Soluble bead toy and method for manufacturing soluble bead toy

Abstract

According to the invention, the soluble bead toy with marble color and excellent appearance and the manufacturing method of the soluble bead toy can be provided. The soluble bead toy (30) is formed by mixing a pigment as a colorant with a water-soluble resin, the water-soluble resin contains polyvinyl alcohol as a main component and 3% by weight of polypropylene, and a plurality of colors (30B, 30P, 30L) exist on the surface in a form that the colors (30B, 30P, 30L) are not mixed with each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a soluble bead toy and a method for manufacturing the soluble bead toy. Background Art

[0002] Nowadays, there is a toy called a bead toy, which is a game in which beads such as small spheres or cylindrical bodies made of resin are melted together to make various decorative objects. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a soluble bead toy, which can make a bead combination of different shapes by simply spraying liquid such as water to melt the beads together. [Prior art literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-143986 Summary of the invention [Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The bead toys disclosed in Patent Document 1 provide beads of various colors and can produce ornaments with colorful patterns. In order to further improve the playability of such bead toys, the following toys are sometimes required: the color of so-called marble tones in which multiple colors exist simultaneously without mixing with each other.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a soluble bead toy having a marble-like color and excellent appearance, and a method for producing such a soluble bead toy.

Methods to solve the problem

[0006] A soluble bead toy according to one embodiment of the present invention is a soluble bead toy formed by mixing a pigment as a colorant into a water-soluble resin, wherein the water-soluble resin contains polyvinyl alcohol as a main component and 3% by weight of polypropylene, and the toy has a plurality of colors coexisting on the surface in a non-mixed state.

[0007] A method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy formed by mixing a pigment as a colorant into a water-soluble resin, and the method comprises the following steps: a resin forming step of forming the water-soluble resin containing polyvinyl alcohol as a main component and 3% by weight of polypropylene; a mixing step of dividing the water-soluble resin into a plurality of portions and mixing the pigment of a different color into each portion to form a plurality of colored granules of different colors; and a molding step of mixing the plurality of colored granules using a mold and injection molding the mixture. [Effects of the invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a soluble bead toy having a marble-like color and excellent appearance, and a method for producing such a soluble bead toy can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

[0010] The embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1As shown in (a), the soluble bead toy of the first embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "first bead 10") is a spherical bead with a particle size of about 5 mm. Figure 1 As shown in (b), the soluble bead toy of the second embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "second bead 20") is a substantially star-shaped bead with a size of about 5 mm. Figure 2 As shown in the photograph of , the soluble bead toy according to the third aspect of the embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “third bead 30”) is a spherical bead with a particle size of about 5 mm.

[0011] On the surface of each bead 10, 20, 30, multiple colors exist simultaneously without mixing with each other. Figure 1 As shown in (a), on the surface of the first bead 10, for example, a yellow portion 10Y composed of yellow, an orange portion 10O composed of orange, and a brown portion 10B composed of brown coexist. Figure 1 As shown in (b), on the surface of the second bead 20, for example, a yellow portion 20Y composed of yellow, a yellow-green portion 20YG composed of yellow-green, and a green portion 20G composed of green coexist.

[0012] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown in the photograph, on the surface of the third bead 30, for example, a light blue portion 30L composed of light blue, a purple portion 30P composed of purple, and a blue portion 30B composed of blue coexist. In this way, three different colors of the same color coexist on the surface of each bead 10, 20, 30 without mixing with each other, realizing a so-called marble color. Therefore, a soluble bead toy with excellent appearance can be provided.

[0013] Each bead 10, 20, 30 is formed by injection molding using a mold using a colored synthetic resin in which a plurality of pigments are mixed as a colorant in a water-soluble resin as a raw material. The water-soluble resin contains polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a main component and 3% by weight of polypropylene (PP). Thus, sufficient fusion strength is achieved for each bead 10, 20, 30. In addition, in this specification, "containing as a main component" means containing 50% by weight or more relative to the total amount. That is, each bead 10, 20, 30 involved in this embodiment is composed of a water-soluble resin containing at least 50% by weight of polyvinyl alcohol relative to the total amount. The pigments include, for example, Food Red No. 3 (Erythrosine) and Food Red 3 Aluminum Lake, Food Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF) and Food Blue No. 1 Aluminum Lake, Food Blue No. 2 (Indigo Carmine) and Food Blue No. 2 Aluminum Lake, Food Yellow No. 4 (Tartrazine) and Food Yellow No. 4 Aluminum Lake, Food Yellow No. 5 (Sunset Yellow FCF) and Food Yellow No. 5 Aluminum Lake, titanium dioxide, vegetable carbon, Goldsheen #120608, Silver Luster #120602, Silver Sheen #120601, and the like.

