BLANK-FACED CHILDS DOLL
United States Patent 3783553
A doll assembly includes a stuffed doll body having a plastic blank face portion of a single uniform color secured to the doll head. The face portion is devoid of facial features and is formed with slight concave depressions suggesting the location of eyes and a mouth. The surface of the blank face portion is made to accept the markings of crayons or similar non-permanent drawing materials, whereby the child user may draw selected facial features thereon. A garment is provided having pockets for storing the crayons or drawing materials, and a wiping cloth for removing the drawn features when desired.
US Patent References:
Educational doll apparatus
Browne - September 1933 - 1926139
Doll for instruction in color
Van Cleave - October 1929 - 1730177
Instruction and amusement apparatus
Knopf - March 1940 - 2193597
Painting by numbers device
Baldanza - June 1962 - 3040447
Educational device
Booth - March 1938 - 2109965
Educational doll apparatus
Browne - September 1933 - 1926139
Doll for instruction in color
Van Cleave - October 1929 - 1730177
Instruction and amusement apparatus
Knopf - March 1940 - 2193597
Painting by numbers device
Baldanza - June 1962 - 3040447
Educational device
Booth - March 1938 - 2109965
Application Number:
05/275441
Publication Date:
01/08/1974
Filing Date:
07/26/1972
View Patent Images:
Export Citation:
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
446/391, 446/392, 206/579, 434/85, 446/268
International Classes:
A63H3/36; A63H3/00; A63H13/00
Field of Search:
46/151,116,1F,135R,164,126,156,157 35/26,22R
Primary Examiner:
Mancene, Louis G.
Assistant Examiner:
Weinhold D. L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Levy, Edward F.
Claims:
What is claimed is
1. A doll assembly for use with drawing materials, said assembly including a doll body having a stuffed head and a blank face permanently secured to and overlying the forward portion of said head, said blank face having a smooth, erasable outer surface adapted to removably receive markings from said drawing materials, whereby the user of said doll is enabled to create selected facial features and cosmetic treatments on said blank face, using said drawing materials and to erase said features for subsequent drawing of different facial features.
2. A doll assembly according to claim 1 in which said doll body comprises a fabric skin forming a hollow head, a hollow torso, a pair of hollow arms and a pair of hollow legs, stuffing means encased within said hollow skin, and in which said blank face comprises a sheet of plastic material secured to said hollow head.
3. A doll assembly according to claim 2 in which said blank face is stitched about its marginal edge to the fabric skin of said head.
4. A doll assembly according to claim 2 in which said sheet of plastic material is molded in oval shape with a shallow convex cross section.
5. A doll assembly according to claim 4 in which said drawing materials are wax crayons, and in which said blank face has a single uniform color and is provided with a smooth surface capable of receiving markings from said wax crayons and of permitting said markings to be wiped off and re-drawn.
6. A doll assembly according to claim 5 in which said face has a pair of concave depressions positioned to suggest the location of eyes and a single concave depression positioned to suggest the location of a mouth.
7. A doll assembly according to claim 5 which also includes a removable garment covering said doll body, said garment having at least one pocket for receiving and storing said wax crayons, and a wiping cloth also stored within said pocket for removing said markings from said face in order to draw another set of features.
1. A doll assembly for use with drawing materials, said assembly including a doll body having a stuffed head and a blank face permanently secured to and overlying the forward portion of said head, said blank face having a smooth, erasable outer surface adapted to removably receive markings from said drawing materials, whereby the user of said doll is enabled to create selected facial features and cosmetic treatments on said blank face, using said drawing materials and to erase said features for subsequent drawing of different facial features.
2. A doll assembly according to claim 1 in which said doll body comprises a fabric skin forming a hollow head, a hollow torso, a pair of hollow arms and a pair of hollow legs, stuffing means encased within said hollow skin, and in which said blank face comprises a sheet of plastic material secured to said hollow head.
3. A doll assembly according to claim 2 in which said blank face is stitched about its marginal edge to the fabric skin of said head.
4. A doll assembly according to claim 2 in which said sheet of plastic material is molded in oval shape with a shallow convex cross section.
5. A doll assembly according to claim 4 in which said drawing materials are wax crayons, and in which said blank face has a single uniform color and is provided with a smooth surface capable of receiving markings from said wax crayons and of permitting said markings to be wiped off and re-drawn.
6. A doll assembly according to claim 5 in which said face has a pair of concave depressions positioned to suggest the location of eyes and a single concave depression positioned to suggest the location of a mouth.
7. A doll assembly according to claim 5 which also includes a removable garment covering said doll body, said garment having at least one pocket for receiving and storing said wax crayons, and a wiping cloth also stored within said pocket for removing said markings from said face in order to draw another set of features.
