CN209734957U - Character doll with improved hair attachment - Google Patents

Abstract

in one aspect, a character doll with improved hair attachment is provided and includes a body, a hair holder, and a hair strand. The hair retainer is mounted to the body and encloses an interior space thereby. The hair retainer at least partially defines hair passing apertures including at least a first hair passing aperture and a second hair passing aperture. The hair strands have a central region with knots located in the interior space. The hair strands further include a first end portion and a second end portion extending from the central region. The first end portion passes through the first hair passing hole to the outside of the character doll. The second end portion passes through the second hair passage hole to the outside of the character doll. The knot cannot pass through any hair passing apertures through which hair in the hair strands passes.

Description

Character doll with improved hair attachment

Technical Field

the present invention relates generally to character dolls, such as dolls, having hair. In particular, the following relates to character dolls having removal-resistant hair.

Background

In the doll manufacturing industry, it is desirable to construct a doll with hair to increase realism. However, it is sometimes difficult to manufacture a doll having hair securely attached to the doll head. If the hair is manipulated roughly, it may be accidentally removed from the head. Sometimes costly manufacturing techniques, such as the use of gluing, etc., may be used, thereby increasing the manufacturing costs of the figure. It would be advantageous to provide a character doll having hair that is prevented from being removed from the body of the character doll.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In one aspect, a character doll is provided that includes a body, a hair holder, and a hair strand. A hair retainer is mounted to the body and encloses an interior space therefrom. The hair retainer at least partially defines a plurality of hair passing apertures including at least a first hair passing aperture and a second hair passing aperture. The strands of hair have a central region with knots. The knot is positioned in the interior space. The hair strands further include a first end portion extending from the central region and a second end portion extending from the central region. The first end portion passes through the first hair passing hole to the outside of the character doll. The second end portion may pass through the first hair passing hole or the second hair passing hole to the outside of the character doll (or may remain in the internal space). The knot cannot pass through any hair passing apertures through which hair in the hair strands passes.

In another aspect, a method of attaching hair to a body of a character doll is provided. The character doll has a body and a hair holder mountable to the body and enclosing an interior space therefrom. The hair retainer at least partially defines a plurality of hair passing apertures including at least a first hair passing aperture and a second hair passing aperture. The method comprises the following steps:

a) Providing hair as a hair strand having a central region with a knot therein, and having a first end portion extending from the central region and a second end portion extending from the central region, wherein the knot cannot pass through any hair passing aperture through which hair in the hair strand passes; and

b) The hair holder is mounted to the body such that the knot is held in the inner space and such that the first end portions of the hair strands pass through the first hair passing holes to the outside of the character doll and such that the second end portions of the hair strands pass through the second hair passing holes to the outside of the character doll.

Drawings

For a better understanding of the various embodiments described herein and to show more clearly how they may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a character doll having hair in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the head of the character doll shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cut-away perspective view of the head shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a close-up plan view of the head shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a hair holder from the head shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5B is a cut-away perspective view of the hair holder shown in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is a close-up plan view of the head shown in FIG. 2 without the hair retainers;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a head of a character doll having hair in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a cut-away perspective view of the head shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is another cross-sectional perspective view of the head shown in FIG. 7 taken in a plane orthogonal to the plane shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a hair holder from the character doll shown in FIG. 7; and

fig. 11 is a perspective view of the head shown in fig. 7 without the hair retainers.

Detailed Description

for purposes of simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, the description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein.

Unless the context indicates otherwise, the various terms used in this specification can be read and understood as follows: "or" as used throughout is inclusive, as written as "and/or"; as used throughout, singular articles and pronouns include the plural and vice versa; similarly, pronouns include their corresponding pronouns, and thus should not be construed as limiting any of the described herein to use, practice, perform, etc. by a single gender; "exemplary" should be understood to be "illustrative" or "exemplary" and not necessarily preferred over other embodiments. Further definitions of terms may be set forth herein; these definitions may apply to prior and subsequent examples of those terms, as will be understood by reading this specification.

