U.S. patent application number 12/340759 was filed with the patent office on 2010-02-04 for toy eye with changeable pupil thereof.
This patent application is currently assigned to HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO.,LTD.. Invention is credited to XIAO-GUANG SU.
Application Number | 20100029171 12/340759 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41608838 |
Filed Date | 2010-02-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100029171 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SU; XIAO-GUANG |
February 4, 2010 |
TOY EYE WITH CHANGEABLE PUPIL THEREOF
Abstract
A toy eye includes a front cover, a rear cover and an iris
assembly. The front cover defines a first through hole. The rear
cover is coupled to the front cover to cooperatively define a
receiving cavity. The iris assembly is received in the receiving
cavity and includes a fixed supporting portion, an elastic pupil
portion, a metallic body and an electromagnet. The supporting
portion defines a second through hole. The pupil portion is
attached to the supporting portion. The metallic body is fixed to
the pupil portion and runs through the second through hole. The
electromagnet is fixed to the rear cover and aligned with the
metallic body.
Inventors: |
SU; XIAO-GUANG; (Shenzhen
City, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PCE INDUSTRY, INC.;ATT. Steven Reiss
288 SOUTH MAYO AVENUE
CITY OF INDUSTRY
CA
91789
US
|
Assignee: |
HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY
(ShenZhen) CO.,LTD.
Shenzhen City
CN
HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
Tu-Cheng
TW
|
Family ID: |
41608838 |
Appl. No.: |
12/340759 |
Filed: |
December 22, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/392 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 3/38 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/392 |
International
Class: |
A63H 3/38 20060101
A63H003/38 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 4, 2008 |
CN |
200810303367.5 |
Claims
1. A toy eye comprising: a front cover defining a first through
hole; a rear cover coupled to the front cover to cooperatively
define a receiving cavity; and an iris assembly received in the
receiving cavity and comprising: a fixed supporting portion
defining a second through hole; an elastic pupil portion attached
to the supporting portion; a metallic body fixed to the elastic
pupil portion and running through the second through hole; and an
electromagnet fixed to the rear cover and aligned with the metallic
body; wherein the electromagnet is activated and produces a
magnetic field, the metallic body is pulled by the electromagnet
due to the existence of the magnetic field, the pupil portion is
stretched by the metallic body and the size of the pupil portion is
changed.
2. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the iris assembly
further comprises an elastic iris portion surrounding the pupil
portion, the iris portion and the pupil portion are supported by
the supporting portion.
3. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front cover
comprises a front portion and a first sidewall extending from the
front portion, the rear cover comprises a rear portion and a second
sidewall extending from the rear portion, the first sidewall has a
shape and a size matching the second sidewall, the electromagnetic
is attached to the rear portion by glue.
4. The toy eye as claimed in claim 3, wherein the toy eye further
comprises at least two screws, at least two screw holders are
formed on the internal surface of the first sidewall corresponding
to the at least two screws, at least two rear through holes are
defined on the rear portion of the rear cover corresponding to the
at least two screw holders, the rear cover is assembled to the
front cover by the screws passing through the rear through holes
and the screw holders.
5. The toy eye as claimed in claim 3, wherein the toy eye further
comprises at least two screws, at least two screw holders are
formed on the rear portion of the rear cover corresponding to the
at least two screws, at least two front through holes are defined
on the first sidewall corresponding to the at least two screw
holders, the front cover is assembled to the rear cover by the
screws passing through the front through holes and the screw
holders.
6. The toy eye as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pupil portion and
the iris portion are attached to the supporting portion by
glue.
7. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pupil portion is
a black, elastic film.
8. The toy eye as claimed in claim 2, wherein the iris portion is
made from an elastic material.
9. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two hollow
cylinders are formed on the internal surface of the first sidewall,
at least two posts are formed on the supporting portion
corresponding to the at least two hollow cylinders, the iris
assembly is connected to the front cover by plugging the posts into
the hollow cylinders.
10. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two hollow
cylinders are formed on the supporting portion, at least two posts
are formed on the internal surface of the first sidewall
corresponding to the at least two hollow cylinders, the iris
assembly is connected to the front cover by plugging the posts into
the hollow cylinders.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present disclosure relates to toys, and particularly, to
a toy eye with a changeable pupil.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Over the years, various-type toy eyes have been developed
for use in all kinds of toys, such as dolls and toy animals. One
goal of toy eyes is to achieve a realistic expression of the toy
eyes. Such realistic expression may be achieved by changing a size
of a pupil of the eye.
[0005] Therefore, what is needed is a toy eye with a changeable
pupil thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a toy eye according to an
exemplary embodiment.
[0007] FIG. 2 is an exploded front view of the toy eye of FIG.
1.
[0008] FIG. 3 is an enlarged rear view of a front cover of the toy
eye of FIG. 2.
