US20040105718A1 - Mannequin joints - Google Patents
Mannequin joints Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20040105718A1 US20040105718A1 US10/681,042 US68104203A US2004105718A1 US 20040105718 A1 US20040105718 A1 US 20040105718A1 US 68104203 A US68104203 A US 68104203A US 2004105718 A1 US2004105718 A1 US 2004105718A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- tab
- limb member
- limb
- joint structure
- slit
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F8/00—Dummies, busts or the like, e.g. for displaying garments
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- F16C11/00—Pivots; Pivotal connections
- F16C11/04—Pivotal connections
- F16C11/10—Arrangements for locking
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- F16C11/00—Pivots; Pivotal connections
- F16C11/04—Pivotal connections
- F16C11/10—Arrangements for locking
- F16C11/103—Arrangements for locking frictionally clamped
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T403/00—Joints and connections
- Y10T403/32—Articulated members
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T403/00—Joints and connections
- Y10T403/32—Articulated members
- Y10T403/32008—Plural distinct articulation axes
- Y10T403/32057—Angular and linear
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T403/00—Joints and connections
- Y10T403/32—Articulated members
- Y10T403/32254—Lockable at fixed position
- Y10T403/32262—At selected angle
- Y10T403/32319—At selected angle including pivot stud
- Y10T403/32327—At selected angle including pivot stud including radially spaced detent or latch component
- Y10T403/32336—Engaging notch or recess in outer periphery of component
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T403/00—Joints and connections
- Y10T403/32—Articulated members
- Y10T403/32606—Pivoted
- Y10T403/32861—T-pivot, e.g., wrist pin, etc.
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T403/00—Joints and connections
- Y10T403/32—Articulated members
- Y10T403/32606—Pivoted
- Y10T403/32861—T-pivot, e.g., wrist pin, etc.
- Y10T403/32877—Pin is integral with or secured to inner member
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T403/00—Joints and connections
- Y10T403/32—Articulated members
- Y10T403/32606—Pivoted
- Y10T403/32861—T-pivot, e.g., wrist pin, etc.
- Y10T403/32893—T-pivot, e.g., wrist pin, etc. including distinct pin retainer
Definitions
- Forms or mannequins that are models of the human body are well known in the art and are used to display clothing and other merchandise. Such forms and mannequins are often complete or partial human bodies and often are of life-sized proportions. “Forms” typically refers to human shapes with or without heads, and without appendages or limbs. “Mannequins” typically refers to human shapes with or without heads, and with some or all appendages. The terms “form” and “mannequin” are used interchangeably herein, and each term incorporates the other. It is desirable that limbs can be placed in natural poses.
- Examples of mannequin joint structures in the prior art include those described in Ikeda (U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,086); Day (U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,213); Schoenhut (U.S. Pat. No. 982,096); Abbat (U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,873); Stringer (U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,762); Pansiera (U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,643); Kotlarsky and Gelman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,188); Bruce (U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,804); Strover and Strover (U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,790); Luke (U.S.
- a typical joint structure for mannequins uses a ball and socket connection means wherein a ball portion formed on a first limb member fits in and moves against the interior surface of a socket portion formed on a second limb member.
- the ball and socket are held in contact with each other by a locking mechanism, or fastener. Fastening the ball and socket together results in friction between the exterior ball surface and the interior socket surface. This friction allows the limbs to be placed and held in multiple positions.
- One common type of fastener for a ball and socket joint is an eyehook-spring fixture where the spring and the eyehook are located on opposite sides of a bolt.
- the eyehook passes through a slot on the ball and is looped around a pivot-pin that is screwed into the center portion of the ball perpendicular to the long axis of the limb.
- the spring is threaded onto a rod that is located in the limb above the socket. Threading the spring onto the rod forces the ball and socket together, creating the friction used to position the limbs.
- This type of fastener also results in the appearance of a gap on the ball portion of the joint at the slot and also permits movement of the limb having the ball portion to pivot, relative to the limb with the socket, by allowing the bolt to move through the slot.
- the joint of this invention defines an improvement over the prior art in that the disclosed joint eliminates the unnatural gap on the ball section of the limb. Further, novel fastening means simplifies production and assembly of joint structures and the assembly of mannequins and forms.
- this invention provides a mannequin having removable, positionable limb members attached thereto comprising a joint to join two of the limb members together.
- the joints of this invention comprise one or more assembly fixtures, located within or on a limb member to be joined, that contain elements for joining limb members.
- the assembly fixtures may contain elements of a locking mechanism, or fastener, and may contain other elements for joining members or creating friction or tension between limb members to bejoined.
- a socket assembly fixture is positioned fixedly in the socket portion of a first member to be joined and comprises a chamber containing a tension-producing member and one half of a locking mechanism.
- a ball assembly fixture is positioned in the ball portion of a second member to be joined to said first member and comprises a second half of a locking mechanism, and means for attaching the second half of the locking mechanism to the ball portion of the second member to be joined.
- a joint structure is formed when two attachable limb members are joined together using one or more assembly fixtures.
- This invention also provides methods for assembling the different embodiments of the joints and mannequins of this invention.
- FIGS. 1 A-B show a mannequin of the invention with movable, detachable limbs.
- FIG. 1A shows a front view.
- FIG. 1B shows a side view.
- FIGS. 2 A-C show a socket assembly fixture of this invention.
- FIG. 2A is an exploded view.
- FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the fixture in FIG. 2A through b-b.
- FIG. 2C shows a top view of a portion of the socket assembly fixture of FIG. 2A.
- FIGS. 3 A-C show a ball assembly fixture of this invention.
- FIG. 3A is a side view of the ball assembly fixture.
- FIG. 3B shows a pivot pin.
- FIG. 3C shows a side view of the ball assembly fixture of FIG. 3A together with a pivot pin.
