Toy

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a highly amusing toy. [Solution] A toy 1 comprises: a piece member 10 in which a plurality of pieces 5 are integrally formed; and a joint member 20 that can be joined to the piece member 10. At least one of the plurality of pieces 5 has a portion 52 to be joined to the joint member 20. The piece member 10 is in a sheet shape. In the piece member 10, the respective portions 52 to be joined of the adjacent pieces 5 are connected via a connection portion 9 formed to be thinner than the portions 52 to be joined.

Description

toy

[0001] The present invention relates to toys.

[0002] Conventionally, storage devices have been proposed that are made up of multiple storage pieces that can be freely assembled and easily repaired. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a storage device that is made up of multiple storage pieces, has connecting parts at adjacent storage piece parts, has a detachable shape with a convex and concave part at the connecting part, and has a movable range that allows rotation at the connecting part by an interlocking structure.

[0003] JP 2019-26383 A

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the storage device is configured with interconnected storage pieces, and does not provide an interesting toy.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a highly entertaining toy.

[0006] The toy of the present invention comprises a piece member in which a plurality of pieces are integrally formed, and a first connecting member having a connecting portion that can be connected to at least one of the plurality of pieces, and at least one of the plurality of pieces has a connectable portion that connects to the connecting portion.

[0007] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the piece members are separable into small piece members each containing any number of the pieces, and the small piece members are configured to be connectable to each other via the first connecting member.

[0008] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, each of the plurality of pieces has the connectable portion.

[0009] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, each of the plurality of pieces has a plurality of the connectable portions.

[0010] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the pieces are N-sided polygons having N sides, where N is a natural number of 3 or more, and the connectable portions are provided on each of the N sides.

[0011] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the piece members are sheet-shaped.

[0012] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the piece members have connecting portions that connect the sides of adjacent pieces, and the length of the connecting portions is smaller than the length of the sides of the pieces.

[0013] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the connecting portion connects the edges of the pieces together via the connected portions, and the length of the connecting portion is smaller than the length of the connected portions.

[0014] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the thickness of the connecting portion is smaller than the thickness of the connected portion.

[0015] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the piece members are configured to be separable into small piece members each including any number of the pieces by being divided at the connecting portion.

[0016] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the length of the first connecting member is greater than the length of the connecting portion.

[0017] In one embodiment of the toy of the present invention, the combined length of the two pieces connected by the first connecting member and the first connecting member is approximately the same as the combined length of the two pieces connected by the connecting portion and the connecting portion.

[0018] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the connectable portion extends along a side of the piece so as to form part of the side.

[0019] In one aspect of the toy set of the present invention, the pieces have elastically deformable deformation portions.

[0020] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the connecting portion is composed of a first connecting portion provided on one end side and a second connecting portion provided on the other end side opposite the one end side.

[0021] In one aspect of the toy set of the present invention, the connecting portion has a concave connecting recess and is connected to the connected portion by fitting.

[0022] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the connecting portion has a connecting insertion opening through which the connected portion can be inserted into the connecting recess.

[0023] In one aspect of the toy set of the present invention, the connecting recess is configured in a cylindrical shape, and the connecting insertion opening is provided in the longitudinal direction of the connecting recess.

[0024] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the connection insertion opening is provided with a restricting portion that restricts movement of the connected portion out of the connecting portion.

[0025] In one aspect of the toy set of the present invention, the restricting portion is configured by a protruding portion that protrudes inward of the connecting recess.

[0026] In one embodiment of the toy of the present invention, the connecting portion has a disconnection opening at one end of the connecting recess that opens in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the connected portion and allows the connected portion to be removed from the connecting recess.

[0027] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, an inclined surface is provided on the outer surface of the connection insertion opening to guide the connection receiving portion into the connection recess.

[0028] In one embodiment of the toy of the present invention, the connecting recess is configured such that, in its cross section, the distance in the insertion direction of the connected part from the connecting insertion opening to the inner wall surface facing the connecting insertion opening is longer than the distance between the inner wall surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction.

