Doll dressing apparatus

Abstract

A doll dressing apparatus for dressing a doll to which clothing items can be releasably attached. The apparatus is comprised of a carrier on which one or more clothing items can be manually attached by a user of the apparatus. The apparatus removes the clothing item(s) from the carrier previously attached thereto and subsequently fits the clothing item(s) to the doll.

1 . Doll dressing apparatus for dressing a doll to which clothing items can be releasably attached, the apparatus comprising: 
 a carrier on which one or more clothing items can be manually attached by a user of the apparatus; and    dressing means which remove from the carrier the clothing item(s) previously attached thereto and subsequently fits the clothing item(s) to the doll.    
   
   
       2 . Doll dressing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the dressing means is movable between two stations, a first undressing station at which the dressing means removes from the carrier the clothing item(s) previously attached thereto and a second dressing station at which the dressing means fits the clothing item(s) to the doll.  
   
   
       3 . Doll dressing apparatus as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the carrier is movable between two locations, a first location at which the carrier clothing item(s) can be manually assembled on the carrier and a second location which is the undressing station of the dressing means.  
   
   
       4 . Doll dressing apparatus as claimed in  claim 3  comprising a movable doll support on which the doll is mountable, the doll support being movable between an initial site at which an undressed doll can be mounted on the doll support through the dressing station at which the undressed doll is dressed to a final site from which the dressed doll can be removed.  
   
   
       5 . Doll dressing apparatus as claimed in  claim 4  comprising a first manually operable sliding mechanism which can simultaneously slide both the dressing means and the carrier to the dressing station.  
   
   
       6 . Doll dressing apparatus as claimed in  claim 5  wherein a housing is provided to support the carrier, the dressing means and the doll support and the housing has an open upper level in which the first carrier location and the initial doll support site are located, an enclosed middle level in which the undressing site and the dressing site of the dressing means are located and a open lower level in which the doll support final site is located, the carrier being movable between the upper and middle levels, the dressing means being movable along the middle level and the doll support being movable from the upper level through the middle level to the lower level.  
   
   
       7 . Doll dressing apparatus as claimed in  claim 6  comprising a second manually operable sliding mechanism for sliding the doll support vertically, which is also capable of allowing translational movement of the doll support in the planes of the upper and lower levels.  
   
   
       8 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein the dressing means comprises a carriage supporting two moveable jaws, wherein the jaws are closed to engage the clothing item(s) on the carrier, opened to remove the clothing item(s) from the carrier, closed to attach the clothing item(s) on the doll and opened to release the clothed doll.  
   
   
       9 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein each jaw is rotatable about a vertical axis.  
   
   
       10 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the dressing means further comprises resilient means acting between the two moveable jaws, the resilient means urging the two jaws apart.  
   
   
       11 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein an arm is mounted on each jaw and the arms are connected so that rotation of one jaw causes a corresponding rotation of the other jaw.  
   
   
       12 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 11  further comprising a groove in the housing along which slides a protrusion extending from at least one of the jaws, wherein the groove is curved so that the jaws are urged closer together as the carrier approaches the undressing station, the jaws thereby closing on the carrier.  
   
   
       13 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the doll support comprises a protrusion, which contacts a jaw of the dressing means when the doll support is moved through the dressing station, whereby the jaws are urged closed to attach the clothing item(s) to the doll.  
   
   
       14 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein releasable attachment means are provided to act between the carrier and the clothing item(s), to act between the jaws of the dressing means and the clothing item(s) and to act between the doll and the clothing item(s).  
   
   
       15 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the releasable attachment means comprises at least one magnet provided on or in each clothing item, at least one magnet provided on or in the carrier, at least one magnet provided on or in each jaw of the dressing means, and at least one magnet provided on or in the doll.  
   
   
       16 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the releasable attachment means comprises pairs of magnets provided in or on each of the clothing item(s), the jaws of the dressing means, the carrier and the doll, the magnets of each pair having differing polarities chosen such that the magnets of the pair associated with each clothing item must be aligned with attracting poles of another pair of magnets before the clothing item{s) can be attached to the carrier the jaws of the dressing means or the doll.  
   
   
       17 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein the first sliding mechanism comprises: 
 a manually operable wheel connected to a first gear;    a second gear meshing with the first gear; an elongate arm rigidly secured to the second gear, the arm having a slot; and    a slider connected to the carriage of the dressing means, the slider sliding in the slot to relay movement to the dressing means.    
   
   
       18 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 17  further comprising: 
 a third gear meshing with the second gear;    a carrier arm rotatable about the same axis of rotation as the third gear, the arm being engaged by a pin attached to the third gear to cause movement of the carrier from the first location thereof to the undressing station when the third gear is rotated in a first direction of rotation, the arm not engaging with the pin when the third gear is rotated n the opposite direction of rotation.    
   
   
       19 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 18  further comprising resilient means acting on the carrier arm such that the carrier is urged back from the undressing station towards its first position.  
   
   
       20 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 19  further comprising a release lever, the release lever being engageable with the carrier arm to limit movement of the second arm under the biasing force of the resilient means, the release lever when operated freeing the carrier arm to move freely under the action of the resilient means to return the carrier to the first position.  
   
