US4867726A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Animal toys
Assignee: Tomy Kogyo Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1988-05-11
•
Granted: 1989-09-19
•
Expires: 2008-05-11
Abstract
Abstract Animal toys capable of electrically producing sound and/or body movements are switched on and off by a pair of spaced apart electrical contacts disposed on a bottom surface of the animal toys. When a toy is placed in an individual's hand, the two contacts are bridged and an electrical circuit within the animal toy is closed to activate either a sound producing mechanism or a movement mechanism, or both.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroaki Fujimaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 20:03
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63H; A63H3/00; A63H3/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
An animal toy comprising: a substantially hollow body shaped in the form of an animal and having an open bottom, inner and outer surfaces; a bottom plated fitted into the open bottom of the hollow body and having inner and outer surfaces; an electrical circuit including a speaker, at least a portion of the electrical circuit being disposed within the body; an outer covering on the outer surface of the body; a pair of contacts electrically connected to the circuit, but electrically isolated from each other, and extending through the bottom plate and protruding slightly from the outer surface of the bottom plate in close proximity to each other; the electrical circuit being closable when the two contacts are placed on the palm of a human hand.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
127 words
An animal toy comprising: a substantially hollow body shaped in the form of an animal and having an open bottom, inner and outer surfaces; a bottom plated fitted into the open bottom of the hollow body and having inner and outer surfaces; an electrical circuit including a speaker, at least a portion of the electrical circuit being disposed within the body; an outer covering on the outer surface of the body; a pair of contacts electrically connected to the circuit, but electrically isolated from each other, and extending through the bottom plate and protruding slightly from the outer surface of the bottom plate in close proximity to each other; the electrical circuit being closable when the two contacts are placed on the palm of a human hand.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
An animal toy as recited in claim 1, wherein the electrical circuit further includes a battery power source.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
An animal toy as recited in claim 2, wherein the electrical circuit further includes oscillator means for outputting a sound signal to the speaker.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
An animal toy as recited in claim 3, wherein the oscillator means comprises variable frequency oscillator means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
An animal toy as recited in claim 4, wherein the variable frequency oscillator means comprises first and second oscillators for producing a variable frequency repetitive chirping sound at a predetermined repetition rate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
An animal toy as recited in claim 5, wherein the electrical circuit further includes a sensor having a variable resistance and being operable to vary the output of the oscillator means which varies the repetition rate of chirping sounds.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
An animal toy as recited in claim 6, wherein the sensor comprises a photosensor, the body having an opening near the photosensor for transmitting light from outside the body to the photosensor inside the body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
An animal toy as recited in claim 1, wherein the bottom plate includes a battery receptacle, the electrical circuit being mounted on the battery receptacle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
An animal toy as recited in claim 1, wherein the body has the shape of a bird.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-09-18 | 1993-03-20 | 1993-09-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-09-18 | 1997-03-20 | 1997-09-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-09-18 | 2001-03-20 | 2001-09-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |