GB2066089A

GB2066089A - Models

Info

Publication number: GB2066089A
Application number: GB7930289A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-08-31
Filing date: 1979-08-31
Publication date: 1981-07-08

Abstract

In or for a model having eyes, e.g. a toy doll, a toy animal, a tailors' dummy, a window mannequin or a demonstration head, an eye of changeable colour, preferably of a material whose colour is temperature sensitive, e.g. a cholesteric liquid crystal material. The eye may be provided with an electrical heating element which may be controlled by a variable resistance and/or adjustable thermostat. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Models This invention relates to models having eyes, which term is intended to include toy dolls, toy animals, tailors' dummies, window mannequins and demonstration heads for use as toys or in hairdressers' windows etc.

It has long been desirable to alter characteristics of models, e.g. changing clothes and wigs, both in the field of toys and in the field of window models.

One point to which little or no attention has been given in the past is to changing the colour of the eyes. This has great sales appeal in the case of toys and is of great value with window models, demonstration heads etc. to match, contrast or otherwise relate to hair colour and/or cosmetic tonal values.

In its broadest aspect the invention consists in a model having eyes, or an eye for such a model, the colour of the eyes being changeable.

It would be possible to achieve the colour change by replacing the eyeballs, but this solution is impracticable with children's toys and inconvenient with window and demonstation models. An elegant solution that is unexpected, simple, convenient and cheap is to use a material whose colour is temperature sensitive. Thus, more particularly, there is provided a model having eyes, or an eye for such a model, a visible portion of the eye comprising a material whose colour is temperature sensitive. In the case of a doll, this portion would be the iris.

To obtain a lifelike appearance there can be selected a cholesteric liquid crystal material. This may, for example, be obtained in a form applied to plastics sheet from Djinni Industries Inc. of 153 E.

Helena Street, Dayton, Ohio 45404, U.S.A., in various temperature specifications, i.e. responsive to change colour at different temperatures and over different temperature spreads.

Particularly with a view to use at about room temperature, there can be chosen a sheet which appears black at a lower temperature, e.g. room temperature, and then changes through a series of colours, e.g. through brown, green, blue as the temperature rises to about 26"C. Depending on the application, the intended location of the model and the sensitivity required, the spread of the range will usually be chosen from 2C. to 15C. with the lower end of the range at, for example, some point between 1 5 C. and 20"C. For example, for a toy doll, the range can be suitably chosen to spread over 1 8 C. to 28"C. (65"F. to 820F.), so that the irises are black at a cool room temperature but rapidly change through brown and then green to deep blue as the doll's eyes are warmed towards human body temperature.

In some applications, as with simple toys, the col our will be allowed to vary in dependence on ambient temperature. In other applications, where more precise colour control is required, as with sophisticated toys, window models, demonstration heads and the like, a heating element can be provided, to be controlled by means of an on-off switch, or for greater control a variable resistance. There may also be provided a thermostat which may be adjustable or have stepped settings.

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. is a diagram of a doll's eye embodying the invention with no heater, Fig. 2 is a diagram of a doll's eye embodying the invention with a controllable heater, and Fig. 3 is a diagram of a doll showing the Fig. 2 doll's eye in situ with its control circuitry.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a doll's eye 10 having a casing 12 with a transparent lens 14, both of plastics and of usual kind, the lens being backed by an iris sheet 16 of cholesteric liquid crystal material with a black centre 18 to simulate a pupil.

The colour-temperature characteristics of the material are chosen according to the intended conditions of use, as explained above. In the case of the material obtained from Djinni Industries Inc., the cholesteric liquid crystal material is encapsulated in minute globules coated onto the plastics sheet surface. The composition of the liquid controls the temperaturecolour characteristics. The conditions of use may be, for example, that the warming is left to ambient temperature orto a child breathing on the doll's eyes or may arise as a result of radiant heat, e.g. from a radiant fire or heaterorthe sun.

Fig. 2 shows a doll's eye as in Fig. 1 with the addition of a heating element 20 embedded in a pellet 22 of "thermal compound" which may be of any suitable known kind. In this case, the lower end of the temperature range may be chosen somewhat higher than in the Fig. 1 case, for example at a point from 20"C. to 30"C., e.g. at 23"C.

Referring to Fig. 3, a six-volt battery 24 is used with a 1/8 watt 330 ohm (preferred value) resistor 20 in each eye, the two resistors being connected in parallel with each other and through a 1/10 watt 1000 ohm rotary variable resistor 26 and a biased switch 28 to the battery, so that the current flows only while the switch is being pressed. The switch and rotary resistor are mounted at the rear of the doll. The switch need not be biased. It is convenient to embed each resistor 20 in the pellet 22 of a suitable known thermal compound in order to give good thermal contact with the liquid crystal material and reduce the power requirements. An adjustable or settable thermostat 30 may be included instead of or as well as variable resistor 26 and also mounted at the back of the doll.

