Patent Publication Number: US-6220922-B1

Title: Molded soft-skinned figures with articulating members

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/950,705 filed on Oct. 15, 1997, now abandoned. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to toy figures or dolls and more particularly to toy figures having deformable skin and one or more articulating limbs comprising rigid structural members which articulate with respect to each other. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A variety of dolls and action figures are known which are made by molding a soft polyvinyl chloride resin or other soft plastic material. It is considered desirable to provide such toy figures with an exterior texture that simulates the feel of skin. It is also considered desirable to provide flexible limbs to permit a child to manipulate the toy figure creatively. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,714 discloses a doll having a foam body and limbs with a flexible wire housed within the limbs to make them bendable into various positions. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,606,398 describes a stuffed doll formed by coating a form with latex coagulant, dipping the coated form in a vulcanizable rubbery material, drying the material and vulcanizing the doll. The doll is then removed from the form and filled with textile fibers, rags or similar yielding materials. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,020 describes a rotationally molded doll torso which is filled with pressurized air. The torso is provided with joints for rotatingly attaching the head and limbs. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,336 describes a doll having stretchable arms and legs which can be drawn into various configurations. The doll has an external skin of elastic film and is filled with a viscous liquid such as corn syrup. 
     The prior art toy figures and dolls having soft resilient skin and flexible limbs do not provide realistic ranges of articulation for the limbs. It would be desirable to provide a toy figure with a skin layer that is soft and resiliently deformable and limbs with rigid limb member that act as “bones” that are capable of articulating relative to one another in a realistic manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a toy figure or doll with articulating limbs comprising rigid limb members connected by articulating joints. The toy figures of the present invention preferably have a hollow body made of a resiliently deformable, soft skin layer and are preferably stuffed with a soft fill material to further simulate a “live” feel. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the skin of the body and limbs of a toy figure of the invention are cast separately and assembled. The limbs are preferably joined to the body by e.g., connector joints, although it is also contemplated that the articulating limbs may be completely enclosed within the limbs, with the limbs and body of the toy figure being joined by adhesive or other means. Alternatively, the toy figure may be molded as a single piece and the articulating limbs inserted through openings at the extremities of the limbs which are then patched, for example by an injection molded piece, optionally with the distal ends of the articulating limb structures being glued to the inside surface of the injection molded patches. 
     The body and limbs of the toy figure or doll are cast by conventional rotational molding or slush molding as is well known in the art. The cavities of the body and limbs are preferably stuffed with polyester fiber, gel or other soft, deformable material. 
     In particularly preferred embodiments, the toy figure may be sized up to 2-3 feet or more in length or more with limbs up to 18 inches or more in length. Toy figures of this size are sometimes referred to as “my size” figures, referring to their size relative to a child. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a toy figure of the present invention with certain sections broken away to show the underlying structural components of the articulating limbs and their attachment to the body; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the structural components of an articulating leg having a pivot joint and portions of the external skin of the body and leg; 
     FIG. 3 shows, in partial cross section, an articulating leg having a pivot joint at the knee and connected to the body at the hip by a nonarticulating connector joint; 
     FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of portions of the external skin of the body and arm and the structural components for attaching the arm and body using a nonarticulating connector joint; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the assembled arm and body portion depicted in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the structural components of an articulating leg having a pivot joint at the knee and which is connected to the body using an articulating connector joint that provides a pivot joint at the hip; 
     FIG. 7 is a view in partial cross section of the articulating leg of FIG. 6 showing attachment of the upper portion of the leg to the body at the hip using a pivoting connector joint; 
     FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the structural components and external skin layer of an embodiment of the present invention wherein an articulating leg comprises substantially hollow structural members having complementary ball and cup ends at the knee and connected by elastic means to provide a swiveling knee joint; 
     FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the assembled articulating leg of FIG. 8 showing the connection of the structural members of the leg limb to each other and to the body; 
     FIG. 10 shows an exploded view of the structural components of the upper portion of an articulating leg having a connector joint at the hip which comprises an articulable ball joint; 
