U.S. patent application number 10/121385 was filed with the patent office on 2003-10-16 for thermally activated doll.
Invention is credited to Janning, John L..
Application Number | 20030194941 10/121385 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 28790320 |
Filed Date | 2003-10-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030194941 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Janning, John L. |
October 16, 2003 |
Thermally activated doll
Abstract
A thermally activated toy includes a toy body having a cheek
part having an insulating material connected thereto in a manner
which substantially prevents thermal migration to a surrounding
head part of the body. A thermally activated material is connected
to the cheek part and is characterized to be of a first color in a
first temperature range and of a second color in a second
temperature range and which changes color upon temperature with the
temperature moving between the ranges. The toy further includes a
thermally activated animation device which is operably connected to
the toy.
Inventors: |
Janning, John L.; (Dayton,
OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
A PATENT LAWYER CORP, PC
R WILLIAM GRAHAM
22 S ST CLAIR ST
DAYTON
OH
45402
US
|
Family ID: |
28790320 |
Appl. No.: |
10/121385 |
Filed: |
April 12, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 3/365 20130101;
A63H 3/48 20130101; A61C 2201/002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/14 |
International
Class: |
A63H 033/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A thermally activated toy, which comprises: a toy body having a
first part thereof including an insulating material connected
thereto in a manner which substantially prevents thermal migration
to an adjacent second part of said body; and a thermally activated
material connected to the first part is characterized to be of a
first color in a first temperature range and of a second color in a
second temperature range and which changes color upon temperature
with the temperature moving between said ranges.
2. The thermally activated toy of claim 1, wherein said toy is a
doll.
3. The thermally activated toy of claim 2, wherein said first part
is a cheek part and said second part is a remaining head part.
4. The thermally activated toy of claim 1, wherein said thermally
activated material includes a thermal crystal paint.
5. The thermally activated toy of claim 4, wherein said thermal
crystal paint is coated on an exterior surface of said first
part.
6. The thermally activated toy of claim 5, wherein said thermally
activated material is applied on an exterior surface of said first
part.
7. The thermally activated toy of claim 6, which further includes a
transparent material applied externally to said thermally activated
material.
8. The thermally activated toy of claim 7, wherein said transparent
material is a relatively thin layer coating.
9. The thermally activated toy of claim 1, which further includes a
thermally activated animation device operably connected to said
toy.
10. The thermally activated toy of claim 9, wherein said toy is a
doll.
11. The thermally activated toy of claim 9, wherein said animation
device includes a thermally activated sensor operably connected to
an audio chip having a prerecorded sound to cause activation of
said audio chip upon activation of said sensor.
12. The thermally activated toy of claim 11, wherein said
prerecorded sound includes a message.
13. The thermally activated toy of claim 10, wherein said thermally
activated animation device includes a temperature sensor adjacent
said first part of said body and means operably connected to said
temperature sensor for activating said animation device upon
reaching a predetermined temperature.
14. The thermally activated toy of claim 10, which includes a
plurality of said thermally activated devices, wherein each said
thermally activated device is characterized to be capable of a
carrying out a unique animation.
15. The thermally activated toy of claim 14, wherein said animation
device includes means disposed within said doll for causing a
stretch-like movement of said doll.
16. The thermally activated toy of claim 12, wherein said thermally
activated device is operably associated with said thermally
activated material such that said color change is concurrent with
activation of said audio chip to play said message.
17. A thermally activated toy, which comprises: a toy body having a
thermally activated animation device operably connected to said
toy, said thermal animation device includes a thermally activated
sensor operably connected to an audio chip having a prerecorded
sound to cause activation of said audio chip upon activation of
said sensor.
18. The thermally activated toy of claim 17, wherein said
prerecorded sound includes a message.
19. A thermally activated toy, which comprises: a toy body having a
thermally activated animation device operably connected to said
toy, said thermal animation device includes a temperature sensor
adjacent a part of said body and means operably connected to said
temperature sensor for activating said animation device upon
reaching a predetermined temperature.
20. The thermally activated toy of claim 19, said animation device
includes means disposed within said doll for causing a stretch-like
movement of said doll.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a thermally activated doll and in
particular, to a doll having thermally activated facial color
change. The doll further includes a thermally activated animated
device which is disposed in the doll.
[0003] 2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
[0004] There are toys which exhibit color change in response to a
temperature change. Such toys include a thermally sensitive
material which changes color in response to change in temperature.
Such conventional toys change their color at a predetermined
temperature from one color state existing at a normal temperature
range to another color state existing outside (i.e., either above
or below) that temperature range.
[0005] A common problem resides in the ability to maintain a color
change in the thermally sensitive material for a desired period of
time. Unwanted reversal of the color change is due to thermal
equilibrium occurring wherein heat is exchanged from one part to
another part of the material. When the heat (or chill) which is
required to obtain the other color state is discontinued at the one
part and the toy cools (or warms as the case may be) due to this
thermal migration, the toy returns from the other color state to
the first color state which appears in ambient temperature.
Attempts to solve this problem have employed chemically activated
dyes which can attain another color which retain stability after
the temperature of the toy has returned to normal and the heat or
chill is removed, but require additional treatment to revert to
their original colors. However, the present invention provides an
alternative solution to prolonging color change which is achieved
by thermal conductivity while also maintaining the ability of
returning to the original color state upon returning to ambient
temperature.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
thermally activated toy, such as a doll, capable of changing color
with temperature change.
[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
toy, such as a doll, which includes a thermally activated animation
device.
[0008] It is still another object of the present invention to
provide a toy, such as a doll, which includes a thermally activated
playback of a recorded message.
[0009] These objects and others are provided by the present
invention which is a novel doll having material color which is
thermally dependent. In one embodiment, the invention calls for a
thermally activated toy, which includes a toy body having a first
part thereof including an insulating material connected thereto in
a manner which substantially prevents thermal migration to an
adjacent second part of the body. A thermally activated material is
connected to the first part and is characterized to be of a first
color in a first temperature range and of a second color in a
second temperature range and which changes color upon temperature
the temperature moving between the ranges. The toy is a doll and
the first part is preferably a cheek part and the second part is a
remaining head part. The toy further includes a thermally activated
animation device which operably is connected to the toy.
[0010] The material includes a thermal liquid crystal. In a
preferred embodiment, a part of the doll is provided with an
insulating material to deter thermal dissipation of temperature
increases occurring in one part of the doll from quickly
dissipating to another part of the doll and thus impedes the heat
sink effect. The insulation can be interposed between one part of
the doll material and the remaining plastic with thermal liquid
crystal applied exterior thereto. Further, a thermocouple bridge
can be operably connected to the part having the thermal liquid
crystal applied thereto to enable voltage productivity upon heating
which triggers an audio device which is operably connected to the
bridge.
[0011] Other means such as a simply closing a switch or thermally
activating a thermistor can be used to trigger an audio device.
Also, a combination of a thermistor and electrical switch can be
used.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a doll having a part of
a doll's face removed to which a thermal activated color changing
substance and insulating material are connected.
[0013] FIG. 2 depicts perspective view of the doll with the part
connected thereto and exhibiting a color change.
[0014] FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of the invention having
another thermally activated animation component associated with a
part of the doll.
[0015] FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional of one part of the present
invention.
[0016] FIG. 5 depicts a cross-sectional of another part of the
present invention.
[0017] FIG. 6 depicts a block diagram of a part of the present
invention.
[0018] FIG. 7 depicts another embodiment of the present
invention.
[0019] FIG. 8 depicts an actuation device for use in the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0020] The present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 1
to 8 in which a doll is specifically utilized for purposes of
explanation. It will be appreciated that other desired toys can be
so configured.
[0021] The present invention is thus directed to a thermally
interactive doll 10, in which the doll 10 responds to human touch,
such as a child playing with it via the child's body temperature.
In one embodiment of the invention, the doll 10 includes a head 12.
The head 12 can be made of a suitable plastic or rubber material
and made to appear having typical skin color and can be of a like
material to the remaining body the of the doll 10.
[0022] To illustrate the invention, a cheek 14 is shown as detached
from the doll's head 12. The cheek 14 includes an insulator 16
which is preferably an insulating layer made of a polyfoam, for
example. A skin-like inner layer 18 is preferably made of a thin
but like material of the head 12 to provide a normally continuous
skin type appearance.
