Patent Publication Number: US-10786745-B2

Title: Toy doll with movable portion

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/818,989, filed May 3, 2013, entitled “A Toy Doll with Movable Portion,” and claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/861,650, filed Aug. 2, 2013, entitled “A Toy Doll with Movable Portion.” The entire disclosure of each of the two above-identified U.S. provisional patent applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a toy with a trigger actuated movable portion. More specifically, the present invention relates to a toy doll, insofar as “toy doll” includes any toy figurine, that has one or more movable portions that are movable in response to actuation of a trigger included on the toy doll. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Toys, such as toy dolls, with movable or actuatable features have been and continue to be a stable source of amusement for children. With regards to dolls, any enhancements, accessories, and features that spark a child&#39;s imagination and provide continued engagement of the toy doll with the child, add to a doll&#39;s play value and build a bond between the child and the toy doll. In light of the above, there is a need for toys with creative, movable play features, and in particular, there is a need for a toy doll with a visually stimulating play feature to capture a child&#39;s attention and increase the play value of the toy doll. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, a toy with a movable portion is a toy doll that includes a first portion including a trigger, a garment coupled to the first portion and movable relative to the first portion between a first configuration and a second configuration, and an engagement assembly. The engagement assembly is movably coupled to the first portion and configured to releasably couple the first portion to the garment. The engagement assembly is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, such that the engagement assembly is configured to couple the garment to the first portion when the engagement assembly is in the engaged position so that the garment is retained in the first configuration and the engagement assembly is configured to allow the garment to move to the second configuration when the engagement assembly is in the disengaged position. The engagement assembly may move to the disengaged position upon actuation of the trigger. 
     In at least some of these embodiments, the first portion is a body of a toy figure and in other embodiments, the garment is a softgoods portion coupled to the first portion and extending therefrom. 
     In other embodiments of the above toy, the garment includes a first side and a second side, the first side is displayed in the first configuration and the second side is displayed in the second configuration. In some of these embodiments, the first side includes a first pattern or indicia and the second side includes a second pattern or indicia. In other embodiments of this toy, the first portion includes a first subportion and a second subportion and the second portion is configured to cover the first subportion in the first configuration and to cover the second subportion in the second configuration. The first subportion may be a tail in some embodiments and in other embodiments, the second subportion may be a fin. In other embodiments with two subportions, the first subportion and first side include a first pattern or indicia and the second subportion and the second side include a second pattern or indicia. 
     In still further embodiments of the toy doll above, the toy doll also includes a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly coupling the first portion to the garment and biasing the garment in the second configuration. In other embodiments, the engagement assembly comprises a retractable rod and the retractable rod is disposed within the first portion when in the disengaged position. In at least one of these embodiments, the garment includes at least one engagement portion, each engagement portion being engagable with the retractable rod. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, a toy with a movable portion is a toy doll including a body that includes a front portion and a back portion, a softgoods portion hingedly coupled to the body on the front portion of the body and removably engaged to the body on the back portion, and a trigger included in the front portion of the body. The trigger is configured to cause the softgoods portion to disengage from the back portion of the body and move from a first configuration to a second configuration. 
     In some embodiments of the toy doll of the present invention, the softgoods portion is hingedly coupled to the front portion of the body by a hinge assembly and the hinge assembly is biased to move the softgoods portion to the second configuration. 
     In other embodiments, the softgoods portion is releasably coupled to the back portion of the body by a retractable rod and the retractable rod is configured to move within the body when the trigger is actuated. In some of these embodiments the retractable rod is configured to disengage the softgoods portion from the body by moving from an extended position to a retracted position when the trigger is actuated. However, in other embodiments, the retractable rod is configured to disengage the softgoods portion from the body by moving from a retracted position to an extended position when the trigger is actuated. 
     According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a toy with a movable portion is a toy doll including a first portion, a garment coupled to the first portion and movable relative to the first portion between a first configuration and a second configuration, an engagement assembly, and a hinge assembly. The engagement assembly is movably coupled to the first portion and movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. The engagement assembly is configured to retain the garment in the first configuration when the engagement assembly is in the engaged position and the engagement assembly moves to the disengaged position upon actuation of the trigger. The hinge assembly is biased to move the garment to the second configuration when the garment is no longer retained in the first configuration by the engagement assembly. 
     In some of these embodiments the first portion is a body, the garment is a softgoods portion, and the engagement portion is a retractable rod. In other embodiments, the garment includes at least one engagement portion that is engagable with the engagement assembly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a toy doll with a movable portion in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a pair of front perspective views of an exemplary embodiment of a toy doll with a movable portion in accordance with the present invention, the two views showing a movable portion in a first configuration “C 1 ” and a second configuration “C 2 .” 
         FIG. 3  shows a rear perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a toy doll with a movable portion in configuration C 1 . 
         FIG. 4  shows a partial front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the partial view showing a trigger. 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  show partial side views of two exemplary embodiments of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , respectively, the partial view showing two exemplary hinge assemblies. 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  show partial rear perspective views of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the partial views showing at least part of an engagement assembly, the engagement assembly being in an engaged position “P 1 ” in  FIG. 6A  and a disengaged position “P 2 ” in  FIG. 6B . 
         FIGS. 6C and 6D  show partial rear perspective views of another exemplary of a toy doll with an movable portion in accordance with the present invention, the partial views showing at least part of an engagement assembly, the engagement assembly being in a engaged position “P 1 ” in  FIG. 6C  and an disengaged position “P 2 ” in  FIG. 6D . 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  show rear perspective views of the engagement assemblies of  FIGS. 6A-B  and  6 C-D, respectively, in partial engagement with the movable portion of the toy doll. 
         FIGS. 8A and 8B  show perspective views of two exemplary embodiments of a movable portion in accordance with the present invention, each being disposed in an intermediate configuration between configurations C 1  and C 2 . The movable portion of  FIG. 8A  being engagable with the engagement assembly of  FIGS. 6A-B  and the movable portion of  FIG. 8B  being engagable with the engagement assembly of  FIGS. 6C-D . 
         FIG. 9  shows a partial perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 3  in configuration C 2 . 
         FIG. 10A  shows an internal view of an exemplary embodiment of a toy doll with a movable portion in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIGS. 10B-C  show internal views of another exemplary embodiment of a toy doll with a movable portion in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements throughout this disclosure. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally referring to the figures, at least one exemplary embodiment of a toy with a movable portion is shown. The movable portion, which may also be referred to as a second portion or garment, is movable with respect to a first portion of the toy and the second portion, or sections thereof, may be moved relative to the first portion of the toy in order to provide different configurations or appearances. In some embodiments, the second portion may be movably mounted to the first portion by a mounting which allows the second portion to rotate or pivot about or around the first portion. 
     For example, as shown in the block diagram of  FIG. 1 , a toy  5  includes a first portion  10  that is movably connected to a second portion  20  via a hinge assembly  40  that allows the second portion  20  to move between a first configuration  50  and a second configuration  60  (shown in dashed lines). The first portion  10  also includes a trigger  15  and an engagement assembly  30  that may selectively couple the second portion  20  to the first portion  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , when the toy  5  is in its first configuration  50 , the hinge assembly  40  and the engagement assembly  30  both couple the first portion  10  to the second portion  20 . However, when trigger  15  is actuated, such as by being depressed to the location of trigger  15 ′, the engagement assembly  30  moves out of engagement with the second portion  20 , as shown by engagement assembly  30 ′, allowing the second portion  20  to move, about hinge assembly  40 , to the second configuration  60 . Although the engagement assembly  30  is shown retracting into the first portion  30  when trigger  15  is actuated, in other embodiments the engagement assembly  30  may alternatively extend out of first portion  10  and still allow the second portion  20  to move to its second configuration  60 . In the first configuration  50 , the second portion  20  covers a first part or subportion of first portion  10  and in the second configuration  60 , the second portion  20  may cover a second part or subportion of first portion  10 . Accordingly, each configuration  50 ,  60  may give the toy  5  a different appearance. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the engagement assembly  30  may be mechanically coupled to the trigger  15 , such that actuation of trigger  15  to an actuated position, such as the position shown by trigger  15 ′, may cause the engagement assembly  30  to move within the first portion  10 , such as to the position shown by engagement assembly  30 ′. In some of these embodiments, the trigger  15  may be a spring-biased button, such that subsequent to actuation of trigger  15 , the trigger  15 , as well as the engagement assembly  30  in the embodiments where the mechanical coupling so permits, each return to a non-actuated or disengaged position, respectively. Alternatively or additionally, the engagement assembly  30  may be spring-biased in order to effectuate a return to its original or engaged position. 