- FIGS. 4 A-B show an exploded view of the joint structure of this invention, used to join an upper leg with a lower leg.
- FIG. 4A is a front view.
- FIG. 4B is a side view.
- FIGS. 5 A-B show another embodiment of the joint structure of this invention at the wrist joint.
- FIG. 5A is a top view cross-section.
- FIG. 5B is an exploded side view.
- FIGS. 6 A-B show another embodiment of the joint structure of this invention at the wrist joint.
- FIG. 6A is a top view cross-section.
- FIG. 6B is an exploded side view.
- FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the joint structure of this invention at the wrist joint.
- FIG. 7 is a top view cross-section.
- FIG. 8 shows an exploded view of the joint structure of FIG. 7.
- This invention describes novel joint structures for mannequins.
- a joint structure is formed when a socket assembly fixture and ball assembly fixture are joined together.
- a socket assembly fixture is positioned fixedly in the socket portion of a first member to be joined and is comprised of a chamber containing a tension-producing member and one half of a locking mechanism.
- the tension-producing member may be made of any reversibly compressible material such as a spring, an elastomer, rubber, foam, or any other reversibly compressible material known in the art.
- the tension-producing member is a spring.
- the locking mechanism can be a nut and bolt, a snap, a latch, dimples, a locking collar, or any other fastener or fastening means known in the art.
- the locking mechanism is a threaded nut.
- a ball assembly fixture is positioned in the ball portion of a second member to be joined to the first member and comprises a second half of a locking mechanism, and means for attaching the second half of the locking mechanism to the ball portion of the second member to be joined.
- the second half of the locking mechanism is an eyebolt and the preferred means for attaching the eyebolt to the second member to be joined is via attachment to a disc.
- the disc may be molded with a groove on one of its flat surfaces to fixedly accept the eye portion of said eyebolt such that the eyebolt is held substantially in place relative to the disc surface.
- the eyebolt may be fixed to the disc using any means known in the art, including mechanical means and the use of adhesives.
- the round disc is pivotally attached to the second member by any attachment means that allow the ball portion of the limb to pivot around the disc.
- attachment means are known in the art and include the use of a pivot pin and dimples.
- the attachment means is a pivot pin.
- a friction assembly fixture is recessed in the end of a first limb member to be joined, below the ball portion of the first limb member.
- a tab formed as part of, or attached to the socket surface of a second limb member is inserted into the first limb member to contact the friction assembly fixture.
- the tab is inserted into a slit formed in the first limb member.
- the first and second members may be held in pivotal contact using any attachment means known in the art, including a pivot pin passing through both members and dimples.
- a pivot pin is inserted through both fixtures, perpendicular to the limb axis, to hold the first and second limb members in contact.
- the friction assembly fixture comprises a chamber with one end open to the attaching end of the first member.
- This chamber contains a reversibly compressible material in its bottom and a bearing on top of the reversibly-compressible material.
- This reversibly-compressible material can include elastic materials such as rubber, elastomers, foam or other polymers, or may be a spring.
- the reversibly-compressible material is a spring.
- the spring is made of spring wire, also known as music wire or piano wire.
- the bearing may be made of any suitably rigid material, including plastics, metals, alloys, polymers, and the like.
- the bearing is made of plastic. More preferably the bearing is made of nylon.
- the tab may be fixedly attached to the second limb member.
- the tab to be received by the friction assembly fixture may be molded as an integral part of the second limb member to be joined or it may be attached to the limb member using any attachment means known in the art, including adhesives, latches, clamps, pegs, or screws.
- the tab is molded together with the second limb member to be joined.
- the tab may be pivotally attached to the second limb member to allow rotation of the second limb member with respect to the tab.
- the rotation axis of the second limb member is parallel to the long axis of the second limb member.
- the tab may be pivotally attached by any means known to the art, including a rod fitting into a socket. The rod can be attached to the second limb member and the socket formed in the tab.
- first and second limb members are held together with a pivot pin passing through the end of the first member and the tab of the second member to be joined such that the tab contacts the bearing in the socket assembly fixture enough to compress the reversibly compressible material.
- the resulting friction between the two limb members allows them to bend or to be moved relative to each other.
- one or more depressions such as recessed dimples, grooves, or pits, are present on the surface of the tab.
- the bearing engages in a recessed dimple or groove on the surface of the tab.
- This invention also provides for a mannequin having the joints of this invention.
- “Mannequin” refers to human shapes with or without heads, and with some or all appendages.
- the mannequins of this invention may have one or all of the joint structures described herein.
- FIG. 1A shows a front view of a mannequin or form of this invention with removable, freely movable, positionable, and adjustable limbs.
- FIG. 1B is a side view of FIG. 1A.
- FIG. 2A shows an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of socket assembly fixture 50 .
- Socket assembly fixture 50 is located within a first limb member to be joined and adjacent to the molded socket surface of the first limb member (see FIG. 4B).
- Socket assembly fixture 50 consists of chamber 60 defining cavity 63 .
- Cavity 63 may be any shape such as square, round, oval, triangular, and the like.
- Preferably chamber 60 is defined by four walls 68 and is square.
- Chamber 60 is attached by tack welding at the corners of chamber 60 , or by other means known in the art, to the flat surface of washer 62 , which is stamped with a recessed shape 61 (FIG. 2C) to match and receive one end of chamber 60 .
- Washer 62 also has an opening 65 (FIG. 2C) in its center that has a diameter smaller than the diameter of spring 70 (FIG. 2A) so as to retain spring 70 within chamber 60 .
- Spring 70 fits in chamber 60 in contact with washer 62 .
- Nut 72 having threads 71 is positioned on top of washer 62 in chamber 60 .
