Articulated Armature with Intersecting Plates for Posable Toy Figures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing posable doll and action figure technologies face challenges in creating flexible and resilient bodies that can maintain multiple poses without structural failure, as they require a balance between articulation and material durability, often using costly polymer compositions and excessive skin material.
Innovation Solution
The use of an articulated armature with intersecting primary and secondary plates, encased in a resilient polymer skin, allows for flexible posing while minimizing skin material usage through a rigid internal framework that securely anchors the skin and defines the figure's shape and volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible material body is used to create posable figures, then the figure can be posed in multiple positions, but the material durability and structural stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The body is divided into multiple articulated segments connected by joints, allowing independent movement of each segment while maintaining overall structural integrity. This segmentation enables posing capability while distributing mechanical stresses across multiple connection points, preventing structural failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The figure combines flexible polymer material with rigid internal armature components (metal or rigid plastic joints and bones). This composite construction provides both the flexibility needed for posing and the structural strength required for durability, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If an internal armature is used to support the flexible body, then the figure can maintain poses, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The armature components are designed to perform multiple functions: providing structural support, enabling articulation at joints, and serving as attachment points for the flexible skin. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining pose retention capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The armature structure is nested within the flexible body material, with internal bones and joints contained within the outer skin. This nested configuration allows the complex armature structure to be integrated into the simple external form, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural stability for pose retention.
3Shape
If excessive skin material is used to cover the armature, then the figure appears lifelike, but the material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible skin material is applied selectively in areas where lifelike appearance is most important, such as around joints and muscle areas, while using less material in less critical regions. This local quality approach maintains the lifelike appearance with minimized material usage, resolving the contradiction between shape quality and material quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses thin flexible polymer skin material that conforms to the armature structure, providing a lifelike appearance without requiring excessive material. The thin film nature of the skin reduces material costs while maintaining the visual and tactile qualities needed for a realistic figure appearance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances the toy figure's lifelike appearance and tactile experience, reduces material costs, and ensures the skin remains resilient and securely bound to the armature, enabling multiple poses without damage.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient body material that encapsulates and is supported by an inner articulated armature
Data Source
AI summary
A toy figure is provided that incorporates an articulated armature, the armature including a torso member and multiple limbs, where each limb may be the same or different, and each limb includes at least one limb segment. Each limb segment includes two longitudinal primary plates that intersect approximately orthogonally, and a plurality of substantially parallel secondary plates that intersect with and are approximately orthogonal to both primary plates. The outer edges of the primary and secondary plates of each limb segment substantially define a shape and a volume for that limb portion of the toy figure. The articulated armature is surrounded by a resilient body material to simulate flesh.