U.S. patent application number 12/604073 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-28 for self-standing display figure.
Invention is credited to Harry Kronenberg.
Application Number | 20110097966 12/604073 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43898835 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110097966 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kronenberg; Harry |
April 28, 2011 |
SELF-STANDING DISPLAY FIGURE
Abstract
In accordance with one embodiment, a self-standing toy skeleton
display includes a skeleton body that has a human form and is made
of a plurality of connectable body parts that are each formed of
bone structures. The connectable body parts at least includes a
torso part that extends from a pelvic bone to a bottom end of a
femur bone and a lower body part that extends from a top end of a
tibia bone to foot bones. The skeleton toy display also includes an
inner frame for supporting the skeleton in a standing manner. The
inner frame passes through the femur bone and the tibia bone and is
formed of separate upper and lower frame members that
interlockingly mate with one another at an interface between the
femur bones and the tibia bones. The lower frame member includes a
pair of ground contacting portions that are mounted to an underside
of the feet of the skeleton body with at least a portion of the
ground contacting portion being located behind a heel portion of
the foot to allow the assembled body parts of the skeleton to stand
upright in a self-supporting manner, while permitting lower
extremities thereof to move and be adjusted.
Inventors: |
Kronenberg; Harry;
(Fallbrook, CA) |
Family ID: |
43898835 |
Appl. No.: |
12/604073 |
Filed: |
October 22, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/268 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 3/46 20130101; A63H
3/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/268 |
International
Class: |
A63H 9/00 20060101
A63H009/00 |
Claims
1. A self-standing toy skeleton display comprising: a human
skeleton body made of a plurality of connectable body parts that
are each formed of bone structures; and an inner frame that
includes a pair of ground contacting portions that are mounted to
an underside of the feet of the skeleton body, the inner frame
having first sections that pass through lower extremities of the
skeleton body, the first sections being mounted to the ground
contacting portions to allow the assembled body parts of the
skeleton to stand upright in a self-supporting manner.
2. The skeleton display of claim 1, wherein the connectable body
parts include a skull, an upper body part that includes ribs and
upper extremities; a torso part including pelvic bones and femur
bones and a lower body part including lower extremities including
the feet and tibia bones, wherein the inner frame includes exposed
components at ends of the femur bones and ends of the tibia bones,
the exposed components permitting detachable coupling between the
torso and lower body parts.
3. The skeleton display of claim 2, wherein the bone structures are
formed of a plastic material and the inner frame is formed of a
metal.
4. The skeleton display of claim 2, wherein the inner frame
includes one section that is part of the torso part and another
section including the first sections and ground contacting portions
that are part of the lower body part.
5. The skeleton display of claim 1, wherein the inner frame passes
through the femur bones and the tibia bones and is formed of
separate frame components that interlockingly mate with one another
at an interface between the femur bones and the tibia bones.
6. The skeleton display of claim 5, wherein the first section
include a pin that is received within a locking channel that is
formed in a protrusion that extends beyond the femur, the locking
channel having a locking slot such that when the pin is received
within the locking channel aligned with the locking slot, rotation
of the lower body part causes the pin to be lockingly received
within the locking slot, thereby coupling the torso part to the
lower body part and causing the feet to be properly positioned in
an anatomically correct position.
7. The skeleton display of claim 1, wherein the inner frame
comprises metal tubes that at least partially extend through hollow
bones.
8. The skeleton display of claim 4, wherein the one section
includes a curved support member that extends outwardly from a top
of the femur bone and is bent to extend along a rear of the pelvic
bone to spine vertebrae in which the curved support member is
fixedly attached.
9. The skeleton display of claim 1, wherein the ground contacting
portion comprises an L-shaped member that has a first section that
lies underneath the foot bones and a second section that protrudes
outwardly from an edge of the first section and is located behind a
heel portion of the foot.
