Toy
A transformable toy that transitions between spherical and rectangular forms with light-emitting vehicle parts addresses the need for enhanced engagement and realism, offering varied play experiences through form and lighting states.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BANDAI CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-09
AI Technical Summary
Existing toys lack the ability to transform into multiple forms and provide a realistic, engaging experience through light-emitting features that mimic parts of a vehicle, limiting their appeal and functionality.
A toy designed to transition between a spherical form for easy distribution and a rectangular form for interactive play, featuring light-emitting units that simulate vehicle headlights and taillights, with a power supply and operating mechanism to control light states, allowing for varied play experiences.
The toy offers enhanced engagement and realism by transitioning between forms and lighting states, appealing to users with its ability to mimic vehicle parts and provide multiple play options, while maintaining compactness for distribution.
Smart Images
Figure JP2025041453_09072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Toy
[0001] The present invention relates to a toy.
[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a toy car. When an obstacle approaches this toy car, it stops running, and thereby a brake lamp lights up. Thereby, the user can obtain a sense of reality similar to the operation of a real car from the toy car.
[0003] Utility Model Registration No. 3235697
[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a highly interesting toy.
[0005] The toy according to the present invention is a toy that can take a first form and a second form, includes a light emitting part, and has a main body part that imitates only a part of an article. The light emitting part is configured to be unable to emit light in the first form and to be able to emit light in the second form.
[0006] According to the present invention, a highly interesting toy can be provided.
[0007] FIG. 1 is a view showing a toy 100 in the first form. FIG. 2 is a view of the toy 100 in the second form seen from the front side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the toy 100 in the second form. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the toy 100 in the second form seen from a direction different from that in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an example of a car 200 seen from above.
[0008] Hereinafter, the toy 100, which is an aspect of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. The toy 100 can take a first form and a second form. The first form is a sales form for supply from an article supply device. The second form is a play form for playing such as viewing.
[0009] FIG. 1 is a view showing a toy 100 in the first form. As shown in FIG. 1, the toy 100 includes a spherical capsule 2 that forms a storage space inside by connecting a hemispherical outer shell member 2A and a hemispherical outer shell member 2B, and a main body part 1 configured to be held inside the capsule 2. The capsule 2 constitutes auxiliary parts.
[0010] In its first form, the toy 100 is spherical and therefore has a rolling structure that makes it easy to roll. Consequently, it can be supplied and sold from an item supply device.
[0011] The item supply device comprises a storage section capable of accommodating multiple toys 100 of the first form in a random arrangement, a supply section capable of randomly selecting and supplying toys 100 one by one from the storage section, a locking section for locking the supply section, an operating section that unlocks the locking section and allows the supply section to be rotated upon payment of a fee, and a passage section for allowing the toys 100 to roll through from the storage section to the supply opening. In this way, because the toys 100 have a roughly spherical shape that makes them easy to roll, the item supply device can reliably supply the toys to the user while avoiding damage to them when they are supplied.
[0012] The toy 100 can be removed from the capsule 2 by releasing the connection between the outer shell member 2A and the outer shell member 2B. This state, with the main body 1 removed from the capsule 2, constitutes the second form of the toy 100. The main body 1 is configured so that it cannot roll on its own. For this reason, in the second form, the main body 1 cannot be supplied from the article supply device.
[0013] Figure 2 is a front view of the second form of toy 100. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the second form of toy 100. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the second form of toy 100 from a different direction than that shown in Figure 3.
[0014] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the outer shape of the main body 1 is approximately a rectangular parallelepiped. The direction with the longest length of the main body 1 is referred to as the left-right direction. The second longest length of the main body 1 is referred to as the front-back direction. The shortest length of the main body 1 is referred to as the up-down direction. The left-right direction, the front-back direction, and the up-down direction are all perpendicular to each other.
[0015] The main body 1 is configured to house a first light-emitting unit 21R, a second light-emitting unit 21L, and a power supply unit 22, such as a primary or secondary battery, which supplies power to them. The first light-emitting unit 21R and the second light-emitting unit 21L are configured to emit light in at least one of two states: a steady state and a blinking state. Preferably, the power supply unit 22 is located in the center of the main body 1.
[0016] Preferably, the length of the main body 1 in the left-right direction is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the capsule 2. This allows the main body 1 to be securely held in the center of the capsule 2, preventing the main body 1 from moving too much inside the capsule 2 when the toy 100 of the first form rolls around.
[0017] The vertical and horizontal lengths of the main body 1 are smaller than the inner diameter of the capsule 2. In the first embodiment, the internal space of the capsule 2 is divided vertically and horizontally by the main body 1. Therefore, accessories for the main body 1 can be easily stored in the large space other than the area where the main body 1 is located.
[0018] As shown in Figure 2, the main body 1 is configured to mimic only a part of a car as an object (the front of the car in the example in Figure 2). Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a car 200 viewed from above.
[0019] The front section 201 of the car 200 is, for example, the section in front of the windshield and including the headlights. The main body 1 is configured to mimic this front section 201. The main body 1 may also be configured to mimic the rear section 202 of the car 200. The rear section 202 is the section behind the rear window and including the taillights. The surface design of the main body 1 is arbitrary and will vary depending on the type of car being modeled.
[0020] In the front-to-back direction, the front side of the car modeled by the main body 1 is defined as the front direction, and the opposite side is defined as the rear direction. In the up-and-down direction, the upper side of the car modeled by the main body 1 is defined as the up direction, and the opposite side is defined as the down direction. In the left-to-right direction, the right side of the car modeled by the main body 1 when viewed from the front is defined as the right direction, and the opposite side is defined as the left direction.
[0021] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the outer surface of the main body 1 is provided with a plurality of (six in the example shown) surface portions (front portion 10Fr on the front side, rear portion 10Rr on the rear side, right portion 10R on the right side, left portion 10L on the left side, upper portion 10U on the upper side, and lower portion 10D on the lower side).
[0022] Of the main body 1, the front section 10Fr, the right side section 10R, the left side section 10L, and the top section 10U are designed to resemble the front of a car.
[0023] For example, the upper surface portion 10U is formed to mimic the upper surface of the front of a car, which often has irregularities, and therefore includes irregularities.
[0024] The right side portion 10R and the left side portion 10L are designed to mimic the often curved front sides of a car, and are therefore composed of outwardly bulging curved surfaces. The right side portion 10R and the left side portion 10L do not necessarily have to be entirely curved surfaces, but may include curved surfaces in part. When the right side portion 10R and the left side portion 10L include curved surfaces, in the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the capsule 2 and the right side portion 10R and the left side portion 10L can be reduced, thereby increasing the holding force of the capsule 2 on the main body portion 1.
[0025] The front portion 10Fr of the main body 1 is designed to mimic the front of a car, which often has a curved surface, and therefore includes a curved surface that bulges outward. The front portion 10Fr is provided with a first light-transmitting portion 20R, which mimics one of the left and right headlights of a car, and a second light-transmitting portion 20L, which mimics the other of the left and right headlights of a car, spaced apart in the left-right direction.
[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the first light-transmitting section 20R and the second light-transmitting section 20L have a symmetrical shape, similar to that of a car, and are constructed to have the same shape and size. Furthermore, the overall shape of the main body 1 should be symmetrical when viewed from the front.
[0027] Inside the main body 1, a first light-emitting section 21R is provided corresponding to the first light-transmitting section 20R, and a second light-emitting section 21L is provided corresponding to the second light-transmitting section 20L. The first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L each include a light-emitting element such as an LED and a driving circuit for the light-emitting element, and are configured to emit visible light. The first light-emitting section 21R is configured so that the emitted visible light can pass through the corresponding first light-transmitting section 20R and be emitted to the outside of the main body 1. The second light-emitting section 21L is configured so that the emitted visible light can pass through the corresponding second light-transmitting section 20L and be emitted to the outside of the main body 1.
[0028] The first light-transmitting section 20R and the second light-transmitting section 20L are each made of a resin or the like that can transmit visible light emitted from the corresponding light-emitting section.
[0029] The lower surface 10D and rear surface 10Rr of the main body 1 are configured to be flatter than the upper surface 10U, right surface 10R, left surface 10L, and front surface 10Fr, respectively. As shown in Figure 3, in the second embodiment, the main body 1 can be placed on a flat mounting surface 30 such as a table by bringing the lower surface 10D into contact with the mounting surface 30.
[0030] As shown in Figure 4, an operating section 23 is provided on the rear portion 10Rr. The operating section 23 is configured as, for example, a push switch, and is configured as, for example, an alternate switch. When the operating section 23 is pushed forward, power is supplied from the power supply unit 22 to the first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L, and the first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L light up simultaneously.
[0031] When the operating unit 23 is pushed forward again, it returns to a position where it protrudes backward. When this operation is performed, power from the power supply unit 22 is not supplied to the first light-emitting unit 21R and the second light-emitting unit 21L, and the first light-emitting unit 21R and the second light-emitting unit 21L turn off. Note that the operating unit 23 is not limited to a push switch; a slide switch or the like can also be used.
[0032] When the operating section 23 is pushed forward, the height difference between the surface of the rear section 10Rr and the operating section 23 becomes smaller compared to when the operating section 23 is not pushed forward. Therefore, by bringing the rear section 10Rr into contact with the mounting section 30, the main body 1 can be stably mounted on the mounting section 30.
