[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 16, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 16CFR1505.6]
[Page 527-533]
TITLE 16--COMMERCIAL PRACTICES
CHAPTER II--CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
PART 1505_REQUIREMENTS FOR ELECTRICALLY OPERATED TOYS OR OTHER
ELECTRICALLY OPERATED ARTICLES INTENDED FOR USE BY CHILDREN--Table
Subpart A_Regulations
Sec. 1505.6 Performance.
(a) General. Electrically operated toys and components thereof shall
be tested by the appropriate methods described in this section and shall
pass the tests in such a manner as to provide the necessary assurance
that normal use and reasonably foreseeable damage or abuse will not
produce a hazard or a potentially hazardous condition. The toy shall be
capable of passing all applicable tests with any door, cover, handle,
operable part, or accessory placed in any normal position. A toy shall
not present a fire, casualty, or shock hazard when operated continuously
for 6 hours under conditions of normal use and reasonably foreseeable
damage or abuse, including the most hazardous position in which the toy
can be left.
(b) Enclosures. For the purposes of this section, the term enclosure
means any surface or surrounding structure which prevents access to a
real or potential hazard. An enclosure shall withstand impact,
compression, and pressure tests (see paragraphs (b)(1),
[[Page 528]]
(2), and (3) of this section) without developing any openings above
those specified, reduction of electrical spacings below those specified,
or other fire, casualty, or shock hazards, including the loosening or
displacement of components but excluding breakage of a lamp. After
completion of each test, the toy shall comply with the requirements of
the dielectric strength test described in paragraph (e)(2) of this
section and, upon visual examination, shall not evidence the development
of any hazards. Rupture of a fuse shall be considered a test failure.
(1) Impact test. A toy weighing 10 pounds or less shall be dropped
four times from a height of 3 feet onto a 2\1/2\ inch thick concrete
slab covered with 0.125 inch nominal thickness vinyl title. The impact
area shall be at least 3 square feet. The test shall be conducted while
the toy is energized and operating and with all dead metal of the toy
that may be energized connected together electrically and grounded
through a 3-ampere plug fuse. The toy shall be dropped in random
orientation. After each drop the test sample shall be allowed to come to
rest and examined and evaluated before continuing.
(2) Compression test. Any area on the surface of the enclosure that
is accessible to a child and inaccessible to flat-surface contact during
the impact test shall be subjected to a direct force of 20 pounds for 1
minute. The force shall be applied over a period of 5 seconds through
the axis of a \1/2\-inch-diameter metal rod having a flat end with the
edge rounded to a radius of one thirty-seconds of an inch to eliminate
sharp edges. The axis of the rod shall be perpendicular to the surface
being tested. During the test the toy shall rest on a flat, hard surface
in any test-convenient position.
(3) Pressure test. If any portion of the top of a toy has a flat
surface measuring 24 square inches or more and a minor dimension of at
least 3 inches, that surface shall be subjected to a direct vertical
pressure increasing to 50 pounds over a period of 5 seconds and
maintained for 1 minute. The force shall be applied through a steel ball
2 inches in diameter. During the test the toy shall be in an upright
position on a flat, horizontal solid surface.
(c) Handles and knobs--(1) General. For the purposes of tests in
this paragraph, the parts of a lifting handle on a toy that are within
seven-sixteenths of an inch of the surface to which the handle is
attached, or the parts of a lifting knob that are within one-fourth inch
of the surface to which the knob is attached, are considered to be for
support purposes, and the remainder of the handle or knob is considered
to be generally functional in nature. A handle or knob shall withstand
crushing and lifting tests (see paragraphs (c)(2) and (3) of this
section) without fracture of the handle or knob, development of an
opening that may pinch the hand, or breakage of the means used to fasten
the handle or knob in place.
(2) Crushing test. The functional portion of a handle or knob shall
be subjected to a crushign force increasing to 20 pounds over a period
of 5 seconds and maintained for 1 minute. The force shall be applied
through two flat and parallel hardwood blocks, each at least 2\1/2\
inches thick and each having dimensions slightly exceeding those of the
handle or knob being tested. The crushing force between the blocks shall
be exerted in any direction perpendicular to the major axis of the
handle or knob.
(3) Lifting test. The support portion of a handle or knob shall be
subjected to a force equal to four times the weight of the object it is
intended to support. The direction of the lifting force shall be as
intended by the design of the toy and shall be applied through a \1/2\-
inch-wide strap through or around a handle or by fingers or the
equivalent on a knob. The force shall be applied over a period of 5
seconds through the center of gravity of the toy and maintained for 1
minute.