- Each wall 68 has a dimple 64 positioned on its surface such that the dimple is located above nut 72 .
- Optional cap 75 fits on top of chamber 60 such that it closes cavity 63 .
- FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the socket assembly fixture 50 in FIG. 2A, through the axis b-b as it appears after assembly.
- FIG. 3A shows a preferred embodiment of ball assembly fixture 55 in the ball portion of the limb members to be joined.
- Ball assembly fixture 55 consists of a disc 80 having surface 81 , a groove (not shown) molded in surface 81 , an edge surface 84 (FIG. 3 c ) and an opening 82 near the center of surface 81 .
- Ball assembly fixture 55 also consists of an eyebolt 74 having threads 76 and a looped portion 78 . The looped portion 78 of eyebolt 74 is positioned in the molded groove on surface 81 of disc 80 .
- FIG. 3B shows pivot pin 90 having a recessed middle portion 92 having a smaller diameter than the two outer portions 87 and 89 of pivot pin 90 .
- Disc 80 is rotatably mounted on pivot pin 90 with the recessed middle portion 92 of the pin engaged upon and secured within opening 82 of disc 80 .
- FIG. 3C a side view of FIG. 3A through c-c with pivot pin 90 .
- FIG. 4A is an exploded view of the knee joint 32 used to join upper leg 30 and lower leg 35 .
- Upper leg 30 has a socket 31 at its lower end with socket assembly fixture 50 recessed in the limb above the socket surface.
- Socket 31 has a hole 37 that is aligned with an opening 65 of washer 62 .
- Lower leg 35 has a slot 34 extending into lower leg 35 from the center of the ball surface 33 .
- Lower leg 35 also has a pin channel 36 that is perpendicular to and intersects with slot 34 .
- Pin channel 36 may pass completely through lower leg 35 or may begin on either the lateral or medial side of lower leg 35 and pass only partially through lower leg 35 .
- pin channel 36 begins on the medial side of lower leg 35 and does not pass completely through to the lateral side of lower leg 35 .
- lower leg 35 is free to rotate about the axis c-c defined by eyebolt 74 (FIG. 4B), and can also pivot about pivot pin 90 .
- disc 80 effectively fills the gap found in prior art joints in which a spring-topped eyebolt only (no disc) is used to pivotally attach a ball limb member to a socket limb member.
- the distance′f on disc 80 is ideally slightly smaller than the diameter ‘g’ of the ball portion of the limb (FIG. 4B). This allows the ball surface 33 to fully contact the socket surface 31 , which in turn results in greater friction between the two limb members than if only the disc edge surface 84 (FIG. 3C) contacted the socket surface.
- the difference between distances f and g is between 0.100 and 0.010 inches. More preferably, the difference is between 0.060 and 0.020 inches. Most preferably, the difference is 0.040 inches.
- FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a top view cross-section and a side view, respectively, of wrist joint 23 between lower arm 20 and hand 25 .
- lower arm 20 provides the ball portion 102 of the ball and socket connection means and hand 25 provides the socket portion 103 of the ball and socket connection means.
- FIG. 5A shows an embodiment where tab 100 is fixedly attached to a hand.
- lower arm 20 has a chamber 94 extending into the center of lower arm 20 below the slit 104 of the ball portion 102 .
- Chamber 94 contains a friction-producing assembly fixture 105 , said friction-producing assembly fixture consisting of a spring 96 and a bearing 98 positioned on top of spring 96 .
- Ball portion 102 of lower arm 20 also has a cavity 97 that is perpendicular to the long axis of chamber 94 .
- Hand 25 has tab 100 fixedly attached to the interior surface of its socket portion 103 .
- Tab 100 also has a center hole 95 (FIG. 5B, pin 91 not shown in FIG. 5B).
- tab 100 has one or more surface depressions, shown as dimples 101 in FIGS. 6A and 6B.
- tab 100 is inserted into slit 104 such that center hole 95 lines up with cavity 97 .
- wrist pin 91 is inserted into cavity 97 and through center hole 95 to secure hand 25 to lower arm 20 .
- Wrist pin 91 pivotally attaches the tab to the lower arm so that the tab can rotate about an axis parallel to the thickness of the tab.
- the wrist pin 91 extends through the tab and at least partly through the first limb member. Pin 91 may or may not extend completely through the first limb member.
- tab 100 is thus secured in slit 104 , its lower surface 93 contacts bearing 98 .
- the resulting tension in spring 96 causes the bearing 98 to push up against the lower surface 93 of tab 100 .
- This pressure causes friction between tab 100 and wrist pin 91 that allows the limbs to be placed in a variety of positions.
- bearing 98 registers with the optional tab surface depressions, shown as dimples 101 in FIGS. 6 A- 6 B (pin 91 not shown in FIG. 6B), to afford additional control over limb position.
- tab 100 also effectively fills the joint gap found in prior art joints. In different embodiments, the tab fills greater than or equal to about 80%, or about 85%, or about 90%, or about 95% of the width of the joint gap.
- tab 100 is pivotally attached to the second limb member to allow rotation of the second limb member with respect to the tab and to the first limb member.
- pivotal attachment of the hand to the tab allows rotation of the hand with respect to the tab, with the axis of rotation being parallel to the long axis of the hand.
- pivotal attachment of the hand to the tab also allows rotation of the hand with respect to the lower arm.
- the joint between the first and second limb member cannot be readily disassembled.
- the hand cannot be readily removed. This prevents loss of the hand from the mannequin.
- FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a top view cross-section and an exploded view, respectively, of wrist joint 23 between lower arm 20 and hand 25 in which tab 100 is pivotally attached to hand 25 .
- the tab 100 is attached to hand 25 by a rod assembly.
- the rod assembly comprises a rod 200 and socket 210 .
