FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to toys that are posable, bendable, and comprise a posable component and rigid components that together make a toy that can be used and removed from any other toys or other structures depending on the compatibility between those toys or other structures with the posable component and/or rigid components of the posable bendable toy.
BACKGROUND
Linkages for toy building blocks that use a posable component covered in flexible materials are discussed and disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,345,982 and 10,258,897, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0056782, and International Patent Application Publication No. WO2016036675. These references teach the need for flexible materials to cover the posable component so that the cover can conform to the bending of the underlying posable component and provide flexible surfaces for connecting to other toy blocks.
Block strings made up of a plurality of rigid links separated by fixed lengths of fabric have also been disclosed, for example, those of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,839, and which are marketed and sold as Part Nos. 63141 and x127c41 by Lego®. The rigid links are fixed in position along the string and also cannot be manipulated into a position and remain in that position against the force of gravity (that is they are not posable). Further, the fabric that connects the rigid links also prevents the rigid links from changing their own position along the length of the fabric string (every component of the block string is fixed in place).
Flexible figure toys are also known, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 280,986, 1,189,585, 1,551,250, 1,590,898, 2,017,023, 2,073,723, 2,109,422, 2,392,024, 2,601,740, 2,684,503, 3,019,552, 3,325,939, 3,284,947, 3,395,484, 3,624,691, 3,955,309, 4,123,872, 4,136,484, 4,233,775, 4,932,919, 4,954,118, 4,964,836, 5,516,314, 5,630,745, 5,762,531, 5,800,242, 6,155,904, 6,217,406, 6,746,303, 6,800,016, 11,103,799, and in publications JP49-18954, JP49-18955, JP61-94090, JP61-94091, JP61-94092, JP62-53686, JP62-164092, JP63-103685, WO99/39793, WO0067869, and WO0010665. Other examples of flexible doll toys and action figure toys are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,277,601, 3,716,942, 4,470,784, 5,017,173, and 6,074,270, and in publication WO0108776. However, each of these disclosures related to bendable toys that permanently embed the posable component in the thickness of the toy such that the posable component, and any associated couplings, cannot be removed without destroying the toy in which they are embedded.
SUMMARY OF CLAIMABLE SUBJECT MATTER
In an exemplary embodiment, a posable bendable toy may comprise a posable component and a plurality of rigid plastic components coupled thereto, wherein the plastic components coupled to the ends of the posable component are fixedly attached and any and all other plastic components found there between are slidable. According to this exemplary embodiment, the posable bendable toy is not permanently embedded in any other structure, but may be interconnected to any toy or other object with surfaces that can connect with one or more of the rigid plastic components found on the posable component of the posable bendable toy.
In an exemplary embodiment, a posable bendable toy may comprise a posable component and a plurality of rigid plastic components coupled thereto, wherein all of the plastic components coupled to the ends and elsewhere, if applicable, are fixedly attached to the posable component but spaced apart from one another. According to this exemplary embodiment, the posable bendable toy is not permanently embedded in any other structure, but may be interconnected to any toy or other object with surfaces that can connect with one or more of the rigid plastic components found on the posable component of the posable bendable toy.
In an exemplary embodiment, a posable bendable toy may comprise a posable component that is fixedly attached to a rigid plastic component via a surface contour. An exemplary surface contour may be the product of crushing of the posable component during the manufacturing process or may be the product of mechanical or manual deformations in the posable component prior to introduction into a molding cavity used to make the posable bendable toy.
In an exemplary embodiment, a posable bendable toy may comprise a plurality of components that can interconnect to the surfaces of one another while each is individually connected via a posable component. According to this exemplary embodiment, the components of such an exemplary posable bendable toy may take a first configuration and then be transformed while still otherwise interconnected via the posable component to achieve a secondary configuration.
In an exemplary embodiment, a posable bendable toy comprised of fixed and movable components may be used as a skeleton for other connections to form different toy constructions and designs. According to this exemplary embodiment, a posable component of an exemplary posable bendable toy may be wound or twisted about the posable component of one or more other posable bendable toys to form a combined structure. Alternatively, a posable bendable toy may have components that may interconnect with other structures to form a shell or cover for the underlying posable bendable toy. Further alternatively, a posable bendable toy may have fabric or other materials removably wrapped, adhered, or looped through or about the posable component and/or the rigid components to create further variations of toy.
In an exemplary embodiment, a posable bendable toy may have a plurality of rigid components molded as one or more types of toy pieces, such as building blocks, figurine body parts, or other ornamental designs, that are interconnected by a posable component. Alternatively, certain of the rigid components may have one type of toy piece and other rigid components may have another type of toy piece. Further alternatively, a plurality of posable components may be utilized to interconnect the toy pieces in any form or variety.
In an exemplary embodiment, a molding method for an exemplary posable bendable toy may include steps to hold the posable component in place within the cavities making up the components and the path for the non-embedded parts of the posable component. One step may be to use parts of the mold to crush, pinch, or frictionally hold one or more sections of the posable component. Alternatively or additionally, the step may use a vacuum to hold the posable component to the mold. Further alternatively or additionally, the step may use magnetism, such as an electromagnet, to hold the posable component to the mold. According to each and any of the forgoing, the posable component may be straightened and finished at its ends (e.g., by deforming them or bending them) prior to insertion into the mold to facilitate anchoring of components that will over mold the same during the molding process.
In an exemplary embodiment, a posable bendable toy may be used as a substitute for any mechanically moving features of any other toys. For example, a rigid component that is molded as a ball may be used in place of a part of a toy that uses a ball-and-socket joint. As another example, a rigid component that is molded with screw threads may be used in place of a part of a toy that can mate with screw threads. As yet another example, a rigid component that is molded with a hook or loop may be used in place of a part of a toy that is sewed together using loops or threads of fabric. As yet a further example, a rigid component that is molded with one or more joints used in Lego®, K'nex®, Flexo®, or any other building block sets may be used in place of a part of a toy that mates with such joints. As yet a still further example, a rigid component that is molded to rotatably engage an opening in a toy or figurine may be used in place of the part of that toy or figurine that would otherwise occupy that opening. As still a further example, a rigid component that is molded in the shape of an accessory for an action figure or doll can be used in place of such an accessory. In another example, a rigid component may be molded into a structure that can attach itself to any other toy or figurine to allow other toys to interconnect thereto.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 may provide an illustrative view of the exterior and the interior portions of body components and end components located on a posable bendable component making up an exemplary posable bendable toy.
FIGS. 2A-B each provides an illustrative interior view of an exemplary posable bendable toy comprising a bent portion and a crushed portion for anchoring a posable bendable component within an exemplary end component.
FIGS. 2C-E each provides an illustrative view of an exemplary posable bendable toy comprising a straight portion, a crushed portion, and a deformed portion for anchoring a posable bendable component within an exemplary end component.
FIGS. 2F-G each provides an illustrative view of an exemplary posable bendable toy comprising a deformed portion for independently anchoring a posable bendable component within an exemplary end component.
FIGS. 2H-I each provides an illustrative view of an exemplary posable bendable toy comprising a twisted portion and orifices for anchoring a posable bendable component within an exemplary end component.
FIG. 3A provides a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an exemplary posable component with a crushed section in its terminal region for anchoring an exemplary end component thereto.
FIG. 3B provides a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an exemplary posable component having a terminal region with an out-of-plane bend and a crushed section for anchoring an exemplary end component thereto.
FIG. 3C provides a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an exemplary posable component with only a deformed portion in its terminal region for anchoring an exemplary end component thereto.
FIG. 3D provides a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an exemplary posable component with a crushed portion and a deformed portion for anchoring an exemplary end component thereto.
FIG. 3E provides a diagrammatic front view of the section E-E in FIG. 3D.
FIG. 3F provides a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an exemplary posable component with an interwoven structure for anchoring an exemplary end component thereto.
FIGS. 4A-E each provides numerous illustrative views of an exemplary embodiment of an exemplary posable bendable toy that can be constructed and deconstructed into different configurations.
FIG. 5A is an annotated photograph of an exemplary posable bendable toy made and used in accordance with disclosures herein.
FIGS. 5B-G each provides illustrative embodiments of boundaries and component surfaces for use in exemplary posable bendable toys.
FIG. 6A provides a diagrammatic view of an exemplary combination of a plurality of exemplary posable bendable toys.
FIG. 6B is an annotated photograph of an exemplary combination of a plurality of exemplary posable bendable toys made and used in accordance with disclosures herein.
FIG. 7A provides an illustrative isometric view of a first exemplary mold half for manufacturing an exemplary posable bendable toy.
FIG. 7B provides an illustrative isometric view of a second exemplary mold half that may be used for manufacturing an exemplary posable bendable toy in conjunction with the mold half of FIG. 7A.
FIG. 7C provides an illustrative plan view of a portion of another first exemplary mold half.
FIG. 7D provides an illustrative plan view of a portion of a second exemplary mold half that may be used for manufacturing an exemplary posable bendable toy in conjunction with the portion of the first exemplary mold half of FIG. 7C.
FIG. 7E provides an isometric internal view of a portion of the abutment between an exemplary first mold half shown in FIG. 7C and an exemplary second mold half shown in FIG. 7D.
FIGS. 8A-G each provides illustrative process steps for loading parts for and manufacturing from those parts an exemplary posable bendable toy.
