GB2231810A - Dolls - Google Patents

Abstract

A doll has an enlarged buttocks region simulating the wearing of nappies and is very flexible about the waist region, being capable of being bent about the waist with the head against the front of the legs. Such a doll can be packed in a package with the doll folded about the waist with the head against the front of the legs, the package having a transparent region in the front through which the back of the doll's legs and the rear of the doll's buttocks are visible, and in which the doll's head and feet are downwardly positioned in the box with the buttocks uppermost. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN TOY DOLLS This invention relates to toy dolls.

Dolls come in many shapes and sizes, but it is an object of the present invention to provide a doll which can be packaged in a unique manner to give an amusing and distinctive appearance.

According to the invention there is provided a doll in a package in which the doll is folded about the waist with the head against the front of the legs, the doll having an enlarged buttocks region simulating the wearing of nappies, the package having a transparent region in the front through which the back of the doll's legs and the rear of the doll's buttocks are visible, and in which the dolls head and feet are downwardly positioned in the box with the buttocks uppermost.

The invention also extends to the doll itself which is capable of being folded in this manner. To achieve this the doll must be very flexible about the waist region relative the rest of the body and for most dolls it is simply not possible to fold them about the waist so as to give a relatively flat compact folded doll where the head and chest rest against the front of the legs.

It is preferred that a doll according to the invention be of the type having a fabric body filled with some suitable form of padding and that the head, arms and legs be made of plastics mouldings individually joined to the fabric body. Dolls made in this way with a fabric body and plastics extremeties are well-known but it is not known to make them with an extreme degree of flexibility about the waist and to provide an enlargement in the buttocks region which simulates a pair of nappies worn by a doll.

An additional advantage of a doll made according to the invention is that it is capable of adopting a sitting position with an approximate 900 fold about the waist and with the legs sticking out forwardly.

The box for the doll is preferably of the type used for disposable nappies or diapers as they are sometimes called. Accordingly the box is preferably of rectangular parallelopiped shape. In addition upstanding from it's top surface it preferably has integrally formed handles by means of which the boxed doll can be picked up and carried.

With a boxed doll according to the invention, one can, therefore, have the amusing combination of using a box whose outer appearance will be recognised by parents and children to be a box similar to the type of packaging for disposable nappies whilst a prominent part of the doll which is visible through the transparent opening in the front of the box will be the doll's buttocks and, with the doll apparently wearing nappies because of the enlarged buttocks region, this forms an amusing combination with the packaging.

An example of a doll and it's packaging according to the invention will now be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from the front of a doll and package according to the invention; Figure 1A is a section taken on the line lA-lA of Figure 1; Figure 2 is a front view of the doll separated from the package; Figure 3 is a side view of the doll in an unfolded position; and Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

The combined doll and package 10 shown in Figure 1 includes a doll 12 which is packaged within a cardboard carton or box 14. This is in the form of a rectangular parallelopiped shape and has a rectangular front 16, an upright left side 19 (Figure 1A), an upright right side not shown, a top 18, a rear 21 (Figure 1A), and an underneath not shown. Upstanding from the centre of the top 18 is a handle 20 integrally formed with the material of the carton 14, the handle 20 extending through a slot 18a formed in the top 18. The construction and folding of the carton is largely conventional and is not felt to need further description. The top 18 is in the form of a hinged lid joined to the rear and, as best shown in Figure 1A, it has a front downwardly extending flap 18b which tucks in behind the front 16.The right and left-hand upright sides each have integral flaps 22 which include portion shaped to form the handle 20 and these are bent up and extend through the slot 18a in the lid 18.

The doll 12 has a head 30, a body 31, legs 34 and arms 36. The head, legs and arms have been moulded from synthetic plastics material. The arms have integral hands and the legs have integrally formed feet whilst the head is provided with appropriate facial features and curly hair 40. The head, arms and legs are joined to the body 32 which is made of fabric material. The manner of joining is conventional and is shown in detail, for example, in the join between the body and a leg, shown in Figure 4. Near the top edge of the leg and around the outside of it is a circular recess 42. The lower end of the fabric of the body 32 is looped around a length of string or other type of tie 44 and held in place by a line of stitching 46.The upper end of the leg 34 is placed within the hole formed for it in the fabric material of the body 34 and the length of string 44 tightened to trap the leg and attach it to the body. This type of construction is entirely conventional and in a similar manner the other leg 34, the arms 36 and the head 30 are attached to the fabric body 32.

In order to shape the fabric body 32 it is filled with a suitable safe filler material such as cellulose padding. The body is, therefore, highly flexible and the doll can bend about the body very easily.

The body 32 is in the form of an upper chest portion 50 and a lower buttocks portion 52. The buttocks portion is substantially enlarged as compared with a conventionally shaped human body to give a relatively enlarged portion extending outwardly at the rear. This simulates the wearing of a pair of nappies by the doll 12.

It also has the effect of stiffening the buttocks portion 52 relative the chest portion 50. Additionally the enlarged buttocks provides a base on which the doll can sit in an upright position with the feet forwardly in the position shown in broken lines for the legs in Figure 3. Further the padding and relative shapes of the chest portion 50 and buttocks portion 52 are such that at a waist 56 joining the two portions the doll is capable of bending flat so that the head 30 will rest flush onto the legs 34, the generous size of the buttocks portion 52 allowing this bending to occur without tightening and stretching of the fabric of the body 32. The doll 12 can, therefore, fold very flat in comparison with a normal doll and can be arranged so that it's the head 30 abuts the legs 34 and it is in this folded condition which is shown in Figure 2 that the doll is placed in the carton 14.

In the front 16 of the carton is provided a window 60 covered with a transparent material. The doll is positioned in the carton with the head against the rear and the legs and rear of the buttocks against the front.

Therefore, one can see the doll through the window 60 and in particular sees the legs and the buttocks 52 very clearly with a portion of the head visible between the slightly spaced legs 34.

Claims (9)

1. A doll in a package in which the doll is folded about the waist with the head against the front of the legs, the doll having an enlarged buttocks region simulating the wearing of nappies, the package having a transparent region in the front through which the back of the doll's legs and the rear of the doll's buttocks are visible, and in which the doll's head and feet are downwardly positioned in the box with the buttocks uppermost.

2. A doll in a package as claimed in Claim 1 in which the doll is very flexible about the waist region relative the rest of the body.

3. A doll in a package as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the doll has a fabric body filled with padding and the head, arms and legs are plastics mouldings individually joined to the fabric body.

4. A doll in a package as claimed in any preceding claim in which the package is of a type simulating boxes used for disposable nappies or diapers.

5. A doll in a package as claimed in Claim 4 in which the package is of rectangular parallelopiped shape and upstanding from it's top surface it has integrally formed handles by means of which the boxed doll can be picked up and carried.

6. A doll in a package substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A doll which has an enlarged buttocks region simulating the wearing of nappies, the doll being very flexible about the waist region and being capable of being bent about the waist with the head against the front of the legs.

8. A doll as claimed in Claim 7 in which a doll in a package as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the doll has a fabric body filled with padding and the head, arms and legs are plastics mouldings individually joined to the fabric body.

9. A doll substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.