EP0418730A1 - Doll and its method of manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to the manufacture of a doll (15) comprising a blank face (16) which has no facial features and is flat or only slightly curved, on which a thermoplastic sheet (13) bearing the face (2) of the desired person, such as the face of the child (1) for whom the doll is intended, or the face of any chosen person, is applied, the thermoplastic sheet (13) reproducing this face being produced by a photocopying or videoprinting process based on a photograph or a video recording of this person. Alternatively, it is also possible to adhere a photograph directly onto the blank face of the doll. This photograph may, for example, be a polaroid photograph. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a personalized doll as well as a doll produced by this method.

We know many forms of dolls for children, dolls which all have in common to have a more or less neutral face, a face which lends itself easily to mass production and which is identical on each doll leaving the same mold.

We also know how to make souvenirs, such as t-shirts, posters, etc. onto which any face can be copied, the production of these articles bearing the buyer's face being commonly offered in amusement parks, where these articles are sold as souvenirs. For the manufacture of such a T-shirt or other bearing the face of its buyer, we proceed on the spot to the preparation of a photograph of the buyer, a photograph which is transferred by a process of photocopying or video-printing on the fabric of the t-shirt or poster.

The object of the present invention is to produce personalized dolls so that each doll has the face desired by its buyer.

This object is obtained by the method according to the present invention which comprises the following steps:
- supply of a doll with a flat or slightly curved face without physiognomy;
- provision of a photographic or electronic copy of any human face;
- Reproduction of said copy of a human face on a flexible support capable of being applied permanently to the white face of the doll; and
- apply the flexible support carrying the human face to the face of the doll.

The doll according to the present invention comprises a body and a head, the latter comprising a flat or slightly curved face whose physiognomy has been obtained by the application of a copy of a human face using the method as described above.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the photographic copy of a human face can be obtained by taking a photograph of the face of the purchaser, for example when purchasing the doll.

This photographic copy of a human face can alternatively also be obtained by bringing a photograph of a face chosen by the buyer.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the copy of the human face can be established electronically by recording by a video camera of the face of the buyer himself, of a person accompanying him or of a photograph. brought by the buyer from a chosen face.

According to the present invention, the copy of the human face brought or produced on site is reproduced on a flexible support, reproduction which is carried out by means of a photocopying process or by video-printing.

Then the flexible support is transferred to the white face of the doll, which is done by heat using a flexible support made of a material capable of sticking to the white face of the doll after being heated to a temperature sufficient to make it sticky on the white face of the doll, or alternatively by a cold bonding process.

To adapt the dimensions of the face on the photograph or on the video recording to the dimensions of the face of the doll, the method according to the present invention may further comprise a step consisting in adapting the dimensions of the copy of the face to the dimensions of the face. of the doll. In addition, the method may include a step during which the flexible support is cut into a two-dimensional shape corresponding to the shape of the white face of the doll.

According to the buyer's preference, dolls can be produced without hair or with hair, the application of a prefabricated wig by sewing on the head of the doll can be carried out after the application of the desired face, and the color of the hair can be chosen by the buyer to match the hair color of the person whose face appears on the doll.

• la Figure 1 représente schématiquement un stand de fabrication tel que l'on peut le prévoir dans les parcs d'amusement,
• la Figure 2 représente un diagramme de l'obtention du support flexible et prêt à être appliqué à partir de la prise d'une photographie d'une personne, et
• la Figure 3 représente en trois étapes la poupée avec visage blanc, la poupée avec visage appliqué et la poupée avec visage appliqué et coiffure.

The present invention is then described in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which:

• FIG. 1 schematically represents a manufacturing stand as can be expected in amusement parks,
• FIG. 2 represents a diagram of obtaining the flexible support and ready to be applied from the taking of a photograph of a person, and
• Figure 3 shows in three stages the doll with white face, the doll with applied face and the doll with applied face and hairstyle.

FIG. 1 represents a doll making stand according to the present invention in which a child 1 has been illustrated when the photograph of his face 2 was taken by an operator 3 by means of a photographic camera 4. The work equipment of the operator 3 further comprises an apparatus for automatic development of the photographic film exposed in the camera 4, an apparatus of the photocopier or video-printer type, in which the face fixed on the photographic film is transferred to a flexible and capable support to be affixed later on the white face of a doll.

The stand also includes a thermal press for applying the flexible support obtained by means of the photocopier or video printer 6 to the white face of the doll. In a purely schematic way, this thermal press comprises a mold or simply a support 8 for a doll which is ready except for its white face, as well as a set of support 9 for a piston 10, support which allows the variation in height. of the position of the piston 10. The piston 10 does not include illustrated, a heating means and a fixing means for the flexible support representing the face of the child 1.