     Similar to the engagement assembly  30 , the hinge  40  may also be mechanically coupled to the trigger  15  in some embodiments. However, in contrast with the engagement assembly  30 , hinge  40  may, in some embodiments, only be configured to be released upon actuation of trigger  15 , instead of being configured to move therewith. Accordingly, and as will be explained in more detail below, in some embodiments, when the trigger  15  is actuated, the hinge  40  may be released from a locked position—a position which holds the second portion  20  in the first configuration  50 —and be free to move to the second configuration  60 . In these embodiments, the hinge  40  will only provide a single actuation. In other words, the hinge  40  may not automatically reset after the second portion  20  moves to the second configuration  60  and, instead, after a first actuation, a user may be required to manually move the second portion  20  back into its first configuration  50  in order to allow for a second or subsequent actuation. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the hinge assembly  40  may be biased in a position which holds the second portion  20  in the second configuration  60 . Thus, moving the engagement assembly  30  to a disengaged position may cause the second portion  20  to be automatically moved to its second configuration  60 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , in one exemplary embodiment, the first portion  10  is a body  102  of a human-shaped toy doll and the second portion  20  is a softgoods portion  200 . More specifically,  FIG. 2  shows a pair of front perspective views of a mermaid-type toy doll  100  with a body  102  and a softgoods portion  200  that may selectively cover different subportions of the mermaid&#39;s body  102 . However, in other embodiments, first portion  10  and second portion  20  may each be any part or portion of any desirable toy that are movably connected to each other. In this particular embodiment, the body  102  includes a torso  104 , a tail  150 , and a fin  180 , each of which may be referred to as parts or subportions of the body  102 , and the softgoods portion  200  is movable between two configurations: a first configuration C 1  and a second configuration C 2 . Specifically, the softgoods portion  200  is movably coupled to body  102  via a hinge assembly  160  and configured to move between a first configuration C 1  where the softgoods portion  200  covers at least a portion of the tail  150  and a second configuration C 2  where the softgoods portion  200  covers at least a portion of the fin  180 . 
     Still referring to  FIG. 2 , but now with reference to  FIGS. 3-4  as well, the torso  104  includes a front portion or chest  110  and a rear portion  120  (see  FIG. 3 ) while the tail  150  includes a front portion  156  and a rear portion  170  (see  FIG. 3 ) that extend from a first or top end  152  to a second or bottom end  178 . The fin  180  also includes a front side  182 , a back side  184  (see  FIG. 3 ), a top  186  and a bottom  188 . Collectively, the chest  110 , front portion  156 , and front side  182  may be referred to as the “front” of the toy doll  100 , while the rear portion  120 , rear portion  170 , and back side  184  may be referred to as the “back” of the toy doll  100 . 
     In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , each subportion of body  102  is formed from at least two pieces which are coupled together along their sides, and the torso  104  is coupled to the top end  152  of the tail  150  while the fin  180  is coupled to the bottom end  178  of the tail  150 . However, in other embodiments body  102  may be formed integrally or from any number of pieces, as desired. Additionally, any combination of subportions of body  102  may be hollow or solid, as desired. For example, and as will be discussed below in further detail, body  102  may include an interior cavity  300  (see  FIGS. 10A-C ) and the body  102  may include at least one aperture to allow a button  118  (see  FIG. 4 ) and/or an engagement assembly  172  to move within, into, or out of cavity  300 . As another example, in some embodiments, the fin  180  may also include an aperture  190  in the bottom  188  of the fin  180  to store accessories or other desirable items for use with the toy doll  100 . In the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the fin  180  includes an aperture  190  sized to receive a comb  192 . The comb  192  may be retained within the aperture  190  by sizing the aperture  190  to create an interference or friction fit which serves to fasten the comb  192  within aperture  190  when the comb  192  is inserted therein. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , a rear perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a toy doll with a movable portion is shown. As can be seen from this rear perspective, the toy doll  100  includes an engagement assembly  172  on its back which can engage at least a portion of the softgoods portion  200  in order to maintain the softgoods portion  200  in the first configuration C 1 . In this particular embodiment, the engagement assembly  172  is included on the rear portion  170  of tail  150 , proximate to top end  152 , but in other embodiments, the engagement assembly  172  may be included on any desirable portion of body  102 , such as the rear portion  120  of torso  104 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 4 , the chest  110  of a toy doll  100  is shown from a front perspective. As can be seen in this figure, chest  110  includes an aperture  116  and a trigger or button  118  mounted therein. In this embodiment, the aperture  116  and button  118  are incorporated into clothing and decorations included on the chest. Specifically, the chest  110  includes an article of clothing which resembles a bathing suit top  114  and various jewels, accessories and decorations, including necklace  112 , and the aperture  116  and button  118  are disposed therebetween such that these features blend in with the doll and appear to be a jewel included in at least one of the bathing suit top  114  and necklace  112 . In various embodiments, the chest  110  of the doll  100  may be decorated with any desirable clothing or accessories, and the clothing and accessories, such as bathing suit top  114  and necklace  112  may either be formed integrally with chest  110  or formed separately and subsequently coupled thereto. 