[0014] Next, the manufacturing method of each bead 10, 20, 30 is described. First, a water-soluble resin containing polyvinyl alcohol as a main component and 3% by weight of polypropylene relative to the total weight is formed (resin forming process). In this way, by containing polypropylene in the water-soluble resin, the fluidity is reduced, so that the mixing of the following three colored granules can be suppressed. Furthermore, by making the content of polypropylene a trace amount in this way, the excessive reduction of the fusion strength can be suppressed, and sufficient fusion strength can be maintained. Then, the formed water-soluble resin is divided into three parts, and three different colors of pigments (for example, when manufacturing the first bead 10, three colors of yellow, orange and brown) are mixed into each to form three colored granules of different colors (mixing process).

[0015] Then, three kinds of colored pellets are mixed using a special mold and injection molded (molding process). The injection molding is carried out in a temperature range of 145°C to 165°C. Specifically, by using a cooler for the molding machine, the temperature in the molding machine is maintained within this temperature range. By performing injection molding within such a temperature range, polyvinyl alcohol, which is highly hydrophilic and soluble in warm water, is easily dissolved, while polypropylene is difficult to dissolve and maintains a hard state. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the mixing of polyvinyl alcohol and polypropylene. In addition, when performing the above-mentioned injection molding, by changing the blending ratio of the three kinds of colored pellets, the strength of each color in the manufactured beads can be changed.

[0016] Here, in the manufacturing process of the second bead 20, after the injection molding is performed using a dedicated mold, a molded product 50 taken out from the mold is shown in FIG. Figure 3 (a) and (b). In addition, hereinafter, in the molded product 50, the portion corresponding to the sleeve of the mold is referred to as the sleeve portion 52S, the portion corresponding to the runner of the mold is referred to as the first runner portion 51L and the second runner portion 52L (the side close to the sleeve portion 52S is set as the first runner portion 51L), the portion corresponding to the gate of the mold is referred to as the gate portion 52G, and the portion corresponding to each second bead 20 to be molded is referred to as the second bead portion 20M. In addition, in the second runner portion 52L, the portion on the top side (the side away from the first runner portion 51L) is referred to as the second runner top portion 52L1.

[0017] Figure 3 The molded product 50 shown in (a) and (b) is an example, and as shown in the figure, a large number of second beads 20M are molded in one injection molding. Figure 3 In the example shown in (a), 240 second beads 20M are molded in one injection molding.

[0018] like Figure 3 As shown in (b), in the molded product 50, the length dimension S1 of the sleeve portion 52S is, for example, 40 mm, which is shorter than the length dimension (for example, 50 mm) of the sleeve portion of the molded product formed in the process of manufacturing the conventional soluble bead toys without the color of marble tone. In this way, by using a mold in which the length dimension S1 of the sleeve portion 52S is shorter than that of the conventional manufacturing method, the residence time of the three kinds of colored granules in the mold is shortened compared with the conventional manufacturing method, thereby suppressing the mixing of the colored granules. In other words, the coloring granules can be suppressed from being integrated and uniformly mixed.

[0019] In addition, if Figure 3As shown in (a), in the molded product 50, the diameter dimension S2 of the second flow channel tip portion 52L1 is larger than the diameter dimension of the other portion of the second flow channel portion 52L and the diameter dimension of the first flow channel portion 51L. In this way, by using a mold in which the diameter dimension S2 of the second flow channel tip portion 52L1 is larger than the diameter dimension of the other portion of the second flow channel portion 52L and the diameter dimension of the first flow channel portion 51L, the insufficient fluidity of the water-soluble resin constituting each coloring granular material in the tip portion of the flow channel of the mold is supplemented, and the occurrence of partial underfilling (so-called short shot) of the second bead portion 20M can be suppressed.

[0020] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown in (a), in the molded product 50, the diameter size S3 of the gate portion 52G is, for example, 1 mm, which is a size of 20% or more of the diameter size (about 5 mm in this embodiment) of the manufactured second bead 20. In this way, by using a mold in which the diameter size S3 of the gate portion 52G is 20% or more of the diameter size of the manufactured second bead 20, the insufficient fluidity of the water-soluble resin constituting each coloring granule at the inlet of the gate in the mold is supplemented, and the mixing of each coloring granule is reduced.

[0021] After injection molding using the above-described dedicated mold, each second bead portion 20M is cut off from the taken-out molded product 50, and a plurality of second beads 20 can be manufactured. The second beads 20 manufactured in this way can achieve a color of marble tone that is expressed as three colors coexisting in a form that is not mixed with each other by suppressing the mixing of each coloring granular material during injection molding. Therefore, according to this embodiment, a method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy having a marble tone color and excellent appearance can be provided.

[0022] According to the embodiments of the present invention as described above, the following soluble bead toys can be provided.

[0023] The soluble bead toy involved in the first embodiment is a soluble bead toy formed by mixing a pigment as a colorant into a water-soluble resin, wherein the water-soluble resin contains polyvinyl alcohol as a main component and 3% by weight of polypropylene, and a plurality of colors appear on the surface to exist simultaneously in a non-mixed form.

[0024] According to this configuration, since the water-soluble resin contains polypropylene, the fluidity of the water-soluble resin can be reduced, and the various colors expressed on the surface of the soluble bead toy can be prevented from mixing with each other during the manufacturing process of the soluble bead toy. Furthermore, since the content of polypropylene in the water-soluble resin is kept to a trace amount, the melting strength can be prevented from being excessively reduced, and sufficient melting strength can be maintained. Therefore, a soluble bead toy having a marble-like color and excellent appearance can be provided.

[0025] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy in the following aspect can be provided.

[0026] The first embodiment involves a method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy, which is a method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy formed by mixing a pigment as a colorant into a water-soluble resin, and comprises the following steps: a resin forming step of forming the water-soluble resin containing polyvinyl alcohol as a main component and 3% by weight of polypropylene; a mixing step of dividing the water-soluble resin into a plurality of portions and mixing the pigments of different colors respectively to form a plurality of colored granules of different colors; and a molding step of mixing the plurality of colored granules using a mold while performing injection molding.

[0027] According to the manufacturing method, since the water-soluble resin contains a trace amount of polypropylene, the fluidity of the water-soluble resin can be reduced, and the mixing of various colored granules during the molding process can be suppressed. Therefore, a soluble bead toy with a marble-like color and excellent appearance can be manufactured.

[0028] In the method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy according to the second aspect, the molding step uses the mold having a sleeve portion having a length dimension of 30 mm or more and 40 mm or less.

[0029] According to the manufacturing method, since the length dimension of the sleeve portion of the mold corresponding to the molded product in the mold used is shorter than the length dimension (e.g., 50 mm) of the sleeve portion of the molded product formed in the process of manufacturing the conventional soluble bead toys without marble color, the residence time of the various colored granules in the mold is shortened compared with the conventional manufacturing method. Therefore, the mixing of the various colored granules in the molding process can be further suppressed, and the soluble bead toys with marble color and excellent appearance can be effectively manufactured.

[0030] In the method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy according to the third aspect, the molding step uses the mold in which the diameter of the tip of the flow channel portion is larger than the diameter of the other portions of the flow channel portion.

[0031] According to this manufacturing method, during the molding process, the insufficient fluidity of the water-soluble resin constituting the various colored granules is supplemented at the top end of the flow channel of the mold, thereby suppressing the occurrence of partial underfilling in the soluble bead toy of the molded product, and effectively manufacturing a soluble bead toy with excellent appearance.

[0032] In the method for producing a soluble bead toy according to a fourth aspect, the molding step uses the mold having a gate portion having a diameter size of 20% to 30% of a diameter size of the soluble bead toy to be produced.

[0033] According to the manufacturing method, in the molding process, the insufficient fluidity of the water-soluble resin constituting the various colored granules at the inlet of the mold gate is supplemented, so that the mixing of the various colored granules can be reduced. Therefore, the soluble bead toy with excellent appearance can be effectively manufactured.

[0034] In the method for producing a soluble bead toy according to the fifth aspect, the molding step is performed by injection molding at a temperature range of 145°C to 165°C.

[0035] According to the manufacturing method, in the molding process, polyvinyl alcohol is easily dissolved, while polypropylene is difficult to dissolve and remains in a hard state. Therefore, the mixing of polyvinyl alcohol and polypropylene can be suppressed, and a soluble bead toy having a marble color and excellent appearance can be effectively manufactured.

[0036] The above is an explanation of the embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made as long as they do not deviate from the main purpose. For example, in the above embodiments, a soluble bead toy and a manufacturing method thereof are illustrated in which three different colors of the same series of colors exist simultaneously without mixing with each other, but the number of colors expressed on the surface of the soluble bead toy is not limited to three colors, and the combination of colors is not limited to the same series of colors. It can also be a soluble bead toy that expresses two colors or four or more colors on the surface. In this case, in the mixing process, the number of colored granules formed corresponds to the number of colors expressed on the surface of the manufactured soluble bead toy. [Example]

[0037] In the examples, three kinds of samples of 15 second beads 20 each having different polypropylene contents in the water-soluble resin were prepared, and the difference in the bonding strength due to the difference in the polypropylene content was verified by conducting a tensile test on each sample using a measuring instrument and measuring the tensile strength at breakage.