[0029] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, a protrusion is provided on an inner surface of the connecting recess, the protrusion contacting an outer surface of the connected part.

[0030] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the protrusion is configured as a ridge extending along the insertion direction of the connected portion.

[0031] In one aspect of the toy of the present invention, the toy includes a plurality of the first connecting members.

[0032] A toy according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a second connecting member having a third connecting portion at one end that can be connected to the connected portion, and the second connecting member has a fourth connecting portion at the other end opposite the one end, the fourth connecting portion having a shape different from that of the third connecting portion.

[0033] According to the present invention, a highly entertaining toy can be provided.

[0034] 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a toy according to one embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the front side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the toy shown in FIG. 1, as seen from the back side. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a small piece member in the toy shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the smallest piece in the toy shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a first connecting member in the toy shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the first connecting member shown in FIG. 5, divided in the longitudinal direction. FIG. 8 is an end view of the first connecting member shown in FIG. 5, as seen from the longitudinal direction. FIG. 9 is an end view showing the connected state of the first connecting member and the connectable portion. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing the operation during the connecting operation of the first connecting member and the connectable portion. FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing the operation during the release of the connection between the first connecting member and the connectable portion. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an example of an article assembled using piece members and first and second connecting members. FIG. 13 is an enlarged exploded view of the article shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of the second connecting member. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the piece member.

[0035] A toy according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toy 1 according to the present invention as seen from the front side. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the toy 1 shown in Fig. 1 as seen from the back side.

[0036] 1 and 2, the toy 1 includes a sheet-like piece member 10 formed integrally with a plurality of pieces 5 (12 pieces in this embodiment), and a first connecting member 20 connectable to the piece member 10. In other words, the toy 1 is configured as a toy set including the piece member 10 and the first connecting member 20. In the toy 1, it is preferable that a plurality of piece members 10 are prepared, and also that a large number of first connecting members 20 are prepared.

[0037] As shown in the figure, piece 5 is configured as one compartment in piece member 10. Piece 5 is configured so that a hemispherical deformation portion 53 provided in the center can elastically deform between a state in which it protrudes toward the front side of piece member 10 as shown in Fig. 1 and a state in which it protrudes toward the back side as shown by the dashed dotted line in Fig. 2. In other words, the protruding direction of deformation portion 53 can be easily changed by pressing it with a finger or the like from the protruding side to the opposite side.

[0038] Furthermore, the piece member 10 has a notched opening 7 at the corner (four corners in this embodiment) of each piece 5. The notched opening 7 forms a structure in which the end of the connectable portion 52 protrudes from the outer periphery of the piece body portion 51 of the piece 5. The notched opening 7 makes it easy to connect the connectable portion 52 to the first connecting member 20 and also makes it easy to separate the piece member 10.

[0039] The material of the piece members 10 is not particularly limited, but may be made of a material having an appropriate elasticity, such as synthetic resin, synthetic rubber, natural rubber, paper, etc. The first connecting member 20 may be made of the same material as the piece members 10, but is preferably made of a resin having a higher rigidity than the piece members 10, or may be made of a rigid material such as metal.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of small-piece members 10a and 10b of toy 1. As shown in FIG. 3, piece member 10 can be separated into small-piece members 10a and 10b, each containing a desired number of pieces 5 (three in the illustrated example). This can be done, for example, by using scissors, a utility knife, or even by tearing by hand. For example, by dividing the small-piece member 10 at division lines CL1 and CL2 shown in FIG. 1, it can be converted into smaller sheets. Cutout openings 7 are provided along division lines CL1 and CL2. This facilitates division, and as a result of division, connectable portions 52 are provided on all outer peripheries of small-piece members 10a and 10b, protruding from piece main body portions 51.