FIGS. 8H-J each provides illustrative views of an exemplary injection-molded result and an exemplary release method following the manufacturing process of FIGS. 8A-G.
FIG. 9A provides an illustrative embodiment of an exemplary mold for an exemplary construct made up of a plurality of exemplary posable components.
FIG. 9B provides an illustrative embodiment of an exemplary mold for an exemplary construct, the exemplary mold loaded with a plurality of exemplary posable components to be molded.
FIG. 9C provides an illustrative embodiment of an exemplary bendable and posable construct made up of a plurality of exemplary posable bendable toy components.
FIG. 9D provides an illustrative embodiment of another exemplary bendable and posable construct made up of a plurality of exemplary posable bendable toy components.
FIGS. 9E-H each provides illustrative embodiments of exemplary support pins for use in exemplary molds disclosed herein.
FIGS. 10A-B each provides illustrative embodiments of shells for interconnection with one or more components of an exemplary posable bendable toy.
FIGS. 10C-J each provides an annotated photograph of an exemplary embodiment of fragments and shells for interconnection with one or more component of an exemplary posable bendable toy.
FIG. 10K provides an illustrative embodiment of using a fabric or flexible material about one or more of the exposed portions of posable component used in an exemplary bendable toy.
FIGS. 11A-F each provides exemplary diagrammatic and isometric illustrations of an over-molding process using additive manufacturing techniques to create an exemplary bendable toy.
FIGS. 12A-E each provide exemplary diagrammatic illustrations of an automated loading process and over-molding process using additive manufacturing techniques to create an exemplary bendable toy.
As used in FIGS. 2B, 2E, 2G, 2I, 3A-D, 3F, 6A, 10A-B, 10K, and 11A-C, the symbols “●●●” are meant to disclose the possibility of one or more intervening components 2/3 and/or lengths of posable component 1.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. The drawing figures, elements and other depictions should be understood as being interchangeable, rearranged, repeated, reduced, changed in size and shape, and may be combined with related features and parts within their respective embodiments and combined and modified by features, whether or not related, in any other embodiments, in any like manner and in accordance with and in furtherance of the teachings and objectives disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As may be illustratively provided for in FIG. 1, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may be comprised of a posable component 1 with a first terminus or end 1z and at least one second terminus or end 1z, where the posable component 1 interconnects at least two end components 3 coupled to the posable component 1 by anchoring within the thickness of component 3 the portion of posable component 1 that is embedded in component 3, embedded portion 1e, and that also contains the terminus 1z. Alternatively, the posable component 1 may further couple one or more body components 2 such that they are located between the end components 3, whereby each body component 2 also has within its thickness an embedded portion 1e of the posable component 1. Each of body component(s) 2 and end component(s) 3 have internal end faces 5 that are the sides of the components 2/3 that intersect the length/axis of the posable component and share an intersection or boundary 7, which may be the dividing line between the embedded portion 1e and the exposed length of an exemplary posable component 1. All other portions or lengths of posable component 1 beyond the boundaries 7 of a particular body component 2 and/or end component 3 may be referred to herein as exposed portions of posable component 1. Exclusive to end component(s) 3 may be the existence of at least one free end face 6, which is a face that intersects with the axis that is orthogonal to the cross-section of the posable component that has no corresponding boundary 7. According to an exemplary embodiment of an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 illustratively provided for with respect to FIG. 1, a space 8 may exist between every internal face 5 of either end components 3 and/or body component 2. While in a preferred embodiment, the space 8 may be equal all about posable bendable toy 10, as will be further disclosed, sliding movement of body components 2 along the length of posable component 1 may cause space 8 to become larger, smaller, or non-existent (e.g., the internal faces 5 of adjacent components 2 and/or an internal face 5 of component 3 and an internal face 5 of a component 2 are in physical contact with one another or abutted). In an exemplary posable bendable toy 10, the embedded length of posable component 1 found between free end face 6 and internal end face 5 of the end component 3, i.e., the embedded length having the terminus 1z, may be referred to herein as the “terminal region.”
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary space 8 may be substantially the same as the length of exposed portions of posable component 1 between boundaries 7. Alternatively, an exemplary space 8 may comprise a combination of unequal lengths of posable component 1 between an end component 3 and a body component 2 or between two body components 2, such as, for example, a larger than average section 8+ and a smaller than average section 8−. For irregularly shaped end faces 5, an exemplary space 8 may be calculated by measuring the distance between the closest points between each of the end faces 5.
