Telescopic structure

Abstract

To provide a telescopic structure that is versatile since it can be used variously as a toy, ornament, or the like, by using a honeycomb paper presenting multi-expression according to a way of spreading the honeycomb paper.SOLUTION: Provided is a telescopic structure including: a pair of support plates; a telescopic body having both ends supported by the support plates and formed by stacking thin sheets in a honeycomb shape; and a fastener installed to join each of a support surface being a surface supporting the telescopic body in the support plate and a joint surface being a surface opposite to the support surface in an attachable and detachable manner when the support surface and the joint surface face each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to play equipment, decorations, etc., that use so-called honeycomb paper. [Background technology]

[0002] Honeycomb paper is made by gluing together many thin sheets of paper in lines of a certain width, and when unfolded, the cross section looks like a honeycomb, hence the name "honeycomb paper" or "denguri paper." When honeycomb paper is cut into a hemisphere and unfolded so that both ends face each other, it forms a sphere, which is called a "honeycomb ball" or "denguri ball" and is popular as a decoration.

[0003] There are also drug-carrying materials that utilize honeycomb paper. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a honeycomb structure in which mounts are attached to both sides of a honeycomb material with cuts for sandwiching plate-shaped drug carriers carrying deodorants or aromatics, and the mounts are pasted together to keep the honeycomb material in an expanded state while preventing the sandwiched drug carriers from being seen from the outside. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-203049 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To provide a user-friendly expandable structure that can be used in various ways as a plaything, a decoration, etc., by using honeycomb paper that shows various expressions depending on how it is spread. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following expandable structure, etc. That is, the present invention provides an expandable structure having a pair of support plates, an expandable body having both ends supported by the support plates and made by stacking thin sheets in a honeycomb shape, and a fastener arranged to detachably join the two when the support surfaces of the support plates, which are surfaces that support the expandable body, and the joining surfaces, which are surfaces opposite to the supporting surfaces, are brought together to face each other. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an expandable structure with improved usability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] Conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a stretchable structure [Diagram 2] Conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a stretchable structure [Diagram 3] Conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a stretchable structure [Figure 4] Conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a stretchable structure [Diagram 5] Conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a stretchable structure [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a fastener disposed on a support plate; [Figure 7] A conceptual diagram showing a preferred example of fastener arrangement. [Figure 8] Conceptual diagram showing an example of multiple hook-and-loop fasteners arranged on a support plate [Figure 9] Conceptual diagram showing the cross section of the stretchable structure [Figure 10] Conceptual diagram showing the cross section of the stretchable structure DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention should not be limited to these embodiments, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0010] <Embodiment> <Summary> The expandable structure of this embodiment is characterized in that the support plates that support both ends of the honeycomb paper are provided with fasteners, making them detachable from each other. In addition, the fasteners allow the structure to be joined to other expandable structures, allowing multiple expandable structures to be combined for a variety of uses.

[0011] <Configuration> A conceptual diagram illustrating the stretchable structure of this embodiment is shown below. FIG. 1 shows the stretchable structure 100 in a contracted state. In this example, the support plate 101 has a triangular shape with rounded corners, and is paired with another support plate 102, with each support plate 101, 102 supporting both ends of the stretchable body 103. In addition, hook-and-loop fasteners 104, 105 are provided on the support plate 101 as fasteners described below. Although not shown in the figure, a hook-and-loop fastener is also provided on the other support plate 102.

[0012] Fig. 2 shows the stretchable structure 100 shown in Fig. 1 in a stretched state. As can be seen from the figure, the stretchable body 103 is made of honeycomb paper. In this specification, expressions such as "unfold" and "extend" may be used to describe the stretching of a stretchable body.

[0013] 3 shows another stretched form of the stretchable structure 100 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Specifically, the stretchable body 103 is stretched by approximately 180 degrees with respect to one support plate 101 and the other support plate 102, with the long side of the triangular support plate acting as a rotation axis.

