Eye parts, method for manufacturing the same, and doll body

Abstract

To extensively bring a pursuit function into reality with natural impression in an eye component of a doll body, and provide a mechanism capable of suitably manufacturing the pursuit function.SOLUTION: According to the present invention, an eye component for being assembled into a face component of the doll body comprises an iris part that is arranged on the front surface of the eye component, and a pupil part that has a front surface formed in a convex shape and that has a protruding part protruding from a rear surface of the iris part and protruding into the iris part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an eye part, a method for manufacturing the same, and a humanoid body.

Background Art

[0002] The facial expression of a humanoid body such as a figure is a very important part in determining its expression and the value of the figure. Among the parts of the face, the eye part particularly greatly affects the expression and impression, and the tracking function in the eye part is also important. For example, in Patent Document 1, a simple and inexpensive method using one surface and the other surface of a transparent plate-like body provides a plate-like product on which an interesting face is drawn that gives the impression that the line of sight is directed at the object being looked at not only when viewed from the front of the face but also when viewed from above, below, left, or right of the face. Further, in Patent Document 2, a model head having a concave part with a pupil part drawn on the bottom surface at the position of a human eye has been proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above prior art, a face is drawn on the back side of a character product. More specifically, the pupil and the white of the eye are drawn on the back side of a transparent acrylic plate, thereby providing a tracking function. However, in the above prior art, when the character is viewed from a position at a certain angle in the vertical or horizontal direction, the pupil is simply drawn in the background and thus becomes invisible. Similarly, even when the pupil part is simply drawn on the bottom surface of the concave part, the pupil part becomes invisible and the tracking function is lost when the position is at a certain angle in the vertical or horizontal direction.

[0005] Furthermore, when eye components are assembled from multiple parts, assembly errors can lead to individual differences in expression and impression from product to product. Therefore, there is a demand for figures and other doll bodies with as few assembly parts as possible, where misalignment or gaps caused by assembly do not affect the expression or tracking effect.

[0006] This invention provides a mechanism that enables a wide range of tracking functions in the eye components of a doll body with a natural appearance, and that allows for the suitability of manufacturing such functions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to, for example, an eye component to be assembled to a facial component of a doll body, characterized in that it comprises an iris portion disposed on the front surface of the eye component and a pupil portion having a convex shape on its front surface and a protruding portion that extends from the rear surface of the iris portion and protrudes into the interior of the iris portion. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an eye part that is assembled to a facial part of a doll body, for example, comprising: an iris portion disposed on the front surface of the eye part; a pupil portion having a convex shape on its front surface and a protruding portion that extends from the rear surface of the iris portion and extends into the interior of the iris portion; and a base portion that contacts the rear surface of the iris portion with a portion different from the protruding portion that extends inward from the rear surface of the iris portion, wherein a part of the surface of the base portion that contacts the rear surface of the iris portion is formed to have an uneven shape.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an eye component to be assembled to a facial component of a doll body, and is characterized by comprising: an iris molding step for molding an iris portion that covers the front surface of the eye component; a pupil molding step for molding a pupil portion which has a convex shape on its front surface and a protruding portion that protrudes from the rear surface of the iris portion and protrudes into the interior of the iris portion; and a base molding step for molding a base portion so as to be in contact with the rear surface of the iris portion in the portion where the pupil portion is not formed. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an eye component to be assembled to a facial component of a doll body, comprising: an iris molding step for molding an iris portion that covers the front surface of the eye component; a pupil molding step for molding a pupil portion which has a convex shape on its front surface and a protruding portion that extends from the rear surface of the iris portion and extends into the interior of the iris portion; and a base molding step for molding a base portion so as to contact the rear surface of the iris portion in the portion where the pupil portion is not formed, wherein a part of the surface of the base portion that contacts the rear surface of the iris portion has an uneven shape. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a mechanism that enables a wide range of tracking functions in the eye components of a doll body with a natural appearance, and that allows for the suitability of manufacturing such functions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A perspective view of the front and back surfaces of the facial component of a doll body according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] An exploded perspective view of a facial component according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] A side cross-sectional view of a facial component according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] A plan view of an eye component according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] A diagram illustrating the tracking function and dividing lines of an eye component according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same elements. In each figure, the up, down, left, and right directions relative to the plane of the paper will be used as the up, down, left, and right directions of the device in this embodiment in the description below. In the embodiments described below, the present invention is not limited to resin materials of different colors used as molding materials, but is applicable to molding materials of different materials (thermoplastic resins such as polystyrene, polyethylene, and ABS, thermosetting resins, metals, etc.), resins of different transparency, etc.