(d) Stability. A toy shall not overturn while resting in an upright
position on a flat surface inclined 15[deg] from horizontal. No spillage
of molten material or hot liquids from containers shall occur while the
toy is operating in this position under normal conditions of use. During
this test, casters, if any, shall be in the position most likely to
[[Page 529]]
result in tipping, but shall not be artificially held in one position to
prevent a natural rotation to another position.
(e) Electrical--(1) Power input. The actual current flow in a toy
without a heating element shall not exceed 110 percent of the rated
value, and shall not exceed 5.5 amperes, at rated voltage. The power
input to a toy with a heating element shall not exceed 105 percent of
the rated value at rated voltage. The power input rating of a toy
employing one or more incandescent lamps as the only power-consuming
components shall be considered to be the total rated wattage of such
lamps. The rated voltage shall be considered to be the mean value of a
marked voltage range.
(2) Dielectric strength. (i) A toy shall be capable of withstanding
without breakdown for 1 minute a 60-cycle-per-second (60 Hertz)
essentially sinusoidal potential of 1,000 volts applied between live
parts and any dead metal parts.
(ii) If a toy employs a low-voltage secondary winding (either in the
form of a conventional transformer or as an insulated coil of a motor),
the toy shall also be capable of withstanding without breakdown for 1
minute a sinusoidal test potential applied between the high-voltage and
low-voltage windings. The test potential shall be applied at the rated
frequency of the toy and shall have a value of 1,000 volts plus twice
the rated voltage of the high-voltage winding. The test potential shall
be supplied from a suitable capacity-testing transformer, the output
voltage of which can be regulated. The waveform of the test voltage
shall approximate a sine wave as closely as possible.
(iii) The applied test potential shall be increased rapidly and
uniformly from zero until the required test value is reached and shall
be held at that value for 1 minute. Unless otherwise specified, the toy
shall be at the maximum operating temperature reached in normal use
prior to conducting the tests.
(iv) The dielectric strength requirements of this subparagraph may
also be determined by subjecting the toy to a 60-cycle-per-second (60
Hertz) essentially sinusoidal potential of 1,200 volts for 1 second. If
the dielectric strength is determined by this method, the toy need not
be in a heated condition.
(3) Leakage current and repeated dielectric withstand tests. (i)
Both before and after being conditioned, a toy intended to operate from
a source exceeding 42.4 volts peak shall:
(A) Not have a leakage current exceeding 0.5 milliampere, except
that during the interval beginning 5 seconds and terminating 10 minutes
after the toy is first energized, the leakage current of toys with
heating elements other than lamps shall not exceed 2.5 milliamperes; and
(B) Comply with the requirements of a repeated dielectric withstand
test both with and without preheating.
(ii) All accessible parts of a toy shall be tested for leakage
current. If an insulating material is used for the enclosure or part of
the enclosure, the leakage current shall be measured using a metal foil
with an area not exceeding 10 by 20 centimeters in contact with
accessible surfaces of such insulating material. Where the accessible
surface of insulating material is less than 10 by 20 centimeters, the
metal foil shall be the same size as the surface. The metal foil shall
be so applied that it will not affect the temperature of the toy. The
accessible parts shall be tested individually, collectively, and from
one part to another.
(iii) Following the initial leakage current test, the toy shall be
cooled down or heated up to 32 [deg]C. (90 [deg]F.). The toy shall then
be conditioned for 48 hours in air at a temperature of 32[deg] 2 [deg]C. (89.6[deg] 3.6 [deg]F.)
and with a relative humidity of 90-95 percent. The specified relative
humidity shall be maintained inside a closed compartment in which a
saturated solution of potassium sulphate is kept in a suitable
container. Leakage current measurements shall be made, as specified in
paragraph (e)(3)(ii) of this section and before the toy is energized,
while the toy is in the humidity compartment.
(iv) With the connections intended for the source of supply
connected thereto and then connected to the ungrounded side of a power
supply circuit having a voltage equal to 110 percent of the rated
voltage of the toy, the
[[Page 530]]
leakage current through a noninductive 1,500-ohm resistor connected
between the gounded side of the supply circuit and each dead metal part
(accessible and inaccessible) shall, when stable, be measured in
accordance with the test provisions established in ANSI Standard C
101.1-1971, ``American National Standard for Leakage Current for
Appliances,'' approved November 17, 1970, which is incorporated by
reference. Copies of this document are available from American National
Standards Institute, 1430 Broadway, New York, New York 10018. This
document is also available for inspection at the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of
this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://
www.archives.gov/federal--register/code--of--federal--regulations/ibr--
locations.html. This incorporation by reference was approved by the
Director of the Federal Register. These materials are incorporated as
they exist in the edition which has been approved by the Director of the
Federal Register and which has been filed with the Office of the Federal
Register.
(v) For a toy whose outer enclosure consists wholly or partly of
insulating material, the term dead metal part means metal foil tightly
wrapped around the exterior of the enclosure in a manner that covers,
but does not enter into, any enclosure openings.
(4) Motor operation. (i) A motor provided as part of a toy shall be
capable of driving its maximum normal load in the toy without
introducing any potentially hazardous condition. The performance of the
toy shall be considered unacceptable if, during the test, temperatures
in excess of those specified in Sec. 1505.7 for Type D surfaces are
attained on any accessible surface. The performance of the toy shall
also be considered unacceptable if the rise in temperature during the
test causes melting, scorching, embrittlement, or other evidence of
thermal damage to the insulating material used to prevent exposure of
live metal parts.
(ii) A motor-operated toy shall be tested with the motor stalled if
the construction of the toy is such that any person can touch moving
parts associated with the motor from outside the toy. The performance of
the toy shall be considered unacceptable if, during the test,
temperatures higher than those specified in Sec. 1505.8 are attained or
if temperatures higher than those specified for Type C surfaces in Sec.
1505.7 are attained on any accessible surface of the motor. (See also
Sec. 1505.50.)
(5) Overload--(i) Motor. A motor-control switch that is a part of a
toy shall be horsepower-rated to cover the load or shall be capable of
performing acceptably when subjected to an overload test consisting of
50 cycles of operation by making and breaking the stalled-rotor current
of the toy at maximum rated voltage. There shall be no electrical or
mechanical failure nor any visible burning or pitting of the switch
contacts as a result of this test.
(ii) Switch. To determine if a motor-control switch is capable of
performing acceptably when subjected to overload conditions, the toy
shall be connected to a grounded supply circuit of rated frequency and
maximum rated voltage with the rotor of the motor locked into position.
During the test, exposed dead metal parts of the toy shall be connected
to ground through a 3-ampere plug fuse such that any single pole,
current-rupturing device will be located in the ungrounded conductor of
the supply circuit. If the toy is intended for use on direct current, or
on direct current as well as alternating current, the exposed dead metal
parts of the toy shall be so connected as to be positive with respect to
a single pole, current-rupturing device. The switch shall be operated at
a rate of not more than 10 cycles per minute. The performance of the toy
shall be considered unacceptable if the fuse in the grounding connection
is blown during the test.
(f) Hydrokinetic--(1) General. Electrically operated toy steam
engines shall be capable of performing acceptably when subjected to the
tests described in this paragraph.
(2) Preliminary test. The ultimate strength of the boiler assembly
shall first be determined by applying a hydrostatic pressure to the
boiler with all openings blocked (the pressure-relief valve, steam
exhausts, and any whistle or other accessory shall be removed
[[Page 531]]
and the resulting openings sealed); however, a water or other type of
gage shall be left in place. The hydrostatic pressure shall be applied
slowly and the ultimate value which is attained shall be recorded.
(3) Pressure-relief test. A pressure gage shall be connected to the
boiler assembly which shall then be operated normally. The pressure at
which the pressure-relief valve functions shall be noted while the
engine is shut off (if a shutoff valve is provided) and with the
whistle, if any, turned off. The test shall be discontinued and shall be
considered a failure if the observed pressure exceeds one-fifth the
value attained in the preliminary test described in paragraph (f)(2) of
this section.
(4) Operating pressure test. If the boiler is still intact and no
failure has occurred, the pressure-relief valve shall then be rendered
inoperable and all other valves (such as a whistle and exhaust from the
assembly) shall be tightly closed. Operations shall be continued until
the pressure becomes constant. This test shall be discontinued and shall
be considered a failure if the observed pressure exceeds one-third the
value attained in the preliminary test described in paragraph (f)(2) of
this section. During this test, all valves, gaskets, joints, and similar
components shall be sufficiently tightened to prevent leakage. Rupture
of the boiler or of any other fittings supplied with the engine shall be
considered a failure.