[0041] In this division, the connection portions 9 where the pieces 5 are connected are used as the division positions. The connection portions 9 are configured so that the thickness between the connectable portions 52 between adjacent pieces 5 is thinner than the connectable portions 52, and are also thinner than the piece main body portions 51. These connection portions 9 are configured as parts that are easy to divide. Furthermore, the divided connection portions 9 remain on the connectable portions 52 as divided ends 9a, which are approximately half the width of the connection portions 9 or less. However, even if these divided ends 9a are left as they are, the connecting function of the connectable portions 52 will not be impaired, as will be described below.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3, for example, the right end of small-piece member 10a and the left end of small-piece member 10b can be connected via three first connecting members 20. The angle at which the connected small-piece members 10a and 10b are connected can be changed using the first connecting members 20 as a fulcrum. Furthermore, the connecting configuration can also be different from the configuration shown in Figure 3, in which six pieces 5 are lined up vertically.

[0043] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the smallest piece 5 of the toy 1 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 4, the piece 5 in this embodiment is quadrilateral, and has connectable portions 52 along all of the sides so as to form part of those sides, and can be a polygon with three or more sides. That is, the piece 5 can be an N-sided polygon having N sides, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to three, and a connectable portion 52 is provided on each of the N sides. Here, the connectable portions 52 are cylindrical with slightly rounded ends, and two or three of the connectable portions 52 have split ends 9a formed as shown in the figure.

[0044] 4, the length W4 of the connecting portion 9 (the length of the divided end 9a) is smaller than the length W1 of the side 5a of the piece 5. The length W4 of the connecting portion 9 is also smaller than the length W3 of the coupled portion 52. Furthermore, the length W2 of the first connecting member 20 is configured to be larger than the length W1 of the connecting portion 9.

[0045] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the piece 5 is provided with a hemispherical deformation portion 53, and this deformation portion 53 is connected via a deformation portion connecting portion 54a, for example, inside an annular rib 54 which is made by thickening the piece main body portion 51 to increase its rigidity.

[0046] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the first connecting member 20 of the toy 1. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the first connecting member 20 shown in Fig. 5 divided in the longitudinal direction.

[0047] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first connecting member 20 is configured such that the first connecting portion 21a and the second connecting portion 21b, which connect to the connected portion 52, are arranged as cylindrical structures on one end and the other end, sandwiching the central wall portion 20a. Both the first connecting portion 21a and the second connecting portion 21b have cylindrical, concave connecting recesses 22, which fit to receive the connected portion 52. The connected portion 52 is inserted into the connecting recess 22 through a connecting insertion opening 23 that opens along the longitudinal direction of the connecting recess 22. In the first connecting member 20 of this embodiment, the connecting insertion openings 23 are configured to open toward opposite sides of the central wall portion 20a (back-to-back openings).

[0048] The connecting insertion opening 23 is provided with a restricting portion that restricts movement of the connectable portion 52 out of the connecting portion. This restricting portion is configured, for example, with a protruding portion 24 that protrudes inward of the connecting recess 22 (in the direction that narrows the connecting insertion opening 23). In addition, the outer surface of the connecting insertion opening 23 is provided with an inclined surface 23a that is inclined in a direction that can guide the insertion (advancement) of the connectable portion 52 when it is inserted into the connecting recess 22. In this way, the protruding portion 24 not only functions to maintain the connected state of the connectable portion 52, but also functions to guide the connecting insertion.

[0049] The inner surface of the connecting recess 22 can be generally cylindrical, but in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, a flat inner surface 27 is provided that is parallel to the top and bottom. As shown in Fig. 6, this flat inner surface 27 is provided with a protrusion 26. The protrusion 26 is provided in the center of the longitudinal direction of the first connecting member 20 as a ridge extending in the insertion direction of the connected portion 52 (the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6). The protrusion 26 is configured to contact the outer peripheral surface 52s of the inserted connected portion 52 (see Fig. 8).

