GB2259457A

GB2259457A - A doll

Info

Publication number: GB2259457A
Application number: GB9119729A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raymond Mark Estrin
Original assignee: Grant & Bowman Ltd
Current assignee: Grant & Bowman Ltd
Priority date: 1991-09-16
Filing date: 1991-09-16
Publication date: 1993-03-17
Also published as: GB9119729D0; EP0533461A1

Description

1 r- A DOLL This invention relates to a doll. More particularly, it

relates to a doll which makes a kissing sound.

A child will frequently kiss a doll, for example to say 11goodnight11 to the doll. There is, however, no doll known in the prior art which is able to,kiss" a child. Whilst there are known many dolls which make sounds, there is not known a doll which makes a kissing sound when the lips of the doll are touched.

It is an object of the invention to provide a doll which can,kiss" a child. That is to say, when the lips of the doll touch the child, the doll makes a kissing sound.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a doll having a mouth with lips and adapted to make a kissing sound when pressure is applied to, or contact made with, at least one of said lips.

2 According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a doll comprising:- a mouth with pliable lips; one or more pressure or contact sensors associated with said lips; electric circui.t means connected directly or indirectly to said one or more sensors so as to be responsive thereto; a loudspeaker electrically connected to said circuit means; and power supply means; said loudspeaker, said circuit means and said power supply means being disposed within said doll, whereby, when said pliable lips cf said doll are touched at least one of said one or more pressure or contact sensors is actuated and outputs a first signal to said circuit means whereupon a second, stored, electrical signal is output from said circuit means to said loudspeaker, thereby causing said loudspeaker to emit a "kissing" sound.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a schematic view of a head of a doll; Figure 2 is a cross-section through the head of the doll; and Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-section through the lips of the doll.

3 Referring to the drawings, a head 2 of a doll 1 comprises a mouth 3, including an upper lip 3a and a lower lip 3b. The lips 3a, 3b are made from a pliable material such as vinyl. A foam backing 5 is provided behind the lips 3a, 3b. A first pressure sensor 4a is provided behind the upper lip 3a, between the upper lip and the foam backing, and a second pressure sensor 4b is similarly provided behind the lower lip 3b. The foam backing 5 is provided to ensure that, when tka lips 3a, 3b are touched, the applied pressure is reliably transmitted from the lips to the sensors 4a, 4b.

The pressure sensors 3a, 3b may be any suitable conventional pressure sensors, for example piezo-electric sensors.

Within the head 2 of the doll there is provided an integrated circuit 6 mounted on a printed circuit board 7, a loudspeaker 8 and a battery 9. The pressure sensors 3a, 3b, the loudspeaker 8 and the battery 9 are all electrically connected to the integrated circuit 6. The loudspeaker 8 may be placed directly behind the mouth 3, or it may be placed elsewhere in the head 2. The integrated circuit 6 includes a memory, such as a PROM (a programmable read-only memory) in which is stored the required output signal for producing a kissing sound from the loudspeaker 8 when required.

4 Access means (not shown) are provided to allow the battery 9 to be replaced when necessary.

When at least one of the lips 3a, 3b of the doll are touched the resultant pressure is detected by at least one sensor 4a, 4b, and a first electrical signal is output from said at least one sensor to the integrated circuit 6. When this signal is received by the integrated circuit 6, a second electrical signal (that is, the stored signal) is output from the integrated circuit 6 to the loudspeaker 8. When this signal is received at the loudspeaker 8, the loudspeaker 8 emits a "kissing" sound.

It will apparent to the skilled man that many variations can be made to the embodiment described above. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the embodiment described in detail above.

For example, the battery, the printed circuit board and the loudspeaker could be placed in the body of the doll rather than in the head of the doll. In addition, the lips could be made of a material other-than vinyl, and/or the foam backing behind the lips could be omitted.

Z1 i 1 Furthermore it would be possible to include additional features in the doll which are operated by the integrated circuit at the same time as the loudspeaker is actuated. For example, the eyes of the doll could be closed, by means of a motor (not shown), when the doll makes a kissing sound.

6

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A doll having a mouth with lips and adapted to make a kissing sound when pressure is applied to, or contact made with, at least one of said lips.

2. A doll comprising:- a mouth with pliable lips; one or more pressure or contact sensors associated with said lips; electric circuit means connected directly or indirectly to said one or more sensors so as to be responsive thereto; a loudspeaker electrically connected to said circuit means; and power supply means; said loudspeaker, said circuit means and said power supply means being disposed within said doll, whereby, when said pliable lips of said doll are touched at least one of said one or more pressure or contact sensors is actuated and outputs a first signal to said circuit means whereupon a second, stored, electrical signal is output from said circuit means to said loudspeaker, thereby causing said loudspeaker to emit a nkissingll sound.

3. A doll according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that said doll is humanoid in shape.

4.. A doll according to claim 1, 2 or 3 characterised i that said pliable lips are made from vinyl.

"' 7 6". A doll according to any preceding claim characterised in that a foam backing is provided between said pliable lips and said one or more pressure or contact sensors.

. A doll according to any preceding claim characterised in that said circuit means comprises an integrated circuit.

7. A doll according to any preceding claim and further comprising means whereby the eyes of said doll are closed at the same time as the doll makes a kissing sound.

8. A doll substantially as hereinabove described with reference to the accompanying drawings.