(5) Hydrostatic test. If there has been no failure, two previous
untested toys shall withstand for 1 minute a hydrostatic pressure of 5
times the pressure at which the safety valve operated or 3 times the
constant pressure observed with the pressure-relief valve inoperable,
whichever is greater. During this test, all openings shall be blocked
(the pressure-relief valve, steam exhaust from the assembly, and any
whistle or other outlet); however, a water or other type of gage shall
remain in place. Rupture of the boiler or of a gage shall be considered
a failure.
(g) Thermal--(1) General. The normal operation of a toy includes
performance in normal use and after being subjected to reasonably
foreseeable damage or abuse likely to produce the highest temperatures
or, in the case of motor-operated toys, the load that most closely
approximates the severest conditions of normal use or reasonably
foreseeable damage or abuse.
(2) Classification. Parts or surfaces of a toy are classified
according to their use or function as follows (for the purposes of
paragraph (g)(2) (v), (vi), and (vii) of this section, accessibility
shall be defined as the ability to reach a heated surface with a \1/4\-
inch-diameter rod 3 inches long as described in Sec. 1505.51(a)):
(i) Type A. A part or surface of a toy (such as a handle) likely to
be grasped by the hand or fingers for the purpose of carrying the toy or
lifting a separable lid.
(ii) Type B. A part or surface of a toy that is (a) part of a
handle, knob, or similar component, as in Type A (described in paragraph
(g)(2)(i) of this section), but which is not normally grasped or
contacted by the hand or fingers for carrying (including parts of a
handle within \7/16\ inch of the surface to which the handle is attached
and parts of a finger knob within \1/4\ inch of the surface to which the
knob is attached, if the remainder of the knob is large enough to be
grasped), or (b) a handle, knob, or part that may be touched but which
need not be grasped for carrying the toy or lifting a lid, door, or
cover (e.g., support part of a handle or knob).
(iii) Type C. A part or surface of a toy that can be touched by
casual contact or that can be touched without employing the aid of a
common household tool (screwdriver, pliers, or other similar household
tool) and that is either (a) a surface that performs an intended heating
function (e.g., the soleplate of a flat-iron, a cooking surface, or a
heating element surface), or (b) a material heated by the element and
intended to be used as the product of the toy, excluding pans, dishes,
or other containers used to hold the material to be cooked or baked if a
common utensil or other device is supplied with the toy and specific
instructions are established for using such a device to remove the
container from the heated area. (See also Sec. 1505.51(b))
[[Page 532]]
(iv) Type C marked. A Type C surface which has been marked with a
precautionary statement of thermal hazards in accordance with Sec.
1505.3(e)(2). (See also Sec. 1505.51(b))
(v) Type D. An accessible part or surface of a toy other than Types
A, B, C or E (see paragraph (g)(2) (i), (ii), (iii) and (vii) of this
paragraph).
(vi) Type D marked. A Type D surface which has been marked with a
precautionary statement of thermal hazards in accordance with Sec.
1505.3(e)(2).
(vii) Type E. A heated surface in an oven or other article that is
inaccessible or protected by an electrical-thermal safety interlock.
Such interlocks shall prohibit the operation of a heating device
whenever such surfaces are accessible and shall not allow accessibility
to such surfaces until the temperatures of those surfaces have been
reduced to levels below those established for Type D surfaces (paragraph
(g)(2)(v) of this section).
(3) Requirements. When tested under the conditions described in
paragraph (g)(4) of this section, a toy shall not attain a temperature
at any point sufficiently high to constitute a fire hazard or to
adversely affect any materials employed and shall not show a maximum
temperature higher than those established by Sec. Sec. 1505.7 and
1505.8. These maximum surface temperature requirements are not
applicable to educational-or hobby-type products such as lead-casting
sets and wood-burning tools which are appropriately labeled on the shelf
pack or package as being intended only for children over 12 years of age
provided that the maximum surface temperature of any such toy does not
exceed that reasonably required to accomplish the intended technical
effect. Such toys shall be provided with specific instructions and the
warning statements required by and in accordance with Sec. 1505.3 (d)
and (e), and shall be appropriately identified as educational or hobby-
type products.
(4) Test conditions--(i) General. Tests shall be conducted while the
toy is connected to a circuit of 60-cycle-per-second (60 Hertz) current
using the materials supplied with the toy or using materials otherwise
intended to be used with the toy. Following such tests, the toy shall be
energized for a 6-hour period to determine that no hazardous conditions
would result from unattended use of the toy.
