US3636654A

US3636654A - Stuffed talking toy representing a radio

Info

Publication number: US3636654A
Application number: US88900A
Authority: US
Inventors: Larry D Workman
Original assignee: Mattel Inc
Current assignee: Mattel Inc
Priority date: 1970-11-12
Filing date: 1970-11-12
Publication date: 1972-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1989-01-25

Abstract

A stuffed talking toy representing a radio or other communication device that has an antenna, which is constructed for safe use by small children. The toy includes a flexible casing filled with a compressible stuffing, a phonograph within the casing of the type which has a spring motor that is wound by a pull cord, and a tube representing an antenna disposed on the casing. In order to prevent injury when a child brushes by the antenna, the antenna tube is not attached to the casing and therefore can be easily knocked over, but the pull cord extends through it and tension on the cord tends to maintain the antenna tube in an upright orientation. The phonograph within the casing is held away from the casing by a rigid tube through which the pull cord extends.

Description

Waited States Patent 1 Jan. 25, 1972 Workman [54] STUFFED TALKING TOY REPRESENTING A RADIO [72] Inventor: Larry D. Workman, Fountain Valley,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: Mattel, llnc., Hawthorne, Calif.

[22] Filed: Nov. 12, 1970 [2]] Appl. No.: 88,900

[521 US. Cl ..46/175 AR [51 Int. Cl. ..A63h 5/00 [58] Field of Search ..46/1 R, 175 AR [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,114,216 12/1963 Crawford et a1 ..46/] R X 3,282,588 11/1966 Ashmele ..46/175 AR FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 687,862 3/1965 ltaly ..46/l75 R Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner- Robert F. Cutting A!torney-Seymour A. Scholnick ABSTRACT A stuffed talking toy representing a radio or other communication device that has an antenna, which is constructed for safe use by small children. The toy includes a flexible casing filled with a compressible stuffing. a phonograph within the casing of the type which has a spring motor that is wound by a pull cord, and a tube representing an antenna disposed on the casing. In order to prevent injury when a child brushes by the antenna, the antenna tube is not attached to the casing and therefore can be easily knocked over, but the pull cord extends through it and tension on the cord tends to maintain the antenna tube in an upright orientation. The phonograph within the casing is held away from the casing by a rigid tube through which the pull cord extends.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures STUFFED TALKING TOY REPRESENTING A RADIO BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I Field of the Invention This invention relates to an animated toy for small children.

2. Description of the Prior Art Small children often become interested in toys that represent articles used by adults if the toys have some of the gross features of the adult articles, particularly if they are interestingly animated. Thus, a toy representing a radio, television, or other electronic communication device can be made more interesting by providing a simulated antenna. However, an antenna or other protruding part could hurt a child unless provisions were made to enable it to be easily deflected. In order to reduce cost, it is generally desirable to combine functions, so it would be desirable if the antenna or means for anchoring it could be utilized as part of an animating portion of the toy.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an economical toy representing a communicating device and having an easily deflected antenna.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an economical stuffed toy representing a communication device, the toy having a phonograph and easily deflected antenna that are combined in a novel and entertaining manner.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a stuffed toy is provided which represents a radio with an antenna, the antenna being mounted so that it can be easily deflected to prevent injury to a child. The toy includes a phonograph with a spring motor that is wound by pulling a cord. The antenna comprises a semirigid tube which is not fastened to the rest of the toy, but which is held upright by reason of the fact that the pull cord extends through it, the force of the spring which draws in the cord tending to maintain the antenna in an upright position.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy constructed in accordance with the invention, with the pull cord not quite fully retracted;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the toy, showing it with the pull cord largely withdrawn from the toy.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in the Figures, the stuffed toy comprises a casing 10 with a front surface 12 decorated in a whimsical manner to represent a radio or other communication device. The casing I is filled primarily with a common stuffing material 14 to provide bulk and a relatively soft surface portion. A strap 16 extends across the top of the casing, and an antenna 18 extends upwardly from the top of the casing. A voice unit or phonograph 20 is disposed within the casing to provide animation, the phonograph mechanism being spaced from the casing walls to minimize the amount of hard surface areas of the casing. The phonograph can be played by a child pulling on a ring 22 that is on top of the antenna and then releasing the ring.

The phonograph mechanism 20 includes a turntable 24 with a record thereon that is engaged by the needle of a tone arm 26. A spring 28 urges the turntable to rotate in a forward direction to play the record. The turntable is rotated in reverse to wind the spring 28 when a pull cord 30 is pulled. When the ring 22 which is attached to the outer end of the cord is pulled, the spring 28 is wound but the record is not played. When the ring 22 is released, the spring drives the turntable to play the record, and at the same time draws in the cord 30 to wind it about a cord-receiving drum 32 within the phonograph mechanism.

The phonograph mechanism is contained within a phonograph housing 34, which is held away from the top of the casing by a rigid tube 36. The top of the tube 36 abuts the top wall of the casing about an aperture therein. The antenna 18 is constructed of a length of semirigid tubing which is free of rigid attachment to the casing 10. The pull cord 30 extends through the rigid tube 36 within the casing and through the tubular antenna 18 to the ring 22. The ring 22 has a diameter greater than the internal diameter of the tubular antenna, so that it cannot pass therethrough. The tubular antenna 18 is retained by the fact that the cord 30 passes through it. When the ring 22 is pulled to a configuration such as that shown in FIG. 3, the antenna is free to slide along the cord.

