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US 5,664,983 AGranted
Figure toy displaying muscle growth
OwnerJohn Rey Hollisinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A figure toy having an expandable torso and a flexible elastic skin covering the torso, the skin interiorly defining a substantially airtight internal cavity. When the torso is moved to its expanded condition, a partial vacuum is produced within the cavity, causing the elastic skin to conform closely to sculptured features resembling muscles disposed on the outer surface of the underlying torso plates, thereby creating an appearance of great strength. When the torso is returned to its unexpanded condition, the figure toy achieves a more normal aspect. Actuator mechanisms are disclosed for selectively expanding the torso by swinging the figure toy's arms downwardly.
Claims8
A figure toy comprising:
- a torso structure movable between a normal condition and an expanded condition, said torso structure being provided with front and rear torso shell members separately mounted to actuator means disposed generally interiorly to said front and rear torso shell members, said front and rear torso shell members having an outwardly directed surface contoured to simulate well-developed musculature;
- arms pivotally connected to said torso structure, said arms being selectively pivotable between a first upraised position and a second lowered position, the inward ends of each of said arms being provided with a pinion in operative engagement with said actuator means such that moving said arms to said lowered position from said upraised position causes said front and rear torso shell members to be moved from said normal condition wherein said front and rear torso shell members are positioned in relative proximity to each other to said expanded position wherein said front and rear torso members are relatively spaced apart;
- a generally flexible, elastic and impermeable skin overlying said torso structure and areas of said figure toy adjacent thereto, said skin being in sealed engagement with the underlying structure at the margins of said skin, said skin interiorly defining a substantially airtight cavity, the gas occupying said cavity being approximately at atmospheric pressure when said torso structure is in said normal condition, and;
- the volume of said cavity being enlarged and the gas pressure within said cavity being correspondingly reduced when said torso structure is moved to said expanded condition such that a partial vacuum is created within said cavity, said partial vacuum causing said skin to closely conform to the simulated musculature formed on the outer surface of said front torso shell member;
- whereby moving said arms from said upraised position to said lowered position causes a visual change in said figure toy from a relatively normal appearance to a heavily muscled appearance, and moving said arms from said lowered position to said upraised position causes said figure toy to return to its relatively normal appearance.
2 more elements
A figure toy comprising:
- a torso having arms and legs attached thereto, said torso being movable between a retracted condition and an expanded position, said torso having an outer surface contoured to simulate musculature;
- said arms being selectively movable between a first and a second position and being in mechanical association with said torso such that moving said arms from said first position to said second position causes said torso to be moved to said expanded position, and moving said arms from said second position to said first position causes said torso to be returned to said retracted position;
- an elastic, substantially impermeable skin overlying said torso and areas of the toy adjacent thereto and being in sealed engagement therewith at the margins of said skin, said skin defining a substantially airtight interior cavity, said interior cavity having a first volume when said torso structure is in said retracted condition and a second larger volume when said torso structure is in said expanded condition;
- the expansion of said interior cavity from said first volume to said second volume resulting in a corresponding decrease in pressure within said interior cavity from a first substantially atmospheric pressure to a second sub-atmospheric pressure, wherein moving said torso structure to said expanded condition causes said skin to closely conform to said contouring carried on said torso outer surface thereby enhancing the muscular appearance of said toy.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.