EP0104007A1

EP0104007A1 - Dolls

Info

Publication number: EP0104007A1
Application number: EP83304931A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stuart Fielding Moore; Brian Walter Turner
Original assignee: CPG Products Corp
Current assignee: CPG Products Corp
Priority date: 1982-08-26
Filing date: 1983-08-25
Publication date: 1984-03-28
Also published as: DK384983D0; GB2126114A; DK384983A; GB8322856D0; GR78680B

Abstract

@ A doll having a weeping mechanism, such mechanism comprising water storage means (2) including a water inlet chamber (12) connected by water inlet passage means (3) to the doll's mouth, and a water outlet chamber (17) connected by water outlet passage means (4) to the doll's eyes for water to flow thereto by gravity only when the doll is in a predetermined weeping position, and means (21) permitting water to transfer by gravity from said inlet chamber to said outlet chamber when the doll is in a transfer position substantially different from said weeping position.

Description

This invention relates to dolls and has as its primary object to provide improved means in a doll to simulate weeping.
British Patent No. 1 142 372 describes a doll having such means, in a form which operates only when the air pressure inside the doll's body is increased, e.g. by squeezing its abdomen. This procedure lacks realism and the present invention sets out to provide a doll which will weep without the necessity for any unnatural action such as squeezing.
Thus viewed from one aspect the invention provides a doll having a weeping mechanism, such mechanism comprising water storage means including a water inlet chamber connected by water inlet passage means to the doll's mouth, and a water outlet chamber connected by water outlet passage means to the doll's eyes for water to flow thereto by gravity only when the doll is in predetermined weeping position, and means permitting water to transfer by gravity from said inlet chamber to said outlet chamber when the doll is in a transfer position substantially different from said weeping position.
With such an arrangement, once water has been introduced into the said inlet chamber by way of the doll's mouth, the doll may be caused to weep simply by changing its position to the said weeping position by way of the said transfer position, all of the water flow being brought about by gravity and no unnatural actions such as squeezing of the doll's body therefore being necessary. If desired, the water may be introduced into the said inlet chamber with the doll in said transfer position so that the water will then flow directly to the outlet chamber, ready for the doll to weep as soon as it is moved to the weeping position. At the same time it is ensured that water introduced into the doll through the mouth cannot flow directly to the eyes, which would again produce an unnatural effect.
In a preferred arrangement the weeping position is one in which the doll's body is upright, whilst the transfer position is one in which it substantially horizontal. With such an arrangement the doll will start to weep when it is picked up from a lying down position.
Preferably the doll further incorporates a wetting mechanism. This may be of the kind described in the aforementioned Patent No. 1 142 372, operating by overflow from the water storage means into the doll's torso which is provided with an appropriately positioned outlet.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a view of the interior of the head of a doll according to the invention, partly in cross-section and partly in side elevation;
Figure'2 is a view in front to rear vertical medial cross-section of the water storage means of the doll;
Figure 3 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow III from the plane A-A in Figure 2; and
Figure 4 is a similar view in the direction of arrow IV.

Referring to the drawings, the doll's head 1 contains water storage means 2 connected to the mouth by a single water inlet tube 3 and to the eyes by two water outlet tubes 4. The tube 3 is connected to the mouth via a fitting 5 adapted to receive a teat of a feeding bottle (not shown) for introducing water into the tube 3, preferably by squeezing the bottle. A flexible tube 6 arranged to receive overflow from the storage means opens into the doll's torso at a lower level for wetting purposes as previously described.
The water storage means comprises three plastic elements 7, 8 and 9 secured together by adhesive and by a locating peg 10 on the element 9. Tubular element 7, to which the water inlet tube 3 is connected, leads water through an aperture 11 (Figure 3) in the front wall of element 8 and thereby into a water inlet chamber 12 defined by walls 13 and 14 of the element 8 and central face 15 of the element 9. Water outlet tubes 4 are connected via tubular fittings 16 on the element 8 to water outlet chamber 17 which is of inverted V-shape and is defined by walls 18 and 19 of element 9 and outer faces 20 of element 8. The only communication between inlet chamber 12 and outlet chamber 17 is by way of recess 21 formed in element 8, leading into the apex of the chamber 17.
When water is introduced into the mouth, preferably under pressure with the doll in an upright position, it flows into the inlet chamber 12. If it reaches the level of an overflow fitting 22 formed in the element 9 and projecting into the inlet chamber, the water overflows through the-tube 6. The fitting 22 is offset laterally from the aperture 11 so that water flowing in through the latter will not directly enter the overflow tube.
Once a quantity of water is present in the inlet chamber 12 it remains there so long as the doll is upright. However if the doll is laid down the water will flow into the outlet chamber 17 by way of the recess 21. With the doll lying down the water cannot flow to the eyes through the tubes 4, but this will occur when the doll is returned to an upright position. Thus in this embodiment of the invention the aforementioned weeping position is when the doll is upright, and the transfer position is when it is lying down.

Claims

1. A doll having a weeping mechanism, such mechanism comprising water storage means including a water inlet chamber connected by water inlet passage means to the doll's mouth, and a water outlet chamber connected by water outlet passage means to the doll's eyes for water to flow thereto by gravity only when the doll is in a predetermined weeping position, and means permitting water to transfer by gravity from said inlet chamber to said outlet chamber when the doll is in a transfer position substantially different from said weeping position.

2. A doll as claimed in claim 1, wherein said water transfer permitting means comprises an orifice connecting said inlet chamber to said outlet chamber, the orifice being arranged to be located in upper regions of both of said chambers when the doll is in said weeping position, and to be located in a lower region of the inlet chamber and an upper region of the outlet chamber when the doll is in said transfer position.

3. A doll as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said water outlet passage means is connected to said outlet chamber at such a location as to be in a lower region of the outlet chamber when the doll is in said weeping position, and in an upper region of the chamber when the doll is in said transfer position.

4. A doll as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the doll's mouth is adapted to receive a teat of a feeding bottle for.introducing water under pressure.

5. A doll as claimed in any of the preceding claims, including a wetting mechanism comprising an overflow passage from the water storage means into the doll's torso and connected to an appropriately positioned outlet.

6. A doll as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the weeping position is one in which the doll's body is substantially upright, and the . transfer position is one in which it is substantially horizontal.

7. A weeping mechanism for a doll, such mechanism comprising water storage means including a water inlet chamber having water inlet passage means connectible to the doll's mouth, and a water outlet chamber having water outlet passage means connectible to the doll's eyes for water to flow thereto by gravity only when the mechanism is in a predetermined weeping position, and means permitting water to transfer by gravity from said inlet chamber to said outlet chamber when the mechanism is in a transfer position substantially different from said weeping position.