     Referring next to  FIGS. 5A-5B , partial views of two embodiments of doll  100  are shown in the second configuration C 2  in order to highlight the interplay between body  102 , softgoods portion  200 , and two hinge assemblies utilized in two different embodiments—hinge assembly  160  and hinge assembly  160 ′. As can be seen in  FIG. 5A , in some exemplary embodiments, the hinge assembly  160  includes a rotatable member  164  that is coupled to the softgoods portion  200  and rotatably mounted within an opening  162  formed in the front portion  156  of tail  150 . However, in other embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5B , a hinge assembly  160 ′ which is a simple hinge which protrudes from the front portion  156  of the tail  150  may be utilized. Regardless, hinge assemblies  160  and  160 ′ both couple the softgoods portion  200  to body  102 . In fact, in some embodiments, the hinge assembly  160 ,  160 ′ may also serve to couple the fin  180  and the tail  150  together. 
     More specifically, in the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 5A-B , hinge assembly  160 ,  160 ′ couples the softgoods portion  200  to the body  102  proximate a joint between the bottom end  178  of the tail  150  and the top  186  (see  FIG. 2 ) of fin  180 . In both embodiments, the hinge assembly  160 ,  160 ′ is configured such that it may rotate approximately 180 degrees from the second configuration C 2 , as seen in  FIGS. 5A-B , to the first configuration C 1  (see the left side of  FIG. 2 ). In some embodiments, the hinge assembly  160 ,  160 ′ may be biased by any desirable biasing member (not shown) in the position seen in  FIGS. 5A-B , thereby biasing the softgoods portion  200  towards the second configuration C 2 . 
     Now referring specifically to  FIG. 5A , in this embodiment, the rotatable member  164  is mounted within opening  162 . The rotatable member  164  also includes a cavity or indent  166  and the opening  162  also includes a peripheral edge  163 . In some embodiments, the indent  166  may be sized to receive the peripheral edge  163  of the opening  162 , such that the rotatable member  164  may be locked substantially within the opening  162  when positioned therein by lodging the peripheral edge  163  within the indent  166 . In order to enable such a position, in some embodiments, the rotatable member  164  may be laterally movable within the opening  162 . Alternatively, at least a portion of the rotatable member  164  may be flexible to allow the rotatable member  164  to be locked within opening  162 . In other embodiments, the indent  166  engages with a structural piece inside the tail  150 . The structural piece may be a locking pin that engages with the indent  166  within the tail  150  to hold the softgoods portion  200  in a first configuration C 1 . However, in preferred embodiments, the rotatable member is not laterally movable within opening  162  and, instead, is simply biased towards the position seen in  FIG. 5A , such that softgoods portion  200  must be coupled to the body  102  in a second location in order to secure the softgoods portion  200  in the first configuration C 1 . Some embodiments may also include an internal locking pin in order to secure the rotatable member  164  in desired positions. 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 6A-D , two embodiments of an engagement assembly—engagement assemblies  172  and  172 ′—are shown in an engaged position P 1  ( FIGS. 6A and 6C ) and a disengaged position P 2  ( FIGS. 6B and 6D ). Each engagement assembly  172 ,  172 ′ includes at least one aperture  174 ,  174 ′ and at least one extendable member or rod  176 ,  176 ′ which can extend and retract from or within the at least one aperture  174 ,  174 ′. Rods  176 ,  176 ′ may be alternatively referred to as retractable rods. In some embodiments, each of the extendable rods  176 ,  176 ′ may simply slide within its respective aperture  174 ,  174 ′, but in other embodiments, each extendable rod  176 ,  176 ′ may move within aperture  174 ,  174 ′ in any desirable manner. For example, some embodiments may include a retraction mechanism disposed within the body  102  that can move each extendable rod  176 ,  176 ′ between its engaged and disengaged positions P 1 , P 2 , respectively, while in other embodiments the extendable rod  176 ,  176 ′ may be extensible and, thus, could collapse into or onto body  102 . 
