Model toy and jointed structure

Abstract

[Problem] The objective of the present invention is to provide a novel mechanism for realizing a movable mechanism with which movements exhibiting a natural impression are performed in a model toy, for example. [Solution] This model toy includes: a jointed structure that is formed by combining a plurality of parts, and that includes at least one movable shaft to which other parts are connected; and one or more parts that are rotatably connected to the at least one movable shaft of the jointed structure. Further, the jointed structure transforms between a first shape and a second shape, and at least one connecting portion is capable of sliding in a predetermined direction.

Description

Model toys and articulated structures

[0001] The present invention relates to a model toy and an articulated structure.

[0002] Doll-type toys (model toys) are required to be able to move in natural ways and take a variety of poses. Therefore, doll-type toys include multiple joints and movable parts to allow for movements and poses similar to those of humans and animals. Patent Document 1 proposes a four-legged animal doll with a joint structure that allows for realistic movements similar to those of real animals.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-327841

[0004] The above-mentioned conventional technology includes various joints to realize a wide variety of movements, and each joint is composed of multiple parts. These joints allow the doll body's upper body, arms, legs, etc., connected to the joints to rotate, thereby realizing a wide variety of movements and poses. However, if the joints themselves have movable mechanisms, even more diverse and natural movements can be realized.

[0005] The present invention provides a novel mechanism for realizing a movable mechanism that moves in a natural way, for example, in a model toy.

[0006] The present invention is, for example, a model toy comprising an articulated structure formed by combining a plurality of parts and including at least one movable axis to which other parts are connected, and one or more parts rotatably connected to the at least one movable axis of the articulated structure, wherein the articulated structure is capable of transforming between a first shape and a second shape, and the at least one movable axis is capable of sliding in a predetermined direction.

[0007] The present invention also provides, for example, an articulated structure having a plurality of parts, including four connecting portions that connect the plurality of parts, four links that connect the four connecting portions, and at least one movable shaft to which other parts are connected, wherein the articulated structure is capable of transforming between a first shape and a second shape, and the at least one movable shaft is capable of sliding in a predetermined direction.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a novel mechanism for realizing a movable mechanism that moves in a natural way in a model toy.

[0009]

[0023] Figures showing an example of (a) the external front view and (b) the external side view of one form of a model toy according to one embodiment. (a) A perspective view and (b) an exploded perspective view of a waist portion of a model toy according to one embodiment. (a) A perspective view, (b) an exploded perspective view, and (c) an exploded side view of a waist joint of a model toy according to one embodiment. (a) A side view, (b) an exploded perspective view, and (c) an exploded side view of a link mechanism of a model toy according to one embodiment. Figures showing the operation of a link mechanism of a model toy according to one embodiment.

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] <Appearance of the Model Toy> First, an example of the appearance of the model toy 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1(a) shows the front appearance of the model toy 100, and Fig. 1(b) shows the side appearance of the model toy 100. Note that up / down, left / right, and front / back arrows indicate the orientation of the model toy in the drawing, and this also applies to the other drawings.

[0012] The model toy 100 includes a head 101, a chest 102, arms 103a and 103b, legs 104a and 104b, and a waist 105, which constitute a main body. In this embodiment, a humanoid robot is used as an example of a model toy, but this is not intended to limit the present invention, and the present invention can be applied to various models such as humans, animals, robots, insects, dinosaurs, weapons, and ornaments.

[0013] The head 101 is connected to a chest 102. A right arm 103b and a left arm 103a are further connected to the sides of the chest 102 by connecting members, and a waist 105 is connected to the lower part. The waist 105 includes hip joints, and a right leg 104b and a left leg 104a are each rotatably connected to the waist 105. In the following, the part including the head 101 and chest 102 will be referred to as the upper body.

[0014] <Configuration of waist portion> Next, the configuration of the waist portion 105 of the model toy 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2(a) shows a perspective view of the waist portion 105. Fig. 2(b) shows an exploded perspective view of the waist portion 105 shown in Fig. 2(a).

