WO2007031699A1

WO2007031699A1 - Wetting doll

Info

Publication number: WO2007031699A1
Application number: PCT/GB2005/050154
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christopher John Hathaway Brewer
Original assignee: Seven Towns Ltd
Current assignee: Seven Towns Ltd
Priority date: 2005-09-12
Filing date: 2005-09-12
Publication date: 2007-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 2008-03-12

Abstract

A wetting doll (10, 12) has a downwardly and dorsally inclined reservoir (18) controlled by a siphon (20,22,26) and arranged to operate both when the doll is upright and when it is laid flat.

Description

WETTING DOLL

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a doll or play figure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

US-A-3839819 (Holingsworth et al, Horsman Dolls) discloses that there were known dolls adapted to wet in response to liquid introduced through the doll's mouth into its body. In some of these dolls the wetting mechanism consisted merely of a tube connecting an orifice at the mouth to a wetting orifice but such dolls were not popular because there was no control over the wetting action. In an attempt to overcome this problem, a controlled wetting unit for dolls was disclosed in which a reservoir supported within the torso of the doll was arranged to receive and store liquid introduced into the doll's mouth. This controlled wetting doll was further provided with a pump adapted to be operated by the child to draw liquid from the reservoir and to force the liquid drawn from the reservoir through a flow control valve to a tube leading to the wetting orifice. However, this type of controlled wetting unit was not always effective because liquid forced into the reservoir as a feeding bottle was squeezed could be driven past the flow control valve so that premature wetting took place so that the doll could wet while being fed rather than waiting until the squeeze bulb was actuated. The solution was to provide an internal reservoir and pump arrangement in which the doll could be bottle fed in a prone position, and in which the open und of an access tube leading to the pump did not become immersed in liquid unless the reservoir was nearly full, but became immersed when the doll was moved to an upright position, after which the reservoir contents could be pumped out.

US-A-5094644 discloses a wetting doll having an internal reservoir rank controlled by a siphon located within said reservoir tank so that liquid fed to the doll with the doll laid flat does not flow to a wetting orifice until after a predetermined level within the reservoir tank has been reached. A further instance of a wetting doll provided with a siphon-controlled reservoir is disclosed in GB-A-2230200 (Maddocks).

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention provides a wetting doll having a siphon-controlled reservoir arranged to operate both when the doll is laid flat and when it is upright.

In one aspect the invention provides a play figure comprising a body having ventral and dorsal surfaces and an upper and a lower end; a reservoir within and extending longitudinally of the body; a feed path including an opening located ventrally of the body for supply of liquid and a fluid supply line leading from the opening to an upper position of said reservoir; a discharge path for liquid from the reservoir on overflow thereof and including a siphon leading from a lower portion of the reservoir to a discharge opening at a lower end of the body, wherein the reservoir is located so that it is inclined downwardly and dorsally and the discharge opening is located at the same ventral/dorsal position or dorsally of where the reservoir opens into the syphon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are side views of the head and trunk of a doll in upright and laid flat attitudes respectively; and

Figs 3a-3c are front perspective views of a reservoir unit for incorporation into the head and trunk of the doll of Figs 1 and 2 showing feeding (reservoir filling) and .wetting (reservoir drainage). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A doll or other play figure has a head 10 and trunk 12. A feeding opening 14 at the mouth leads via inlet tube 16 to the upper end of a generally tubular reservoir 18 located within the trunk 12. A siphon 20 leads from the lower end of the reservoir 18 via discharge tube 22 to a discharge orifice 26 located at the base of the trunk as shown. A breather tube 24 leads from the top of the reservoir via pipe 27 to breather orifice 28 whose location may be at any convenient place in the head or body but in this instance is adjacent to discharge orifice 26. With reference to Fig 2, line 30 defines a horizontal and is parallel to the a surface on which the doll may be laid flat. When the doll is laid flat, the reservoir 20is at a downward inclination with reference to horizontal 30, typically at an angle of 10-20° thereto. The orifice 26 is at the same level as or below the level at which syphon 20 connects with reservoir 18.

As shown in figs 3a-3c, liquid can be supplied to the doll using play feed bottle 32 which may typically be filled to about one third of the capacity of reservoir 18. The reservoir may be filled with one or two feeds without an occurrence of wetting. When the reservoir becomes full, it is emptied via siphon 20 as shown in Fig 3c and wetting occurs. Because of the downward inclination of the reservoir 18, behaviour in the laid flat position of Fig 2 is essentially the same as that in the upright position of Fig. 1. The delay provided by the reservoir and siphon adds significantly to the play value of the doll, and to the perceived realism if its behaviour. The structure for the play figure has the advantage of incorporating no moving parts.

Claims

- A -CLAIMS

1. A play figure comprising a body having ventral and dorsal surfaces and an upper and a lower end; a reservoir within and extending longitudinally of the body; a feed path including an opening located ventrally of the body for supply of liquid and a fluid supply line leading from the opening to an upper position of said reservoir; a discharge path for liquid from the reservoir on overflow thereof and including a siphon leading from a lower portion of the reservoir to a discharge opening at a lower end of the body, wherein the reservoir is located so that it is inclined downwardly and dorsally and the discharge opening is located at the same ventral/dorsal position or dorsally of where the reservoir opens into the syphon.

2. The figure of claim 1 , which is a doll for a child.

3. The figure of claiml or 2, wherein the reservoir is tubular.

4. The figure of any preceding claim, wherein the reservoir is inclined at 10-20° to a supine lay- flat direction of said figure.

5. The figure of any preceding claim, wherein a vent path leads from an upper region of the reservoir to the lower end of the body.

6. A wetting doll having a downwardly and dorsally inclined siphon-controlled reservoir arranged to operate both when the doll is upright and when it is laid flat.