     FIG. 11 shows a cross sectional view of an upper leg and connector ball joint assembled and attached to the body; 
     FIG. 12 depicts an exploded view of the structural components of the upper leg and connector joint comprising a ball joint wherein the upper leg structure is adapted to form the socket of the ball joint; 
     FIG. 13 shows the articulating connector joint (hip) and upper leg structure, leg depicted in FIG. 12, assembled and attached to the body; 
     FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view of the leg and a portion of the body of a toy figure according to an alternate embodiment of a soft-skinned figure with internal articulating members; 
     FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the internal structural components of the leg of FIG. 14; 
     FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the assembled articulating structural components shown in FIG. 15, along with the soft outer skin into which the structural components are to be inserted; 
     FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the assembled appendage of FIG. 16 including the hip joint components of the leg to attach to the body; 
     FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the attachment area and hip joint components of the body where the leg is to be attached; 
     FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the appendage and the portion of the body of the toy figure embodiment of FIG. 14, as the leg is being attached. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The toy figures of the present invention preferably comprise separately molded torsos and limbs which are stuffed with a fill material, fitted with one or more articulating limb structures and connected during assembly. The terms “limbs” as used herein is meant to encompass arms, legs, heads, tails or other components that may be molded separately from the torso and connected to the torso during assembly. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a toy FIG. 10 includes a torso  12  truncated at the head/neck attachment area  13 , left shoulder attachment area  14 , right shoulder attachment area  16 , left hip attachment area  18  and right hip attachment area  20 . The toy figure includes a head and neck  22 , left arm  24 , right arm  26 , left leg  28  and right leg  30 , each having corresponding attachment areas. These limbs are attached to the torso at the respective attachment areas by mushroom joints  32 , as more fully described below, which permit rotation of the limb relative to the body. 
     In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the limb attachment areas of the torso and the corresponding attachment areas of the limbs, are sized and shaped to mate complementarily with each other and facilitate articulation at the point of connection, if desired. The two respective attachment areas may be generally planar (e.g.,  14 ,  16 ) where the desired articulating movement is only rotation, although preferably, where the connection used to join the limb to the torso comprises a pivot joint, ball joint or the like, the torso is provided with a recessed or cup-shaped limb attachment area (e.g., as depicted in FIG. 7) to receive the corresponding limb. 
     To facilitate articulation of, for example, the knees and elbows of a toy figure, the external skin of the limbs optionally may be molded to provide accordion-like pleats (not shown) which fold to accommodate excess skin as the structural members articulate between their fully extended and contracted positions. The pleats may be provided on the backside or frontside of the limb or both. The pleats may be provided on limbs which have or do not have articulating structural members inside. The pleats also provide a convenient way to store a toy figure of the present invention by folding the limbs to lie adjacent to the body so as to be relatively compact during storage. This feature is also advantageous for shipping. 
     The skin of the torso and limbs may be formed from any suitable resiliently deformable vinyl resin material including pliable polyvinyl chloride compositions known in the art. The skin is preferably molded by rotational casting or slush molding methods. The applicants&#39; presently preferred polymer formulations comprise about 35%-45% polyvinyl chloride; about 50%-60% di(C 7 -C 12 alkyl)phthalate, wherein the alkyl moieties are linear or branched and are the same or different; about 1%-3% epoxidized soybean oil (as a high-temperature resistance agent); about 1%-3% of a liquid calcium and zinc organic complex stabilizer (as a heater stabilizer) and up to 1% pigment. The polymer compositions may optionally contain about 0.5%-1% plasticizer such as Kodaflex TXIB (trimethyl pentamediol diisobutyrate), available from Eastman Chemical Co., (CAS No. 68-46-50-0), as a hardener to adjust the rigidness of the skin as needed. Among the dialkylphthalate compounds which may be used are diisoheptylphthalate, diisooctylphthalate, diisononylphthalate and the like. Diisononylphftalate is most preferred. Diisononylphthalate is commercially available under the tradename “Jayflex” from Exxon Chemical Company. Such polymer formulations enable rotational casting or slush molding of molded torso and limb pieces that may be up to about 24 inches to 36 inches in length or more and have a finely textured and resiliently deformable skin of uniform thickness throughout. Molded pieces of such a large size and with uniform skin thickness are not attainable with conventional polymer formulations. The presently preferred polymer formulation for use in forming the skin of the toy figures of the present invention comprises about 40% polyvinyl chloride; about 55% diisononylphthalate; about 2% epoxidized soybean oil; about 2% calcium/zinc (as a heat stabilizer); about 1% pigment; and optionally about 0.5%-1% plasticizer. 
