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 plurality of runners each formed by connecting a plurality of parts. A first identifier assigned to each of the plurality of runners and a second identifier assigned to each of the plurality of parts are formed in the plurality of runners. A corresponding first identifier and second identifier are formed on a back side of each part of the plurality of parts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

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 characterized in that, for example, an assembly toy has a plurality of runners, each formed by connecting a plurality of parts, and the plurality of runners are formed with a first identifier assigned to each of the plurality of runners and a second identifier assigned to each of the plurality of parts, and the corresponding first identifier and second identifier are formed on the back side of each of the plurality of parts.

[0007] The present invention is also characterized in that, for example, an assembly part comprises a plurality of parts and a runner to which the plurality of parts are connected, the runner is formed with a first identifier assigned to the runner and a second identifier assigned to each of the plurality of parts, and the corresponding first identifier and second identifier are formed on the back side of each of the plurality of parts. [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 portion of the trunk of a construction toy according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a portion of the trunk of a construction toy according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the front and back of a bark part according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing patterns of identifiers formed on bark parts according to an embodiment; [Figure 6] 1 illustrates an assembly with a bark part connected, according to one embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the appearance of frame parts of a trunk according to one 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. This increases the possibility of incorrect assembly, which makes it impossible to complete the construction toy 100. Therefore, this embodiment provides a mechanism that allows the assembly procedure to be easily identified even when multiple similar parts are removed from the runner.

[0015] <Trunk structure> Next, an example of the configuration of a portion of the trunk, which 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 the trunk of the assembly toy 100. Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of a portion of the trunk.

[0016] FIG. 2(b) shows the appearance of a portion 200 of the trunk of the construction toy 100. The portion 200 of the trunk is made up of multiple parts, and after assembly, it is covered with multiple bark parts. Because the construction toy 100 according to this embodiment is a plastic model that reproduces an actual bonsai, the surfaces of the multiple bark parts are each formed with a continuous series of fine irregularities, making them difficult to distinguish from other parts. Furthermore, the multiple bark parts according to this embodiment are molded from the same color and material, making them even more difficult to distinguish from other parts.

[0017] 3, trunk part 200 is made up of a frame 300 and a plurality of bark parts 301-323. Frame 300 is further made up of a plurality of frame parts (such as parts 701-703, which will be described later). In this construction toy 100, trunk part 200 can be completed by assembling the plurality of bark parts 301-323 to frame 300.

[0018] The bark parts 301-323 are parts that represent the surface of the bark, and are formed by thick molding using wood powder resin. The bark parts 301-323 also include fine irregularities, and the parts that come into contact with each other have complex shapes. Therefore, the bark parts 301-323 must be assembled to the frame 300 in the correct order; if the procedure is incorrect, the assembly cannot be completed. Note that, for ease of explanation, the frame 300 is shown assembled first, but in reality, the frame may be divided into multiple parts, such as parts A, B, and C, and multiple parts corresponding to each part may be assembled, and finally the parts (A-C) may be assembled.

[0019] <Composition of bark parts> The structure of the bark part that forms part of the trunk according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows the structure of the front and back sides of the bark part 320.

[0020] Fig. 4(a) shows the front side (cavity side) of the bark part 320. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the front side of the bark part 320 is formed to represent the surface of the bark. Also, connection parts 401 and 402 are formed on the front side of the bark part 320. Other parts such as branch parts are connected to the connection parts 401 and 402.

[0021] FIG. 4(b) shows the back side (core side) of the bark part 320. Connection portions 411, 412 for connecting to the frame 300 are formed on the back side of the bark part 320. Furthermore, an identifier 414 is formed on the back side of the bark part 320. Here, the identifier "C-3" is formed. Although an example is shown in which the identifier 414 is formed in a convex shape on the uneven surface (curved surface) on the back side of the bark part 320, this does not limit the present invention and the identifier 414 may be formed in a concave shape. Furthermore, the formation position is not particularly limited and the identifier may be formed on a connection portion, a connecting portion, or in the vicinity thereof. The formation position pattern will be described later using FIG. 5.

[0022] Here, "C" in the identifier 414 indicates a first identifier assigned to one of the multiple runners. Furthermore, "3" in the identifier indicates a second identifier assigned to one of the multiple parts connected to the "C" runner. The second identifier is a number indicating the assembly order of the parts. In the construction toy 100 according to this embodiment, when assembling multiple bark parts to the frame, the parts can be assembled correctly by assembling them in the numerical order of the second identifiers formed on each part. In other words, if parts are assembled in the wrong order, they will interfere with other parts and the assembly cannot be completed. Furthermore, in the identifier 414, a hyphen "-" is formed between the first identifier and the second identifier, but this is not particularly essential and simply indicates the distinction between the first identifier and the second identifier.

[0023] In this embodiment, alphabets are used as the first identifiers and numbers are used as the second identifiers, but this does not limit the present invention and other letters, symbols, etc. may be used. The first identifiers may be distinguishable from other runners, and the second identifiers may be distinguishable from other parts and indicate the assembly order.

[0024] <Identifier formation pattern> The formation patterns of the identifiers formed on the bark parts according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5(a) to (c) show the back sides of different bark parts.

[0025] The bark part 500 shown in Fig. 5(a) is the same part as the bark part 320 shown in Fig. 4(b). As described above, the identifier 501 "C-3" is formed on the curved surface on the back side of the bark part 500. By forming the identifier 501 on the back side of the bark part in this way, the identifier 501 is hidden inside when the part is assembled to the frame 300, and does not affect the appearance of the construction toy 100.

[0026] In the bark part 510 shown in FIG. 5(b), the identifier 513 "B-1" is formed on a connection surface 511 where a connection portion 512 for connecting to the frame 300 is provided. The bark part 510 has a smaller area for forming the identifier on its back surface than the bark part 500. Therefore, the identifier 513 is formed using the connection surface 511 where the connection portion 512 is formed. The identifier 513 may be formed in a convex shape or a concave shape to the extent that it does not affect the connection with the frame 300.

[0027] In the bark part 520 shown in FIG. 5(c), the identifier 522 "C-12" is formed on the side of the connection part 521 for connecting to the frame 300. Due to its shape and size, the bark part 520 cannot have a back side area on which an identifier can be formed, as in the bark part 500, or a connection surface 511 on which an identifier can be formed, as in the bark part 510. Therefore, the identifier 522 is formed using the side of the connection part 521. The identifier 522 may be formed in a convex or concave shape, as long as it does not affect the connection with the frame 300.

[0028] In this manner, according to the present embodiment, identifiers indicating the assembly procedure are formed in positions that are not exposed to the outside after assembly, according to the shapes and sizes of multiple similar parts. For example, it is desirable to form these identifiers on the backsides of the parts or near the connecting portions.

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

[0030] The assembly part 600 includes a runner to which bark parts 601 to 606 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 tabs 631 to 636 on which a second identifier assigned to each part is formed. Because FIG. 6 shows the back side of the assembly part 600, the letters and the like formed on each tab can be seen as reversed characters.

[0031] Each of the bark parts 601 to 606 has identifiers 611 to 616, including a first identifier and a second identifier, formed on the back surface or near the connecting portion. In this example, the first identifier is "A," so identifiers "A-1" to "A-6" are formed in combination with the numbers assigned to the six parts. Therefore, even if each part is removed from the assembly part (runner) 600, it is possible to confirm which part belongs to which runner by referring to the identifier formed on each part. This makes it possible to prevent assembly in the wrong assembly procedure even if a part is removed from the runner.

[0032] <Frame structure> An example of the configuration of a frame for connecting bark parts according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of a frame 300.

[0033] The frame 300 is configured to include a plurality of sections 701 to 703 (predetermined frames). For ease of explanation, the state in which the plurality of sections 701 to 703 are assembled is shown here, but the assembly procedure may be such that a bark part is attached to each section and then the section is connected to another frame.

[0034] Each of the sections 701 to 703 is made up of multiple parts. The frame 300, which is made up of the sections 701 to 703, serves as the base frame for the trunk portion 200, and multiple bark parts 301 to 323 are attached to complete the trunk portion of the bonsai.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 7, first identifiers 711-713 are formed on the outer surface of each of the sections 701-703 of the frame 300. The section 701 has a first identifier 711 "A." The section 702 has a first identifier 712 "B." The section 703 has a first identifier 713 "C." The first identifiers 711-713 formed on the sections 701-703 of the frame 300 correspond to the identifiers assigned to the respective runners, and indicate that multiple parts connected to the runners with the corresponding identifiers will be assembled. For example, because "A" is formed on the section 701, the part removed from the runner A will be assembled thereto. If the runner A is the assembly part 600 shown in FIG. 6, the bark parts 601-606 will be assembled to the section 701 in order. Here, as described above, each bark part 601 to 606 has an identifier 611 to 616 formed thereon, so that even when it is removed from the runner, it is easy to identify which frame it should be attached to.

[0036] As described above, the construction toy according to this embodiment includes a plurality of runners, each formed by connecting a plurality of parts. A first identifier assigned to each of the plurality of runners and a second identifier assigned to each of the plurality of parts are formed on the plurality of runners. A corresponding first identifier and second identifier are formed on the back side of each of the plurality of parts. Thus, according to this embodiment, each part is formed with a first identifier and a second identifier related to the assembly procedure, and the assembly procedure can be easily recognized even when the part is removed from the runner. Thus, the present invention can provide a novel mechanism that allows parts removed from the runners to be easily assembled.

[0037] 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.

[0038] <Summary of the embodiment> The above embodiment discloses at least the following construction toys and construction components. (1) A construction toy, a plurality of runners each formed by connecting a plurality of parts; a first identifier assigned to each of the runners and a second identifier assigned to each of the parts are formed on the runners; An assembly toy, characterized in that the corresponding first identifier and second identifier are formed on the back side of each of the plurality of parts. (2) Further comprising a plurality of frames for mounting the plurality of parts; The assembly toy described in (1) is characterized in that the first identifier corresponding to the runner to which the multiple parts to be attached are connected is formed on the outside of each of the multiple frames. (3) The assembly toy described in (2) is characterized in that a plurality of parts attached to a predetermined frame among the plurality of frames are connected to one runner. (4) The assembly toy according to (2) or (3), wherein the second identifier is a number that indicates the order in which the pieces are to be assembled to the corresponding frame. (5) An assembly toy described in any one of (1) to (4), characterized in that the first identifier and the second identifier are formed on the connection portion or connection surface to other parts instead of on the back side of each part of the plurality of parts. (6) the assembly toy is a bonsai model, The assembly toy according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the plurality of parts are bark parts that form the trunk of the bonsai. (7) The assembly toy according to (6), wherein the plurality of parts are formed of the same color and material. (8) The assembly toy according to (6) or (7), wherein the plurality of parts are formed by thick molding using wood powder resin. (9) An assembly part, Multiple parts and a runner to which the plurality of parts are connected, a first identifier assigned to the runner and a second identifier assigned to each of the plurality of parts are formed on the runner; An assembly part, characterized in that the corresponding first identifier and second identifier are formed on the back side of each of the plurality of parts. (10) The assembly part according to (9), wherein the second identifier is a number that indicates the order in which the parts are to be assembled into a predetermined frame.

[0039] 100: assembly toy, 101: trunk, 102: branches and leaves, 103: soil, 104: pot, 200: part of trunk, 300: frame, 301-323: bark parts, 401, 402, 411, 412: joints, 414: identifier

Claims

1. A construction toy, a plurality of runners each formed by connecting a plurality of parts; a first identifier assigned to each of the runners and a second identifier assigned to each of the parts are formed on the runners; An assembly toy, characterized in that the corresponding first identifier and second identifier are formed on the back side of each of the plurality of parts.

2. Further comprising a plurality of frames for mounting the plurality of parts; 2. The assembly toy according to claim 1, wherein the first identifier corresponding to the runner to which the plurality of parts to be attached are connected is formed on the outside of each of the plurality of frames.

3. 3. The assembly toy according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of parts attached to a predetermined frame among the plurality of frames are connected to a single runner.

4. 3. The constructional toy according to claim 2, wherein the second identifier is a number that indicates the order in which the pieces are to be assembled to the corresponding frame.

5. 2. The assembly toy according to claim 1, wherein the first identifier and the second identifier are formed on a connecting portion or connecting surface of each of the plurality of parts, instead of on the back side of each of the parts, to other parts.

6. the assembly toy is a bonsai model, 6. The assembly toy according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of parts are bark parts that form the trunk of the bonsai tree.

7. 7. The construction toy according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of parts are formed of the same color and material.

8. 7. The assembly toy according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of parts are formed by thick molding using wood powder resin.

9. An assembly part, Multiple parts and a runner to which the plurality of parts are connected, a first identifier assigned to the runner and a second identifier assigned to each of the plurality of parts are formed on the runner; An assembly part, characterized in that the corresponding first identifier and second identifier are formed on the back side of each of the plurality of parts.

10. 10. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein the second identifier is a number that indicates the order in which the assembly is to be performed on a given frame.

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