[0050] The first connecting portion 21 a and the second connecting portion 21 b have a disconnection opening 25 that opens in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the connected portion 52 at at least one end (both ends in this embodiment) of the connecting recess 22 in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the connecting recess 22 has a configuration in which both ends are open and not closed. This configuration allows the connected portion 52 to be disconnected from the connecting recess 22, as will be described later.

[0051] Fig. 7 is an end view of the first connecting member 20 as viewed from the longitudinal direction. Fig. 8 is an end view showing the connected state between the first connecting member 20 and the connected portion 52. As shown in Fig. 7 , in the cross section (as viewed from the end surface direction) of the connecting recess 22, a distance L1 in the insertion direction of the connected portion 52 from the connecting insertion opening 23 to the inner wall surface 22a facing the connecting insertion opening 23 is longer than a distance L2 (the distance between the protrusions 26) between the inner wall surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction.

[0052] The connecting recess 22 is configured to be large in size in the insertion direction of the connected portion 52. With this configuration, for example, as shown in Fig. 8, even if the divided end 9a protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface 52s of the cylindrical connected portion 52, the divided end 9a can be accommodated within the space formed between the central wall 20a and the outer peripheral surface 52s. Therefore, even if the divided end 9a is separated relatively roughly and its protruding height (protruding height from the outer peripheral surface 52s) becomes large, the connection between the pieces 5 can be maintained well.

[0053] Furthermore, the combined length of the two pieces 5 connected by the first connecting member 20 and the first connecting member 20 is approximately the same as the combined length of the two pieces 5 connected by the connecting portion 9 and the connecting portion 9.

[0054] 8, the distance (d1) between the connectable parts 52 connected by the first connecting member 20 is approximately the same as the distance between the connectable parts 52 that remain connected by the connecting parts 9 before the pieces are separated. This makes it possible to make the distance between adjacent pieces 5 the same when the pieces are separated and reconnected as the distance between the pieces 5 before the pieces are separated.

[0055] 8 shows the split end 9a of the connecting portion 9 as being pressed between the central wall portion 20a and the outer peripheral surface 52s, but this is not necessarily the case. For example, a structure may be adopted in which the thickness of the central wall portion 20a in the horizontal direction in the figure is reduced to more easily accommodate the split end 9a, or a structure in which a recess is formed in the inner wall surface 22a. By adopting such a configuration, the spacing (distance d1) between adjacent connectable portions 52 connected by the first connecting member 20 can be reduced, and can be made the same as the distance between adjacent connectable portions 52 before separation.

[0056] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of connecting the first connecting member 20 and the connectable portion 52. When connecting the first connecting member 20 and the connectable portion 52, as shown in FIG. 9, the outer peripheral surface 52s of the connectable portion 52 is pressed against the inclined surface 23a of the first connecting member 20. Due to the pressing force at this time, a component force of the pressing force acts on the inclined surface 23a, and a force acts in a direction that opens the pair of upper and lower connecting portion tips 21t in FIG. 9. The pair of upper and lower connecting portion tips 21t then deform in a direction that opens toward each other. As a result, the connectable portion 52 is inserted into the connecting recess 22. Furthermore, at the same time that the insertion of the connectable portion 52 is completed, the connecting portion tips 21t return to their original position (see FIG. 8).

[0057] As a result of the return movement of the connecting portion tip 21t, the tip of the protruding portion 24 is positioned so as to catch on the boundary portion 52e between the piece body portion 51 and the connected portion 52 (as shown in Figure 8). As a result, the connected portion 52 is restricted so that it cannot be pulled out in the direction opposite to the insertion direction, and the connection is completed (see Figure 8).

