Transformable doll

The invention includes a doll transformable between two characters or persona. The doll includes interconnected upper body portions of each character or persona. A stand portraying the lower body portion of at least one of the characters or persona receives the upper body portion not in use. Assembly of the stand with one of the upper body portions extending therefrom gives the illusion of a complete character or persona.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The invention generally relates to dolls and, more particularly, to a doll 
that can be transformed between two characters or persona. 
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
Perhaps the most common toy of children is the doll. Dolls have represented 
a virtually endless variety of real and imaginary animals, characters and 
people, bringing to life the dreams of children. It is not surprising, 
then, that children often like best dolls that bring to life fantasy or 
story book characters, such as Cinderella, Superman and others, which 
allow creation of their own story involving a favorite hero or heroine. 
A number of characters portrayed by dolls are transformed between two, and 
sometimes more, personalities or likenesses in their story-book or fantasy 
lives. For example, Cinderella's rag clothes are instantly transformed 
into a beautiful gown by her fairy Godmother. Many other examples can be 
given, such as the evil queen who disguised herself as an old woman in 
order to trick Snow White and the Little Mermaid who was transformed into 
a princess by the wicked Sea Witch. 
Unfortunately, dolls previously available have not been capable of 
recreating such transformations made by the characters they represent. 
Typically, dolls require a complete change of costume, a task very much 
unlike the magical change often undergone in the character's fantasy 
story. One construction interconnects only the pre- and 
post-transformation torso, arms and heads of the character. Such a doll 
lacks a lower body, and must be held by the body-half representing the 
character's persona not in use by the child. Consequently, such dolls can 
be used only as hand-held puppets, lacking realism. 
The present invention is a doll capable of realistically portraying 
different characters or persona of a character, while overcoming the 
foregoing limitations and disadvantages. The doll has a body portion 
representing the upper body of at least two characters or persona to be 
portrayed. The upper body of each character or persona are interconnected 
and extend in opposite directions from each other. A removable support 
engages one end of the body portion, and represents the lower portion of 
the character or persona represented by the other end of the doll. The 
support both engages and conceals the body portion not in use. At the same 
time, the support gives the illusion of the lower portion of the 
unconcealed character or persona portrayed by the body portion in use. 
Thus the entire character or persona can be portrayed. 
In yet another aspect of the invention, the support can be secured to and 
released from the upper body portion, to allow easy transformation of the 
doll between the two characters or persona. 
In still another aspect of the invention, a second support is used to 
represent the lower portion of the second character or persona portrayed 
by the doll. 
In a further aspect of the invention, one or more supports are used, each 
representing a vehicle, animal or other thing related to the doll 
character or persona portrayed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to FIG. 1, shown is a doll 10 comprising a first embodiment 
of the invention, assembled to represent a princess, or first character. 
It will be apparent that the present invention is capable of portraying 
two different characters or two different persona of a single character. 
An example of a single character having two persona is Cinderella, who in 
one persona is dressed in rags and in her other persona is beautifully 
dressed in a ball gown. To simplify the discussion of the invention, the 
term "character" shall refer to a persona of a single character, such as 
Cinderella, as well as to separate story-book fantasy or real-life 
animals, supernatural beings, individuals, etc. 
The doll 10 includes a first body portion 12 that represents the upper body 
of a princess. The first body portion includes a torso 14, arms 16, and a 
head 17. The first body portion 12 is given the appearance of a princess, 
merely as an example. It will be apparent that other characters, whether 
human, animal, supernatural or otherwise, could be portrayed by the first 
body portion. 
The first body portion 12 is clothed with a gown 18 having a skirt 
extending downwardly about the lower end of the doll 10. Secured about the 
perimeter of the outside surface of the skirt of the gown 18 are 
Velcro.RTM. fastening strips 20. The fastening strips 20 are identified by 
broken lines in FIG. 1. The strips 20 may be secured to the gown 18 by 
stitching, gluing or other suitable means. 
