US4917607A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Doll for facilitating therapeutic communication and attitudinal healing
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1988-09-29
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Granted: 1990-04-17
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Expires: 2008-09-29
Abstract
Abstract The disclosure describes an apparatus and method for facilitating therapeutic communication of human emotions, for attitudinal healing, or for everyday play. A rag type doll has built-in cavities for receiving fabric forms connoting human feelings and other fabric forms representing different body parts and attributes. The cavities are located on the doll to show where on the body such feelings are experienced by inserting the appropriate form into the cavity. Thus, the user of the doll communicates to a therapist thought connections between mind and body in order to facilitate treatment.
Inventors
- 👤 Sandra S. Van Hoose
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 21:45
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B23/00; G09B23/28; A; A63; A63H; A63H3/00; A63H3/003
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
84 words
A doll for therapeutic communication of feelings and emotions comprising: a body having a head, torso, arms and legs; at least one of said head, torso, arms, and legs having at least one cavity with a corresponding opening allowing access to said cavity and means for closing said opening; means, insertable into said cavities, for expressing human emotions, said means comprising a plurality of forms, each form having an emotional connotation; and fabric bandages, said bandages being stored in a cavity in said head.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
84 words
A doll for therapeutic communication of feelings and emotions comprising: a body having a head, torso, arms and legs; at least one of said head, torso, arms, and legs having at least one cavity with a corresponding opening allowing access to said cavity and means for closing said opening; means, insertable into said cavities, for expressing human emotions, said means comprising a plurality of forms, each form having an emotional connotation; and fabric bandages, said bandages being stored in a cavity in said head.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A doll as recited in claim 1 wherein a form insertable into a cavity in said head comprises a means for connoting a human mind, said form comprising a first fabric pocket.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
90 words
A doll for therapeutic communication of feelings and emotions comprising: a body having a head, torso, arms and legs; at least one of said head, torso, arms, and legs having at least one cavity with a corresponding opening allowing access to said cavity and means for closing said opening; means, insertable into said cavities, for expressing human emotions, said means comprising a plurality of forms, each form having an emotional connotation; and printed cards containing questions used in attitudinal healing and for assisting communication of unexpressed human feelings and emotions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
90 words
A doll for therapeutic communication of feelings and emotions comprising: a body having a head, torso, arms and legs; at least one of said head, torso, arms, and legs having at least one cavity with a corresponding opening allowing access to said cavity and means for closing said opening; means, insertable into said cavities, for expressing human emotions, said means comprising a plurality of forms, each form having an emotional connotation; and printed cards containing questions used in attitudinal healing and for assisting communication of unexpressed human feelings and emotions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A doll as recited in claim 3 wherein a form insertable into a cavity in said head comprises a means for connoting a human mind, said form comprising a first fabric pocket.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A doll as recited in claims 2 or 4 wherein a form insertable into a cavity in said head comprises a second fabric pocket, said second fabric pocket connoting a human memory.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A doll as recited in claims 2 or 4 wherein a form insertable into a cavity in said head comprises a third fabric pocket, said third fabric pocket connoting a human imagination.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A doll as recited in claims 2 or 4 wherein said first fabric pocket holds a second fabric pocket, said second fabric pocket connoting a human memory.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A doll as recited in claim 7 wherein said first fabric pocket holds a third fabric pocket, said third fabric pocket connoting a human imagination.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
A doll as recited in claims 1 or 3 wherein one of said plurality of forms comprises a fabric form generally shaped as a jagged lightening bolt, said jagged lightening bolt connoting human feelings of anger, fear, confusion, anxiety, and worry.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
A doll as recited in claims 1 or 3 wherein one of said plurality of forms comprises a fabric form generally shaped as smiling lips, said smiling lips connoting human feelings of joy.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
A doll as recited in claims 1 or 3 wherein one of said plurality of forms comprises a fabric form generally shaped as frowning lips, said frowning lips connoting human feelings of sadness, unhappiness, confusion, and worry.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A doll as recited in claims 1 or 3 one of said plurality of forms comprises a fabric form generally shaped as a small stuffed heart, said heart connoting human feelings of love, caring, and compassion.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
A doll as recited in claims 1 or 3 wherein one of said plurality of forms comprises a fabric form generally shaped as a light bulb, said light bulb connoting ideas and thinking.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
A doll as recited in claims 1 or 3 wherein one of said plurality of forms comprises a fabric form generally shaped as a freeform star, said star connoting unidentified feelings and inspiration.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
