U.S. patent number 3,691,679 [Application Number 05/098,001] was granted by the patent office on 1972-09-19 for growing doll fingernails.
Invention is credited to Daniel D. Kersten.
United States Patent |
3,691,679 |
Kersten |
September 19, 1972 |
GROWING DOLL FINGERNAILS
Abstract
This invention is directed to a toy doll structure which has
simulated fingernails. The fingernails appear at the end of the
doll's fingers in a fashion very similar to real, growing human
fingernails. When desired, the fingernail can be pulled out a
length and cut off to simulate the growth of the fingernail.
Furthermore, if a new polish area is desired, the fingernail
material can be pulled out in an entire fingernail length, cut off
and repainted with fingernail polish.
Inventors: |
Kersten; Daniel D. (Esconido,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
22266155 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/098,001 |
Filed: |
December 14, 1970 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
545096 |
Apr 25, 1966 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/320;
446/390 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H
3/36 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63H
3/00 (20060101); A63H 3/36 (20060101); A63h
003/36 () |
Field of
Search: |
;46/115,135,156,163 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Mancene; Louis G.
Assistant Examiner: Cutting; Robert F.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a substitute of the abandoned U.S. patent
application by Daniel D. Kersten entitled, "Growing Doll
Fingernails," filed Apr. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 545,096.
Claims
I claim:
1. A toy doll having extremities with digits on said extremities,
at least one of said digits having a fingernail structure, said
fingernail structure comprising:
an interior channel within the extremity having said fingernail
structure, said interior channel leading to the exterior of said
extremity, and
a nail-like structure located so as to extend through said opening
into said channel, part of said nail-like structure being located
on the exterior of said extremity so as to appear like a nail part
of said extremity,
said nail-like structure being movable with respect to said
extremity so that different portions of said nail-like structure
from within said channel can be located on the exterior of said
extremity.
2. The structure of claim 1 wherein:
said nail-like structure extends for a greater distance interiorly
of said digit than exteriorly of said digit when positioned to
appear as a nail on a digit.
3. The structure of claim 1 wherein:
a stop is provided on said nail-like structure to limit movement of
the nail-like structure with respect to said digit.
4. The structure of claim 1 wherein:
said stop is formed on said nail-like structure, and
is positioned to prevent removal of said nail-like structure from
said digit,
said nail-like structure extends for a greater distance interiorly
of said digit than exteriorly of said digit when positioned to
appear as a nail on a digit.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Children's dolls are well known in the toy children's These
children dolls are available in many sorts and sizes, and capable
of many simulated human characteristics. For example, there are
walking dolls and there are talking dolls. There are dolls on which
the hair can be treated, fashioned, combed and brushed. There are
many dolls of suitable size and shapes for dressing. There are
crying dolls and wetting dolls. However, there are no dolls which
will "grow" so that the child playing with the doll has an
opportunity to cut fingernails or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus it is an object and advantage of this invention to provide a
doll which has structure which simulates the growing of
fingernails. It is also an object and an advantage of this
invention to provide such a simulated doll fingernail structure
which is capable of being treated similarly to human fingernails,
such as being painted with fingernail polish and/or trimmed to
length.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent
from a study of the following portions of this specification
including the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a doll having fingernails in
accordance with this invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the doll's hands
showing the fingernail structure;
FIG. 3 is a further enlarged section taken generally along the line
3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a further enlarged sectional detail of the FIG. 2
structure; and
FIG. 5 is a section taken along 5--5 of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A doll have a structure of this invention having "growing" nails is
shown in FIG. 1 and is generally indicated as 10. The doll 10 has
pseudo-human appearance, and may be of any desired doll
configuration. In order to resemble the human appearance the doll
10 is provided with arms 12 and 14 and legs 16 and 18. The arms 12
and 14 terminate in hands 20 and 22, while the legs terminate in
feet 24 and 26. The hands 20 and 22, as well as the feet 24 and 26
terminate in digits, each of which can have a fingernail structure
in accordance with this invention. It may be preferred that only
the digits of the hands 20 and 22 have the fingernail structure of
this invention, but such may also be applied to the digits of the
feet 24 and 26.
Referring principally to FIG. 2, the hand 20 is shown in top plan.