- the rod assembly is connected to tab 100 by rod 200 that fits into socket 210 in tab 100 (FIG. 8).
- rod 200 may be threaded and have head 205 .
- Rod 200 may be a headed screw. If rod 200 is threaded, socket 210 can be correspondingly threaded to receive rod 200 .
- Socket 210 may comprise a metal insert in tab 100 .
- the rod and socket may also be affixed to one another so that no rotation of the rod within the socket occurs after the joint is assembled (e.g. by gluing the rod within the socket or otherwise locking it in place).
- the rod assembly is also connected to hand 25 .
- the rod assembly may comprise threaded bushing 250 which is adapted to receive threaded rod 200 .
- bushing 250 may be threaded both internally and externally.
- Bushing 250 may be attached to the second limb member (the hand in FIGS. 7 and 8) by inserting the bushing into a threaded portion of cavity 270 formed in the second limb member, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
- the bushing is typically affixed to the hand so that the bushing does not rotate within the cavity after assembly of the joint.
- FIGS. 7 and 8 The joint in FIGS. 7 and 8 is assembled by inserting the head end of rod 200 in cavity 270 , inserting bushing 250 into cavity 270 , and then inserting rod 200 into socket 210 of tab 100 .
- Tab 100 is inserted into slit 104 such that center hole 95 lines up with cavity 97 .
- wrist pin 91 is inserted into cavity 97 and through center hole 95 to secure hand 25 to lower arm 20 .
- Wrist pin 91 pivotally attaches the tab to the lower arm so that the tab can rotate about an axis parallel to the thickness of the tab. Further, when tab 100 is thus secured in slit 104 , its lower surface 93 contacts bearing 98 .
- tab 100 also effectively fills the joint gap found in prior art joints. In different embodiments, the tab fills greater than or equal to about 80%, or about 85%, or about 90% or about 95% of the width of the joint gap.
- the joint shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 can be operated by fixing rod 200 within socket 210 so that the rod does not rotate within the socket.
- the hand 25 can then be rotated with respect to the tab 100 by movement of bushing 250 along rod 200 .
- Travel of the bushing along the rod is limited by contact between head 205 and bushing 250 .
- This contact in combination with the fixing of rod 200 within socket 210 and the fixing of bushing 250 to hand 25 , prevents easy removal of hand 25 once the joint is assembled. Travel of the bushing along the rod may also be limited by contact between head 205 and cavity 270 or contact between the ball 102 and socket 103 portions of the first and second limb.
- the joint is designed so that rotation of the hand is limited to one and a half turns.
- the rod 200 can be affixed to hand 25 and the rod and socket designed to prevent easy removal of the rod from the socket after assembly of the joint.
- rod 200 may have a head 205 placed within an enlarged portion of socket 210 or a c-ring may be inserted into the tab to prevent easy removal of rod 200 .
- limb member refers to any movable member of a form and includes but is not limited to: head, neck, torso, upper and lower arms, hands, fingers (including all digits), upper and lower legs, feet, and toes (including all digits).
- joint refers to all the joints that commonly connect limb members and allow their relative movement and includes neck, shoulder, wrist, hip, knee, torso, ankle, and fingers and toes.
- medial refers to positions towards the center, or mid-line of the body, while the term “lateral” refers to positions towards the side of the body, opposite the medial position.
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Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/961,792, filed Sep. 24, 2001, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety to the extent not inconsistent with the disclosure herein.
- Forms or mannequins that are models of the human body are well known in the art and are used to display clothing and other merchandise. Such forms and mannequins are often complete or partial human bodies and often are of life-sized proportions. “Forms” typically refers to human shapes with or without heads, and without appendages or limbs. “Mannequins” typically refers to human shapes with or without heads, and with some or all appendages. The terms “form” and “mannequin” are used interchangeably herein, and each term incorporates the other. It is desirable that limbs can be placed in natural poses.
- Examples of mannequin joint structures in the prior art include those described in Ikeda (U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,086); Day (U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,213); Schoenhut (U.S. Pat. No. 982,096); Abbat (U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,873); Stringer (U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,762); Pansiera (U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,643); Kotlarsky and Gelman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,188); Bruce (U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,804); Strover and Strover (U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,790); Luke (U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,518); Miller (U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,844); Fogarty et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,276); Unalp and Kelley (U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,469); Glovier (U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,471); Toy (U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,514); Wiley et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,977); Jiang (U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,779); Neuschatz (U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,782); Breiden (U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,800); De Porteous (U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,960); Richards (U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,692); and Richards (U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,765).
- A typical joint structure for mannequins uses a ball and socket connection means wherein a ball portion formed on a first limb member fits in and moves against the interior surface of a socket portion formed on a second limb member. The ball and socket are held in contact with each other by a locking mechanism, or fastener. Fastening the ball and socket together results in friction between the exterior ball surface and the interior socket surface. This friction allows the limbs to be placed and held in multiple positions.
- One common type of fastener for a ball and socket joint is an eyehook-spring fixture where the spring and the eyehook are located on opposite sides of a bolt. The eyehook passes through a slot on the ball and is looped around a pivot-pin that is screwed into the center portion of the ball perpendicular to the long axis of the limb. The spring is threaded onto a rod that is located in the limb above the socket. Threading the spring onto the rod forces the ball and socket together, creating the friction used to position the limbs. The use of this type of fastener also results in the appearance of a gap on the ball portion of the joint at the slot and also permits movement of the limb having the ball portion to pivot, relative to the limb with the socket, by allowing the bolt to move through the slot.
- Drawbacks of these types of prior art joints include:
- 1. The entire limb is assembled in one step, which can be awkward.
- 2. An unnatural looking slot, or gap, on the ball section of these joints.
- 3. Poor anatomical shape of the limb.
