character-   that the audio means (24) generates sounds by   segments of variable length separated by example sections   sound and in that there is provided a means of setting the   stop capable of stopping the audio means (24) when it detects the absence of sound coming from this means (24) and a means   of restarting ensuring the restarting of the means dio (24).   7. Toy figurine according to claim 4, character-   in that the lighting means comprises a first lamp (70) mounted inside a first conduit (60)   which is appreciably opaque subject to a transparent mask   parent reproducing a closed mouth located at one end of the duct, in that the lighting means comprising a   second lamp (72), the second lamp being mounted inside   laughing of a second conduit (62) which is substantially opaque subject to a transparent mask (52), reproducing the upper lip separated from an open mouth, located at one end of the second conduit, in that the means of lighting comprises a third lamp (74) and in that the third lamp is mounted in a conduit (64) which is substantially   opaque subject to a mask, reproducing the lower lip   separated from an open mouth, located at one end from the third conduit.   8. Toy figurine according to claim 7, character-   in that the excitation and de-excitation means excite the first lamp (70) by de-energizing the second and third lamps (72, 74), then de-energize the first lamp (70) by exciting the second and third lamp (72, 74).   9. Toy figurine according to claim 8, character-   laughed at in that it comprises: an audio means (24) generating   sounds and in that the means of excitation and de-excitation   further cooperating with the audio means (24) to excite   ter the first lamp (70) by de-energizing the second and third lamps (72, 74), then de-energizing the first lamp (70) by energizing the second and third lamps (72, 74)   in response to modulation signals from the means dio (24).   10. Toy figurine according to claim 7, character-   laughed at in that it comprises: two ocular lenses trans-   parent (34) and fourth and fifth lamps (44) and in that each of the fourth and fifth lamps (44) is placed behind a respective ocular lens (34) and is in optical communication with it.   11. Toy figurine according to claim 10, charac-   terized in that it comprises: an audio means (24) generates   drant sounds, in that the means of excitation and de-   sexcitation cooperate with the audio means (24) to excite the fourth and fifth lamps (44) for a determined period of time in response to an initial signal from the audio means (24) and in that the excitation and de-excitation means further cooperate with the audio means (24) to energize the first lamp (70) by de-energizing the second and third lamps (72, 74), then de-energize the first lamp (70) by energizing the second and third lamps (72, 74) in response to modulation signals from the audio means (24).   12. Toy figurine according to claim 11, charac-   terrified in that the means of excitation and de-excitation   maintain, when signals cease to originate from the   audio yen (24), excitation of the first lamp (70) and the fourth and fifth lamps (44) for a period of fixed time.   13. Toy figurine according to claim 4, charac-   terized in that it also includes lighting means (44) located behind transparent ocular lenses   (34) and in optical communication with them.