Walking Toy

Abstract

To provide a walking toy having large swinging in a lateral direction, and capable of performing smoothly, lateral centroid movement with a simplified structure.SOLUTION: A walking toy comprises: a trunk; left and right legs which can be swung in a cross direction in a prescribed range; and a leg operation device for swinging the left and right legs for walking. The walking toy further comprises: feet each of which is provided on one / the other of the left and right legs, is provided near an inside of a sole and is vertically swung with a foot shaft extending from a toe side to a heel side as a center; and foot operation mechanisms each of which is provided on one / the other of the left and right feet, swings the foot with the foot shaft as a center, following swinging of the leg, and changes an angle of the sole to the leg.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a walking toy. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a walking toy that walks by swinging two legs back and forth alternately has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this walking toy, the soles of the feet are configured to have an upward slope from the inside to the outside, so that the toy walks forward while swinging its body from side to side. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-60988 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the walking toy of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to increase the side-to-side rocking motion. That is, in order to increase the left-right swaying, it is necessary to increase the upward gradient from the inside to the outside of the sole. However, for example, to support the torso with the left foot and sway the body to the left, and then to support the torso with the right foot and sway the body to the right, it is necessary to shift the center of gravity from left to right. However, if the upward gradient from the inside to the outside of the sole is increased, it becomes difficult to shift the center of gravity. Also, since the gradient of the sole is fixed, the center of gravity shifts instantaneously, making the movement awkward. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and has an object to provide a walking toy that can swing from side to side greatly and can smoothly shift its center of gravity from side to side with a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The first method is A torso, left and right legs that can swing back and forth within a predetermined range, and a walking robot that walks by swinging the left and right legs. leg movement mechanism A walking toy comprising: A pair of feet are provided on the left and right sides of the left and right legs, and the feet are located near the inside of the sole and can swing up and down around a foot axis extending from the toe side to the heel side. a foot operating mechanism provided on each of the left and right feet to swing the foot around the foot axis in response to the swinging of the leg, thereby changing the angle of the sole of the foot relative to the leg; The foot operating mechanism includes an end cam that rotates about a first axis extending in a width direction of the walking toy in conjunction with the leg, and a follower that is provided from the leg to the foot and slides on a cam surface of the end cam and rotates about a second axis parallel to the foot axis to directly swing the foot, and the foot is swung via the follower by the rotational movement of the end cam. It is characterized by:

[0006] The second means is the first means, wherein the foot is configured to be able to swing between a first position in which the sole of the foot is closer to the base of the leg than a plane perpendicular to the leg, and a second position in which the sole of the foot is farther from the leg than the plane, and the foot operating mechanism causes the leg to take the first position when it is in a front end position, and causes the leg to take the second position when it is in a rear end position.

[0008] The third means is the first or second means, The leg operating mechanism is characterized by having an eccentric cam that raises the leg relative to the torso so that the leg reaches its uppermost position at a midpoint in the fore-and-aft direction when the leg is swung forward from the rear end position, and that lowers the leg relative to the torso so that the leg reaches its lowermost position at a midpoint in the fore-and-aft direction when the leg is swung backward from the front end position. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the first means, a foot operating mechanism is provided that swings the foot around the foot axis in response to swinging of the leg, changing the angle of the sole surface relative to the leg, thereby realizing a walking toy that has a large swinging motion from side to side and can smoothly shift the center of gravity from side to side with a simple structure. Furthermore, according to the first aspect, the center of gravity moving means and the tilting means are constituted by the end cam and the follower, so that the structure can be simplified.

[0010] According to the second means, the sole of one foot pushes against the ground when in the rear position, and the shift of the center of gravity to the opposite foot can be easily achieved with a simple configuration.

[0012] According to the third method When the leg is swung forward from the rear end position, the leg is raised relative to the torso so that the leg reaches the uppermost position at the intermediate position in the fore-and-aft direction, making it easier for the leg to overtake the leg in front and achieving a more natural foot movement. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a walking toy according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the walking toy according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of the walking toy of FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a front perspective view showing a leg operating mechanism and a foot operating mechanism of the walking toy of FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a rear perspective view showing a leg operating mechanism and a foot operating mechanism of the walking toy of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view showing a cutaway view of a leg movement mechanism and a foot movement mechanism of the walking toy of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a front perspective view showing an arm movement mechanism of the walking toy of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] 2 is a rear perspective view showing an arm movement mechanism of the walking toy of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] 2 is a perspective view showing a part of a leg movement mechanism of the walking toy of FIG. 1. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A walking toy according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a walking toy 1 according to an embodiment. This walking toy 1 is configured as a bipedal doll, and is roughly divided into a torso 2, left and right legs 3a, 3b (see Fig. 4 and Fig. 5), left and right arms 4a, 4b, and a head 5. When this walking toy 1 is turned on by operating a power switch 6 on the back of the head, the left and right legs 3a, 3b swing back and forth, and the whole body swings alternately from left to right while walking forward. At that time, the walking toy 1 moves the left and right arms 4a, 4b, blinks its cheeks, and makes a specified sound.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the walking toy 1. As shown in FIG. Two removably attached batteries 73, 73 are disposed on the back side of the walking toy 1, and a circuit board 72, a switch box 71, and a speaker 8 are disposed on the head 5. Also, light emitting diodes 9a, 9b for blinking the cheeks are disposed on both sides of the front inside the head 5. Furthermore, disposed inside the walking toy 1 are a leg movement mechanism 10 (see Figs. 4, 5, 9), left and right foot movement mechanisms 11a, 11b (see Fig. 6), and an arm movement mechanism 12 (see Figs. 7, 8).

[0017] (Leg movement mechanism 10) FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the leg operating mechanism 10, and FIG. The motor M, which is the power source, is placed vertically, and the rotational power of the motor gear 13 is transmitted to the gear 20 via gears 14 to 19. The gear 15 is a screw gear. Cylindrical eccentric cams 22a and 22b are attached to the left and right of the shaft 21 to which the gear 20 is fixed, at positions eccentric from the shaft 21. Inside the body 2, the left leg 3a engages with the eccentric cam 22a, and the right leg 3b engages with the eccentric cam 22b. That is, the left eccentric cam 22a is inserted into the long hole 300a of the left leg 3a that can swing back and forth, and the right eccentric cam 22b is inserted into the long hole 300b of the right leg 3b that can swing back and forth. The left eccentric cam 22a and the right eccentric cam 22b are shifted from each other by 180 degrees around the shaft. Furthermore, gears 19 and 20 that mesh with each other have the same shape and number of teeth, and rotate in opposite directions at the same speed. 9 is a side view showing a part of the leg operating mechanism 10. The leg 3a engages with a cylindrical eccentric cam 28a attached to the shaft 27 of the gear 19. That is, a circular hole 301a is formed in the middle of the leg 3a in the longitudinal direction, and the eccentric cam 28a is disposed in this hole 301a. The eccentric cam 28a constitutes a crank. Although not shown, the left leg 3a also engages with an eccentric cam in the same manner. The left eccentric cam 28a and the corresponding right eccentric cam are shifted from each other by 180 degrees around the axis. These left and right eccentric cams 28a etc. raise the legs 3a, 3b relative to the torso 2 so that when the legs 3a, 3b are swung forward from the rear end position, the legs 3a, 3b reach their uppermost position at the midpoint in the fore-and-aft direction, and lower the legs 3a, 3b relative to the torso 2 so that when the legs 3a, 3b are swung backward from the rear end position, the legs 3a, 3b reach their lowermost position at the midpoint in the fore-and-aft direction. As a result, when the motor M is driven, the left and right legs 3a, 3b swing in opposite directions with some up and down movement due to the action of the eccentric cams 22a, 22b and the shaft 28a, etc. This makes it easier for the rear leg to overtake the front leg, and achieves a more natural foot movement. In addition, since the eccentric cams 22a, 22b, 28a, etc. and the legs 3a, 3b are engaged inside the torso 2, the engaging parts are not exposed to the outside, and the appearance is not marred. In addition, although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the left and right eccentric cams 28a, etc. may be always located below the left and right eccentric cams 22a, 22b while the gears 19, 20 are rotating, but are shifted by one tooth of the gears 19, 20. This makes the movement of the feet 31a, 31b more elliptical, and a more natural footwork can be achieved.

[0018] (Attachment structure of legs 31a, 31b) A left foot 31a is attached under the left leg 3a, and a left foot 31b is attached under the right leg 3b. Since the attachment structures of the left and right feet 31a, 31b are symmetrical, the attachment structure of the left foot 31a will be mainly described, and the corresponding parts of the attachment structure of the right foot 31b will be indicated only by the reference numerals in parentheses. An ankle part is integrally formed with the foot 31a (31b). The foot 31a (31b) is hollow inside, and an opening is formed at the upper end of the ankle part that is connected to the cavity. The lower end of the leg 3a (3b) is inserted from the opening. The leg 3a (3b) is connected to the foot 31a (31b) via a foot axis 32a (32b). The foot axis 32a (32b) is located near the inside of the foot 31a (31b) and extends in the front-rear direction. The foot 31a (31b) is configured to be able to swing up and down around the foot axis 32a (32b). In this case, when considering a plane (imaginary plane) in which the sole of foot 31a (31b) is perpendicular to leg 3a (3b), it is preferable that the swinging range of foot 31a (31b) be between a first position where the sole of foot 31a (31b) is closer to the base of leg 3a (3b) than the imaginary plane, and a second position where the sole of foot 31a (31b) is farther from the base of leg 3a (3b) than the imaginary plane.

[0019] (Foot movement mechanism 11a, 11b) FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the leg operating mechanism 10 and the foot operating mechanisms 11a and 11b of the walking toy 1 with some parts cut away. The walking toy 1 is equipped with left and right foot operating mechanisms 11a and 11b. Since the structures of the left and right foot operating mechanisms 11a and 11b are symmetrical, the structure of the left foot operating mechanism 11a will be mainly described, and the corresponding parts of the structure of the right foot operating mechanism 11b will be indicated only by the reference numerals in parentheses. The foot operating mechanism 11a (11b) includes an end cam 33a (33b) having peaks and valleys as a cam surface, and a V-shaped follower 34a (34b) operated by the end cam 33a (33b). The valleys and peaks of the end cam 33a (33b) are formed at opposing positions across the axis. The left and right end cams 33a, 33b are out of phase with each other by 180 degrees. The end cam 33a (33b) is attached to the same shaft 27 as the gear 19, and rotates as the gear 19 rotates. The middle part of the follower 34a (34b) is supported by the leg 3a (3b) via the shaft 35a (35b). The upper end of the follower 34a (34b) is pressed against the cam surface of the end cam 33a (33b) by a torsion spring 36a (36b). Meanwhile, the lower end of the follower 34a (34b) is located within the gap of the leg 31a (31b) and is configured to slide against the gap defining member from above and below.

[0020] (Attachment structure of arms 4a, 4b) FIG. 7 is a front perspective view showing the arm operating mechanism 12 of the walking toy, and FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view showing the arm operating mechanism 12 of the walking toy. The left arm 4a is supported on the body 2 via a shaft 40a, and the right arm 4b is supported on the body 2 via a shaft 40b. The shafts 40a and 40b share a common axis and are connected to each other by a connecting part 41. An operating piece 42 is attached to the connecting part 41. The operating piece 42 has a notch 43 formed at its upper end.

[0021] (Arm movement mechanism 12) The rotational power of the gear 16 is transmitted to a rotating plate 48 via gears 44 to 47. An eccentric pin 49 is attached to the rotating plate 48, and the eccentric pin 49 is inserted into the notch 43. As a result, the left and right arms 4a and 4b are operated by the rotational power of the motor M.

[0022] (Walking movement) The left and right legs 3a, 3b are swung in opposite directions to each other. The movements of the left and right legs 3a, 3b and legs 31a, 31b in this case will be described as follows.

[0023] Now, let us assume that the left leg 3a is at the front end position of the swing, the sole of the foot 31a is on the ground, and the sole of the other foot 31b is floating in the air. At this time, the upper end of the follower 34a is in contact with the valley of the end cam 33a. In this case, the right leg 3b is at the rear end position of the swing, and the upper end of the follower 34b is in contact with the peak of the end cam 33b. And the walking toy 1 is deeply tilted to the left.

[0024] When the leg 3a is swung backward from this state and the leg 3b is swung forward, the contact portion between the upper end of the follower 34a and the end cam 33a gradually moves toward the crest, and the inclination of the walking toy 1 to the left gradually becomes shallower. Then, when the leg 3b at the rear overtakes the leg 3a at the front and reaches the front end, the sole of the foot 31a of the overtaken leg 3a pushes the ground, and the center of gravity of the walking toy 1 moves toward the opposite foot 31b. As a result, the sole of the foot 31b touches the ground, and the sole of the other foot 31a floats in the air. At this time, the contact portion between the upper end of the follower 34b and the end cam 33b of the left leg 3b reaches the trough, so that the walking toy 1 deeply inclines to the right. Next, when the leg 3b is swung backward and the leg 3a is swung forward, the contact portion between the upper end of the follower 34b and the end cam 33b gradually moves toward the crest, and the inclination of the walking toy 1 to the right gradually becomes shallower. Then, when the rear leg 3a overtakes the front leg 3b and reaches the front end, the sole of the foot 31b of the overtaken leg 3b pushes the ground, and the center of gravity of the walking toy 1 moves toward the opposite foot 31a. As a result, the sole of the foot 31a touches the ground, and the sole of the other foot 31b floats in the air. At this time, the contact portion between the upper end of the follower 34a and the end cam 33a of the left leg 3a reaches the trough, so the walking toy 1 is deeply inclined to the left. The walking toy 1 continues walking by repeating the above actions.

[0025] The walking toy 1 thus configured has the following main advantages. In other words, a walking toy 1 is realized in which the feet 31a, 31b swing about the foot axes 32a, 32b in conjunction with the swinging of the legs 3a, 3b to change the angle of the sole of the foot relative to the leg 2, allowing for large left-right swinging and smooth shifting of the center of gravity from left to right with a simple structure. In addition, when the legs 3a, 3b are swung backward from the front end position, the feet 31a, 31b are swung in a direction such that the soles of the feet move away from the legs 3a, 3b, so that the soles of the feet 31a, 31b push against the ground, and the center of gravity can be easily shifted to the opposite feet 31b, 31a with a simple configuration.

[0026] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the end cams 33a, 33b rotate around the axis 27, but since the followers 34a, 34b also rotate around the end cams 33a, 33b as the legs 3a, 3b oscillate, the end cams 33a, 33b may be fixed to the body 2 if the shape of the cam surfaces of the end cams 33a, 33b is appropriate.

[0027] In the above embodiment, the legs 3a, 3b are operated by the eccentric cams 22a, 22b, 28a, etc., but the legs 3a, 3b may simply be swung about a predetermined axis.

[0028] In addition, in the above embodiment, when the leg is swung forward from the rear end position, the foot is swung toward the first position, and when the leg is swung backward from the front end position, the foot is swung toward the second position. However, when the leg is swung forward from the rear end position, the foot can be swung toward the second position to the intermediate position, and the foot can be swung toward the first position from the intermediate position to the front end position, and when the leg is swung backward from the front end position, the foot can be swung toward the first position to the intermediate position, and the foot can be swung toward the second position from the intermediate position to the rear end position. The operation of the walking toy 1 in this case will be specifically described as follows.

[0029] Now, let us assume that the left leg 3a is at the front end position of the swing, the sole of the foot 31a is on the ground, and the sole of the other foot 31b is floating in the air. At this time, the upper end of the follower 34a is in contact with the middle between the valley and the crest of the end cam 33a. In this case, the right leg 3b is at the rear end position of the swing, and the upper end of the follower 34b is in contact with the middle between the valley and the crest of the end cam 33b. And the walking toy 1 is inclined to the left.

[0030] When the leg 3a is swung backward from this state, the contact portion between the upper end of the follower 34a and the end cam 33a gradually shifts toward the valley portion until the intermediate portion, and the inclination to the left of the walking toy 1 gradually deepens. Then, after passing the intermediate portion, the contact portion between the upper end of the follower 34a and the end cam 33a gradually shifts toward the peak portion, and the walking toy 1 rises up. On the other hand, when leg 3b is swung forward from this state, the abutment portion between the upper end of follower 34b and end cam 33b gradually moves toward the peak portion until it passes the intermediate portion, and then, after passing the intermediate portion, the abutment portion between the upper end of follower 34b and end cam 33b gradually moves toward the valley portion. Then, when the rear leg 3b overtakes the front leg 3a and reaches the front end position, and the overtaken leg 3a reaches the rear end position, the sole of the foot 31a of the leg 3a pushes the ground, and the center of gravity of the walking toy 1 moves toward the opposite foot 31b. As a result, the sole of the foot 31b touches the ground, and the sole of the other foot 31a floats in the air. Furthermore, when the leg 3a is swung backward from the state where the foot 31b is at the front end position, the contact portion between the upper end of the follower 34b and the end cam 33b gradually shifts toward the valley portion until the intermediate portion, and the inclination to the right of the walking toy 1 gradually deepens. Then, after passing the intermediate portion, the contact portion between the upper end of the follower 34b and the end cam 33a gradually shifts toward the peak portion, and the walking toy 1 rises up. On the other hand, when the leg 3a at the rear end position is swung forward, the abutment portion between the upper end of the follower 34a and the end cam 33a gradually moves toward the peak portion until it reaches the intermediate portion, and then, after passing the intermediate portion, the abutment portion between the upper end of the follower 34a and the end cam 33a gradually moves toward the valley portion. Then, when the rear leg 3a overtakes the front leg 3b and reaches the front end position, and the overtaken leg 3b reaches the rear end position, the sole of the foot 31b of the leg 3b pushes the ground, and the center of gravity of the walking toy 1 moves toward the opposite foot 31a. As a result, the sole of the foot 31a touches the ground, and the sole of the other foot 31a floats in the air. The walking toy 1 continues walking by repeating the above actions.

[0031] The walking toy 1 thus configured has the following main advantages. That is, when the legs 3a, 3b are swung forward, the feet 31a, 31b are swung in a direction in which the soles of the feet approach the bases of the legs 3a, 3b, so that the body (torso 2) can be tilted in one direction when the legs reach the front end. Also, when the legs 3a, 3b are swung backward, the soles of the feet are swung in a direction away from the bases of the legs 3a, 3b, so that the soles of the feet push the ground, and the center of gravity can be shifted to the opposite foot 31b, 31a side with a simple configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1 Walking Toys 3a,3b legs 4a,4b Arms 11a,11b Foot movement mechanism 12 Arm movement mechanism 22a, 22b Eccentric cam 24a,24b axis 31a,31b feet 32a,32b Foot axis 33a, 33b End cam 34a, 34b Follower Medium motor

Claims

1. A walking toy comprising a body, left and right legs that can swing back and forth within a predetermined range, and a leg operating mechanism that swings the left and right legs to walk, A pair of feet are provided on the left and right sides of the left and right legs, and the feet are located near the inside of the sole and can swing up and down around a foot axis extending from the toe side to the heel side. a foot operating mechanism provided on each of the left and right feet to swing the foot around the foot axis in response to the swinging of the leg, thereby changing the angle of the sole of the foot relative to the leg; The foot operating mechanism includes an end cam that rotates about a first axis extending in a width direction of the walking toy in conjunction with the leg, and a follower that is provided from the leg to the foot and slides on a cam surface of the end cam and rotates about a second axis parallel to the foot axis to directly swing the foot, and the foot is swung via the follower by the rotational movement of the end cam. A walking toy characterized by the above.

2. The foot is a plane perpendicular to the leg, and the sole of the foot is 2. The walking toy according to claim 1, characterized in that the toy is configured to be able to swing between a first position in which the sole of the foot is closer to the base of the leg than the surface and a second position in which the sole of the foot is farther from the leg than the surface, and the foot operating mechanism causes the leg to take the first position when the leg is in a front end position and causes the leg to take the second position when the leg is in a rear end position.

3. The walking toy described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the leg operating mechanism includes an eccentric cam that raises the leg relative to the body so that the leg reaches its uppermost position at a midpoint in the fore-and-aft direction when the leg is swung forward from the rear end position, and that lowers the leg relative to the body so that the leg reaches its lowermost position at a midpoint in the fore-and-aft direction when the leg is swung backward from the front end position.

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