     In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 6A-D , the engagement assemblies  172 ,  172 ′ are included on the rear portion  170  of the tail  150  and, thus, when the extendable rod  176 ,  176 ′ moves into or within body  102 , it slides into or within the interior cavity  300  (see  FIGS. 10A-10C ) adjacent the top end  152  of tail  150 . In other embodiments, the engagement assembly  172 ,  172 ′ may be located in any desirable location on body  102 , thereby allowing extendable rod  176 ,  176 ′ to be disposed within another portion of interior cavity  300  as desired. 
     In different embodiments, the extendable rod may move in different manners when moving between the engaged position P 1  and the disengaged position P 2 . For example, the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 6A-B  includes an extendable rod  176  which extends out of the aperture  174  a desirable amount when disposed in the engaged position P 1 , as shown in  FIG. 6A . Then, when the extendable rod  176  is moved to a disengaged position P 2 , perhaps via actuation of button  118 , the extendable rod  176  may move substantially within the body  102 , as shown in  FIG. 6B . By comparison, the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 6C-D  includes two apertures  174 ′ and two extendable rods  176 ′ and the extendable rods  176 ′ are disposed within the interior cavity  300  of body  102  when in the engaged position P 1 . Then, when the extendable rods  176 ′ are moved to a disengaged position P 2 , the extendable rods  176 ′ may move outwards in apertures  174 ′, as shown in  FIG. 6D . In some of these embodiments, the extendable rods  176 ′ may extend out of the apertures  174 ′, but in other embodiments, the extendable rods  176 ′ move outwards within the apertures  174 ′ without protruding from apertures  174 ′ (as seen in  FIG. 6D ). In other words, in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 6A-B  the retractable rod  176  may move from an extended position to a retracted position when moving from position P 1  to position P 2  while in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 6C-D  the retractable rods  176 ′ may move from a retracted position to an extended position when moving from position P 1  to position P 2 . 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 6A-B , in some embodiments (and best seen in  FIG. 9 ), the toy doll may include a skirt  154  which extends around at least a portion of the body  102 . In the particular embodiment shown in  FIGS. 6A-6B , the skirt  154  extends over the rear portion  170  of the tail  150 . In such an embodiment, the skirt  154  may also include a hole or aperture (not labeled) to allow the extendable rod  176  to extend therethrough. In order to ensure that the extendable rod  176  is aligned with a hole or aperture included on a skirt  154 , the portion of the skirt  154  surrounding any hole included therein may be secured to the body  102  to align the skirt hole with aperture  174 . However, in other embodiments any desirable method or arrangement may be utilized to allow the extendable rod  176  to move between its engaged position P 1  and its disengaged position P 2 . 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B , two embodiments of the softgoods portion  200  are shown, each including at least one engagement portion—engagement portion  224  and  224 ′. However, although the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7B  only shows one engagement portion  224 ′, it is to be understood that each embodiment includes two engagement portions  224 ,  224 ′ (as shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B ) which can be secured to the engagement assemblies  172 ,  172 ′, respectively. In other embodiments, any desirable number of engagement portions may be included on the softgoods portion  200 . 
