Abstract:
A toy includes a base, a character figure, a simulated chair, and a simulated razor. The simulated chair is positioned on top of the base and is shaped to receive the character figure. The character figure includes simulated hair made from a deformable modeling compound. The simulated razor includes a simulated razor blade and two contacts positioned at the blade. Circuitry connected to these contacts provides a sound simulating the cutting of hair when a portion of the simulated hair provides a conductive path between the two contacts.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The following description relates to a toy especially suited for young children and pertains more particularly to a battery operated toy which produces sounds resembling that of a razor or shears cutting hair. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Toys that simulate sounds to enhance realism are well known. For example, dolls and plush toys such as stuffed animals are made with sound-producing capabilities. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one general aspect, a toy includes a base, a character figure, a simulated chair, and a simulated razor. The simulated chair is positioned on top of the base and is shaped to receive the character figure. The character figure includes simulated hair made from a deformable modeling compound. The simulated razor includes a simulated razor blade and two contacts positioned at the blade. Circuitry connected to these contacts provides a sound simulating the cutting of hair when a portion of the simulated hair provides a conductive path between the two contacts. 
     Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, the base may be connected to the simulated razor by a flexible cable. The circuitry may be located in the base and connected to the contacts through the flexible cable. Alternatively, the circuitry may be located in the simulated razor. 
     The base may be shaped to simulate a barber shop floor. The character figure may be a hollow, cylindrical piece of solid durable material with a porous, domed cap on one end of the cylindrical piece. The simulated hair may be formed by extruding the deformable modeling compound through holes in the porous, domed cap of the cylinder. 
     The modeling compound may include salt to render it electrically conductive. For example, the modeling compound may contain on a weight percentage basis 30-60% wheat flour, 30-60% water, 1-5% hydrocarbon distillate, and 10-15% salt. The modeling compound may be a commercially available product known as Play-Doh® brand modeling compound. 
     In another general aspect, a toy includes a base and a component including contacts and connected to the base by a flexible cable. The base includes circuitry connected to the contacts through the flexible cable. The circuitry produces a sound when a conductive path is established between the contacts. 
     Implementations may include one or more of the features discussed above. Other features will be apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a simulated barber shop toy with a character figure, simulated chair, a base, and a simulated razor. 
     FIGS. 2A-2C are top, side, and bottom views of the simulated razor of FIG.  1 . FIGS. 2D and 2E are interior views of respectively, the top and the bottom of the razor of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the simulated razor of FIG. 1 applied to the simulated hair of the character figure of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3B is a bottom view showing a simulated hair portion providing an electrical connection between the contacts of the simulated razor. 
     FIGS. 4A-4C are perspective, top, and bottom views of the base of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom interior view of the base of FIG. 1 with attached internal components. 
     FIG. 6 is a top interior view of the base of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of the toy of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a simulated barber shop  100  has a character figure 105 positioned on top of a simulated chair  110  that is located on top of a base  115 . A simulated razor  120  is connected to the base  115  by a flexible cable  125 . The character figure 105 has simulated hair  130  made of deformable or moldable modeling compound. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2A-2E, the simulated razor  120  includes a razor top  200  that includes a simulated razor power switch  205  and a simulated blade  210 . The razor top  200 , the simulated razor power switch  205 , and the simulated blade  210  may be part of the same molded piece and may be formed of hard plastic or another hard moldable material. The simulated blade  210  includes a sticker  212  that depicts metallic cutting blades to enhance realism. Two contacts  215  are positioned beneath the simulated blade  210 . 
     The razor top  200  is attached to a razor bottom  220  by three screws  225 . The contacts  215  are attached by adhesive to the interior surface  227  of the razor bottom. The razor bottom interior surface  227  has screw holes  230  and a stress relief plate  240 . The stress relief plate  240  is attached to the razor bottom interior surface  227  by a stress relief plate screw  242 . 
     The flexible cable  125  contains two conductors  235  which are electrically and mechanically connected to contacts  215 . The flexible cable  125  extends under the stress relief plate  240 , around the stress relief plate screw  242 , around the screw holes  230 , and through a groove  245 . 
     The interior surface  250  of the razor top includes three threaded standoffs  255  and a groove  260 . The razor top  200  is connected to the razor bottom  220  by inserting the three screws  225  through the screw holes  230  and into the threaded standoffs  255 . The flexible cable  125  sits in and passes through a channel defined by the groove  245  of the razor bottom interior surface and the groove  260  of the razor top interior surface. 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate application of the razor  120  to the simulated hair  130  of the character figure 105. A portion of the hair  130  provides an electrical connection between the contacts  215 , which causes the toy to produce a simulated razor sound. 
     FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate the base  115  without the simulated chair or character figure attachments. The base has a base top plate  400  with a circular aperture  405  in which the chair is inserted. The base top plate also has an engraved pattern  410 . The engraved pattern  410  may simulate a barber shop floor to enhance realism. The base top plate  400 , circular aperture  405 , and engraved pattern  410  may be part of the same molded piece and may be formed of hard plastic or another hard moldable material. The base top plate  400  has a groove  415  through which flexible cable  125  passes. A base bottom plate  420  is attached to the base top plate by four screws  425 . A recessed speaker grill  430  is engraved in the base bottom plate  420 . A battery container cover  435  is attached to the base bottom plate  420  by a screw  440 . 
     FIG. 5 shows the interior surface  500  of the base bottom plate  420 . A speaker  505  is attached to the base bottom plate interior surface by a mounting assembly  510  that includes a mounting bracket  515  and two screws  520  which are screwed into threaded standoffs (not shown) molded into the base bottom plate interior surface  500 . The speaker  505  may be a standard, small, low-power speaker. For example, the speaker may be a 27 mm diameter, 8 ohm speaker. The speaker  505  is situated adjacent to the recessed speaker grill  430  to limit muffling of the sound by the base bottom plate  420 . 
     A circuit board  525  is attached to the base bottom plate interior surface by four screws  530  that are screwed into threaded standoffs (not shown) molded into the base bottom plate interior surface  500 . The circuit board provides the electronics used to drive the speaker  505  so that the speaker “buzzes” when a portion of the simulated hair  130  provides an electrical connection between contacts  215 . 
     A battery pack assembly  535  is also molded into the base bottom plate interior surface  500  and holds two batteries  540 . In this case, the batteries are two AA batteries. A threaded cylinder  545  receives the screw  440  used to attach the battery container cover  435  to the base bottom plate  420 . 
     The speaker  505  is electrically connected to SP+ and SP− contacts of the circuit board  525  by conductors  550  and  555 , respectively. The positive and negative electrodes of the battery pack  535  are electrically connected to VCC and GND contacts of the circuit board  525  by conductors  560  and  565 , respectively. A stress relief plate  570  is attached to the base bottom interior surface  500  by a stress relief plate screw  575 . 
     The flexible cable  125  runs through a groove  550 , under the stress relief plate  570 , and around the stress relief plate screw  575 . The two conductors  235  contained within the flexible cable  125  are electrically connected to +AS and −AS contacts of the circuit board  525 . 
     Four hollow cylinders  585  are molded into the base bottom plate interior surface. As shown in FIG. 6, in interior surface  600  of the base top plate includes four molded, threaded standoffs  605  that mate with the cylinders  585 . The four screws  425  are inserted into the hollow cylinders  585  and screwed into the standoffs  605  to secure the base bottom plate  420  to the base top plate  400 . 
     FIG. 7 shows the circuit diagram for the toy. The board circuitry  700  of the circuit board  525  and the razor circuitry  705  of the razor  120  are delineated by dashed lines. The razor circuitry  705  is simply two contacts showing an open circuit. As shown in FIG. 7, the two contacts are electrically connected to AS+ and AS− contacts of the circuit board  525 . 
     The board circuitry  700  contains a standard one-channel voice synthesizer IC chip  710 , a resistor  715 , and a capacitor  720 . The P 20  pin of the IC chip  710  is electrically connected to one of the two contacts  215  of the razor  220 . The other contact  215  of the razor is electrically connected to a voltage source  725  provided by the batteries in the battery pack assembly  535 . When a portion of simulated hair  130  provides an electrical connection between the two contacts  215 , the P 20  pin voltage increases past a designated threshold voltage value causing a pulse wave modulation (PWM) direct drive circuit (not shown) in the IC chip  710  to generate a voltage output at the pins BUO 1  and BUO 2 . This output drives the speaker  505  and results in a “buzzing” sound that simulates a razor or shears cutting hair. The IC chip  710  requires an external oscillation voltage component for operation. The resistor  715  and the capacitor  720  form a simple RC circuit that provides this oscillation component to the pin OSC of the IC chip  710 . In one implementation, the IC chip  710  may be a SONIX SN65004 and the resistor  715  may be a 0.25W, 330K Ohm resistor may be used for the resistor  715 . A standard 1 microfarad capacitor may be used for the capacitor  720 . 
     Other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.