Toy

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a toy that mimics a real or imaginary animal character having an elongated torso and that reduces the troublesomeness of carrying around the same.　With a view to solving the problem mentioned above, this toy that mimics a real or imaginary animal character having an elongated torso comprises: a deformable elongated torso; and a head part disposed on one end side of the torso in the longitudinal direction. The torso is configured so as to be able to serve as a muffler when wound around the neck of a player. The torso is further provided with a mountable cover that can be detachably mounted on the outer surface thereof. The torso has a housing space formed therein. The head part is provided with an opening that opens the housing space to the outside.

Description

toy

[0001] The present invention relates to a toy that resembles a real or fictional animal character having an elongated body.

[0002] A toy modeled after a real or fictional animal character with a long, thin body, which has a transformable, long, thin body and a head located at one end of the body in the longitudinal direction, is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The toy in the above document has a deformable elongated body, which allows for a variety of play styles, but has the drawback that it is cumbersome to carry around due to the shape of the elongated body.

[0004] Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 03-005490

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a toy that imitates a real or imaginary animal character having a long, thin body, and that is less cumbersome to carry around.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a toy is provided that imitates a real or fictional animal character having a long, thin body, and is characterized by having a deformable, long, thin body and a head located at one end of the body in the overall length direction, and the body is configured so that it can be wrapped around the player's neck and used as a scarf.

[0007] The device may further include an attachment cover that is detachably attached to the outer surface of the body.

[0008] The body may have a storage space formed therein, and the head may have an opening for opening the storage space to the outside.

[0009] The robot may further include an operating mechanism including an electric actuator that operates a predetermined part of the torso or the head, and a power source that supplies power to the electric actuator, wherein the head has an upper jaw portion as the opening, and a lower jaw part that swings up and down relative to the upper jaw portion to open and close, and the power source may be located inside the upper jaw portion.

[0010] The head may have an eyeball display unit that represents an eyeball, and an eyelid part that covers the eyeball display unit in an openable and closable manner, and the operating mechanism may be configured to be able to switch the eyelid part between a closed state that covers the eyeball display unit to represent a closed eye, and an open state that exposes at least a portion of the eyeball display unit to the outside to represent an open eye, using power from the electric actuator.

[0011] A tail part may be provided in an operable manner on a portion of the body opposite the head, and the operating mechanism may be configured to operate the tail part by power from the electric actuator.

[0012] The torso may have a flexibly deformable main body with the head located at one end of the body in the overall length direction, and the tail part extending from the end of the main body opposite the head in the overall length direction, the tail part having a connecting part connected to the main body and an operating part rotatably supported on the connecting part, and the operating mechanism may be configured to rotate the operating part by power from the electric actuator.

[0013] The device may further comprise a detection unit that detects when the player touches the head side, and a control unit that controls the operation of the electric actuator based on the detection result of the detection unit.

[0014] The transformable, slender body allows for a variety of ways to play with it, and it can also be worn as a scarf, making it easy to carry around and easy to become attached to.

[0015] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a toy to which the present invention is applied; FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view showing the configuration of the head; FIG. 3 is a lower perspective view showing the configuration of the head; FIG. 4 is a side view showing the configuration of the head; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of the tail part; FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the tail part; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the toy showing the configuration of the outer skin part and the attachment cover; FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the configuration of the operating mechanism on the head part; (A) and (B) are a front view and a plan view showing the configuration of the operating mechanism on the tail part; and FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit.

[0016] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a toy to which the present invention is applied. The toy shown in the figure comprises a long, slender body 1 and a head 2 integrally formed at one end of the body 1 in the length direction, and the entire body is molded in the shape of a real or imaginary animal character (for example, a snake or an oriental dragon, in this example, a snake).

[0017] In the following explanation, the state in which the torso 1 and the head 2 are positioned in a straight line due to deformation of the torso 1 is taken as the reference state, the direction of that straight line is taken as the front-to-back direction, the side of the straight line facing the head 2 is taken as the front side, and the side of the torso 1 opposite the head 2 is taken as the rear side.

[0018] 2 to 4 are an upper perspective view, a lower perspective view, and a side view showing the configuration of the head 2. As shown in Fig. 1 to 4, the head 2 has an upper jaw case 3 and a lower jaw part 4 arranged directly below the upper jaw case 3. In the illustrated example, the head 2 has a shape that resembles the head of a snake.

[0019] The upper jaw side case 3 integrally comprises an upper jaw part (upper jaw portion) 6 which has a peripheral wall and a bottom and is molded in a dish shape with an open top, a parietal side cover 7 which is positioned directly above the upper jaw part 6 and has an upwardly bulging shape, and an extension cover 8 which extends rearward from the parietal side cover 7.