[0033] In the second configuration, the main unit 1 can be viewed with the front section 10Fr facing horizontally and with the front section 10Fr facing upwards. When viewing with the front section 10Fr facing horizontally, the user can switch between the first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L being lit or flashing and off by directly operating the control unit 23, thereby enjoying the illumination state of the main unit 1.
[0034] To view the device with the front section 10Fr facing upwards, the user grasps the main body 1 with the operating section 23 protruding to the rear, presses the rear section 10Rr against the mounting section 30, and pushes the operating section 23 forward. This allows the first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L to be illuminated or flashed.
[0035] To turn off the first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L, the main body 1, which is placed on the mounting section 30, is pushed toward the mounting section 30. This operation returns the operating section 23 to its rearward protruding state, and the first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L are turned off.
[0036] Thus, the first light-emitting unit 21R and the second light-emitting unit 21L can be switched on and off by indirect operation of the main body 1. With these configurations, the toy 100 of the second form can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, thereby increasing its appeal.
[0037] In the first embodiment, the operating unit 23 is positioned in the space inside the capsule 2 and is configured so as not to come into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the capsule 2. Therefore, the operating unit 23 cannot be operated in the first embodiment. In other words, the operating unit 23 is configured to be operable only in the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, the operating unit 23 is held in a position where it protrudes to the rear, and the first light-emitting unit 21R and the second light-emitting unit 21L are configured to be unable to emit light. This configuration prevents the battery level of the power supply unit 22 from decreasing.
[0038] As described above, the toy 100 comprises a main body 1 that imitates only a part of a car, and the main body 1 is provided with a first light-emitting unit 21R and a second light-emitting unit 21L. This allows for a realistic enjoyment of a part of the car. Because the main body 1 imitates only a part of the car, the user can freely imagine the rest of the car, enabling a variety of ways to enjoy it. Because the main body 1 imitates only a part of the car, it can be made small enough to fit into a capsule 2, and can be realized as a toy that can be supplied from an item supply device.
[0039] The main body 1 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its length in the front-to-back and up-to-down directions is small. Therefore, whether playing with the front section 10Fr facing horizontally (Figure 3) or with the front section 10Fr facing upwards, multiple main body 1s can be lined up and enjoyed without taking up much space.
[0040] The main unit 1 houses the power supply unit 22 in its central part. By placing the heavy power supply unit 22 in the central part, the main unit 1 can be stably placed on the mounting unit 30 whether the front part 10Fr is facing horizontally (Figure 3) or upwards.
[0041] In the above description, it is assumed that the front part 10Fr, the right side part 10R, the left side part 10L, and the upper surface part 10U of the main body 1 are designed to imitate the front part of an automobile, but it is not limited to this. For example, only the front part 10Fr of the main body 1 may be designed to imitate the front part of a vehicle. In this case, the main body 1 is configured by imitating a part of the front part 201 of the vehicle 200 shown in FIG. 5. The same applies when the main body 1 is configured by imitating the rear part 202.
[0042] The main body 1 is configured to imitate a vehicle as an article, but this article is not limited to a vehicle as long as it has a light-emitting part.
[0043] As described above, the following matters are disclosed in this specification.
[0044] (1) A toy that can take the first form and the second form, including a light-emitting part and having a main body part that imitates only a part of an article, wherein the light-emitting part is configured to be non-light-emitting in the first form and light-emitting in the second form.
[0045] (2) The toy according to (1), wherein the light-emitting part is configured to be capable of emitting light in at least one of a lit state and a blinking state.
[0046] (3) The toy according to (1) or (2), wherein the main body part is configured to be held by an auxiliary part in the first form and is configured to be rollable when held by the auxiliary part.
[0047] (4) The toy according to (3), wherein the main body part is configured to be supplied from an article supply device in the first form.
[0048] (5) The toy according to (4), wherein the main body part is configured to be non-supplied from an article supply device in the second form when not held by the auxiliary part.
[0049] (6) A toy according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the main body includes an operating section, and the operating section is configured to be operable only in the second embodiment.
[0050] (7) A toy as described in (6), wherein the light-emitting part is configured to emit light on the condition of direct operation of the operating part and indirect operation of the main body.
[0051] (8) A toy according to (6) or (7), wherein the light-emitting part is configured to be turned off on the condition of operating the control unit.
[0052] (9) A toy according to any one of (6) to (8), wherein the light-emitting part includes a first light-emitting part and a second light-emitting part, and the first light-emitting part and the second light-emitting part are configured to light up simultaneously on the condition that the operating part is operated.