Description:
The present invention relates to children's dolls, and more particularly to a novel doll having a smooth blank face upon which selected facial features may be drawn by the child user.
Dolls for children are conventionally provided with molded face portions having clearly defined and painted features resulting in a fixed facial expression and pre-selected facial characteristics. With known dolls, it is not possible for the child to change the facial cosmetic treatments in accordance with different play situations. Consequently, the child may grow tired of the character represented by the face of a particular doll, and the doll itself has a limited play value.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a doll whose facial features are created by the child user according the preferences of the latter.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a doll having a blank face capable of accepting the markings of crayons or similar drawing materials of a non-permament nature, so that a child may apply selected faces when desired, and remove and replace the faces or facial expressions.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of a doll of the character described which has a greatly increased play value, and which also has an educational value in encouraging and developing the child's artistic ability as well as creativity.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a doll assembly including a doll body having a blank face portion formed with slightly concave and convex areas presenting the general suggestion of a human face, and a garment having at least one pocket for the purpose of storing crayons or other marking implements which are used to draw selected features on the face portion, and for storing a wiping cloth for removal of the drawn features when it is desired to alter the doll face. The face portion is formed of a plastic sheet material having the requisite surface characteristics for permitting marking thereon by the crayons, the cleaning by means of the wiping cloth.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a doll assembly made in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the head portion of the doll of FIG. 1, showing the assembly in use with facial features being drawn on the blank face thereof;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the doll head showing the manner in which the blank face portion is attached by means of stitching;
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the doll assembly shown in FIG. 1, with portions broken away to reveal inner constructional details;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 7 is a section taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 8 is a section taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 3.
Referring in detail to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 an assembled doll 10 made in accordance with the present invention. In FIG. 4, the doll is shown in disassembled form, as including a stuffed body 12 comprising a torso 14, arms 16 and 18, legs 20 and 22 and a head 24. Attached to the head 24 in a manner to be presently described is a smooth, blank face portion 26.
The assembly also includes a garment 28, here shown by way of example as a dress, having pockets 30 and 32. Pocket 30 is sized to receive a standard crayon box 34 containing wax crayons 36, while pocket 32 is sized to contain a wiping cloth 38. The rear portion 40 of the head 24 is shaped to conform to a bonnet-type hat 42 which fits snugly thereon and is held in place by tying together a pair of strings 44.
The doll body 12 is formed of a fabric skin 46; portions of which are shown cut away in FIG. 4 to reveal the stuffing 48 therein.
The face portion 26 comprises a molded hollow shell attached by means of stitching 50 to the facbric skin 46 of the head 24. In the side view of FIG. 3, it will be seen that the molded face portion is molded with slightly concave or depressed areas 52 and 54 suggesting the location of eyes and a mouth. A slightly convex area 56 suggests the location of a nose, and a more pronounced convex area 58 defines a chin and a neck portion therebeneath.
The marginal edge of the face portion 26 is inserted within the fabric skin of the head 24 and is secured thereto by the line of stitching 50 which extends around the entire periphery thereof, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8. At the upper portion of the head, loops of yarn 60 are inserted between the face portion 26 and the skin 46 and secured by the stitching 50, the strands of yarn 60 being arranged to simulate hair for the doll.
In an alternative construction, adhesive bonding means may be used instead of stiching for attaching face portion 26 to the skin 46, and for securing the yarn 60 in mounted position.
The face portion 26, as previously indicated, is made blank, that is to say with no facial features thereon. In use, the child may draw selected features, such as eyes, nose and mouth on the surface of the face portion. For this purpose, the face portion is made of a material meeting the following requirements: ease of fabrication by means of molding, ability to accept and retain stitches, ability to accept crayon markings, and ability to be wiped clean. In the preferred embodiment, the face portion 26 is made of a vinyl sheet which is semi-rigid and shape retaining when press-molded to the configuration illustrated. In such press-molding, a greater amount of heat is applied than is required for softening the sheet, resulting in a surface finish which is shiny and which is particularly adapted to accept the markings of the wax crayons 36. In the preferred embodiment, the face portion 26 has a single uniform skin color.
FIG. 2 shows a child's hand 62 drawing facial features on the surface of face portion 26 by means of one of the crayons 36. An eye and eyebrow 64, nose 66 and mouth 68 have already been drawn on the face portion. It will be evident that the child may apply a variety of selected facial features in various colors, using the differently-colored crayons 36. When the child desires to change the features or the facial expressions, the markings can be easily removed by rubbing with the wiping cloth 38, and new markings applied. Instead of wax crayons, any suitable non-permanent drawing materials, such as colored chalk, water color paint, or the like may be used. In addition, cosmetics, such as facial rouge or mascara, or drawing materials simulating these cosmetics may be provided, in order to permit the child to create various cosmetic treatments.
While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that numerous omissions, changes and additions may be made in such embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Dolls for children are conventionally provided with molded face portions having clearly defined and painted features resulting in a fixed facial expression and pre-selected facial characteristics. With known dolls, it is not possible for the child to change the facial cosmetic treatments in accordance with different play situations. Consequently, the child may grow tired of the character represented by the face of a particular doll, and the doll itself has a limited play value.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a doll whose facial features are created by the child user according the preferences of the latter.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a doll having a blank face capable of accepting the markings of crayons or similar drawing materials of a non-permament nature, so that a child may apply selected faces when desired, and remove and replace the faces or facial expressions.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of a doll of the character described which has a greatly increased play value, and which also has an educational value in encouraging and developing the child's artistic ability as well as creativity.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a doll assembly including a doll body having a blank face portion formed with slightly concave and convex areas presenting the general suggestion of a human face, and a garment having at least one pocket for the purpose of storing crayons or other marking implements which are used to draw selected features on the face portion, and for storing a wiping cloth for removal of the drawn features when it is desired to alter the doll face. The face portion is formed of a plastic sheet material having the requisite surface characteristics for permitting marking thereon by the crayons, the cleaning by means of the wiping cloth.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a doll assembly made in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the head portion of the doll of FIG. 1, showing the assembly in use with facial features being drawn on the blank face thereof;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the doll head showing the manner in which the blank face portion is attached by means of stitching;
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the doll assembly shown in FIG. 1, with portions broken away to reveal inner constructional details;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 7 is a section taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 8 is a section taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 3.
Referring in detail to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 an assembled doll 10 made in accordance with the present invention. In FIG. 4, the doll is shown in disassembled form, as including a stuffed body 12 comprising a torso 14, arms 16 and 18, legs 20 and 22 and a head 24. Attached to the head 24 in a manner to be presently described is a smooth, blank face portion 26.
The assembly also includes a garment 28, here shown by way of example as a dress, having pockets 30 and 32. Pocket 30 is sized to receive a standard crayon box 34 containing wax crayons 36, while pocket 32 is sized to contain a wiping cloth 38. The rear portion 40 of the head 24 is shaped to conform to a bonnet-type hat 42 which fits snugly thereon and is held in place by tying together a pair of strings 44.
The doll body 12 is formed of a fabric skin 46; portions of which are shown cut away in FIG. 4 to reveal the stuffing 48 therein.
The face portion 26 comprises a molded hollow shell attached by means of stitching 50 to the facbric skin 46 of the head 24. In the side view of FIG. 3, it will be seen that the molded face portion is molded with slightly concave or depressed areas 52 and 54 suggesting the location of eyes and a mouth. A slightly convex area 56 suggests the location of a nose, and a more pronounced convex area 58 defines a chin and a neck portion therebeneath.
The marginal edge of the face portion 26 is inserted within the fabric skin of the head 24 and is secured thereto by the line of stitching 50 which extends around the entire periphery thereof, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8. At the upper portion of the head, loops of yarn 60 are inserted between the face portion 26 and the skin 46 and secured by the stitching 50, the strands of yarn 60 being arranged to simulate hair for the doll.
In an alternative construction, adhesive bonding means may be used instead of stiching for attaching face portion 26 to the skin 46, and for securing the yarn 60 in mounted position.
The face portion 26, as previously indicated, is made blank, that is to say with no facial features thereon. In use, the child may draw selected features, such as eyes, nose and mouth on the surface of the face portion. For this purpose, the face portion is made of a material meeting the following requirements: ease of fabrication by means of molding, ability to accept and retain stitches, ability to accept crayon markings, and ability to be wiped clean. In the preferred embodiment, the face portion 26 is made of a vinyl sheet which is semi-rigid and shape retaining when press-molded to the configuration illustrated. In such press-molding, a greater amount of heat is applied than is required for softening the sheet, resulting in a surface finish which is shiny and which is particularly adapted to accept the markings of the wax crayons 36. In the preferred embodiment, the face portion 26 has a single uniform skin color.
FIG. 2 shows a child's hand 62 drawing facial features on the surface of face portion 26 by means of one of the crayons 36. An eye and eyebrow 64, nose 66 and mouth 68 have already been drawn on the face portion. It will be evident that the child may apply a variety of selected facial features in various colors, using the differently-colored crayons 36. When the child desires to change the features or the facial expressions, the markings can be easily removed by rubbing with the wiping cloth 38, and new markings applied. Instead of wax crayons, any suitable non-permanent drawing materials, such as colored chalk, water color paint, or the like may be used. In addition, cosmetics, such as facial rouge or mascara, or drawing materials simulating these cosmetics may be provided, in order to permit the child to create various cosmetic treatments.
While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that numerous omissions, changes and additions may be made in such embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.