A doll as recited in claims 1 or 3 wherein a cavity in said torso receives a fabric pocket in a belly area of said torso, said fabric pocket receiving said forms connoting human emotions and feelings.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
43 words
A doll as recited in claims 1 or 3 wherein a cavity in said torso receives a heart shaped fabric pocket, said heart shaped pocket connoting a heart of love, said heart of love pocket receiving said forms connoting human emotions and feelings.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
A doll as recited in claim 16 wherein said heart of love pocket has a smaller heart shaped fabric pocket connoting a heart of truth, said heart of truth pocket further comprising a container for holding printed cards.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
A doll as recited in claims 1 or 3 wherein a cavity in said torso receives a heart shaped fabric pocket, said heart shaped pocket connoting a heart of truth, said heart of truth pocket further comprising a container for holding printed cards.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
A doll as recited in claims 1 or 3 further comprising fabric forms connoting interior parts of said arms.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
A doll as recited in claims 1 or 3 further comprising fabric forms connoting interior parts of said legs.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
A doll as recited in claims 1 or 3 further comprising a fabric form connoting an internal organ of said torso.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
23 words
A doll as recited in claim 1 wherein said bandages are stored in a fabric pocket, said fabric pocket representing a human imagination.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
82 words
A doll for therapeutic communication of feelings and emotions comprising: a body having a head, torso, arms and legs; at least one of said head, torso, arms, and legs having at least one cavity with a corresponding opening allowing access to said cavity and means for closing said opening; means, insertable into said cavities, for expressing human emotions, said means comprising a plurality of forms, each form having an emotional connotation; and a fabric form generally shaped and colored as an orange.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
82 words
A doll for therapeutic communication of feelings and emotions comprising: a body having a head, torso, arms and legs; at least one of said head, torso, arms, and legs having at least one cavity with a corresponding opening allowing access to said cavity and means for closing said opening; means, insertable into said cavities, for expressing human emotions, said means comprising a plurality of forms, each form having an emotional connotation; and a fabric form generally shaped and colored as an orange.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
82 words
A doll for therapeutic communication of feelings and emotions comprising: a body having a head, torso, arms and legs; at least one of said head, torso, arms, and legs having at least one cavity with a corresponding opening allowing access to said cavity and means for closing said opening; means, insertable into said cavities, for expressing human emotions, said means comprising a plurality of forms, each form having an emotional connotation; and a fabric form generally shaped and colored as a peapod.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
82 words
A doll for therapeutic communication of feelings and emotions comprising: a body having a head, torso, arms and legs; at least one of said head, torso, arms, and legs having at least one cavity with a corresponding opening allowing access to said cavity and means for closing said opening; means, insertable into said cavities, for expressing human emotions, said means comprising a plurality of forms, each form having an emotional connotation; and a fabric form generally shaped and colored as a peapod.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of communicating human feelings and emotions comprising the steps of: forming a body of a doll having a torso, arms, legs, and head; locating cavities in said torso, arms, legs, and head with means for closing said cavities; for receiving fabric forms assigning human emotions and feelings to said fabric forms, and inserting said fabric forms connoting said human emotions and feelings into said cavities to communicate said emotions and feelings.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of communicating human feelings and emotions comprising the steps of: forming a body of a doll having a torso, arms, legs, and head; locating cavities in said torso, arms, legs, and head with means for closing said cavities; for receiving fabric forms assigning human emotions and feelings to said fabric forms, and inserting said fabric forms connoting said human emotions and feelings into said cavities to communicate said emotions and feelings.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method of communicating human feelings as recited in claim 25 further comprising the step of communicating healing of human emotions by replacing at least one of said forms connoting said emotions and feelings with a fabric form generally shaped as a bandage.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method of communicating human emotions as recited in claim 26 further comprising the step of locating a cavity in said head and locating at least one of said fabric bandage forms in the cavity in said head.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method of communicating human feelings as recited in claim 25 further comprising the step of locating a generally heart shaped pocket containing printed cards relating to human feelings in a cavity in said torso, said heart shaped pocket connoting a heart of truth, and communicating thoughts relative to said feelings and emotions by answering questions on said printed cards.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method of communicating human feelings as recited in claim 28 further comprising the step of replacing said forms connoting human emotions and feelings with a fabric form generally shaped as a bandage in response to said questions, in order to communicate healing of said emotions and feelings.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-04-16 | 1993-10-16 | 1994-04-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-04-16 | 1997-10-16 | 1998-04-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-04-16 | 2001-10-16 | 2002-04-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |