Coordinated Toy Figure Movement via Single Lever

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing animated toy figures require complex coordination of multiple activating members to achieve realistic movements, which can be difficult for children to manage, especially for younger users, and often lack a single activating mechanism for coordinated multi-body element movement.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a torso with a pivotally coupled head, cross-connector, and activating member that rotates the cross-connector to simultaneously pivot the head and arm members backward, allowing for realistic and coordinated movement of multiple body elements with a single activating mechanism.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple activating members are used to coordinate movements of multiple body elements, then the realism of movements is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverealism of movementsVSAvoidease of coordination

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple activating members into a single activating member that controls multiple body elements. The single activating member is coupled to a cross-connector that rotates to simultaneously pivot both arm members and the head, eliminating the need for children to coordinate multiple separate activating members while achieving realistic coordinated movements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The single activating member serves multiple functions by being mechanically coupled to the cross-connector, which then controls multiple body elements (both arm members and the head). This multi-functional design allows one activating member to produce coordinated movements across different body parts, improving ease of operation while maintaining realism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If a single activating member is used to control multiple body elements, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of activationVSAvoidcomplexity of movement mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cross-connector acts as an intermediary mechanical element between the single activating member and multiple body elements. When the activating member is pressed, it rotates the cross-connector, which then transmits the motion to pivot both arm members and the head simultaneously. This intermediary mechanism simplifies operation while managing the complexity internally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The cross-connector is disposed within the interior cavity of the torso, nesting the movement mechanism inside the toy figure's body. This internal nesting allows complex coordinated movements to be achieved through a simple external activation, hiding the mechanical complexity within the torso cavity while maintaining ease of operation at the surface level.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Reliability

If the head is pivotally coupled to allow backward pivoting, then the realism of movements is improved, but the stability of the head position deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverealism of head movementVSAvoidstability of head position

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The head is pivotally coupled to the torso at the neck, allowing it to dynamically pivot between a neutral forward position and a backward position. This dynamic connection enables realistic head movements during activation while maintaining stability during normal play, as the pivot joint allows movement only when needed and maintains position otherwise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS8932100B2Toy figure with coordinated movements

Publication Date: 2015.01.13 MATTEL INC

AI summary

Animated toy figures including a torso having a neck and an interior body cavity, a head that is pivotally coupled to the neck, a vertically oriented lifting structure, where an upward movement of the lifting structure results in a backward pivoting of the head, first and second arm members disposed on opposing sides of the torso, a cross-connector rotatably disposed within the interior body cavity connected to and extending between the first and second arm members and configured to drive the lifting structure upward upon rotation of the cross-connector, and an activating member disposed on the torso that is operatively coupled to the cross-connector. Activation of the activating member rotates the cross-connector, thereby rotating the first and second arm members and vertically displacing the lifting structure, so that the upward movement of the arm members is coupled to a backward pivoting of the head.