The hand 20 is provided with the usual five digits including thumb
28, and the usual four fingers 30, 32, 34 and 36. As is seen in
FIGS. 2 through 5, the thumb 28, fingers 30 through 36 and hand 20
are hollow. They have an adjoining interior space 38. Each of the
digits of which 28 is the detailed example shown in FIG. 3 through
5, has a subsurface 40 upon which the nail 42 rests. As is best
seen in FIG. 5, the subsurface 40 extends underneath the sides of
the finger adjacent the fingernail area 44 to form guide channels
46 and 48. The guide channels 46 and 48 determine the width of nail
42. An opening of substantially uniform width, corresponding to the
distance between the interior of the guide channel 46 and 48, and
preferably curved to the configuration of the subsurface 40,
extends through opening 50 into the interior 38.
The nail 42 is a relatively flexible piece of material of such
width that fits within guide channels 46 and 48 and pass through
opening 50. The fingernail area 44 has a suitably curved
cuticle-like termination, so that the portion of the nail 42
extending out of the opening 50 and visible in the fingernail area
44 is shaped conventionally like a normal fingernail. The material
of the fingernail 42 is relatively long when new, so that it
extends from the extremity of the digit through the opening 50 and
well into the hollow interior 38. If desired, it can be coiled in
the interior. However, in those cases where the doll's wrist is not
flexible, the nail 42 can extend all the way up the forearm if
desired. Thus, a large supply of fingernail material 42 is
available. The material of the nail 42 is preferably substantially
opaque and is colored like the normal fingernail.
As a convenience for children playing with the doll, so they do not
pull the nails too far out, the nail can be optionally provided
with stops. As is seen in FIG. 3, the nail 42 has a stop 54 which
is in the form of a barb bent down from the main portion of the
nail. The barb is sufficiently resilient that it can be inserted
through opening 50, but not withdrawn. The nail 42 can also be
alternatively provided with resilient stops 56. The stops 56 are
simply curved bumps formed in the otherwise uniform cross section
of the nail. The stops 56 are sufficiently resilient so that they
can be forced either way through opening 50, but provide a manual
"feel" of periodic increase in resistance. The stops 56 are spaced
about one "nail length" apart so a child does not pull out too much
of nail 42 at one time.
In playing with the doll 10 the nail 42 may be pulled out slightly
and trimmed with ordinary nail clippers. Thus preferably the
material of the fingernail 42 is of such character as to cut like a
normal human fingernail clipper. Furthermore, in playing with the
doll 10 the fingernails in the fingernail area 44 can be colored
with ordinary nail polish material. Thus, the material of the nail
42 should be such as to accept that type of coloring material. In
order to maintain cleanliness, it is desirable that the material of
the digits adjacent the fingernail area 44 be of such material that
they do not accept coloration by ordinary nail polish material.
Furthermore, it may be desirable to provide a special type of
fingernail coloring material which is washable. In this case, the
nail material and the finger material are preferably suitable to
respectively accept and reject the washable coloring material.
Various known, conventional polymer composition materials are
suitable for these purposes.
After nail polish has been applied, as is indicated at 52 in FIGS.
4 and 5, if the child desires to recolor the nails, the fingernails
can be pulled out the full length of the fingernail area 44,
trimmed to shape and repainted with nail polish. The procedure of
trimming, together with painting with nail polish if desired, can
continue until the supply of fingernail material 42 is
exhausted.
The fingernail material 42 can be replenished by engaging a new
piece of fingernail material 42 in the guide channels 46 and 48 and
thrusting it through opening 50 into the hollow interior 38. After
it has been inserted in so that it only slightly extends beyond the
fingernail area 44, it can be trimmed to shape and the nail
material is then ready for the use.
It is clear that each of the digits on the hands, and optionally
the feet, can be supplied with the fingernail structure of this
invention. Furthermore, the sizes of the fingernail structures of
each of the digits can be arranged to be of such size to be
appropriate for the particular digit.
While a hollow interior 38 is shown, it is clear that in some cases
it may be desirable to have a separate channel interior of the hand
or foot for each of the fingernails 42 within the extremities. Each
individual space in communication with the opening 50 would then
serve as an individual guide channel extending all the way into the
extremity for individual guidance. In most cases such would not be
necessary or desirable, for an additional amount of material would
be necessary to make the extremity in that fashion.
This invention having been described in this preferred embodiment,
it is clear that it is susceptible to numerous modifications and
embodiments within the scope of this invention and without the
exercise of the inventive faculty. Accordingly the scope of this
invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *