BACKGROUND ART The utilization of toys to assist a child in expressing his/her feelings is a well- known and practiced educational and psycho-therapeutic concept. Foremost among the toys utilized for this purpose is the doll. A child is able to make a doll cry, laugh, frown, smile, scowl, etc. in accord with the child's current disposition. Additionally, the doll is fun to play with.

The prior art is rife with dolls for accomplishing the above-indicated tasks. For <BR> <BR> example, U. S. Pat. No. 3,745, 696 (Sapkus et al. ), U. S. Pat. No. 3,808, 735 (Morrison), U. S.<BR> <P>Pat. No. 3, 841, 020 (Rayn et al. ), U. S. Pat. No. 5,700, 178 (Cimerman et al. ), U. S. Pat No.<BR> <P>6,068, 536 (Madland et al. ) and U. S. Pat. No. 6,110, 001 (Chae) all show dolls having means for changing the doll's facial expression. However, the dolls of the instant patents all employ relatively complicated mechanisms which may easily be broken in the rough and tumble word of child's play.

U. S. Pat. No. 5,215, 493 (Zgrodek et al. ) discloses a stuffed toy wherein the facial expression may be changed by rotation of the toys'mouth and eyes. The expressions are limited to that of happiness or sadness.

U. S. Pat. No. 6,123, 598 (Cook) is drawn to a doll in the form of an animal having a pull mechanism for moving the jaws of the doll to simulate chewing or eating. There is

no provision to simulate emotional human expressions.

U. S. Pat. No. 4,573, 927 (Newman) shows a doll wherein decal-like facial panels are used to exhibit facial expressions. A child must find and replace a decal on the doll to change the doll's expression. The decals may easily be misplaced and not readily at hand when needed.

U. S. Pat. No. 5, 862, 615 (O'Rourke) is drawn to a display button using magnets to control the positional of rectangular and arcuate members which simulate a human expression. The display button is designed to be worn by adults and manipulation of the rectangular and arcuate members may prove to be complicated for your children.

U. S. Pat. No. 4,761, 150 (Lautenberger et al. ) discloses a mechanism utilized to move the eyes of toys, dolls and the like. The patentees do not contemplate changing the facial expression of a doll.

U. S. Pat. No Des. 431,058 (Thomas) shows the ornamental design of a fabric covered doll. The doll is not designed to change facial expressions.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to disclose a doll with human-like expressions as will subsequently be described and claimed in the instant invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The instant invention comprises a stuffed doll having a roughed face covered with stretchable fabric. The doll is adapted to simulate human-like facial expressions. To accomplish such simulation, the doll is provided with upper and lower movable face members. The upper face member incorporates a simulative human upper lip. The upper member also includes eyes which can be manually adjusted in downward, upward and side-to-side positions. The lower face member is simulative of a lower lip and jaw of a

human.

The contours of the upper lip and lower lip are designed such that when the lower lip is moved in a position abutting the upper lip, the expression of the doll appears to simulate one of gloom or sadness. In contrast, when the lower lip is spaced from the upper lip, the simulative expression is one of joy of happiness. The upper and lower lips may be spaced in extreme open positions such that the doll simulates an exaggerated open or big mouth. A conventional lock/release mechanism allow a user to manipulate the upper and lower members for opening and closing the same.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a child's toy in the form of a doll, which doll is capable of assuming simulated human facial expressions.

It is another object of the intention to provide a child's toy in the form of a doll, which doll has a minimum number of moving parts.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a child's toy in the form of a doll, which doll is easy to manipulate.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a child's toy in the form of a doll, which doll is safe and aesthetically pleasing.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which are inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing their intended purposes.

These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a doll with a simulated neutral expression according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a doll with a simulated happy expression according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a doll with a simulated sad expression according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a doll with a simulated fully-opened mouth according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a shell of a doll according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an upper face member of a doll according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a lower face member of a doll according to the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Attention is first directed to FIG. 1 wherein the doll of the present invention is generally indicated at 10. Doll 10 comprises a boll-shaped torso 12 having leg-like members 14 attached thereto. Torso 12 and leg members 14 are stuffed in conventional manner, preferably with a non-allergenic material. The outer surfaces of the torso and leg members may be fabricated from any soft, pliable, durable, fire-retardant material.

A head 10 is of an exaggerated size and is attached to the top of the torso 12. As best seen in FIG. 5, head 20 is formed as a globe-shaped hollow shell having an open front.

Head 20 is fabricated from a material that will maintain its shape i. e. plastic. A conventional lock/release pivot mechanism 22 is formed on each side (only one is shown) of the head adjacent the open front for reasons as will be later explained. The mechanisms

are diametrically opposed.

Attention is now directed to FIGS. 3 and 4 which illustrate the facial components of the doll. Upper face member 24 is of a hemispheric configuration and is painted in flesh-like tones. A pair of openings 26 is provided to expose simulated eyes 28. Eyes 28 are supported in any convenient manner such that they may be finger-adjusted up, down or side-to-side as desired. Openings 29 (only one is shown) are formed in each side of member 24. Openings 29 are diametrically opposed and are adapted to be positioned on mechanisms 22 for pivotal movement thereon. A lower edge 24a of member 24 is simulative of a human upper lip. Lower face member 30 is configured somewhat like the lower jaw of a human. Edge 30a is simulative of a human lower lip. Face member 30 is provided with a diametrically opposed openings 32 (only one is shown), which openings are also adapted to be positioned on mechanisms 22 for pivotal movement thereon. When assembled, upper face member 24 and lower face member 30 are mounted within head 20 for pivoted movement therein. Merely pushing the mechanisms 29 will allow the user to move the face members to desired position. The mounted face members are covered with a stretchy fabric to make the members aesthetically pleasing.

In use, when the upper and lower face members are spaced a slight distance apart, the contours of edges 24a and 30a will give the doll an appearance of a simulated neutral expression (FIG. 1). When the contoured edges are more widely space as in FIG. 2, the appearance is that of a smiling or happy face. When the edges are in abutting relationship (FIG. 3) the doll's appearances is one of sadness. In FIG. 4, the face members are pivoted to a maximum space positioned and the doll assumes a"big mouth"appearance.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As so far described, the doll with human-like expressions as toys according to the

present invention assists a child to express his/her feelings and also it is used to practice educational and psycho-therapeutic concept.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.