     The skin of the torso and limbs may be molded by adding a predetermined amount of skin-forming polymer into the cavity of the mold and rotating the mold to ensure uniform coverage of the polymer on the inner surface of the mold. As is known, conventional rotational casting involves rotating the mold around a first axis while it is simultaneously being moved orbitally around a second axis which is generally at a right angle to the first. In rotational casting or slush molding, the mold is heated to cause the skin layer to form on the inner surface of the mold. Alternatively, the mold may be entirely filled with the skin-forming polymer and heated to cause the skin layer to form on the inner surface of the mold, with the remaining liquid polymer being decanted after the molded skin having the desired thickness is formed. 
     In a presently preferred method for molding torso and limb components, the resin composition is made by mixing 55 parts by weight diisononylphthalate, 40 parts by weight polyvinyl chloride powder and optionally 0.5 to 1.0 part by weight Kodaflex™ TX 1 B plasticizer (CAS No. 68-46-50-0) with constant stirring. After these ingredients are thoroughly mixed, 2 parts by weight epoxidized soybean oil, 2 parts by weight Ca/Zn heat stabilizer (Brainstab CZ-101, Brain Resources Enterprises Company Limited, Kowloon, Hong Kong) and 1 part by weight pigment is added with constant mixing. The ingredients are blended for three hours, followed by degassing in a vacuum chamber for between 10 and 30 minutes to remove air bubbles from the blending process. 
     The present invention may be practiced, for example, in constructing a torso about 10 inches in length and about 15 inches in circumference at its widest point by blending and degassing a resin composition as described and then injecting it into a pumping device connected as is known in the art to a selected slush mold. The slush mold is fully filled and the filled mold is then dipped into a 200° C. liquid wax pool for 1 {fraction (1/2 )}minutes to form a raw skin. The mold is then removed and the excess resin composition from the first heating step is poured off, leaving the raw skin formed on the inside walls of the slush mold. The raw skin from the first heating step is then “matured” by re-dipping the slush-mold for a second treatment at 200° C. for an additional 2 minutes. The mold is then transferred to a running cold water bath for about 4½-5 minutes to separate the matured skin from the inner walls of the slush mold. The matured skin is then removed through the opening of the slush mold, carefully avoiding damage to the skin. 
     It will be understood that dimensions, quantities of materials, and processing times and temperatures are only illustrative since conventional rotational molding or slush molding concepts can be utilized in combination with the presently preferred polyvinyl chloride/ldiisononylphthalate composition or a variety of conventional polymer formulations for forming articles of various sizes and shapes, with the quantities of materials and processing conditions being readily determined by those skilled in the art for the particular article being formed. 
     As mentioned above, the torso and limbs of a toy figure of the present invention may desirably be filled with a soft resilient stuffing material. The stuffing material may be made of any resilient material that imparts, in combination with the resiliently deformable skin, a desirable tactile quality to the toy figure. A presently preferred stuffing material is polyester fiber which is made by heating polyester pellets and “pulling” them into fibrous strands as is known in the art. Alternatively, the stuffing material may be a gel or a suitable natural or synthetic fiber or cloth. 
     The toy figures of the present invention have one or more articulating rigid structures within their limbs. The articulating limbs of the present invention are generally comprised of two or more substantially rigid structural members connected end-to-end or serially with an articulating joint between adjacent structural members. The structural members of the limb may be dimensioned to resemble the bones of the limb. 
     The articulating joint connecting two structural members may be any suitable type of joint that permits pivoting, rotating and/or swiveling motion between adjacent structural members of the limb. Examples of such articulating joints include pivot joints, clevis joints, ball joints and the like. 
     The structural members of the limbs and the joints are preferably cast of a suitably rigid material. It is presently preferred to cast the structural members of the limbs and joints by injection molding employing polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-butadine-styrene or the like. The various joint members may be affixed or adhered to the structural members of the limb or, preferably, may be incorporated into (e.g., cast integrally with) the end of a limb structure as described herein. 
     The skin of the limbs, whether containing an articulating limb structure or not, may be joined to the torso by connector joints. One type of connector joint is a mushroom joint. The first member of such a connector joint comprises a flange and a rounded or mushroom-shaped head spaced apart from each other by a spacer piece; and the second member of the connector joint comprises a substantially rigid, resilient bushing that is elastically deformable to receive and retain the rounded head of the joint. One joint member is seated within the torso at the limb attachment area and the other joint member is seated within the limb at the corresponding attachment area. The spacer piece of the connector joint member is sized so that the attachment areas of the torso and limb may be brought together in between the flange and bushing surfaces, preferably while allowing rotation of the limb relative to the torso. See, for example, FIGS. 4 and 5. Where the limb contains an articulating limb structure, connector joints used to connect the proximal end of a limb to the torso may be a mushroom type joint that optionally comprises a pivot joint or ball joint disposed between the limb structure and torso, as described below. See, for example, FIG.  7 . 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 show a leg  50  comprising an elongate upper leg frame  51  adapted at the hip end with a first member of a connector joint comprising a rounded head  52  spaced apart from flange  54  by a spacer piece  56 . The upper leg frame is adapted at the “knee” to terminate in a routed and radiused end  58  having a serrated mating face  60  with a bore  62   a  running through the center thereof. Lower leg frame comprises an elongate shaft  64  that terminates at its upper (knee) end in a routed radiused end  66  with a serrated mating face  68  and a round bore  62   b  through the center thereof, and terminates at its lower end in a substantially flat surface foot  70 . The lower leg frame is complementarily shaped at its upper end  66  to mate pivotally with the lower end  58  of the upper leg frame. The leg  50  articulates about a pivot point formed when ends  58  and  66  are aligned and connected with pin  72 . The outer portions of bores  62   a  and  62   b  may be slightly enlarged or countersunk so that the pin  72  will fit flush with or below the surface of the leg frames  51 ,  64  as shown in FIG.  3 . The serrated faces  60 ,  68  allow the leg frames  51 ,  64  to pivot incrementally with respect to each other from one position to the next as the peaks and troughs of the serrated faces engage each other. 
     The articulating leg structure is sized to fit into skin  74 , which forms a hollow leg having a leg attachment area  76  at the upper portion thereof with an opening  78   a  into the interior of the leg. The torso  80  has a corresponding leg attachment area  82  and opening  78   b  into the interior of the body for receiving head  52 . The articulating leg structure is inserted into the interior of the leg  74  through opening  78   a  so that the flange  54  is retained by the interior skin surface of area  76  and head  52  and spacer  56  extend through opening  78   a.  Skin  74  containing the articulating leg structure is attached to the torso  80  (optionally after stuffing the body and limbs with suitable filling material) by passing head  52  through openings  78   a  and  78   b  and pressing it onto bushing  84  (preferably glued to the interior of the body skin) in alignment with opening  78   b  thereby bringing skin surfaces  76  and  82  into contact between flange  54  and bushing  84 , as depicted in FIG.  3 . Bushing  84  comprises a flanged collar  85  with a plurality of fingerlike projections  86  rising and extending inwardly from the flange to receive and retain head  52  when it is pressed through the opening  88  of bushing  84 . Leg  50  pivots at the knee and is joined to the body by a mushroom connector joint at provide rotation at the hip. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 show torso  100  truncated at shoulder  102  and attached to arm  104  by connector joint  106  which comprises a flange  112  and a rounded head portion  114  spaced apart by spacer piece  116 . The torso  100  is truncated at shoulder attachment area  108  having an opening  1 lO a.  The arm  104  has a complementary shoulder attachment area  111  having an opening  110   b  into the interior of the arm. The flange portion  112  of shoulder joint  106  is inserted into arm  104  through opening  110   b  (by slight elastic deformation at attachment area  111 ) and seated against the interior surface of area  111  with the head  114  and spacer  116  protruding through the opening  1 lO b.  Bushing  118  is inserted into the interior of the torso (and preferably glued in alignment with the opening  11 O a ). Head  114  of connector joint  106  is then pressed through the opening  120  of bushing  118  rotatingly to connect the arm  104  to the body  100 . Arm  104  is capable of 360° rotation relative to the torso. 