[0012] <Facial features> First, with reference to Figures 1 and 2, a facial component to be assembled to a doll body according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. The facial component 20 described below is exemplified by a doll body that imitates a human face (for example, a figurine), but is not limited thereto. In particular, any shape that has eyes may be used, such as animals, insects, dinosaurs, fish, or other living creatures, or a character with a part corresponding to eyes. In the following, only the facial component will be described among the parts that make up the doll body, and the description of other parts will be omitted, but this does not mean that these parts are excluded from the configuration of the present invention. In other words, the facial component, which includes the eye component according to this embodiment, makes up the doll body together with other parts (torso, arms, legs, and optional parts such as weapons).

[0013] The face of the doll body according to this embodiment is formed by assembling the eye parts 10 to the face part 20. Figure 1(a) shows the front side of the face part 20, and Figure 1(b) shows the back side of the face part 20. In this embodiment, the back side of the doll body is covered by hair parts (not shown) and is not exposed to the outside after the figure is completed.

[0014] Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the eye component 10 and the face component 20. The eye component 10 is assembled from the back side of the face component 20, and the left and right eye portions that make up the eye component 10 are exposed through a hole 20a formed in the face component 20. The white of the eye portion 201 and the eyelash portion 202 that make up the eye are pre-formed on the face component 20 side. Therefore, the eye component 10 assembled to the face component 20 each forms the left and right pupil portions. As a result, the face component 20 and the eye component 10 are divided into separate parts with the white of the eye portion 201 and the pupil as the boundary. For example, the division is made at the boundary between the white of the eye portion and the black part of the eye (pupil), and the difference in color makes the division line less noticeable. This allows for a more natural appearance to be maintained. Details of the division line will be described later using Figure 5. In this embodiment, the terms "white of the eye" and "black of the eye" are used for illustrative purposes only; however, these terms are used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the color of the corresponding parts in this invention. In other words, although the above terms are used here, various colors can be used for the white of the eye and the black of the eye depending on the character design, and other colors are not excluded. Similarly, please note that other descriptions of colors used in this specification and claims are not intended to limit this invention.

[0015] <Side cross-section of facial and eye components> Next, with reference to Figure 3, an example of its configuration will be described using a side cross-sectional view of a face part 20 to which the eye part 10 according to this embodiment is assembled. Figure 3 is a side cross-section cut vertically around the pupil of the right eye.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, the eye component 10 is assembled to the hole 20a of the face component 20 from the back side of the face component 20. The eye component 10 includes at least an iris part 301, a pupil part 302, and a base part 303. Each part is formed by insert molding and multi-color molding using resin materials of different colors. As shown in FIG. 3, the front surface of the eye component 10 is formed (arranged) so as to be covered by the iris part 301, and the pupil part 302 is formed so as to project three-dimensionally at a part of the back surface of the iris part 301. A detailed description of the eye component 10 will be given later with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. On the other hand, as described above, the face component includes a sclera part 201 and an eyelash part 202 which are parts of the structure of a humanoid eye. Therefore, the eye component 10 according to the present embodiment constitutes the pupil part other than the sclera part and the eyelash part that form the eye. Note that the iris part 301 may be composed of two or more layers.

[0017] By assembling the eye component 10 to the face component 20, the pupil part formed by the eye component 10 appears on the surface of the face, and a humanoid expression is formed. By forming the face component 20 and the eye component 10 separately in this way, for example, the color of the resin material used can be reduced, so that the insert molding of each component described later can be simplified. In addition, by providing a plurality of types of eye components, parts with various expressions can be easily produced, and various product developments and various expressions can be realized in a single humanoid by making it possible to be replaced by the user.

[0018] <Detailed configuration of the eye component> Next, referring to FIG. 4, the detailed configuration of the eye component 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4(a) shows a cross-sectional view of the eye component 10, and FIG. 4(b) shows an enlarged view of both eyes of the humanoid seen from the front in a state where the eye component 10 is assembled to the face component 20.

