Constructional toy and constructional element

Abstract

To provide a new mechanism capable of easily assembling parts removed from, for example, a runner.SOLUTION: The assembly toy includes a first part having a plurality of first connection parts, and a plurality of second parts connected to the first part and each having a second connection part formed corresponding to the shape of any one of the plurality of first connection parts. The plurality of first connection portions have shapes different from each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to construction toys and construction components. [Background technology]

[0002] In assembly toys such as plastic models, multiple parts are attached to a runner, and then the parts are removed from the runner to assemble them. These parts are assembled according to a set of instructions, and the assembly process becomes more difficult when multiple similar parts are involved. Patent Document 1 proposes a parts supply that allows multiple parts to be connected to other parts without being removed from the runner. This makes it easier to assemble multiple similar parts and prevents errors in the assembly process that can occur when removing parts from the runner and assembling them. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-107275 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional technology, when assembling multiple similar parts, the parts are connected to a runner and then assembled with other parts, allowing for easy assembly before removing them from the runner. However, depending on the model object, it is expected that assembling while connected to the runner may be difficult. In such cases, it is necessary to remove the multiple similar parts from the runner and assemble them, which makes the assembly process more complicated.

[0005] The present invention provides, for example, a novel mechanism that allows parts removed from a runner to be easily assembled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is, for example, an assembly toy comprising a first part having a plurality of first connection portions, and a plurality of second parts connected to the first part, each having a second connection portion formed to correspond to the shape of any one of the plurality of first connection portions, and each of the plurality of first connection portions having a shape different from each other.

[0007] The present invention also provides, for example, an assembly component comprising a first part having a plurality of first connection portions, a plurality of second parts connected to the first part and each having a second connection portion formed to correspond to the shape of one of the plurality of first connection portions, and a runner to which the first part and each of the plurality of second parts are connected, wherein each of the plurality of first connection portions has a different shape from one another. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, for example, a novel mechanism can be provided that allows parts removed from a runner to be easily assembled. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the overall appearance of an assembly toy according to one embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a branch of a construction toy according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of a branch of a building toy according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a main branch part according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the configuration of a twig part according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an assembly part to which a branch part is connected according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of leaf parts according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] <External view of assembly toy> A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First, a construction toy according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the exterior of the construction toy. Note that the x, y, and z arrows indicate the upward, left, and forward directions of the construction toy, respectively.

[0012] The construction toy 100 is a so-called plastic model (registered trademark) of a bonsai tree that is created from the image data that is obtained by 3D scanning an actual bonsai tree and capturing the image. The construction toy 100 includes a trunk 101, branches and leaves 102, a soil section 103, and a pot section 104. In this construction toy 100, at least the trunk 101 and branches and leaves 102 are made up of multiple parts. The bonsai tree in the construction toy 100 according to this embodiment is a plastic model with a "pine" motif, and the trunk 101 and branches and leaves 102 include multiple similar parts.

[0013] In the construction toy 100, multiple parts before assembly are connected to a runner. Here, a runner refers to a rod-shaped plastic portion that is connected to multiple parts before assembly in a construction toy such as a plastic model and is arranged to surround each part. The entirety including the multiple connected parts may also be referred to as a runner. Here, when referring to the entire runner including the multiple parts, it is referred to as an "assembly part."

[0014] When multiple similar parts are included, it is difficult to identify the removed part when the part is removed from the runner. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the exact assembly position of each part will not be known. In such a case, it will be difficult to complete the construction toy 100, and the bonsai tree that you are trying to recreate will not be assembled accurately. Therefore, this embodiment provides a mechanism that allows you to easily identify the assembly position of each part even when multiple similar parts are removed from the runner.

[0015] <Branch structure> Next, an example of the configuration of a portion of a branch that is an assembly part of the bonsai according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2(a) shows a perspective view of the exterior of the assembly toy 100, similar to Figure 1. Figure 2(b) shows a perspective view of the exterior of a portion of a branch of the assembly toy 100. Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of a portion of the branch.

[0016] FIG. 2(b) shows the appearance of a portion 200 of a branch of the building toy 100. The portion 200 of the branch is composed of a main branch part and a plurality of twig parts. The main branch part corresponds to the first part, and the twig part corresponds to the second part. The building toy 100 according to this embodiment is a plastic model that reproduces an actual bonsai, so the surfaces of the main branch part and the plurality of twig parts are made to resemble bark, and each is formed with a continuous series of fine irregularities, making them difficult to distinguish from other parts. The main branch part 301 and the twig parts 302 to 311 may be formed by thick molding using wood powder resin to represent the surface of bark.

[0017] Furthermore, since the main branch part and the multiple twig parts according to this embodiment are molded from the same color and material, they are more difficult to distinguish from other parts. For this reason, because the twig parts 302-311 are similar to the other parts, it is difficult to individually determine their respective positions relative to the main branch part 301, and if this is not possible, it becomes difficult to complete the assembly. More specifically, although the twig parts 302-311 are formed in different shapes, their outer surfaces resemble bark and are similar. Therefore, no matter where each twig part is connected to the main branch part 301, it will not look out of place. However, in order to accurately assemble the bonsai to be reproduced, it is necessary to connect each twig part to the correct position on the main branch part.

[0018] 3, the branch portion 200 is configured to include a main branch part 301 and a plurality of small branch parts 302 to 311. The main branch part 301 is provided with a plurality of connection parts (first connection parts) for connecting the respective small branch parts. In this building toy 100, the branch portion 200 can be completed by assembling the plurality of small branch parts 302 to 311 to the main branch part 301.

[0019] According to this embodiment, the main branch part and the multiple branch parts connected to the main branch part are connected to one runner. This prevents parts from being used across other runners, preventing incorrect assembly. Details of the runner will be described later using Figure 6.

[0020] <Composition of main branch parts> The configuration of main branch part 301 that constitutes a part of the branch according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows an enlarged view of a part of main branch part 301.

[0021] The main branch part 301, as shown enlarged in Fig. 4, has a plurality of first connection portions 401-408. Corresponding branch parts are connected to the first connection portions 401-408, respectively. As shown within the dotted circle in Fig. 4, each of the first connection portions 401-408 has a different shape. For example, each of the first connection portions has various shapes such as an I-shape, an L-shape, a plus shape, a semicircular shape, a convex shape, and a concave shape.

[0022] According to this embodiment, the multiple first connection portions 401-408 are formed as recesses in their respective shapes. Therefore, the second connection portions of each twig part, which will be described later, are formed as protrusions in corresponding shapes so as to fit into the first connection portions formed as recesses. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention, and the first connection portions may be formed as protrusions in their respective shapes, and the second connection portions may be formed as recesses in their corresponding shapes.

[0023] In this way, by making the shape of the connecting part itself different from other connecting parts, it is possible to enhance the distinguishability from other connecting parts. In other words, according to this embodiment, by making the first connecting part have a shape that is more distinguishable than other first distinguishable parts, it is possible to easily grasp the assembly position according to the shape of the connecting part even after each twig part is removed from the runner.

[0024] Furthermore, the main branch part 301 has a plurality of third connection parts 411. Leaf parts (third parts), which will be described later, are connected to the third connection parts 411. The plurality of third connection parts 411 are formed in a cylindrical shape and have the same shape as the other third connection parts. Meanwhile, there are a plurality of leaf parts with different sizes, but all of these leaf parts have a fourth connection part of the same shape formed thereon, and can be connected to any of the plurality of third connection parts.

[0025] <Composition of twig parts> The formation patterns of identifiers formed on twig parts according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5(a) to (f) show different twig parts. The twig parts shown here correspond to any of the twig parts 302 to 311 shown in Fig. 3.

[0026] 5(a) to (f) show twig parts 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, and 560, respectively. The twig part 510 has a second connecting portion 511 and third connecting portions 512 to 514. The twig part 520 has a second connecting portion 521 and third connecting portions 522 to 523. The twig part 530 has a second connecting portion 531 and third connecting portions 532 to 534. The twig part 540 has a second connecting portion 541 and third connecting portion 542. The twig part 550 has a second connecting portion 551 and third connecting portions 552 to 553. The twig part 560 has a second connecting portion 561 and third connecting portion 562.

[0027] The second connection part is connected to the corresponding first connection part of the main branch part and is formed to match the shape of the corresponding first connection part. The third connection part is connected to the fourth connection part of the leaf part (described later) and is formed to the same shape, for example, a cylindrical shape.

[0028] Although each twig part is formed in a variety of shapes, it is made of the same resin material and is formed in the same color. Therefore, it is difficult to determine to which position on the main branch part 301 each twig part should be connected. Therefore, similar to the above-described first connection parts, the second connection parts 511, 521, 531, 541, 551, 561 formed on each twig part are formed to match the shape of the first connection part to which they are to be connected. This makes it easy to determine which first connection part each twig part should be connected to.

[0029] <Assembly part configuration> An example of the configuration of a runner (assembly part) to which a branch part according to this embodiment is connected will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows the surface of a runner (assembly part) to which a branch part is connected before assembly. Note that in this embodiment, a runner to which a plurality of parts are connected will be described as an example of an assembly part.

[0030] The assembly part 600 includes a runner to which a main branch part 601 and branch parts 602 to 607 are connected. The runner includes a main runner 610 formed to surround each part, and a secondary runner 620 extending from the main runner 610 and connected to each part. Furthermore, the assembly part 600 is provided with a tab 630 on which a first identifier assigned to each runner is formed, and a tab 631 on which a second identifier assigned to each part is formed.

[0031] According to this embodiment, the twig parts 602 to 607 connected to the main branch part 601 are connected (molded) to one runner. This makes it easier to determine the assembly positions of the twig parts compared to when parts connected to one main branch part are molded across multiple runners. For example, when molding twig parts across multiple runners, it is necessary to mold the first connection parts of the multiple main branch parts in different shapes so that they can be distinguished from one another. However, when molding a main branch part and all of the twig parts connected to it on one runner, it is sufficient to use a shape that is easily distinguishable within the runner. In other words, compared to when the shapes of the first identification parts are different across multiple runners, when the shapes of the first identification parts are different within one runner, fewer shape patterns are required, making it easier to design the connection parts.

[0032] <Leaf part composition> An example of the configuration of a leaf part according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 shows a plurality of leaf parts of different sizes. The leaf parts correspond to the third part.

[0033] The leaf parts 701 to 704 are parts of different sizes. The leaf parts 701 to 704 are parts of increasing size. Each part 701 to 704 has a fourth connection part 711 to 714. Each of the fourth connection parts 711 to 714 has the same shape as the other fourth connection parts. In other words, the leaf parts 701 to 704 can be connected to any of the third connection parts formed on the main branch part and the multiple twig parts.

[0034] 7, for example, fourth connection portions 712, 713 can be connected to third connection portions 512, 513 formed on twig part 510, respectively. By standardizing the size and shape of the connection portions in this way, any leaf part can be connected, and the amount of leaves in branch / leaf portion 102 can be adjusted depending on the size of the leaf part.

[0035] As described above, the construction toy according to this embodiment includes a first part having a plurality of first connection portions and a plurality of second parts connected to the first part, each having a second connection portion formed to correspond to the shape of one of the plurality of first connection portions. The plurality of first connection portions have different shapes. Thus, according to this embodiment, the shapes of the plurality of first connection portions formed on the first part to which the plurality of second parts are connected are different from each other. This makes it possible to connect second parts having second connection portions with the same shape as the first connection portions, facilitating assembly. In this way, the present invention provides a novel mechanism that allows parts removed from a runner to be easily assembled.

[0036] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, the shape of the assembly toy is not particularly limited, and includes various shapes such as plants, buildings, people, animals, robots, insects, dinosaurs, etc.

[0037] <Summary of the embodiment> The above embodiment discloses at least the following construction toys and construction components. (1) A construction toy, a first part having a plurality of first connection portions; a plurality of second parts connected to the first part, each having a second connection portion formed to correspond to a shape of one of the plurality of first connection portions; The assembly toy is characterized in that the plurality of first connection portions have different shapes from each other. (2) The assembly toy according to (1), wherein the first part and the plurality of second parts are connected to one runner. (3) The assembly toy described in (1) or (2) is characterized in that the first part and each of the plurality of second parts further have one or more third connection portions to which a third part is connected. (4) The assembly toy described in (3) is characterized in that the one or more third connection portions provided on the first part and each of the plurality of second parts have the same shape. (5) The assembly toy according to (4) is characterized in that the third part has a fourth connection part that is connected to the one or more third connection parts. (6) the third part includes a plurality of parts of different sizes; The assembly toy according to (5), wherein each of the plurality of different sized parts that are the third parts has the fourth connecting portion of the same shape. (7) the assembly toy is a bonsai model, the first part is a main branch part of the bonsai tree, The assembly toy according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the plurality of second parts are twig parts connected to the main branch part. (8) the assembly toy is a bonsai model, the first part is a main branch part of the bonsai tree, the plurality of second parts are branch parts connected to the main branch part, The assembly toy according to any one of (3) to (6), wherein the third part is a leaf part. (9) The assembly toy according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the first part and each of the plurality of second parts are formed of the same color and material. (10) The assembly toy according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the first part and each of the plurality of second parts are formed by thick-wall molding using wood powder resin. (11) An assembly part, a first part having a plurality of first connection portions; a plurality of second parts connected to the first part, each having a second connection portion formed to correspond to a shape of one of the plurality of first connection portions; a runner to which the first part and each of the plurality of second parts are connected, The assembly component, wherein the plurality of first connection portions have different shapes from one another.

[0038] 100: assembly toy, 101: trunk, 102: branch and leaf part, 103: soil part, 104: pot part, 200: part of branch, 301: main branch part, 302-311: twig parts, 401-408: first connecting part, 411: third connecting part, 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, 560: twig parts, 511, 521, 531, 541, 551, 561: second connecting part

Claims

1. A construction toy, a first part having a plurality of first connection portions; a plurality of second parts connected to the first part, each having a second connection portion formed to correspond to a shape of one of the plurality of first connection portions; The assembly toy, wherein each of the plurality of first connection portions has a different shape from each other.

2. 2. The construction toy according to claim 1, wherein the first part and the plurality of second parts are connected to one runner.

3. 2. The construction toy according to claim 1, wherein the first part and each of the plurality of second parts further have one or more third connection portions to which a third part is connected.

4. 4. The assembly toy according to claim 3, wherein the one or more third connection portions provided on the first part and each of the plurality of second parts have the same shape.

5. The assembly toy according to claim 4, wherein the third part has a fourth connecting portion connected to the one or more third connecting portions.

6. the third part includes a plurality of parts of different sizes; The assembly toy according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of different sized parts that are the third part has the fourth connecting portion of the same shape.

7. the assembly toy is a bonsai model, the first part is a main branch part of the bonsai tree, 7. The assembly toy according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of second parts are twig parts connected to the main branch part.

8. the assembly toy is a bonsai model, the first part is a main branch part of the bonsai tree, the plurality of second parts are branch parts connected to the main branch part, 7. The assembly toy according to claim 3, wherein the third part is a leaf part.

9. 8. The construction toy according to claim 7, wherein the first part and each of the plurality of second parts are formed of the same color and material.

10. 8. The assembly toy according to claim 7, wherein the first part and each of the plurality of second parts are formed by thick-wall molding using wood powder resin.

11. An assembly part, a first part having a plurality of first connection portions; a plurality of second parts connected to the first part, each having a second connection portion formed to correspond to a shape of one of the plurality of first connection portions; a runner to which the first part and each of the plurality of second parts are connected, The assembly component, wherein the plurality of first connection portions have different shapes from each other.

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