Animatronic toy

Abstract

An animatronic toy includes a motor, a compound geneva gear assembly, and a plurality of moving parts. The compound geneva gear assembly has a plurality of geneva drivers driven by the motor and a plurality of geneva followers. Each of the geneva followers are positioned to be driven by one of the geneva drivers. The geneva drivers are rotationally coupled to each other. Each of the geneva drivers includes at least one set of teeth and at least one stop. Each of the geneva followers includes at least one set of teeth and at least one cutout. The plurality of moving parts are driven by the geneva followers. The geneva drivers may form a compound geneva driver with an axis of rotation, a plurality of sets of teeth extending radially and a plurality of stops disposed in an alternating pattern along the axis of rotation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An animatronic toy comprising:
 a motor;   a compound geneva gear assembly having
 a plurality of geneva drivers driven by the motor, the plurality of geneva drivers being rotationally coupled to each other, each of the plurality of geneva drivers including at least one set of teeth and at least one stop; and 
 a plurality of geneva followers, each of the plurality of geneva followers positioned to be driven by one of the plurality of geneva drivers, each of the plurality of geneva followers including at least one set of teeth and at least one cutout; and 
   a plurality of moving parts driven by the plurality of geneva followers.   
     
     
         2 . The animatronic toy of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of geneva drivers includes a first geneva driver and a second geneva driver, the plurality of geneva followers including a first geneva follower and a second geneva follower, the first geneva follower positioned to be driven by the first geneva driver, and the second geneva follower positioned to be driven by the second geneva driver, the compound geneva gear assembly including a compound geneva driver having a first side and a second side, the first side opposite the second side, the first geneva driver formed on the first side and the second geneva driver formed on the second side. 
     
     
         3 . The animatronic toy of  claim 2 , wherein the compound geneva driver includes a set of perimeter teeth, the set of perimeter teeth configured to be driven by the motor to impart motion to the compound geneva driver. 
     
     
         4 . The animatronic toy of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of geneva drivers includes a third geneva driver, the plurality of geneva followers includes a third geneva follower, the third geneva follower positioned to be driven by the third geneva driver, the third geneva driver including an extension oriented perpendicular to a face of the third geneva driver, the second geneva driver including an extension oriented perpendicular to a face of the second geneva driver, the extension of the second geneva driver configured to engage the extension of the third geneva driver to impart rotational motion from the second geneva driver to the third geneva driver. 
     
     
         5 . The animatronic toy of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of geneva drivers form a hollow cylinder, at least a portion of the motor being positioned within the hollow cylinder. 
     
     
         6 . The animatronic toy of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one set of teeth of each of the plurality of geneva drivers extend radially from the geneva driver. 
     
     
         7 . The animatronic toy of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of geneva drivers are each ring-shaped and have at least one side that is complementary to another geneva driver of the plurality of geneva drivers to rotatably couple the plurality of geneva drivers. 
     
     
         8 . The animatronic toy of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the geneva followers includes a protrusion having a recess, and further comprising:
 a body including at least one hole and at least two slots; and   a breath plate including a first set of pins, a second set of pins, a chest portion between the first set of pins and the second set of pins, a connector, and a flexible portion between the second set of pins and the connector, the connector being disposed within the recess of the protrusion, the first set of pins being rotatably disposed within the at least one hole of the body, the second set of pins being slidably disposed within the at least two slots, wherein the flexible portion is operable to wrap around the protrusion with rotation of the geneva follower.   
     
     
         9 . The animatronic toy of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the geneva followers includes a protrusion that is eccentric to an axis of rotation of the geneva follower, wherein the protrusion is connected to one of the moving parts of the plurality of moving parts to convert rotational movement of the geneva follower into variable motion of the one of the moving parts. 
     
     
         10 . The animatronic toy of  claim 9 , wherein the protrusion is connected to the one of the moving parts via a crank, the crank having a crank arm, a crank pin at a first end of the crank arm, and a crank ring at a second end of the crank arm, the crank ring rotatably disposed on the protrusion, the crank ring in contact with the one of the moving parts. 
     
     
         11 . The animatronic toy of  claim 9 , wherein the one of the moving parts is a jaw having an axis of rotation, a connection point on the jaw to the protrusion being at a position offset from the axis of rotation of the jaw. 
     
     
         12 . The animatronic toy of  claim 11 , wherein the connection point of the jaw comprises an arcuate slot having a constant radius of curvature from the axis of rotation of the jaw, the arcuate slot having a first end and a second end. 
     
     
         13 . The animatronic toy of  claim 9 , wherein the one of the moving parts is an eye assembly having a first eyelid with an axis of rotation, a connection point of the eye assembly to the protrusion being at a position offset from the axis of rotation of the first eyelid. 
     
     
         14 . The animatronic toy of  claim 13 , wherein the eye assembly includes an eyeball at least partially enclosed by the first eyelid, an eyelid frame having an axis of rotation different than the axis of rotation of the first eyelid, the first eyelid connected to the eyelid frame, the eye assembly connected to the protrusion via the eyelid frame, wherein rotational movement of the eyelid frame about its axis of rotation moves the first eyelid about its axis of rotation. 
     
     
         15 . The animatronic toy of  claim 14 , wherein the eyelid frame includes a first slot, a portion of the first eyelid being slidably disposed within the first slot. 
     
     
         16 . The animatronic toy of  claim 15 , wherein the eye assembly includes a second eyelid having an axis of rotation, the eyeball at least partially enclosed by the second eyelid, the eyelid frame including a second slot, the first slot being longer than the second slot, a portion of the second eyelid being slidably disposed within the second slot, wherein rotational movement of the eyelid frame about its axis of rotation moves the second eyelid about its axis of rotation. 
     
     
         17 . The animatronic toy of  claim 15 , wherein the protrusion is disposed on a first geneva follower of the plurality of geneva followers, the first geneva follower positioned to be driven by a first geneva driver of the plurality of geneva drivers, the at least one set of teeth of the first geneva follower is a plurality of sets of teeth and the at least one cutout of the first geneva follower is a plurality of cutouts, the plurality of sets of teeth and the plurality of sets of cutouts of the first geneva follower being arcuately positioned in an alternating pattern. 
     
     
         18 . The animatronic toy of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of cutouts is exactly two cutouts, the two cutouts being angularly offset by 180°. 
     
     
         19 . The animatronic toy of  claim 13 , wherein the eye assembly includes an eyeball at least partially enclosed by the first eyelid, the first eyelid of the eye assembly connected to the protrusion, wherein movement of the protrusion causes rotation of the first eyelid about its axis of rotation. 
     
     
         20 . The animatronic toy of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of geneva followers includes a first geneva follower and a second geneva follower, the plurality of geneva drivers includes a first geneva driver and a second geneva driver, the first geneva follower positioned to be driven by the first geneva driver, the second geneva follower positioned to be driven by the second geneva driver, the protrusion being a first protrusion, the first protrusion disposed on the first geneva follower, and further comprising a second protrusion disposed on the second geneva follower, the second protrusion being eccentric to an axis of rotation of the second geneva follower, the second protrusion being connected to the eyeball, wherein movement of the second protrusion causes rotation of the eyeball about its axis. 
     
     
         21 . The animatronic toy of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of geneva followers includes a third geneva follower, the plurality of geneva drivers includes a third geneva, the third geneva follower positioned to be driven by the third geneva driver, and further comprising:
 a second eyelid having an axis of rotation, the eyeball at least partially enclosed by the second eyelid; and   a third protrusion disposed on the third geneva follower, the third protrusion being eccentric to an axis of rotation of the third geneva follower, the third protrusion being connected to the second eyelid, wherein movement of the third protrusion causes rotation of the second eyelid about its axis of rotation.   
     
     
         22 . The animatronic toy of  claim 13 , wherein the eye assembly includes an eyeball having an axis of rotation, the eyeball connected to the protrusion, wherein movement of the protrusion causes rotation of the eyeball about its axis of rotation. 
     
     
         23 . The animatronic toy of  claim 22 , wherein the protrusion is connected to the eyeball via an eye lifter, the eye lifter including a slot and an arm, the protrusion positioned within the slot of the eye lifter, the eyeball including a lip offset from the axis of rotation of the eyeball, the arm of the eye lifter positioned to engage the lip, such that movement of the eye lifter rotates the eyeball via the engagement of the arm of the eye lifter and the lip of the eyeball. 
     
     
         24 . The animatronic toy of  claim 23 , wherein the eyeball includes an aperture, the lip being positioned within the eyeball, the arm extending through the aperture and into the eyeball. 
     
     
         25 . The animatronic toy of  claim 1 , further comprising another geneva driver and another geneva follower positioned to be driven by the another geneva driver, the another geneva driver being rotationally coupled to one of the plurality of geneva followers. 
     
     
         26 . The animatronic toy of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of geneva drivers includes a first geneva driver, the plurality of geneva followers includes a first geneva follower, the at least one set of teeth of the first geneva driver is a plurality of sets of teeth and the at least one stop of the first geneva driver is a plurality of stops, the plurality of sets of teeth and the plurality of stops being arcuately positioned in an alternating pattern. 
     
     
         27 . An animatronic toy comprising:
 a motor;   a geneva gear pair including
 a geneva driver, driven by the motor, the geneva driver including a set of teeth extending radially and a stop, the set of teeth spanning from a first tooth to a second tooth; and 
 a geneva follower positioned to be driven by the geneva driver, the geneva follower including a set of teeth spanning from a third tooth to a fourth tooth, a start tooth adjacent to the third tooth, and a cutout, the start tooth angularly aligned with the cutout and having a tooth width greater than a tooth width of the third tooth; and 
   a moving part driven by the geneva follower.   
     
     
         28 . The animatronic toy of  claim 27 , wherein the start tooth has a constant tooth width to a root of the start tooth. 
     
     
         29 . The animatronic toy of  claim 28 , wherein the set of teeth of the geneva driver is a first set of teeth, the stop is a first stop, the start tooth is a first start tooth, the cutout is a first cutout, the geneva driver including a second set of teeth and a second stop, the set of teeth of the geneva follower being a third set of teeth, the geneva follower including a fourth set of teeth spanning from a fifth tooth to a sixth tooth, a second cutout, and a second start tooth, the second start tooth angularly aligned with the second cutout and having a tooth width greater than a tooth width of the fifth tooth, the second start tooth adjacent to the fifth tooth and the fourth tooth. 
     
     
         30 . The animatronic toy of  claim 28 , wherein the first tooth contacts the third tooth during rotation of the geneva driver and the geneva follower, the first tooth has a first tip diameter, the second tooth has a second tip diameter, the third tooth has a third tip diameter, the fourth tooth has a fourth tip diameter, the teeth of the set of teeth of the geneva driver other than the first tooth and the second tooth having a fifth tip diameter, and the start tooth having a sixth tip diameter, wherein at least one of:
 (i) the first tip diameter is less than the fifth tip diameter; or   (ii) the third tip diameter is less than the sixth tip diameter; and   
       at least one of:
 (i) the second tip diameter is less than the fifth tip diameter; or 
 (ii) the fourth tip diameter is less than the sixth tip diameter. 
 
     
     
         31 . An animatronic toy comprising:
 a motor;   a compound geneva driver having an axis of rotation, a plurality of sets of teeth extending radially and a plurality of stops disposed in an alternating pattern along the axis of rotation, the compound geneva driver driven by the motor;   a plurality of geneva followers, each of the plurality of geneva followers positioned to be driven by one of the plurality of geneva drivers, each of the plurality of geneva followers including at least one set of teeth and at least one cutout; and   a plurality of moving parts driven by the plurality of geneva followers.   
     
     
         32 . The animatronic toy of  claim 31 , wherein the compound geneva driver forms a hollow cylinder, at least a portion of the motor being positioned within the hollow cylinder. 
     
     
         33 . The animatronic toy of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of geneva drivers are each ring-shaped and have at least one side that is complementary to another geneva driver of the plurality of geneva drivers to rotatably couple the plurality of geneva drivers.