[0020] A pair of left and right support parts 9, 9 protruding rearward are integrally provided on the upper jaw part 6. The support parts 9, 9 are provided at symmetrical positions on the upper jaw part 6.

[0021] The parietal side cover 7 is detachably attached and fixed to the upper jaw part 6 in a state where it covers the area directly above the upper jaw part 6. An installation space S1 is formed between the upper jaw part 6 and the parietal side cover 7, in which various components are installed.

[0022] The extension cover 8 is detachably attached and fixed to the rear end of the peripheral wall of the upper jaw part 6 and to the left and right support parts 9, 9. The portion of the extension cover 8 rearward of the support parts 9, 9 is shaped like an inverted U that is open downward in a front cross section.

[0023] The lower jaw part 4 is formed in a U-shape with an open rear end in a plan view. The left and right rear end portions of the lower jaw part 4 serve as supported parts 11, 11 that are separately attached to and supported by the left and right support parts 9, 9 described above.

[0024] The left and right supported portions 11, 11 are arranged in a fitted state between the left and right supporting portions 9, 9, and the supporting portion 9 on the closer side is attached with fixtures 12, 12 such as bolts. The shafts of the left and right fixtures 12, 12 are coaxial. The lower jaw part 4 is supported by the upper jaw part 6 so as to be able to swing up and down, with the left-right shafts of the left and right fixtures 12, 12 as fulcrums.

[0025] The upper jaw part 6 and the lower jaw part 4 form the mouth of the animal (character), and this mouth is opened and closed by swinging the lower jaw part 4 up and down. When the lower jaw part 4 is swung downward relative to the upper jaw part 6 to switch the mouth to an open state, the external space on the front side of the head 2 communicates with the space on the inner peripheral surface side of the rear part of the extension cover 8 of the head 2 (connection space S2) via this mouth.

[0026] That is, the upper jaw part 6 and lower jaw part 4 that make up the mouth also function as an opening that opens the connection space S2 inside the head 2 to the external space in front of the head 2. The opening is opened and closed by opening and closing the mouth (i.e., by swinging the lower jaw part 4 up and down).

[0027] In addition, eye holes 3a, 3a are drilled in the upper part of each of the left and right sides of the upper jaw side case 3 and in the middle part in the front-to-back direction, and eyeball parts 13, 13 which are spherical or circular in cross section across the entire front-to-back direction are installed at each location on the left and right eye holes 3a, 3a side in the installation space S1.

[0028] The pupil 14 is displayed by printing, a sticker, or the like on the front of each eyeball part 13. The area (specifically, the outer side surface) including the entire or part of the pupil 14 (part of the pupil 14 in the illustrated example) of each eyeball part 13 constitutes an eyeball display part 13a exposed to the outside of the maxillary-side case 3 through the near-side eyehole 3a.

[0029] An eyelid part 16 formed in a convex curved shape along the outer surface of each eyeball part 13 is disposed on the side of the eyeball part 13. Specifically, each eyelid part 16 is supported on the side of the eyeball part 13 so as to be rotatable left and right, with a virtual or physical (physical in the illustrated example) axis 17 (see FIG. 8 ) in the front-to-rear direction passing through the center of the eyeball part 13 on the side on which it is disposed as a fulcrum. Incidentally, the eyelid part 16 is fixed to the axis 17 and rotates integrally with the axis 17.

[0030] When the eyelid part 16 is rotated to the left or right outer position (closed position), it is switched to a closed state in which the entire eyeball display portion 13a of the eyeball part 13 is covered, thereby representing a closed eye, whereas when it is rotated to the left or right inner position (open position), it is switched to an open state in which at least a portion (most of the portion in the illustrated example) of the eyeball display portion 13a of the eyeball part 13 is exposed to the outside through the eye socket 3a, representing an open eye.

[0031] That is, the eye of the animal (character) is made up of the eye socket 3a, the eyeball part 13 and the eyelid part 16, and the eye can be opened and closed.

[0032] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of the tail part, and Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the tail part. As shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6, the body 1 has a main body 18 formed in a flexibly deformable cylindrical shape in the front-to-rear direction, which extends rearward from the head 2, and a tail part 19 which extends further rearward from the rear end of the main body 18, which is the end opposite the head 2 in the overall length direction.

[0033] The front end of the main body 18 is fastened to the rear end of the extension cover 8 of the head part 2, and the rear end is fastened to the front end of the tail part 19. The main body 18 is made of a flexible material such as cloth, and its cylindrical interior is formed with a storage space S3 (see Figure 7) in which the player can pack and store various items.

