Squeezable tongue-wagging toy and its squeeze mechanism
AssigneeWow! Creations Hk Limited
InventorChun Yuen Lau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A squeezable tongue-wagging toy figure with a squeeze mechanism which includes a squeaker provided within a space defined by four hinged panels in elliptical cylinder shape, and a toothed rack meshed with a gear chain that is coupled with a bar with a toy tongue. When the panels are squeezed, the rack drives the gear chain in one direction and in turn pivot the bar towards one side and the squeaker produces a sound, and when the panels are released, the rack drives the gear chain in an opposite direction and in turn pivot the bar towards an opposite side and the squeaker produces another sound.
Claims20
A squeezable tongue-wagging toy comprising:
- (a) a toy figure (10);
- (b) a squeeze mechanism (20) mounted inside a soft body (12) of the toy figure (10);
- (c) the squeeze mechanism (20) comprising a front left panel (22) and a front right panel (24) hingedly connected by a front hinge (32), and a rear left panel (26) and a rear right panel (28) hingedly connected by a rear hinge (34) opposite to the front hinge (32), the front left panel (22) and the rear left panel (26) being hingedly connected by a left hinge (36), and the front right panel (24) and the rear right panel (28) being hingedly connected by a right hinge (38) opposite to the left hinge (36);
- (d) a gear chain (50) mounted within a gearbox (52) provided at one end of the first hinge (32);
- (e) a toothed rack (54) having one end fixed at the rear hinge (34) and an opposite end slidable within the gearbox (52) and meshed with the gear chain (50);
- and
- (f) a pivotable bar (70) having an inner section (72) coupled with the gear chain (50), an outer section (74) extending outwardly from the front hinge (32) and having a toy tongue (14) formed at an outer end of the outer section (74), and a pivot mechanism (76) provided between the inner and outer sections (72, 74) and defining a pivot axis (X) about which the pivotable bar (70) pivots;
- (g) whereby squeezing the front and rear hinges (32, 34) inwards towards each other pushes the toothed rack (54) forwards to drive the gear chain (50) to turn in one direction and in turn pivot the outer section (74) of the pivotable bar (70) about the pivot axis (x) towards one side, and releasing the front and rear hinges (32, 34) pulls the toothed rack (54) backwards to drive the gear chain (50) to turn in an opposite direction and in turn pivot the outer section (74) of the pivotable bar (70) about the pivot axis (x) towards an opposite side, thereby simulating a tongue-wagging action.
A squeeze mechanism (20) for a squeezable tongue-wagging toy figure (10), the squeeze mechanism (20) being mountable inside a soft body (12) of the toy figure (10) and comprising:
- (a) a front left panel (22) and a front right panel (24) hingedly connected by a front hinge (32), and a rear left panel (26) and a rear right panel (28) hingedly connected by a rear hinge (34) opposite to the front hinge (32), the front left panel (22) and the rear left panel (26) being hingedly connected by a left hinge (36), and the front right panel (24) and the rear right panel (28) being hingedly connected by a right hinge (38) opposite to the left hinge (36);
- (b) a gear chain (50) mounted within a gearbox (52) provided at one end of the first hinge (32);
- (c) a toothed rack (54) having one end fixed at the rear hinge (34) and an opposite end slidable within the gearbox (52) and meshed with the gear chain (50);
- and
- (d) a pivotable bar (70) having an inner section (72) coupled with the gear chain (50), an outer section (74) extending outwardly from the front hinge (32) and having a toy tongue (14) formed at an outer end of the outer section (74), and a pivot mechanism (76) provided between the inner and outer sections (72, 74) and defining a pivot axis (X) about which the pivotable bar (70) pivots;
- (e) whereby squeezing the front and rear hinges (32, 34) inwards towards each other pushes the toothed rack (54) forwards to drive the gear chain (50) to turn in one direction and in turn pivot the outer section (74) of the pivotable bar (70) about the pivot axis (x) towards one side, and releasing the front and rear hinges (32, 34) pulls the toothed rack (54) backwards to drive the gear chain (50) to turn in an opposite direction and in turn pivot the outer section (74) of the pivotable bar (70) about the pivot axis (x) towards an opposite side, thereby simulating a tongue-wagging action.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.