US2904929A

US2904929A - Denture for a doll

Info

Publication number: US2904929A
Application number: US681407A
Authority: US
Inventors: Weih Julius
Original assignee: Ideal Toy Corp
Current assignee: Ideal Toy Corp
Priority date: 1957-08-30
Filing date: 1957-08-30
Publication date: 1959-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 1976-09-22

Description

Sept. 22, 1959 J. WE lH 2,904,929

DENTURE FOR A DOLL Filed Aug. 30, 1957 INVENTOR. JULIUS WEIH is ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 22, 1959 DENTURE FOR A DOLL Julius Weih, Ozone Park, N.Y., assignor to Ideal Toy Corporation, Hollis, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application August 30, 1957, Serial No. 681,407

9 Claims. (Cl. 46-171) This invention relates to a dolls denture and to a novel and unique head structure for a doll for supporting and retaining the denture in proper position to simulate a realistic denture.

Heretofore, in the manufacture of dolls, simulated teeth have been molded integrally with the dolls head. However, in dolls made of softer, resilient materials, such as rubber or synethtic plastics, it is very diflicult to mold a realistic, lifelike set of teeth within the dolls mouth. Such teeth molded integrally with the dolls head usually lack the sharp outline and enamel-like surface of real teeth.

The object of the present invention is to provide a dolls denture which can be inserted within the dolls mouth after the dolls head has been formed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a mouth structure for a dolls head which will suitably accommodate and retain the lifelike denture.

These and other objects are achieved in the present invention by the provision of a dolls denture which takes the form of a curved, flexible strip simulating a set of front teeth. The dolls head is formed in the region of the mouth with a formation which is disposed behind the surface forming the rear wall of the appropriate lip but distinct therefrom, so that the curved denture strip can be inserted in proper position between the rear wall of the upper lip and the formation within the mouth. In addition, in the particular embodiment of the invention described herein, the interior of the dolls head is provided with a suitable slit for receiving a projecting tab which extends from the curved denture strip. This tab is provided with laterally projecting shoulders which are adapted to be inserted through the slit and, when so inserted, these shoulders serve to anchor the denture in place so as to make it difficult to remove it from the dolls mouth. The denture so mounted, when viewed through the opening forming the mouth of the doll, presents a realistic and lifelike appearance, particularly if the material selected for the dolls denture has a white, enamellike surface.

These and other objects will be apparent from an understanding of the invention which is described below with reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the dolls denture of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view thereof;

Figure 3 is a general perspective view of the dolls head, with the denture mounted therein; and

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary cross-sectional views taken along the lines 44 and 55, respectively, of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to Figure 3, a hollow dolls head 10, molded of rubber or other flexible plastic material, such as a vinyl plastic, is formed with a mouth cavity in which a curved, flexible strip 11 simulating an upper denture is inserted. The denture strip 11, shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, is made of a white plastic material, preferably one having an enamel-like surface, such as celluloid. The edge 12 forming the biting edge of the denture is scalloped or corrugated to suggest a toothlike appearance. Slight depressions 13 are impressed in the front surface of the strip 11 to suggest the outlines of the individual teeth constituting the denture.

An upwardly projecting flat tab 14 is formed integrally with the root edge 15 of the denture. The shank of the tab 14 is bent rearwardly and then upwardly to form a rearward step 16. Thus, the upper end of the tab is offset slightly rearwardly from the denture strip. The extreme upper free end of the tab 14 is formed with an enlarged tapered head 17, resembling an arrowhead, which is defined in part by shoulders 18 projecting laterally from the side edges of the flat tab. The denture strip 11 is accommodated within the upper portion of a mouth cavity 23 and adjacent the front surface of an internal formation 19 which is molded integrally with the inner surface of the dolls head surrounding the mouth opening of the doll. The mouth opening, defined between the upper and lower lip formations 2t and 21, respectively, communicates with the mouth cavity 23. The mouth cavity 23, in turn, is defined by the convexly curved front surface of the formation 19 and the concavely curved rear surfaces of the upper and lower lip formations.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the internal formation 19 is essentially a partition which divides the mouth cavity 23 from the hollow interior of the dolls head. The front curved surface of the partition formation 1h, when viewed through the mouth opening, suggests a tongue. It should be understood, however, that from the standpoint of providing a suitable mounting for the denture of the present invention, it is not essential that the formation 19 be visible through the mouth opening or that it close 01f the mouth cavity from the hollow interior of the dolls head.

The dolls denture 11 is inserted in place through the mouth opening formed between the upper and

lower lips

20 and 21, respectively. The upper tapered arrowhead 17 is first introduced into the cavity 23 and then inserted through a slit 1% formed at the upper end of the mouth cavity 23, which slit establishes a passage between the mouth cavity and the hollow interior of the dolls head. Thus, when the arrowhead end of the tab is inserted through the slit, it passes into the hollow interior of the dolls head. When in proper position, the stepped portion 16 of the shank of the tab is disposed within the slit, with the pressure of the edges or surfaces defining the slit acting on opposite sides of the tab shank, thereby holding the denture securely in place. As best shown in Figure 5, the normal curvature of the denture strip '11 is not quite as pronounced as the curvature of the cavity 23. Therefore, when the flexible denture strip 11 is inserted within the mouth cavity, the inherent resiliency of the strip causes the extreme ends of the front surface of the denture strip 11 to abut against the rear surface of the upper lip 29 and the rear surface of the denture strip intermediate the ends to abut against the front surface of the formation 19. This action, supplemented by the locking action of the shoulders 18, helps to prevent accidental removal of the denture from the mouth cavity.