As may be illustratively provided for in FIG. 1, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may have one or more features (1b, 1c, 1d, 1x, 1*) on the posable component 1 and/or one or more features such as item 4 on the component 3 that enable or are configured to effect anchoring between the component 3 and the posable component 1. With further reference to the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 2A-I and FIGS. 3A-F an exemplary component 3 may be anchored to the posable component 1 of an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 via one or more of the following structures that may function either as the terminus 1z of the posable component 1 and/or be located adjacent to the terminus 1z along the posable component's longitudinal axis 11 in the terminal region: (i) a bent portion 1b (FIGS. 1, 2A-B, and 3B); (ii) a crushed portion 1c having one or more crushed sections 1* (FIGS. 1, 2A-E, 3A-B, and 3D-E); (iii) a deformed portion 1d with one or more deformations 1x and/or extensions 1w (FIGS. 1, 2D-G, and 3C-E); (iv) a residual portion 1r (FIGS. 2A-E, 3A-B, and 3D); (v) an orifice to (FIGS. 2H-I. an 3F); (vi) a pit 1p (FIGS. 2H-I and 3F); (vii) a twist 1t (FIGS. 2H-I and 3F); (viii) an underside 1u (FIGS. 2A-B, 2E, 3A-B, and 3D); and (ix) combinations (such as combinations with a straight portion 1s (FIGS. 2C-G, 3A, and 3C-D)), patterns, angular conformations (such as shown in FIGS. 3D-E) of each of (i)-(viii). In contrast to the end component 3 of an exemplary posable bendable toy 10, an exemplary body component 2 may not have any of the foregoing structures on the embedded length 1e found between its faces 5, thereby enabling an exemplary body component 2 to displace, e.g., slide and/or rotate, along and/or about the length of the posable component 1. In an alternative embodiment, one or more exemplary body component(s) 2 may have the same or similar features (i)-(ix) previously indicated in this paragraph in conjunction with the exemplary end component(s) 3 of the exemplary posable bendable toy 10, as may be illustrated in FIGS. 2H and 3F. Accordingly, any component 2/3 may have one, a combination, or a pattern (including random patterns or otherwise) of the features (i)-(viii) in the embedded portion 1e found in its material thickness. According to an exemplary embodiment, the increased variety, number, and dimension of each of the foregoing features may increase the anchoring between posable component 1 and end component 3. According to another exemplary embodiment, the increased variety, number, and dimension of each of the foregoing features may also increase the anchoring between posable component 1 and body component 2.
With reference to FIGS. 1, 2A-B, and 3B, an exemplary bent portion 1b of embedded component 1e may be bent at an angle 12 to axis 11 that is between +/−90° or bent at an angle 13 to axis 11 that may be greater than or equal to +/−91°. An exemplary bent portion 1b may work as an alternative to or in conjunction with crushed portion 1c, straight section 1s, or deformed portion 1d to further anchor posable component 1 within end component 3. According to embodiments in which an embedded posable component bend 1b is described or illustrated, the degree of bending of bent portion 1b may enhance the robustness of the anchoring connection between component 3 and embedded portion 1e. For example, a bent portion 1b that creates a J-shape in the posable component 1, such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A-B, may provide an additional anchoring configuration between component 3 and embedded portion 1e. Further, the more turns that bent portion 1b makes in three-dimensional space, e.g., hoop-like turns or knots, the more robust the anchoring between posable component 1 and component 3.
In a yet further exemplary embodiment, an exemplary terminal region may have one or more of the bent portion 1b, crushed portion 1c, deformed portion 1d, residual portion 1r, twist 1t, underside 1u, and orifice 1o oriented at an angle 14 with respect to one another about axis 11. FIG. 3E may illustrate the potential angular offset between crushed portion 1c and deformed portion 1d about axis 11 in an illustrative embodiment related to FIG. 3D. According to FIG. 3D, an exemplary plane intersecting the center of cross-sectional thickness of an exemplary deformed portion 1d, plane P1, may be angularly offset by angle 14 from the plane intersecting the center of the cross-sectional thickness of an exemplary crushed portion 1c, plane P2. Where the surfaces of 1* and 1x may be irregular such that no central cross-section can be determined, plane P1 may be the plane that is parallel with the surface of 1x that is closest to axis 11 and plane P2 may be the plane that is parallel with the surface of 1* that is closest to axis 11. While FIGS. 3D-E illustrate an exemplary angular offset between a crushed portion 1c and a deformed portion 1d, any of the aforementioned structures may be angularly off-set in combinations to achieve increased anchoring between posable component 1 and a particular component 2/3.
According to an exemplary embodiment, crushed portion 1c may be the result of the posable bendable toy 10 manufacturing process to be discussed with reference to FIGS. 8A-E. Crushed portion 1c may be pinched, flattened, nicked, dented, bent, or otherwise deformed by the posable bendable toy 10 manufacturing process. An exemplary crushed portion 1c may be a portion of a posable component 1 that is both narrower in thickness but wider in width than other embedded portion 1e or any other portions of posable component 1. Crushed section 1* may have a cross-section that differs from the cross-section of the embedded portion 1e and may also have a different surface than that of the embedded portion 1e. As further illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2A-E, an exemplary crushed section 1* of an exemplary crushed portion 1c may be a flattened cylindrical shape, although other shapes may be possible depending on the geometries of the crushing mechanisms used in manufacturing posable bendable toy 10. In those embodiments in which a crushed portion 1c may be described or illustrated, an opening 4 may be found through the thickness of an exemplary end component 3. As may be illustrated in FIGS. 2A-E and 3A, an exemplary crushed portion 1c may separate an opening 4 into a portion 4A that may provide a line of sight through the material thickness of end component 3 to the crushed section 1* and/or a portion 4B that may provide a line of sight through the material thickness of end component 3 to underside 1u. While an opening 4 may be found in an exemplary end component 3 having a crushed portion 1c therein, an opening 4 may be found in any exemplary body component 2 having a crushed portion 1c therein.
As may be illustrated by FIGS. 2A-E, 3A-B, and 3D-E, an exemplary residual portion 1r may be located on either side of crushed section 1* closest to the embedded portion 1e of the posable component 1 nearest to opening 4. Residual portion 1r may be the resultant of the processes that result in crushed portion 1c and crushed section 1*, such as those in FIGS. 8A-E (items 104/204). In an exemplary embodiment, residual portion 1r may be concentric with opening 4. In another exemplary embodiment, residual portion 1r may be co-radial with opening 4. In yet another exemplary embodiment, residual portion 1r may perfectly surround the opening 4. In an exemplary embodiment, residual portions 1r may work with crushed portion 1c to ensure that the terminal region of embedded portion 1e of the posable component 1 is securely anchored within the end component 3 in which the structure exists.
In an exemplary embodiment, crushed portion 1c may be thinner and wider than embedded portion 1e, such as, for example, between 25% and 75% of the thickness of embedded portion 1e, while being between about 105% and about 150% as wide. In another exemplary embodiment, crushed section 1* may have a surface and/or indentation that is roughened, bowl-shaped, conical, or substantially smooth. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary crushed portion 1c, due to its dimensions and surfaces, may be prohibited from passing boundary 7 of the internal face 5 of the component 2/3. In one aspect of this exemplary embodiment, the inability of crushed portion 1c to translate through component 3 may advantageously prevent posable component 1, and in particular embedded portion 1e, from being dislodged from end 3 while an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 is operated.
In contrast to the crushed portion 1c, bent portion 1b, deformed portion 1d, twisted portion 1t, and straight portion is may be pre-formed on or into the posable component 1 prior to the manufacturing process illustrated in FIGS. 8A-E.
According to embodiments in which a straight portion 1s is described or illustrated, such as in FIGS. 2C-G, 3A, and 3C-D, straight portion 1s may be at a slight angle (about +/−1° to about +/−55°) to axis 11 provided its length at that angle is substantially straight. Any disruption in the linearity of the embedded portion 1e in the terminal region would mean that there is no straight portion 1s, but a bent portion 1b. An exemplary posable component 1 may have a straight portion is that may be much shorter in length than exemplary bend section 1b.
According to embodiments in which a deformed portion 1d is described or illustrated, such as in FIGS. 1, 2D-G, and 3C-E, deformed portion 1d may comprise at least one deformation 1x either acting as the terminus 1z of the posable component 1 or the deformation 1x may be separated from the terminus 1z by a distance, such as, for example, a straight portion 1s. In a preferred embodiment, the deformation 1x is the terminus 1z for the posable component 1. An exemplary deformation 1x found in the deformed portion 1d may further comprise a deformation extension or wing 1w resulting from the particular deformation 1x forming process. For example, deformed portion 1d may be formed using finishing processes known to those skilled in the art, such as flattening, denting, crimping, pinching, knurling, bending, twisting, or any other such posable component 1 cutting and finishing processes used and practiced by Novo Precision of Bristol, Conn. As may be further illustrated in FIGS. 2D-G and 3C-E, an exemplary deformed portion 1d may take the form of a pinch or flattened piece of the terminal region cross-section of posable component 1. In an exemplary embodiment, the deformed portion 1d may be made to a posable component 1 that has been straightened, cut to length, and/or otherwise treated by wire straightening and cutting machines known to those skilled in the art, such as the #2 SFC Pneumatic Feed and Cut to Length System from Novo Precision of Bristol, Conn. By straightening the posable component 1 prior to making the deformation 1x, the deformed portion 1d may be substantially aligned on axis 11 to avoid interference with the edges of an exemplary mold in which the deformed portion 1d may be placed and from which the final exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may be removed.