- The joint of this invention defines an improvement over the prior art in that the disclosed joint eliminates the unnatural gap on the ball section of the limb. Further, novel fastening means simplifies production and assembly of joint structures and the assembly of mannequins and forms.
- In its most general form, this invention provides a mannequin having removable, positionable limb members attached thereto comprising a joint to join two of the limb members together. The joints of this invention comprise one or more assembly fixtures, located within or on a limb member to be joined, that contain elements for joining limb members. The assembly fixtures may contain elements of a locking mechanism, or fastener, and may contain other elements for joining members or creating friction or tension between limb members to bejoined. For example, a socket assembly fixture is positioned fixedly in the socket portion of a first member to be joined and comprises a chamber containing a tension-producing member and one half of a locking mechanism. A ball assembly fixture is positioned in the ball portion of a second member to be joined to said first member and comprises a second half of a locking mechanism, and means for attaching the second half of the locking mechanism to the ball portion of the second member to be joined. A joint structure is formed when two attachable limb members are joined together using one or more assembly fixtures.
- This invention also provides methods for assembling the different embodiments of the joints and mannequins of this invention.
- FIGS.1A-B show a mannequin of the invention with movable, detachable limbs. FIG. 1A shows a front view. FIG. 1B shows a side view.
- FIGS.2A-C show a socket assembly fixture of this invention. FIG. 2A is an exploded view. FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the fixture in FIG. 2A through b-b. FIG. 2C shows a top view of a portion of the socket assembly fixture of FIG. 2A.
- FIGS.3A-C show a ball assembly fixture of this invention. FIG. 3A is a side view of the ball assembly fixture. FIG. 3B shows a pivot pin. FIG. 3C shows a side view of the ball assembly fixture of FIG. 3A together with a pivot pin.
- FIGS.4A-B show an exploded view of the joint structure of this invention, used to join an upper leg with a lower leg. FIG. 4A is a front view. FIG. 4B is a side view.
- FIGS.5A-B show another embodiment of the joint structure of this invention at the wrist joint. FIG. 5A is a top view cross-section. FIG. 5B is an exploded side view.
- FIGS.6A-B show another embodiment of the joint structure of this invention at the wrist joint. FIG. 6A is a top view cross-section. FIG. 6B is an exploded side view.
- FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the joint structure of this invention at the wrist joint. FIG. 7 is a top view cross-section.
- FIG. 8 shows an exploded view of the joint structure of FIG. 7.
- This invention describes novel joint structures for mannequins. In one embodiment of this invention, a joint structure is formed when a socket assembly fixture and ball assembly fixture are joined together.
- For example, a socket assembly fixture is positioned fixedly in the socket portion of a first member to be joined and is comprised of a chamber containing a tension-producing member and one half of a locking mechanism. The tension-producing member may be made of any reversibly compressible material such as a spring, an elastomer, rubber, foam, or any other reversibly compressible material known in the art. Preferably, the tension-producing member is a spring. The locking mechanism can be a nut and bolt, a snap, a latch, dimples, a locking collar, or any other fastener or fastening means known in the art. Preferably, the locking mechanism is a threaded nut.
- A ball assembly fixture is positioned in the ball portion of a second member to be joined to the first member and comprises a second half of a locking mechanism, and means for attaching the second half of the locking mechanism to the ball portion of the second member to be joined. Preferably, the second half of the locking mechanism is an eyebolt and the preferred means for attaching the eyebolt to the second member to be joined is via attachment to a disc. The disc may be molded with a groove on one of its flat surfaces to fixedly accept the eye portion of said eyebolt such that the eyebolt is held substantially in place relative to the disc surface. Alternatively, the eyebolt may be fixed to the disc using any means known in the art, including mechanical means and the use of adhesives.
- The round disc is pivotally attached to the second member by any attachment means that allow the ball portion of the limb to pivot around the disc. Such attachment means are known in the art and include the use of a pivot pin and dimples. In a preferred embodiment, the attachment means is a pivot pin.
- In another embodiment of this invention, a friction assembly fixture is recessed in the end of a first limb member to be joined, below the ball portion of the first limb member. A tab formed as part of, or attached to the socket surface of a second limb member, is inserted into the first limb member to contact the friction assembly fixture. Preferably, the tab is inserted into a slit formed in the first limb member. The first and second members may be held in pivotal contact using any attachment means known in the art, including a pivot pin passing through both members and dimples. Preferably, a pivot pin is inserted through both fixtures, perpendicular to the limb axis, to hold the first and second limb members in contact.
- The friction assembly fixture comprises a chamber with one end open to the attaching end of the first member. This chamber contains a reversibly compressible material in its bottom and a bearing on top of the reversibly-compressible material. This reversibly-compressible material can include elastic materials such as rubber, elastomers, foam or other polymers, or may be a spring. Preferably the reversibly-compressible material is a spring. Also preferably, the spring is made of spring wire, also known as music wire or piano wire. The bearing may be made of any suitably rigid material, including plastics, metals, alloys, polymers, and the like. Preferably the bearing is made of plastic. More preferably the bearing is made of nylon.
- The tab may be fixedly attached to the second limb member. The tab to be received by the friction assembly fixture may be molded as an integral part of the second limb member to be joined or it may be attached to the limb member using any attachment means known in the art, including adhesives, latches, clamps, pegs, or screws. Preferably, the tab is molded together with the second limb member to be joined.
- Alternatively, the tab may be pivotally attached to the second limb member to allow rotation of the second limb member with respect to the tab. The rotation axis of the second limb member is parallel to the long axis of the second limb member. The tab may be pivotally attached by any means known to the art, including a rod fitting into a socket. The rod can be attached to the second limb member and the socket formed in the tab.
