Assembling and supporting tool for soluble toy beads

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembling and supporting tool for a soluble toy bead. The assembling and supporting tool comprises a first mold component, a second mold component and a third mold component, wherein the first mold component is provided with a first cavity; a second mold member having a second cavity; and a hinge portion connecting the first mold member and the second mold member such that the first mold member and the second mold member can be closed or opened. The first cavity and the second cavity comprise a plurality of bead containing parts used for positioning the soluble toy beads.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an assembly support tool for weldable toy beads. Background Technology

[0002] An assembly support tool for accommodating weldable toy beads has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a flat bead holding tray (assembly support tool) that can be used to arrange weldable toy beads to produce assemblies of any shape. Assemblies produced using this bead holding tray are, for example, strip-shaped. The document describes how the strip-shaped assemblies can be bent using tubular portions to form three-dimensional shapes.

[0003] Reference List

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: JP2009-125232A Summary of the Invention

[0006] However, when producing three-dimensional assemblies using the assembly support tool described in Patent Document 1, multiple steps are required, such as first producing and drying planar assemblies, and then fixing the assemblies into a bent state or stacking multiple assemblies. Therefore, producing three-dimensional assemblies requires a significant amount of time and effort.

[0007] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an assembly support tool for weldable toy beads that can easily produce three-dimensional assemblies.

[0008] An assembly support tool for weldable toy beads includes: a first mold member having a first cavity; a second mold member having a second cavity; and a hinge connecting the first mold member and the second mold member, allowing the first mold member and the second mold member to close or open. The first cavity and the second cavity include multiple bead placement portions for positioning the weldable toy beads.

[0009] According to this disclosure, an assembly support tool for weldable toy beads can be provided, which can easily produce three-dimensional assemblies. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a plan view of the assembly support tool according to the first embodiment;

[0011] Figure 2 This is a bottom perspective view of the assembly support tool according to the first embodiment;

[0012] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly support tool in its closed state.

[0013] Figure 4This is a plan view of the assembly support tool according to the second embodiment;

[0014] Figure 5 This is a bottom perspective view of the assembly support tool according to the second embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0015] (First Implementation)

[0016] First, refer to Figures 1 to 3 The first embodiment of this disclosure is described. Figure 1 This is a planar perspective view of the assembly support tool 1A (1) according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 This is a bottom perspective view of the assembly support tool 1A according to the first embodiment. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The assembly support tool 1A shows the state where the hinge 13 is extended and the mold is opened (unfolded state).

[0017] Assembly support tool 1A is a support tool for producing three-dimensional assemblies by arranging substantially spherical weldable toy beads 6 adjacent to each other and welding the weldable toy beads 6 together.

[0018] The weldable toy bead 6 is made of resin, a water-soluble material. Specifically, the weldable toy bead 6 is formed by mixing and kneading polyvinyl alcohol with resin. The resin used to form the weldable toy bead can be freely chosen to be transparent, translucent, or opaque. The weldable toy bead is approximately spherical in shape, but various shapes can be used, such as spheres, convex polyhedra (such as icosahedrons), or concave polyhedra (such as stars).

[0019] The assembly support tool 1A includes a first mold component 11 having a first cavity 2, a second mold component 12 having a second cavity 3, and a hinge portion 13 connecting the first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12, such that the first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12 can be closed (e.g., Figure 3 (as shown) or turn on (as shown) Figure 1 (As shown). The assembly support tool 1A is made of rigid or flexible material (e.g., resin).

[0020] The first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12 are formed in a trapezoidal column shape, which is substantially trapezoidal in the side view. The first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12 respectively include: base plates 11a and 12a having mold contact surfaces 11a1 and 12a1; and sidewalls 11b and 12b having rectangular frame shapes and extending from the outer peripheral edges of the base plates 11a and 12a (see also...). Figure 2 ).

[0021] The first mold component 11 has a positioning protrusion 111 (first engaging portion) and a positioning hole 112 (first engaged portion) on the mold contact surface 11a1 that forms the first cavity 2. The positioning protrusion 111 and the positioning hole 112 are located on the outer periphery of the first cavity 2 and at the four corners of the mold contact surface 11a1.

[0022] The positioning protrusion 111 of the first mold component 11 is provided on the hinge portion 13 side. Each positioning protrusion 111 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The positioning hole 112 of the first mold component 11 is provided on the side opposite to the hinge portion 13 (the side away from the hinge portion 13) relative to the positioning protrusion 111. Each positioning hole 112 is a substantially polygonal through hole.

