Patent Publication Number: US-6220923-B1

Title: Artificial eyeball for a doll

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an artificial eyeball for a doll, particularly an artificial eyeball which is controllable to wink by means of electromagnets provided in the eyeball. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Dolls have been loved by children all over the world since the beginning of civilization. One kind of conventional doll has a pair of winking eyes. When the doll is laid down, the eyes of the doll are closed. When the doll is stood up, the eyes of the doll are open. Children enjoy playing with this kind of doll, however as the eyes can only mechanically close or open when the doll is laid down or stood up, it&#39;s appeal to sophisticated modern children is very limited. 
     Therefore, it is an objective of the invention to provide an improved eyeball of a doll to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide an artificial eyeball of a doll, the eyeball comprising a base fitted in an eye socket of the doll, an eye globe pivotally connected with the base, and a set of electromagnets provided in the base, whereby the eyeball is electrically controllable to wink by means of the electromagnets, and the doll fitted with this kind of eyeball will wink naturally and in an interesting way to attract customers. 
     The detailed features of the present invention will be apparent in the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an artificial eyeball for a doll in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the artificial eyeball in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional side view of the artificial eyeball in accordance with the present invention, showing its opened situation; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the artificial eyeball fitted in a doll; and 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional side view of the artificial eyeball in accordance with the present invention, showing its closed situation. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention relates to an artificial eyeball for a doll. The eyeball comprises a base ( 10 ) fitted in an eye socket of the doll, an eye globe ( 20 ) pivotally connected with the base ( 10 ), a set of electromagnets ( 30 ) provided in the base ( 10 ), and a lid ( 40 ) enclosing the globe ( 20 ) and attached to the base ( 10 ). 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the base ( 10 ) is substantially hemispherical and defines a recess ( 11 ) to receive the set of electromagnets ( 30 ). Two fixing posts ( 12 ) are integrally formed at opposite sides of a bottom of the recess ( 11 ) and parallel to the each other. Each fixing post ( 12 ) has a screw hole defined therein. An opening ( 13 ) is defined in the bottom of the recess ( 11 ) between the two fixing posts ( 12 ). The base ( 10 ) further has two pivot holes ( 14 ) respectively defined at opposite sides of an open end of the recess ( 11 ). 
     The eye globe ( 20 ) is formed in a hemispherical shape, and has an eye&#39;s pattern ( 21 ) on an outer surface thereof The eye pattern ( 21 ) may be painted on, molded in or adhered as a decal. The eye globe ( 20 ) is formed with two pivots ( 22 ) at opposite sides thereof corresponding to the pivot holes ( 14 ) of the base ( 10 ). As best shown in FIG. 3, a block ( 23 ) secured on an inner surface of the eye globe ( 20 ) has an outside thereof formed with a first plane ( 231 ) and a second plane ( 232 ) which is inclined to the first plane ( 231 ). The first plane ( 231 ) is secured with a first magnet ( 24 ) and the second plane ( 232 ) is secured with a second magnet ( 25 ). 
     The set of electromagnets ( 30 ) consists of a body ( 31 ), a circuit board ( 32 ), first and second electric coils ( 33 ,  34 ) which are respectively received in the body ( 31 ), and a first and a second iron core ( 330 ,  340 ) which are respectively extended in the first and second electric coils ( 33 ,  34 ). 
     The body ( 31 ) is defined with first and second through holes ( 311 ,  312 ) to respectively receive the first and the second electric coils ( 33 ,  34 ) therein. Opposite sides of the body ( 31 ) are respectively formed with two lugs ( 313 ), which are respectively defined with two fixing holes ( 314 ) therein corresponding to the screw holes of the fixing posts ( 12 ). Two bolts ( 315 ) are respectively extended through the fixing holes ( 314 ) and screwed into the screw holes of the fixing posts ( 12 ) to fix the body ( 31 ) on the base ( 10 ). 
     The circuit board ( 32 ) is fixed on the bottom of the recess ( 11 ) of the base ( 10 ) between the two fixing posts ( 12 ). The first and second iron cores ( 330 ,  340 ) have two first ends thereof respectively secured on the circuit board ( 32 ) and two second ends thereof respectively extended in the first and the second electric coils ( 33 ,  34 ). 
     The first and second electric coils ( 33 ,  34 ) are respectively and electrically connected with the circuit board ( 32 ). Electrical wires are connected with the circuit board ( 32 ) and extended through the opening ( 13 ) of the base ( 10 ) to the outside. 
     Referring to FIG. 4, a pair of artificial eyeball of present invention is fitted in the doll, which has a head with a pair of socket ( 51 ) defined therein to receive the eyeballs. 
     As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, when the first electric coil ( 33 ) has a current passing there through, the first iron core ( 330 ) is excited to attract or repel the corresponding first magnet ( 24 ), which has a reversed polarity or a same polarity to the first iron core ( 330 ). Meanwhile the second electric coil ( 34 ) has no current or has a reverse current passing there through, such that the second iron core ( 34 ) is not excited or is excited to repel or attract the corresponding second magnet ( 25 ), which has a same polarity or a reversed polarity to the second iron core ( 340 ). The first and second electric coils ( 33 ,  34 ) respectively and alternately have reversed currents passing therethough, the first and second magnets ( 24 ,  25 ) are alternately attracted or repelled by the first and second iron core ( 330 ,  340 ), and the eye globe ( 23 ) is pivoted at the pivots ( 22 ), and thus the eyeball winks in a natural style. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.