   
       21 . Doll dressing apparatus for dressing a doll to which clothing items can be releasably attached, the apparatus comprising: 
 a carrier on which one or mote clothing items can be manually attached by a user of the apparatus; and    dressing means which removes from the carrier the clothing item(s) previously attached thereto and subsequently fits the clothing item(s) to the doll; wherein:    the dressing means is movable between two stations, a first undressing station at which the dressing means removes from the carrier the clothing item{s) previously attached thereto and a second dressing station at which the dressing means fits the clothing item(s) to the doll.    
   
   
       22 . Doll dressing apparatus for dressing a doll to which clothing items can be releasably attached, the apparatus comprising: 
 a carrier on which one or more clothing items can be manually attached by a user of the apparatus; and    dressing means which remove from the carrier the clothing item(s) previously attached thereto and subsequently fits the clothing item{s) to the doll; wherein:    the dressing means is movable between two stations, a first undressing station at which the dressing means removes from the carrier the clothing item(s) previously attached thereto and a second dressing station at which the dressing means fits the clothing item(s) to the doll; and    the carrier is movable between two locations, a first location at which the carrier clothing item(s) can be manually assembled on the carrier and a second location which is the undressing station of the dressing means.    
   
   
       23 . Doll dressing apparatus as claimed in  claim 22  comprising a first manually operable sliding mechanism which can simultaneously slide both the dressing means and the carrier to the dressing station.  
   
   
       24 . Doll dressing apparatus for dressing a doll to which clothing items can be releasably attached, the apparatus comprising: 
 a carrier on which one or more clothing items can be manually attached by a user of the apparatus; and dressing means which remove from the carrier the clothing item(s) previously attached thereto and subsequently fits the clothing item(s) to the doll; wherein:    the dressing means is movable between two stations, a first undressing station at which the dressing means removes from the carrier the clothing item(s) previously attached thereto and a second dressing station at which the dressing means fits the clothing item(s) to the doll;    the carrier is movable between two locations, a first location at which the carrier clothing item(s) can be manually assembled on the carrier and a second location which is the undressing station of the dressing means; and    a movable doll support is provided on which the doll is mountable, the doll support being movable between an initial site at which an undressed doll can be mounted on the doll support through the dressing station at which the undressed doll is dressed to a final site from which the dressed doll can be removed.    
   
   
       25 . Doll dressing apparatus as claimed in  claim 24  comprising a first manually operable sliding mechanism which can simultaneously slide both the dressing means and the carrier to the dressing station.  
   
   
       26 . Doll dressing apparatus as claimed in  claim 24  wherein a housing is provided to support the carrier, the dressing means and the doll support and the housing has an open upper level in which the first carrier location and the initial doll support site are located, an enclosed middle level in which the undressing site and the dressing site of the dressing means are located and a open lower level in which the doll support final site is located, the carrier being movable between the upper and middle levels, the dressing means being movable along the middle level and the doll support being movable from the upper level through the middle level to the lower level.  
   
   
       27 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 26  wherein the first sliding mechanism comprises: 
 a manually operable wheel connected to a first gear;    a second gear meshing with the first gear;    an elongate arm rigidly secured to the second gear, the arm having a slot; and    a slider connected to the carriage of the dressing means, the slider sliding in the slot to relay movement to the dressing means.    
   
   
       28 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 27  further comprising: 
 a third gear meshing with the second gear;    a carrier arm rotatable about the same axis of rotation as the third gear, the arm being engaged by a pin attached to the third gear to cause movement of the carrier from the first location thereof to the undressing station when the third gear is rotated in a first direction of rotation, the arm not engaging with the pin when the third gear is rotated in the opposite direction of rotation.    
   
   
       29 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 28  further comprises resilient means acting on the carrier arm such that the carrier is urged towards its first position.  
   
   
       30 . Doll dressing apparatus according to  claim 29  further comprising a release lever, the release lever being engageable with the carrier arm to limit movement of the second arm under the biasing force of the resilient means, the release lever when operated freeing the carrier arm to move freely under the action of the resilient means to return the carrier to the first position.  
   
   
       31 . Doll dressing apparatus as claimed in  claim 26  comprising a second manually operable sliding mechanism for sliding the doll support vertically, which is also capable of allowing translational movement of the doll support in the planes of the upper and lower levels.  
   
   
       32 . A house for a doll comprising doll dressing apparatus fitting at least one clothing item on a doll, the apparatus comprising: 
 a doll support for supporting a doll;    a carrier on which at least one clothing item can be manually attached by a user; and    dressing means for removing the/a clothing item from the carrier, at an undressing station and then fitting the removed clothing item to the doll at a dressing station spaced from the undressing station; wherein:    the clothing item(s) is/are attached to the carrier by attachment means which exert a first attachment force, the clothing item(s) are attached to the dressing means by attachment means exerting a second attachment force higher than the first attachment force and the clothing item(s) is/are attached to the doll by attachment means which exert a third attachment force higher than the second attachment force.    
   
   
       33 . A method of dressing a doll comprising: 
 fitting at least one clothing item on a carrier when the carrier is at a first location;    moving the carrier to a dressing station at which the clothing item(s) is/are removed from the carrier by dressing means;    moving the dressing means with the clothing item(s) attached from the undressing station to a dressing station; moving a doll to the dressing station; transferring the clothing item(s) from the dressing means to the doll; and moving the doll away from the dressing station to a final location.