Patent Application
20060258260
The present invention relates to a transformable toy, a figure of which is transformed from a certain toy robot into another toy robot.
The conventional arrangements of transformable toys, of which figures are transformed from a vehicle or an animal into a doll robot, are disclosed in the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 10442/1997 or the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 28933/1997. Various kinds of transformable toys are commercially available on the market. In the conventional transformable toys, various kinds of joint structures are used to change the figures thereof.
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
In the conventional transformable toys, however, when a doll robot toy having leg sections is transformed into a four-legged walking robot toy such as a lion or a dog, there has been a problem that the shapes of rear-leg sections of the four-legged walking robot toy look unnatural. This is because the leg sections of the doll robot toy are too long for the rear-legs of the four-legged walking robot toy.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a transformable toy of which a figure is transformed between a doll robot and a four-legged walking robot, in which the rear-leg sections of the four-legged walking robot toy are turned into a more natural shape.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a transformable toy, in which the above-described object can be achieved with a simple arrangement.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a transformable toy, in which a shape of the leg sections of the doll robot toy does not look unnatural even when the four-legged walking robot toy is equipped with foot-claw sections in the rear-leg sections thereof.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a transformable toy, in which the four-legged walking robot toy can be constructed without thoroughly hiding a head section of the doll robot toy.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a transformable toy, in which arm sections of the doll robot toy can be turned into a more natural shape even when the four-legged walking robot toy is equipped with claw member sections in foreleg sections thereof.
[Patent document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 10442/1997
[Patent document 2] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 28933/1997
Means of Solving the Problems
The present invention aims at improvements of a transformable toy of which a figure is transformed between the doll robot and the four-legged walking robot. In the transformable toy of the present invention, a pair of arm sections of the doll robot toy are turned into a pair of foreleg sections of the four-legged walking robot toy, and a pair of leg sections of the doll robot toy are turned into a pair of rear-leg sections of the four-legged walking robot toy. Each of the pair of leg sections of the doll robot toy comprises a knee-position connecting mechanism for connecting a thigh section and a shin section, and an ankle-position connecting mechanism for connecting between the shin section and a foot section. The knee-position connecting mechanism includes a connecting link that is connected to the thigh section and the shin section with turning pairs respectively so that the link may rotate about rotating-shafts. The ankle-position connecting mechanism is so constructed as to connect the shin section and the foot section with a turning pair. A length of the shin section can be adjusted, or he shin section is length-adjustably constructed. Such a construction allows the doll robot toy to secure a necessary/sufficient length for the leg sections thereof. It also allows the four-legged walking robot toy to have the rear-leg sections of a more natural shape by shortening the shin sections thereof and appropriately rotating the connecting links connected to the thigh sections and the shin sections with turning pairs respectively.
The adjustment of the length of the shin sections can be accomplished with an easy construction, for example, by making the shin section comprise a first section connected to the connecting link, a second section connected to the foot section, and a slidably connecting mechanism for slidably connecting the first section and the second section so that the first and second sections may slide close to and apart from each other. Since the slidably connecting mechanism can adjust the length of the shin sections with an easy operation of firmly holding either of the first section or the second section while moving the other, transforming operation becomes very easy.
The foot section may comprise a foot-claw section, a foot base section, and a movably connecting mechanism which movably connects the foot-claw section and the foot base section so that the foot-claw section may move with respect to the foot base section. As the movably connecting mechanism, for example, a pivot or hinge mechanism can be used, arranged between the foot-claw section and the foot base section so that the foot-claw section can be located on the edge or instep of the foot base section. When the foot section is too thick, it will become difficult to locate the foot-claw section on the instep of the foot base section. Therefore in this case, the movably connecting mechanism includes a connecting link that is connected to the foot-claw section and the this manner, the foot-claw section can be located entirely on the instep of the foot base section by appropriately setting up the length of the connecting link. As a result, the length of the foot section will never become unnaturally long.
