Movable structures and humanoids

Abstract

The present invention relates to a movable structure and a humanoid figure. An exemplary purpose is to enable a humanoid figure to form a variety of postures appropriately. The movable structure is used to enable a predetermined part of the humanoid figure to be movable, wherein the movable structure includes: a first accessory and a second accessory, which form the predetermined part; and a first connecting accessory, which is used to connect the first accessory and the second accessory, the first connecting accessory includes: a first rotating part, which connects the first accessory to be rotatable; and a second rotating part, which connects the second accessory to be rotatable, and the first rotating part and the second rotating part are configured: the rotation axis of the first accessory and the rotation axis of the second accessory do not overlap with each other in the connection direction between the first accessory and the second accessory.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application with the application date of October 26, 2020, application number 202011153493.4, and invention name “Movable Structure and Humanoid Body”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention mainly relates to a movable structure of a humanoid body. Background Art

[0003] Various parts of the human figure (e.g., torso, arms, legs, etc.) are provided with movable structures for enabling the parts to move (see Patent Document 1). The user can use such movable structures to put the human figure into a desired posture (e.g., forward bending posture, backward bending posture, etc.).

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 1-138492 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] There are human figures that can assume a variety of postures, and it is possible to achieve appropriate postures (without feeling unnatural) before, after, and during the posture change.

[0009] An exemplary object of the present invention is to enable a human body to appropriately assume a variety of postures.

[0010] Solutions for solving problems

[0011] A technical solution of the present invention relates to a movable structure, which is used to enable a predetermined part of a human figure to be movable, wherein the movable structure includes: a first accessory and a second accessory, which form the predetermined part; and a first connecting accessory, which is used to connect the first accessory and the second accessory, the first connecting accessory including: a first rotating part, which connects the first accessory so as to be rotatable; and a second rotating part, which connects the second accessory so as to be rotatable, and the first rotating part and the second rotating part are configured: the rotation axis of the first accessory and the rotation axis of the second accessory do not overlap with each other in the connection direction between the first accessory and the second accessory.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, the human body can be appropriately formed into a variety of postures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a front view showing the overall structure of the human figure.

[0015] Figure 2 This is an exploded view showing the structure of the torso of a human figure.

[0016] Figure 3A This is a cross-sectional view showing one of the possible postures (upright posture) that the torso of a human figure can assume.

[0017] Figure 3B This is a cross-sectional view showing one of the postures that the torso of a human figure can assume (a forward-bending posture).

[0018] Figure 3C This is a cross-sectional view showing one of the postures that the human body's torso can assume (backward bending posture).

[0019] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the head, torso, and waist of a human figure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiments do not limit the inventions described in the claims. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily required for the invention. Any combination of two or more of the multiple features described in the embodiments may be used. Identical or similar structures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a front view of the entire human figure 1 according to the embodiment. When describing the positional relationships of various parts below, terms such as front, back, left, right, top, and bottom may be used. These terms are relative to the human figure 1. For example, front corresponds to the front side of the human figure 1, and back corresponds to the back side of the human figure 1.

[0022] The humanoid figure 1 includes a head 11, a torso 12, arms 13, a waist 14, and legs 15. The head 11 is rotatably supported above the torso 12. The arms 13 are rotatably supported on the upper side of the torso 12. The waist 14 is rotatably supported below the torso 12. The legs 15 are rotatably supported below the waist 14.

[0023] The body portion 12 includes a chest 121 and an abdomen 122. The abdomen 122 is divided into an upper abdomen 122U and a lower abdomen 122D. The body portion 12 is movable between the chest 121, the upper abdomen 122U, and the lower abdomen 122D. Details will be described later.

[0024] In this embodiment, the human figure 1 is a human model, but in other embodiments, models of other animals such as a cat or a dog may be used.

[0025] Figure 2 This figure shows an exploded view of the carcass 12. (Some decorative parts that are not substantially relevant to the description of this embodiment are omitted (not shown). The carcass 12 includes carcass parts P11 to P17 and their connecting parts P21 to P26. These parts P11 to P17 and P21 to P26 are directly or indirectly connected to each other.

[0026] In order to facilitate understanding, the connection relationship between these components P11 and the like is indicated by dotted arrows in the figure.