Alternatively, an exemplary deformed portion 1d and deformation 1x may be applied manually or through automated pressing processes, including via use of hammers, pliers, punches, and dies, on a straightened length of posable component 1. An increase in surface area of an exemplary deformation 1x and/or extension 1w may have a direct effect on the robustness of anchoring between the final exemplary end component 3 and the terminal region of the posable component 1 in which the deformation 1x may be located. In an exemplary embodiment, use of a deformation 1x within an exemplary end component 3 and one or more body components 2 may create robust connections between the over-molded structures and the posable component 1 so that each component 3/2 in the system remains in substantially the same spaced relationship (e.g., substantially the same space 8 throughout and/or no slack space 8+, no reduced space 8−, no abutment contact 8&). Such an exemplary embodiment may be useful in the design of figurines and action figures using the posable bendable toy 10 disclosed.
As illustratively provided for in FIGS. 1, 2F-G, and 3C, a deformation 1d may be the only deformation found on posable component 1, that is, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may exist without any crushed portion 1c, but would instead use deformation portion(s) 1d for substantially the same component 2/3 anchoring purposes. An exemplary deformation 1x may be substantially the same as an exemplary crushed section 1* or it may be different in dimension, size, and angle about axis 11. For example, deformation 1x may have an extension wing 1w that extends radially beyond the radius of posable component 1 and/or a width of crushed section 1*, if such a crushed portion 1c is present. Alternatively, a portion of bent portion 1b may comprise all, some, or none of deformed portion 1d and/or deformation 1x and/or deformation extension 1w. In embodiments where portion 1d is not terminus 1z, an exemplary 1d may be offset from terminus 1z by between about 0.5 mm and 4.0 mm, preferably about 1.0 mm and 3.0 mm, and even more preferably about 2.0 mm. In an alternative embodiment, 1d may be located on posable component 1 in a position that places it at distance that is between about 25% to about 75% of the length of the terminal region, preferably about 50% of the length of the terminal region. Furthermore, an exemplary deformation 1x may be between about 0.75 mm and 3.5 mm in axial length. In an exemplary embodiment, as either the axial length or width of an exemplary deformation 1x increases, the robustness of the anchoring of posable component 1 within end component 3 may also increase. In a preferred embodiment, the deformed portion 1d may occupy less than half the total length of the terminal region within an exemplary end component 3. An advantage of using embodiments with only deformation portion 1d in the terminal region as the terminus 1z or adjacent thereto is a reduction in length of posable component 1 to affect proper anchoring with end component(s) 3. As may be illustratively provided by FIGS. 1, 2F-G, and 3C, use of deformed portion 1d and deformation 1* may simplify the manufacturing process of an exemplary posable bendable toy 10, e.g., space reduction $ in material needed for an exemplary end component 3. Additionally, an exemplary bendable toy 10 using an exemplary deformation 1* may avoid the need for any manufacturing process to form a crush portion 1c on a component 3/2. Further additionally, use of deformation 1* may avoid the need for an opening 4 in any component 3/2 in the finished posable bendable toy 10.
Referring to the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 2H-I and 3F, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may have no opening 4 in its end components 3 because posable interwoven component 1i may be adequately anchored in component 3 due to its composition as a helix of multiple posable components, such as wires, being wound together. According to this exemplary embodiment, as illustratively provided for in FIGS. 2H-I and 3F, an exemplary posable interwoven component 1i may have a plurality of twists 1t and pits 1p into which the material of an exemplary end component 3 and/or body component 2 may engage upon over molding. In some embodiments, posable interwoven component 1i may have an orifice to into which material of an exemplary end component 3 and/or body component 2 may flow into and/or through during over molding. Like the deformed portion 1d in FIGS. 1, 2D-G, and 3C, an advantage of using embodiments illustratively provided by FIGS. 2H-I and 3F may be the reduction in the amount of posable component length needed within an exemplary end component 3, that is, less material of component 3 may be needed to anchor the component to the posable interwoven component 1i. A further advantage of using embodiments of FIGS. 2H-I and 3F may also be to forego use of pre-formation deformation processes on posable component 1 while creating sufficient surface features (e.g., twists 1t and pits 1p) into which over-molded material can anchor.