The application of the flexible support on the white face of the headstock 11 is carried out by the descent of the piston 10 on the support 8 accompanied by heating of the flexible support to a temperature which makes the material of the flexible support sticky. Then the flexible support is pressed on the white face of the doll and the piston 10 is withdrawn from the support 8 as soon as the pressure of the flexible support on the white support of the doll is sufficient.

The methods and methods for applying a thermoplastic sheet to a fabric are sufficiently known in the technical field, and the description of the above method therefore corresponds only to one of the possible principles without limiting the scope of the present invention as regards has been described.

2 shows a diagram of the manufacture of the cut flexible support carrying the face of the photographed child, diagram which shows in position "a" the child who wishes to have the copy of his face affixed on a doll, in position "b "the photo 12 of this child, in position" c "the flexible support 13 which optically corresponds to photo 12, while the material of this flexible support allows its permanent application on the fabric of the face of a doll. From the support 13 which more or less has the dimensions and the shape of the photo 12, the face 2 of the child 1 is cut out as shown in position "d".

FIG. 3 shows in position "a" a rag doll 15 having a white face 16 which is intended to receive by a thermal pressing or other process the cut support 13 ′ of FIG. 2.

In position "b" of FIG. 3, the doll 15 ′ has been illustrated carrying on its face the cut flexible support 13 ′.

In position "c" in Figure 3, there is illustrated a doll 15˝ carrying the flexible cut support 13 ′ on his face as well as a wig 17 which has been sewn on the head of the doll 15 per, wig whose color can also be chosen by the doll's buyer.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a photo of a person's face can be used directly to stick it on the white and flat or slightly curved face of the doll. This photo can be a traditional photo or a polaroid photo.

It is obvious that the method as described above lends itself favorably to the affixing of a personalized face on a white face of a doll which has a flat or slightly curved face only, it being understood that the degree of curvature of this white face can be adapted to the elastic degree of the flexible support as well as to the distortion of the photograph of the desired face on a more or less flat support.

The present invention has been described above by means of a few embodiments, it being understood that numerous modifications and changes which appear to a person skilled in the art can be considered to fall within the scope of protection defined in the following claims.

Claims (13)

1. Method of manufacturing a personalized doll comprising the following steps:
- Supply of a doll (15) having a white face (16) flat or slightly curved without physiognomy;
- provision of a photographic (12) or electronic copy of any human face (2);
- Reproducing said copy (12) of a human face (2) on a flexible support (13) and capable of being applied permanently to the white face (16) of the doll (15); and
- apply the flexible support (13 ′) carrying the human face (2) to the face (16) of the doll (15). 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the photographic copy (12) of a human face is obtained by taking a photograph of the face of a buyer when purchasing the doll (15 ′, 15˝). 3. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that the photographic copy (12) of a human face is obtained by the contribution of a photograph of a face chosen by a buyer of the doll. 4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic copy of a human face is obtained by establishing a recording with a video camera of the face of a buyer of the doll or of a person accompanying or photograph of a chosen face. 5. Method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the reproduction of the copy (12) of the human face (2) on the flexible support (13) is carried out by means of a photocopying process or by video-impression. 6. Method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the transfer of the flexible support (13 ′) onto the white face (16) of the doll (15) is carried out by a heat process using a support flexible (13) made of a material capable of sticking to the white face (16) of the doll (15) after having been heated to a temperature sufficient to make it sticky to the white face of the doll or by a cold bonding process . 7. Method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that it further comprises the step of cutting the flexible support (13) into a two-dimensional shape (13 ′) corresponding to the shape of the face. white (16) of the doll (15). 8. Method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the reproduction of the copy (12) of the human face (2) comprises a step of adaptation of the dimensions of the copy to the dimensions of the face (16) of the doll (15). 9. Method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that it comprises the fixing of a wig (17) on the head of the doll (15), wig whose color can be chosen by the doll buyer. 10. Method of manufacturing a personalized doll comprising the following steps:
- Supply of a doll (15) having a white face (16) flat or slightly curved without physiognomy;
- supply of a photographic copy (12) of any human face (2), and
- collage of the photographic copy (12) on the white face (16) of the doll. 11. Doll comprising a body and a head, characterized in that it comprises a white face (16) flat or slightly curved without physiognomy to allow him to affix a face (2) desired by a process according to any one of claims 1-10. 12. Doll comprising a body and a head, characterized in that it comprises a flat or slightly curved white face (16) whose physiognomy has been obtained by applying a copy of a human face (2) by any one of claims 1-10. 13. Doll according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that it is constituted by a rag doll (15) having a face (16) flat or slightly curved in white fabric.

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