[0027] Parts P11 and P12 are directly connected to each other and partially connected via part P21. Part P17 is connected from the front relative to part P11. Parts P13 and P14 are directly connected to each other and partially connected via part P23. Parts P15 and P16 are directly connected to each other and partially connected via parts P25 and P26.

[0028] Accessory P22 consists of rotating parts B22U and B22D, and a base B22. Rotating part B22U is fixed to the upper surface of base B22, while rotating part B22D is fixed to the lower surface of base B22. Rotating parts B22U and B22D are a pair of upper and lower spherical shafts. One (upper) rotating part B22U rotatably engages with accessory P21, while the other (lower) rotating part B22D rotatably engages with accessory P23.

[0029] The base B22 extends in a generally horizontal direction, and the rotating portions B22U and B22D are arranged so as not to overlap at least partially in the vertical direction (when viewed in the vertical direction). In other words, one is horizontally offset relative to the other, as described in detail later. In this embodiment, the rotating portion B22U is located on the front side, and the rotating portion B22D is located on the rear side. In this embodiment, the rotating portion B22U is located at one end of the base B22, and the rotating portion B22D is located at the other end of the base B22, but this is not limited to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the rotating portion B22U and the rotating portion B22D are arranged at the two ends of the base B22 so that they are separated from each other. This prevents the ends of the base B22 from interfering with other accessories when the accessory P22 rotates.

[0030] Similar to the aforementioned accessory P22, accessory P24 includes rotating parts B24U and B24D, and a base B24. Rotating part B24U is fixed to the upper surface of base B24, while rotating part B24D is fixed to the lower surface of base B24. Rotating parts B24U and B24D form a pair of upper and lower spherical shafts. One (upper) rotating part B24U rotatably engages with accessory P23, while the other (lower) rotating part B24D rotatably engages with accessory P26.

[0031] The base B24 extends in a generally horizontal direction, and the rotating portions B24U and B24D are arranged so as not to overlap at least partially in the vertical direction. In other words, one is horizontally offset relative to the other. Details will be described later. In this embodiment, the rotating portion B24U is located at the rear, and the rotating portion B24D is located at the front. While this embodiment shows the rotating portion B24U located at one end of the base B24 and the rotating portion B24D located at the other end, this is not limiting. In this embodiment, the rotating portion B24U and the rotating portion B24D are arranged at the opposite ends of the base B24, separated from each other. This prevents the ends of the base B24 from interfering with other accessories when the accessory P24 rotates.

[0032] Parts P11, P12, P17, and P21 are connected to form the chest 121. Parts P13, P14, and P23 are connected to form the upper abdomen 122U. Parts P15, P16, P25, and P26 are connected to form the lower abdomen 122D.

[0033] The accessory P22 rotatably connects the accessory P21 via a rotating portion B22U and rotatably connects the accessory P23 via a rotating portion B22D, thereby connecting the chest 121 and the upper abdomen 122U so that they can rotate relative to each other. Furthermore, the accessory P24 rotatably connects the accessory P23 via a rotating portion B24U and rotatably connects the accessory P26 via a rotating portion B24D, thereby connecting the upper abdomen 122U and the lower abdomen 122D so that they can rotate relative to each other.

[0034] In this embodiment, the aforementioned rotation between the chest 121, upper abdomen 122U, and lower abdomen 122D is achieved by the spherical shaft serving as the aforementioned rotational portion B22U. Therefore, the rotation referred to herein includes not only rotation of the human figure 1 in the forward and backward directions and in the left and right directions (i.e., flexion, backward flexion, and lateral flexion), but also circumferential rotation relative to the vertical direction (i.e., rotation or twisting).

[0035] Due to this structure, the torso 12 has a movable structure between the chest 121, the upper abdomen 122U, and the lower abdomen 122D that enables forward bending, backward bending, lateral bending, and rotation. The movable structure can also be expressed as a joint structure, a deformation structure, a posture change structure, etc. In addition, an object with a movable structure can be expressed as a movable structure. In other words, the movable structure can be said to be part or all of the humanoid body 1.

[0036] In this embodiment, accessory P22 (P24) includes spherical shafts serving as rotating portions B22U and B22D (B24U and B24D). However, in other embodiments, the relationship between these spherical shafts and the mating portions that rotatably engage with them may be reversed. For example, a spherical shaft may be provided on accessory P21, and a mating portion corresponding to the spherical shaft may be provided on accessory P22. Therefore, both the spherical shaft and the mating portion that engages with the spherical shaft can be described as rotating portions.

