US 4,801,285 AGranted

Figure toy having a three-position switch and two modes of operation

AssigneeMichael & Park's Trading and Sales, Inc.

InventorNam J. Yeu

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Abstract

A working toy which alternately moves its hips left and right while slowly turning counterclockwise and a Hawaiian melody is heard to give a lifelikeness that compares with a real hula dancer. The toy includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and a base portion. The upper portion resembles the head through waist of a human; the lower portion resembles the waist through hip portion of a human. The upper portion is pivotally connected to the lower portion by a hinge pin. The base portion supports the upper portion and the lower portion by a support bar, one end of which is secured to the base portion and the other end of which is placed in a cavity within the body of the upper portion. The base portion includes a housing with a rotating base secured to its bottom portion, a stationary base with feet spaced below the rotating base, a three-way switch, a battery, a motor, a melody I.C., a speaker, a drive gear, a cam, an actuator arm, gearing which will transmit the motion of the motor to the cam and will cause the rotating base to rotate slowly. When the switch is turned on to the first position, a Hawaiian melody is heard; when the switch is turned on to the second position, the motor turns the cam that in turn moves the actuator arm alternately up and down that in turn moves the hips of the toy left and right, while the toy slowly turns counterclockwise and a Hawaiian melody is heard.

A figure toy comprising:

an upper portion, a lower portion, and a base portion;
the upper portion resembling the head through waist of a human;
the lower portion resembling the waist through hip portion of a human;
a pin pivotably connecting the upper portion to the lower portion;
a support bar supporting the upper portion and the lower portion above the base portion, one end of said support bar secured to the base portion and the other end said support bar located in a cavity in the body of the upper portion;
means to alternately move the lower portion in a left and right direction including a motor, a drive gear, a cam, and an actuator arm, said drive gear being connected to a shaft of the motor, said cam being operatively connected to the drive gear, one end portion of the actuator arm being operatively connected to the cam and the other end portion of the actuator arm being connected to a hip connector located within the lower portion and at its side;
said base portion including a housing, a rotating base, a stationary base with feet, bevel gears for turning the rotating base, a three-position switch, a speaker, a melody I.C., and a battery;
the rotating base has an axle at its center portion which rotates within a bearing support located at the center portion of the stationary base;
said bevel gears being operatively connected to the drive gear;
said battery is connected to the side of the housing;
and wiring that connect the switch, the speaker, the melody I.C., and the motor to the battery, said actuator arm is a bar with a hook at one end and a loop at the other end, the hook is connected to the hip connector and the loop is connected to a projection on the cam;
said three-position switch has a first position which is the off position, a second position which actuates the melody I.C. causing music to be heard, and a third position which both actuates the melody I.C. causing music to be heard and actuates the motor causing said lower portion to move;
the housing of the base portion is a truncated cone with an opening at its top near its side and the rotating base is secured within the housing adjacent its bottom portion;
the speaker is secured to the rotating base and a speaker hole is located in the rotating base near the speaker.

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Abstract

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