[0009] FIG. 4 is an exploded, isometric view of a toy eye according
to another exemplary embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 5 is an exploded front view of a front cover of the toy
eye of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a toy eye 10 for use in a toy (not
shown) includes a front cover 110, a rear cover 120 which is fixed
to the front cover 110 to cooperatively form a receiving cavity
130, and an iris assembly 140 received in the receiving cavity
130.
[0012] Referring to FIGS. 2-3, the front cover 110 includes a front
portion 112 and a first sidewall 114 extending from the front
portion 112 towards the rear cover 120. The front portion 112
defines a first through hole 113. Three screw holders 116 are
formed on an internal surface 114a of the first sidewall 114 and
are substantially equidistant from each other around the first
through hole 113. Four hollow cylinders 118 are formed on the
internal surface 114a of the first sidewall 114 and are
substantially equidistant from each other around the first through
hole 113. A distance between the screw holders 116 and the center
of the first through hole 113 and a distance between the hollow
cylinders 118 and the center of the first through hole 113 are
different.
[0013] The rear cover 120 includes a rear portion 122 and a second
sidewall 124 perpendicularly extending from the rear portion 122
towards the front cover 110. The rear portion 122 defines three
rear through holes 126 corresponding to the three screw holders 116
respectively. The second sidewall 124 has a shape and a size
matching the first sidewall 114. The toy eye 10 further includes
three screws 160, the screws 160 are configured to pass through the
rear through holes 126 and engage in the screw holders 116
correspondingly so that the rear cover 120 can be fixedly attached
to the front cover 110. The number of the screws 160, the number of
the rear through holes 126, and the number of the screw holders 116
may be two, four, or five etc.
[0014] The iris assembly 140 includes a substantially-annular pupil
portion 142, an iris portion 144 surrounding the pupil portion 142,
a cylindrical metallic body 146 fixed to the pupil portion 142, a
supporting portion 148, and an electromagnet 149. The pupil portion
142 is a black elastic film.
[0015] The iris portion 144 is made from an elastic material and
may be colored to resemble a real eye. The iris portion 144 is
integrally formed with the pupil portion 142 to cooperatively
define a smooth front surface 143a and a smooth rear surface 143b
on the other side of the iris portion 144 opposite to the front
surface 143a.
[0016] The metallic body 146 is attached to the rear surface 143b
of the pupil portion 142 and includes a closed end 146a. The closed
end 146a is close to the rear cover 120 after the iris assembly 140
is received in the receiving cavity 130.
[0017] The supporting portion 148 is circular and defines a second
through hole 145 corresponding to the metallic body 146. Four poles
147 are formed on the supporting portion 148 with distal ends
facing the pupil portion 142. The four poles 147 are substantially
equidistant from each other around the second through hole 145.
[0018] The electromagnet 149 is fixed to the rear portion 122 by
glue and is electrically connected to a power source (not shown) in
the toy (not shown) by wires (not shown).
[0019] The pupil portion 142 and the iris portion 144 are attached
to a surface of the supporting portion 148 where the four poles 147
are formed. The closed end 146a passes through the second through
hole 145 and is aligned with the electromagnet 149. The supporting
portion 148 is connected to the front cover 110 by plugging the
poles 147 into the hollow cylinders 118 correspondingly by a tight
fit. The pupil portion 142 and the iris portion 144 are exposed
through the first through hole 113. The number of the hollow
cylinders 118 and the number of the poles 147 may be two, four, or
five etc.
[0020] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, when the electromagnet 149 is
activated by electrical energy from the power source through the
wires, the electromagnet 149 produces a magnetic field. The
metallic body 146 is pulled by the electromagnet 149 due to the
existence of the magnetic field. Therefore, the pupil portion 144
is stretched by the metallic body 146. As a result, the size of the
pupil portion 144 is changed. Furthermore, when an intensity of the
magnetic field is increased or decreased by changing an intensity
of the electric energy, the pupil portion 144 deforms relative to
the varying degree of the magnetic field accordingly.
[0021] Referring to FIGS. 4-5, a toy eye 20 according to another
embodiment is shown. The differences between the toy eye 20 of this
embodiment and the toy eye 10 are as the following: the screw
holders 226 are formed on the rear portion 222, and three front
through holes 216 are defined on the first sidewall 214; the four
poles 218 are formed on the internal surface 214a of the first
sidewall 214, and the four hollow cylinders 247 are formed on a
surface of the supporting portion 248 facing the four poles 218.
The screws 260 pass through the front through holes 216 and engage
in the screw holders 226 correspondingly so that the front cover
210 is assembled with the rear cover 220. The supporting portion
248 is connected to the front cover 210 by plugging the poles 218
into the hollow cylinders 247 correspondingly by a tight fit.
[0022] The advantages of the toy eye 20 of this embodiment is
similar to that of the toy eye 10.
[0023] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous
characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been
set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of
the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is
illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in
matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the
principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the
broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are
expressed.
* * * * *