By shifting one or more body components 2 of an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 around and about the posable component 1 through creation of slack spaces 8+, reduced spaces 8−, and contacts 8&, such as in FIGS. 4A-C, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may thereafter be further manipulated to form constructions from its own constituents and/or enable a wide variety of constructions not otherwise achievable with other building blocks. As may be understood from the disclosures related to each of FIGS. 4A-E, properly shaped body components 2 and/or end components 3 may be used to create transforming building blocks and/or transforming figures and other toys due to the unique ability to fold into and around one another while staying together about the posable bendable component 1 to which they are coupled. According to these exemplary embodiments, such exemplary posable bendable toys 10 may provide new ways to build transforming toys without the associated need for separate moving parts required such as gears, screws, and separate joining mechanisms. Alternatively and/or additionally, the transforming effect previously described may also be used for building blocks. Thus, a car or truck built of a building block, e.g., Lego® blocks, may be built of one or more posable bendable toys 10 such that they can be folded and unfolded to reveal an alternative toy comprised of the body components 2 and end components 3 used therein, e.g., a robot or figure. Thus, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 having body components 2 and end components 3 shaped as different parts of figurines or robots can also be capable of transforming from one shape to another through twisting, turning, and shuffling of its constituent components 2/3 via creation of spaces 8, 8+, and 8−, and contacts 8&.
Depending on the type of body components 2 involved, a contact 8& may be the surface contact between faces 5 or it may involve friction-fit and/or interlocking arrangements between features in faces 5 (e.g., snap-fit, hook, ball-socket, plug, Lego-like stud-and-cavity connection). Accordingly, a user of an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may “build” structures out of its components by making contacts 8& along the length of posable component 1 and constructing one or more combiner bodies 22 that can combine with one or more other body components 2, end components 3, and/or combiner bodies 22 of the same posable bendable toy 10 or different posable bendable toy 10. In an exemplary embodiment, the spacing 8 dimensions of an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may be such that for a linkage of “n” components, the following formula may apply: (n−1)*8=Σ(8−, 8+, 8).
Referring to the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 4A-E, an exemplary embodiment of a posable bendable toy 10 may involve components 2 and 3 that may each be exemplary snap-fit interconnecting building blocks. According to this exemplary embodiment, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may be comprised of end components 3(a) and 3(b), which may be an exemplary Lego Item No. 3004 and Lego Item No. 3010, respectively. However, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A-E, an exemplary end component 3(a) may be molded to posable component 1 so that its studs (which are hereinafter referred to as a type of extension 25 from a body 2 and/or end 3) are in the same plane as the cross-section of posable component 1. An exemplary end component 3(a)/3(b) may be molded to posable component 1 using any of the structures and methods disclosed herein. In contrast, as shown in FIGS. 4A-C, the studs 25 of an exemplary end 3(b) may be perpendicular to the axis passing through the cross-section of posable component 1. Exemplary body components 2(a), 2(b), and 2(c) may be the same or different bricks as mentioned, or any others known to those skilled in the art. Further, an exemplary posable component 1 may enter and exit from each such building-block shaped body 2(a)-(c) at different locations that can vary from body component to body component. As may be further illustrated in FIG. 4A, the spacing 8 between all of the ends and body components of the exemplary linkage are substantially the same.
In an exemplary transformation process illustrated by FIGS. 4B-E, the exemplary posable bendable toy 10 of FIG. 4A may have its ends 3(a)-(b) and body components 2(a)-(c) moved either around and/or along axis 11 of an exemplary posable component 1. As provided by the white arrows, body 2(a) and 2(b) may each be rotated 180° about posable component 1 while body 2(a) may be brought closer to end 3(a) and body 2(b) may be brought closer to body 2(c) or stay at the same distance. An exemplary body 2(c) may be moved closer to end 3(b). During this process, in particular at the point in time during which the configuration illustrated in FIG. 4C results, an exemplary end component 3(a) and body 2(a) may form a combiner body 22 while a slack space 8+ forms between body 2(a) and body 2(b). According to this exemplary embodiment, the space 8 between body 2(b) and body 2(c) may remain so long as a sufficient amount of posable component 1 exists to accomplish the construction step. Further according to this exemplary embodiment, the prior space 8 between body 2(c) and end 3(b) may be shortened to become reduced length 8−. FIG. 4C may also provide for folding steps 41, 42, and 43, which by way of the arrowhead direct the folding of body components 2(a)-(c) and folding of end 3(b) using the possibility of the posable component 1. Thus, according to step 41, body 2(b) may be flipped on top of the underside of body 2(a). According to step 42, body 2(c) may be flipped on top of the extensions 25 of body 2(b) while end 3(b) is not yet stabilized in place. Finally, according to step 43, the exemplary end component 3(b) may be bent at a substantially right angle so that a narrow space in its connection cavity 9 opposite its extensions 25 may be used to cover any excess posable component 1 and keep it out of sight. For the sake of clarity, an otherwise exposed posable component 1 does not become an embedded portion 1e merely because it is kept out of sight unless in the process of being kept out of sight it is simultaneously embedded within a component 2/3. Depending on the shape and contour of a particular body 2 and/or end 3, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may be capable of being bent, rotated, and/or folded in such a way to form numerous contacts 8& between its constituent components 2/3 and in the process “hide” the exposed posable component portion 1 and/or cause it to be “tucked” out of view of the resulting combiner body 22 using a face cavity 9.