The dolls head illustrated in the drawing is intended to accommodate only a single upper denture. Generally speaking, in a smiling doll this will sufiice to aiford the desired appearance to the dolls face. It is understood, however, that if it is desired to embody a lower denture, the denture can be mounted in the same way as in the case of the upper denture, using the denture strip 11 in inverted position.

It is apparent that if the tab-like extension 14 is sufficiently rigid, the tapered head 17 may be forced through the upper end of the internal formation 19 to produce the slit therein. If the slit is so formed, the inherent resiliency of the material of the dolls head will cause the slit to contract somewhat so that the head Will not be readily withdrawn through the slit due to the laterally projecting shoulders. Accidental removal of the denture may also be prevented by cementing the portion of the tab which extends through the slit into the interior of the dolls head to the interior surface of the dolls head.

The invention has been shown in a single preferred form and by way of example only, and obviously many modifications and variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is understood that the head 17 of the extension 14 may be of various other configurations in addition to the arrowhead shape. Also, if desired, the space between the rear wall of the lip 20 and the front surface of the formation 19 may be normally disposed so closely together as to coact to produce a wedging action on the denture in order to assist in holding it tightly in place. It is understood, therefore, that the invention is not to be limited to any specified form or embodiment, except in so far as such limitations are set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. A denture for a doll comprising a curved flexible strip simulating a front set of teeth, said strip being defined by a corrugated biting edge and an opposite root edge, a tab formed integrally with the root edge of the flexible strip, said tab including a flat shank portion, a tapered head formed at the end of said shank portion remote from the flexible strip, said tapered head being defined in part by shoulders projecting laterally from the edges of said shank portion of the tab, and a rearwardly disposed step formed in the shank portion of the tab remote from the head and in proximity to the flexible strip, whereby the upper end of the tab is offset rearwardly from the flexible strip.

2. In a hollow dolls head molded of resilient plastic material, the combination of upper and lower lip formations defining a mouth opening therebetween, a partition wall behind the mouth opening and formed integrally with the inner surface of the dolls head surrounding the mouth opening, a mouth cavity communicating with said mouth opening and defined by substantially concavely curved rear surfaces of the lip formations and the substantially convexly curved front surface of the .partition wall, said partition wall separating the said mouth cavity from the hollow interior of the dolls head, means defining a slit between the upper portion of said mouth cavity and the hollow interior of the dolls head, a flexible strip simulating a front set of teeth insertable within said upper portion of said mouth cavity, a tab connected to said strip and insertable through said slit, said tab being formed with an enlarged tapered end at a distance from said flexible strip which forms outwardly projecting shoulders to resist removal of the tab from the slit once it is inserted therein.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said said tab is formed with a flat shank portion between the flexible strip and the enlarged tapered end, said flat shank being stepped rearwardly between the flexible strip and the enlarged tapered head, which stepped portion is received within the said slit to permit the means defining the slit to press against the shank portion of the tab from opposite sides.

4. In a dolls head, molded of resilient plastic material, a mouth opening defined by simulated lips, an internal formation behind the rear surface of at least one of said lips and extending across but spaced behind the mouth opening, said internal formation being joined integrally with the dolls head remote from the mouth opening, said rear surface of the lip and the front surface of the internal formation defining a mouth cavity therebetween, said mouth cavity tapering in a direction away from the internal formation and the dolls head, the front surface of the internal formation 'being convexly curved and the rear surface of the lip in front of the internal formation being concavely curved, said surfaces defining a curved mouth cavity from one side thereof to the other, and a flexible strip simulating a denture accommodated within said curved, tapering mouth cavity between the rear surface of the lip and the front surface of said internal formation.

5. In a dolls head molded of resilient plastic material, the combination set forth in claim 4, wherein the strip includes an edge which corresponds to a biting edge of the teeth, and including means connected to the flexible strip remote from the edge thereof defining the biting edge for holding the flexible strip within the mouth cavity.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means connected to the flexible strip remote from said biting edge comprises a projecting tab, said combina tion also including means defining a slit in communication with said mouth opening, into which the tab may be inserted to maintain the flexible strip within the mouth cavity.

7. In a hollow dolls head molded of resilient plastic material, the combination of upper and lower lip formations defining a mouth opening therebetween, means defining a wall within the dolls head and spaced apart behind the mouth opening, the peripheral portions of the said wall means being joined integrally with the interior surface of the dolls head, said wall means being of the same resilient plastic material as the material of the dolls head, the interior surfaces of the lip formations and the opposite surface of the wall means defining therebetween a mouth cavity which communicates with the mouth opening, means defining a slit between the mouth cavity and the hollow interior of the dolls head, a flexible strip simulating a denture accommodate within the mouth cavity, a tab connected to the denture and insertable through the slit, and laterally projecting shoulders carried by the tab and spaced apart from the denture which, when inserted through the slit from the mouth cavity, resist removal of the denture from the mouth cavity.

8. The combinationset forth in claim 7 including a rearwardly disposed step formed in said tab between the denture and the laterally projecting shoulders, said step being defined between spaced apart reverse bends inthe tab, the rearwardly stepped portion of the tab being accommodated within the slit to resist removal of the denture.

9. A denture for a doll comprising a curved flexible strip simulating a front set of teeth, said strip being defined by a corrugated biting edge and an opposite root edge, a tab formed integrally with the root edge of the flexible strip, said tab including a flat shank portion, and a taperedhead formed at the end of said shank portion remote from the flexible strip, said tapered head being defined in part by shoulders projecting laterally from the edges of said shank portion of the tab.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,689,925 Marcus Oct. 30, 1928 1,782,433 Marcus Nov. 25, 1930 1,916,578 Marcus July 4, 1933