[0053] (10) A toy according to any one of (6) to (9), wherein the operating part is configured such that a part of it protrudes from the main body.
[0054] (11) A toy according to any one of (6) to (10), wherein the main body includes a light-transmitting part, and the light-transmitting part is configured to transmit light emitted from the light-emitting part.
[0055] (12) A toy as described in (11), wherein the main body portion includes a plurality of surface portions, and the light-transmitting portion is formed on any one of the plurality of surface portions.
[0056] (13) A toy as described in (12), wherein the light-transmitting part is provided on the front surface of the main body, and the operating part is provided on the rear surface of the main body.
[0057] (14) A toy according to any one of (11) to (13), wherein the light-transmitting portion includes a first light-transmitting portion and a second light-transmitting portion, and the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion are configured to have the same shape.
[0058] (15) A toy as described in (14), wherein the first light-transmitting part and the second light-transmitting part are of the same size.
[0059] (16) A toy according to any one of (1) to (15), wherein the main body is constructed such that its right surface and left surface are curved.
[0060] (17) A toy according to any one of (1) to (16), wherein the main body portion is formed with an uneven surface on its upper side.
[0061] (18) A toy according to any one of (1) to (16), wherein the main body is configured to be placed on the mounting part in the second embodiment.
[0062] (19) A toy according to any one of (1) to (18), wherein the main body is constructed to resemble the front part of a car as an article, including the headlights, or the rear part of a car, including the taillights.
[0063] (20) A toy according to any one of (1) to (18), wherein the main body is constructed to resemble a part of the front of a car that includes the headlights, or a part of the rear of a car that includes the taillights.
[0064] (21) A toy according to any one of (1) to (20), wherein the main body includes a power supply unit, and the power supply unit is located in the center of the main body.
[0065] 1 Main body part 2 Capsules 2A, 2B Outer shell member 10D Lower part 10L Left part 10R Right part 10U Upper part 10Fr Front part 10Rr Rear part 20L Second light transmitting part 20R First light transmitting part 21L Second light emitting part 21R First light emitting part 22 Power supply part 23 Operation part 30 Placement part 100 Toy 200 Car 201 Front part 202 Rear part
Claims
1. A toy that can take on a first form and a second form, comprising a main body that includes a light-emitting part and imitates only a part of an article, wherein the light-emitting part is configured to be unable to emit light in the first form and to be able to emit light in the second form.
2. A toy according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting part is configured to emit light in at least one of a steady-on state and a flashing state.
3. A toy according to claim 1, wherein the main body is configured to be holdable by an auxiliary part in the first embodiment, and is configured to be rotatable while being held by the auxiliary part.
4. The toy according to claim 3, wherein the main body is configured to be supplied from an article supply device in the first embodiment.
5. The toy according to claim 4, wherein the main body is configured in a second form in which it is not held by the auxiliary part, and is therefore unable to be supplied from the article supply device.
6. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body includes an operating unit, and the operating unit is configured to be operable only in the second embodiment.
7. A toy according to claim 6, wherein the light-emitting part is configured to emit light on the condition of direct operation of the operating part and indirect operation of the main body.
8. The toy according to claim 6, wherein the light-emitting part is configured to be turned off under the condition of operating the control unit.
9. A toy according to claim 6, wherein the light-emitting part includes a first light-emitting part and a second light-emitting part, and the first light-emitting part and the second light-emitting part are configured to emit light simultaneously, subject to the operation of the control unit.
10. The toy according to claim 6, wherein a part of the operating part is configured to protrude from the main body.
11. A toy according to claim 6, wherein the main body includes a light-transmitting portion, and the light-transmitting portion is configured to transmit light emitted from the light-emitting portion.
12. A toy according to claim 11, wherein the main body portion includes a plurality of surface portions, and the light-transmitting portion is formed on any one of the plurality of surface portions.
13. A toy according to claim 12, wherein the light-transmitting portion is provided on the front surface of the main body, and the operating portion is provided on the rear surface of the main body.
14. A toy according to claim 11, wherein the light-transmitting portion includes a first light-transmitting portion and a second light-transmitting portion, and the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion are configured to have the same shape.
15. A toy according to claim 14, wherein the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion are configured to be the same size.
16. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body portion is configured such that its right surface portion and its left surface portion are curved.
17. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body portion has an upper surface portion formed with irregularities.
18. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body is configured to be placed on the mounting portion in the second embodiment.
19. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body is configured to resemble the front part of a car as an article, including the headlights, or the rear part of a car, including the taillights.
20. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body is constructed to resemble a part of the front of a car that includes the headlights, or a part of the rear of a car that includes the taillights.
21. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body includes a power supply unit, and the power supply unit is provided in the central part of the main body.