[0037] In addition, the rotation mechanism implemented by the accessory P22 is not limited to the rotation part B22U, and other structures (for example, a structure using a rod-shaped shaft, a structure combining two or more such shafts, etc.) can also be adopted.

[0038] Figures 3A to 3C Indicates that Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the carcass 12 in an assembled state with accessories P11 and the like (a cross-sectional view is taken along a plane passing through the center of the carcass 12 and parallel to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction. In addition, accessory P17 is not shown). Figure 3A A cross-sectional view showing the torso portion 12 of the human figure 1 (or torso portion 12) in an upright posture. Figure 3B A cross-sectional view showing the torso 12 of the human figure 1 in a forward-bending posture. Figure 3C A cross-sectional view showing the torso 12 of the human figure 1 in a backward bending posture.

[0039] Here, Figure 3A The upright posture corresponds to a state in which the accessories P22, P24 (or the bases B22, B24) are both in a substantially horizontal posture and the chest 121, the upper abdomen 122U and the lower abdomen 122D are substantially aligned in the vertical direction. Figure 3B The forward bending posture corresponds to a state in which at least a portion of the trunk portion 12 is tilted forward by the rotation of the attachment P22 and / or the attachment P24. Figure 3C The backward bending posture corresponds to a state in which at least a portion of the trunk portion 12 is tilted rearward by the rotation of the attachment P22 and / or the attachment P24.

[0040] According to the movable structure, Figure 3A (upright posture) and Figure 3B A comparison of the two positions (forward bending posture) reveals that the rotating portion B22U of the attachment P22 and the rotating portion B24D of the attachment P24 enable the trunk 12 to bend forward. More specifically, the rotating portion B22U allows the chest 121 to rotate forward relative to the upper abdomen 122U, while the rotating portion B24D allows the upper abdomen 122U to rotate forward relative to the lower abdomen 122D. This prevents interference between the various attachments P11 and other components that make up the trunk 12 during forward bending.

[0041] Furthermore, during the forward bending, the relative positions of the upper abdomen 122U and the rotating portion B22D, and the relative positions of the upper abdomen 122U and the rotating portion B24U do not substantially change (or the amount of change in the relative positions is relatively small).

[0042] Similarly, by Figure 3A (upright posture) and Figure 3C A comparison of the two positions (posterior bending posture) reveals that the rotating portion B22D of the attachment P22 and the rotating portion B24U of the attachment P24 cause the trunk 12 to flex posteriorly. More specifically, the rotating portion B22D allows the chest 121 to rotate rearward relative to the upper abdomen 122U, while the rotating portion B24U allows the upper abdomen 122U to rotate rearward relative to the lower abdomen 122D. This prevents interference between the various attachments P11 and other components that make up the trunk 12 during the aforementioned posterior bending posture.

[0043] Furthermore, during the aforementioned backward bending, the relative positions of the chest 121 and the rotating portion B22U and the relative positions of the lower abdomen 122D and the rotating portion B24D do not substantially change (or the amount of change in the relative positions is relatively small).

[0044] Since the body portion 12 can be adjusted to either a forward or backward position, the attachment P22 is preferably configured so that its pivoting portions B22U and B22D allow it to swing vertically by a predetermined amount relative to the attachments P21 and P23. Similarly, the attachment P24 is preferably configured so that its pivoting portions B24U and B24D allow it to swing vertically by a predetermined amount relative to the attachments P23 and P26.

[0045] Furthermore, when the figure 1 is in an upright position, it is preferable that the rotating portion B22U of the accessory P22 and the rotating portion B24U of the accessory P24 are located so as to at least partially overlap each other in the vertical direction. In other words, it is preferable that the rotating portion B24U is at least partially located directly below the rotating portion B22U. This can make the figure 1's posture more attractive (for example, appearing majestic in an upright position).