A head base section of the four-legged walking robot toy is connected to a body section of the doll robot toy via a pivotally connecting mechanism so that the head base section of the four-legged walking robot toy can move between a front position and an upper position of the body section of the doll robot toy. A head section of the doll robot toy is so constructed as to be received in the head base section of the four-legged walking robot toy so that the head section of the doll robot toy can constitute a part of the head base section of the four-legged walking robot toy when the head base section of the four-legged walking robot toy is placed in the upper position. In this manner, it is not necessary to hide the doll robot toy thoroughly when the figure changes into the four-legged walking robot toy from the doll robot toy. As a result, mounting or receiving structure for the head of the doll robot toy becomes simple.
The head section of the doll robot toy is provided with a pair of projections protruding upward. The head section of the doll robot toy is rotatably connected to the body section so that the head section of the doll robot toy can be rotated at least backward. In the figure of the four-legged walking robot toy, the head section of the doll robot toy rotates backward so that the pair of projections may constitute ear sections or horn sections of the four-legged walking robot toy. In this manner, even when the head base section of the four-legged walking robot toy is located in the front side of the doll robot toy, the figure of the doll robot toy will not become too much complicated because there are no ears or horns.
When each of the arm sections of the doll robot toy comprises an upper arm section, a lower arm section, and a hand section, a connecting section for connecting the lower arm section to the hand section has a rotatable joint structure provided with a rotating member that rotates, with respect to the lower arm section and the hand section, about the centerline extending in a direction from the lower arm section to the hand section. A claw member provided at the foreleg section of the four-legged walking robot toy is attached to the rotating member. In this way, it is possible to arrange the claw member to the side of the hand section to serve as a weapon when the transformable toy is in a figure of the doll robot toy, and to arrange the claw member ahead of the hand section in a figure of the four-legged walking robot toy. As a result, the claw member can be arranged in a location suitable for each of the toy robot figures.
FIGS. 5(A) through 5(C) are views representing the transforming process from a doll robot toy into a four-legged walking robot toy in respect of movements of a head section of the doll robot toy and a head base section of the four-legged walking robot toy respectively.
FIGS. 6(A) through 6(E) are views representing the transforming process from a doll robot toy into a four-legged walking robot toy in respect of movements of arm sections and leg sections of the doll robot toy respectively.
One example embodiment of a transformable toy according to the present invention will be hereinafter drawings.
The head base section 4 of the four-legged walking robot toy 2 is located in the front position of the body section 5 (in front of the chest). The head base section 4 of the four-legged walking robot toy 2 is connected to the body section 5 of the doll robot toy via a pivotally connecting mechanism so that the head base section 4 can move between the front position (in front of the chest) of the body section 5 of the doll robot toy 1 and the upper positions (above both shoulders) of the body section 5 thereof. The pivotally connecting mechanism is a certain connecting mechanism for rotatably supporting a neck portion of the head base section 4 with respect to the body section 5, so that the head base section 4 can move about a hypothetical centerline extending in parallel to the imaginary line which connects the both shoulders of the body section 5. This pivotally connecting mechanism is provided with a locking structure for firmly locking the head base section 4 to the body section 5 so that the head base section 4 may not automatically move to the front position (in front of the chest) when the head base section 4 is placed in the upper position (above both shoulders) of the body section 5. As a result, the above-described mechanism can prevent the head base section 4 from falling down when the transformable toy is in the figure of the four-legged walking robot toy 2 as indicated in
The pair of arm sections 7 and 9 are respectively attached to the both shoulders of the body section 5 via joint structures which are not illustrated. The pair of arm sections 7 and 9 are provided with upper arm sections 71 and 91, lower arm sections 72 and 92 and hand sections 73 and 93, respectively. The joint structures that are not illustrated have a publicly known configuration that enables the upper arm sections 71 and 91 to move back and forth as well as right and left. Other non-illustrated joint structures which are respectively disposed between the upper arm sections 71 and 91 and the lower arm sections 72 and 92 have a publicly known configuration which enables the lower arm sections 72 and 92 to move back and forth with respect to the upper arm sections 71 and 91, or enables the lower arm sections 72 and 92 to rotate backward and forward about bottom edges of the upper arm sections 71 and 91 in a predetermined angle range. The above joint structures have further a publicly known configuration that enables the lower arm sections 72 and 92 to rotate around the centerlines passing through the core of the upper arm sections 71 and 91 in a predetermined angle range, with respect to the upper arm sections 71 and 91.