[0058] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation when the first connecting portion 21a and the second connecting portion 21b are disconnected from the connected portion 52. As described above, the first connecting portion 21a and the second connecting portion 21b and the connected portion 52 cannot be easily pulled out in the direction opposite to the insertion direction during connection. However, as shown in FIG. 10, the connected portion 52 can slide in either direction in the longitudinal direction of the connecting recess 22. That is, the connected portion 52 can be disconnected from the disconnection openings 25 at both ends of the connecting recess 22, which are in a direction intersecting the insertion direction.

[0059] Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of an article 60 assembled using piece members 10 and first connecting members 20. Fig. 12 is an enlarged exploded view of the article 60 shown in Fig. 11. The article 60 shown in Fig. 11 is, for example, a bag, and has a bag main body 61 to which a bag lid 62 and a strap 63 are attached. The bag main body 61 has two bag front and back surfaces 61a, one bag bottom surface 61b, and two bag side surfaces 61c connected in a box shape by the first connecting members 20.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 12, the bag body 61, the bag lid portion 62, and the strap 63 are connected by two types of second connecting members 20A and 20B, which are other connecting members having a different shape from the first connecting member 20 described above.

[0061] Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the second connecting members 20A, 20B. In the case of the second connecting member 20A for the lid that connects the bag lid portion 62, as shown in Figure 13(a), the second connecting member 20A is provided with a third connecting portion 21c that connects to the connected portion 52, and further with a fourth connecting portion 21d that protrudes from the opposite side of the third connecting portion 21c from the connection insertion opening 23 and has a thick-tipped engaging protrusion 21f that is fitted into and engaged with the engaging hole 62a of the bag lid portion 62 (see Figure 12).

[0062] 13(b), the second connecting member 20B for the strap 63 has a fourth connecting portion 21d that protrudes from the side opposite the connecting insertion opening 23 of the third connecting portion 21c and has an opening 21h. The strap 63 is passed through this opening 21h. In this way, a plurality of connecting members with different shapes are used to suit the article 60.

[0063] Figure 14 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the piece member 10. The piece member 10 shown in Figure 14 has the same configuration as the piece member 10 shown in Figure 1, but differs in that, for example, the same color or pattern is used for each of rows A, B, C, and D in the horizontal direction in the figure. Therefore, it is possible to provide piece members 10 with a gradation in which the color becomes darker from row A to row D, for example.

[0064] In this case, small-piece members 10a of the same color can be obtained by dividing along the connecting portions 9 along each row (row A, row B, row C, row D).On the other hand, small-piece members 10a with gradation can be obtained by dividing along the connecting portions 9 in the direction crossing each row.

[0065] As described above, in the toy 1 of this embodiment, the piece member 10 is configured such that multiple pieces 5 are integrally formed and can be separated into other shapes, so that multiple pieces 5 or small piece members 10a smaller than the piece member 10 can be taken out. Furthermore, by providing a first connecting member 20 that can be connected to the piece member 10 and a piece 5 that has a connectable portion 52 that can be connected to the first connecting member 20, it is possible to connect one piece 5 to another piece 5 to form a different item. Furthermore, because the piece member 10 is sheet-shaped and the connecting portion 9 is configured to be thin, the pieces 5 can be easily separated.

[0066] In the toy 1 of this embodiment, each piece 5 has a plurality of connectable parts 52, which makes it possible to connect the divided pieces 5 one by one. Furthermore, since the pieces 5 are N-sided polygons having N sides, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 3, and each of the N sides is provided with a connectable part 52, it is possible to create articles of various shapes.

[0067] Furthermore, in the toy 1 of this embodiment, the piece members 10 are connected to each other by connecting portions 9 that are thinner than the connecting portions 52 and are also thinner than the piece main body portions 51, making it easier to separate these connecting portions 9.

[0068] Furthermore, since the length W2 of the first connecting member 20 is configured to be greater than the length W1 of the connection portion 9, the connection portion 9 can be made invisible from the outside when it is divided and connected by the first connecting member 20.

[0069] In the toy 1 of this embodiment, the piece 5 has a deforming portion 53 that is elastically deformable so as to protrude in either direction along its thickness, so that the deformation of this deforming portion 53 can be enjoyed.