[0023] In this embodiment, the first cavity 2 is concave, with an overall dome-shaped recess. The inner diameter of the first cavity 2 is set large enough to allow the formation of a three-dimensional assembly of the weldable toy beads 6. For example, the inner diameters of the first cavity 2 and the second cavity 3 (described below) are set long enough that the weldable toy beads 6 in the bead placement portion 21a at the bottom of the first cavity 2 will not contact the weldable toy beads 6 in the bead placement portion 31a at the bottom of the second cavity 3 (for example, the depths of the first cavity 2 and the second cavity 3 are each at least 1.5 times the depth of the weldable toy beads 6).

[0024] The first mold component 11 has a first recess 22 adjacent to the first cavity 2 and communicating with the external space. The first recess 22 has a concave cut edge that is curved into a semi-circular arc.

[0025] The first cavity 2 includes a plurality of bead placement portions 21 for positioning the weldable toy beads 6. Each bead placement portion 21 is formed concavely, recessed and curved into a spherical crown shape with an inner diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the weldable toy beads 6, and the periphery of the bead placement portion 21 is surrounded in a dam-like shape. Adjacent bead placement portions 21 within the first cavity 2 (e.g., bead placement portions 21a to 21d) are separated by a curved concave partition wall 23.

[0026] At the boundary between multiple (e.g., three or more) adjacent bead placement portions 21 located inside the first cavity 2, a raised wall 24 higher than the partition wall 23 is formed. The bead placement portions 21 are surrounded by the partition wall 23 or the raised wall 24, so that even when in an inclined position inside the first cavity 2, the bead placement portions 21 can stably support the weldable toy beads 6.

[0027] Adjacent bead placement portions 21 (e.g., bead placement portions 21e and 21f) at the edge of the first cavity 2 are also separated by partition walls 23.

[0028] The second mold component 12 includes a positioning protrusion 121 (second engaging portion) and a positioning hole 122 (second engaged portion) on the mold contact surface 12a1 forming the second cavity 3. The positioning protrusion 121 (second engaging portion) can engage and disengage with the positioning hole 112 (first engaged portion) of the first mold component 11, and the positioning hole 122 (second engaged portion) can engage and disengage with the positioning protrusion 111 (first engaging portion) of the first mold component 11. The positioning protrusion 121 and the positioning hole 122 are located on the outer periphery of the second cavity 3 and at the four corners of the mold contact surface 12a1.

[0029] The positioning hole 122 of the second mold component 12 is provided on the hinge portion 13 side. The positioning protrusion 121 of the second mold component 12 is provided on the side opposite to the hinge portion 13 (the side away from the hinge portion 13) relative to the positioning hole 122.

[0030] The second cavity is similar in construction to the first cavity 2. In other words, the second cavity 3 is concave, with an overall dome-shaped depression. The inner diameter of the second cavity 3 is also set large enough to allow for the formation of a three-dimensional assembly of the weldable toy bead 6.

[0031] The second mold component 12 has a second recess 32 adjacent to the second cavity 3 and communicating with the external space. The second recess 32 has a concave cut edge that is curved into a semi-circular arc.

[0032] The second cavity 3 includes multiple bead placement portions 31 for positioning the weldable toy beads 6. Similar to the bead placement portions 21, each bead placement portion 31 is formed as a concave shape, recessed and curved into a spherical crown shape with an inner diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the weldable toy beads 6, and the periphery of the bead placement portion 31 is surrounded in a dam-like manner. Adjacent bead placement portions 31 within the second cavity 3 are separated by curved concave partition walls 33.

[0033] At the boundary between multiple adjacent bead placement portions 31 located inside the second cavity 3, a raised wall 34 higher than the partition wall 33 is formed. The bead placement portions 31 are surrounded by the partition wall 33 or the raised wall 34, so that even when in an inclined position inside the second cavity 3, the bead placement portions 31 can stably support the weldable toy beads 6.

[0034] The adjacent bead placement section 31 at the edge of the second cavity 3 is also separated by a partition wall 33.

[0035] The hinge portion 13 is a flat and flexible component. The hinge portion 13 is configured such that the first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12 can be bent to bring their respective mold contact surfaces 11a1 and 12a1 into contact (see [reference]). Figure 3 Part A of the document.

[0036] Next, an example of using the assembly support tool 1A will be explained. The user (player) first sets the assembly support tool 1A to the folded state and places it on a work surface such as a table with the inside of the first cavity 2 and the second cavity 3 facing upwards.

[0037] The weldable toy beads 6 are placed in the bead placement portions 21 and 31 of the first cavity 2 and the second cavity 3. The weldable toy beads 6 are placed towards the outer peripheral edge of the cavity (first cavity 2 and second cavity 3), for example, starting from the inner bead placement portions 21 and 31 away from the outer peripheral edge of the cavity. Therefore, the weldable toy beads 6 are placed in the first cavity 2 and the second cavity 3 in a hemispherical crown-like bowl shape, and the weldable toy beads 6 are substantially in contact with each other.