[0019] As explained with reference to Figure 3, the eye component 10 is formed such that its front surface is covered by the iris portion 301, and the pupil portion 302 is formed to protrude three-dimensionally from a part of the rear surface of the iris portion 301. Furthermore, at least the protruding portion (tip portion) of the pupil portion 302 is formed so that its entire surface is covered by the iris portion 301, as shown in Figure 4(a), and does not protrude from the front surface of the iris portion 301. In addition, a transparent resin material, such as a colored transparent resin material such as blue transparent, is used for the iris portion 301, and a resin material is used that allows the pupil portion 302, which is located behind the iris portion 301, to be visible. On the other hand, a resin material of a darker color than the iris portion 301, such as black or navy blue resin material, is used for the pupil portion 302, and it can be clearly seen even through the iris portion 301.

[0020] This configuration allows the protruding portion of the pupil 302 to be visible even when viewed from a certain angle. For example, the pupil can be seen to some extent even when viewed from approximately directly beside the doll's body. Thus, in the eye part 10 according to this embodiment, the pupil can be seen from a wide range of angles, and the tracking function described later can be realized with a more natural impression. Furthermore, because the entire surface of the protruding portion is covered by the iris 301, the same impression can be given when viewed from the front and from above, below, left, or right. In other words, because the pupil 302 is uniformly covered by the iris 301 formed of a transparent resin material, it can be seen with a similar impression over a wide range of angles, and the tracking function can be realized with a more natural impression. On the other hand, if, for example, the pupil is formed to protrude to the front of the iris, the pupil can be seen sufficiently from approximately directly beside or directly above, but it gives an unnatural impression that the pupil is bulging out. Therefore, as in this embodiment, positioning the pupil behind the iris 301 is important for realizing the tracking function with a natural impression, and it is possible to give a moist texture like that of a human eye. Furthermore, unifying the iris and pupil with similar colors creates a more natural appearance. For example, the iris could be made from a blue transparent resin material, and the pupil from a navy blue resin material.

[0021] While there is no intention to limit the height of the protruding portion that extends into the iris 301, it is desirable that it be formed so that it does not protrude to the surface of the iris 301, and that it is basically visible only at the back of the iris 301. The optimal height of the protruding portion varies depending on the recess of the eye itself in the facial component 20 and the thickness of the iris 301. Furthermore, there is a trade-off relationship between the height of the protruding portion and the tracking effect: a higher protruding portion allows for a wider view of the pupil, but a loss of naturalness. Therefore, it is desirable to form the protruding portion at a height that allows for the pupil to be seen over as wide an area as possible while maintaining a natural appearance and tracking effect, depending on the shape of the peripheral area of ​​the eye on the face.

[0022] Furthermore, the eye component 10 is composed of a base portion 303 in addition to the iris portion 301 and the pupil portion 302. The base portion 303 is formed of a white resin material. Here, an example is described in which the base portion 303 is formed of a white resin material, but this is not intended to limit the present invention. The base portion 303 may be formed of other colors depending on the colors of the iris portion 301 and the pupil portion 302, and any opaque color is acceptable. For example, depending on the design of the character realized in the doll body, the pupil portion 302 may be formed of white and the base portion 303 may be formed of black. As shown in Figure 4(a), the base portion 303 is formed so as to be in contact with the rear surface of the iris portion 301 in a portion different from the portion in which the pupil portion 302 is formed. In addition, an uneven shape (including various shapes such as stepped shapes, diamond-cut-like cutting shapes, shapes formed with openings and protrusions, etc.) may be formed on the surface of the base portion 303 that is in contact with the iris portion 301. This allows the reflection of light entering the pupil to be dispersed in multiple directions, resulting in a natural sparkle in the eye. A similar uneven surface may be formed on the rear surface of the iris portion 301 to achieve a similar effect. By forming an uneven surface on the rear surface of the iris portion 301, the film thickness of the iris portion 301 is partially changed, altering the degree of transmission of the base portion 303, and thus enabling the expression of more complex colors.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(a), the base portion 303 may have a portion that extends adjacent to the iris portion 301 to the same position as the front surface of the iris portion 301. This portion, as shown in the base portion 303 of Figure 4(b), forms the white part of the pupil and can create a light reflection similar to that of a human eye. As mentioned above, the white part of the pupil may be formed in a different color, similar to the base portion 303 which changes according to the character design. Also, it does not have to be formed integrally with the base portion 303, in which case it may be formed from a different resin material of a different color than the base portion 303. On the other hand, if it is formed integrally, the insert molding process described later can be reduced, and a simpler manufacturing process can be realized.

[0024] (Insert molding procedure) Here, the manufacturing procedure for insert molding (integral molding) of the eye component 10 according to this embodiment will be described. The eye component 10 is produced, for example, by insert molding and multi-color molding using three colors of resin. Note that the present invention is not intended to be limited to the procedure described below.

[0025] With the resin material configuration shown in Figure 4(a), the pupil portion 302 is first molded from, for example, a dark blue resin material onto the eye base component. Next, the base portion 303 is secondarily molded from a white resin material. Finally, the iris portion 301 is thirdarily molded from a blue transparent resin material to form the final molded product of the eye component 10. In the procedure described above, an example using single-color resin materials in each step has been explained, but there is no intention to limit the present invention, and it may also be done with multi-color resin materials. Furthermore, various colors can be used for each resin material depending on the character design. In order to maintain the eye-tracking function, it is desirable that at least the pupil portion and base portion be formed from an opaque resin material, and the iris portion be formed from a transparent or translucent resin material.

[0026] As described above, the eye part 10 is formed by repeatedly performing insert molding using multiple types of resin. This makes it possible to easily and accurately form the eye representation that was previously provided by printing or stickers. Furthermore, even when the user is required to perform part of the assembly, as with plastic models, the process of applying stickers to the eyes can be eliminated, and a satisfactory finished product can be created in a way that looks natural to the user, even without advanced skills in sticker application or painting. The eye part 10 and the face part 20 may be molded to have different gloss levels. For example, the eye part 10 may be molded from a highly transparent resin material such as polystyrene resin, while the face part 20 may be molded from a resin that has a reduced gloss and skin texture, achieved by compounding polystyrene resin with rubber or the like.

[0027] <Tracking function and dividing lines> Next, with reference to Figure 5, the tracking function of the eye component 10 according to this embodiment and the dividing line between it and the face component 20 will be described in detail. Figure 5(a) shows a magnified view of the left eye of the doll body, and Figure 5(b) shows a magnified view of a planar cross-section near the pupil 302.

[0028] (Tracking function) First, the tracking function according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 5(b), the tracking function of the eye component 10 according to this embodiment is realized by the iris portion 301 and the pupil portion 302. The iris portion 301 is formed to cover the front surface of the eye component 10, and furthermore, its rear surface is formed in a concave shape. As a result, the area below the pupil becomes concave on one surface, which can further enhance the tracking effect. In addition, since the tracking effect can also be expected from the protruding portion of the pupil portion 302, which will be described later, the rear surface of the iris portion 301 may be made flat. This makes it possible to realize one step in insert molding in a simpler process.

[0029] Furthermore, as described above, the pupil portion 302 is formed so that a part of it protrudes near the center of the concave rear surface of the iris portion 301 and penetrates into the interior of the iris portion 301. It is desirable that the front surface of the protruding portion be formed in a rounded convex shape. Moreover, the entire surface of the protruding portion is covered by the iris portion 301. As shown in Figure 5(b), this protruding portion ensures that, whether viewed from the front 502, the left 503, or the right 504, the pupil portion 302 is formed behind the iris portion 301 in all cases, and furthermore, because the protruding portion is formed in a rounded convex shape, the same impression is maintained over a wide range. In other words, even when viewing the doll body while rotating it, it is possible to suppress the unnatural feeling of the pupil portion suddenly changing when viewed from a position beyond a predetermined angle. Thus, according to this embodiment, the tracking function can be realized with a more natural impression over a wide range.

