# US 2005/0112992 A1 · Oscillating figure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2005/0112992 A1 - Document ID: US20050112992A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 10/968,365 - Filed: 2004-10-20 - Published: 2005-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2003-10-21 - Assignees: Team Beans LLC - Inventors: Richard Malcolm - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20050112992A1 ## CPC - A63H 9/00: Special methods or compositions for the manufacture of dolls, toy animals, toy figures, or parts thereof - A63H 13/18: Toy swinging chairs; Rocking-figure toys - A63H 15/06: Self-righting toys - A63H: TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS ## Abstract An oscillating body, and a method of manufacturing an oscillating body using a mold having a mold cavity with a curved surface. The method involves inserting a predetermined amount of a hardenable mixture in the mold cavity and allowing the hardenable mixture to harden to produce a body that is a negative of at least a portion of the mold cavity, including a curved surface that is a negative of the curved surface of the mold. A ballast is connected to the body portion such that the ballast remains stationary relative to the body portion. An oscillating body is made in part or in whole from the body portion with the ballast, wherein the oscillating body is adapted to roll on the curved surface in an oscillating manner after being subjected to a displacement. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of manufacturing an oscillating body utilizing a mold having a mold cavity, the mold cavity having a curved surface, the method comprising: inserting a predetermined amount of a hardenable mixture in the flexible mold cavity and allowing the hardenable mixture to harden to produce a body that conforms to at least a portion of the mold cavity, wherein the body has a curved surface that is a negative of the curved surface of the mold; connecting a ballast to the interior of the body such that the ballast remains stationary relative to the body; and forming an oscillating body made in part or in whole from the body with the ballast, wherein the oscillating body is adapted to roll on the curved surface in an oscillating manner after being subjected to a displacement. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, further comprising fabricating a template piece having a curved surface and forming the mold cavity based at least on the curved surface, wherein at least a portion of the mold cavity is a substantial negative of at least a portion of the template piece. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the template piece has the likeness of a human face. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the mold is a flexible mold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4, wherein the hardenable mixture comprises a resin. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4, wherein the hardenable mixture is a mixture of polystyrene and CaCO3. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a coefficient of oscillation of the oscillating body, making the mold in accordance with the coefficient of oscillation, and making the oscillating body so that it has the coefficient of oscillation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A method according to claim 7, wherein the coefficient of oscillation is greater than about 0.05 and less than about 1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the coefficient of oscillation is greater than about 0.2 and less than about 0.8. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the coefficient of oscillation is about 0.15. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the coefficient of oscillation is about 0.10. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the frequency of oscillation of the body is about 0.5 hertz to about 3 hertz. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, wherein the frequency of oscillation of the body is about 0.5 hertz to about 3 hertz. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the coefficient of oscillation of the body is about 0.10 to about 0.25, and the frequency of oscillation of the body is about 0.5 hertz to about 3 hertz. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of oscillation of the body is about 0.7 hertz. ### Claim 16 An oscillating body, comprising: a body including a curved surface adapted to enable the oscillating body to be in rolling contact with a support surface; wherein the oscillating body has a center of mass located substantially directly below the center of curvature of the curved surface when the oscillating body is in an at rest position on the support surface and free to roll; wherein the curved surface has a curve of contact extending at least about 10 degrees in at least one direction away from a point at which the curved surface contacts the support surface in the at rest position; wherein the curvature of the curved surface, when evaluated along the curve of contact within about 10 degrees from the point at which the curved surface contacts the support surface at the at rest position, results in stable center of mass travel; and wherein the coefficient of oscillation of the body is greater than about 0.05 and less than about 1. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the curved surface has a portion that extends over at least a hemisphere. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) An oscillating body according to claim 17, wherein the portion that extends over at least a hemisphere is selected from the group consisting of an elliptical surface and a spherical surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the curved surface is substantially spherical. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the coefficient of oscillation is greater than about 0.2 and less than about 0.8. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the coefficient of oscillation is about 0.15. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the coefficient of oscillation is about 0.10. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the frequency of oscillation of the body is about 0.5 hertz to about 3 hertz. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) An oscillating body according to claim 20, wherein the frequency of oscillation is about 0.5 hertz to about 3 hertz. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the coefficient of oscillation is about 0.10 to about 0.25 and the frequency of oscillation is about 0.5 hertz to about 3 hertz. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the frequency of oscillation is about 0.7 hertz. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the curve of contact of the curved surface extends at least about 45 degrees in at least two directions away from each other and away from the point at which the curved surface contacts the support surface at the at rest position. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) An oscillating body according to claim 27, wherein the curve of contact of the curved surface extends uninterrupted at least about 45 degrees in at least two directions away from each other and away from the point at which the curved surface contacts the support surface at the at rest position. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) An oscillating body according to claim 27, wherein the curvature of the curved surface, when evaluated along the curve of contact in the two directions within about 40 degrees from the point at which the curved surface contacts the support surface at the at rest position, results in stable center of mass travel. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) An oscillating body according to claim 27, wherein a second curve of contact of the curved surface extends uninterrupted at least about 45 degrees in at least two additional directions away from each other and away from the point at which the curved surface contacts the support surface at the at rest position, and wherein the two additional directions are substantially orthogonal to the two directions. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) An oscillating body according to claim 30, wherein the curvature of the curved surface, when evaluated along the curve of contact in the two additional directions within about 40 degrees from the point at which the curved surface contacts the support surface at the at rest position, results in stable center of mass travel. ### Claim 32 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the curved surface is a substantially cylindrical surface. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) An oscillating body according to claim 32, wherein the cylindrical surface is selected from the group consisting of an elliptical surface and a spherical surface. ### Claim 34 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, further comprising protrusions extending past the curved surface. ### Claim 35 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the oscillating body comprises at least two portions having substantially different densities. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) An oscillating body according to claim 35, wherein the portion having a higher density is located substantially at the bottom of the oscillating body. ### Claim 37 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the oscillating body comprises a solid mixture of polystyrene and CaCO3. ### Claim 38 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein a shell of the oscillating body comprises a solid mixture of polystyrene and CaCO3, and an interior portion of the oscillating body comprises at least one of CaCO3 and a mixture of polystyrene and CaCO3. ### Claim 39 (depends on 16) An oscillating body according to claim 16, wherein the oscillating body comprises a shell and a ballast, and wherein the ballast located at the bottom of the shell and fixed to the shell. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) An oscillating body according to claim 39, wherein the ballast comprises CaCO3. ### Claim 41 An oscillating body, comprising: a body including a curved surface adapted to enable the oscillating body to be in rolling contact with a support surface, the body being adapted to have a frequency of oscillation for an initial angular displacement having a value selected between the range of about 1 degree to about 20 degrees given by the equation: freq = 0.5 ⁢ meters 1 2 seconds ⁢ c o ⁡ ( r ) ( I M ) + r 2 + c o 2 ⁢ r 2 - 2 ⁢ r 2 ⁢ c o where I=a moment of inertia of the body, M=a mass of the body, r=a radius of curvature of the curved surface that contacts the flat support surface during the angular displacement, and co=a coefficient of oscillation of the body; wherein the coefficient of oscillation is greater than about 0.05 and less than about 1. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) An oscillating body according to claim 41, wherein the coefficient of oscillation is greater than about 0.2 and less than about 0.8. ### Claim 43 (depends on 41) An oscillating body according to claim 41, wherein the frequency of oscillation is about 0.5 hertz to about 3 hertz.