- In a preferred embodiment the first and second limb members are held together with a pivot pin passing through the end of the first member and the tab of the second member to be joined such that the tab contacts the bearing in the socket assembly fixture enough to compress the reversibly compressible material. The resulting friction between the two limb members allows them to bend or to be moved relative to each other.
- Optionally, one or more depressions, such as recessed dimples, grooves, or pits, are present on the surface of the tab. As the tab contacts the bearing in the socket, the bearing engages in a recessed dimple or groove on the surface of the tab. By slidably positioning the tab relative to the bearing to engage different recessed dimples or grooves, the limbs are held in one or more positions.
- This invention also provides for a mannequin having the joints of this invention. “Mannequin” refers to human shapes with or without heads, and with some or all appendages. The mannequins of this invention may have one or all of the joint structures described herein. FIG. 1A shows a front view of a mannequin or form of this invention with removable, freely movable, positionable, and adjustable limbs. Joint structures are present between the
torso 10 and theupper arms 15 at theshoulder joint 12, between theupper arms 15 and thelower arms 20 at the elbow joint 18, between thelower arms 20 and thehands 25 at the wrist joint 23, between thetorso 10 and theupper legs 30 at thehip joint 22, between theupper legs 30 and thelower legs 35 at the knee joint 32, and between thelower leg 35 and thefeet 40 at the ankle joint 38. FIG. 1B is a side view of FIG. 1A. - FIG. 2A shows an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of
socket assembly fixture 50.Socket assembly fixture 50 is located within a first limb member to be joined and adjacent to the molded socket surface of the first limb member (see FIG. 4B).Socket assembly fixture 50 consists ofchamber 60 definingcavity 63.Cavity 63 may be any shape such as square, round, oval, triangular, and the like. Preferablychamber 60 is defined by fourwalls 68 and is square.Chamber 60 is attached by tack welding at the corners ofchamber 60, or by other means known in the art, to the flat surface ofwasher 62, which is stamped with a recessed shape 61 (FIG. 2C) to match and receive one end ofchamber 60.Washer 62 also has an opening 65 (FIG. 2C) in its center that has a diameter smaller than the diameter of spring 70 (FIG. 2A) so as to retainspring 70 withinchamber 60.Spring 70 fits inchamber 60 in contact withwasher 62.Nut 72, havingthreads 71 is positioned on top ofwasher 62 inchamber 60. Eachwall 68 has adimple 64 positioned on its surface such that the dimple is located abovenut 72.Optional cap 75 fits on top ofchamber 60 such that it closescavity 63. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of thesocket assembly fixture 50 in FIG. 2A, through the axis b-b as it appears after assembly. - FIG. 3A shows a preferred embodiment of
ball assembly fixture 55 in the ball portion of the limb members to be joined.Ball assembly fixture 55 consists of adisc 80 havingsurface 81, a groove (not shown) molded insurface 81, an edge surface 84 (FIG. 3c) and anopening 82 near the center ofsurface 81.Ball assembly fixture 55 also consists of aneyebolt 74 havingthreads 76 and a loopedportion 78. The loopedportion 78 ofeyebolt 74 is positioned in the molded groove onsurface 81 ofdisc 80. - FIG. 3B shows
pivot pin 90 having a recessedmiddle portion 92 having a smaller diameter than the twoouter portions pivot pin 90.Disc 80 is rotatably mounted onpivot pin 90 with the recessedmiddle portion 92 of the pin engaged upon and secured within opening 82 ofdisc 80. This is shown in FIG. 3C, a side view of FIG. 3A through c-c withpivot pin 90. - FIG. 4A is an exploded view of the knee joint32 used to join
upper leg 30 andlower leg 35.Upper leg 30 has asocket 31 at its lower end withsocket assembly fixture 50 recessed in the limb above the socket surface.Socket 31 has ahole 37 that is aligned with anopening 65 ofwasher 62.Lower leg 35 has aslot 34 extending intolower leg 35 from the center of theball surface 33.Lower leg 35 also has apin channel 36 that is perpendicular to and intersects withslot 34.Pin channel 36 may pass completely throughlower leg 35 or may begin on either the lateral or medial side oflower leg 35 and pass only partially throughlower leg 35. Preferably,pin channel 36 begins on the medial side oflower leg 35 and does not pass completely through to the lateral side oflower leg 35. - There are at least two methods of assembling the fastener to join the two limbs. In a first method for joining
upper leg 30 andlower leg 35, the threadedportion 76 of eyebolt 74 (fixedly attached to disc 80) is inserted intosocket hole 37 ofupper leg 30 andopening 65 ofwasher 62 and passes throughspring 70.Dimples 64 and/orcap 75retain nut 72 withinchamber 60. Theeyebolt threads 76 are coupled withthreads 71 of the nut 72 (FIG. 2A) ofsocket assembly fixture 50. Joining these threads together pullsnut 72 towards thesocket 31 and puts tension onspring 70. Next, thedisc 80 ofball fixture assembly 55 is inserted intoslot 34 oflower leg 35 so thatdisc opening 82 is aligned withpin channel 36 on lower leg 35 (FIG. 2a). Finally,pivot pin 90 is inserted intopin channel 36 onlower leg 35 so that recessedportion 92 of thepivot pin 90 is located within and engages with opening 82 in thedisc 80. Thus engaged,pivot pin 90 is securely centered indisc 80. Alternatively,lower leg 35 andball fixture assembly 55 can be assembled as above prior to joiningsocket assembly fixture 50 withball assembly fixture 55. - Once