(ii) Temperature. Normally, tests shall be performed at an ambient
(room) temperature of 25 [deg]C. (77 [deg]F.); however, a test may be
conducted at any ambient temperature within the range of 21[deg] to 30
[deg]C. (69.8[deg] to 86 [deg]F.).
(iii) Voltage. The toy shall be tested at the voltage indicated in
the manufacturer's rating or at 120 volts, whichever is greater.
(5) Temperature measurements--(i) General. Temperatures shall be
measured by means of instruments utilizing thermocouples of No. 30 AWG
(American Wire Gage) wire (either copper and constantan or iron and
constantan) and potentiometer-type instruments that are accurate and are
calibrated in accordance with current good laboratory practices. The
thermocouple wire shall conform with the requirements for ``special''
thermocouples as listed in the table of limits of error of thermocouples
(Table VIII) in ANSI Standard C 96.1-1964, ``American Standard for
Temperature Measurement Thermocouples,'' approved June 9, 1964, which is
incorporated by reference. Copies of this document are available from
American National Standards Institute, 1430 Broadway, New York, New York
10018. This standard is also available for inspection at the National
Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the
availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to:
http://www.archives.gov/federal--register/code--of--federal--
regulations/ibr--locations.html. This incorporation by reference was
approved by the Director of the Office of the Federal Register. These
materials are incorporated as they exist in the edition which has been
approved by the Director of the Federal Register and which has been
filed with the Office of the Federal Register.
(ii) Test procedures. The thermocouple junction and adjacent
thermocouple lead wire shall be securely held in good thermal contact
with the surface of the material whose temperature is being measured. In
most cases, good thermal contact will result from securely taping or
cementing the thermocouple in
[[Page 533]]
place. If a metal surface is involved, brazing or soldering the
thermocouple to the metal may be necessary. The surface temperatures of
a toy shall be measured with the toy operating in any unattended
condition (e.g., with and without opening and closing doors or covers)
for a sufficient period of time to allow temperatures to become
constant, or, in the case of a toy with a thermostatically controlled
heating element, for a sufficient period of time to determine the
maximum surface temperature attained. A temperature shall be considered
to be constant when three successive readings taken at 15-minute
intervals indicate no change.
(iii) Heating devices. Toy ovens, casting toys, popcorn and candy
makers, and other toys requiring the insertion of any materials or
substances shall be additionally tested by feeding crumpled strips of
newspaper and tissue paper into or onto the toy in place of the intended
materials or substances. The test strips shall be conditioned for at
least 48 hours in air at a temperature of 25[deg] 4 [deg]C. (77[deg] 7 [deg]F.) and
a relative humidity of 50 percent 5 percent. The
test strips shall be 2 inches wide by 8 inches long before crumpling.
The crumpled paper shall occupy not more than 25 percent of the
accessible volume. The performance of the toy shall be considered
unacceptable if flaming occurs within a 60-minute period following the
attainment of normal operating temperatures. If a light bulb is used for
heating purposes, the test shall be conducted using the largest wattage
bulb that can be easily inserted into the socket.
(h) Strain-relief test. (1) The strain-relief means provided on the
flexible power cord of a toy shall be capable of withstanding a direct
pull of 35 pounds applied to the cord for 2 minutes without displacement
of the strain-relief unit or a deformation of the anchoring surface that
would produce a stress which would result in a potentially hazardous
condition. A 35-pound weight shall be attached to the cord and supported
by the toy in such a manner that the strain-relief means is stressed
from any angle that the construction of the toy permits. The test shall
be conducted with the electrical connection within the toy disconnected.
(2) The initial 2-minute test shall be conducted with the force
vector parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cord and perpendicular
to the anchoring surface of the strain-relief unit. Each test at other
angles of stress shall be conducted for periods of 1 minute. The strain-
relief means is not acceptable if, at the point of disconnection of the
cord, there is any movement of the cord to indicate that stress would
have resulted on the conections.
(3) Except for toys weighing more than 10 pounds, the strain-relief
unit and its support base shall be designed and constructed in such a
manner that no indication of stress would result which would produce a
hazard when the cord is held firmly in place 3 feet from the strain-
relief unit and the toy is dropped the 3 feet at any angle.
[38 FR 27032, Sept. 27, 1973; 38 FR 30105, Nov. 1, 1973, as amended at
43 FR 26428 June 20, 1978; 46 FR 63251, Dec. 31, 1981; 51 FR 34199,
Sept. 26, 1986]