[0046] In this embodiment, the horizontal distance (here, the front-to-back distance) between the rotating parts B22U and B22D of the attachment P22 is greater than the horizontal distance between the rotating parts B24U and B24D of the attachment P24. This allows the relative range of motion between the chest 121 and the upper abdomen 122U to be greater than the relative range of motion between the upper abdomen 122U and the lower abdomen 122D. This allows, for example, the forward and backward bending postures of the human figure 1 to appear more dynamic and imbued with a sense of dynamism. Furthermore, twisting the body (upper torso) allows for more natural, less unnatural movements.

[0047] As previously mentioned, in this embodiment, the attachment P22 has its rotating portion B22U located forward and its rotating portion B22D located rearward. Similarly, the attachment P24 has its rotating portion B24U located rearward and its rotating portion B24D located forward. In this configuration, the attachments P22 and P24 are arranged so that their rotating portions B22U and B24U overlap vertically. This allows the attachments P22 and P24 to be positioned close together, simplifying the internal structure of the carcass 12.

[0048] Here, while referring to Figures 3A to 3C While the upright posture, forward bending posture, and backward bending posture have been described, according to this embodiment, the accessories P22 and P24 can also allow the human figure 1 to take a side bending posture and a rotational posture using a spherical shaft as the rotating part B22U.

[0049] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the human figure 1 (a cross-sectional view taken along a plane passing through the center of the body portion 12 and parallel to the front-back direction and the up-down direction) is shown. The human figure 1 further includes a support fitting P91 above the body portion 12 for rotatably supporting the head 11. 11and a support fitting P91 for rotatably supporting the waist portion 14 below the carcass portion 12. 14 According to such a structure, the head portion 11 can rotate relative to the body portion 12 , and the waist portion 14 can rotate relative to the body portion 12 .

[0050] Here, the rotation axis AX5 of the head 11 is located rearward of the rotation axis AX1 of the accessory P21 (chest 121) by the rotation portion B22U of the accessory P22. This makes the posture of the human figure 1 attractive (for example, majestic in an upright posture or a bent posture).

[0051] The rotation axis AX5 is preferably located forward of the rotation axis AX2 of the attachment P23 (upper abdomen 122U) by the rotation portion B22D of the attachment P22. This makes the posture of the human figure 1 more attractive (for example, more majestic in an upright or bent-back posture).

[0052] Furthermore, the rotation axis AX6 of the waist 14 is preferably located further rearward than the rotation axis AX4 of the accessory P26 (lower abdomen 122D) by the rotation portion B24D of the accessory P24. This makes the posture of the human figure 1 more attractive (for example, more majestic in an upright or forward-bent posture).

[0053] Furthermore, assuming the axis of rotation of the accessory P23 (upper abdomen 122U) by the rotating portion B24U of the accessory P24 is denoted as axis AX3, in the front-back direction, axis AX1 is located between axes AX3 and AX4, and axis AX6 is located between axes AX2 and AX3. This makes the posture of the human figure 1 more attractive (for example, more imposing in an upright position). Alternatively, axes AX1, AX3, and AX6 may be aligned substantially in the vertical direction.

[0054] In this embodiment, the supporting fitting P91 11 The head 11 is supported by a spherical shaft that can rotate. However, as another embodiment, the relationship between the spherical shaft and the fitting portion that can rotate with the spherical shaft can be reversed, that is, the spherical shaft can also be provided on the head 11. 14 Same here.

[0055] According to the above embodiment, the human figure 1 includes a movable structure for configuring a predetermined movable portion (here, the torso 12). For example, it includes a connecting fitting P22 for connecting fittings P21 and P23 (the chest 121 and the upper abdomen 122U). Fitting P22 includes a rotating portion B22U that rotatably connects fitting P21 and a rotating portion B22D that rotatably connects fitting P23. These rotating portions B22U and B22D are configured so that their rotation axes do not overlap in the direction of connection between fittings P21 and P23 (in this embodiment, the vertical direction of the human figure 1). This structure allows the human figure 1 to assume a more natural posture before, after, and during a change. For example, the torso 12 can appropriately assume any of an upright posture, a forward-bending posture, a backward-bending posture, a side-bending posture, and a rotational posture. Therefore, according to the embodiment, the human figure 1 can appropriately assume a variety of postures.