upper leg 30 is joined tolower leg 35,lower leg 35 is free to rotate about the axis c-c defined by eyebolt 74 (FIG. 4B), and can also pivot aboutpivot pin 90. Also,disc 80 effectively fills the gap found in prior art joints in which a spring-topped eyebolt only (no disc) is used to pivotally attach a ball limb member to a socket limb member. Furthermore, the distance′f ondisc 80 is ideally slightly smaller than the diameter ‘g’ of the ball portion of the limb (FIG. 4B). This allows theball surface 33 to fully contact thesocket surface 31, which in turn results in greater friction between the two limb members than if only the disc edge surface 84 (FIG. 3C) contacted the socket surface. This allows the limbs to be more easily held in a variety of positions. Preferably, the difference between distances f and g is between 0.100 and 0.010 inches. More preferably, the difference is between 0.060 and 0.020 inches. Most preferably, the difference is 0.040 inches. - Another embodiment of this invention is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, which illustrate a top view cross-section and a side view, respectively, of wrist joint23 between
lower arm 20 andhand 25. In this embodiment,lower arm 20 provides theball portion 102 of the ball and socket connection means andhand 25 provides thesocket portion 103 of the ball and socket connection means. - FIG. 5A shows an embodiment where
tab 100 is fixedly attached to a hand. Referring to FIG. 5A,lower arm 20 has achamber 94 extending into the center oflower arm 20 below theslit 104 of theball portion 102.Chamber 94 contains a friction-producingassembly fixture 105, said friction-producing assembly fixture consisting of aspring 96 and abearing 98 positioned on top ofspring 96.Ball portion 102 oflower arm 20 also has acavity 97 that is perpendicular to the long axis ofchamber 94.Hand 25 hastab 100 fixedly attached to the interior surface of itssocket portion 103.Tab 100 also has a center hole 95 (FIG. 5B, pin 91 not shown in FIG. 5B).Optionally tab 100 has one or more surface depressions, shown asdimples 101 in FIGS. 6A and 6B. - To assemble the wrist joint,
tab 100 is inserted intoslit 104 such thatcenter hole 95 lines up withcavity 97. Withcenter hole 95 andcavity 97 aligned,wrist pin 91 is inserted intocavity 97 and throughcenter hole 95 to securehand 25 tolower arm 20.Wrist pin 91 pivotally attaches the tab to the lower arm so that the tab can rotate about an axis parallel to the thickness of the tab. Thewrist pin 91 extends through the tab and at least partly through the first limb member.Pin 91 may or may not extend completely through the first limb member. Further, whentab 100 is thus secured inslit 104, itslower surface 93 contacts bearing 98. The resulting tension inspring 96 causes thebearing 98 to push up against thelower surface 93 oftab 100. This pressure causes friction betweentab 100 andwrist pin 91 that allows the limbs to be placed in a variety of positions. - Alternatively, bearing98 registers with the optional tab surface depressions, shown as
dimples 101 in FIGS. 6A-6B (pin 91 not shown in FIG. 6B), to afford additional control over limb position. As seen in the previous embodiment,tab 100 also effectively fills the joint gap found in prior art joints. In different embodiments, the tab fills greater than or equal to about 80%, or about 85%, or about 90%, or about 95% of the width of the joint gap. - In another embodiment of the invention,
tab 100 is pivotally attached to the second limb member to allow rotation of the second limb member with respect to the tab and to the first limb member. For example, for a wrist joint where the first limb member is a lower arm and the second limb member a hand, pivotal attachment of the hand to the tab allows rotation of the hand with respect to the tab, with the axis of rotation being parallel to the long axis of the hand. Once the joint is assembled, pivotal attachment of the hand to the tab also allows rotation of the hand with respect to the lower arm. - In a preferred embodiment, once the joint between the first and second limb member is assembled, the joint cannot be readily disassembled. For example, for a wrist, once the wrist joint is assembled the hand cannot be readily removed. This prevents loss of the hand from the mannequin.
- FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a top view cross-section and an exploded view, respectively, of wrist joint23 between
lower arm 20 andhand 25 in whichtab 100 is pivotally attached tohand 25. Thetab 100 is attached tohand 25 by a rod assembly. - The rod assembly comprises a
rod 200 andsocket 210. The rod assembly is connected totab 100 byrod 200 that fits intosocket 210 in tab 100 (FIG. 8). As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8,rod 200 may be threaded and havehead 205.Rod 200 may be a headed screw. Ifrod 200 is threaded,socket 210 can be correspondingly threaded to receiverod 200.Socket 210 may comprise a metal insert intab 100. The rod and socket may also be affixed to one another so that no rotation of the rod within the socket occurs after the joint is assembled (e.g. by gluing the rod within the socket or otherwise locking it in place). - The rod assembly is also connected to
hand 25. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the rod assembly may comprise threadedbushing 250 which is adapted to receive threadedrod 200. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8,bushing 250 may be threaded both internally and externally. Bushing 250 may be attached to the second limb member (the hand in FIGS. 7 and 8) by inserting the bushing into a threaded portion ofcavity 270 formed in the second limb member, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The bushing is typically affixed to the hand so that the bushing does not rotate within the cavity after assembly of the joint. - The joint in FIGS. 7 and 8 is assembled by inserting the head end of
