Abstract:
An interactive, animated, and robotic doll having movable appendages, such as a head, arms, and legs. The doll includes motors, gears and other linkages to actuate the movement of these appendages. A lockout mechanism is operatively incorporated into the doll for preventing conflicting forces from occurring. The lockout mechanism may include a shuttlecock interposed two independent linkages that drive motion in a single appendage. The shuttlecock slides between two positions, each of which limits the movement of a corresponding one of the two linkages when the other of the two linkages is actuating motion in the appendage.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is based upon and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to the following U.S. provisional patent application, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes: Ser. No. 60/224,697, entitled “Motorized Doll,” filed Aug. 11, 2000. This application is a continuation-in-part and claims priority under 35 U.S.C §120 to U.S. patent application No. 09/908,971 entitled “Animated Toy with Geneva Mechanism” filed Jul. 18, 2001, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a lockout mechanism for interactive animated toys, and more particularly to a mechanism using a shuttlecock to mechanically limit the rotation of a gear or other moving linkage, such that conflicting forces are prevented.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Interactive toys are popular for children. Interactive toys having animated features and moving appendages increase the life-like character of the toys. Examples of various interactive, animated or robotic dolls and other toys are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,775,352, 4,808,142, 4,836,465, 4,900,289, 4,923,428, 5,108,341, 5,399,115, 5,820,441, and 5,855,502, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The present invention includes an interactive, animated, and robotic doll having movable appendages, such as a head, arms, and legs. The doll includes motors, gears and other linkages to actuate the movement of these appendages. A lockout mechanism is operatively incorporated into the doll for preventing conflicting forces from occurring. A conflicting force occurs when two independent linkages configured to actuate the same appendage attempt to move that appendage in opposed directions simultaneously.  
           [0005]    The lockout mechanism may include a shuttlecock interposed two independent linkages that drive motion in a single appendage. The shuttlecock slides between two positions, each of which limits the movement of a corresponding one of the two linkages when the other of the two linkages is actuating motion in the appendage. For example, one disclosed embodiment includes a pair of rotating gears configured to drive the movement of a single body part of the doll in opposed directions. Each gear includes a lockout ridge configured to contact the shuttlecock as it rotates causing the shuttlecock to move into a position blocking the rotation of one of the two gears, thus preventing the doll from attempting to drive the body part in opposed directions. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a doll according to the present invention showing first and second drive motors operatively connected to a moveable head, and a lockout subsystem.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the lockout subsystem of FIG. 1.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the lockout subsystem of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing functional angular sweep regions in dashed lines.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the doll of FIG. 1, with the head rotated left and the lockout subsystem limiting the range of rotation of one drive gear, preventing movement of the head to the doll&#39;s right.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of the doll of FIG. 1, with the head rotated right and the lockout subsystem limiting the range of rotation of one drive gear, preventing movement of the head to the doll&#39;s left. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]    Turning initially to FIG. 1, a doll or toy according to one embodiment of the present invention is indicated generally at  10 . Doll  10  includes a body  12 , which has at least one movable appendage. In the depicted embodiment, a head  14  is the movable appendage.  
         [0012]    Head  14  mounts to body  12  and is configured to rotate left and right as indicated by arrow H. A cable  16  connects to head  14  and is operatively linked to a drive pulley  18  in a looped manner. Drive pulley  18  rotates to cause cable  16  to move as indicated by directional arrow C.  
         [0013]    A first idler gear  20  is rotated by a first drive gear  22  to drive pulley  18  and cause cable  16  to rotate head  14  from a starting position, as shown in FIG. 1. For example, head  14  may be rotated to the right as indicated by arrow HR. Similarly, head  14  may be rotated back to the starting position by cable  16 , drive pulley  18 , idler gear  20  and first drive gear  22 .  
         [0014]    Drive gear  22  is driven by a motor  24 . Motor  24  rotates drive gear  22  in both a clockwise and counterclockwise direction, as indicated by arrow D 1 . Drive gear  22  includes a toothed region along a portion of the gear&#39;s perimeter configured to engage idler gear  20 , which may have teeth along all, or a portion, of its perimeter. While the toothed region of drive gear  22  is engaged with the teeth of idler gear  20 , clockwise rotation of drive gear  22  moves head  14  from a forward facing position toward a right facing position, and counterclockwise rotation by motor  24  of drive gear  22  moves head  14  from a right facing position toward a forward facing position.  
         [0015]    Similarly, a second idler gear  26  is rotated by a drive gear  28  to drive pulley  18  and cause cable  16  to rotate head  14  to the left as indicated by arrow HL. Drive gear  26  is driven by a motor  30 . Motor  30  rotates drive gear  28  in both a clockwise and counterclockwise direction, as indicated by arrow D 2 . Clockwise rotation by motor  30  of drive gear  28  moves head  14  from a forward facing position toward a left facing position, and counterclockwise rotation by motor  30  of drive gear  28  moves head  14  from a left facing position toward a forward facing position.  
         [0016]    A conflicting condition could occur if both drive gears attempt to drive movement in opposed directions. This conflicting condition may occur when motor  24  is driving first drive gear  22  to rotate head  14  toward the right and motor  30  is driving second drive gear  28  to rotate head  14  toward the left. A lockout subsystem is incorporated into doll  10  to address the potential conflicting condition. The components of the lockout subsystem include a first contact region or first lockout ridge  32  positioned on first drive gear  22 , a second contact region or second lockout ridge  34  positioned on second drive gear  28 , and a lockout mechanism  36  interposed drive gears  22  and  28 . First lockout ridge  32  travels along a first path as drive gear  22  rotates. Similarly, second lockout ridge  34  travels along a second path as drive gear  28  rotates.  
         [0017]    Lockout mechanism  36  limits the rotation of drive gear  22  so that it cannot engage idler gear  20 , while drive gear  28  is engaging idler gear  26 . Similarly, lockout mechanism  36  limits the rotation of drive gear  28  so that it cannot engage idler gear  26 , while drive gear  22  is engaging idler gear  20 . Thus, lockout mechanism  36  prevents conflicting movements from occurring. By preventing the conflicting movements from occurring lockout mechanism  36  also prevents conflicting forces.  
         [0018]    Turning to FIG. 2, pulley  18  is driven by the interaction of a pulley gear  38  with idler gears  20  and  26 . As indicated above, drive gear  22  drives rotation of idler gear  20 , which then drives pulley gear  38  and thus pulley  18 , cable  16  and head  14 . Similarly, drive gear  28  drives rotation of idler gear  26 , pulley gear  38 , pulley  18 , cable  16 , and head  14 . Lockout mechanism  36  selectively limits rotation of drive gears  22  and  28  by blocking the path of either the first lockout ridge  32  or the second lockout ridge  34 . Lockout mechanism  36  includes a shuttlecock  40  that moves back and forth to limit the rotation of drive gears  22  and  28 .  
         [0019]    Turning to FIG. 3, the interaction of shuttlecock  40  and lockout ridges  32  and  34  will be better understood. Shuttlecock  40  includes a first-end-clockwise contacting surface  46 , a first-end-counterclockwise contacting surface  48 , a second-end-counterclockwise contacting surface  50 , and a second-end-clockwise contacting surface  52 . Each contacting surface moves shuttlecock  40  in response to contact with one of the lockout ridges  32  or  34 .  
         [0020]    Contacting surface  46  is configured to abut the end of lockout ridge  32  as the ridge is rotating clockwise. Contacting surface  48  is configured to abut the end of lockout ridge  32  as the ridge is rotating counterclockwise. Contacting surface  50  is configured to abut the end of lockout ridge  34  as the ridge is rotating counterclockwise. Finally, contacting surface  52  is configured to abut the end of lockout ridge  34  as the ridge is rotating clockwise.  
         [0021]    Drive gears  22  and  28  rotate through distinct functional angular sweep regions. Each sweep region represents a different functional portion of the rotation of a respective one of drive gears  22  and  28 . Drive gear  22  travels through a drive-head-left lockout sweep region  54 , a drive-head-right sweep region  58 , and two idle sweep regions  62 . Similarly, drive gear  28  travels through a drive-head-right lockout sweep region  56 , a drive-head-left sweep region  60 , and two idle sweep regions  64 .  