[0038] In the first sample (hereinafter referred to as "Example 1"), the content of polypropylene was set to 3 weight percent relative to the total amount of the water-soluble resin, similarly to the above-mentioned embodiment. In the second sample (hereinafter referred to as "Comparative Example 1"), the content of polypropylene was set to 4 weight percent relative to the total amount of the water-soluble resin. In the third sample (hereinafter referred to as "Comparative Example 2"), the content of polypropylene was set to 6 weight percent relative to the total amount of the water-soluble resin. In addition, each sample contained polyvinyl alcohol as a main component in the water-soluble resin, and the content thereof was the same.

[0039] In addition, when the content of polypropylene in the water-soluble resin is less than 3% by weight relative to the total amount of the water-soluble resin, it is expected that the fluidity of the water-soluble resin cannot be sufficiently reduced, and therefore it is not included in the samples of this example.

[0040] The samples 20S prepared as Example 1, Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2 are as follows Figure 4 For sample 20S, prepare the following sample: add water to 15 second beads 20 to make them Figure 4 The shape shown is melted and the sample is completely dried in 48 hours. A ring portion 20S1 is provided in a part of the sample 20S so that it can be easily subjected to a tensile test.

[0041] The tensile test was performed using a measuring instrument 100 of model AWF-100 manufactured by AIKOH ENGINEERING CO., LTD. Figure 5 As shown, in the tensile test, for each sample 20S of Example 1, Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2, one end of the belt 110 passes through the annular portion 20S1 while the other end of the belt 110 pulls the hook portion 100a of the measuring device 100. At the same time, the tensile strength of each sample 20S is measured by pulling the measuring device 100 in a direction D1 away from each sample 20S while fixing the position of each sample 20S, and reading the scale 100b of the measuring device 100 when each sample 20S is broken.

[0042] As described above, the tensile test was performed on each sample 20S, and the results were as follows: the value of the scale 100b of the measuring device 100 when the sample 20S in Example 1 was broken was 500g. The value of the scale 100b of the measuring device 100 when the sample 20S in Comparative Example 1 was broken was 90g. The value of the scale 100b of the measuring device 100 when the sample 20S in Comparative Example 2 was broken was 40g.

[0043] From the above test results, it can be seen that the second beads 20 used in Example 1 have a fusion strength of 5 times or more than that of the second beads 20 used in Comparative Example 1, and have a fusion strength of 12 times or more than that of the second beads 20 used in Comparative Example 2. Therefore, it was confirmed that for soluble bead toys, sufficient fusion strength can be ensured by setting the content of polypropylene in the water-soluble resin forming the soluble bead toy to 3% by weight relative to the total amount of the water-soluble resin. In addition, it was confirmed that the fusion strength of the soluble bead toy is rapidly reduced by setting the content of polypropylene in the water-soluble resin to more than 3% by weight.

Claims

1. A soluble bead toy, characterized in that: It is a soluble bead toy formed by mixing a pigment as a colorant into a water-soluble resin. The water-soluble resin contains polyvinyl alcohol as a main component and 3% by weight of polypropylene. On the surface, multiple colors appear to exist simultaneously without mixing with each other.

2. A method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy, characterized in that: The present invention is a method for producing a soluble bead toy by mixing a pigment as a colorant into a water-soluble resin, and the method comprises the following steps: Resin forming step: forming the water-soluble resin containing polyvinyl alcohol as a main component and 3% by weight of polypropylene; Mixing step: dividing the water-soluble resin into a plurality of portions, and mixing the pigments of different colors into the respective portions to form a plurality of colored granules of different colors; and, Molding step: The plurality of coloring pellets are mixed and injection molded using a mold.

3. The method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy according to claim 2, wherein: The molding step uses the mold having a sleeve portion having a length dimension of 30 mm or more and 40 mm or less.

4. The method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy according to claim 2, wherein: The molding step uses the mold in which the diameter of the tip portion of the flow channel portion is larger than the diameter of the other portions of the flow channel portion.

5. The method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy according to claim 2, wherein: The molding step uses the mold having a gate portion whose diameter is not less than 20% and not more than 30% of the diameter of the soluble bead toy to be manufactured.

6. The method for manufacturing a soluble bead toy according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein: The molding process is injection molding at a temperature range of 145° C. to 165° C.

Images