[0070] In the toy 1 of this embodiment, the connecting operation is simple because the connectable part 52 can be connected by pushing it through the connecting insertion opening 23 formed along the longitudinal direction of the connecting recess 22. In addition, the connecting insertion opening 23 is provided on the outer surface thereof with an inclined surface 23a that guides the connectable part 52 as it enters the connecting recess 22, making the connecting operation even easier.

[0071] Furthermore, a protrusion 24 that protrudes inward from the connecting recess 22 is provided on the inside of the connecting insertion port 23, so that the connection between the connected part 52 and the connecting recess 22 that has been pushed in can be firmly regulated so that it cannot be pulled out in the direction opposite to the pushing direction.

[0072] Furthermore, in the toy 1 of this embodiment, the connecting parts (first, second and third connecting parts 21a, 21b and 21c) have a disconnection opening 25 at one end of the connecting recess 22 that opens in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the connected part 52, making it easy to detach the connected part 52 from the connecting recess 22.

[0073] In the toy 1 of this embodiment, the distance L1 in the insertion direction of the connectable portion 52 from the connecting insertion port 23 to the inner wall surface 22a facing the connecting insertion port 23 is longer than the distance L2 (distance between the protrusions 26) between the inner wall surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, thereby allowing for variation in the degree to which the divided end 9a protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface 52s of the cylindrical connectable portion 52 and enabling the connection state by the first connecting member 20 to be maintained in a good condition.

[0074] In the toy 1 of this embodiment, the spacing between the pieces 5 connected by the first connecting members 20 is configured to be approximately the same as the spacing between the pieces 5 before separation (when connected by the connecting parts 9). Therefore, for example, when combining a portion of the separated pieces 5 that have been reconnected with a portion that is not separated (the portion connected by the connecting parts 9) to create a specific item, no discrepancy in length occurs, and an item with good dimensional accuracy can be created.

[0075] Furthermore, in the toy 1 of this embodiment, the inner surface of the connecting recess 22 is provided with the ridge-like protrusions 26 that contact the outer peripheral surface 52s of the connectable portion 52, which makes it possible to perform a connection that tolerates, for example, variations in the fit between the connecting recess 22 and the connectable portion 52, i.e., variations in the molding precision of both portions. Furthermore, after the connectable portion 52 is inserted into the connecting recess 22, the inserted state can be maintained.

[0076] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified as appropriate within the scope of its technical concept. For example, in the above embodiment, all of the pieces 5 are configured to have the connectable portion 52, but this is not limited to this. For example, some pieces may not have the connectable portion 52 and may be provided in appropriate positions.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the piece 5 has the deformed portion 53, but it may have a flat configuration without the deformed portion 53, for example.

[0078] In the first connecting member 20 shown in the above embodiment, the first connecting portion 21a and the second connecting portion 21b are configured so that the connecting insertion opening 23 opens in opposite directions (180 degrees apart), but this is not limited to this, and the opening direction of the connecting insertion opening 23 may be configured to face a predetermined angle, such as 90 degrees or 45 degrees. Similarly, the connecting angles of the third connecting portion 21c and the fourth connecting portion 21d do not have to be 180 degrees apart.

[0079] As described above, the present specification describes the following:

[0080] (1) A toy comprising: a piece member formed integrally with a plurality of pieces; and a first connecting member having a connecting portion connectable to at least one of the plurality of pieces, wherein at least one of the plurality of pieces has a connectable portion that connects to the connecting portion.

[0081] (2) A toy according to (1), wherein the piece member is separable into small piece members each including any number of the pieces, and the small piece members are configured to be connectable to each other via the first connecting member.

[0082] (3) The toy according to (2), wherein the plurality of pieces each have the connectable portion.

[0083] (4) The toy according to (3), wherein each of the plurality of pieces has a plurality of the connectable portions.