[0034] The tail part 19 has a cylindrical connecting part 21 whose front end is connected (engaged) to the rear end side of the main body 18 and extends back and forth, and an operating part 22 whose front end is attached and supported to the rear end side of the connecting part 21 and extends further rearward from the connecting part 21.

[0035] The connecting portion 21 is hollow, and an installation space S4 is formed inside the connecting portion 21 in which various components are installed.

[0036] On the other hand, the actuating part 22 is formed in a shape tapering toward the rear, and is supported by the actuating part 22 so as to be rotatable or pivotable about a virtual or physical axis 23 formed on the axis of the connecting part 21. In this example, this axis 23 is a support axis that is physically provided and supports the actuating part 22 to the connecting part 21, and the actuating part 22 pivots integrally with this axis 23.

[0037] The middle and rear portions of the actuating part 22 are slightly curved or bent (curved in this example) relative to the front portion facing the direction of the shaft 23. Therefore, when the actuating part 22 rotates or turns, the tail part 19 is actuated as if it is wagging or swinging a tail.

[0038] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the toy showing the configuration of the outer skin parts and the attached cover. The toy is provided with an outer skin part 24 that covers the outer surfaces of the upper jaw case 3, the lower jaw part 4, the main body 18, and the tail part 19. This outer skin part 24 also covers the lower surface of the upper jaw case 3 and the upper surface of the lower jaw part 4. A large number of bristles are evenly provided on the outer surface of the outer skin part 24 except for the lower surface of the upper jaw case 3 and the upper surface of the lower jaw part 4.

[0039] Furthermore, the outer skin part 24 is configured to be flexibly deformable so as not to interfere with the operation of the tail part 19 or the manual up and down movement (opening and closing of the mouth) of the lower jaw part 4. In addition, the outer skin part 24 has exposure holes 24a, 24a corresponding to the eye holes 3a, 3a so as to expose the left and right eye display parts 13a, 13a to the outside.

[0040] The player can wrap the main body 18 of this toy around their neck to use as a scarf. To explain in more detail, the main body 18 has a length that can be used as a scarf and is made of a flexible and deformable material (for example, cloth), and the numerous hairs on the outer surface of the outer skin part 24 ensure sufficient heat retention.

[0041] The outer skin part 24 covers the entire length of the toy. Therefore, the front part of the outer skin part 24 forms part of the head 2, and the remaining part forms part of the body 1.

[0042] As described above, the lower jaw part 4 is formed in a U-shape that corresponds to only the skeletal portion of the lower jaw, and has an open central portion. By attaching the outer cover part 24 to the lower jaw part 4 as described above, the open portion near the center is also covered, and the entire area directly below the upper jaw case 3 can be covered without any gaps.

[0043] Furthermore, the extension cover 8 is also open downward (in other words, the lower part of the connection space S2 is open to the outside), but this open part is also entirely covered by the outer skin part 24.

[0044] The player can then manually open the mouth of the toy (by manually swinging the lower jaw part 4 downward) and place one or more objects through the open mouth (opening) and into the storage space S3 via the connecting space S2. In other words, the toy can also be used as a container for other toys, sweets, and other objects.

[0045] On the other hand, if the mouth is manually closed (if the lower jaw part 4 is manually swung upward), it is possible to prevent the object stored in the storage space S3 from accidentally flying out. Also, by putting an object through the mouth of this snake-shaped toy, it is possible to express the snake swallowing the object whole, which is highly entertaining.

[0046] It is also possible to fit a long, thin, bag-like attachment cover 26 with one open end over the entire portion of the outer skin part 24 that constitutes the body 1 of this toy. The entire outer surface of the attachment cover 26 can be provided with a large number of bristles, the amount of which can be greater than that of the outer skin part 24, to improve heat retention, or conversely, the amount of bristles can be reduced or eliminated to lower heat retention.

[0047] In addition, multiple types of attachment covers 26 can be attached, allowing users to change functionality and enjoy dressing up the doll. By removing the attachment covers, it is also possible to express shedding, which adds to the entertainment value.

[0048] While the lower jaw part 4 is manually operated by the player, the left and right eyelid parts 16, 16 and the tail part 19 are operated by operating mechanisms 29, 31 including electric motors 27, 28, which are a type of electric actuator (see Figures 2, 6, 8 and 9).