Referring to fig. 1, a character doll 10 is shown. Character doll 10 includes a body 12. The body 12 may have any form, such as the generally humanoid form shown in fig. 1. Alternatively, the body 12 may have an animal form, a plant form, a vehicle form, or any other suitable object form. Referring to fig. 2, in this example, the body 12 includes a head 15. The head 15 has a body mounting post 18 therein. In this example, the body 12 further comprises a base 20, the base 20 comprising a base mounting post 21, the base mounting post 21 having a hole at an end thereof which snugly receives the body mounting post 18 for mounting the base 20 to the remainder of the body 12. The base mounting post 21 may be secured to the body mounting post 18 using an adhesive. In addition, the base 20 may include a smaller peripheral projection 22 at its periphery, the peripheral projection 22 being received in a projection receiving recess 23 in the head 15. This supports the base 20 in the head 15. Alternatively, a suitable adhesive may be used to retain the peripheral projection 22 in the projection-receiving recess 23 to further strengthen the connection.

The base 20 itself includes mounting holes 24 therein.

A hair retainer 14 is mounted to the body 12 and encloses an interior space 16. In the example shown, the hair retainer 14 is mounted to the body 12 via hair retainer posts 26, the hair retainer posts 26 being snugly received in the mounting holes 24 of the base 20. Fasteners 27, such as screws, are shown for attaching the hair holder posts 26 in the mounting holes 24 of the base 20. The hair holder may be made of a suitably rigid material, such as a suitable plastic.

The hair retainer 14 at least partially defines a plurality of hair passing apertures 28, the hair passing apertures 28 including at least a first hair passing aperture 28a and a second hair passing aperture 28 b. In the example shown, there are a plurality of other hair vias 28, including a third hair via 28c, a fourth hair via 28d, a fifth hair via 28e, a sixth hair via 28f, and a plurality of other hair vias. Any suitable number of hair vias 28 may be provided, such as one hair via 28 or any suitable number of more than one hair via 28.

Referring to fig. 2, a strand of hair 30 is shown. The hair itself may be formed of any suitable material, such as an unwound yarn made of acrylic with a thread wound therethrough. In a preferred embodiment, the hair may be made of 50% acrylic/50% polyester with threads twisted through it to aid tensile strength. Only a few representative hair strands are shown in fig. 2. The hair strands 30 have a central region 30c with a knot 32 and at least a first end portion 30e1 extending from the central region and a second end portion 30e2 extending from the central region. The end portions 30e1 and 30e2 are partially cut away in fig. 2-5B to avoid visual clutter in the figures. The junction 32 (and the entire central region 30c) is located in the interior space 16. First end portion 30e1 passes through first hair passage aperture 28a to the exterior of character doll 10. Second end portion 30e2 passes through second hair passage aperture 28b to the exterior of character doll 10. In one embodiment, optionally, both first end portion 30e1 and second end portion 30e2 may pass through the same hair via 28 in hair holder 14. The knots 32 cannot pass through any hair passing apertures 28 through which the hair of the hair strands 30 passes. In the example shown in fig. 2, since hair from the hair strands 30 passes through only the first and second hair passing holes 28a and 28b, the knots 32 need only not pass through the first and second hair passing holes 28a and 28 b. In the example shown in fig. 5A, the hair strands 30 have a central region 30c, and first, second and third end portions 30e1, 30e2, 30e3 that pass through the first, second and third hair vias 28a, 28b, 28c, respectively. In this example, the knot 32 cannot pass through the first, second, and third hair vias 28a, 28b, 28 c. In fig. 5A, the strands of hair 30 are shown in transparent form so as not to obscure the other elements shown, and are only shown by their outer edges as if it were a single piece of coarse hair. However, it should be understood that this is only one representation and that the strands of hair may consist of hundreds or more of individual hair strands.

In the example shown in fig. 2 and 5A, the knot 32 cannot pass through the hair passing apertures 28a and 28b (and 28c in fig. 5A) because the central region 30c is tied to the hair holder post 26 via the knot 32, thereby preventing the knot 32 from passing through the associated hair passing aperture 28 when the hair holder 14 is mounted to the body 12. In another example, as shown in fig. 5B, the knot 32 cannot pass through any hair passing apertures 28 (in this case, hair passing apertures 28a and 28B) through which hair in the hair strands 30 passes because the knot 32 is too large to pass through them.

In the example shown in fig. 2-5B, the hair retainer has a peripheral edge 34 and has a plurality of hair slots 36. As shown in fig. 4, each of the plurality of hair slots 36 has a first open end 38 at the peripheral edge 34 and a second closed end 40. The hair slots 36 have an enlarged area 42, the enlarged area 42 having an enlarged area width W1, the enlarged area width W1 being greater than the width W2 of the portion of the hair slot 36 immediately adjacent the enlarged area toward the first open end 38. The enlarged region 42 of one hair slot (shown at 36 a) of the plurality of hair slots 36 is a first hair via 28a, and wherein the enlarged region 42 of a second hair slot 36b of the plurality of hair slots 36 is a second hair via 28 b.

As best shown in fig. 2, some of the hair passing apertures 28 are not enlarged areas of the hair slots and are not defined solely by the hair retainers 14. For example, the hair via 28c in fig. 2 and 5A is partially defined by the hair holder 14 and the base 20.

in an alternative embodiment, the posts may extend upwardly from the base 20 and may be received in mounting holes in the hair holder 14. In such embodiments, the central region 30c of the hair strands 30 may be tied to a post extending upwardly from the base 20.

Although only a single exemplary hair strand 30 is shown in fig. 2-5B, a plurality of hair strands 30 may be provided to character doll 10 with their central region 30c having a knot and contained within the interior space 16 enclosed by hair retainer 14 and their end portions 30e1, etc. passing through respective hair passing apertures 28. All of the plurality of hair strands 30 may be knotted to one another to form a combined knot 32 in the interior space 16.

It should be noted that the base 20 and the hair holder 14 cooperate to inhibit movement of the central region 30c of the hair strands 30. Together, base 20 and hair retainer 14 may compress central region 30 c. Alternatively or additionally, applying the knot 32 around the hair holder post 26 (or a post extending upward from the body) may inhibit movement of the central region.

as a result of the disclosed arrangement, character doll 10 has hair that may be pulled, combed and shaped with substantially no risk of the hair being pulled from the head 15 of character doll 10.

referring to fig. 7 through 11, there is shown a portion of a character doll 100 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Elements in the embodiment shown in fig. 7 to 11 have the same reference numerals as corresponding elements in fig. 1 to 6, but are numbered with 100 added. The portion of character doll 100 shown in fig. 7 is a head 115, and the head 115 is part of the body portion 112 of character doll 100. Character doll 100 may be similar to character doll 10 shown in fig. 1-6 with some differences as described below. Character doll 100 includes a body 112 and a hair retainer 114, body 112 may be similar to body 12 (but without a removably mounted base). The hair retainer 114 may be similar to the hair retainer 14 and at least partially defines a plurality of hair passing apertures 128. In this example, all of the hair vias 128 are defined in part by the hair retainers 114 and in part by the body 112. In this example, four hair vias 128 are shown, but any suitable number of hair vias may be provided, such as one hair via 128 or any suitable number of hair vias 128 greater than one.

As can be seen in fig. 8, the hair retainers 114 and the body 112 may have hair retainer posts 126 and body mounting posts 118, respectively. Body mounting post 118 can be snugly received in a hole at the end of hair retainer post 126.

referring to fig. 9, a hair strand 130 is provided which is similar to hair strand 30 and has a central region 130c and at least a first end portion 130e1 and a second end portion 130e2, the central region 130c having a knot 132. Junction 132 is similar to junction 32. In the example shown, central region 130c is tied to hair holder post 126 via knot 132, so knot 132 (and central region 130c) cannot pass through hair passage aperture 128. Alternatively or additionally, knot 132 may be made too large to pass through hair via 128. The view shown in fig. 9 may be in a plane orthogonal to the plane shown in fig. 8. For example, the cross-section of FIG. 9 may be a coronal plane or an anterior plane, while the cross-section of FIG. 8 may be a sagittal plane.

Fig. 10 shows the underside of hair holder 114, and fig. 11 shows the interior of head 115, with hair holder 114 not mounted therein. As can be seen, hair retainer 114 may include a plurality of protrusions 144 at its periphery, protrusions 144 being received in protrusion receiving apertures 146 in head 115. This improves the firmness of the connection between the hair holder 114 and the head 115. Optionally, a suitable adhesive may be used to retain the tabs 144 in the apertures 146 to further strengthen the connection. Suitable adhesives may also be used to attach hair retainer post 126 to body mounting post 118.

in other respects, character doll 100 may be similar to character doll 10.