[0023] A thermally activated color layer 20 is applied exterior to
the skin-like layer 18. The thermally activated color layer 20 can
include thermal liquid crystal paint, for example. Optionally, a
thin transparent layer 21 can be provided as in FIG. 5 which serves
as a protectant of the layer 20.
[0024] The doll's cheek 14 can turn color, such as a rosy red, when
hugged by a child due to the liquid crystal's temperature
sensitivity. When such a doll's head 12 is placed against a child's
face, the liquid crystal material layer 20 changes its color
appearance as a function of the activation temperature of the
specific liquid crystal material used and the child's facial
temperature. This presents a striking effect to a child in seeing
that his or her hug makes a difference in the doll's appearance.
The insulating layer 18 is important here in that it deters thermal
dissipation and heat sink into the remaining part 22 of the head 12
to prolong the viewed effect.
[0025] The liquid crystal material used can be a water soluble
paint which contains microencapsulated nontoxic cholesteryl
ester-based liquid crystals, such as those used in temperature
indicators where with increasing temperature, the color changes
from reddish-brown to green to blue over the materials range. This
color change is reversible upon returning to ambient
temperature.
[0026] The liquid crystal paints are available from Edmund
Scientific or Hallcrest Products, Inc. For a doll face, the
Hallcrest Product number BM/R25C5W/C17-10 works quite well. It has
a temperature range from 77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore,
the paint is suitably operable in room temperature at the low end
and normal body temperature at the high end. The response with
temperature works best when the liquid crystal paint is viewed with
a dark background. The thickness of the liquid crystal material can
be selected for color and response satisfaction.
[0027] The thermal liquid crystal paint 20 can be applied to the
layer 18 of the cheek 14 by various means. The paint can be sprayed
on; brushed on or silk-screened onto the layer 18. Depending upon
the porosity of the material used for the layer 18, a coating can
first be applied to make the surface of the layer 18 non-porous.
For example, the use of a thin saran layer can be sprayed or
painted onto porous material. By mixing Dow Chemical Co. SARAN
Resin F-310 with methyl iso-butyl ketone (MIBK), a thin watery type
film can be sprayed onto a porous surface to make it non-porous.
Other techniques can also be used if desired.
[0028] Optionally, the liquid crystal material 20 may also be
coated onto an "inside" surface of a transparent layer 21 followed
by layer 18 of the cheek 14 as is shown in FIG. 5, which can be
disposed in contact with the part 22 of the dolls' head 12. In this
manner, such a multi-layer structure prevents the child from being
directly exposed to the liquid crystal material 20. While not
necessarily shown to scale, the combined thickness of the layers,
16, 18, 20 and 21 can be relatively thin, on the order of
approximately fifteen-thousandths of an inch in thickness with the
outer transparent layer 21 being in the order of approximately
three-thousandths of an inch thick. Other thicknesses can be used
with tradeoffs in structure sturdiness and time response of the
liquid crystal material. In order to enhance the glossiness, stain
resistance and water resistance etc. of the present invention, a
transparent resin film of an acrylic, a water-repellent or other
transparent resin may be formed on the colored surface of the doll
10. Also, an ultraviolet-absorbing agent may be mixed in such resin
to improve its resistance to fading in light.
[0029] The material in layer 18 can be plastic or rubber, either of
which is found suitable for coating with the thermal liquid crystal
paint 20. The layer 18 is preferably relatively thin since material
thickness affects heat sink characteristics. For example, thicker
materials would require holding the doll's cheek 14 in contact with
one's body, such as a face, for a longer time to effect a color
change. It is also noted that the cheek 14 preferably have a
profile which is of a `rounded` nature protruding outward, as this
provides enhanced strength for any given thickness as opposed to
flat.
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a face of the doll 12 with an indented area 24.
This area 24 is indented for later insertion of the cheek 14. When
the cheek 14 placed or glued in contact with the area 24, there is
a reduction in heat sink for the liquid crystal material 20, and
this in turn is likely to enhance response time.
