US3534496A - Toy chamber pot for dolls - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 20, 1970 R. GARDEL ET Al- TOY CHAMBER POT FOR DOLLS Filed Jan. 16. 1968 FIG.2

FIG.

United States Patent 3,534,496 TOY CHAMBER POT FOR DOLLS Robert Gardel, New York, and Egon Gorsky, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignors to Lettam, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 16, 1968, Ser. No. 698,343 Int. Cl..A63h 3/ 24 US. Cl. 46-239 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a miniature simulated chamber pot designed to embody in a notably modified form the principle long used in pseudo-magic devices wherein a liquid appears to flow in or out of a container or to disappear and reappear, while actually remaining at all times within a continuously closed space. Toy implements, designed for use with dolls, employing this principle are shown in the patents on toy nursing bottles issued to Jacobs, No. 1,692,938, Nov. 27, 1938; to Knott, No. 2,071,888, Jan. 8, 1963; to Friedman, No. 3,105,324, and to Gardel and Gorsky, No. 3,105,325, both issued Oct. 1, 1963; and a second patent to Gardel and Gorsky, No. 3,245,174, Apr. 12, 1966. A toy spoon arranged to operate similarly is shown in Gardel and Gorksy Pat. No. 3,254,409, June 7, 1966. In each cited instance the liquid flows by gravity between visible and invisible portions of the device whenever the portion containing the liquid is elevated to a position higher than the other portion. Valves are shown by Jacobs and by Knott but they serve only to vary the rate of flow and not, in any position, to cut it off.

According to the present invention a valve is provided which, in one position, completely closes the passages between opaque and transparent or translucent portions of the device so that the liquid is retained out of sight until the valve element is moved, e.g., lifted. The means for lifting the valve element is designed to be magnetic, as by making the element at least partially of a metal responsive to the approach of a magnetic field or by magnetizing the element so that it will respond to the juxtaposition of a suitable body of metal. The devices properly denominated chamber pots are now commonly called potties, particularly where children are concerned, and that term will be used herein for simplicity.

A practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 represents a vertical diametrical section through the potty;

FIG. 2 represents a horizontal section on the line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents a vertical section, as in FIG. 1, partially in elevation, with an indication in broken lines of a doll body .in seated position and so constructed as to operate the valve.

Referring to the drawings, the potty comprises an outer cup-shaped shell 1, an inner cup-shaped shell 2-both of transparent or at least translucent plastic materialan 'ice annular rim 3 (conveniently formed in two parts 3 and 3", cemented together), and the valve ring 4. The inner shell 2 has an outer diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the outer shell 1, in order to leave a cylindrical space 5 between the side walls of the two shells and there may also be a space 6 between their bottom walls. The inner shell 2 is deeper than the shell 1 so that it extends somewhat higher than the latter, the upper part of its outer surface forming the inner annular wall of a reservoir 7 within the annular rim 3.

The rim portion 3' comprises a depending flange 8 which fits snugly around the upper portion of the outer shell 1, an inwardly extending shoulder 9 which fits snugly against the outer surface of the inner shell 2 and against which rests the upper edge of shell 1. The rim portion 3 comprises an upper wall 10 extending across the upper edge of shell 2 and an inner flange 11 extending downward around the upper part of shell 2, all the parts described being firmly welded or cemented together along their contacting surfaces to whatever extent may be necessary.

The shoulder 9 is provided, at or near its inner edge, with a plurality of small holes 12 connecting the reservoir 7 with the space 5. The valve ring 4 is of a size such that it can move freely a short distance up and down in the reservoir 7 (without binding on the wall of the inner shell 2) but so disposed that, in its lower position (FIG. 1) it covers and effectively closes the upper ends of the holes 12. The ring 4 is normally made of iron or other metal responsive to the presence of a magnetic field, but may include a plastic lower portion 4' which makes the composite ring lighter and also closes more securely the holes 12. The interior of the potty is provided with a suitably colored non-harmful liquid 13 in a quantity sufficient to substantially fill the reservoir 7 when the potty is inverted.

An essential auxiliary element, to actuate the device described above, is a magnet or magnets 14, located most appropriately in the upper rear portions of the legs of the doll which is the intended user of the potty. Such magnets are shown, in operative positions, in FIG. 3.

The potty is prepared for use by inverting it, permitting the valve ring 4 to fall away from the holes 12 so that the liquid 13 can accumulate in the reservoir 7. The potty is then turned quickly right side up, the ring 4 dropping into position on the holes 12, and the liquid will remain in the reservoir 7, as shown in FIG. 1, until the valve ring 4 is lifted. Whenever desired, the doll equipped with mangets 14 is seated on the potty, the ring 4 is lifted magnetically out of its hole-closing position (FIG. 3) and the liquid 13 trickles downward through holes 12 into the space 5 between the shells, its descent being visible and clearly showing that the doll is doing as desired and the potty serving its intended purpose. The quantity of liquid with which the potty is loaded is sufiicient to form a visible accumulation in the lower part of the space 5 (and space 6, if any) in addition to being observable as it flows. The size of holes 12 is correlated to the thickness of the liquid 13 to ensure the formation of one or more trickling streams, flowing for at least a few seconds, instead of a sudden emptying of the reservoir.

If desired, the valve ring 4 could be magnetized and the doll provided with metal inserts toward which the magnet would be attracted when the doll is seated in the position of FIG. 3. While the plain metal ring 4 is both simple and effective, a plastic ring with metal inserts or segments could be used. The potty is shown as being circular in plan so that the relative orientation of the potty, value ring and doll is unimportant, but it will be evident that a toilet-shaped potty can be made, with correspondingly shaped valve ring, or the rim portion 3" alone could be made non-circular, in either of which cases a ring with oriented metal sections would enable the device to operate only when the doll is seated facing the proper direction.

In the light of the foregoing, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and hence We do not intend to be limited to the details shown or described herein except as the same are included in the claims or may be required by disclosures of the prior art.

What we claim is:

1. In a toy combination of a simulated potty and a doll, the potty comprising a double-walled cup-shaped receptacle the walls of which are spaced, an upper rim closing the space between the walls and being adapted to receive a doll in sitting position, the rim containing a substantailly annular reservoir, a plurality of restricted passages connecting the reservoir with the space between the walls of the receptacle, a magnetically movable substantially annular valve adapted in one position to close said passages and in another position to open them, and a quantity of liquid flowable between the reservoir and said space, the doll being adapted to be seated on the potty and being provided in the vicinity of its seat portion with at least one metallic element adapted for actuation of the magnetically movable valve.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the valve is at least partially of metal responsive to the presence of a magnetic field and the metallic element in the doll is a magnet.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which the valve is at least partially magnetized and the metallic element in the doll is responsive to the presence of a magnetic field.

References Cited ROBERT PESHOCK, Primary Examiner R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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