[0030] (Dividing line) Next, the dividing line between the face part 20 and the eye part 10 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 5(a), the face part 20, which includes the white of the eye 201 and the eyelash part 202, and the eye part 10, which includes the iris part 301, the pupil part 3021 and the base part 303, are divided along the dashed line 501. Thus, according to this embodiment, when the eye part 10 is inserted into the face part 20 from the back and assembled, the dividing line after assembly is formed near the boundary between the white of the eye and the pupil. Generally, there is a large color difference near the boundary between the white of the eye and the pupil, and the boundary can be clearly identified. Therefore, by forming the dividing line near that boundary, the effect of making the line less noticeable is created, and the unnaturalness caused by the dividing line formed during assembly can be reduced. Note that the present invention is not intended to be limited to the dashed line 501 shown in Figure 5(a), and the dividing line may be in any location where it is not noticeable.

[0031] Furthermore, the facial component 20 and eye component 10 according to this embodiment are produced by insert molding and multi-color molding using multiple colored resins. Therefore, each part of each component, such as the iris 301 and pupil 302, are molded in close contact, eliminating gaps during assembly and misalignment due to assembly errors, thereby minimizing any sense of incongruity caused by such assembly.

[0032] As described above, the eye component assembled to the face component of the doll body according to this embodiment comprises an iris portion positioned on the front surface of the eye component, and a pupil portion having a convex shape on its front surface and a protruding portion that extends from the rear surface of the iris portion and into the interior of the iris portion. Furthermore, the eye component according to this embodiment may be configured to form only the pupil portion other than the white portion of the eye and the eyelash portion that constitute the eye, or it may be formed by repeatedly insert molding. Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible to realize a wide range of tracking functions in the eye component of the doll body with a natural impression, and to provide a mechanism that can suitably manufacture the same function.

[0033] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. For example, the entire surface of the protruding portion of the pupil that protrudes from the iris may be covered by the iris. This makes the pupil appear to be located behind the iris in all cases, whether the doll's eye is viewed from the front or from above, below, left, or right, thus achieving a natural-looking tracking function.

[0034] Furthermore, an uneven surface may be formed on the front surface of the base material that contacts the rear surface of the iris. Alternatively, an uneven surface may be formed on the rear surface of the iris that contacts the front surface of the base material. This allows the reflection of light entering the pupil to be dispersed in multiple directions, reproducing a natural brilliance similar to that of the human eye. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 10: Eye parts, 20: Face parts, 201: White of the eye, 202: Eyelashes, 301: Iris, 302: Pupil, 303: Base color

Claims

1. An eye part that is attached to the face part of a doll body, The iris portion is positioned on the front surface of the aforementioned eye component, The pupil portion has a convex shape on its front surface and a protruding portion that extends from the rear surface of the iris portion and into the interior of the iris portion, A base portion that is in contact with the rear surface of the iris portion, and is different from the protruding portion that protrudes inward from the rear surface of the iris portion. Equipped with, An eye component characterized in that a part of the surface of the base portion that is in contact with the rear surface of the iris portion has an uneven shape formed thereon.

2. The eye component according to claim 1, characterized in that the entire surface of the protruding portion is covered by the iris portion.

3. The eye component according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the iris portion has a concave shape on its rear surface.

4. The eye component according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the protruding portion protrudes near the center of the rear surface of the iris portion.

5. The eye component according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the base portion is not at least partially covered by the iris portion and has a portion that extends to the front surface of the iris portion.

6. The eye component according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the protruding portion does not protrude to the surface of the iris portion but is located behind the iris portion.

7. The eye component according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the eye component is formed by insert molding using multiple types of resin.

8. The eye component according to claim 6, characterized in that the eye component forms the pupil portion and is formed separately from the white portion of the eye and the eyelash portion.

9. A doll body having a face part to which an eye part according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is assembled.

10. A method for manufacturing eye parts that are assembled to the facial parts of a doll body, An iris molding step for forming an iris portion that covers the front surface of the aforementioned eye component, A pupil molding step is to form a pupil having a convex shape on its front surface and a protruding portion that extends from the rear surface of the iris and into the interior of the iris, A base molding step in which the base portion is formed so as to be in contact with the posterior surface of the iris portion in the portion where the pupil portion is not formed. Includes, A manufacturing method characterized in that a part of the surface of the base portion that is in contact with the rear surface of the iris portion has an uneven shape.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, characterized in that each molding step of the eye component includes repeatedly performing insert molding using multiple types of resin.

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