[0084] (5) The toy according to (4), wherein the piece is an N-gon having N sides, where N is a natural number of 3 or more, and the connectable portion is provided on each of the N sides.

[0085] (6) The toy according to (5), wherein the piece members are sheet-shaped.

[0086] (7) The toy according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the piece members have connecting portions that connect the sides of the adjacent pieces, and the length of the connecting portions is shorter than the length of the sides of the pieces.

[0087] (8) The toy according to (7), wherein the connecting portion connects the edges of the pieces together via the connected portions, and the length of the connecting portion is shorter than the length of the connected portions.

[0088] (9) The toy according to (7) or (8), wherein the thickness of the connecting portion is smaller than the thickness of the connected portion.

[0089] (10) A toy according to any one of (7) to (9), wherein the piece members are configured to be separable into small piece members each including any number of the pieces by being divided at the connecting portion.

[0090] (11) The toy according to any one of (7) to (10), wherein the length of the first connecting member is greater than the length of the connecting portion.

[0091] (12) A toy according to any one of (7) to (11), wherein the combined length of the two pieces connected by the first connecting member and the first connecting member is approximately the same as the combined length of the two pieces connected by the connecting portion and the connecting portion.

[0092] (13) The toy according to any one of (1) to (12), wherein the connectable portion extends along a side of the piece so as to form a part of the side.

[0093] (14) The toy according to any one of (1) to (13), wherein the piece has a deforming portion that is elastically deformable.

[0094] (15) A toy according to any one of (1) to (14), wherein the connecting portion is composed of a first connecting portion provided on one end side and a second connecting portion provided on the other end side opposite to the first connecting portion.

[0095] (16) The toy according to any one of (1) to (15), wherein the connecting portion has a concave connecting recess and is connected to the connected portion by fitting.

[0096] (17) The toy according to (16), wherein the connecting portion has a connecting insertion opening through which the connected portion can be inserted into the connecting recess.

[0097] (18) The toy according to (17), wherein the connecting recess is configured in a cylindrical shape, and the connecting insertion opening is provided in the longitudinal direction of the connecting recess.

[0098] (19) The toy according to (18), wherein the connection insertion opening is provided with a restricting portion that restricts movement of the connected portion out of the connecting portion.

[0099] (20) The toy according to (19), wherein the restricting portion is configured by a protruding portion that protrudes inward of the connecting recess.

[0100] (21) A toy according to (19), wherein the connecting part has a disconnection opening at one end of the connecting recess, which opens in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the connected part and allows the connected part to be disconnected from the connecting recess.

[0101] (22) The toy according to (21), wherein an inclined surface is provided on the outer surface side of the connection insertion opening to guide the connection receiving portion to enter the connection recess.

[0102] (23) A toy according to any one of (17) to (22), wherein the connecting recess is configured such that, in a cross section, the distance in the insertion direction of the connected part from the connecting insertion opening to the inner wall surface facing the connecting insertion opening is longer than the distance between the inner wall surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction.

[0103] (24) The toy according to any one of (16) to (23), wherein a protrusion that contacts the outer surface of the coupled part is provided on the inner surface of the coupling recess.

[0104] (25) The toy according to (24), wherein the protrusion is configured as a ridge extending along the insertion direction of the connected portion.

[0105] (26) The toy according to any one of (1) to (25), wherein the toy includes a plurality of the first connecting members.

[0106] (27) A toy according to any one of (1) to (26), further including a second connecting member having a third connecting portion at one end thereof that can be connected to the connected portion, and the second connecting member having a fourth connecting portion that is provided at the other end opposite to the one end thereof and has a shape different from that of the third connecting portion.