Still other joint structures or connections, not illustrated, which connect the lower arm sections 72 and 92 to hand sections 73 and 93 respectively, are provided with a rotatable joint structure having rotating members 74 and 94 that rotate with respect to the lower arm sections 72 and 92 as well as the hand sections 73 and 93, around the centerline extending in a direction from the lower arm sections 72 and 92 to the hand sections 73 and 93. The rotating members 74 and 94 have big claw members 75 and 95 attached thereto respectively. The claw members 75 and 95 are rotated in a predetermined angular range around axes 76 and 96 that intersect perpendicularly with the rotation center of the rotating members 74 and 95 respectively. Such an arrangement enables the claw members 75 and 95 to be arranged to the sides of hand sections 73 and 93 in a figure of the doll robot toy 1 as shown in
The head section 3 of the doll robot toy 1 is so of the four-legged walking robot toy 2 so that the head section 3 of the doll robot toy 1 can constitute a part of the head base section 4 of the four-legged walking robot toy 2 when the head body of the four-legged walking robot toy 2 is placed in the upper position.
The pair of leg sections 11 and 13 comprise thigh sections 111 and 131 attached via joint structures (not illustrated) to the body section 5, shin sections 112 and 132, and foot sections 113 and 133 respectively. Each of the leg sections 11 and 13 has a knee-position connecting mechanism 114 for connecting the thigh section and the shin section, and an ankle-position connecting mechanism 115 for connecting the shin section 112 and the foot section 113. Since the constructions of the pair of the leg sections 11 and 13 are the same, hereinafter is explained the construction of only the leg section 11 referring to
The shin section 112 is length-adjustably constructed so as to become the longest in a figure of the doll robot toy 1 and become the shortest in a figure of the four-legged walking robot toy 2. More specifically, the length of the shin section 112 can be adjusted as follows. The shin section is constituted from a first section 112a connected to the connecting link 118, a second section 112b connected to the foot section 113, and a slidably connecting mechanism 112c for slidably connecting the first section 112a and the second section 112b so that the first and second sections may slide close and apart from each other. The slidably connecting mechanism 112c has piston section 112d fixed to the side of the first section 112a and a cylinder section having a stopper structure for preventing the piston section 112d from sipping off and provided on the side of the second section 112b. With such an arrangement, the length of the shin section 112 can be adjusted by an easy operation of holding either of the first section 112a or the second section 112b fixedly while moving or sliding the other. In a figure of the doll robot toy 1, the necessary/sufficient length for the leg sections 11 and 13 can be acquired. In a figure of the four-legged walking robot toy 2, on the other hand, the rear-leg sections of the four-legged walking robot toy 2 can be transformed into a more natural shape, which is achieved by shortening the length of the shin sections 112 and 132 and then by appropriately rotating the connecting link 118 connected to the thigh section 111 and the shin section 112 with the turning pairs 116 and 117 respectively.
Further, as illustrated in
FIGS. 5(A) through 5(C) represent the respective transforming processes from the doll robot toy 1 into the four-legged walking robot toy 2 in respect of movements of the head section 3 of the doll robot toy 1 and the head base section 4 of the four-legged walking robot toy 2. FIGS. 6(A) through 6(E) represent the respective transforming processes from the doll robot toy 1 into the four-legged walking robot toy 2 in respect of movements toy 1. In
According to the present invention, a transformable toy can obtain necessarily/sufficiently long legs when it is in a figure of a doll robot figure, and have its rear-legs of a more natural shape. The more natural shape can be achieved by shortening the length of shin sections, and then appropriately rotating a connecting link which connects thigh sections and the shin sections with turning pairs, and rotating foot sections with respect to the shin sections.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-141207 | May 2003 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP04/06652 | 5/18/2004 | WO | 1/17/2006 |