[0038] Next, water is sprayed onto the multiple weldable toy beads 6 arranged in the first cavity 2 and the second cavity 3 using a spray bottle or similar means, wetting all the weldable toy beads 6. As a result, a portion of the water-soluble resin contained in the weldable toy beads 6 is dissolved, causing the weldable toy beads 6 to connect together.

[0039] Subsequently, as Figure 3 As shown, the first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12 are closed together such that the mold contact surfaces 11a1 and 12a1 are opposite each other. For example, if the first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12 are closed with the hinge 13 facing downwards, the mold can be easily closed without causing the poorly welded toy bead 6 to fall out of the cavity or be deformed.

[0040] When the first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12 are closed together, the positioning protrusion 111 engages with the positioning hole 122, and the positioning protrusion 121 engages with the positioning hole 112. Therefore, the positions of the first cavity 2 and the second cavity 3 are precisely aligned.

[0041] Therefore, the weldable toy bead 6 located on the outer periphery of the first cavity 2 and the weldable toy bead 6 located on the outer periphery of the second cavity 3 are in contact with each other and connected to each other in a wet state.

[0042] When the dissolved water-soluble resin dries (or dries to a certain extent), adjacent weldable toy beads 6 fuse together. Next, by opening the first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12, the assembly 7 of the weldable toy beads 6 can be removed.

[0043] Using the assembly support tool 1A according to the first embodiment, a hollow three-dimensional assembly 7 in the shape of a spherical crown can be easily manufactured. Therefore, the assembly support tool 1A can be used, for example, to create an assembly 7 resembling an ice cream scooped out with a spoon using weldable toy beads 6.

[0044] (Second Implementation)

[0045] Next, we will refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 A second embodiment of this disclosure is described. Figure 4 This is a planar perspective view of the assembly support tool 1B (1) according to the second embodiment. Figure 5 This is a bottom perspective view of the assembly support tool 1B according to the second embodiment. The assembly support tool 1B is a support tool capable of producing three-dimensional assemblies with shapes different from those in the first embodiment.

[0046] It should be noted that in the description of the second embodiment, the description of components similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0047] The first cavity 4 and the second cavity 5 of the assembly support tool 1B are configured such that the bead placement portions 21 and 31 are inclined relative to the opening surfaces of the notches (first notch 22 and second notch 32), and their respective inner diameters narrow as the distance from the notches increases. When using the assembly support tool 1B according to the second embodiment, hollow three-dimensional assemblies with a conical shape can be easily produced. Therefore, the assembly support tool 1B can be used to produce assemblies such as those resembling soft-serve ice cream using weldable toy beads 6.

[0048] The above-described embodiments of this disclosure allow for the provision of an assembly support tool 1 for weldable toy beads, in accordance with the following aspects.

[0049] According to the first aspect, the assembly support tool for weldable toy beads includes: a first mold member having a first cavity; a second mold member having a second cavity; and a hinge connecting the first mold member and the second mold member, such that the first mold member and the second mold member can be closed or opened, wherein the first cavity and the second cavity include a plurality of bead placement portions for positioning the weldable toy beads.

[0050] According to this method, the assembly of the weldable toy bead 6 is produced in half, and then the first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12 are closed together to combine the two halves into one assembly. The mold can also be opened manually to easily remove the assembly obtained by welding. Therefore, three-dimensional assemblies can be easily produced.

[0051] In the assembly support tool for weldable toy beads according to the second aspect, the first mold member has a first recess at a position adjacent to the first cavity; the second mold member has a second recess at a position adjacent to the second cavity; when the first mold member and the second mold member are closed, the first recess and the second recess communicate with the external space.

[0052] According to this aspect, assemblies with openings on a portion thereof can be produced. If the first notch 22 and the second notch 32 are located on opposite sides of the hinge 13, deformation of the welded toy beads 6 placed in the bead placement portions 21 and 31 can be prevented when the mold is closed. The user can easily open the first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12 by, for example, hooking his finger on the first notch 22 and the second notch 32.

[0053] In the assembly support tool for weldable toy beads according to the third aspect, the hinge is a flat and flexible component.

[0054] According to this aspect, the integrated assembly support tool 1 can be easily constructed by connecting the first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12. By forming the hinge portion 13 as a flat plate, the deviation of the closed position of the first mold component 11 and the second mold component 12 can be reduced when the hinge portion 13 is bent. The hinge portion 13 is made of a flexible component, which allows the assembly support tool 1 to be easily closed.