[0015] The waist 105 shown in Fig. 2(a) is composed of multiple parts as shown in Fig. 2(b). Each part shown in Fig. 2(b) is composed of at least one part. 201 is a part that forms a waist joint including a waist joint and a hip joint. Part 202 is connected to the front of part 201. Part 202 forms a decorative part on the front of the waist 105 of the model toy 100.

[0016] Part 203 functions as a waist joint together with part 201, and is a part to which the upper body of the model toy 100 including the chest 102 is connected, and is connected from above to part 201. Parts 204a and 204b corresponding to decorative parts on the back of the model toy 100 are further connected to part 203 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. Furthermore, parts 205a and 205b which are decorative parts on the sides of the model toy 100 are connected to part 201 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.

[0017] Furthermore, parts 206b and 206a, which are connecting parts for rotatably connecting the right leg 104b and the left leg 104a, are connected to the part 201. The parts 206b and 206a are each rotatably connected to a movable shaft formed on the part 201. Therefore, the right leg 104b and the left leg 104a are each rotatable about the movable shaft, and further, are each slidable within the range of a groove provided in the part 201 in accordance with the sliding movement of the movable shaft.

[0018] <Configuration of waist joint (joint structure)> Next, the configuration of the waist joint of model toy 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3(a) shows a perspective view of waist joint part 201. Figure 3(b) shows an exploded perspective view of waist joint part 201 shown in Figure 3(a). Figure 3(c) shows an exploded side view of waist joint part 201 shown in Figure 3(a).

[0019] The part 201, which is the waist joint shown in Fig. 3(a), is made up of multiple parts as shown in Fig. 3(b). Each part shown in Fig. 3(b) is made up of a single part. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention, and the part may be made up of multiple parts. Each part is connected to other parts according to the dotted lines shown in Fig. 3(b).

[0020] Specifically, parts 302a and 302b are rotatably connected to cylindrical portions formed on both sides of part 301. Parts 302a and 302b can rotate in the vertical direction (predetermined direction) of model toy 100 around the cylindrical portions as rotation axes. Parts 302a and 302b each have a cylindrical movable shaft formed on the side opposite the connection portion to part 301, and the movable shaft is inserted into grooves formed in parts 303a and 303b. Therefore, the movable shaft inserted into the groove slides along the groove in response to the rotation. The movable shaft is connected to legs 104a and 104b via parts 206a and 206b.

[0021] Furthermore, part 304 is inserted above part 301. After parts 301, 302a, 302b, and 304 are combined, parts 303a and 303b and parts 306a and 306b are rotatably connected from both sides. Furthermore, part 305 is connected from the back.

[0022] Hip joint part 201 according to this embodiment can be transformed between a first shape, which is a rectangle, and a second shape, which is a parallelogram (approximately diamond). Details will be described later using Figures 4 and 5, but in part 201, multiple parts form four joints and four links, and the shapes of the links can be transformed between the first shape and the second shape. Parts 301, 303a, 303b, 304, 306a, and 306b are the parts that form these links.

[0023] <Link Mechanism> Next, the link mechanism of the waist joint part 201 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4(a) shows a side view of the waist joint part 201. Figure 4(b) shows an exploded perspective view of the waist joint part 201 shown in Figure 4(a). Figure 4(c) shows an exploded side view of the waist joint part 201 shown in Figure 4(a).

[0024] As shown in Fig. 4(b), waist joint part 201 shown in Fig. 4(a) is configured to include parts 301, 304, 401, and 402. Part 401 is configured from parts 306a and 306b. Part 402 is configured from parts 303a and 303b.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4( c), parts 301, 304, 401, and 402 are each rotatably connected to two other parts. That is, each part is rotatably connected to two other parts via two connecting portions. Specifically, part 301 is rotatably connected to parts 401 and 402, and part 304 is also rotatably connected to parts 401 and 402. Part 201 assembled in this manner has four rotatable connecting portions. Furthermore, each of parts 301, 304, 401, and 402 functions as a link (edge) of the link mechanism.