The phonograph mechanism 20 is constructed so that the spring 28 is still partially wound when the cord is pulled in so far that the ring 22 bears against the top of the antenna tube 18. Thus, the ring 22 pushes inwardly on the antenna. It is this force which maintains the antenna in an upright position on the top of the casing. If a child brushes against the antenna 18, it will easily pivot or give and thereby prevent injury to the child. When such a deflecting force is released, tension of the cord returns the antenna to an upright position. There is sufficient friction to prevent the antenna from oscillating back and forth as would a spring or rubber antenna.

The stuffed toy can be manufactured at low cost. The use of a simple semirigid tube for the antenna obviates the need for secure mounting that would be required in the case of an antenna member that might be constructed of rubber or spring material to enable it to be easily deflected. In addition, the positioning of the pull ring 22 at the top of the antenna makes it more apparent to young children as to what should be grasped to make the device talk. If desired, the ring 22 or a knob which might be used instead, could be fixed to the top of the tubular antenna, although this would add to the expense and might make the part to be pulled more difiicult to grasp and pull.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art and, consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.

What is claimed is:

l. A toy which simulates an electronic communication device comprising:

a casing having an aperture, said casing decorated to represent said electronic communication device;

a tube representing an antenna;

means for retracting a drawstring, said means mounted within said casing; and

a drawstring having an inner end coupled to said means for retracting, said drawstring extending through said aperture in said casing and through said tube, and said drawing having an outer end portion with means for preventing its complete retraction through said tube.

2. The toy described in claim 1 wherein;

said casing is flexible and contains compressible stuffing material about said means for retracting; and

said means for retracting is spaced from said aperture; and

including a tube having one end fixed to said means for retracting and the other end disposed about said aperture in said casing to maintain said means for retracting at a position spaced from the walls of said aperture.

3. The toy described in claim 1 wherein:

said drawstring is slidably mounted in said tube, and said means at the outer end of said drawstring comprises a handle having a larger diameter than the passageway in said tube to pennit it to be freely pulled out of said tube while preventing passage into it.

4. The toy described in claim 1 wherein:

said means for retracting comprises a phonograph having a string-receiving drum coupled to an end of said string, a spring coupled to said drum for urging said drum to rotate to wind said string thereon, and a record turntable coupled to said spring to be rotated by it.

5. A toy comprising:

a casing representing a wireless communicator, said casing having an aperture therein;

a phonograph disposed within said casing, including a record, tone arm means for playing said record, a spring motor for moving said record relative to said tone arm means, a cord-receiving drum coupled to said spring motor, and a cord having an inner end coupled to said cordreceiving drum and having an outer end, said cord extending through said aperture; and

an outer tube representing an antenna for said wireless communicator disposed outside said casing, and free of attachment to said casing to permit it to be moved relative to said casing, said cord extending at least partially through said outer tube.

6. The toy described in claim 5 including:

stuffing material disposed within said casing about said phonograph; and

an inner tube within said casing for holding said phonograph away from the walls of said aperture, said cord extending through said inner tube.

7. The toy described in claim 5 wherein:

said cord extends slidably through said outer tube; and including a handle mounted on said outer end of said cord, said handle having a size for preventing its passage through said outer tube.

Claims

1. A toy which simulates an electronic communication device comprising: a casing having an aperture, said casing decorated to represent said electronic communication device; a tube representing an antenna; means for retracting a drawstring, said means mounted within said casing; and a drawstring having an inner end coupled to said means for retracting, said drawstring extending through said aperture in said casing and through said tube, and said drawing having an outer end portion with means for preventing its complete retraction through said tube.

2. The toy described in claim 1 wherein; said casing is flexible and contains compressible stuffing material about said means for retracting; and said means for retracting is spaced from said aperture; and including a tube having one end fixed to said means for retracting and the other end disposed about said aperture in said casing to maintain said means for retracting at a position spaced from the walls of said aperture.

3. The toy described in claim 1 wherein: said drawstring is slidably mounted in said tube, and said means at the outer end of said drawstring comprises a handle having a larger diameter than the passageway in said tube to permit it to be freely pulled out of said tube while preventing passage into it.

4. The toy described in claim 1 wherein: said means for retracting comprises a phonograph having a string-receiving drum coupled to an end of said string, a spring coupled to said drum for urging said drum to rotate to wind said string thereon, and a record turntable coupled to said spring to be rotated by it.

5. A toy comprising: a casing representing a wireless communicator, said casing having an aperture therein; a phonograph disposed within said casing, including a record, tone arm means for playing said record, a spring motor for moving said record relative to said tone arm means, a cord-receiving drum coupled to said spring motor, and a cord having an inner end coupled to said cord-receiving drum and having an outer end, said cord extending through said aperture; and an outer tube representing an antenna for said wireless communicator disposed outside said casing, and free of attachment to said casing to permit it to be moved relative to said casing, said cord extending at least partially through said outer tube.

6. The toy described in claim 5 including: stuffing material disposed within said casing about said phonograph; and an inner tube within said casing for holding said phonograph away from the walls of said aperture, said cord extending through said inner tube.

7. The toy described in claim 5 wherein: said cord extends slidably through said outer tube; and including a handle mounted on said outer end of said cord, said handle having a size for preventing its passage through said outer tube.