[0056] The human figure 1 also includes a connecting fitting P24 for connecting fittings P23 and P26 (the upper abdomen 122U and the lower abdomen 122D). Fitting P24 has the same structure as fitting P22, namely, a rotating portion B24U that rotatably connects fitting P23 and a rotating portion B24D that rotatably connects fitting P26. These rotating portions B24U and B24D are designed so that their rotation axes do not overlap in the direction of connection between fittings P23 and P26. This structure allows the torso 12 to move freely between the three regions: the chest 121, the upper abdomen 122U, and the lower abdomen 122D, thus allowing the human figure 1 to be posed in a variety of poses.

[0057] In the embodiment, the chest 121 is formed by fittings P11, P12, P17, and P21, but the chest 121 may also be composed of a single fitting. This applies to the upper abdomen 122U formed by fittings P13, P14, and P23, and the lower abdomen 122D formed by fittings P15, P16, P25, and P26. Therefore, by using fitting P22 including rotating parts B22U and B22D and / or fitting P24 including rotating parts B24U and B24D between two fittings forming a portion of the carcass 12, the embodiment can be appropriately implemented.

[0058] In addition, the above-mentioned contents described in the embodiment are not limited to the trunk portion 12 , but can be applied to any part of the human body 1 .

[0059] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention.

Claims

1. A movable structure for enabling a predetermined portion of a humanoid body to move, wherein: The movable structure comprises: a first component and a second component forming the predetermined portion; and a first connecting accessory, which is used to connect the first accessory and the second accessory, The first connecting accessory includes: a first rotating portion rotatably engaged with the first accessory; and a second rotating portion rotatably engaged with the second accessory; The first rotating portion and the second rotating portion are configured so that the rotation axis of the first accessory and the rotation axis of the second accessory performed by the second rotating portion do not overlap with each other in the connection direction of the first accessory and the second accessory. The first rotating portion is located on the front side of the human body relative to the second rotating portion. The first connecting fitting includes a base extending in a substantially horizontal direction, The first rotating portion is provided on one surface of the base along the longitudinal direction, and the second rotating portion is provided on the other surface of the base along the longitudinal direction. The mounting position of the first rotating portion with respect to the base portion and the mounting position of the second rotating portion with respect to the base portion are set so as not to overlap with each other in the connection direction between the first fitting and the second fitting.

2. The movable structure according to claim 1, wherein: The movable structure further includes: a third accessory, which forms the predetermined portion together with the first accessory and the second accessory; and A second connecting accessory, which is used to connect the second accessory and the third accessory, The second connecting fitting includes: a third rotating portion rotatably engaged with the second accessory; and a fourth rotating portion rotatably engaged with the third accessory; The third rotating portion and the fourth rotating portion are configured so that a rotation axis of the second fitting rotated by the third rotating portion and a rotation axis of the third fitting do not overlap with each other in a connection direction between the second fitting and the third fitting.

3. The movable structure according to claim 2, wherein: The predetermined part is the body part of the human figure, The first connecting fitting is located between the chest and the upper abdomen of the carcass, and the second connecting fitting is located between the upper abdomen and the lower abdomen of the carcass.

4. The movable structure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The third rotating portion is located on the rear side of the human body relative to the fourth rotating portion.

5. The movable structure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The third rotating portion is at least partially located directly below the first rotating portion.

6. The movable structure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: A distance between the first rotating portion and the second rotating portion in the horizontal direction of the human body is greater than a distance between the third rotating portion and the fourth rotating portion in the horizontal direction of the human body.

7. The movable structure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The predetermined part is the body part of the human figure, The movable structure further includes a first support member that rotatably supports the head portion above the body portion. The rotation axis of the head is located further rearward of the human body than the rotation axis of the first accessory rotated by the first rotating portion.

8. The movable structure according to claim 7, wherein: The rotation axis of the head is located closer to the front side of the human body than the rotation axis of the second attachment rotated by the second rotating portion.

9. The movable structure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The predetermined part is the body part of the human figure, The movable structure further includes a second supporting member that rotatably supports the waist below the body portion. The rotation axis of the waist is located further rearward of the human body than the rotation axis of the third attachment which is rotated by the fourth rotating portion.

10. The movable structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The base has a height difference in the length direction, The height difference of the one side is used to limit the rotation of the first accessory. The height difference of the other surface is used to restrict the rotation of the second attachment.

11. The movable structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first rotating part and the second rotating part are spherical.

12. A humanoid figure, wherein: This human figure has the movable structure according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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