[0049] Next, the configurations of the two operating mechanisms 29 and 31 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0050] Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the configuration of the head-side actuating mechanism. The actuating mechanism 29 shown in Figs. 2 and 8 is disposed in the installation space S1. This actuating mechanism 29 includes the electric motor 27 such as a DC motor, a gear case 33 housing a gear transmission mechanism to which the power of the electric motor 27 is input, left-right operating shafts 34 protruding from both the left and right sides of the gear case 33 and driven to rotate or pivot by the power from the electric motor 27, operating bodies 36 attached and fixed to the left and right ends of the operating shafts 34, and the above-mentioned shaft 17.

[0051] The operating body 36 is formed in a disk shape, with the operating shaft 34 inserted and fixed through its center, and perpendicular to the operating shaft 34. Operating pins 37 that protrude outward to the left and right are integrally formed on the outer side surface of the operating body 36 at positions offset from the center. The operating pins 37 rotate integrally with the operating body 36 as the operating shaft 34 rotates. More specifically, the operating pins 37, 37 provided on the left and right operating bodies 36, 36 rotate about the operating shaft 34 while maintaining their positions aligned or approximately aligned in a side view.

[0052] The eyeball part 13 and the eyelid part 16 are disposed on the front half of the shaft 17, while an operating part 38 that rotates integrally with the shaft 17 is attached and fixed to the rear half. The operating part 38 has a sleeve part 38a that is externally fixed to the shaft 17, and a plate part 38b that is shaped like a plate and extends radially outward from the sleeve part 38a and inward in the left-right direction.

[0053] Each eyelid part 16, together with the shaft 17 on which it is supported, is constantly elastically biased by a biasing member (not shown) in a direction that positions the eyelid part 16 in the open position, thereby maintaining the operation pin 37 and the plate portion 38b in contact with each other. Incidentally, according to the above-described arrangement of the left and right operation pins 37, 37, the operating portions 38, 38 provided on the left and right shafts 17, 17, respectively, also rotate about the shafts 17, 17 to which they are fixed, while maintaining a symmetrical posture in rear view.

[0054] When the left and right operating pins 37, 37 are rotated to the lowest position (opening position) of their rotation range, the plate portions 38b, 38b are rotated to an operating position that positions the eyelid parts 16, 16 in the open position. On the other hand, when the left and right operating pins 37, 37 are rotated to the highest position (closing position) of their rotation range, the plate portions 38b, 38b are rotated to an operating position that positions the eyelid parts 16, 16 in the closed position.

[0055] Incidentally, in the illustrated example, when the left and right operating pins 37, 37 are rotated from the open operating position to the closed operating position, the left and right operating shafts 34, 34 are rotated half a revolution in the forward direction against the biasing force of the biasing member by the forward driving of the single electric motor 27, whereas when the left and right operating pins 37, 37 are rotated from the closed operating position to the open operating position, the left and right operating shafts 34, 34 are rotated half a revolution in the reverse direction by the biasing force of the biasing member.

[0056] In addition, when the braking torque of the electric motor 27 is large and the biasing force of the biasing member is insufficient, the electric motor 27 is driven in the reverse direction to rotate the left and right operating pins 37, 37 from the closed operating position to the open operating position.

[0057] An opening operation position detection sensor 39 that detects the opening operation position and a closing operation position detection sensor 41 that detects the closing operation position are also provided in the installation space S1.

[0058] To explain in more detail, an open operation position detection sensor 39 is arranged on one of the left and right operating bodies 36 (left side in the illustrated example), and a close operation position detection sensor 41 is arranged on the other operating body 36 (right side in the illustrated example).

[0059] The opening position detection sensor 39 is configured to detect rotation of a protrusion 36a, which is integrally formed to protrude radially outward from the disk-shaped peripheral edge of the nearby operating body 36, toward itself. The closing position detection sensor 41 is configured to detect rotation of a protrusion 36b, which is integrally formed to protrude radially outward from the disk-shaped peripheral edge of the nearby operating body 36. These two protrusions 36a, 36b are arranged symmetrically across the operating shaft 34 in a side view.

[0060] These two position detection sensors 39, 41 can detect the operating positions of the left and right eyelid parts 16, 16. In other words, these two position detection sensors 39, 41 function as an open / closed state detection unit that detects the open / closed state of the eye by the eyelid parts 16.

[0061] 9A and 9B are a front view and a plan view showing the configuration of the actuation mechanism on the tail part side. The actuation mechanism 31 shown in Figs. 6 and 9 is arranged in installation space S4. It has the above-mentioned electric motor 28 such as a DC motor, a gear 42 attached to and fixed on the output shaft 28a from which the rotational power of the electric motor 28 is output, a gear 43 attached to and fixed on the end of the above-mentioned shaft 23 on the connecting portion 21 side, and a gear transmission mechanism 44 that transmits the rotational power of the gear 42 to the gear 43.