[0055] In the assembly support tool for weldable toy beads according to the fourth aspect, the first mold member includes a first engagement portion; the second mold member includes a second engaged portion that can engage with and be released from the first engagement portion.

[0056] Based on this, with the mold closed, the positions of the first cavities 2 and 4 and the second cavities 3 and 5 can be easily aligned.

[0057] In the assembly support tool for weldable toy beads according to the fifth aspect, the first mold member includes a first engaged portion; the second mold member includes a second engaged portion that can engage with and be released from the first engaged portion.

[0058] Based on this, in the case of a closed mold, the positions of the first cavities 2 and 4 and the second cavities 3 and 5 can be more easily aligned.

[0059] In the assembly support tool for weldable toy beads according to the sixth aspect, the second mold component includes a core that replaces or coexists with the second cavity.

[0060] According to this aspect, the assembly support tool 1 is not limited to producing assemblies with convex surfaces (e.g., spherical, crown-shaped, and conical), but can also produce various three-dimensional assemblies with concave portions.

[0061] Embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. However, aspects of this disclosure are not limited to these embodiments. For example, although a configuration in which cavities (first cavity 2 and second cavity 3) are respectively provided in the first mold member 11 and the second mold member 12 has been described, the cavity (first cavity 2 or second cavity 3) (recess) of either the first mold member 11 or the second mold member 12 can also be used as a core (protrusion). For example, the second mold member 12 may have a core that replaces or coexists with the second cavity 3. When the core is provided together with the second cavity 3, the core may be provided on a portion of the second cavity 3 or may be provided adjacent to the second cavity 3.

[0062] In this embodiment, the construction of the first cavity 2 including a positioning protrusion 111 as a first engaging portion and a positioning hole 112 as a first engaged portion, and the second cavity 3 including a positioning protrusion 121 as a second engaging portion and a positioning hole 122 as a second engaged portion have been described, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the first cavity 2 may include the positioning protrusion 111, and the second cavity 3 may include the positioning hole 122; or, the first cavity 2 may include the positioning hole 112, and the second cavity 3 may include the positioning protrusion 121.

[0063] In this embodiment, a structure has been described in which the weldable toy beads 6 are made of resin (a water-soluble material), and the wet weldable toy beads 6 are welded together by contacting each other in a wet state and then dried, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the weldable toy beads 6 can be configured to be welded together by heat fusion.

[0064] A bead placement portion 21 can be formed adjacent to the mold contact surface 11a1 to accommodate half of the weldable toy beads 6. In this case, the remaining half of the weldable toy beads 6 is housed in the bead placement portion 31 adjacent to the mold contact surface 12a1 of the second cavity 3.

[0065] In this embodiment, the first cavities 2 and 4 and the second cavities 3 and 5 have been described as having bead placement portions 21 and 31 provided across their entire surfaces. However, one or both of the first cavities 2 and 4 and the second cavities 3 and 5 may also have bead placement portions 21 and 31 in their portions. Therefore, more complex three-dimensional assemblies can be manufactured.

[0066] The first cavities 2 and 4, and the second cavities 3 and 5 can each be formed as semi-tubular. For example, the first cavities 2 and 4, and the second cavities 3 and 5 can each be formed as semi-cylindrical. Thus, tubular assemblies can be manufactured.

[0067] In this embodiment, the joining portion is described as a positioning protrusion, and the joined portion is described as a positioning hole, but the two can be interchanged. Other structures can also be used as long as the joining portion and the joined portion can engage and be positioned with each other.

Claims

1. An assembly support tool for weldable toy beads, the assembly support tool comprising: A first mold component having a first cavity; A second mold component having a second cavity; as well as The hinge connecting the first mold component and the second mold component allows the first mold component and the second mold component to close or open. The first and second cavities include multiple bead placement sections for positioning weldable toy beads.

2. The assembly support tool for weldable toy beads according to claim 1, wherein, The first mold component has a first recess at a position adjacent to the first cavity; The second mold component has a second recess at a position adjacent to the second cavity; When the first mold component and the second mold component are closed, the first recess and the second recess are in communication with the external space.

3. The assembly support tool for weldable toy beads according to claim 1, wherein, The hinge is a flat and flexible component.

4. The assembly support tool for weldable toy beads according to claim 1, wherein, The first mold component includes a first joint; The second mold component includes a second engaged portion that can engage with and be released from the first engaged portion.

5. The assembly support tool for weldable toy beads according to claim 4, wherein, The first mold component includes a first engaged portion; The second mold component includes a second engagement portion that can engage with and be released from the first engagement portion.

6. The assembly support tool for weldable toy beads according to claim 1, wherein, The second mold component includes a core, which replaces or coexists with the second cavity.

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