[0031] FIG. 2 shows the cheek 14 in the assembled position on the
dolls face 12. It is contemplated that the transparent layer 21 can
be in the form of a final plastic or other thin transparent
overcoat which can be applied or sprayed over the head 12 to
eliminate any offensive edges that may appear around the periphery
of the cheek 14. This could also help secure the cheek 14 to the
doll's head 22. FIG. 2 also reflects the activated dolls' cheek 14
after being hugged to elevate the temperature thereof thus
portraying a different color.
[0032] The doll 10 also includes an audio featured device. Inside
of the doll's head 12, in close proximity to the cheek part 14, can
be placed a thermistor 26 to sense some of the warmth of the hug as
is seen in FIG. 3. The thermistor 26 can be operably connected in a
bridge circuit 28, for example, wherein when all legs of the bridge
circuit 28 are at approximately the same temperature, there is no
appreciable voltage output. A powered audio chip 30 having a
prerecorded message is operably connected to the bridge circuit 28.
The activation of this prerecorded message is made possible by the
resistance change of the thermistor 26. When the doll 10 is hugged,
the resistance change, unbalances the bridge 28 with a subsequent
voltage output. The voltage output from the bridge circuit triggers
the `enable` input of the audio chip 30 for the recorder to
playback one or more messages. Thus, an electronic circuit is
formed within the doll 10 which can be made to play a pre-recorded
message of the doll 10, such as expressing delight at being
hugged.
[0033] The same message can be played back over and over each time
the doll is hugged or a different one of many depending upon the
chip programming. Depending upon the sensitivity of the thermistor
26 and/or the `enable` voltage of the sound recording audio chip
30, a delay of a few seconds might be introduced so that the doll
10 response to being hugged is delayed accordingly. While the
thermistor 26 is only shown on one side of the dolls' head 12, it
should be readily apparent that thermistors can be placed on both
sides of the dolls' head 12 adjacent the cheeks 14.
[0034] Alternatively, a thermistor could be placed in other parts
of the doll 10, such as the dolls' lips. When kissed, the doll
could respond with, "I like that, kiss me again", or other sayings.
Such interactions would be the result of thermistor action caused
by the child's body temperature in contact, or near proximity, with
the doll at various locations. Multiple thermistors could be placed
in the doll at various locations. For example, a thermistor could
be placed in the doll's back or seat, which, when warmed could
initiate a response from the doll such as, "I'm sleepy tuck me in
bed", or "Sing to me, I'm sleepy", or any number of messages.
[0035] Other proximity type switching devices might be used to
activate other movements or reactions in a doll similar to what is
taught here, but the thermal response of the thermistor teaches a
suitable means to accomplish such interaction and it provides a
delay that is quite "human-like" and desirable. Optionally, two
thermistors 26' activated at the same time can be cause for the
doll 10 to move in a `stretch` or other position via an
electrically operated mechanism 40. The mechanism 40 can includes a
housing 41 and a battery powered source 42 which operably connects
to a motor 44. The motor 44 includes a shaft 46 which connects to a
gear 48 which in turn operably connects to a plurality of gears 50.
The gears 50 connect to ends of arm pieces 54 and 56 which have
their other ends connected to a transverse arm 52. Operation could
come about when a child holds a doll 10 for a period of time such
that two different thermistors 26' would change in resistance as a
result. Since this would likely only happen if the doll 10 was held
for a somewhat lengthy period of time in the same position, the
`movement` of the doll 10 would appear as the doll wanting to "get
more comfortable". The use of thermal means to activate "lifelike"
conditions in a doll 10 appears to be new and novel. The
thermistors 26' would trigger the operation of the motor 44 to move
in one direction for a predetermined rotation thus causing the
extension of the arms 54 and 56 in one opposing direction where
upon reaching the rotation amount the motor is equipped with a
limiting factor which would cause rotation in an counter opposing
direction.
[0036] The above described embodiments are set forth by way of
example and are not for the purpose of limiting the present
invention. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art
that obvious modifications, derivations and variations can be made
to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the
invention. Accordingly, the claims appended hereto should be read
in their full scope including any such modifications, derivations
and variations.
* * * * *