The doll 10 is supported by a support 22, representing generally the lower 
half of the princess portrayed as the first character by the doll 10. The 
support 22 is a molded plastic, cylindrical container which holds a second 
body portion (not shown in FIG. 1) of the doll 10 when not in use. Secured 
to the exterior of the support 22 are a pair of doll legs 24, representing 
the legs of the portrayed princess. Secured to the support 22 are a pair 
of underskirts 26 and 28, which extend outwardly, as does the skirt of the 
gown 18. The underskirt 26 extends outwardly from the support 22 beyond 
the lower edge of the gown 18, allowing the underskirt 28 to be folded 
over and secured to the fastening strips 20 spaced about the lower edge of 
the gown 18. 
As is shown best in the partial section view of FIG. 1a, taken along 
section lines 1a--1a in FIG. 1, the underskirt 26 includes a Velcro.RTM. 
fastening strip 30 that mates with and secures to the Velcro.RTM. 
fastening strips 20 of the gown 18. The fastening strip 30 of the support 
22 extends continuously about the perimeter of the underskirt 26, to 
facilitate mating with the fastening strips 20 of the gown 18. 
Alternately, a series of Velcro.RTM. fastening strips could be used in 
place of the single, continuous fastening strip 30, in which case 
alignment of strips 20 and 30 would be required during assembly. 
The perimeter of the underskirt 26 is folded over and secured to the lower 
edge of the gown 18 by engagement of the fastening strips 20 and 30. The 
underskirt 26 thus obscures from view the upper end of the support 22 and 
the inside or reverse surface of the gown 18. 
Shown in FIG. 2 is the doll 10 portraying a witch as a second character. 
Assembled as the witch, the doll 10 includes a second body portion 32, 
with a torso 34, arms 36, and a head 38. The second body portion 32 is 
cloaked with a witch dress 40, extending outwardly and downwardly from the 
torso 34. The skirt of the dress 40 is the reverse side of the princess 
gown 18, turned inside-out. Secured to and spaced about the lower 
perimeter of the witch dress 40 are a number of Velcro.RTM. fastening 
strips 42. 
The lower portion of the witch character is represented by a support 46. 
The support 46 is a molded plastic, cylindrical container, which receives 
and conceals the first body portion 12 representing the princess 
character. Thus, when portrayal of the princess character by the doll 10 
is not desired, the first body portion 12 is inserted into the support 46, 
as shown in FIG. 2. Secured to the exterior of the support 46 are a pair 
doll legs 50 and a broom 52. Together, the legs 50 and broom 52 give the 
doll 10 of FIG. 2 the appearance of a witch riding on a broomstick. 
Secured to and extending outwardly from the support 46 is an underskirt 48. 
Secured to the support 46 below the underskirt 48 is a second underskirt 
49. The underskirt 48 includes a single, continuous Velcro.RTM. fastening 
strip (shown in FIG. 5) secured about the perimeter of the underskirt 42 
similarly to the fastening strip 30 of the support 22 of FIG. 1. The 
fastening strip 44 of the underskirt 48 secures to the Velcro.RTM. 
fastening strips 42 of the witch dress 40. 
To secure the underskirt 48 to the support 46, the perimeter of the 
underskirt 48 is folded over the lower perimeter of the witch dress 40, in 
a manner similar to underskirt 26, shown in FIGS. 1 and 1a. The 
Velcro.RTM. fastening strip 44 of the underskirt is then secured to the 
Velcro.RTM. fastening strips 42 of the witch dress 40. The underskirt 48 
thus serves to both secure the support 46 to the witch dress 40 and to 
conceal the underside of the witch dress 40 from view. The reverse side of 
the witch dress 40, of course, represents the princess gown 18. 
FIG. 3 illustrates the interconnection of the first and second body 
portions 12 and 32, respectively of the doll 10. The first and second body 
portions 12 and 32 are manufactured conventionally, from molded plastic, 
and are preferably secured together at their intersection by gluing. 
However, it will be apparent that other suitable means of interconnecting 
the first body portions 12 and 32 may be used such as an integral 
construction from a single mold, use of a mechanical fastener, and thermal 
welding. 
FIG. 4 illustrates assembly of the doll 10 to portray the princess 
character. The skirt of the gown 18 and the underskirt 26 are shown 
partially cut away to better illustrate the second body portion 32 and the 
support 22, respectively. The second body portion 32 representing the 
witch is first inserted into the open end of the support 22. The support 
22 has sufficient depth to receive substantially the entire second body 
portion 32, representing the witch. The gown 18 and the underskirt 26 are 
then secured together, in the manner shown in FIG. 1a. The resulting 
assembly appears as shown in FIG. 1. 
A similar method of assembling the doll 10 as a witch is depicted in FIG. 
5. The skirt of the witch dress 40 and the underskirt 48 are shown 
partially cut away to better illustrate the first body portion 12 and the 
support 46, respectively. The first body portion 12 is inserted into the 
support 46. The support 46 has sufficient depth to receive substantially 
the entire second body portion 32. The witch dress 40 is next secured to 
the underskirt 48, by securing the Velcro.RTM. fastening strips 42 and 44, 
in the manner described in connection with FIG. 1a. The resulting assembly 
depicts the witch shown in FIG. 2. 
While the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 utilize supports 22 and 46 
to represent the lower body portions of the princess and witch characters 
portrayed by the doll 10, other configurations of support structure or 
stands can be used to both conceal the character not in use and to 
represent another aspect of the character being portrayed at the time. 
For example, FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate a doll 100, comprising a second 
embodiment of the invention wherein supports both conceal the unused 
character and represent a vehicle driven by the portrayed character. The 
doll 100 includes a first body portion 110, which represents a hero, for 
example. A second body portion 112 of the doll 100 represents a villain, 
or other adversary of the hero. The body portions 110 and 112 are 
preferably manufactured and secured together similarly to the body 
portions 12 and 32 of the doll 10 depicted in FIGS. 1 through 5. 
FIG. 7 illustrates the assembly of the doll 100 to portray a villain 
character operating a spaceship support 114. The spaceship support 114 
provides a function similar to that of the supports 22 and 46 of FIGS. 1 
through 5, of supporting the doll 100 and concealing the first body 
portion 110 of the doll, when not in use. In addition, the spaceship 
support 114 represents a vehicle flown by the second body portion 112, and 
gives the strong illusion that the villain depicted has a complete lower 
body. 
The spaceship support 114 is preferably manufactured of molded plastic; 
however, other suitable materials can be used effectively. While the doll 
100 incorporates a spaceship support 114, it will be apparent that 
representations of other vehicles, animals or other related objects or 
beings might be used instead. 
FIG. 8 illustrates the doll 100 as a hero driving a truck support 116. The 
truck support 116 provides a function similar to that of the spaceship 
support 114, of supporting the doll 100 and concealing the second body 
portion 112, when not in use. The truck support 116 is preferably 
manufactured of molded plastic; however, other suitable materials can be 
used effectively. While the doll 100 incorporates a truck support 116, it 
will be apparent that representations of other vehicles, animals or other 
related objects or beings might be used instead. 
Further, it will be apparent that the doll 110 can be assembled in a 
configuration wherein the first body portion 110 representing the hero 
extends from the spaceship support 114, if desired. The doll 100 might 
alternatively be assembled in a configuration wherein the second body 
portion 112 representing the villain extends from the truck support 116. 
Moreover, the doll 100 can be assembled with a virtually unlimited 
variations of supports representing trucks, animals, and other related 
objects and beings. 
Only the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described. It 
should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments 
disclosed, but is intended to embrace any alternatives, modifications, 
rearrangements, or substitutions of parts or elements as fall within the 
spirit and scope of the invention.