| Articulable shoulder puppet -> Monitor Keywords |
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  Articulable shoulder puppetRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Toys, Figure Toy Or Accessory Therefor, Having Mechanism Or Manipulatable Means To Move Figure Or Figure Portion, Including Support Or Manipulator Extrinsic To Figure (e.g., Marionette)The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060183402. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to puppets and, more particularly, to a structure for an articulable puppet mounted on a hollow shaft and adapted to be operated while perched on a puppeteer's shoulder. BACKGROUND [0002] Hand puppets (as opposed to marionettes) are generally operated by a puppeteer inserting one of his or her hands into the puppet body and, by the movement of the hand and/or fingers within the puppet, causes the puppet to come to "life"--make one or more of its parts move. This manner of operation is not possible when, for example, the puppet is perched on a puppeteer's shoulder. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0003] The present invention is a structure for a puppet having movable parts and intended to sit on a puppeteer's shoulder while its movable parts are selectively activated. In order to effectively operate the puppet while on the puppeteer's shoulder, the present invention provides a novel mechanism for the puppet that includes: a support structure in the form of a beam that is intended to sit on a puppeteer's shoulder; a rigid tubular control shaft affixed near one end of the beam which is intended to depend down the back of the shoulder to the vicinity of the puppeteer's waist; and a depending forward stabilizer affixed near the other end of the beam at a distance from the control shaft that enables the shaft and stabilizer to straddle the shoulder. The shaft and stabilizer secure the puppet on the puppeteer's shoulder while it is operated. The control shaft has at its distal end a handle and associated controls that can be easily grasped by a hand of the puppeteer and used to selectively activate animation mechanisms that run from the distal end of the control shaft to the moving parts of the puppet. [0004] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for a puppet intended to sit on, and be operated while on, the shoulder of a puppeteer. [0005] Another object of the invention is to provide a support structure and internal operating mechanism by which a soft sculpture puppet with movable parts can be operated to selectively move the parts while sitting on a puppeteer's shoulder. [0006] The invention possesses other objects and advantages, especially as concerns particular characteristics and features thereof which will be better understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the appended drawing figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention in the form of a dragon puppet shown in operative relation to a puppeteer; [0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of internal mechanisms of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1; [0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main structural elements of the invention with parts exploded to better reveal their details and relationships to one another; [0010] FIG. 4 is a side view of the invention as shown in FIG. 2; [0011] FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of the area 4A-4A of FIG. 4; [0012] FIG. 4B is the same as FIG. 4A with the mechanism shown in a different position; [0013] FIG. 5A is a sectional view taken along the line 5A-5A of FIG. 4; [0014] FIG. 5B is a top view of the invention with movement of certain parts shown in dotted lines; and [0015] FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 of an alternative embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0016] Referring to FIG. 1, the invention resides in the internal structure (not shown) of a puppet 11 designed to sit on the shoulder 15 of a puppeteer 12 and be held there by a hollow, rigid control shaft 13 which extends from the puppet body 14 down the back of the shoulder 15 of the puppeteer 12 to the vicinity of the waist of the puppeteer where a handle 16 at the distal end of control shaft 13 can be grasped by the puppeteer's hand 17. To operate most comfortably, the control shaft 13 is between 18 inches and 30 inches long and preferably 22 inches long. [0017] As described in detail below, the puppet 11 has movable parts that are operated by controls 18 mounted at the distal end of control shaft 13 on handle 16. The depending legs 21 of puppet 11 are spaced apart from the control shaft 13 a sufficient distance to allow the shaft 13 and legs 21 to straddle the puppeteer's shoulder 15 with legs 21 extending down the front of the shoulder 15. In this way, the puppet 11 is stabilized on the shoulder 15 so that movement of the shaft 13 does not easily dislodge the puppet 11 from the shoulder 15. [0018] Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, the main components of the internal structure 10 of puppet 11 include a support beam 22, the hollow rigid control shaft 13 and a forward stabilizer 31 which is disposed in the legs 21 of puppet 11. [0019] The support beam 22 is formed by an upper beam member 23 and a spaced-apart lower beam member 24 which define a space 30 therebetween and are secured together by plurality of beam ties 25. Continue reading... Full patent description for Articulable shoulder puppet Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Articulable shoulder puppet patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Articulable shoulder puppet or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Ball toy set Next Patent Application: Race track game system Industry Class: Amusement devices: toys ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Articulable shoulder puppet patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 1.52377 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Novartis , Pfizer , Philips , Polaroid , Procter & Gamble , |
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