Doll structure including appendage with fastener trapped therein for connecting to torso

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to dolls with appendages and to fastening means and methods therefor.

2. Description of the Prior Art

One type of walking doll has a motor driven oscillating mechanism mounted in the torso that is coupled to a leg member to move the leg back and forth. The leg housing is supported by a shaft that extends from the torso and is pivotally coupled to the leg to enable the leg to pivot about the axis of the shaft for walking. A doll of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,267,608 by J. W. Ryan.

The leg housing generally has been formed by a pair of housing halves that have been molded in the shape of a child’s leg, painted in a flesh color, and joined together. The attachment of the leg to the torso heretofore has been accomplished by projecting the leg-holding shaft of the torso into one leg housing half, and attaching a screw or other fastener to the end of the shaft to retain it on the housing half. Then the other housing half has been attached to the first one, and the outside of the housing has been smoothed and painted. This assembly method requires that the leg-finishing operations be performed when the leg is attached to the rest of the doll. The handling of the entire doll is much more difficult than handling of only the leg during the leg-finishing operations, and it results in increased time and a greater possibility of damage in the finishing operation.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a doll with movable appendages, wherein the fully finished appendages can be attached to the torso.

Another object is to provide a doll which can be constructed in a simple and economical manner.

In accordance with the present invention, a doll assembly is provided which enables an already finished leg to be rapidly and securely fastened to the torso. The leg includes inner and outer leg halves, each of which is a molded part, which may be joined together to form a leg. The outer leg half has a mount formed on the inner surface for holding a push nut fastener which tightly engages a shaft which is projected through it. The inner leg half includes a bushing for receiving the torso shaft, the bushing having an outer end that lies adjacent to the fastener-holding mount when the leg halves are assembled. The leg is assembled by placing a push nut in the mount and joining the leg halves so the bushing retains the nut in place on the mount. After all finishing operations are performed on the leg, it is assembled on the torso by projecting the torso shaft through the hole in the inner leg half until the shaft engages the push nut.

In one embodiment of the invention, the mount has four sides forming a square, and has raised portions on each comer for retaining a push nut thereon. The square configuration allows the use of substantial raised portions at the comers, without requiring thick walls which might exceed the greatest thickness allowed in the molded part.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a walking doll constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the left leg of the doll of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the leg of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the fastener mount of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates a walking doll 10 with legs 12,14 attached to a torso 16. As shown in FIG. 2, leg 12 is pivotally attached 5 to the torso by a shaft 18 that is fixed to the torso, the other leg being mounted in a similar manner. A motor-driven mechanism (not shown) within the torso is connected through a coupling 20 to the leg to move it back and forth. The leg pivots about the axis of shaft 18 in a manner that results in the IQ doll walking.

The leg 12 comprises an inner leg housing portion 24 and an outer leg housing portion 26. The inner portion 24 includes a bushing 28 which projects through a hole 30. A washer 32 is positioned on the outer end 34 of the bushing, and is held by 15 rolling over the outer bushing end. The coupling 20 is positioned on the inner end 36 of the bushing, and is held by a spring washer 38 that is placed over it, the spring washer being retained by staking the inner end of the bushing.

The assembled inner leg housing portion 24 is joined to the 20 outer leg housing portion 26 by pressing them together so that corresponding posts 40 and post hole members 42 on the inwardly directed housing surfaces are engaged. Prior to joining the housing portions, a push nut 44 is placed on a fastener mount 46 which is molded as part of the outer housing por25 tion. The push nut 44 is trapped between the inner end 34 of the bushing and the fastener mount, which forms substantially a fastener-holding chamber between. When the leg is thus assembled, a lower foot assembly 47 is attached to the leg housing, the parting line of the housing portions are partly filled to 30 conceal them, and the leg is buffed and painted to finish it.

The finished leg 12 is joined to the torso 16 by inserting the shaft 18 on the torso through the hole 48 in the bushing. The leg is pushed with substantial force toward the torso so that an outer end 50 of the shaft, which is of reduced diameter, pro-³⁵ jects through a cruciform hole 52 in the push nut. The push nut resists removal of the shaft end by a force on the order of four times the force required to initially force it on the shaft, so it holds the shaft securely against removal from the leg. The ₄θ shaft is fixed to the torso, and the push nut is fixed to the shaft, so neither the shaft nor the nut can rotate relative to each other or to the torso. However, the leg can pivot relative to the shaft and push nut for performing its walking motion.

As also shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fastener mount 46 has a 45 cross section which is the perimeter of a square. The top surface of each of the sides 54, 56, 58, 60 is curved to follow the conical shape of the push nut fastener 44 so it is in contact with the fastener. This provides support all around the nut at the outer portions thereof when the shaft is being pushed 50 through the nut. The top surface 46S of the mount sides are also oriented so that there is only a small space between it and the outer end 34 of the bushing. This assures that the lock nut will not fall out of the space between them after the leg is assembled but prior to the insertion of the shaft through the lock 55 nut·

Four projections 62, 64, 66 and 68 are formed at the four comers of the mount, for retaining the lock nut. The projections help to retain the nut in place prior to placement of the inner leg housing portion 24 on the outer portion 26. This 60 prevents the nut from sliding sidewardly out of the mount so long as the outer housing portion 26 is held so the rim of the nut is substantially level. The projections also help capture the nut after the inner and outer leg housing portions are fastened together, to prevent the nut from falling out no matter how the 65 leg is held.

Instead of employing a mount with a limited number of sides, such as four, a mount of circular cross section could be used. However, such a mount would have to have thick sides to adequately support the nut when it is pushed during projec70 tion of the shaft thejethrough, and to provide a ridge for capturing the nut in the manner of the projections 62 through 68. Often, only a limited wall thickness can be tolerated in molded parts such as the outer leg housing portion 26. For example, in a doll constructed in accordance with the above, a maximum 75 thickness of only 0.060 inch was allowable. The four-sided

3,579,902 mount enables adequate nut support using only this limited maximum thickness of molded walls.

Thus, the invention provides a doll appendage which can be fastened prior to joining on the doll torso, and which can be rapidly joined to the torso. Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.