10. A self-standing toy skeleton display comprising: a human
skeleton body made of a plurality of connectable body parts that
are each formed of bone structures, the connectable body parts at
least including a torso part that extends from a pelvic bone to a
bottom end of a femur bone and a lower body part that extends from
a top end of a tibia bone to foot bones; and an inner frame for
supporting the skeleton in a standing manner, the inner frame
passing through the femur bone and the tibia bone and is formed of
separate upper and lower frame members that interlockingly mate
with one another at an interface between the femur bones and the
tibia bones, the lower frame member including a pair of ground
contacting portions that are mounted to an underside of the feet of
the skeleton body with at least a portion of the ground contacting
portion being located behind a heel portion of the foot to allow
the assembled body parts of the skeleton to stand upright in a
self-supporting manner, while permitting lower extremities thereof
to move and be adjusted.
11. The skeleton display of claim 10, wherein the ground contacting
portion comprises an L-shaped support member with a first section
extending underneath the foot which is attached thereto and a
second section extending outwardly from one end of the first
section, the second section being the portion that is located
behind the heel portion of the foot.
12. The skeleton display of claim 10, wherein the upper frame
member extends continuously within the femur and exits at a top end
of the femur bone and has a curved section that extends outwardly
from the top of the femur bone and is bent to extend along a rear
of the pelvic bone to spine vertebrae in which the upper frame
member is fixedly attached.
13. The skeleton display of claim 10, wherein at least some of the
bone structures have glow-in-the-dark properties.
14. The skeleton display of claim 10, further including an
illumination source that is disposed within a ribcage of the
skeleton for illumination the bone structures.
15. A self-standing toy figure comprising: a human body made of a
plurality of connectable body parts at least including a head, an
upper body part including upper extremities, a torso part that
extends from a pelvic bone to a bottom end of a femur bone and a
lower body part that extends from a top end of a tibia bone to foot
bones; and an inner frame for supporting the figure in a standing
manner, the inner frame including a pair of ground contacting
portions that are disposed at least partially beneath feet of the
figure and a pair of vertical support members that are integral to
the ground contacting portions and are at least partially passed
through interior locations of the lower body part and the torso
part, wherein at least a portion of each ground contacting portion
is located behind a heel portion of the foot to allow the assembled
body parts of the figure to stand upright in a self-supporting
manner, while permitting lower extremities thereof to move and be
adjusted.
16. The figure of claim 15, wherein the body has an appearance
selected from the group consisting of Santa Claus, a skeleton, and
a snowman.
17. The figure of claim 15, wherein the inner frame passes through
a femur bone and a tibia bone and is formed of separate upper and
lower frame members that interlockingly mate with one another at an
interface between the femur bones and the tibia bones, the upper
and lower frame members being part of the vertical support members
with the lower frame member being integrally coupled to the
respective ground contacting portion.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to toy decorations and in
particular, to a self-standing figure, such as a skeleton, that can
include animated features and be configured to hold a tray that
supports items, such as candy.
BACKGROUND
[0002] There are a number of holidays in the United States as well
as other countries that involve the use of decorative displays and
costumes. For example, Halloween and Christmas are two Holidays
that typically are associated with prominently displaying various
decorations in different locations within an exterior and interior
of a house.
[0003] Halloween is a holiday that is celebrated each year on
October 31. While Halloween has Celtic origin, it is now largely a
secular celebration. The day is associated with the colors orange
and black and is strongly associated different symbols, such as a
jack-o-lantern, a black cat, a witch on a broom stick, etc. On this
day, a number of different activities are undertaken and enjoyed by
many including the activities of trick-or-treating, wearing
costumes, ghost tours, costume parties, carving jack-o-lanterns,
reading scary stories, and watching horror stories.
[0004] The term Halloween is shortened from All Hallows' Eve as it
is the eve of All Hallows' Day, which is known today as All Saints'
Day. The symbol of a skeleton on Halloween has its origin back to
Celtic times when the ancient Celts would place a skeleton on their
window sill to represent the departed. Halloween costumes are
traditionally those of monsters such as ghosts, skeletons, witches,
and devils. Costumes are also based on themes other than
traditional horror, such as those of characters from television
shows and movies.
[0005] Trick-or-treating is a custom for children on Halloween. The
custom involves children proceeding in custom from house to house
asking for treats, such as candy. After ringing the door or
otherwise gaining the attention of the homeowner, the question
"Trick or treat?" is uttered. The "trick" is an idle threat to
perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if not treat
is given. Over the years, the manner of decorating one's yard has
been increasingly more colorful and complex with large animated
displays being used in some yards.
[0006] Over the years, Halloween has become a very large commercial
activity and event. Billions of dollars are spent each year in
costumes, candy and other displays.
[0007] Similarly, Christmas is the largest of commercial holidays
and is associated with the display of a Christmas tree with
decorative ornaments. Christmas is likewise associated with Santa
Claus and other colorful characters, such as snowmen, etc. As with
Halloween, large decorative figures, such as Santa Claus, are often
displayed both inside and outside the home.
SUMMARY
[0008] In accordance with one embodiment, a self-standing toy
skeleton display includes a skeleton body that has a human form and
is made of a plurality of connectable body parts that are each
formed of bone structures. The connectable body parts at least
includes a torso part that extends from a pelvic bone to a bottom
end of a femur bone and a lower body part that extends from a top
end of a tibia bone to foot bones. The skeleton toy display also
includes an inner frame for supporting the skeleton in a standing
manner. The inner frame passes through the femur bone and the tibia
bone and is formed of separate upper and lower frame members that
interlockingly mate with one another at an interface between the
femur bones and the tibia bones. The lower frame member includes a
pair of ground contacting portions that are mounted to an underside
of the feet of the skeleton body with at least a portion of the
ground contacting portion being located behind a heel portion of
the foot to allow the assembled body parts of the skeleton to stand
upright in a self-supporting manner, while permitting lower
extremities thereof to move and be adjusted.
[0009] It will be appreciated that the self-standing toy that is
discussed herein is not limited to being a skeleton figure and
other characters, such as Santa Claus, a Snowman, etc., can be made
in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
[0010] These and other aspects, features and advantages shall be
apparent from the accompanying Drawings and description of certain
embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a front view of a standing skeleton according to
one embodiment of the present invention without the inner frame
showing a first assembly step;
[0012] FIG. 2 is front view of a standing skeleton of FIG. 1
without the inner frame and in a fully assembled condition;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a front view of a standing skeleton if FIG. 1
without the inner frame showing a tray being supported by the
skeleton;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a rear view of a skull of the skeleton of FIG.
1;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a front view of a skeleton showing a bone
structure that is common to the standing skeleton of FIG. 1 showing
the support frame of the standing skeleton of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a front view of a lower extremity of the skeleton
showing a portion of the support frame including ground contacting
supports;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a front view of a pelvic region of the skeleton
showing a portion of the support frame;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a side view of the pelvic region of the skeleton
showing the portion of the support frame;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a close-up of a ground contacting portion of an
inner frame of the skeleton;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a front view of a standing skeleton according to
another embodiment of the present invention without the inner frame
showing a first assembly step;
[0021] FIG. 11 is a front view of a display figure according to yet
another embodiment of the present invention without the inner frame
showing a first assembly step; and
[0022] FIG. 12 is a front view of a standing skeleton according to
one embodiment of the present invention showing the inner
frame.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0023] In accordance with a first embodiment of the present
invention, a standing skeleton 100 is illustrated in FIGS. 1-9. It
will be appreciated that for simplicity FIGS. 1-4 illustrate the
standing skeleton 100 without its inner frame 500 that is
responsible for maintaining the skeleton 100 in an upright
position, while permitting movement thereof. The standing skeleton
100 includes 4 major components, namely, a skull 110, an upper body
part 120, a torso part 150 and a lower body part 170.
[0024] The skull 110 includes synthetic hair 112 and can wear a cap
114 that conceals a compartment 116 that stores an energy source,
such as batteries 118. The compartment 116 can include a removable
cover that covers the batteries 118 or the compartment can only be
covered by the cap 114 which in this case includes a section 119
that can be lifted to reveal and permit access to the batteries
118. A control switch 115 is also provided for selecting a mode of
operation as described below.
[0025] The skull 110 includes a coupling post 117 which has the
appearance and is located where the neck vertebra are located.
[0026] The upper body part 120 is formed of a number of different
bones and generally extends from the collar bone 122 to the lower
vertebra 124 of the spine. More specifically, the upper body part
120 includes the rib cage 126 and the upper extremities of the body
including the left and right humerus 127, ulna 128, radius 129,
wrist 130 and fingers 132. The vertebra 124 acts as a coupling
member and pivot axis that permits the upper body part 120 to be
attached to the torso part 150. In other words, the vertebra 124 is
in the form of a post-like structure that can be received within a
complementary opening for coupling the upper body part 120 to
another component, in this case the torso part 150.
[0027] At the top of the upper body part 120, a lower neck vertebra
121 is provided and includes an opening or hole for receiving the
coupling post 117 of the skull for securely attaching the skull 110
to the upper body part 120. It will be appreciated that this type
of attachment permits pivotal movement of the skull 110 relative to
the upper body part 120.
[0028] The torso body part 150 generally extends from the pelvis
area 152 to the knee cap 154 (bottom of the femur). The torso body
part 150 includes the bones that make up the pelvis 152 and the
left and right femur 156.
[0029] The lower body part 170 generally extends from below the
knee cap to the foot bones 172. In particular, the lower body part
170 includes the left and right tibia 174, fibula 175, ankle 176
and foot bones 172.
[0030] As will be appreciated from FIGS. 1-4 and from the below
discussion, the skeleton can be decorated with clothing and other
accessories.
[0031] In accordance with the present invention, the standing
skeleton 100 includes an inner frame 500 that permits the skeleton
100 to be self-standing, while permitting adjustment of the
skeleton 100. FIGS. 5-9 show one exemplary inner frame 500 for
supporting the skeleton 100. The inner frame 500 extends from the
lower body part 170 to the torso part 150 and is configured to
support the skeleton 100. The inner frame 500 is generally in the
form of a number of shaped, hollow support members (tube members)
that interconnect with another for coupling the different parts of
the skeleton 100. It will be appreciated that sections of the inner
frame 500 pass through hollow portions of the bones.
[0032] The inner frame 500 includes a ground contacting portion 510
in the form of a ground contacting plate that is attached to one
foot 172 (best shown in FIG. 9). More specifically, the ground
contacting portion 510 includes a first plate 512 that extends
below the foot 172 and extends from a heel portion thereof to or
proximate to the ends of the toes. The first plate 512 can have a
rectangular shape and is attached (mounted) to an underside of the
foot using conventional means including but not limited to using
fasteners (e.g., screws, rivets, etc.). The ground contact portion
510 also includes a second plate 514 that is attached to the end of
the first plate 512 that is near the heel portion of the foot. The
second plate 514 extends outwardly from one side edge of the first
plate 512. FIG. 9 shows the first and second plates 512, 514 with
reference character "C" being a connection point between the plates
512, 514 using a fastener or the like. Reference character "B"
represents the location of the foot bones beyond a front edge of
the first section 512 and reference character "A" represents the
location of where the heel of the foot rests when the assembled
plates 512, 514 are mounted to the foot.
[0033] The first and second plates 512, 514 are attached to one
another and in the assembled condition, assume an L-shape with the
second plate 514 having a shorter length. In other words, the
second plate 514 can be mounted generally perpendicular to the
first plate 512. The first and second plates 512, 514 can be formed
of a number of different materials and preferably are formed of
metal.
[0034] The inner frame 500 also includes a first vertical support
520 that is attached at one end of the first plate 512. For
example, the first vertical support 520 can be attached to the heel
portion of the first plate 512. The first vertical support 520 can
be in the form of a tubular member. As shown in FIG. 1, the first
vertical support 520 terminates in a free end 522 that extends
above the tibia bone. As described below, the free end 522 includes
a releasable locking mechanism that permits the lower body part 170
to be coupled to the torso part 150.
[0035] The first vertical support 520 passes through the hollow
interior of the tibia bone and therefore is not visible along most
of the length of the tibia bone. The first vertical support 520 can
be a metal tube. The attachment between the tubular member and the
first plate 512 can be accomplished using conventional techniques,
including welding.