[0062] The amount of movement of the tail part 19 can be set appropriately by adjusting the time for which the electric motor 28 is driven, PWM control, or the like.

[0063] The operations of the electric motors 27, 28 of the two operating mechanisms 29, 31 configured as described above are appropriately controlled by a control unit 46 (see FIG. 10) that is configured by a microcomputer or the like.

[0064] Next, the configuration of the control unit 46 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0065] 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit. The entire control unit 46 or its main components are arranged in the installation space S1. The input side of this control unit 46 is connected to a touch sensor (detection unit) 47, such as a capacitance type, which is arranged in the installation space S1 and detects when the player touches the head 2 from the outer surface of the skin part 24, and the two position detection sensors 39, 41 mentioned above. On the other hand, the output side of the control unit 46 is connected to two electric motors 27, 28.

[0066] In addition, a power supply box (power supply storage section) 48 that stores a power source (not shown) such as a battery or a rechargeable battery that supplies power to the two electric motors 27, 28 and the control section 46 is installed in the installation space S1, and the inside of the power supply box 48 can be accessed by removing the detachable opening / closing cover 3b on the underside of the upper jaw side case 3 (see Figure 3).

[0067] According to this configuration, when the touch sensor 47 detects that the player has gently stroked the toy's head 2 one or more times, the left and right eyes that were open are opened and closed (blinked) one or more times, and then returned to an open state, and the operating part 22 of the tail part 19 is operated by a predetermined amount of rotation, making it possible to express that the animal is happy or has become attached to the animal.

[0068] Furthermore, the control unit 46, power source, and operating mechanism 29, which require a large installation space, are concentrated inside the upper jaw part 6, making it easy to ensure a large storage space S3.

[0069] In addition, an operation amount detection unit such as a rotation sensor 49 that detects the operation amount of the tail part 19 (the amount of rotation of the operation unit 22) may be provided separately, and the detection results may be input to the control unit 46, and the input value may be used to control the operation of the tail part 19 more finely and accurately.

[0070] Furthermore, the outer skin part 24 can be omitted, in which case a cover body can be provided that directly closes and covers the open parts of the lower jaw part 4 and the extension cover 8, and a large number of hairs can be provided directly on the outer surfaces of each of the upper jaw case 3, lower jaw part 4, main body 18 and tail part 19.

[0071] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Body 2 Head 4 Lower jaw part 6 Upper jaw part (upper jaw part) 13a Eyeball display part 16 Eyelid part 18 Main body 19 Tail part 21 Connecting part 22 Actuating part 26 Mounting cover 27 Electric motor (electric actuator) 28 Electric motor (electric actuator) 29 Actuating mechanism 31 Actuating mechanism 46 Control part 47 Touch sensor (detecting part) S3 Storage space

Claims

1. A toy modeled after a real or imaginary animal character with a long, slender body, comprising: a transformable, slender body; and a head located at one end of the body in the overall length direction, wherein the body is configured so that it can also be worn around a player's neck as a scarf.

2. The toy according to claim 1, further comprising an attachment cover removably attached to the outer surface of the body.

3. The toy according to claim 1, wherein the torso has a storage space formed therein, and the head has an opening for opening the storage space to the outside.

4. A toy as described in claim 3, further comprising: an operating mechanism including an electric actuator for operating a specified portion of the torso or the head; and a power source for supplying power to the electric actuator, wherein the head has as its opening an upper jaw portion and a lower jaw part that swings up and down relative to the upper jaw portion to open and close, and the power source is positioned inside the upper jaw portion.

5. A toy as described in claim 4, wherein the head has an eyeball display unit representing an eyeball and an eyelid part covering the eyeball display unit in an openable and closable manner, and the operating mechanism is configured to be able to switch the eyelid part between a closed state in which the eyeball display unit is covered and represents a closed eye state, and an open state in which at least a portion of the eyeball display unit is exposed to the outside and represents an open eye state, by power from the electric actuator.

6. A toy as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein a tail part is operable on a part of the torso opposite the head, and the operating mechanism is configured to operate the tail part by power from the electric actuator.

7. A toy as described in claim 6, wherein the torso has a flexibly deformable main body with the head located at one end of its length and the tail part extending from the end of the main body opposite the head in the length direction, the tail part has a connecting part connected to the main body and an operating part rotatably supported on the connecting part, and the operating mechanism is configured to rotate the operating part by power from the electric actuator.

8. A toy as described in claim 4, further comprising a detection unit which detects when a player touches the head side, and a control unit which controls the operation of the electric actuator based on the detection result of the detection unit.

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