[0014] Fig. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an expandable structure of another embodiment. In this figure, an expandable structure 400 has a pair of semicircular support plates 401, 402, and an expandable body 403 supported by the pair of support plates. As shown in Fig. 1, hook-and-loop fasteners 404, 405 are also provided as fasteners on the support plate 401 of the expandable structure 400 in Fig. 4. A hook-and-loop fastener is also provided on the other support plate 402.

[0015] Fig. 5 shows the expanded state of the expandable structure shown in Fig. 4. As shown in this figure, the expandable structure 400 is expanded by approximately 360 degrees with the long side of the semispherical support plate as the axis of rotation of the other support plate 402 relative to one support plate 401, so that the support plates face each other.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 to 5 above, the stretchable structure of this embodiment can take a variety of forms depending on the shape of the support plate, the direction and amount (length) of deployment, etc. Each part of the stretchable structure will be described below using the stretchable structure shown in Figures 1 to 3 as an example.

[0017] The stretchable body 103 is supported at both ends by a pair of support plates 101 and 102. The stretchable body 103 is formed by stacking thin sheets such as paper in a honeycomb shape. Specifically, the stretchable body 103 is made by stacking and bonding many layers of paper with bonding lines (linear bonding regions) that are uneven for each sheet. When such a multi-layer structure is cut and spread out, gaps open up like a honeycomb, and the presence of these gaps results in a structure that stretches and contracts. The shape of the honeycomb-like gaps depends on the width of the bonding lines described above, and is not strictly limited to a hexagon, but may be a rectangle. The material of the sheets is not particularly limited, but paper, cloth, polymer films such as polyester and polyimide, etc. can be used.

[0018] A pair of support plates 101, 102 support both ends of the stretchable body 103. The support plates 101, 102 support the stretchable body 103 and also function to hold the stretchable structure 100 in the hand. The support plate 101 is composed of a support surface that supports the stretchable body 103 and a joint surface that is the surface opposite to the support surface, and hook-and-loop fasteners 104, 105 are provided on the joint surface as fasteners.

[0019] In addition, since the pair of support plates 101, 102 also function as the outer shell of the expandable structure 100, it is preferable that they are plate-like bodies having an appropriate strength. In addition, since they are to be touched with the hands, it is preferable to use wood or paper that provides a sense of warmth when touched, particularly when used as a playground equipment, and for example, cardboard is preferable.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the telescopic body 103 is supported so as to be fitted inside the periphery of the support plate 102 with a predetermined width therebetween. This allows the periphery of the support plate to be grasped with the fingertips, making it easier to hold the telescopic structure. The above-mentioned predetermined width is sufficient to be grasped with the fingertips, and is, for example, about 3 cm to about 10 cm. This width can be appropriately selected depending on the size of the support plate and the weight of the telescopic structure. When the telescopic structure is large or heavy, a larger periphery width increases the area over which the fingers can rest, making it easier to hold.

[0021] Also, from the standpoint of safety, it is preferable that the shape of the support plate be free of corners, because this reduces the risk of injury to the child or others due to the corners of the support plate, even if the child were to swing the telescopic structure around.

[0022] The support plate has a shape without corners, which is also preferable in terms of ease of use. For example, in Fig. 3, the long side of the support plate acts as a rotation axis to expand the telescopic body, but if the rotation axis is moved to the short side of the support plate while it is expanded, the shape of the expanded telescopic body changes, and this type of deformation can be performed smoothly with less force because the support plate has no corners.

[0023] The fasteners are arranged to detachably join the pair of support plates 101, 102 when their joining surfaces face each other. The fasteners can be realized by, for example, hook-and-loop fasteners 104, 105 as shown in the figure, removably adhesive tape, snap buttons, or the like.

[0024] For example, in the example shown in Figures 4 and 5, a pair of support plates 401, 402 can be deployed and joined together facing each other as shown in Figure 5 by using hook-and-loop fasteners 404, 405 arranged on the joint surface of one support plate 401 and hook-and-loop fasteners (not shown) arranged on the joint surface of the other support plate 402. In this way, by joining the joint surfaces of the support plates with fasteners, the stretchable body can be expanded in various modes, and the joint surfaces of the support plates can be joined together with fasteners to maintain the posture of the stretchable structure in the expanded mode. This improves usability as a plaything or decorative item.

[0025] In addition, the fasteners can be used not only to join a pair of support plates that make up one telescopic structure, but also to join the joint surfaces of support plates that make up another telescopic structure. This allows multiple telescopic structures to be joined and used in combination, enabling even more diverse uses.

[0026] Fig. 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of fasteners arranged on a support plate. Fig. 6(a) shows an embodiment in which snap buttons are used as fasteners, and Fig. 6(b) shows an embodiment in which hook-and-loop fasteners are used as fasteners. In Fig. 6(a), three snap buttons 602 are arranged on the joint surface of a support plate 601. In Fig. 6(b), hook-and-loop fasteners 604 are arranged along the long side of a support plate 603. Then, by arranging fasteners at the same positions on each of a pair of support plates and aligning the postures of the pair of support plates so that they face each other, the joint surfaces of the two plates are joined by the fasteners.

[0027] Compared to snap buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners and adhesive tapes are easier to join because they allow more flexibility in the positioning of fasteners during joining. Also, by disposing hook-and-loop fasteners or adhesive tapes in a strip shape on the joining surface, the joining area is expanded, making it easier to connect support plates together. Also, in addition to joining support plates together, the stretchable structure can be used in various ways, such as by joining it to clothing and wearing it on the body, or by joining it to a wall or sofa as decoration.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing a preferred arrangement example of fasteners. As shown in the figure, one of the pair of support plates, 701, has a hook-and-loop fastener 702 arranged along the long side of the support plate, and the other support plate, 703, has a hook-and-loop fastener 704 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the long side direction. When such a pair of support plates are faced to each other in the same position, the hook-and-loop fastener 702 arranged on the support plate 701 and the hook-and-loop fastener 704 arranged on the support plate 703 cross each other as shown in FIG. 7(c). By arranging the hook-and-loop fasteners of the support plates so that they cross when faced to each other in this way, even if the orientations and positions of the support plates to be joined are slightly different, the hook-and-loop fasteners arranged on each plate cross, and the plates can be joined at the crossing area. Therefore, the degree of freedom in positioning when joining the support plates is increased, improving usability.

[0029] Fig. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an example in which a plurality of hook-and-loop fasteners are arranged on the joint surface of a support plate. Fig. 8(a) is a conceptual diagram showing one of a pair of support plates as viewed from above. As shown in this figure, two hook-and-loop fasteners 802, 803 are arranged on the joint surface of support plate 801. Fig. 8(b) is a conceptual diagram showing the other support plate as viewed from above. As shown in Fig. 8(a), two hook-and-loop fasteners 805, 806 are arranged on the joint surface of support plate 804.

[0030] 8(c) is a perspective view of the above-mentioned support plates when their joint surfaces are joined together. As shown in the figure, hook-and-loop fasteners 802 and 803 arranged on one support plate cross hook-and-loop fasteners 806 and 805 arranged on the other opposing support plate. By arranging the hook-and-loop fasteners in this manner, when the joint surfaces of a pair of support plates are joined together by facing each other, the two hook-and-loop fasteners cross each other and join at the two crossing regions even if the postures of the support plates are not strictly aligned, so that the support plates can be joined easily and reliably. Since strictness is not required for the alignment of the support plates when joining, the stretchable structure can be easily formed into various shapes by freely joining them.

[0031] In addition, by configuring the hook-and-loop fasteners to intersect when they are faced to each other, the area where the hook-and-loop fasteners intersect is maintained even if the positions of the support plates to be joined are not aligned. Therefore, the force for joining them does not fluctuate much, the joining force is maintained stably, and it is easy to use.

[0032] 8, the hook-and-loop fasteners are arranged on the support plate so that none of their edges extend beyond the periphery of the joint surface of the support plate on which they are arranged. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the hook-and-loop fasteners from peeling off from the joint surface when the support plate is held in the hand or comes into contact with another object.

[0033] Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing a cross section of an expandable structure. Fig. 9(b) is a conceptual diagram showing a cross section cut along line AA provided in the area where hook-and-loop fastener 901 shown in Fig. 9(a) is provided. As shown in the figure, a hook-and-loop fastener consisting of a base material 902 and an interlocking member 903 such as a loop or hook attached to the base material is embedded and provided in a support plate 904. Note that a fastener such as a hook-and-loop fastener provided on the other support plate 906 that supports the expandable body 905 is omitted from the illustration.

[0034] Here, it is more preferable to dispose the hook-and-loop fastener so that the base material 902 of the hook-and-loop fastener is lower than the joining surface of the support plate 904 and only the interlocking material 903 floats above the joining surface. This is because the base material of the hook-and-loop fastener is made of a material having a relatively high hardness, and when it comes into contact with a hand or other object, it may get caught on them and cause the hook-and-loop fastener to peel off from the support plate. On the other hand, if the interlocking material does not float above the joining surface, it will hinder the joining with other hook-and-loop fasteners.

[0035] Furthermore, hook-and-loop fasteners come in pairs, with a hook surface (male) and a loop surface (female), and one that is both male and female. When objects to be joined are planned, there is no problem in using male and female hook-and-loop fasteners on one side and the other side to be joined, but when considering joining with support plates of other stretchable structures and use in various combinations, it is more preferable to use a male and female hook-and-loop fastener as a fastener, as this increases the freedom of combinations when joined.

[0036] Fig. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a cross section of an expandable structure. As shown in the figure, the support plate 1001 may be configured in two layers. For example, a thick and strong paper is used for the layer 1002 on the support surface side that supports the expandable body 1004, and a paper that is pleasant to the touch and has a good appearance is used for the layer 1003 on the joining surface side where the hook-and-loop fastener is arranged. By configuring in this way, materials suitable for the functions to be performed by each of the support surface side and the joining surface side can be used.

[0037] <Effects> As described above, the stretchable structure of this embodiment can provide a stretchable structure with improved usability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 100: Stretchable structure 101: Support plate 102: Support plate 103:Stretchable body 104: Velcro 105: Velcro

Claims

1. A pair of support plates; A stretchable body having both ends supported by the support plate and formed by laminating thin sheets in a honeycomb shape; A fastener is provided for detachably joining the support surface, which is a surface of the support plate that supports the expandable body, and the joint surface, which is the opposite surface, of the support plate when the support surface and the joint surface are faced to each other; The expandable structure has

2. The expandable structure according to claim 1, wherein the fasteners are arranged in a band shape on the joint surface of the support plate, and when one joint surface of the support plate and another joint surface of the support plate are placed face to face, the fasteners are arranged so that they intersect with each other.

3. The stretchable structure according to claim 2 , wherein the fastener is a hook-and-loop fastener.

4. The expandable structure according to claim 3 , wherein a plurality of said hook-and-loop fasteners are provided on the joint surface of said support plate.

5. 5. The elastic structure according to claim 3, wherein the hook-and-loop fastener is disposed so that none of its edges extend beyond the peripheral edge of the joint surface of the support plate on which it is disposed.

6. 5. The stretchable structure according to claim 3, wherein the hook-and-loop fastener is disposed by embedding a base material in the joining surface of the support plate.

7. 5. The stretchable structure according to claim 3, wherein the hook-and-loop fastener is a unisex hook-and-loop fastener.

8. 3. The expandable structure according to claim 1, wherein the support plate is made by stacking cardboards having different properties.

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