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US 6,439,949 B1Granted
Moving toy and a method of using the same
AssigneeMattel, Inc.
InventorsChristopher F. Lucas, James R. Bauman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus including an appendage coupled to a body and a drive. The drive produces a force that causes the appendage to move with respect to the body. When the apparatus is resting on a support surface, the force produced by the drive is insufficient to overcome the force produced by the weight of the apparatus.
Claims10
A toy figure comprising:
- a body including a longitudinal axis;
- an appendage coupled to said body for cyclical relative rotational motion about said longitudinal axis with respect to said body;
- a drive coupled to said body and said appendage to produce said relative rotational motion;
- said toy figure including a generally planar supporting portion whereby said toy figure is adapted to be supported on a generally planar support surface with said body and said appendage in engagement with said support surface;
- and
- wherein said drive produces forces on said body and said appendage that are less than the forces produced by the weight of said toy figure so that said drive cannot produce a full cycle of said relative rotational motion when said toy figure is supported on said support surface but can produce said full cycle of relative motion when at least one of said body and said appendage is not engaged with said support surface.
3 more elements
A method of simulating the movement of an appendage on a toy configured to resemble a creature with a movable appendage comprising:
- disposing on a support surface a simulated creature having a body and an appendage coupled to said body for cyclical relative motion;
- producing a force between said body and said appendage to urge said appendage into said relative motion, said force being insufficient to overcome the force produced by the weight of said creature on the support surface;
- lifting said creature from the support surface;
- and
- allowing said appendage to move through at least one cycle of said cyclical relative motion.
2 more elements
A method of simulating the catching of a fish comprising:
- disposing on a support surface a simulated fish having a body and a tail coupled to said body for cyclical relative motion;
- producing a force between said body and said tail to urge said tail into said relative motion, said force being insufficient to overcome the force produced by the weight of said fish on the support surface;
- lifting said fish from the support surface;
- and
- allowing said tail to move through at least one cycle of said cyclical relative motion.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.