[0026] Grooves 421 are formed in part 402. Movable shafts 422 of parts 302a and 302b, which are connected to parts 206a and 206b that serve as connecting parts to the legs, are inserted into the grooves 421. In other words, parts 302a and 302b are each rotatably connected to part 301 from both side surfaces, and are assembled by inserting the movable shafts 422 provided on each part into grooves 421 of parts 303a and 303b.

[0027] <Link Operation> Next, the link operation of the waist joint according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5(a) shows the link state of the normal waist joint parts 201. Figure 5(b) shows the link state of a parallelogram obtained by operating the waist joint parts 201 from Figure 5(a).

[0028] In Fig. 5(a), four black circles indicate joints where parts are rotatably joined in part 201. In this way, in part 201, multiple parts are connected via four joints. In Fig. 5(a), links (edges) connecting the four joints are shown as vertices.

[0029] In the normal state (first shape) shown in Figure 5(a), the link has a substantially rectangular shape. The upper body of the model toy 100 is connected in a direction perpendicular to the top side of the rectangular link shape. In this state, the movable shaft 422 can slide along the groove 421 in the direction of the arrow.

[0030] The linking parts 206a, 206b to which the legs 104a, 104b are connected are connected to the respective movable shafts 422. Therefore, in the model toy 100 according to this embodiment, in addition to the movement of the legs 104a, 104b, the movable shafts 422 that form part of the hip joints can move in the vertical direction, enabling a wider variety of poses and natural movements to be realized.

[0031] On the other hand, Figure 5(b) shows a deformed state (second shape) of part 201 obtained by deforming it from the normal state (first shape) of Figure 5(a). As shown in Figure 5(b), by rotating each part at the four joints, the shape of the link of part 201 can be transformed into a parallelogram (approximately diamond). This transformation can be achieved by rotating each part included in part 201 in the front-to-rear direction of the model toy 100.

[0032] Because the upper body of the model toy 100 is connected in a direction perpendicular to the top side of the parallelogram link shape, the upper body can assume a forward-leaning posture. As a result, the model toy 100 according to this embodiment can achieve a wider variety of poses and more natural movements by transforming the waist joint parts 201, including the waist joint, in addition to the movement of the waist joint. For example, when bending forward with the model toy 100, instead of the upper body bending from the waist joint, the waist joint parts 201, including the waist joint, themselves transform to lean forward, allowing the forward-leaning movement to appear more natural.

[0033] 5(b), similar to the state in Fig. 5(a), the movable shaft 422 can slide in the direction of the arrow along the groove 421. In other words, the sliding movement of the movable shaft 422 can be performed separately from the deformation of the link shape of the part 201, allowing for a variety of movements.

[0034] As described above, the model toy according to this embodiment is a model toy that includes an articulated structure formed by combining multiple parts and including at least one movable shaft to which other parts are connected, and one or more parts rotatably connected to the at least one movable shaft of the articulated structure. The articulated structure is also deformable between a first shape and a second shape, and the at least one movable shaft is slidable in a predetermined direction. This allows the present invention to provide, for example, a novel mechanism for realizing a movable mechanism that moves in a natural-looking manner in a model toy.

[0035] <Modifications> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, the shape of the model toy is not particularly limited, and includes various shapes such as people, animals, robots, insects, and dinosaurs.

[0036] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the waist joint part 201 is movable in the front-to-rear direction of the model toy 100. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention, and the waist joint part may be movable in the left-to-right direction of the model toy 100. This allows the model toy 100 to achieve a more natural lateral bending motion instead of a forward bending motion.

[0037] Summary of the Embodiments The above embodiments disclose at least the following model toy and joint structure.