[0107] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Toy 5 Piece 7 Notched opening 9 Connection portion 9a Divided end 10 Piece member 10a, 10b Small piece member 20 First connecting member 20A, 20B Second connecting member 21a First connecting portion 21b Second connecting portion 21c Third connecting portion 21d Fourth connecting portion 22 Connecting recess 22a Inner wall surface 23 Connecting insertion opening 23a Inclined surface 24 Protruding portion (restricting portion) 25 Connection release opening 26 Protrusion 52 Connected portion 52s Outer circumferential surface of connected portion 53 Deformation portion

Claims

1. A toy comprising: a piece member in which a plurality of pieces are integrally formed; and a first connecting member having a connecting portion that can be connected to at least one of the plurality of pieces, at least one of the plurality of pieces having a connectable portion that connects to the connecting portion.

2. A toy as described in claim 1, wherein the piece member is separable into small piece members including any number of the pieces, and the small piece members are configured to be connectable to each other via the first connecting member.

3. A toy according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of pieces has the connectable portion.

4. A toy according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of pieces has a plurality of connectable portions.

5. A toy as described in claim 4, wherein the piece is an N-sided polygon having N sides, N being a natural number of 3 or more, and the connectable portion is provided on each of the N sides.

6. A toy according to claim 5, wherein the piece members are in the form of a sheet.

7. A toy as described in claim 1, wherein the piece members have connecting parts connecting the sides of adjacent pieces, and the length of the connecting parts is smaller than the length of the sides of the pieces.

8. A toy as described in claim 7, wherein the connecting portion connects the edges of the pieces together via the connected portion, and the length of the connecting portion is smaller than the length of the connected portion.

9. A toy according to claim 8, wherein the thickness of the connecting portion is smaller than the thickness of the connected portion.

10. A toy as set forth in claim 7, wherein the piece members are configured to be separable into small piece members including any number of the pieces by being divided at the connecting portions.

11. A toy according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the length of the first connecting member is greater than the length of the connecting portion.

12. A toy as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the combined length of the two pieces connected by the first connecting member and the first connecting member is approximately the same as the combined length of the two pieces connected by the connecting portion and the connecting portion.

13. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the connectable portion extends along a side of the piece so as to form a part of that side.

14. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the piece has a deformable portion that is elastically deformable.

15. A toy as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the connecting part is composed of a first connecting part provided at one end and a second connecting part provided at the other end opposite the one end.

16. A toy as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the connecting portion has a concave connecting recess and is connected to the connected portion by fitting.

17. A toy as set forth in claim 16, wherein the connecting part has a connecting insertion opening through which the connected part can be inserted into the connecting recess.

18. A toy according to claim 17, wherein the connecting recess is configured in a cylindrical shape, and the connecting insertion opening is provided in the longitudinal direction of the connecting recess.

19. A toy as set forth in claim 18, wherein the connecting insertion opening is provided with a restricting portion for restricting movement of the connected portion out of the connecting portion.

20. A toy as set forth in claim 19, wherein the regulating portion is constituted by a protruding portion protruding inwardly from the connecting recess.

21. A toy as described in claim 19, wherein the connecting part has a disconnection opening at one end of the connecting recess, which opens in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the connected part and enables the connected part to be removed from the connecting recess.

22. A toy as set forth in claim 21, wherein an inclined surface is provided on the outer surface of the connection insertion opening to guide the connection receiving part as it enters the connection recess.

23. A toy as described in claim 17, wherein the connecting recess is configured such that, in its cross section, the distance in the insertion direction of the connected part from the connecting insertion opening to the inner wall surface facing the connecting insertion opening is longer than the distance between the inner wall surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction.

24. A toy as described in claim 16, wherein the inner surface of the connecting recess is provided with a protrusion that contacts the outer surface of the connected part.

25. A toy according to claim 24, wherein the projection is configured as a ridge extending along the insertion direction of the connected part.

26. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising a plurality of said first connecting members.

27. A toy as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a second connecting member having a third connecting portion at one end thereof connectable to the connected portion, the second connecting member being provided at the other end opposite the one end thereof and having a fourth connecting portion having a shape different from that of the third connecting portion.

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