     Referring first to  FIG. 7A , in this embodiment, the softgoods portion  200  includes two engagement portions  224  which may be looped or secured onto the extendable rod  176  of the engagement assembly  172  in order to maintain or retain the softgoods portion  200  in the first configuration C 1 . In this embodiment, the engagement portions  224  are only secured to the extendable rod  176  because the extendable rod  176  is extending through the engagement portions  224 , the engagement portions  224  are not locked or otherwise secured to the extendable rod  176  in any additional manner. Thus, if the extendable rod  176  is retracted, as explained above with reference to  FIGS. 6A-B , then the engagement portions  224  may be released or fall off of the extendable rod  176 , thereby freeing the softgoods portion  200  to move to its second configuration C 2 . However, in other embodiments, the engagement portions  224  may be secured to and released from the rods  176  as desired. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 7B , in this embodiment the softgoods portion  200  includes two engagement portions  224 ′ which may be inserted into the apertures  174 ′ of the engagement assembly  172 ′ in order to maintain or retain the softgoods portion  200  in the first configuration C 1 . Since the extendable rods  176 ′ of the engagement assembly  172 ′ are disposed within cavity  300  when the engagement assembly  172 ′ is disposed in its engaged position, the engagement portions  224 ′ may sit securely within apertures  174 ′ as long as the engagement assembly  172 ′ remains in its engaged position P 1 . As shown in the inset of  FIG. 8B , the engagement portion  224 ′ includes a protrusion  225 ′ with a slit  226 ′ to ensure that each engagement portion  224 ′ can fit securely within an aperture  174 ′. Then, when the extendable rods  176 ′ are moved to the disengaged position P 2 , they will extend into or through apertures  174 ′, thereby contacting the engagement portions  224 ′ and pushing or knocking them out of the apertures  174 ′. Thus, when the extendable rods  176 ′ are in their disengaged position P 2 , the engagement portions  224 ′ may be decoupled, disengaged, or otherwise released from the engagement assembly  172 ′, thereby freeing the softgoods portion  200  to move to its second configuration C 2 . 
     Referring next to  FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 9 , the softgoods portion  200  includes a first side  202  and a second side  212  which are configured such that the first side  202  is shown or displayed in configuration C 1  and the second side is shown or displayed in configuration C 2  (see  FIG. 2 ). Each side  202 ,  212  includes at least one material, coating, indicia, or coloring that is different from the other side  202 ,  212 , such that the different sides  202 ,  212  each have a distinct pattern or visual appearance. Thus, the toy doll  100  will have a different appearance and/or color scheme depending on which side  202 ,  212  is shown or displayed. For example, in the present embodiment, the first side  202  is blue and the second side  212  is substantially pink. In other embodiments, each side may include be any desirable color, design indicia, or color scheme, and these colors and designs may collectively be referred to as a pattern. 
     As seen best in  FIG. 2 , when the toy doll  100  is in configuration C 1 , the fin  180  and first side  202  of the softgoods  200  are displayed together, but when the toy doll  100  is in configuration C 2 , the tail  150  and the second side  212  of the softgoods  200  are displayed together. Thus, in order to provide a more realistic appearance of transformation, the fin  180  may include a coloring or pattern which matches that of first side  202  and the tail  150  may include a coloring or pattern which matches that of second side  212 . In such embodiments, moving the doll  100  from the first configuration C 1  to the second configuration C 2  may cause the doll  100  to appear to be transforming or changing from a blue-themed mermaid to a pink-themed mermaid. However, in other embodiments, any desirable parts or portions of the body  100  may be colored to match the sides  202 ,  212  of the softgoods  200  in order to increase the play value of the doll or give a transforming appearance. 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 9 , in some embodiments, each side  202 ,  212  of the softgoods portion  200  may include one or more sections, which may be defined by different materials, coloring, coatings, indicia or other desirable features in order to give the doll  100  two different appearances when the different sides  202 ,  212  of the softgoods  200  are showing. For example, in the present embodiment, the first side  202  includes a first segment  204  and a second segment  206  while the second side  212  includes a first segment  214  and a second segment  216 . However, the two segments  204 ,  206  of the first side  202  are separated laterally while the two segments  214 ,  216  of the second side  212  are separated longitudinally. 
     More specifically, and as shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B , the first segment  204  is a first, gossamer or softer material and the second segment  206  is a sturdier material which resembles scales. Additionally, the first segment  204  is shaped to follow the contours of the tail  150 . By comparison, and as seen in  FIG. 9 , the first segment  214  and second segment  216  of the second side  212  are each formed from similar material, but the second segment  216  includes a sparkly finish or coating and is shaped to follow the contours of fin  180 . Consequently, in this particular embodiment, the shapes of the second segments  206 ,  216  provide a doll  100  with the features of a mermaid (i.e. a tail and a fin) even when these features are covered by the softgoods portion  200 . However, in other embodiments, any number of segments, shaped and sized as desired, may be incorporated into the softgoods portion  200  in order to create a visually stimulating play feature. 