     With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, another embodiment of the present invention is shown wherein the articulating leg is connected to the torso with a connector joint comprising a clevis joint. As used herein a “clevis” refers to a type of pivot joint that comprises a slotted or “U-shaped” piece and a flat piece which fits within the “U”. Each of the two pieces has a bore running therethrough to accept a pin for pivotally connecting them. 
     Leg  150  comprises an upper leg frame  152  is adapted at its hip end with a slotted clevis member  154  having a bore  156  running therethrough and adapted at its knee end with a slotted clevis member  168  having a bore  169  running therethrough. The slotted clevis  154  and upper leg frame  152  are shown assembled (i.e., snap-fitted) as a single piece, while slotted clevis  168  is shown prior to being connected to leg frame  152  to reveal the configuration of the snap-fit connection. Thus, the lower end of leg shaft  152  and slotted clevis  168  are shown with complementary male and female portions ( 158 ,  160 ) that may be joined together as a snap-fit connection as is well known in the art. The hip joint of the upper leg further comprises a modified flat clevis piece  162  adapted to have a rounded head  164  spaced apart from the flat clevis member  162  by a spacer  166  to provide a connector joint member. 
     The lower leg frame  170  comprises an elongated shaft adapted at its knee with a flat clevis member  172 . When the clevis members  162  and  154  are brought into alignment (at bores  156   a,    156   b ) and connected with pin  174 , and clevis members  172  and  168  are brought into alignment (at bores  169   a,    169   b ) and connected with pin  175 , a leg structure having a pivoting hip joint and a pivoting knee joint is provided. The articulating leg structure is connected to the body of the toy figure by pressing rounded head  168  onto bushing  176 , essentially as described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 depict an embodiment of the present invention in which the articulating limb is hollow and is connected by an elastomeric band running therethrough. In this embodiment a swiveling knee joint is provided by maintaining the rounded head at the lower end of the upper leg frame seated in a cup-shaped leg bushing at the upper end of the lower leg frame to form a type of ball joint. 
     The articulating leg  200  comprises a hollow, generally cylindrical upper leg frame  202  adapted at its upper end with a rounded head  206  having an opening  208  therein, and adapted at its lower end with rounded head  210  having an opening  212  therein. The lower leg  218  comprises a lower leg frame  220  with a cylindrical upper portion  221  sized to retain (e.g., by adhesive or friction fit) lower leg bushing  222 . Leg bushing  222  comprises a flange  223  and has a tapered bore  224  running longitudinally through the bushing, the bore having a relatively larger diameter at the (upper) flange end to form a “socket” upon which rounded head  210  is seated for articulation. The upper and lower leg frames are connected to each other and to the body by an elastomeric band  214  which is provided at one end with an eyelet  216  for attachment to hook  228 , which hook is configured with two curled ends, one of which receives eyelet  216  of the elastic band and the other of which anchors the band to a rivet  230  inside connector joint  232  as shown in FIG.  9 . The rivet  230  passes transversely through bore  240  of connectorjoint  232 . 
     The end of bore  224  opposite the flanged end is sized to allow the free end of elastomeric band  214  to pass therethrough, but restrict passage of retainer clip  226  when it is crimped onto the free end of band  214 . The upper and lower leg frames are connected during assembly by threading the elastomeric band through the bore of the lower leg bushing and crimping clip  226  to the lower end of band  224  (and then connecting bushing  222  and lower leg frame  220 ) and threading the upper end of band  224  through openings  212  and  208  of the upper leg frame and anchoring eyelet  216  to rivet  230  via hook  228  such that the elastic force exerted by band  214  causes rounded head  210  to be seated in the cup-shaped end of lower leg bushing  222  to form a ball joint connection and causes rounded head  206  to be seated rotatingly on flange  233  of joint  232 . The assembled leg structure is inserted into skin  242  with the connector joint member  232  protruding from opening  244   a,  and articulating leg  200  is connected to torso  246  by pressing the head of connector joint  232  onto bushing  234  retained within the torso  246  in alignment with opening  244   b.  The attached leg  200  is capable of rotating at the hip and swiveling at the knee. 
     FIGS. 10 and 11 depict an embodiment of the present invention having a connector joint comprising a socket member of a ball joint and the “hip” end of the upper leg frames comprises a ball member of the ball joint. In this embodiment, the connector joint/socket combination is provided as two half-sockets  254 ,  256  divided bilaterally along an axis of the socket. Half-socket  254  further comprises a rounded head  258  spaced apart from half-socket  254  by spacer piece  260  to provide a member of a connector joint. 
     Ball  250  is attached to upper leg member  262  by screw  264  which extends through bore  251  and into threaded bore  266  of upper leg frame  262 . Ball  250  is articulably retained in the socket formed when the two socket members  254 ,  256  are joined edgewise such as by adhesive or snap-fitting. In this embodiment the structural components of the knee joint and lower leg may be similar to a previously described embodiment (e.g., pivot joint, clevis joint, etc.). 
     The assembled leg is installed in the skin  268  and is attached to the torso  270  by pressing head  258  of the connector joint onto bushing  270  (aligned with the limb attachment area of the torso  272 ) as described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The upper leg is thus capable of rotating and pivoting in any direction relative to the body. 
     With reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, a particularly preferred embodiment of a ball joint is shown wherein the ball member of the ball joint carries a flange member to seat it within the torso (without the use of a mushroom joint). 
     In this embodiment, the ball joint members are formed from acrylonitrile-butadine-styrene and fit together in a snap fit arrangement. Upper leg frame  302  is adapted at its upper end with a socket  304  that has a generally hemispherical shape. Socket  304  terminates at it upper surface in an anular flange  306  having a short collar  307 . The collar  307  has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the socket, yet large enough to allow the ball member  310  to be snap-fit into articulating contact with socket  304 . Socket  304  is provided with a plurality of symmetrically spaced apertures  312  which engage the knobs  314  complementarily disposed on ball  310  to reversibly retain the ball joint in one of several predetermined positions when the knobs  314  and apertures  312  are aligned for engagement. It will be appreciated that the lower leg frame (not shown) may be articulably connected to the upper leg frame by a ball joint, pivot joint, clevis joint or the like as described herein with reference to other embodiments of an articulating limb. 
     The ball member of the ball joint carries a flange  318  having a diameter larger than that of ball  312 . The flange  318  is spaced apart from ball  312  by spacer piece  316  which extends axially from the ball  310 . Flange  318  is sized to firmly anchor the ball member within the torso with the ball  310  and spacer piece  316  extending through the opening  328   a  of the limb attachment area  326  of the torso  322  and into the opening  328   b  of skin  330 . 
     The flange  318  is adapted with a tab  320  on the side opposite the spacer piece  316  which can be grasped, for example, by hand to facilitate installation of the ball member within the torso  322 . To assemble the ball joint, the ball member and flange are inserted through the head attachment opening  324  of torso  322  and the flange  316  is seated on (and preferably cemented to) the inside surface of the limb attachment area  326 , with the ball member  312  and spacer piece  316  extending through opening  328   a  therein. The articulating leg structure comprising leg frame  302  is inserted into the skin  330  and positioned so that the flange  306  is in contact with (and preferably cemented to) the inside surface of skin  330  in alignment with opening  328   b  with collar  307  extending through opening  328   b.  Snap-fitting ball  312  into socket  308  results in attachment of the articulating limb to torso  322  and provides articulation of the limb relative to the torso. Torso  322  is depicted with limb attachment area  332  for attachment of an arm (not shown). Torso  322  is completed by joining the remaining leg, arms and head to the torso (optionally, after stuffing the torso and limbs with a suitable fill material) in accordance with the description herein. 