rod 200 incavity 270, insertingbushing 250 intocavity 270, and then insertingrod 200 intosocket 210 oftab 100.Tab 100 is inserted intoslit 104 such thatcenter hole 95 lines up withcavity 97. Withcenter hole 95 andcavity 97 aligned,wrist pin 91 is inserted intocavity 97 and throughcenter hole 95 to securehand 25 tolower arm 20.Wrist pin 91 pivotally attaches the tab to the lower arm so that the tab can rotate about an axis parallel to the thickness of the tab. Further, whentab 100 is thus secured inslit 104, itslower surface 93 contacts bearing 98. The resulting tension inspring 96 causes thebearing 98 to register with the optional tab surface depressions, shown asgrooves 120, to afford additional control over limb position. This pressure causes friction betweentab 100 andwrist pin 91 that allows the limbs to be placed in a variety of positions. Alternatively, if tab surface depressions are absent, the bearing may push up against thelower surface 93 oftab 100. As seen in the previous embodiment,tab 100 also effectively fills the joint gap found in prior art joints. In different embodiments, the tab fills greater than or equal to about 80%, or about 85%, or about 90% or about 95% of the width of the joint gap. - The joint shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 can be operated by fixing
rod 200 withinsocket 210 so that the rod does not rotate within the socket. Thehand 25 can then be rotated with respect to thetab 100 by movement ofbushing 250 alongrod 200. Travel of the bushing along the rod is limited by contact betweenhead 205 andbushing 250. This contact, in combination with the fixing ofrod 200 withinsocket 210 and the fixing ofbushing 250 tohand 25, prevents easy removal ofhand 25 once the joint is assembled. Travel of the bushing along the rod may also be limited by contact betweenhead 205 andcavity 270 or contact between theball 102 andsocket 103 portions of the first and second limb. Preferably, the joint is designed so that rotation of the hand is limited to one and a half turns. - Prevention of easy removal of
hand 25 once the joint is assembled can be achieved with other joint designs. For example, therod 200 can be affixed tohand 25 and the rod and socket designed to prevent easy removal of the rod from the socket after assembly of the joint. Forexample rod 200 may have ahead 205 placed within an enlarged portion ofsocket 210 or a c-ring may be inserted into the tab to prevent easy removal ofrod 200. - Throughout this specification, the term “limb member” refers to any movable member of a form and includes but is not limited to: head, neck, torso, upper and lower arms, hands, fingers (including all digits), upper and lower legs, feet, and toes (including all digits). The term “joint” refers to all the joints that commonly connect limb members and allow their relative movement and includes neck, shoulder, wrist, hip, knee, torso, ankle, and fingers and toes. The term “medial” refers to positions towards the center, or mid-line of the body, while the term “lateral” refers to positions towards the side of the body, opposite the medial position.
- The present invention is not to be limited by the preferred embodiments described herein. Upon reading this specification, those skilled in the art will recognize various modifications thereof. Therefore, it is to be understood that such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.
- All references cited herein are incorporated in their entirety to the extent that they are not inconsistent with the disclosure herein.
Claims (34)
Priority Applications (1)
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US10/681,042 US20040105718A1 (en) | 2001-09-24 | 2003-10-07 | Mannequin joints |
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US7296372B2 (en) | 2004-10-04 | 2007-11-20 | Target Brands, Inc. | Retail display article and system |
US20090229152A1 (en) * | 2008-03-12 | 2009-09-17 | Target Brands, Inc. | Retail display systems and methods |
US9119487B2 (en) | 2013-09-13 | 2015-09-01 | Target Brands, Inc. | Display system |
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AU2003265435B2 (en) * | 2002-08-21 | 2006-09-21 | Mattel, Inc. | Toy figure with a magnetized joint |
US20070075093A1 (en) * | 2005-09-30 | 2007-04-05 | Thomasmeyer R C | Liquid dispensing arrangements |
ITRM20060256A1 (en) * | 2006-05-12 | 2007-11-13 | Fimatex S R L | DEVICE FOR THE AGING OF APPAREL HEADS IN PARTICULAR BLUE JEANS |
US20080296321A1 (en) * | 2007-05-31 | 2008-12-04 | The Children's Place Services Company, Llc | Mannequins and articulating components thereof |
US7988452B2 (en) * | 2008-05-23 | 2011-08-02 | Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA | Test head for protective mask testing and test head system |
US9056258B2 (en) * | 2010-01-29 | 2015-06-16 | Mattel, Inc. | Toy figures |
US9398820B2 (en) | 2012-06-13 | 2016-07-26 | Noa Brands America, Inc. | Manikin stretch joint |
US9754514B2 (en) | 2013-09-25 | 2017-09-05 | Humanetics Innovative Solutions, Inc. | Adjustable friction joint assembly for crash test dummy |
JP5969535B2 (en) * | 2014-05-07 | 2016-08-17 | 株式会社バンダイ | model |
US20160309703A1 (en) * | 2015-04-09 | 2016-10-27 | Samuel E. Meyers | Animated Animal Decoy |
DE102016114926B3 (en) * | 2016-08-11 | 2017-10-05 | Robert Hofmann GmbH | dummy |
AU2021104656A4 (en) * | 2021-04-20 | 2021-09-30 | Madad Pty Ltd | Hinge system with adjustable resistance |
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Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7296372B2 (en) | 2004-10-04 | 2007-11-20 | Target Brands, Inc. | Retail display article and system |
US7661214B2 (en) | 2004-10-04 | 2010-02-16 | Target Brands, Inc. | Retail display article and system |
US20100132182A1 (en) * | 2004-10-04 | 2010-06-03 | Target Brands, Inc. | Retail display article and system |
US8312610B2 (en) | 2004-10-04 | 2012-11-20 | Target Brands, Inc. | Retail display article and system |
US20090229152A1 (en) * | 2008-03-12 | 2009-09-17 | Target Brands, Inc. | Retail display systems and methods |
US7900385B2 (en) | 2008-03-12 | 2011-03-08 | Target Brands, Inc. | Retail display systems and methods |
US9119487B2 (en) | 2013-09-13 | 2015-09-01 | Target Brands, Inc. | Display system |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2003027987A3 (en) | 2004-07-08 |
CA2461412A1 (en) | 2003-04-03 |
EP1455614A4 (en) | 2006-11-02 |
WO2003027987A2 (en) | 2003-04-03 |
US20030059249A1 (en) | 2003-03-27 |
AU2002339976A1 (en) | 2003-04-07 |
US6659315B2 (en) | 2003-12-09 |
EP1455614A2 (en) | 2004-09-15 |
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