GB1176168A - Improvements in and relating to Animating Means for a Figure Toy - Google Patents

Abstract

1,176,168. Animating for toy. MATTEL Inc. 9 Aug., 1966 [22 April, 1966], No. 35601/ 66. Heading A6S. The head of a doll has a flexible plastic face, which has simulated nose, eyebrow, eye and mouth portions, and the head contains means for animating the mouth thus producing sad, neutral or smiling expressions and optionally eyebrow animating means and actuating means for producing noise from the doll and tears from the eyes, the latter actuation being delayed until the actuation of eyebrow and mouth has begun. Figures 6 and 8 illustrate the animating means described below. The mouth portion 40 is animated by movement of a U-shaped clip 288 having a bight portion embedded in the lower lip. On mouth animation, the lower lip is forced slightly upwardly and outwardly, and other U-shaped clips 308 pull the. corners of. the mouth down. Simultaneously the eyebrow animating means 196 is operated by the same actuator 134 pulling a portion of the eyebrow down over the eye, simulating a frowning expression. A conventional bellows-type noise maker 326 is used to imitate a crying sound when the animating means is actuated. In addition, as the actuator means nears the end of its animating stroke, a squeeze bulb 242 containing-water is depressed by the eyebrow animating means 196 causing water to flow through the conduit means 248 to a duct 474 provided in fluid communication with each eye. Flow restricting means 478 is provided in the ducts in order that the water oozes out of the eyes thus simulating tears. The actuator 134 and hence other animating means are actuated by movement of an arm of the doll. Movement of the arm insert 142 is transmitted into a reciprocating movement of the arm 134, through the rotation of part 148 which is connected to actuator 134 by the pitman 162. The noise maker 326 is not operated until the eyebrows 36 and mouth 40 have been animated to achieve the sad expression. This is accomplished by retaining the spring 330 in a compressed condition by engaging a rib 396 on the actuator guide 126 by a noisemaker actuator 398.