Wrist joint structure and model

Abstract

To depict the actions and / or states of humans, animals, robots, etc., in a realistic or intriguing manner. [Solution] A wrist joint structure according to one embodiment comprises a plate-shaped projection 45 that protrudes from the base of the hand body 44 toward the forearm part 42, a palmar shaft portion 46 that protrudes from the projection 45 in the thickness direction of the projection 45, a joint shaft portion 47 that is pivotably connected to the palmar shaft portion 46, and a connecting projection 420 that protrudes from the tip portion 42E of the forearm part 42 toward the longitudinal direction of the forearm part 42, the connecting projection 420 having a forearm-side shaft support hole 421 that opens in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the forearm part 42 and into which the joint shaft portion 47 is rotatably inserted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure and a model suitable for use in humanoid models and the like.

Background Art

[0002] In the field of models and figures, various technologies have been proposed hitherto. For example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose various structures related to models.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the field of models and figures, there is always a demand for devices that can realistically represent the actions and states (postures, etc.) of actual humans, animals, etc., and the required level is constantly increasing year by year. And without ingenious devices in the product, it is becoming difficult to obtain high evaluations.

[0005] The present invention was conceived from the above background, and an object thereof is to provide a structure and a model that can represent the actions and / or states of humans, animals, robots, etc. realistically or in a manner that stimulates interest.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] Embodiments of the present invention relate to the following aspects.

[0007] A wrist joint structure that connects a hand part having a hand body including the palm and back of the hand, and a forearm part, with the base of the hand body and the tip of the forearm part facing each other, A plate-shaped projection extending from the base of the hand body toward the forearm part, The palm-side shaft portion protruding from the protruding piece in the thickness direction of the protruding piece, A joint shaft portion that is pivotably connected to the palmar shaft portion, It comprises a connecting projection that protrudes from the tip portion in the longitudinal direction of the forearm part, The wrist joint structure has a connecting projection that is open in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction and has a forearm-side pivot hole into which the joint shaft portion is rotatably inserted. A model equipped with the above-described wrist joint structure.

[0008] A cylindrical chest piece, The device comprises an abdominal part that is pivotably connected to the chest part with a portion of it inserted inside the chest part, and which protrudes from the chest part, A torso structure in which a slit extending in the circumferential direction is formed in the chest part. A model featuring the above-described fuselage structure.

[0009] Upper arm parts, The upper arm part comprises a forearm part that is pivotably connected to the tip of the upper arm part, The upper arm part has a retractable portion between the tip portion and the tip portion at the position corresponding to the biceps brachii muscle, The arm structure is configured such that the retractable portion is embedded in the interior of the upper arm part in response to contact with the forearm part which is swung toward the upper arm part. A model equipped with the above-described arm structure.

[0010] A torso part that mimics the human torso, A pair of left and right buttock parts are pivotably connected to the rear of the torso part and extend downward from the rear of the torso part, A pair of left and right thigh parts that are swingably connected to the trunk part in front of each of the hip parts and extend downward from the trunk part. A lower body structure in which the trunk part is provided with a biasing member that biases the hip part toward the corresponding thigh part side. A model including the above lower body structure.

[0011] A thigh part imitating a human thigh, A lower leg part imitating a human lower leg that is swingably connected to the lower part of the thigh part. The thigh part is cylindrical and has a main part including at least a range from the center in the left - right direction at the lower end of the rear part to the center in the up - down direction of the rear part. The thigh part has a soft semi - body whose width in the left - right direction is not less than the maximum width in the left - right direction of the lower leg part, and a hard semi - body that is harder than the soft semi - body and cooperates with the soft semi - body to form the cylindrical thigh part. A model including the above leg structure.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, the actions and / or states of humans, animals, robots, etc. can be represented realistically or in a way that stimulates interest.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] [Figure 1] It is a front view of a humanoid which is an example of a model according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a rear view of the humanoid shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a left side view of the humanoid shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a view showing the trunk module of the humanoid shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a view for explaining the state in which the abdominal part swings with respect to the chest part in the trunk module shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is a view showing the right - arm module of the humanoid shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7]A view of the right arm module in the direction of arrow VII in FIG. 6, and a view showing the internal structure of the right arm module. [Figure 8] A view for explaining the state in which the forearm part of the right arm module shown in FIG. 6 swings toward the upper arm part side. [Figure 9] A view showing the right arm module shown in FIG. 6, and a view for explaining the procedure of connecting the hand part to the forearm part. [Figure 10] A perspective view showing the state in which the hand part shown in FIG. 9 is separated from the forearm part. [Figure 11] A view showing the state in which the hand part shown in FIG. 9 swings with respect to the forearm part. [Figure 12] A view showing the waist and hip module and the left leg module of the humanoid shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 13] A view showing the connection part between the waist and hip module and the left leg module shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] A perspective view of the internal structure of the waist and hip module shown in FIG. 12 as viewed from the rear. [Figure 15] A view for explaining the state in which the left leg module swings with respect to the waist and hip module shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 16] A view for explaining the state of the connection part between the waist and hip module and the left leg module when the left leg module swings as shown in FIG. 15. <l [Figure 17] A view showing the thigh part of the left leg module of the humanoid shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 18] A view for explaining the state in which the lower leg part of the left leg module of the humanoid shown in FIG. 1 swings toward the thigh part side.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] The following describes a doll 1, which is an example of a model according to one embodiment. Figures 1 to 3 show the front view, rear view, and left side view of doll 1, respectively. Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the overall structure of doll 1 will first be described in general terms. In Figures 1 to 3, the arrows indicated by the symbol UD indicate the vertical direction of doll 1, and the arrows indicated by the symbol LR indicate the horizontal direction of doll 1. Although the arrows are not shown, the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction UD and the horizontal direction LR is called the front-to-back direction. The following descriptions will be based on these directions.

[0015] <Outline of the doll's structure> As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the doll 1 comprises a torso module 2, a hip module 3, a right arm module 4R, a left arm module 4L, a head module 5, a right leg module 6R, and a left leg module 6L.

[0016] Torso module 2 is the part that mimics the human torso and comprises a cylindrical chest part 21 and an abdominal part 22 located below the chest part 21. A joint for connecting to the abdominal part 22 is provided inside the chest part 21, and the abdominal part 22 is connected to the joint inside the chest part 21 with its upper part inserted inside the chest part 21. In this way, the abdominal part 22 is connected to the chest part 21 so as to protrude downward from the lower part of the chest part 21.

[0017] The waist-hip module 3 is located below the torso module 2 and is the part that mimics the waist and hips of a human. The waist-hip module 3 comprises a cylindrical torso part 31 that mimics the torso of a human, a roughly triangular lower abdomen part 32 that tapers downward from the front lower side of the torso part 31, a right hip part 33R connected to the rear right side of the torso part 31, and a left hip part 33L connected to the rear left side of the torso part 31. The waist-hip module 3 is connected to the abdomen part 22 by inserting the lower part of the abdomen part 22 inside the torso part 31.

[0018] The right arm module 4R is connected to the upper right side of the torso module 2, and the left arm module 4L is connected to the upper left side of the torso module 2, each mimicking a human arm. The right arm module 4R includes an upper arm part 41 that is connected to the torso module 2 and mimics a human upper arm, a forearm part 42 that is connected to the tip of the upper arm part and mimics a human forearm, and a hand part 43 that is connected to the tip of the forearm part 42. The left arm module 4L has a similar configuration to the right arm module 4R, although it is oriented differently for left and right.

[0019] The head module 5 is located on the upper part of the torso module 2 and is the part that mimics the head and neck of a human. The head module 5 comprises a head part 51 and a neck part 52 connected to the lower part of the head part 51, and is located on the upper part of the torso module 2 by connecting the neck part 52 to a joint located on the upper central side of the torso module 2.

[0020] The right leg module 6R is connected to the lumbar-hip module 3 so as to extend downward from the right slope of the roughly triangular lower abdominal part 32 in the lumbar-hip module 3, and the left leg module 6L is connected to the lumbar-hip module 3 so as to extend downward from the left slope of the triangular lower abdominal part 32.

[0021] The left leg module 6L comprises a leg base part 61, a thigh part 62 connected to the leg base part 61 at the top, a knee part 63 connected to the lower part of the thigh part 62, a lower leg part 64 connected to the knee part 63 at the top, and a foot part 65 connected to the lower part of the lower leg part 64. A joint for connecting to the right leg module 6R and the left leg module 6L is provided at the rear of the triangular lower abdomen part 32 of the waist and hip module 3, and the left leg module 6L is connected to the waist and hip module 3 by connecting the leg base part 61 to this joint. The right leg module 6R has a similar configuration to the left leg module 6L, although it is oriented differently for left and right.

[0022] In doll 1, the right arm module 4R, the left arm module 4L, and the head module 5 are movablely connected to the torso module 2, and their angles relative to the torso module 2 can be changed. In addition, the angles of the forearm part 42 relative to the upper arm part 41 and the hand part 43 relative to the forearm part 42 can also be changed in the right arm module 4R and the left arm module 4L.

[0023] Furthermore, the right leg module 6R and the left leg module 6L are movably connected to the hip module 3, allowing their angles relative to the hip module 3 to be changed. In addition, the angles of the knee part 63 relative to the thigh part 62, the angle of the lower leg part 64 relative to the knee part 63, and the angle of the foot part 65 relative to the lower leg part 64 can also be changed in the right leg module 6R and the left leg module 6L.

[0024] The modules (2, 3, 4R, 4L, 5, 6R, 6L) described above that are connected to one another may be connected by a single-axis joint or by a multi-axis joint such as a universal joint. The parts within the modules that are connected to one another may also be connected by a single-axis joint or by a multi-axis joint such as a universal joint. The joints described above in this embodiment include an axle hole into which an axle provided in the module or part is fitted, or include an axle into which an axle is fitted in an axle hole provided in the module or part. In this embodiment, as an example, by pressing the axle into the axle hole, the posture is maintained when the angle of the module or part is changed with respect to the joint as the axis, and the doll 1 can maintain various poses in a static state.

[0025] The doll 1 according to this embodiment is a so-called "drawing mannequin" used as a reference when drawing human poses, but the use of the doll 1 is not particularly limited, and the doll 1 may also be a model called a figure or plastic model. The material of the doll 1 is mainly resin such as ABS resin or POM resin, but is not particularly limited. The doll 1 according to this embodiment has structures in the torso, arms, wrists, lower body, and thighs that express human movements and / or states in a realistic or intriguing manner. The structures of the doll 1 will be described below.

[0026] <Body structure> First, let's explain the torso structure of doll 1. Figure 4 shows the torso module 2 of doll 1, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a rear view, and (C) is a front view of torso module 2 with a portion broken off.

[0027] Figure 4 shows the chest part 21 and the abdominal part 22 that constitute the torso module 2. In this embodiment, the chest part 21 is equipped with a multi-axis universal joint part 210 as a joint for connecting to the abdominal part 22. The abdominal part 22 is pivotably connected to the chest part 21 via the universal joint part 210. The universal joint part 210 is shown by a dashed line in Figures 4(A) and (B), and by a solid line in Figure 4(C).

[0028] The universal joint portion 210 has a pivot hole 211 that opens in the front-rear direction and comprises a base portion 212 integrated with the inner surface of the chest part 21, a first shaft portion 213 rotatably inserted into the pivot hole 211, and a second shaft portion 214 connected to the first shaft portion 213 and extending in the left-right direction.

[0029] In this embodiment, the abdominal part 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a pair of left and right connecting parts 221 on its inner surface for connecting to the second shaft part 214. Each of the left and right connecting parts 221 has a shaft hole (not shown) for inserting the second shaft part 214.

[0030] The abdominal part 22 is inserted with its upper part inside the chest part 21, and with the universal joint part 210 located inside it, one end of the second shaft part 214 is rotatably inserted into the shaft hole of one of the pair of left and right connecting parts 221, and the other end of the second shaft part 214 is rotatably inserted into the shaft hole of the other of the pair of left and right connecting parts 221. In this way, the abdominal part 22 is connected to the universal joint part 210 with its upper part inserted into the chest part 21.

[0031] In Figure 4(C), the reference numeral A21 indicates the central axis of the first shaft portion 213 of the universal joint portion 210, and the reference numeral A22 indicates the central axis of the second shaft portion 214. The abdominal part 22 connected to the universal joint portion 210 is capable of swinging left and right around the central axis A21 and swinging forward and backward around the central axis A22. Here, the first shaft portion 213 of the universal joint portion 210 is inserted into the shaft support hole 211 by press fitting, and the second shaft portion 214 is inserted into the shaft holes of the pair of left and right connecting portions 221 by press fitting. This ensures that the posture of the abdominal part 22 is maintained when the abdominal part 22 swings around the central axis A21 and / or central axis A22.

[0032] Figure 5 illustrates how the abdominal part 22 swings relative to the chest part 21. Figure 5(B) shows the abdominal part 22 swinging to the right around the central axis A21, starting from the state in which the chest part 21 and abdominal part 22 are aligned vertically as shown in Figure 5(A). In Figure 5(B), the right side of the abdominal part 22 is in contact with the lower right side of the chest part 21.

[0033] In this embodiment, a pair of circumferentially extending left and right slits 24 are formed in the chest part 21. The slits 24 make the chest part 21 more easily deformable and expand the range of motion of the abdominal part 22. That is, as described above, when the abdominal part 22 swings and comes into contact with the lower part of the chest part 21, the chest part 21 becomes more easily deformable due to the formation of the slits 24. As a result, the slits 24 can expand the range of motion of the abdominal part 22 from the position where the abdominal part 22 initially contacts the chest part 21.

[0034] At the front of the chest part 21, a notch 222 is formed that tapers and recesses from the end (lower part) on the side where the abdominal part 22 protrudes to the side opposite to the side where the abdominal part 22 protrudes (upper part). The left slit 24 opens from the left slope of the notch 222, and the right slit 24 opens from the right slope of the notch 222.

[0035] As shown in Figure 5(A), the slit 24 includes a first portion 24A extending substantially parallel to the slope of the notch 222 from the open end, and a second portion 24B extending rearward from the end of the first portion 24A opposite to the open end. That is, at least a portion of the slit 24 extends substantially parallel to the slope of the notch 222. The second portion 24B is formed at a position corresponding to the side of the torso. The position of the slit 24 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably formed near the lower end of the chest part 21. Referring to Figure 5(A), the reference numeral L indicates the length between the two ends in the axial direction of the chest part 21. The slit 24 is preferably formed in a range of 0.5L or less from the lower end of the chest part 21, and more preferably in a range of 0.3L or less from the lower end of the chest part 21.

[0036] Referring also to Figures 4(A) and (B), in this embodiment, the chest part 21 has a first half 21A and a second half 21B that are divided axially (along the vertical direction UD in this example) and connected to each other. The first half 21A and the second half 21B are connected to each other with a gap in the axial direction in some parts, and in this embodiment, a slit 24 is formed by this gap. While such a structure has the advantage of easily forming the slit 24, the method of forming the slit 24 is not particularly limited, and the chest part 21 does not have to be a divided structure.

[0037] Referring to Figure 5(B), the process by which the oscillating abdominal part 22 contacts the chest part 21 and deforms the chest part 21 will be explained. In Figure 5(B), as described above, the abdominal part 22 is oscillating and in contact with the chest part 21. If a force is applied in a direction that causes the abdominal part 22 to oscillate further from this state, the portion of the chest part 21 between the contact point with the abdominal part 22 and the slit 24 deforms so as to expand radially in the chest part 21, as shown by arrow α in Figure 5(B). As a result, in this embodiment, the range of motion (oscillation range) of the abdominal part 22 can be increased.

[0038] In the torso structure according to this embodiment described above, the abdominal part 22 is pivotably connected to the chest part 21 with a portion of it inserted inside the chest part 21, the abdominal part 22 protrudes from the chest part 21, and a circumferentially extending slit 24 is formed in the chest part 21. With this configuration, when the abdominal part 22 is pivoted and comes into contact with the chest part 21, the chest part 21 becomes more easily deformed, thereby widening the range of motion (pivot range) of the abdominal part 22 and improving the freedom of posing. This makes it possible to express the movements and / or states of humans, animals, robots, etc. in a realistic or intriguing manner.

[0039] In this embodiment in particular, the chest part 21 has a notch 222 that tapers and recesses from the end on the side where the abdominal part 22 protrudes to the side opposite to the side where the abdominal part 22 protrudes, and the slit 24 is open from the slope of the notch 222. As a result, when the abdominal part 22 is swung and brought into contact with the chest part 21, the chest part 21 can be easily deformed, thereby easily widening the range of motion of the abdominal part 22.

[0040] Furthermore, at least a portion of the slit 24 extends substantially parallel to the slope of the notch 222. This allows the chest part 21 to deform more easily when the abdominal part 22 is swung and brought into contact with the chest part 21.

[0041] In this embodiment, the chest part 21 has a first half 21A and a second half 21B that are divided axially and connected to each other, with the first half 21A and the second half 21B connected to each other with a gap in the axial direction in some parts. A slit 24 is formed by this gap. This makes it easy to form the slit 24, which is advantageous in terms of improving productivity.

[0042] <Arm structure> Next, the arm structure of doll 1 will be described. Figure 6 shows the right arm module 4R, which is shown detached from the torso module 2. Figure 7 shows (A) a view of the right arm module 4R in the direction of arrow VII in Figure 6, and (B) a view showing the internal structure of the right arm module 4R.

[0043] Figure 6 shows the upper arm part 41 that constitutes the right arm module 4R, the forearm part 42 that is pivotably connected to the tip 41E of the upper arm part 41, and the hand part 43 that is connected to the tip of the forearm part 42. As shown in Figure 6, the upper arm part 41 has an upper arm body 410 and a connecting part 411 connected to the upper end of the upper arm body 410, and the connecting part 411 has a shaft part 412. The upper arm part 41 is connected to the torso module 2 by rotatably inserting the shaft part 412 into the shaft hole on the torso module 2 side.

[0044] Referring to Figure 7(A), the tip portion 41E of the upper arm body 410 is formed by the end on the side opposite to the connection portion 411 of the upper arm body 410, and the forearm part 42 is pivotably connected to the upper arm part 41 via a pivot portion 413 formed on the tip portion 41E. The forearm part 42 is pivotable relative to the upper arm part 41 with the central axis A31 of the pivot portion 413 shown in Figure 7(A) as its axis. As shown in Figure 7(A), the forearm part 42 extending downward from the upper arm part 41 can pivot in the direction of arrow β toward the position corresponding to the biceps brachii muscle on the upper arm part 41.

[0045] In this embodiment, the upper arm part 41 has a retractable portion 414 that can extend and retract between the tip portion 41E and the tip portion 41E at the position corresponding to the biceps brachii muscle, and the retractable portion 414 is configured to retract into the interior of the upper arm part 41 in response to contact with the forearm part 42 which is swung toward the upper arm part 41.

[0046] As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, the upper arm body 410 has a notched opening 415 that extends from the tip 41E to the opposite end. Referring to Figure 7(B), the retractable part 414 is pivotably connected to the upper arm body 410 at a connecting end 414A, which is the end opposite to the tip 41E, so that it can retract through the opening 415.

[0047] More specifically, a shaft hole is formed in the connecting end 414A of the retractable portion 414, and a support shaft 416 is provided at the upper end of the open portion 415 inside the upper arm body 410. The retractable portion 414 is pivotably connected to the upper arm body 410 by inserting the support shaft 416 into the shaft hole of the connecting end 414A. The axial direction of the support shaft 416 is parallel to the central axis A31 of the pivot point 413 between the upper arm part 41 and the forearm part 42.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7(B), the upper arm body 410 is provided with a restoring member 418 that generates a restoring force in a direction that returns the retractable portion 414, which is embedded on the inside of the upper arm body 410, to a protruding state that exposes it to the outside.

[0049] The restoration member 418 includes a linearly extending connecting portion 418A, a first extending portion 418B extending from one end of the connecting portion 418A in a direction intersecting the connecting portion 418A, and a second extending portion 418C extending from the other end of the connecting portion 418A in a direction intersecting the connecting portion 418A. In this example, the first extending portion 418B and the second extending portion 418C extend from the connecting portion 418A in the same direction. The restoration member 418 is positioned such that the first extending portion 418B is in close proximity to or in contact with the opening portion 415 of the upper arm body 410, and the second extending portion 418C is positioned on the opening portion 415 side and faces the retractable portion 414.

[0050] In the restoration member 418 arranged as described above, when the retractable portion 414 is embedded in the interior of the upper arm body 410, the second extending portion 418C moves closer to the first extending portion 418B. As a result, the restoration member 418 stores a restoring force in the direction that returns the retractable portion 414, which is embedded in the interior of the upper arm body 410, to a protruding state that is exposed to the outside.

[0051] Furthermore, Figures 6 and 7(A) show the contact portion 42A, which is the contact portion of the forearm part 42 with the retractable portion 414. The contact portion 42A is formed in a convex shape and is configured so that when the retractable portion 414 is pushed inward into the upper arm body 410, at least a part of it enters the interior of the upper arm body 410 through the opening portion 415. As a result, in this embodiment, the range of motion of the forearm part 42 toward the upper arm part 41 can be increased.

[0052] Figure 8 illustrates how the forearm part 42 bends, that is, how the forearm part 42 swings toward the upper arm part 41. Figures 8(A) to 8(C) show the forearm part 42 gradually approaching the upper arm part 41, and Figures 8(D) to 8(F) correspond to Figures 8(A) to 8(C), respectively, and show the internal state of the upper arm part 41 as the forearm part 42 gradually approaches the upper arm part 41.

[0053] Figures 8(A) and (D) show a protruding state in which the contact portion 42A of the forearm part 42 is not in contact with the retractable portion 414 of the upper arm part 41, and most of the retractable portion 414 is exposed to the outside of the upper arm body 410. On the other hand, Figures 8(B) and (E) show a state in which the contact portion 42A of the forearm part 42 is in contact with the retractable portion 414 of the upper arm part 41, and the retractable portion 414 is embedded inside the upper arm body 410. In Figure 8(E), it is shown that the retractable portion 414 swings inward towards the upper arm body 410 with the support shaft 416 as the axis.

[0054] Figures 8(C) and 8(F) show a state in which the retractable portion 414 is further embedded inside the upper arm body 410 than in the state shown in Figures 8(B) and 8(E). In Figure 8(F), the retractable portion 414 swings further inward towards the upper arm body 410 around the support shaft 416 as its axis compared to the state shown in Figure 8(E). In this state, most of the contact portion 42A of the forearm part 42 enters the interior of the upper arm body 410 through the opening 415.

[0055] In the states shown in Figures 8(E) and 8(F), the retractable portion 414 swings inward towards the upper arm body 410 around the support shaft 416 as its axis, causing the retractable portion 414 to contact the second extension portion 418C and deform the second extension portion 418C so that it moves closer to the first extension portion 418B. As a result, the restoring member 418 stores a restoring force in the direction that will return the retractable portion 414 to its protruding state, exposing it to the outside. In this state, when the forearm part 42 is pulled away from the upper arm part 41, the retractable portion 414 can return to the protruding state by the restoring force of the restoring member 418.

[0056] In the arm structure according to the embodiment described above, the upper arm part 41 has a retractable portion 414 between the tip portion 41E of the upper arm part 41 at the position corresponding to the biceps brachii muscle and the tip portion 41E. The retractable portion 414 is configured to retract into the interior of the upper arm part 41 in response to contact with the forearm part 42 which is swung toward the upper arm part 41. With this configuration, the retractable portion 414 can represent the inner part of the upper arm sinking in due to contact with the forearm, etc. This makes it possible to represent the movements and / or states of humans, animals, robots, etc. in a realistic or intriguing manner.

[0057] In particular, in this embodiment, the upper arm part 41 has a cylindrical upper arm body 410 having a tip portion 41E, and the upper arm body 410 has an opening portion 415 extending from the tip portion 41E to the opposite end, and the retractable portion 414 is pivotably connected to the upper arm body 410 at the end opposite to the tip portion 41E so that it can retract and extend through the opening portion 415. This makes it easy to form the retractable portion 414, which is advantageous in terms of productivity.

[0058] Furthermore, a restoring member 418 is provided inside the upper arm body 410, which generates a restoring force in a direction that returns the retractable portion 414, which is embedded on the inside of the upper arm body 410, to a protruding state that exposes it to the outside. As a result, the retractable portion 414, which has been pushed into the embedded state, automatically returns to the protruding state when the push is released, thus representing how the indentation of the inner part of the upper arm caused by contact with the forearm naturally returns to its original state when the forearm separates.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the restoration member 418 has a linearly extending connecting portion 418A, a first extending portion 418B extending from one end of the connecting portion 418A in a direction intersecting the connecting portion 418A, and a second extending portion 418C extending from the other end of the connecting portion 418A in a direction intersecting the connecting portion 418A. The restoration member 418 is positioned so that the first extending portion 418B is close to or in contact with the opening portion 415 on the upper arm body 410, and the second extending portion 418C is positioned on the opening portion 415 side and faces the retractable portion 414. This makes it easy to construct a structure that returns the retractable portion 414 from an embedded state to an exposed state, which is advantageous in terms of productivity.

[0060] <Wrist joint structure> Next, the wrist joint structure of doll 1 will be described. Figure 9 shows the right arm module 4R and illustrates the procedure for connecting the hand part 43 to the forearm part 42. Figure 9(A) shows the hand part 43 separated from the forearm part 42, and Figures 9(B) and (C) show the hand part 43 connected to the forearm part 42.

[0061] As shown in Figure 9, in this embodiment, the hand part 43 has a hand body 44 that includes the palm and back of the hand. The wrist joint structure connects the hand part 43 and the forearm part 42 with the base of the hand body 44 and the tip 42E of the forearm part 42 facing each other. As will become clear from the following description, the wrist joint structure is configured to allow the hand part 43 to swing around the two axes relative to the forearm part 42 by interposing two axes between the hand part 43 and the forearm part 42, thereby improving the degree of freedom of movement.

[0062] Figure 10(A) shows an exploded perspective view of the hand part 43 separated from the forearm part 42, and Figure 10(B) shows the hand part 43, which has been integrated from the state in Figure 10(A), being connected to the forearm part 42. In addition to the hand body 44 described above, the hand part 43 has a plate-shaped projection piece 45 that protrudes from the base of the hand body 44 toward the forearm part 42, a palm-side shaft portion 46 (see Figure 10(A)) that protrudes from the projection piece 45 in the thickness direction of the projection piece 45, and a joint shaft portion 47 that is pivotably connected to the palm-side shaft portion 46.

[0063] More specifically, the protruding piece 45 protrudes from the base of the hand body 44 such that its plate surface follows the front and back surfaces (palm and back of hand) of the hand body 44. As shown in Figure 10(A), the joint shaft portion 47 has a connecting base portion 47A connected to one end thereof, and the connecting base portion 47A has an axial hole. The joint shaft portion 47 is pivotably connected to the palm-side shaft portion 46 by inserting the palm-side shaft portion 46 into the axial hole of the connecting base portion 47A.

[0064] The forearm part 42 has a connecting projection 420 having a forearm-side shaft support hole 421 into which the joint shaft portion 47 is inserted. The connecting projection 420 protrudes from the tip portion 42E of the forearm part 42 in the longitudinal direction of the forearm part 42. The forearm-side shaft support hole 421 is open in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the forearm part 42, and in this embodiment, the forearm-side shaft support hole 421 is open in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the forearm part 42. When the angle between the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the forearm part 42 and the longitudinal direction of the forearm part 42 is 90 degrees, it is preferable that the forearm-side shaft support hole 421 is open in a range of 80 to 100 degrees relative to the longitudinal direction of the forearm part 42.

[0065] More specifically, the connecting projection 420 is provided offset from the center of the tip portion 42E of the forearm part 42 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the forearm part 42. More specifically, as shown in Figure 9, when the forearm part 42 extends vertically with its tip portion 42E pointing downward, the connecting projection 420 is configured to be positioned offset forward from the center of the tip portion 42E.

[0066] As shown in Figures 9(A) and 10(B), the hand part 43 is connected to the forearm part 42 by inserting the joint shaft portion 47 into the forearm-side shaft support hole 421 of the connecting projection 420 formed on the forearm part 42. In this embodiment, when the forearm part 42 is positioned vertically with the tip portion 42E pointing downward, the connecting projection 420 is positioned offset forward from the center of the tip portion 42E, as described above. In contrast, the joint shaft portion 47 is inserted into the forearm-side shaft support hole 421 with the protruding piece 45 positioned behind the connecting projection 420.

[0067] When the hand part 43 is connected to the forearm part 42, the hand part 43 becomes pivotable relative to the forearm part 42 around the joint shaft 47. Figure 11 shows the hand part 43 pivoting relative to the forearm part 42 around the central axis A41 of the joint shaft 47. Furthermore, the hand part 43 becomes pivotable relative to the forearm part 42 around the central axis A42 of the palmar shaft 46 when the joint shaft 47 is pivotably connected to the palmar shaft 46 (see also Figures 10(B) and (C)). Thus, the wrist joint structure according to this embodiment allows the hand part 43 to pivot relative to the forearm part 42 around two axes.

[0068] Referring to Figure 10(A), the structure of the hand part 43 will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the hand body 44 of the hand part 43 has a dorsal half 44A including the back of the hand and four fingers excluding the thumb, and a palmar half 44B including the palm and thumb, and is constructed by overlapping the dorsal half 44A and the palmar half 44B. In this embodiment, a protruding piece 45 is formed at the base of the dorsal half 44A, and a retaining plate 48 is formed at the base of the palmar half 44B, facing the protruding piece 45 when the dorsal half 44A and the palmar half 44B are overlapped. The retaining plate 48 has an axial hole into which the palmar shaft portion 46 is inserted when the dorsal half 44A and the palmar half 44B are overlapped.

[0069] As is clear from Figure 10(A), the hand-side half 44A and the palm-side half 44B are attached to the palm-side shaft portion 46 protruding from the protruding piece 45 via a connecting base portion 47A, after which the palm-side half 44B is superimposed on the hand-side half 44A. In this state, the joint shaft portion 47 and the connecting base portion 47A are sandwiched between the hand-side half 44A and the palm-side half 44B, preventing them from falling off. Also in this state, the tip end of the palm-side shaft portion 46 is inserted into the shaft hole of the retaining plate 48.

[0070] Furthermore, the hand body 44 has a hand extension piece 49 that protrudes from the hand body 44 so as to face the protruding piece 45 with a gap between them when viewed in the axial direction of the palmar shaft portion 46. In this embodiment, the hand extension piece 49 protrudes from the hand body 44 along the contour from the finger portion corresponding to the thumb of the hand body 44 toward the base of the hand body 44.

[0071] As is clear from comparing Figures 9(B) and (C), the joint shaft portion 47 is pivotable relative to the palm-side shaft portion 46 to a position where its tip faces the hand extension piece 49 (position shown in Figure 9(C)). In this embodiment, when connecting the hand part 43 to the forearm part 42, the joint shaft portion 47 is inserted into the forearm-side shaft support hole 421 at a pivot position where its tip does not face the hand extension piece 49 and is away from the base of the hand body 44 (positions shown in Figures 9(A) and 10(B)). Then, when the hand part 43 is pivoted from the state in which the joint shaft portion 47 is inserted into the forearm-side shaft support hole 421 (state shown in Figure 9(B)) toward a position where the tip of the joint shaft portion 47 faces the hand extension piece 49, the connecting projection 420 can be sandwiched between the hand extension piece 49 and the protruding piece 45, as shown in Figure 9(C).

[0072] As shown in Figure 9(C), when the hand part 43 is connected to the forearm part 42 and the connecting projection 420 is sandwiched between the hand extension piece 49 and the protruding piece 45, the hand extension piece 49 is located in front of the connecting projection 420 and the protruding piece 45 is located behind the connecting projection 420. When the hand extension piece 49 is located in front of the connecting projection 420 in this way, the connecting projection 420 is covered by the hand extension piece 49, resulting in a good appearance.

[0073] The wrist joint structure according to this embodiment described above comprises a plate-shaped projection 45 that protrudes from the base of the hand body 44 toward the forearm part 42, a palmar shaft portion 46 that protrudes from the projection 45 in the thickness direction of the projection 45, a joint shaft portion 47 that is pivotably connected to the palmar shaft portion 46, and a connecting projection 420 that protrudes from the tip portion 42E of the forearm part 42 toward the longitudinal direction of the forearm part 42, the connecting projection 420 having a forearm-side shaft support hole 421 that opens in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the forearm part 42 and into which the joint shaft portion 47 is rotatably inserted.

[0074] This configuration allows for the natural representation of the silhouette of the forearm and hand portion of a human, for example, using the forearm part 42 and the hand part 43. In particular, in many models, the forearm part and the hand part are connected by a single axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the forearm part, and the hand part can only rotate in the direction around the longitudinal direction of the forearm part, sometimes resulting in unnatural changes in angle. In contrast, the wrist joint structure according to this embodiment does not use such an axis, and the hand part 43 can swing around two axes in a direction close to the actual movement of a human, making it possible to represent the silhouette of the forearm and hand portion of a human in a natural shape. This makes it possible to represent the movements and / or states of humans, animals, robots, etc., in a realistic or intriguing manner.

[0075] In this embodiment, the connecting projection 420 is positioned offset from the center of the tip 42E of the forearm part 42 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the forearm part 42. Specifically, when the forearm part 42 extends vertically with its tip 42E pointing downward, the connecting projection 420 is positioned offset forward from the center of the tip 42E of the forearm part 42. This makes it possible to connect the hand part 43 to the forearm part 42 closer to the center of the cross-section of the forearm part 42, avoiding an unnatural misalignment between the forearm part 42 and the hand part 43, and allowing for the representation of a natural arm shape.

[0076] Furthermore, when the forearm part 42 extends vertically with its tip portion 42E pointing downward, the joint shaft portion 47 is inserted into the forearm-side shaft support hole 421 with the protruding piece 45 positioned behind the connecting projection 420. As a result, when the hand part 43 is connected to the forearm part 42, if one attempts to swing the hand part 43 with respect to the joint shaft portion 47 held by the forearm part 42, using the central axis of the palm-side shaft portion 46 as the axis, the hand part 43 is restricted from swinging far forward due to interference with the connecting projection 420, while it can swing relatively far backward. This allows for the realistic range of motion of, for example, the human wrist joint. Specifically, the human hand is difficult to bend forward (flexural deviation) and easy to bend backward (ulnar deviation), and the above configuration allows for the realistic structure of the human hand to be represented.

[0077] In this embodiment, when the forearm part 42 extends vertically with its tip portion 42E pointing downward, the connecting projection 420 is positioned offset forward from the center of the tip portion 42E of the forearm part 42. However, the connecting projection 420 may also be configured to be offset backward from the center of the tip portion 42E of the forearm part 42. In this case, the joint shaft portion 47 may be inserted into the forearm-side shaft support hole 421 with the protruding piece 45 positioned in front of the connecting projection 420.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the hand body 44 has a hand extension piece 49 that protrudes from the hand body 44 so as to face the protruding piece 45 with a gap between them when viewed axially from the palm side shaft portion 46. The joint shaft portion 47 is pivotable relative to the palm side shaft portion 46 to a position where its tip faces the hand extension piece 49. The joint shaft portion 47 can also pivot to a position where its tip does not face the hand extension piece 49 and is away from the base of the hand body 44. At this pivot position, the joint shaft portion 47 is inserted into the forearm side shaft support hole 421. When the hand part 43 is pivoted from this inserted state so that the tip of the joint shaft portion 47 faces the hand extension piece 49, the connecting projection 420 can be sandwiched between the hand extension piece 49 and the protruding piece 45. This allows the connecting projection 420 protruding from the forearm part 42 to be covered by the hand extension piece 49 and the protruding piece 45, which is advantageous in terms of ensuring a good appearance.

[0079] More specifically, as described above, the connecting projection 420 is sandwiched between the hand extension piece 49 and the protruding piece 45, and when the forearm part 42 extends vertically with its tip 42E pointing downwards, the hand extension piece 49 is positioned in front of the connecting projection 420 and the protruding piece 45 is positioned behind the connecting projection 420. This allows the hand extension piece 49 to cover the connecting projection 420, an artificial structural part that would be conspicuous from the front if exposed, thereby improving the realism of the human wrist joint shape.

[0080] In this embodiment, the hand extension piece 49 protrudes from the hand body 44 along the contour extending from the finger portion corresponding to the thumb on the hand body 44 towards the base of the hand body 44. This allows the hand extension piece 49 to cover the connecting projection 420 in a natural shape that mimics, for example, a part of the human body, thereby improving the realism of the representation of the shape of the human wrist joint.

[0081] Furthermore, when attempting to swing the hand part 43 around the central axis of the palmar shaft part 46 relative to the joint shaft part 47 held by the forearm part 42, the hand extension piece 49 can function as a stopper that interferes with the front end of the forearm part 42, limiting the forward swing of the hand part 43. This makes it possible to express the realistic structure of a human hand, which is difficult to bend forward (flexurally) and easy to bend backward (ulnarly), while ensuring a good appearance.

[0082] <Lower body structure> Next, the lower body structure of doll 1 will be described. Figure 12 shows the waist-hip module 3 and left leg module 6L of doll 1. Figure 13 shows the connection between the waist-hip module 3 and the left leg module 6L, and Figure 14 is a rear perspective view of the internal structure of the waist-hip module 3.

[0083] Figures 12(A) and (B) show the cylindrical torso part 31, which mimics the torso of a human, and the left buttock part 33L, which is connected to the rear left side of the torso part 31, which are components of the waist and hip module 3. Also, Figures 12(A) and (B) show the leg base part 61, which is a component of the left leg module 6L, a thigh part 62, which is connected to the leg base part 61 at the top, a knee part 63, which is connected to the lower part of the thigh part 62, a lower leg part 64, which is connected to the knee part 63 at the top, and a foot part 65, which is connected to the lower part of the lower leg part 64.

[0084] In this embodiment, the left hip part 33L is pivotably connected to the rear of the torso part 31 and extends downward from the rear of the torso part 31. As shown in Figure 12(B), the left hip part 33L is constructed by integrating an outer half 33La and an inner half 33Lb, which are divided into left and right halves. Figure 13 shows the connection between the hip module 3 and the left leg module 6L with the outer half 33La removed. Figures 13 and 14 show a support shaft 34 that extends in the left-right direction and pivotably supports the left hip part 33L.

[0085] Referring to Figures 13 and 14, in the waist and hip module 3 of this embodiment, a bracket portion 35 is positioned inside the torso part 31, and the bracket portion 35 is connected to the torso part 31. The support shaft 34 is held by the bracket portion 35, and in this embodiment, the support shaft 34 is indirectly held by the torso part 31 via the bracket portion 35.

[0086] The left hip part 33L is supported at its upper part by a support shaft 34, allowing it to pivot around the support shaft 34. On the other hand, the left leg module 6L is pivotably connected to the torso part 31 in front of the left hip part 33L and extends downward from the torso part 31. Referring to Figure 14, the bracket part 35 is provided with a joint (not shown) for connecting the left leg module 6L and the right leg module 6R, and the left leg module 6L is pivotably connected to the hip module 3 by connecting the leg base part 61 to this joint.

[0087] In Figures 13 and 14, reference numeral A51 indicates the central axis of the support shaft 34 and represents the pivot center of the left hip part 33L. Reference numeral A52 indicates the central axis of the joint of the bracket part 35 that connects the left leg module 6L and represents the pivot center of the left leg module 6L. In this embodiment, both the left hip part 33L and the left leg module 6L are capable of pivoting in the front-rear direction around the corresponding central axes A51 and A52. As shown in Figure 12(B), the left hip part 33L and the left leg module 6L are positioned to overlap in the front-rear direction. As a result, when the left leg module 6L, particularly its thigh part 62, is swung backward, the thigh part 62 contacts the corresponding left hip part 33L, causing the left hip part 33L to swing backward along with its own movement.

[0088] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, the torso part 31 is provided with a biasing member 36 that biases the buttock parts (33L, 33R) toward the corresponding thigh part 62. As a result, when the left buttock part 33L swings backward together with the thigh part 62, the biasing member 36 biases the left buttock part 33L to press against the thigh part 62. Note that two biasing members 36 are shown in Figure 14. The biasing member 36 on the left is for biasing the left buttock part 33L, and the biasing member 36 on the right is for biasing the right buttock part 33R.

[0089] In this embodiment, the biasing member 36 is a torsion spring including a wound portion 36A, and a support shaft 34 is passed through the wound portion 36A, thereby providing the body part 31 via the support shaft 34.

[0090] The biasing member 36 specifically includes the winding portion 36A described above, a one-end arm portion 36B extending from one end of the linear body constituting the winding portion 36A, and a other-end arm portion 36C extending from the other end of the linear body. The one-end arm portion 36B is held by the body part 31, and the other-end arm portion 36C approaches or contacts a part of the left hip part 33L from the rear. The state in which the one-end arm portion 36B is held by the body part 31 means that the movement of the one-end arm portion 36B is restricted by the body part 31 so that the biasing member 36 does not rotate on the support shaft 34. In this embodiment, the one-end arm portion 36B is held by the body part 31 via a bracket portion 35.

[0091] For details, please refer to Figures 13 and 14. The bracket portion 35 has a hollow portion extending in the vertical direction, and the one-end arm portion 36B is passed through this hollow portion, thereby restricting its movement in the front-rear direction. Also, as shown in Figure 13, the left hip part 33L in this embodiment has an outer surface portion 331 having a curved surface that is convex toward the rear, and a spring receiving portion 332 located in front of the outer surface portion 331 with a gap between them. The other-end arm portion 36C is located between the outer surface portion 331 and the spring receiving portion 332, and approaches or contacts the spring receiving portion 332 from the rear. As a result, when the left hip part 33L swings backward, the other-end arm portion 36C moves backward due to the spring receiving portion 332, but the winding portion 36A of the biasing member 36 does not rotate because the movement of the one-end arm portion 36B is restricted. As a result, a biasing force is generated in the biasing member 36 in a direction that returns the other end arm portion 36C to its forward position.

[0092] Figure 15 illustrates how the left leg module 6L swings relative to the lumbar-buttock module 3, and Figure 16 illustrates the state of the connection between the lumbar-buttock module 3 and the left leg module 6L when the left leg module 6L swings as shown in Figure 15.

[0093] When the thigh part 62 of the left leg module 6L swings backward as shown in Figure 15(B), from a state where the left leg module 6L is aligned vertically as shown in Figure 15(A), the thigh part 62 comes into contact with the left buttock part 33L, causing the left buttock part 33L to swing backward along with its own swing. As a result, the lower body structure according to this embodiment can represent how the buttocks follow the backward swing of the human thigh.

[0094] Then, when the thigh part 62 and the left hip part 33L both swing backward, as shown in Figures 16(A) and (B), the spring receiving part 332 on the left hip part 33L causes the other end arm 36C of the biasing member 36 to move backward. This generates a biasing force in the biasing member 36 that returns the other end arm 36C to the forward position, that is, a biasing force that pushes the left hip part 33L forward toward the thigh part 62.

[0095] As described above, when a biasing force is generated, as shown in Figures 15(C) and 16(C), when the thigh part 62 swings forward, the left buttock part 33L follows the thigh part 62 and moves forward due to the biasing force of the biasing member 36. Through this movement, the lower body structure according to this embodiment can represent the buttocks following the forward swing of the thigh.

[0096] The structure between the right leg module 6R and the right hip part 33R is the same as the structure between the left leg module 6L and the left hip part 33L described above, so its explanation is omitted.

[0097] The lower body structure according to this embodiment described above comprises a torso part 31 that mimics the torso of a human, a pair of left and right buttock parts 33L and 33R that are pivotably connected to the rear of the torso part 31 and extend downward from the rear of the torso part 31, and a pair of left and right thigh parts 62 that are pivotably connected to the torso part 31 in front of each buttock part 33L and 33R and extend downward from the torso part. The torso part 31 is provided with a biasing member 36 that biases the buttock parts 33L and 33R toward the corresponding thigh parts 62.

[0098] With this configuration, the hip parts 33L and 33R swing in conjunction with the rearward swinging and return motion of the thigh part 62, thereby representing the coordination between a human thigh and buttocks. Specifically, when the thigh part 62 swings backward, it contacts the corresponding hip parts 33L and 33R, causing the corresponding hip parts 33L and 33R to swing backward along with its own swing. When the corresponding hip parts 33L and 33R swing backward together with the thigh part 62, the biasing member 36 biases the hip parts 33L and 33R to press against the thigh part 62. As a result, the hip parts 33L and 33R swing in conjunction with the rearward swinging and return motion of the thigh part 62. This makes it possible to represent the actions and / or states of humans, animals, robots, etc., in a realistic or intriguing manner.

[0099] In this embodiment in particular, a support shaft 34 extending in the left-right direction is held in the torso part 31, and as described above, the left hip part 33L is supported at its upper part by the support shaft 34, so that it can swing around the support shaft 34 as its axis. The biasing member 36 is a torsion spring including a wound portion 36A, and the support shaft 34 is passed through the wound portion 36A, so that it is provided on the torso part 31 via the support shaft 34. As a result, the biasing member 36 is provided compactly, which avoids the undesirable increase in size, and the biasing member 36 is less conspicuous, which is advantageous in terms of ensuring a good appearance.

[0100] Furthermore, the biasing member 36 includes a one-end arm portion 36B extending from one end of the linear body constituting the winding portion 36A, and a other-end arm portion 36C extending from the other end of the linear body. The one-end arm portion 36B is held by the torso part 31, and the other-end arm portion 36C approaches or contacts a part of the left hip part 33L from the rear. Specifically, the left hip part 33L has an outer surface portion 331 having a curved surface that is convex toward the rear, and a spring receiving portion 332 located in front of the outer surface portion 331. The other-end arm portion 36C is located between the outer surface portion 331 and the spring receiving portion 332 and approaches or contacts the spring receiving portion 332. As a result, the biasing member 36 is provided in a state where it is covered by the left hip part 33L, which is advantageous in terms of ensuring a good appearance.

[0101] <Leg structure> Next, the leg structure of doll 1 will be described. Figure 17 shows the thigh part 62 in the left leg module 6L, and Figure 18 illustrates how the lower leg part 64 in the left leg module 6L swings toward the thigh part 62. The leg structure of doll 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 12, 17, and 18, but first, the structure of the left leg module 6L will be described with reference to Figure 12.

[0102] As described above, the left leg module 6L comprises a thigh part 62, a knee part 63 connected to the lower part of the thigh part 62, a lower leg part 64 connected to the knee part 63 at the top, and a foot part 65 connected to the lower part of the lower leg part 64. The thigh part 62 and the lower leg part 64 are connected by a so-called "double joint structure" with the knee part 63 in between.

[0103] More specifically, the knee part 63 is pivotably connected to the lower part of the thigh part 62 via a first axis portion 700 located at its upper part, and pivotably supports the lower leg part 64 via a second axis portion 720 located at its lower part. In this way, the thigh part 62 and the lower leg part 64 are connected by the knee part 63.

[0104] As described above, when the knee part 63 is interposed between the thigh part 62 and the lower leg part 64, the range of motion of the lower leg part 64 can be increased by adding the oscillation displacement of the thigh part 62 with respect to the first axis part 700 of the knee part 63 to the oscillation displacement of the lower leg part 64 with respect to the second axis part 720 as the axis. Specifically, the lower leg part 64 can swing to a position beyond the point where it contacts the rear of the thigh part 62.

[0105] In this embodiment, the thigh part 62 is cylindrical and, as shown in Figure 17, has a main portion 621M that includes at least the area from the center in the left-right direction of the lower end of the rear to the center in the up-down direction of the rear, and has a soft half 621 whose width in the left-right direction of the main portion 621M is greater than or equal to the maximum width in the left-right direction of the lower leg part 64, and a hard half 622 which is harder than the soft half 621 and cooperates with the soft half 621 to form the cylindrical thigh part 62. As a result, when the lower leg part 64 is swung relative to the thigh part 62 and comes into contact with the soft half 621 of the thigh part 62, the soft half 621 is configured to indent.

[0106] Figure 18 shows how the lower leg part 64 swings toward the thigh part 62, causing the lower leg part 64 to indent the soft half 621 and become embedded in the soft half 621. Figure 12(B) shows the maximum width W1 of the lower leg part 64 in the left-right direction and the minimum width W2 of the main part 621M of the soft half 621, showing that the width of the main part 621M of the soft half 621 in the left-right direction is greater than or equal to the maximum width W1 of the lower leg part 64 in the left-right direction.

[0107] The degree of hardness of the soft half 621 is not particularly limited, as long as the soft half 621 can deform when it comes into contact with the lower leg part 64. For example, the Shore hardness of the soft half 621 may be between A50 and A100. The material of the hard half 622 is selected so that its Shore hardness is higher than that of the soft half 621. However, if the Shore hardness of the soft half 621 is between A50 and A100, the Shore hardness of the hard half may be set to D50 or higher.

[0108] Note that the Shore hardness values ​​are as follows: for hardness A, the value was measured using a Type A durometer according to JIS K6253:2012; and for hardness D, the value was measured using a Type D durometer according to JIS K6253:2012.

[0109] Furthermore, the material of the flexible half 621 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the flexible half 621 contains flexible polyvinyl chloride resin, and more specifically, is composed of flexible polyvinyl chloride resin. Similarly, the material of the rigid half 622 is not particularly limited and may be resin such as ABS resin or POM resin, and in this embodiment, is composed of ABS resin.

[0110] As shown in Figure 17, the thigh part 62 in this embodiment has a pair of left and right axial support holes 62A and 62B at its lower part, and the first shaft portion 700 is inserted so as to straddle the pair of left and right axial support holes 62A and 62B. In this way, the lower leg part 64 is configured to be connected to the thigh part 62 via the first shaft portion 700 and the second shaft portion 720. Here, one of the left and right axial support holes 62A and 62B, axial support hole 62A, is formed in the soft half 621, and the other axial support hole is formed in the hard half 622. More specifically, the axial support hole 62A formed in the soft half 621 is formed in the portion that protrudes downward from the lower end of the main portion 621A. When a pair of shaft support holes 62A and 62B are distributed between the soft half 621 and the hard half 622 in this manner, the lower part of the soft half 621 in which the shaft support hole 62A is formed can be easily deformed when inserting the first shaft portion 700, thereby facilitating the insertion of the first shaft portion 700.

[0111] The leg structure according to this embodiment described above comprises a thigh part 62 that mimics a human thigh, and a lower leg part 64 that mimics a human lower leg, which is pivotably connected to the lower part of the thigh part 62. The thigh part 62 is cylindrical and has a main part 621M that includes at least the area from the center in the left-right direction of the lower end of the rear to the center in the up-down direction of the rear, and has a soft half-body 621 whose width in the left-right direction of the main part 621M is greater than or equal to the maximum width W1 in the left-right direction of the lower leg part 64, and a hard half-body 622 which is harder than the soft half-body 621 and cooperates with the soft half-body 621 to form the cylindrical thigh part 62.

[0112] This configuration allows the soft half-body 621 that forms the rear of the thigh part 62 to represent how the back of the thigh part 62 sinks when it comes into contact with the lower leg, etc. Furthermore, since part of the thigh part 62 is made of a hard material, an appropriate sense of rigidity is given to the leg part, making it possible to realistically represent the shape and texture of the human body. As a result, the movements and / or states of humans, animals, robots, etc. can be represented in a realistic or intriguing manner.

[0113] Furthermore, the thigh part 62 has a pair of left and right axial support holes 62A and 62B at its lower part, and the lower leg part 64 is connected (indirectly) to the thigh part 62 by a first shaft portion 700 that is inserted straddling the pair of left and right axial support holes 62A and 62B. One of the pair of left and right axial support holes 62A and 62B is formed as a soft half 621, and the other is formed as a hard half 622. This makes it easier to insert the first shaft portion 700 by deforming the soft half 621. In addition, supporting the first shaft portion 700 with the hard half 622 improves the stability of the supported state of the first shaft portion 700.

[0114] Furthermore, the Shore hardness of the soft half 621 may be between A50 and A100, while the Shore hardness of the hard half 622 is higher than that of the soft half 621. The soft half 621 contains soft polyvinyl chloride resin, and the hard half 622 contains ABS resin. This allows the soft half 621 to deform in a manner close to the inner thigh of a real human, thereby improving the realism of the representation.

[0115] <Note> As described above, the doll 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with structures in each part corresponding to the torso, arms, wrists, lower body, and thighs for expressing human movements and / or states in a realistic or intriguing manner. The embodiments of the above-described embodiment are described below.

[0116] (1-1) A wrist joint structure that connects a hand part having a hand body including the palm and back of the hand, and a forearm part, with the base of the hand body and the tip of the forearm part facing each other, A plate-shaped projection extending from the base of the hand body toward the forearm part, The palm-side shaft portion protruding from the protruding piece in the thickness direction of the protruding piece, A joint shaft portion that is pivotably connected to the palmar shaft portion, It comprises a connecting projection that protrudes from the tip portion in the longitudinal direction of the forearm part, The wrist joint structure has a connecting projection that is open in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction and has a forearm-side pivot hole into which the joint shaft portion is rotatably inserted. (1-2) The wrist joint structure according to (1-1), wherein the connecting projection is provided offset from the center of the tip of the forearm part in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. (1-3) The wrist joint structure according to (1-2), wherein when the forearm part extends vertically with its tip pointing downward, the connecting projection is positioned offset forward from the center of the tip of the forearm part, and the joint shaft is inserted into the forearm side shaft support hole with the protruding piece positioned behind the connecting projection. (1-4) The hand portion body has a hand extension piece that extends from the hand portion body so as to face the protruding piece with a gap between them when viewed in the axial direction of the palm side shaft portion. The joint shaft portion is pivotable relative to the palm-side shaft portion to a position where its tip faces the hand extension piece. The wrist joint structure according to any one of (1-1) to (1-3), wherein the joint shaft portion is inserted into the forearm-side pivot hole in a swing position in which its tip does not face the hand extension piece and is away from the base of the hand body, and when the hand part is swung from the state in which the joint shaft portion is inserted into the forearm-side pivot hole in the swing position toward a position in which the tip of the joint shaft portion faces the hand extension piece, the connecting projection portion can be sandwiched between the hand extension piece and the protruding piece. (1-5) The wrist joint structure according to (1-4), wherein the hand extension piece protrudes from the hand body along a contour extending from the finger portion corresponding to the thumb on the hand body toward the base portion of the hand body. (1-6) When the forearm part is positioned vertically with the tip facing downwards, the connecting projection is positioned offset forward from the center of the tip of the forearm part. The wrist joint structure according to (1-4) or (1-5), wherein, starting from the state in which the joint shaft is inserted into the forearm-side shaft support hole in the swinging position, the hand part is swung toward a position where the tip of the joint shaft faces the hand extension piece, the connecting projection is sandwiched between the hand extension piece and the protruding piece, and when the forearm part is moved vertically with the tip pointing downward, the hand extension piece is located in front of the connecting projection and the protruding piece is located behind the connecting projection. (1-7) A model having the wrist joint structure described in any of (1-1) to (1-6).

[0117] (2-1) A cylindrical chest piece, The device comprises an abdominal part that is pivotably connected to the chest part with a portion of it inserted inside the chest part, and which protrudes from the chest part, A torso structure in which a slit extending in the circumferential direction is formed in the chest part. (2-2) The torso structure according to (2-1), wherein when the abdominal part is swung and brought into contact with the chest part and force is applied, the portion of the chest part between the contact portion with the abdominal part and the slit deforms so as to expand in the radial direction of the chest part. (2-3) The chest part has a notch formed on the end where the abdominal part protrudes, tapering and recessing towards the side opposite to where the abdominal part protrudes. The fuselage structure according to (2-1) or (2-2), wherein the slit is open from the slope of the notch. (2-4) The fuselage structure according to (2-3), wherein at least a portion of the slit extends substantially parallel to the slope of the notch. (2-5) The chest part has a first half and a second half that are divided axially and connected to each other. The fuselage structure according to any one of (2-1) to (2-4), wherein the first half and the second half are connected to each other with a gap in the axial direction in part, and the gap forms the slit. (2-6) A model having the fuselage structure described in any of (2-1) to (2-5).

[0118] (3-1) Upper arm parts, The upper arm part comprises a forearm part that is pivotably connected to the tip of the upper arm part, The upper arm part has a retractable portion between the tip portion and the tip portion at the position corresponding to the biceps brachii muscle, The arm structure is configured such that the retractable portion is embedded in the interior of the upper arm part in response to contact with the forearm part which is swung toward the upper arm part. (3-2) The upper arm part has a cylindrical upper arm body having the tip portion, and the upper arm body has a notched opening that extends from the tip portion to the opposite end portion. The arm structure according to (3-1), wherein the retractable portion is pivotably connected to the upper arm body at the end opposite to the tip portion so as to be able to retract through the opening. (3-3) The arm structure according to (3-2), wherein a restoring member is provided inside the upper arm body that generates a restoring force in a direction that returns the retractable portion, which is embedded on the inside side of the upper arm body, to a protruding state that exposes it to the outside. (3-4) The restoration member includes a linearly extending connecting portion, a first extending portion extending from one end of the connecting portion in a direction intersecting the connecting portion, and a second extending portion extending from the other end of the connecting portion in a direction intersecting the connecting portion. The arm structure according to (3-3), wherein the restoration member is positioned such that the first extending portion is in close proximity to or in contact with the opening portion of the upper arm body, and the second extending portion is positioned on the opening portion side and faces the retractable portion. (3-5) A model having the arm structure described in any of (3-1) to (3-4).

[0119] (4-1) A torso part that mimics the human torso, A pair of left and right buttock parts are pivotably connected to the rear of the torso part and extend downward from the rear of the torso part, Each of the buttock parts is pivotably connected to the torso part at the front, and comprises a pair of left and right thigh parts extending downward from the torso part, The torso part is provided with a biasing member that biases the buttock part toward the corresponding thigh part, thus forming a lower body structure. (4-2) When the thigh part is swung backward, the thigh part comes into contact with the corresponding buttock part, causing the corresponding buttock part to swing backward in conjunction with its own movement. The lower body structure according to (4-1), wherein when the buttock part swings backward together with the thigh part, the biasing member biases the buttock part to press against the thigh part. (4-3) The aforementioned body part holds a support shaft that extends in the left-right direction. The aforementioned buttock part is supported at its upper part by the support shaft, and is therefore able to swing around the support shaft as its axis. The biasing member is a torsion spring including a wound portion, and the support shaft is passed through the wound portion, thereby providing the lower body structure according to (4-1) or (4-2). (4-4) The biasing member includes one end arm extending from one end of the linear body constituting the winding portion, and the other end arm extending from the other end of the linear body. The lower body structure according to (4-3), wherein the one-end arm portion is held by the torso portion, and the other-end arm portion approaches or contacts a part of the buttock portion from the rear. (4-5) The aforementioned buttock part has an outer surface having a curved surface that is convex toward the rear, and a spring receiving part located in front of the outer surface. The other end arm portion is located between the outer surface portion and the spring receiving portion, and is close to or in contact with the spring receiving portion, as described in (4-4). (4-6) A model having the lower body structure described in any of (4-1) to (4-5).

[0120] (5-1) A thigh part that mimics a human thigh, The thigh part comprises a lower leg part that mimics a human lower leg and is pivotably connected to the lower part of the thigh part, The leg structure comprises a thigh part which is cylindrical and has a main part that includes a range from the center in the left-right direction of at least the lower end of the rear to the center in the up-down direction of the rear, the width of the main part in the left-right direction being greater than or equal to the maximum width of the lower leg part in the left-right direction, and a hard half which is harder than the soft half and cooperates with the soft half to form the cylindrical thigh part. (5-2) The leg structure according to (5-1), wherein the lower leg part is swung relative to the thigh part and brought into contact with the soft half of the thigh part, and the soft half is configured to indent. (5-3) The thigh part has a pair of left and right pivot holes at its lower part, and the lower leg part is connected to the thigh part by a shaft portion that is inserted across the pair of left and right pivot holes. The leg structure according to (5-1) or (5-2), wherein one of the pair of left and right axial support holes is formed in the soft half and the other is formed in the hard half. (5-4) The Shore hardness of the aforementioned soft half is between A50 and A100. The leg structure according to any one of (5-1) to (5-3), wherein the Shore hardness of the rigid half is higher than the Shore hardness of the soft half. (5-5) The leg structure described in (5-4), wherein the Shore hardness of the rigid half is D50 or higher. (5-6) The aforementioned flexible half-body comprises a flexible polyvinyl chloride resin, and is a leg structure according to any one of (5-1) to (5-5). (5-7) The rigid half-body comprises ABS resin or POM resin, as described in any of (5-1) to (5-6). (5-8) A model having the leg structure described in any of (5-1) to (5-7).

[0121] The embodiments described above are merely examples of how the present invention can be implemented, and it is possible to carry out the present invention in various other forms. For example, various modifications, substitutions, omissions, or combinations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Such modified, substituted, or omission forms are also included within the scope of the present invention, as well as within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims.

[0122] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example of the present invention being applied to a doll was explained, but the present invention is not limited to humanoid models, and may also be applied to the arms and legs of animals, the arms and legs of robots, etc. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0123] 1...Doll, 2...Torso module, 21...Chest part, 22...Abdomen part, 210...Universal joint part, 211...Axle support hole, 212...Base, 213...First axis part, 214...Second axis part, 21A...First half part, 21B...Second half part, 221...Connecting part, 222...Notch part, 24...Slit, 24A...First part, 24B...Second part, 3...Waist and hip module Joule, 31...torso part, 32...lower abdomen part, 33L...left hip part, 33La...outer half, 33Lb...inner half, 33R...right hip part, 331...exterior part, 332...spring receiver part, 34...support shaft, 35...bracket part, 36...biasing member, 36A...winding part, 36B...one end arm part, 36C...other end arm part, 4R...right arm module, 41 ...Upper arm part, 41E...Tip, 410...Upper arm body, 411...Connecting part, 412...Shaft part, 413...Shaft support part, 414...Retractable part, 414A...Connecting end, 415...Open part, 416...Support shaft, 418...Restoration member, 418A...Connecting part, 418B...First extension part, 418C...Second extension part, 42...Forearm part, 42A...Contact part, 42E...Tip, 420... 421...Connecting projection, 43...Forearm side axis support hole, 44...Hand part, 44...Hand body, 44A...Back of hand half, 44B...Palm half, 45...Protruding piece, 46...Palm side axis, 47...Joint axis, 47A...Connecting base, 48...Retaining plate, 49...Hand extension piece, 4L...Left arm module, 5...Head module, 51...Head part, 52...Neck part, 6R...Right leg module 6L…Left leg module, 61…Leg base part, 62…Thigh part, 62A, 62B…Axle support hole, 621…Soft half, 621M…Main part, 622…Hard half, 63…Knee part, 64…Lower leg part, 64A, 64B…Connecting hole, 65…Foot part, 700…First axis part, 720…Second axis part

Claims

1. A wrist joint structure that connects a hand part having a hand body including the palm and back of the hand, and a forearm part, with the base of the hand body and the tip of the forearm part facing each other, A plate-shaped projection extending from the base of the hand body toward the forearm part, The palm-side shaft portion protruding from the protruding piece in the thickness direction of the protruding piece, A joint shaft portion having a shaft hole at the base connected to the end, and being pivotably connected to the palm side shaft portion by inserting the palm side shaft portion into the shaft hole, It comprises a connecting projection that protrudes from the tip portion in the longitudinal direction of the forearm part, The connecting projection has a forearm-side shaft support hole that opens in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction and into which the joint shaft portion is rotatably inserted. The hand portion body has a hand extension piece that extends from the hand portion body so as to face the protruding piece with a gap between them when viewed in the axial direction of the palm side shaft portion. The joint shaft portion is pivotable relative to the palm-side shaft portion to a position where its tip faces the hand extension piece. The wrist joint structure is such that the joint shaft portion is inserted into the forearm-side pivot hole in a swing position where its tip does not face the hand extension piece and is away from the base of the hand body, and when the hand part is swung from the state in which the joint shaft portion is inserted into the forearm-side pivot hole in the swing position toward a position where the tip of the joint shaft portion faces the hand extension piece, the connecting projection portion can be sandwiched between the hand extension piece and the protruding piece.

2. The wrist joint structure according to claim 1, wherein the hand extension piece protrudes from the hand body along a contour extending from the finger portion corresponding to the thumb of the hand body toward the base portion of the hand body.

3. The connecting projection is positioned offset from the center of the tip of the forearm part in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, The wrist joint structure according to claim 1, wherein, starting from the state in which the joint shaft is inserted into the forearm-side shaft support hole at the swinging position, the hand part is swung toward a position where the tip of the joint shaft faces the hand extension piece, and when the connecting projection is sandwiched between the hand extension piece and the protruding piece, the protruding piece, the connecting projection, and the hand extension piece are positioned so as to overlap in a direction in which the connecting projection is offset from the center.

4. The wrist joint structure according to claim 1, wherein the connecting projection is provided offset from the center of the tip of the forearm part in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

5. The wrist joint structure according to claim 4, wherein the joint shaft is inserted into the forearm-side shaft support hole in a direction in which the connecting projection is offset from the center, and the protruding piece overlaps with the connecting projection.

6. A model comprising the wrist joint structure described in claim 1.

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