[0038] (1) A model toy comprising: an articulated structure formed by combining a plurality of parts, the articulated structure including at least one movable shaft to which other parts are connected; and one or more parts rotatably connected to the at least one movable shaft of the articulated structure, wherein the articulated structure is deformable between a first shape and a second shape, and the at least one movable shaft is slidable in a predetermined direction. (2) The model toy described in (1), wherein the articulated structure is formed by combining the plurality of parts via four connecting parts, and wherein the shapes of four links connecting the four connecting parts are movable between the first shape and the second shape. (3) The model toy described in (2), wherein the first shape is a rectangle and the second shape is a parallelogram. (4) The model toy described in (3), wherein the plurality of parts include four parts, and each part is rotatably connected to two other parts via two of the four connecting parts. (5) The model toy described in any one of (1) to (4), characterized in that the movement of the joint structure between the first shape and the second shape includes movement in the forward / backward direction of the model toy. (6) The model toy described in any one of (1) to (4), characterized in that the movement of the joint structure between the first shape and the second shape includes movement in the left / right direction of the model toy. (7) The model toy described in any one of (1) to (6), characterized in that the predetermined direction is the up / down direction of the model toy. (8) The model toy described in any one of (1) to (7), characterized in that the joint structure includes a waist joint and a hip joint of the model toy, and the one or more parts include a part that constitutes an upper body of the model toy, a part that constitutes a right leg, and a part that constitutes a left leg. (9) An articulated structure having a plurality of parts, comprising: four connecting portions connecting the plurality of parts; four links connecting the four connecting portions; and at least one movable shaft to which other parts are connected; wherein the articulated structure is deformable between a first shape and a second shape; and wherein the at least one movable shaft is slidable in a predetermined direction.(10) The joint structure according to (9), characterized in that the shapes of the four links connecting the four connecting portions are movable between the first shape and the second shape. (11) The joint structure according to (9) or (10), characterized in that the first shape is a rectangle and the second shape is a parallelogram. (12) The joint structure according to (11), characterized in that the plurality of parts include four parts, and each part is rotatably connected to two other parts via two of the four connecting portions.

[0039] 100: Model toy, 101: Head, 102: Chest, 103a, 103b: Arms, 104a, 104b: Legs, 105: Waist

Claims

1. A model toy comprising: a joint structure formed by combining a plurality of parts and including at least one movable axis to which other parts are connected; and one or more parts rotatably connected to the at least one movable axis of the joint structure, wherein the joint structure is capable of transforming between a first shape and a second shape, and the at least one movable axis is capable of sliding in a predetermined direction.

2. The model toy described in claim 1, characterized in that the joint structure is configured such that the multiple parts are combined by four connecting parts, and the shapes of the four links connecting the four connecting parts can move between the first shape and the second shape.

3. The model toy according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first shape is a rectangle and the second shape is a parallelogram.

4. The model toy according to claim 3, characterized in that the plurality of parts includes four parts, and each part is rotatably connected to two other parts via two of the four connecting parts.

5. The model toy according to claim 4, characterized in that the movement of the joint structure between the first shape and the second shape includes movement in the forward and backward directions of the model toy.

6. The model toy according to claim 4, characterized in that the movement of the joint structure between the first shape and the second shape includes movement in the left and right direction of the model toy.

7. The model toy according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined direction is the up-down direction of the model toy.

8. The model toy described in claim 4, characterized in that the joint structure includes a waist joint and a hip joint of the model toy, and the one or more parts include a part that constitutes an upper body of the model toy, a part that constitutes a right leg, and a part that constitutes a left leg.

9. A joint structure having a plurality of parts, comprising: four connecting parts connecting the plurality of parts; four links connecting the four connecting parts; and at least one movable shaft to which other parts are connected, wherein the joint structure is deformable between a first shape and a second shape, and the at least one movable shaft is capable of sliding in a predetermined direction.

10. The joint structure according to claim 9, characterized in that the shapes of the four links connecting the four joint parts are movable between the first shape and the second shape.

11. The joint structure according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the first shape is a rectangle and the second shape is a parallelogram.

12. The joint structure according to claim 11, characterized in that the plurality of parts includes four parts, and each part is rotatably connected to two other parts via two of the four connecting portions.

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