A method of attaching hair to a body of a character doll may be as follows. Character dolls (e.g., character dolls 10, 100) have a body (e.g., body 12, 112) and a hair holder (e.g., hair holder 14, 114) that is mountable to the body and thereby encloses an interior space (e.g., interior space 16, 116). The hair retainer at least partially defines a plurality of hair vias including at least a first hair via (e.g., hair via 28a, 128a) and a second hair via (e.g., hair via 28b, 128 b). The method comprises the following steps:

a) Providing hair as a strand of hair having a central region with a knot therein and having a first end portion extending from the central region and a second end portion extending from the central region, wherein the knot cannot pass through the first and second hair passing apertures; and

b) The hair holder is mounted to the body such that the knot is held in the inner space and the first end portions of the hair strands pass through the first hair passing holes to the outside of the character doll and the second end portions of the hair strands pass through the second hair passing holes to the outside of the character doll.

With respect to character doll 10, step b) further includes sliding first end portion 30e1 from first open end 38 of first hair slot 36a to enlarged area 42 of first hair slot 36 and sliding second end portion 30e2 from first open end 38 of second hair slot 36b to enlarged area 42 of second hair slot 36b prior to mounting hair retainer 14 to body 12.

Optionally, step b) further comprises mounting the hair holder to the body such that the third end portion (e.g., as shown in fig. 5A) passes through the third hair passage to the exterior of the character doll.

Alternatively, with respect to character doll 10, strands of hair may be removed from the body of the character doll. For example, the hair holder 14 may be removably mounted to the body 12 so as to allow a user to remove the hair holder 14 and the hair strands 30 from the hair holder 14 by pulling the first end portion 30e1 through the first open end 38 of the first hair slot 36a and by pulling the second end portion 30e2 out of the first open end 38 of the second hair slot 36b (and, if desired, removing the central region 30c from the hair holder post 26).

It is also possible to have the hair holder 114 detachably mounted to the body 112 of the character doll 100 so as to allow the hair strands 30 to be removed from the body 112.

Although it has been disclosed that the second end portions 30e2, 130e2 of the hair strands 30, 130 pass through the first hair passing aperture or the second hair passing aperture to the exterior of the character doll, it should be noted that embodiments may be provided wherein the second end portions 30e2, 130e2 of the hair strands 30, 130 remain in the interior spaces 16, 116.

those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many more possible alternative embodiments and variations, and that the above examples are only illustrative of one or more embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims and any modifications thereto.

Claims (9)

1. a character doll, comprising:

A main body;

A hair retainer mounted to the body and enclosing an interior space therefrom, wherein the hair retainer at least partially defines a plurality of hair passing apertures including at least a first hair passing aperture and a second hair passing aperture; and

A hair strand having a central region with a knot, wherein the knot is located in the interior space, wherein the hair strand further comprises a first end portion extending from the central region and a second end portion extending from the central region;

wherein the first end portion passes through the first hair passing hole to the outside of the character doll;

Wherein the second end portion passes through the second hair passing aperture to an exterior of the character doll; and

Wherein the knot cannot pass through any hair passing apertures through which hair in the hair strands passes.

2. The character doll of claim 1, wherein the hair retainer has a peripheral edge and a plurality of hair slots, each of the plurality of hair slots having a first open end at the peripheral edge and a second closed end, wherein the hair slot has an enlarged area having an enlarged area width that is greater than a width of a portion of the hair slot immediately adjacent the enlarged area toward the first open end, wherein the enlarged area of a first hair slot of the plurality of hair slots is a first hair via, and wherein the enlarged area of a second hair slot of the plurality of hair slots is a second hair via.

3. The character doll of claim 2, wherein the hair holder is removably mounted to the body so as to allow a user to remove the hair strands from the hair holder and pull the first end portion through the first open end of the first hair slot and the second end portion through the first open end of the second hair slot.

4. The character doll of claim 1, wherein a post extends into the interior space from at least one of the body and the hair holder, wherein the strands of hair are tied to the post via the knot, thereby preventing the strands of hair from being removed from the body when the hair holder is mounted to the body.

5. The character doll of claim 4, wherein the post extends from the hair retainer into the interior space.

6. the character doll of claim 1, wherein the knot itself is too large to pass through the first and second hair passing apertures, thereby preventing the hair strands from being removed from the body when the hair holder is mounted to the body.

7. the character doll of claim 1, wherein the body includes a head, and wherein the hair retainer is mounted to the head to enclose the interior space.

8. The character doll of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hair passing apertures further includes a third hair passing aperture, and wherein the hair strands include a third end portion extending from the central region;

wherein the third end portion passes through the third hair passing hole to the outside of the character doll.

9. The character doll of claim 1, wherein the hair retainer and the body cooperate together to collapse a central region of the hair strands in the interior space to inhibit movement of the central region during manipulation of either end portion of hair strands.