     Turning to FIGS. 14-19, another embodiment of an articulating limb for a toy figure having a life-like pliable outer skin is shown at  400 . The limb  400  is joined to a body  401  of the toy figure. The limb shown in the figures and described below is generally related to a leg, however, the structural elements of the leg may be easily modified to form an arm or other appendage without deviating from the novel aspects of the present invention. The body includes a pliable skin  404 , and the leg skin  406 . Both the body skin and the leg skin may be formed of any suitable resiliently deformable vinyl resin material and molded as described above. The skin may be further stuffed with a polyester fill to provide a more pliable life-like feel to the skin. 
     The internal structural components of the articulating limb include a lower leg member  408  and an upper leg member  410 . The lower leg member  408  is pivotally joined to the upper leg member  410  to form a knee joint  420 . The upper leg member  410  is similarly pivotally joined to an annular disk  424  to form a lateral hip joint  418  which allows the limb  400  to be pivoted away from the body  401 . As will be described in more detail below, the annular disc  424  may be joined to a receiving disk  426  mounted within the body  401 . Together, disk  424  and receiving disc  426  form a rotating hip joint  416 . Radial spacers  412  and  414  are placed around the lower and upper leg members respectively to support the outer skin. A linear spacer  422  extends from the lateral hip joint to provide outward support of the skin near the upper portion of the limb. 
     Radial spacers  412 ,  414  are substantially identical, comprising a central hub  428  and an outer annular ring  430  supported from the hub by a plurality of spokes  432 . The central hub includes a bore  436  surrounded by a plurality of narrow radial slots  433 . Each of the lower and upper leg members  408 ,  410  include a spacer support area  438  defined by vertically spaced rings  440  of diameter nominally larger than that of the bore  434  through the central hub of the radial spacers  412 ,  414 . The spacers are mounted on each of the upper and lower leg members by sliding the members through the bore  434  and forcing the hub over a first support ring so that a support ring engages and supports each side of the hub. Ribs  435  formed on the leg members align with the slots  433  to hold the spacers in place. 
     As can best be seen in FIG. 15, a clevis joint forms joint the knee  420 . A U-shaped clevis piece  442  having a bore  448  extending through both sides thereof is formed at the lower end of the upper leg member  410 , and a mating flat clevis  446  piece having a bore  450  formed therethrough is formed on the upper end of the lower leg member  408 . The flat clevis piece is adapted to be inserted into the slot  444  formed in U-shaped clevis member  442  so that bore  450  aligns with bore  448 , and pin  452  may be inserted therethrough to pivotally connect the lower leg member  408  to the upper leg member  410 . Thus, the lower leg member may pivot freely relative to upper leg member  408 . 
     The lateral hip joint  418  is formed in a similar manner. A U-shaped clevis is formed on the under side of hip disk  424  and has a bore  458  extending through both sides thereof. A flat clevis piece  456  is formed at the upper end of upper leg member  410 , and has a bore  460  extending therethrough. The flat clevis piece is adapted to be inserted into the slot  455  formed in U-shaped clevis member  454  so that bore  460  aligns with bore  458 , and pin  462  may be inserted therethrough to pivotally connect the upper leg member  410  to the hip disk member  424 . Thus, the upper leg member  410  may pivot freely relative to the rotary hip joint  416  and the body  401 . 
     The angle through which the upper leg member may pivot relative to the hip disk  424  is limited by a hip extension piece  464  that extends from the flat clevis piece  456 . A mushroom connector  466  is formed at the end of extension piece  464 . Hip spacer  422  comprises an end cap having a mounting bore  468  for receiving the mushroom connector  466 . An outer support surface  470  is configured support the outer skin to provide an outward radial contour to the hip region of the toy figure. 
     As shown in FIG. 16, the assembled structural components of the articulating limb may be inserted into the molded outer skin  406  through an aperture  472  located at the radial hip joint. Aperture  472  is surrounded by an inwardly directed stepped annular ridge  474 . The stepped profile of the ridge can be seen best in the cross sectional view of FIG.  14 . The hip disk  424  includes an outer annular rim  476  which is thicker than the remainder of the disk surface, creating a depressed central region  477 . When the structural components of the limb are inserted into the skin  406 , the annular ridge may be stretched over the annular rim  476  of the hip disk, and once in place, the distal end  479  of the stepped annular ridge is seated within the depressed central region  477  of the disk and the thicker rim portion of the disk is seated under the proximal stepped portion  481  of the stepped ridge. 
     Turning to FIG. 17, a ring fastener  484  is provided to secure the molded skin to the hip disk  424 . Threaded bosses  478  are formed on the recessed surface  477  of hip disk  424  and corresponding inwardly directed screw support flanges  488  are formed on the inner circumference of the ring fastener. Bores formed in the screw support flanges  488  align with the threaded bosses so that screws  490  may be driven through the flanges and into the bosses to attach the ring fastener to the hip disk. Spiny teeth  486  extend from the inner surface of the ring, and are adapted to sink into the molded skin comprising annular ridge  474  when the ring fastener is screwed onto the hip disk, thereby securing the molded skin to the hip disk. 
     Turning to FIG. 18, the body side of the rotary hip joint assembly is shown. The body skin  404  includes an aperture  492  similar to the aperture  472  formed in the molded outer skin of the leg assembly. A stepped annular ridge  494  encircles the aperture and is adapted to receive the annular rim  496  formed around the outer edge of the receiving disk  426 . Annular rim  496  creates a recessed central region  497  of receiving disk  426 . When the receiving disk is inserted within the body skin  404 , the annular ridge  494  may be stretched over the annular rim  496  of the receiving disk. Once in place, the distal step  499  f the stepped annular ridge is seated within the recessed central region  497  of the disk, and the thicker rim portion of the disk is seated against the proximal step  501  of the stepped ridge (see the cross sectional view of FIG.  14 ). 
     A ring fastener  504  is provided to secure the molded body skin to the receiving disk  426 . Threaded bosses  498  are formed on the recessed surface of receiving disk  426  and corresponding inwardly directed screw support flanges  506  are formed on the inner circumference of the ring fastener. Screws  510  may be driven through the flanges and into the bosses to attach the ring fastener  504  to the receiving disk. Spiny teeth  508  extend from the inner surface of the ring and are adapted to sink into molded body skin  404  comprising annular ridge  494  when the ring fastener is screwed onto the receiving disk, thereby securing the molded skin to the hip disk. 
     The receiving disc  426  includes a central aperture  502  surrounded by inwardly directed flanged stays  500 . As is indicated in FIG. 19, the aperture  502  is adapted to receive the mushroom connector  480  that is raised above the surface of the hip disk  424  by the spacer element  482 . The inwardly projecting stays  500  flex outwardly as the mushroom connected is inserted into the central aperture  502 , then once the mushroom connector passes the inwardly projecting stays, the stays collapse behind the connector, securing the limb to the body (see FIG.  14 ). The spacer  482  is smaller than the aperture  502  formed between the stays  500  so that the spacer is free to rotate therein while hip disk remains securely attached to the receiving disk, thereby allowing the limb to rotate relative to the body. 
     While the toy figures of the present invention have been described with respect to articulating leg limbs, it will be appreciated that the articulating structural members may be adapted to provide articulating arms or other limbs. For example, a toy animal may be provided with an articulating neck or tail comprising two or more substantial rigid structural member connected end to end by pivot joints, ball joints or the like. Likewise, the head of a toy figure or head/neck combination can be articulated, for example, with a pivot joint/mushroom joint combination to provide a head that can nod and rotate relative to the torso. 
     Applicants&#39; foregoing description of the present invention is illustrative. Other modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of applicants&#39; specification, and such modifications and variations are within the scope of their invention defined by the following claims.