     Referring generally to  FIGS. 1-10C , in use, the softgoods portion  200  can move from its first configuration C 1  to its second configuration C 2  by rotating about a hinge assembly, such as hinge assemblies  160 ,  160 ′. In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2-10C , the doll  100  is initially provided with the softgoods portion  200  in its first configuration C 1  and the extendable rod  176 ,  176 ′ of the engagement assembly  172 ,  172 ′ in its engaged position P 1 . Additionally, in order to ensure that the softgoods portion  200  is retained in the first configuration C 1 , the engagement portions  224 ,  224 ′ are initially secured around the extendable rod  176 ,  176 ′ or within apertures  174 ,  174 ′, respectively. Then, when desired, a user may actuate the button  118 , such as by pressing the button  118  inwards, and into aperture  116 , in direction “D3” (see  FIGS. 10A-C ). This, in turn, may cause the extendable rod  176 ,  176 ′ to move to its disengaged position P 2  (either by moving within the body or by pushing the engagement portions  224 ′ out of the apertures  174 ′), thereby disengaging the engagement portions  224 ,  224 ′ from the engagement assembly  172 ,  172 ′ and freeing the softgoods portion  200  to move to its second configuration C 2 . Then, as illustrated in  FIGS. 8A and 8B , the softgoods portion  200  may be rotated to the second configuration C 2  about an axis “Al” in a direction “D2” by the hinge assembly  160 ,  160 ′, which may be biased to hold the softgoods in the second configuration C 2 . In order to effectuate this movement, the toy  100  includes various internal components and mechanisms. 
     In one embodiment, the toy  100  includes a pivot member  302 , a lever arm  308 , and a cord  310  mounted internally within a cavity  300  included within the body  102 , as shown in  FIG. 10A . The pivot member  302  is centrally mounted on a pivot mount  304  while the lever arm  308  has one end mounted to a pivot mount  314  and another end that is free to move, referred to herein as the free end. The free end of lever arm  308  includes the extendable rod  176 , is coupled to the back of the body  102  by a biasing member  312  and rests upon a pin  306  that is coupled to a lower end  305  of the pivot member  302 . Additionally, as shown in the inset included in  FIG. 10A , the cord  310  is also coupled to the back of the body  102 , is fed over the pin  306 , and is coupled to a locking pin  316  at its lowermost end. The locking pin  316  is configured to sit within the hinge assembly  160 , or more particularly within the indent  166  and thus, prevent the rotatable member  164  from rotating. 
     Due to this internal configuration, when the button  118  is pressed in accordance with arrow D3, it pushes an upper end  303  of a pivot member  302  in direction D3, thereby causing a lower end  305  of the pivot member  302  to pivot about mount  304  and move in a direction “D4.” Movement of the lower end  305  in direction D4 causes the free end of lever arm  308  to be moved, by pin  306 , in direction D4, thereby retracting the extendable rod  176  into the interior cavity  300 . Movement of pin  306  in direction D4 also causes the portion of the cord  310  fed over the pin  306  to move in direction D4, thereby lengthening the overall distance the cord  310  must cover in order to pass from its mounting point to the bottom of body  102 . This increase in distance causes the cord  310  to pull locking pin  316  in direction D5. In this embodiment, the cord  310  is configured such that the increased distance covered by cord  310  when pin  306  moves in direction D4 is at least equivalent to the depth of the indent  166  included in the rotatable member  164 . Thus, when the button  118  is actuated, the locking pin  316  is lifted out of the indent  166 , rendering the rotatable member  164  free to move. Moreover, in this particular embodiment, the rotatable member  164  is biased by a biasing member (not shown, such as a torsion spring) to a position that is disposed approximately 180 degrees from the position seen in  FIG. 10A  (see for example  FIG. 5A ). 