1. In or for a model having eyes, an eye the colour of which is changeable.

2. An eye as claimed in claim 1, a visible portion of which comprises a material whose colour is temperature sensitive.

3. An eye as claimed in claim 2, in which the said material is a cholesteric liquid crystal material.

4. An eye as claimed in claim 3 in which the colour-changing temperature range extends over a span lying in the range of 2C."to 15C." The drawing(s) originally filed was/were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Models This invention relates to models having eyes, which term is intended to include toy dolls, toy animals, tailors' dummies, window mannequins and demonstration heads for use as toys or in hairdressers' windows etc. It has long been desirable to alter characteristics of models, e.g. changing clothes and wigs, both in the field of toys and in the field of window models. One point to which little or no attention has been given in the past is to changing the colour of the eyes. This has great sales appeal in the case of toys and is of great value with window models, demonstration heads etc. to match, contrast or otherwise relate to hair colour and/or cosmetic tonal values. In its broadest aspect the invention consists in a model having eyes, or an eye for such a model, the colour of the eyes being changeable. It would be possible to achieve the colour change by replacing the eyeballs, but this solution is impracticable with children's toys and inconvenient with window and demonstation models. An elegant solution that is unexpected, simple, convenient and cheap is to use a material whose colour is temperature sensitive. Thus, more particularly, there is provided a model having eyes, or an eye for such a model, a visible portion of the eye comprising a material whose colour is temperature sensitive. In the case of a doll, this portion would be the iris. To obtain a lifelike appearance there can be selected a cholesteric liquid crystal material. This may, for example, be obtained in a form applied to plastics sheet from Djinni Industries Inc. of 153 E. Helena Street, Dayton, Ohio 45404, U.S.A., in various temperature specifications, i.e. responsive to change colour at different temperatures and over different temperature spreads. Particularly with a view to use at about room temperature, there can be chosen a sheet which appears black at a lower temperature, e.g. room temperature, and then changes through a series of colours, e.g. through brown, green, blue as the temperature rises to about 26"C. Depending on the application, the intended location of the model and the sensitivity required, the spread of the range will usually be chosen from 2C. to 15C. with the lower end of the range at, for example, some point between 1 5 C. and 20"C. For example, for a toy doll, the range can be suitably chosen to spread over 1 8 C. to 28"C. (65"F. to 820F.), so that the irises are black at a cool room temperature but rapidly change through brown and then green to deep blue as the doll's eyes are warmed towards human body temperature. In some applications, as with simple toys, the col our will be allowed to vary in dependence on ambient temperature. In other applications, where more precise colour control is required, as with sophisticated toys, window models, demonstration heads and the like, a heating element can be provided, to be controlled by means of an on-off switch, or for greater control a variable resistance. There may also be provided a thermostat which may be adjustable or have stepped settings. Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. is a diagram of a doll's eye embodying the invention with no heater, Fig. 2 is a diagram of a doll's eye embodying the invention with a controllable heater, and Fig. 3 is a diagram of a doll showing the Fig. 2 doll's eye in situ with its control circuitry. Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a doll's eye 10 having a casing 12 with a transparent lens 14, both of plastics and of usual kind, the lens being backed by an iris sheet 16 of cholesteric liquid crystal material with a black centre 18 to simulate a pupil. The colour-temperature characteristics of the material are chosen according to the intended conditions of use, as explained above. In the case of the material obtained from Djinni Industries Inc., the cholesteric liquid crystal material is encapsulated in minute globules coated onto the plastics sheet surface. The composition of the liquid controls the temperaturecolour characteristics. The conditions of use may be, for example, that the warming is left to ambient temperature orto a child breathing on the doll's eyes or may arise as a result of radiant heat, e.g. from a radiant fire or heaterorthe sun. Fig. 2 shows a doll's eye as in Fig. 1 with the addition of a heating element 20 embedded in a pellet 22 of "thermal compound" which may be of any suitable known kind. In this case, the lower end of the temperature range may be chosen somewhat higher than in the Fig. 1 case, for example at a point from 20"C. to 30"C., e.g. at 23"C. Referring to Fig. 3, a six-volt battery 24 is used with a 1/8 watt 330 ohm (preferred value) resistor 20 in each eye, the two resistors being connected in parallel with each other and through a 1/10 watt 1000 ohm rotary variable resistor 26 and a biased switch 28 to the battery, so that the current flows only while the switch is being pressed. The switch and rotary resistor are mounted at the rear of the doll. The switch need not be biased. It is convenient to embed each resistor 20 in the pellet 22 of a suitable known thermal compound in order to give good thermal contact with the liquid crystal material and reduce the power requirements. An adjustable or settable thermostat 30 may be included instead of or as well as variable resistor 26 and also mounted at the back of the doll. CLAIMS

1. In or for a model having eyes, an eye the colour of which is changeable.

5. An eye as claimed in claim 3 or4 in which the lower end of the colour-changing temperature range lies at some point in the range from 1 5 C. to 20or.

6. An eye as claimed in claim 3 or 4 in which the colour-changing temperature range has a lower end at a point in the range from 20"C. to 30"C.

7. An eye as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6 comprising a heating element adjacent to the said material.

8. An eye as claimed in claim 7 in which the heating element is embedded in a pellet of thermal compound thermally contacting the said material.

9. An eye as claimed in claim 7 or8 in which the heating element is electricai and is connected in series with a variable resistance.

10. An eye as claimed in claim 7, 8 or9, in which the heating element is connected to a thermostat for controlling the temperature of the element

11. An eye as claimed in claim lOin which the thermostat is adjustable and/or has stepped settings.

12. In orfora model having eyes, an eye such stantially according to any embodiment hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing or otherwise referred to herein.

13. A model having eyes and substantially according to any embodiment hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing or otherwise referred to herein.