         [0022]    Shuttlecock  40  is interposed drive gears  22  and  28 , and is positioned to extend into both lockout sweep regions  54  and  56 . Shuttlecock  40  engages lockout ridge  32  as it rotates through lockout sweep region  54 . Similarly, shuttlecock  40  engages lockout ridge  34  as it rotates through lockout sweep region  56 .  
         [0023]    Toothed region  42  of drive gear  22  enters drive-head-right sweep region  58  from idle sweep region  62 , as drive gear  22  rotates clockwise. Head  14  moves from a forward facing positions toward a right facing position as toothed region  42  passes through drive-head-right sweep region  58 .  
         [0024]    Lockout ridge  32  of drive gear  22  enters drive-head-left-lockout region  54  at the same time toothed region  42  enters drive-head-right sweep region  58 . Lockout ridge  32  engages contacting surface  46  as it enters drive-head-left-lockout region  54 . Engagement between contacting surface  46  and lockout ridge  32  causes shuttlecock  40  to move towards drive gear  28 , out of the travel path of lockout ridge  32  and into the travel path of lockout ridge  34 , as shown in dashed lines.  
         [0025]    Similarly, counterclockwise rotation of drive gear  22  causes contact between contacting surface  48  and lockout ridge  32 , thereby also causing shuttlecock  40  to move toward drive gear  28  out of the travel path of lockout ridge  32  and into the travel path of lockout ridge  34 .  
         [0026]    In the same way, lockout ridge  34  of drive gear  28  interacts with contacting surfaces  50  and  52  of shuttlecock  40  to move the shuttlecock toward drive gear  22  and out of the travel path of lockout ridge  34 .  
         [0027]    When toothed region  44  of drive gear  28  is moving through a drive-head-left sweep region  60 , lockout ridge  34  is moving through a drive-head-right-lockout region  56 , thereby preventing shuttlecock  40  from moving toward drive gear  28 . Lockout ridge  34  blocks shuttlecock  40  from moving out of the path of lockout ridge  32  as toothed region  44  of drive gear  28  is rotating through drive-head-left sweep region  60 . Shuttlecock  40  prevents toothed region  42  of drive gear  22  from rotating through drive-head-right sweep region  58 , thus preventing the conflicting motion condition form occurring.  
         [0028]    The operation of the lockout subsystem is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4, shows head  14  being driven by drive gear  22  to the doll&#39;s left from a center facing position, as indicated by arrow HL. Lockout ridge  32  blocks the movement of lockout mechanism  36 , which in turn prevents drive gear  28  from attempting to drive head  14  toward the doll&#39;s right.  
         [0029]    Similarly, FIG. 5, shows head  14  being driven by drive gear  28  to the doll&#39;s right from a center facing position, as indicated by arrow HR. Lockout ridge  34  blocks the movement of lockout mechanism  36 , which in turn prevents drive gear  22  from attempting to drive head  14  toward the doll&#39;s left.  
         [0030]    It should be noted, that FIGS.  1 - 5  are simplified schematic views and that typically doll  10  would have multiple movable appendages and motors  24  and  30  would drive stacks of drive gears like gear  22  and  28 . Each gear in a stack could have a toothed region extending along a portion of the gear. The gears in the stack may have the toothed regions offset angularly, typically offset at 90 degrees, so that as the motor rotates the stack, different gears in the stack are either engaged and actuating different appendages or are, not engaged and not actuating any motion. In this manner each motor may actuate a series of movements within doll  10 .  
         [0031]    It is believed that the disclosure set forth above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. Where claims recite “a” or “a first” element or equivalent thereof, such claims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring, nor excluding two or more such elements.  
         [0032]    It is believed that the following claims particularly point out certain combinations and sub-combinations that are directed to one of the disclosed inventions and are novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and sub-combinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of those claims or presentation of new claims in this or a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to a different invention or directed to the same invention, whether different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are also regarded as included within the subject matter of the inventions of the present disclosure.