     However, and as shown in  FIGS. 10B-C , in other embodiments, the trigger  118  may only actuate the engagement assembly  172 ′, as opposed to both the hinge assembly  160 ′ and engagement assembly  172 ′. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 10B-C , toy  100  includes a pivot member  302 ′ and a lever arm  308 ′ mounted internally within the internal cavity  300  of body  102 . The toy shown in  FIGS. 10B-C  also includes a simple hinge assembly  160 ′ (not shown in  FIGS. 10B-C ) which is unrestricted and biased to hold the softgoods portion  200  in configuration C 2 . In this embodiment, both the pivot member  302 ′ and the lever arm  308 ′ are centrally mounted on pivot mounts  304 ′ and  314 ′, respectively. Thus, the pivot member  302 ′ has an upper portion  303 ′ disposed above mount  304 ′ and a lower portion  305 ′ disposed below mount  304 ′ while the lever arm  308 ′ has an upper portion  307 ′ disposed above mount  314 ′ and a lower portion  309 ′ disposed below mount  314 ′. The lower portion  309 ′ of lever arm  308 ′ is configured to interact with the engagement assembly  172 ′. 
     Due to this configuration, when the button  118  is pressed in accordance with arrow D3, it pushes the upper portion  303 ′ of pivot member  302 ′ in direction D3, causing the lower portion  305 ′ of the pivot member  302 ′ to pivot about mount  304 ′ and move in direction D4, pushing the upper portion  307  of the lever arm  308 ′ in direction D4 as well. However, since the lever arm  308 ′ is centrally mounted, movement of the lower end  305 ′ of the pivot member  302 ′ in direction D4 causes the lever arm  308 ′ to rotate, at least partially, around mount  314 ′, thereby causing the lower portion  309 ′ to push the engagement assembly  172 ′ externally from cavity  300  (instead of internally like lever arm  308 ). Accordingly, when the trigger  118  is pushed in such an embodiment, the extendable rods  176 ′ will be driven outwards in direction D6, into apertures  174 ′, thereby dislodging any engagement portions  224 ′ which had been resting therein. Notably, in this embodiment, the internal configuration does not interact with hinge  160 ′ (not shown in  FIGS. 10B-C ). Instead, the hinge  160 ′ is prevented from moving to its biased position (as seen in  FIG. 5B ) due to the coupling between the engagement portions  224 ′ and the engagement assembly  172 ′ and freed to move to its biased position when the engagement portions  224 ′ are removed from apertures  174 ′. 
     Again referring generally to  FIGS. 1-10C , subsequent to actuation of button  118 , the button  118  and engagement assemblies  172 ,  172 ′ may return to their original non-actuated and extended positions, respectively, but the toy doll  100  may remain in its second configuration C 2 . For example, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 10A , the biasing member  312  is a spring which biases the extendable member  176  and button  118  in their extended and non-actuated positions, respectively. However, biasing member  312  does not reset the hinge assembly  160  to its original position. Similarly, in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 10B-C , the internal members are not connected to hinge  160 ′ and, thus, cannot reset hinge  160 ′ to its original position. If the user desires to move the doll back to its first configuration C 1 , the user may rotate the softgoods portion about axis Al (see  FIGS. 8A and 8B ) in a direction D2 (see  FIGS. 8A and 8B ) until the softgoods portion is resting atop of tail  150 . Then, the engagement portions  224 ,  224 ′ may be wrapped around the tail  150  and secured on the engagement assembly  172 ,  172 ′. This process may be repeated as many times as desirable. 
     It is to be understood that a toy doll  100  may be fabricated from any suitable material, or combination of materials, such as plastic, foamed plastic, wood, cardboard, pressed paper, metal, supple natural or synthetic materials including, but not limited to, cotton, elastomers, polyester, plastic, rubber, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof. Suitable plastics may include high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), or the like. Suitable foamed plastics may include expanded or extruded polystyrene, expanded or extruded polypropylene, EVA foam, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof. 
     It is also to be understood that terms such as “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “height,” “length,” “width,” “upper,” “lower,” “interior,” “exterior,” “inner,” “outer” and the like as may be used herein, merely describe points or portions of reference and do not limit the present invention to any particular orientation or configuration. Further, the term “exemplary” is used herein to describe an example or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as exemplary is not to be construed as a preferred or advantageous embodiment, but rather as one example or illustration of a possible embodiment of the invention. 
     Although the disclosed inventions are illustrated and described herein as embodied in one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the inventions and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. In addition, various features from one of the embodiments may be incorporated into another of the embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.