[0036] The inner frame 500 also includes a second vertical support
530 that terminates in a free end 532. The second vertical support
530 has a first section 535 that extends within the hollow interior
of the femur bone and exits the top of the femur bone. A second
section 536 is a curved section that passes behind and along the
rear of the pelvic (hip) girdle (pelvis) toward the vertebra. The
second section 536 is attached to the vertebra above the sacrum.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show the curved second section 536. The second
section 536 thus mounts the upper femur to the vertebra. When the
skeleton 100 is assembled, the curved second section 536 is located
generally above the rear part (second section 514) of the ground
contact portion 510. The second section 536 can thus be thought of
as a cross bar for the frame assembly. This arrangement provides
increased stability and support to the skeleton 100.
[0037] The second section 536 and the first section 535 can be part
of the same tubular or rod-like structure. In other words, the
sections 535, 536 are part of a preformed, shaped metal
structure.
[0038] As described below, the free end 532 includes a releasable
locking mechanism that mates with the free end 522. For example, as
shown in the exploded partial view of FIG. 1, the free end 522
includes a male component (pin) 540 that mates with a female
component (slot) 550 of the free end 532. More specifically, the
pin 540 extends outwardly from the side of the free end 522 and the
slot 550 is formed in the free end 532 and is open along a bottom
edge thereof. The slot 550 includes a locking channel 552 that is
open along the bottom edge thereof and is in communication with a
locking opening 554 at a closed end of the locking channel 552. The
locking opening 554 can be a curved slot.
[0039] FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a method of assembling the standing
skeleton. To couple the lower body part 170 to the torso part 150,
the free ends 522 are inserted into the open free ends 532 with the
locking pins 540 being aligned with the locking channels 552. As
the tubes 520, 535 are mated together, the pins 540 slide upwardly
along the respective locking channels 552 until the pins 540 can
communicate with the slots 550. The lower body part 170 is then
rotated (twisted) relative to the torso part 150 in order to engage
the locking pins 540 which also places the feet in their correct
position. When disassembling the skeleton 100, the above procedure
is reversed.
[0040] Next, the upper body part 120 is mounted to the torso 150 by
inserting the post (vertebra 124) into a complementary opening of
the torso 150 for coupling the upper body part 120 to the torso
part 150. The animated skull 110 is mounted to the upper body part
120 by inserting the neck vertebra into the opening of the
vertebra. The left to right "turning" of the head can be adjusted
by manually turning the head to the desired position.
[0041] FIG. 2 shows the fully assembled skeleton 100. FIG. 2 also
shows a tray support bracket 590 that is located on the front of
the spin of the skeleton 100. The backside of a tray 700 is placed
on the bracket 590. The tray 700 is thus designed to be attached to
the bracket 590. For example, an underside of the tray 700 can
include an opening or slot that received the bracket 590. Once the
tray 700 is attached to the bracket 590, a strap 710 is attached
around the neck of the skeleton 100. The strap holding the tray 700
can easily be adjusted by shortening or lengthening the strap 710.
It will be appreciated that other means can be used to hold the
tray 700 instead of a strap. For example, a pot, as shown in FIG.
10, can be secured to an arm of the figure.
[0042] FIG. 3 shows the tray 700 and strap 710 in place. The tray
assembly and inner frame 500 are configured to hold up to 30 pounds
of candy or the like. Once again, other type of container
structures can be used.
[0043] Once the skeleton 100 is fully assembled, the arms and
hands, which have "ball joints," and the forearms, which have an
"adjustable self-locking joint," can be positioned for effect.
[0044] It will be appreciated that unlike traditional skeletons
which are either hung or staked in the ground, the skeleton 100 of
the present invention is a self-standing structure that can support
weight. The inner frame 500 is conveniently formed of a number of
interlockable support members that join the major parts together.
In addition, the "bent" second section 536 creates a rear mounting
location and distributes weight to allow the skeleton 100 to be
self-standing. The inner frame 500 is pivotable enough so that it
has a degree of movement that allows movement of the legs and other
body parts.
[0045] While the inner frame 500 is typically made of metal to add
weight and support to the skeleton 100, the bones of the skeleton
are formed of suitable synthetic materials, such as plastics and
the like and are hollow to allow passage of the inner frame 500.
The inner frame 500 also properly balances the skeleton 100 to
allow the skeleton to stand upright.
[0046] It will also be appreciated that while, the illustrated
drawings show a skeleton 100 that is suitable for Halloween, the
inner frame 500 can be used in other toy displays that are used for
other holidays. For example, the inner frame 500 can be used with
Santa displays or other displays bodies, such as a snowman or the
like. In other words, the inner frame 500 can be incorporated into
any number of different bodies that have different appearances,
with the illustrated skeleton being merely one exemplary type of
body in which the inner frame 500 is incorporated.
[0047] FIG. 10 discloses a standing skeleton 600 that is similar to
skeleton 100 and includes inner frame 500 (FIG. 5). As with the
skeleton 100, the skeleton 600 includes 4 major components, namely,
a skull 110, an upper body part 120, a torso part 150 and a lower
body part 170. The outfit of the skeleton 600 is different from the
skeleton 100, which has a vendor outfit, and in particular, the
skeleton 600 has a chef outfit. The chef's outfit includes a chef
hat and an apron. The skeleton 600 holds a spoon 610 in one hand
and a pot 620 in the other hand. The pot 620 can contain items,
such as candy. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the spoon
610 and pot 620 has glow-in-the-dark properties. The skeleton 600
includes illuminated eyeballs 630. The eyeballs 630 can likewise
have glow-in-the-dark properties.
[0048] FIG. 11 discloses another self-standing figure in a form
other than a skeleton. More specifically, FIG. 11 discloses a FIG.
650 in the form of Santa Claus. It will be appreciated that FIG. 11
illustrates that the inner frame 500 (FIG. 5) shown in the earlier
figures can be used in other non-skeleton displays where bones are
not shown. The inner frame 500 can be incorporated into the legs of
the Santa Claus display figure. As with the skeleton, the Santa
Claus FIG. 650 has moving parts, including a moving head and the
arms can be posed. The upper body of the FIG. 650 can move
side-to-side from the waist up. However, the inner frame 500 serves
the same purpose as in the skeleton 100 in that it provides the
proper weighting and balancing to permit the FIG. 100 to be
self-standing.
[0049] FIG. 12 discloses a skeleton 800 that is similar to skeleton
100 and includes the inner frame 500 as previously described for
supporting the skeleton 800. The skeleton 800 also includes
additional features, such as one or more bones 810 that
glow-in-the-dark. For example, the skull 110, femur 820, tibia 822,
humerus 824, and ulna 826 bones can glow due to the material
characteristics of these bones. In other words, specific bones can
be formed of glow-in-the-dark material and other surrounding bones
are formed of different material that does not have
glow-in-the-dark properties. In addition, an illuminating source,
such as a strobe light 830, can be provided within the ribcage 850
of the skeleton. The strobe light 830 can be mounted along the
spine 860 or to one or more ribs and includes an accessible switch
to allow the strobe light 830 to be turned on and off.
[0050] The skeleton 800 can further include eyeballs 870 that can
be illuminated, animated eyeballs disposed within the eye sockets.
In particular, the eyeballs 870 are in communication with a light
source and can move so as to create an effect.
[0051] In yet another embodiment, specific bones can have a color
changing glow in that different regions of the same bone can glow
in different colors. For example, one bone can glow in at least two
different colors (e.g., three different colors). For example, the
center of the bone can glow one color (red, green or blue) and the
edges of the bone can glow another color (red, green or blue). The
strobe light 830 can be a multi-color strobe light that is located
within the ribcage to provide multi-color illumination of the
skeleton.
[0052] It will be appreciated that the present invention is
directed to a self-standing figure that incorporates an inner frame
member 500 that is carefully designed to allow the figure to stand
by itself in a balanced manner The inner frame 500 is incorporated
into the figure so that it is obscured by other parts of the figure
and thus provides a pleasing appearance.
[0053] While the invention has been described in connection with
certain embodiments thereof, the invention is capable of being
practiced in other forms and using other materials and structures.
Accordingly, the invention is defined by the recitations in the
claims appended hereto and equivalents thereof.
* * * * *