US3822500A

US3822500A - Tearing eye doll actuated by squeezing the torso

Info

Publication number: US3822500A
Application number: US00291768A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Ostrander
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-09-25
Filing date: 1972-09-25
Publication date: 1974-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1991-07-09

Abstract

The essence of the invention resides in the use of an area in the interior of a doll''s head which is in direct communication with measured holes in the doll''s eyes and which is formed by a means of displacing a portion of the hollow interior of said doll''s head. The measured holes in the doll''s eyes run through from the interior of the doll head to the exterior thereof. The preferred means for forming the area is by the use of a bulbous protrusion which is part of the torso of the doll body and which extends upwardly therefrom. The bulbous protrusion is hollow so that air may be accumulated therein, may be formed other than integrally with the torso although the integral formation is preferred. The area is formed between the interior surface of the doll''s head and the exterior surface of the bulbous protrusion and a flange and seat arrangement is formed at the doll''s neck to prevent the leakage of fluid from the area when fluid is contained or injected therein. Fluid is urged into the area by the use of a slit formed in the back of the mouth of the doll. Water may be injected into the mouth and this water is used to force the slit open and force fluid into the area. The leakage of fluid through the measured holes in the doll''s eyes may be a result of either light pressure applied to the surface of the fluid in the area or as a result of a gravity feed of fluid through the holes. The use of the gravity feed requires an aperture in the doll while the use of pressure requires a hole in the bulbous protrusion within the head of the doll.

Description

Ostrander [11'] 3,822,500 [451" July 9,1974

[ TEARING EYE DOLLACTUATED BY SQUEEZING THE TORSO [76] Inventor: Robert K. Ostrander, 497 Prospect St., Maplewood, NJ. 07040 22 Filed: Sept. 25, 1972 21 Appl. No: 291,768

Primary Examiner-F; Barry Shay Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kirchstein, Kirchstein, Ottinger & Frank 57 0 ABSTRACT The essence of the invention resides in the use of an I area in the interior of a dolls head which is in direct communication with measured holes in the dolls eyes and which is formed by a means of displacing a portion of the hollow interior of said dolls head. The measured holes in the doll s eyes run through from the interior of the doll head to the exterior thereof. The

preferred means for forming the area is by the use of a bulbous protrusion which is part of the torso of the doll body and which extends upwardly therefrom. The bulbous protrusion is hollow so that air may be accumulated therein, may be formed other than integrally with the torso although the integral formation is preferred. The area is formed between the interior surface of the dolls head and the exterior surface of the bulbous protrusion and a flange and seat arrangement is formed at the dolls neck to prevent the leakage of fluid from the area when fluid is contained or injected therein. Fluid is urged into the area by the use of a slit formed in the back of the mouth of the doll. Water may be injected into the mouth and this water is used to force the slit open and force fluid into the area. The leakage of fluid through the measured holes in the dolls eyes may be a result of either light pressure applied to the surface of the fluid in the area or as a result of a gravity feed of fluid through the holes. The use of the gravity feed requires an aperture in the doll while the use of pressure requires a hole in the bulbous protrusion within the head of the doll.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PAIENTED L 9 SHEET 2 (IF 2 FIG6 l TEARING EYE DOLL ACTUATED BY SQUEEZING THE TORSO BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a new and unique tearing eye doll.

2. Description of the Prior. Art

Heretofore, numerous attempts have been made to perfect a tearing eye doll which would be economical to manufacture and create less problems of leakage and breakage than thetearing eye dolls presently on the market. Further, the presently marketed tearing eye dolls present an assembly problem which requires added expenses and'weak points which are potential leak points. v

Further, the prior art tearing eye devices were of such construction that they were cumbersome and were unable to be used in dolls of small configuration as three-inch dolls.

Theprior art tearing eye dolls required a fluid reservoir with conduits leading to the eyes of the doll and a conduit leading to the mouth of the doll so that the reservoir may be filled. Separate valves werenecessary to prevent water leakage and because of the size of the reservoirs, often large amounts 'of water were needed to make the doll react in a desired manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION v PURPOSES OF THE INVENTION It is the general object of the present invention to avoid'and overcome the objections and deficiencies in the prior art devices by providing a simply structured system for creating the impression of a tearing eye doll, by providing an inexpensive easily moldable doll.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tearing eye doll which has no conduits of any type leading to the dolls eyes or mouth.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a simple means of creatingthe effect of a tearing eye doll by squeezing the doll body.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an area formed within the head of a doll by means of displacing space and means for preventing leakage of fluid contained in this area.

Still another object of the present invention is the disposition of a hole either in the doll or in a bulbous protrusion within the head of the doll to provide either a pressure feed or gravity feed of fluid through measured holes in the eyes of a doll.

Still a further object of the presentinvention is to 2 Yet a further object of the present invention, when using the gravity method, is to provide a doll which does not require a compressable body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tearing eye doll with eyes which are either the button type, movable or painted on.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The above objects and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds are achieved by providing a doll having a head, torso, arms provide a means such as bulbous protrusion which is insertable within the interior of the doll s head to displace at least two-thirds of the internal portion of the doll head volume.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a means forinjecting fluid into the area without utilizing complicated valve arrangements for preventing the leakage of fluid therefrom.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a tearing eye-arrangement which can be ,usedforv dolls with molded hair or rooted hair. I

Yet afurther object of the present invention is to provide a tearing eye doll in which it is not necessary to place the doll in the horizontal position tofill the area with fluid.

and legs, said torso having a means for forming an area such as a bulbous protrusion forming integrally therewith and extending upwardly therefrom. Said bulbous protrusion being insertable into the hollow interior of a dolls head and having a sealing means provided at the junction of the head and bulbous protrusion. The area is formed within the interior of the head between the exterior surface of the bulbous protrusion and the interior wall of the doll head and is adapted to receive a quantity of fluid therein. A pair of measured holes are provided in the dolls head at the location of the dolls eyes through which fluid may flow creating the illusion of tears flowing from the doll s eyes. Means for promot-- ing the emission of the fluid through said measured holes is provided. A tube is molded integrally within the mouth having a closed endinside the head formed at the back of the mouth. The inner end of said tube is slit to provide an opening for liquid to enter under pressure and which will'close to prevent backflow of said fluid.

. BRIEFDESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view showing a further alternative embodiment; for use in cloth bodied, stuffed dolls;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the head of the doll;

FIG. 6 is a pictorial representation embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The following disclosure represents a means of perof an alternative mitting the effect of creating a tearing eye doll. Two v structures and methods are disclosed, the first relating to a pressure emitting tear system and the second by the use of gravity.-

As shown in FIG. 1 the preferred embodiment of a tearing eye doll is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10. The doll is comprised of a removable head structure 12 anda torso 14 with provisions for integrally molded arms 16 and legs 18 or removably

connectable arms

16 or 18. As will be more fully hereinafter described, the condition of flexibility of the body or torso 14 may be a function of the system which is used to create the illusion of the tearing eyes. For example, i

a soft squeezable material will be utilized for the dolls body in the event the pressure system is utilized to cre ate the flow of tears from the dolls eyes. It should be noted however that very little pressure is required to have the tears appear so that a semi-rigid body structure maybe utilized. A tough relatively inflexible material may be used for the doll body in the event that the gravity system is used to create the flow of liquid from the dolls eyesemmulatingtears. In another alternative embodiment, the pressure system may be used in connection with stuffed dolls with sewn on arms and legs. In this latter case, as will hereinafter be more fully explained, a squeezable member is insertable in the interior of the torso so that pressure exerted on the doll body will be exerted on the squeezable member.

The torso 14 is provided with an upwardly extending bulbous projection 20 which has a hollow interior 22 and may be integrally molded with and part of the torso portion 14.

It should be particularly understood that the general purpose of the bulbous projection 20 is to occupy a major portion of the hollow interior 22 of the dolls head 12. The bulbous projection 20 may beeither solid or hollow in and of itself, depending upon the system utilized to urge the emission of the fluid from the dolls eyes. One of the principal purposes of the bulbous projection 20 is to displace or occupy approximately twothirds of the inner head volume leaving approximately one-third as an area (hereinafter more fully described) for maintaining fluid. It is possible that the bulbous projection 20 might be molded integrally with the head itself. The basis for the provision of the bulbous projection 20 is to reduce the area in the head which would hold the fluid needed to produce a flow of tears by gravity or air pressure;

A neck-like portion 24 extends between the bulbous projection 20 and the torso 14 and is provided with an outwardly flared flange 26, which extends completely around the periphery of the neck-like portion 24. In the case of the utilization of the pressure method for creating the tears in the dolls eyes 28 (which will hereinafter be described) the bulbous projection 20 is provided with an air hole 30 at a point 32 which is point on the bulbous projection located in the general area which is the highest when the doll is in the vertical or horizontal position and which is in communication with the hollow interior 22. The removable doll head 12, at its neck opening 34 is provided with an interior matingly engagable rim 36 which is adapted to engage the flange 26 to create a water-tight joint or seal 38 between the doll head 12 and the doll torso 14.

An area 40 is formed between the outer surface 42 of the bulbous projection and the interior surface 44 of the dolls head 12. This area 40 thus formed holds fluid which may be injected or directed thereinto. It will be recalled that the junction of the doll head 12 and torso 14 is formed in such a manner that a watertight joint or seal 38 is created by the rim 36 and the flange 26.

The interior hollow section 22 of the bulbous protrusion 20 and the hollow interior 46 of the doll torso 14 are interconnected and contain air. When the torso 14 of the doll 10 is squeezed air may pass through the air hole in the uppermost section 32 of the bulbous pro trusion 20 into the area 40 creating a surface pressure on the fluid in the area greater than 1 atmosphere.

In order to create the effect of a tearing eye, the eye 28 in the head 12 of the doll 10 is provided with a measured hole 48 through which droplets of fluid may be urged when slight pressure is exerted on the doll body 14. The measured hole 48 in the doll head 12 is of sufficient diameter so that fluid is ejected in very small quantities as droplets.

In order to fill or refill the area 40 in the doll head 12 the mouth 50 of the doll is provided with a tube 52 therein and a knife-cut valve 54 is formed at the rear portion 56 of the wall of the doll which forms the mouth. The knife-cut 54 permits fluid injected under pressure to be forced through the cut 58 which communicates with the area 40 but will not permit fluid to leak from the area 40 outwardly into the cavity 60 formed in the dolls mouth. In effect a check-valve is formed. In order to accomplish the injection of fluid into the area 40 a squeeze bottle 62 may be provided which has an elongated cone-shaped nozzle 64. The cavity 60 and tube 52 in the mouth 50 of the doll is of such a diameter that it will permit the insertion of the nozzle in the cavity 60 until the tip 66 abuts the slit or knife-cut valve 54. When the tip 66 of the nozzle 64 is in such position the diameter of the nozzle 62 will match diameter of the tube 52, preventing further penetration and also forming a watertight seal. When the squeeze bottle 62 is squeezed, fluid contained therein will be urged through the knife-cut valve 54 into the area 40. When the bottle 62 is removed the knife-cut valve 54 will close to prevent leakage at this point.

The structure hereinabove described relates to the procedure of squeezing the torso 14 of the doll 10 to increase the air pressure on the surface of the fluid disposed within the area 40, sufficiently to overcome the meniscus formed by fluid in the measured hole 48 in each of the dolls eyes 28. It should be noted that the diameter of each measured hole 48 in the dolls eyes 28 are small enough so that the meniscus formed therein is sufficient to prevent a flow of fluid under 1 atmosphere of pressure. In this case, only a slight amount of added fluid pressure is required to permit droplets of fluid to escape through each of the measured holes 48.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pressure responsive tearing eye doll arrangement as described above, may be adapted to stuffed dolls. In this alternative embodiment, the dolls head 12 may be formed as previously described with the doll having a measured hole 48' in each of the eyes 28. The diameter of the measured holes 48' being sufficient to form a meniscus therein when one atmosphere of fluid surface pressure is present in the area 40'. In this embodiment, however, the bulbous protrusion 20' is formed integrally with a downwardly, extending deformable generally cylindrically shaped member or squeeze element 68. The squeeze element 68 is adapted to fit into the torso 14 of the stuffed doll l0 and is deformable when pressure is applied to the outer surface of the dolls torso 14'. The bulbous protrusion 20' fits into the head 12' with the same watertight joint or seal 38' formed at the junction of the head 12' and neck-like portion 24'. The bulbous protrusion 20 may be held in place on the torso 14' by any well known flange arrangement 70. The area 40 is then formed between the inner surface 44 of the doll head and the outer surface 42' of the bulbous protrusion 20'. An air hole 30 is provided in the uppermost section 32 of the bulbous protrusion 20 to permit the air contained therein to be urged into the area 40, as previously described with reference to the preferred embodiment. Similarly, the means for filling the area 40' is the same as previously described.

The above described structure may be used in connection with the use of rooted hair dolls as well as the molded hair and stuffed dolls. However, in the case of 5 rooted hair 'dolls, the inner surface of the dolls head must be properly internally sealed, to prevent leakage of the fluid through the stitched portions.

Although I have described the structure for requiring pressure on the dolls torso to permit the doll to cry, a gravity method may be. used. in utilizing the gravity feed there is required a hole 72 as shown in FIG. 6 in the doll 10" so that the fluid in the area 40" is always under atmospheric pressure. The measured hole 48" in the dolls eyes 28" is of sufficient diameter to permit the seepage of droplets of fluid therefrom when the doll is in an upright position and there is sufficient fluid in the area 40" to create a head above the level of the eyes 28". In the gravity method, the hole in the bulbous protrusion is eliminated.

Utilizing the gravity feed, the doll, can be made with a rigid body and bulbous insert. In the operation of the gravity fed tearing eye doll, fluid is forced into the mouth of the doll, as described with respect to the preferred embodiment. in this case, however, it is pre- "ferred that the area 40" be filled when the doll is in the reclining position so that the dolls eyes do not cry when the doll is being fed.

a i 6 to properly simulate the tearing eyes of a doll.

Whilein accordance withthe patent statutes a preferred embodiment and alternative embodiments are shown and described in detail, the invention herein is not to be considered to be limited thereto or thereby.

1 claim:

1. A tearing eye doll comprising a head, said head including a shell having a hollow interior and an inner surface, a bulbous projection having an outer surface and disposed'within said hollow interior and occupying approximately two thirds of said hollow interior, said bulbous projection having air at atmospheric pressure disposed therein, a space in the hollow interior of the dolls head between the inner surface of said shell and the outer surface of said bulbous projection, a doll torso, sealing means disposed at the lower portion of said head for sealingly engaging said head to said doll torso in a water tight fashion, the :shell being provided with a pair of eyes with a measured hole in each eye in communication with said space, means for filling said space with water, said bulbous projection having a hollow interior and provided with an air hole located in the It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the hollow interior of the bulbous protrusion to accomplish' the displacement of space. 7

It should be particularly understood by those skilled in the art that one of the primary considerationsof utilizing a bulbous protrusion, is to occupy space. In this manner, a portion of the hollow interior of the dolls head is displaced so that excessive fluid is not required general area which is highest when the doll is in a vertical position and ma horizontal position, said air hole being in communication with said space and permitting air under pressure to be urged into said space when the doll torso is squeezed promoting the leakage of water from the measured holes in said eyes.

2. A tearing eye doll according'to claim 1 wherein means for injecting fluid into said space is provided, said means including a mouth in said head and means in said mouth for enabling water to be. transferred to said space.

3. A tearing eye doll according to claim 2 wherein said means in said mouth includes a one way valve permitting water to be passed therethrough to said space upon the insertion of a nozzle of a squeeze bottle being placed therein.

4. A tearing eye doll according to claim 1 wherein tOI'SO.

Claims

1. A tearing eye doll comprising a head, said head including a shell having a hollow interior and an inner surface, a bulbous projection having an outer surface and disposed within said hollow interior and occupying approximately two thirds of said hollow interior, said bulbous projection having air at atmospheric pressure disposed therein, a space in the hollow interior of the doll''s head between the inner surface of said shell and the outer surface of said bulbous projection, a doll torso, sealing means disposed at the lower portion of said head for sealingly engaging said head to said doll torso in a water tight fashion, the shell being provided with a pair of eyes with a measured hole in each eye in communication with said space, means for filling said space with water, said bulbous projection having a hollow interior and provided with an air hole located in the general area which is highest when the doll is in a vertical position and in a horizontal position, said air hole being in communication with said space and permitting air under pressure to be urged into said space when the doll torso is squeezed promoting the leakage of water from the measured holes in said eyes.

2. A tearing eye doll according to claim 1 wherein means for injecting fluid into said space is provided, said means including a mouth in said head and means in said mouth for enabling water to be transferred to said space.

4. A tearing eye doll according to claim 1 wherein said bulbous projection is formed integrally with said torSo.