FIGS. 4D-E may provide illustrative embodiments of a novel construction or toy 30 that may be formed from the conversion process discussed with respect to FIGS. 4B-C. In FIGS. 4D-E, an exemplary construction toy 30 may be propped up by ends 3(a) and 3(b) while the extensions 25 of body 2(a) face the support surface for the ends 3(a)-(b). According to this illustrative embodiment, bodies 2(b) and 2(c) may be snap-fit with one another while end (3b) may be folded down so that a cavity 9 opposite the side of 3(b) bearing the extensions 25 may conceal the portions of posable component 1 that were used to fold body 2(b) on top of body 2(a). As is shown via transparency in FIG. 4E, each section of posable component 1 embedded in a body 2(a)-(c) and an end 3(a)-(b) is an embedded portion 1e. However, as shown in the ovular dashed-line call-out nearest to end 3(b) in FIG. 4E, the posable component 1 that is concealed by end 3(b) is not an embedded portion 1e, but would be exposed but for the cavity 9 into which it may be snuggly fit. Where the components 3(a)-(b) and bodies 2(a)-(c) are not building blocks, but elements of a vehicle or another structure, the posable bendable toy 10 to which they are affixed may allow for the vehicle or structure to take two or more forms just by twisting and manipulating the posable component 1 to which all the components 3(a)-(b) and 2(a)-(c) attach.
As shown and disclosed herein, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may be bent into numerous conformations: curves, zigzags, arches, rectilinear bends, right angle bends, spirals, curls, twists, sinusoids, and combinations of the same, such as may be illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4D-E, 5A, and 6A-B. With reference to the illustrative posable bendable toy 10 shown in FIG. 5A, an exemplary slack space 8+ may be the result of translating body 2 components away from one another or away from an end component 3. An advantage of an exemplary slack space 8+ may be to allow for conformations in posable bendable toy 10 that may not otherwise be possible if body components 2 remained at spaces 8 from one another and/or ends 3, such as wrapping an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 about an object or permitting a twist 1t with another posable bendable toy 10, as illustrated in FIGS. 6A-B. Additionally, slack space 8+ may be reduced in size to an exemplary space 8 after a desired conformation of posable bendable toy 10 is achieved. Another benefit for slack space 8+ may be to allow sharp turns and twists in the posable bendable toy 10 that may not otherwise be permitted when a space 8 is in existence. Thus, by virtue of the ability of its components 2 to freely translate about posable component 1, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may be able to shift its components 2 to enable it to increase the number of different conformations it may take in space. The ability of the various end components 2 to translate about posable component 1 may provide an advantage of increasing the number and variety of posable configurations achievable with a particular posable bendable toy 10. In one aspect, body components 2 may be moved along the posable component 1 by translation, twisting, revolving, or other means of moving known to those skilled in the art depending on the particular posable component 1. For example, where posable component 1 is an annealed wire, an exemplary body component 2 may slide along the length of the posable wire 1. As another example, where posable component 1 may be a formation of different materials interwoven together, an exemplary posable interwoven component 1i, then an exemplary body component 2 may be turned like a screw to go up and down the length of posable interwoven component 1i. In an exemplary embodiment, the material of component 2 and the material of posable component 1 may be such that there is sufficient friction between the two to allow the component shift to be controlled and the component 2 to be able to retain its shifted position either obtained by translation or rotation about the length of the posable component 1.
In another exemplary embodiment, an exemplary posable component 1 may be hidden from view via one or more cavities 9 in the surface of face 5 of a body 2 and/or end 3. In another exemplary embodiment, an exemplary posable component 1 may be able to make tighter bends based on particular surface features in face 5 of body 2 and/or end 3. As may be illustrated in FIGS. 5B-G, a variety of potential surface features may increase the maneuverability of posable component 1 with respect to the body 2 or end 3 from which it emerges. For example, FIG. 5B may illustrate a body 2 or an end 3 with a funnel-like boundary 7. An exemplary funnel-like boundary 7 may permit for greater curvature by an exemplary posable component 1 and to allow such curvature to start before posable component 1 reaches the surface 5 of the body 2 and/or end 3. FIGS. 5C-D each shows an exemplary cavity 9 running the width of face 5, while FIG. 5D shows one additional exemplary cavity 9* that may be orthogonal to cavity 9. According to an exemplary embodiment, cavity 9/9* may be one half the width of an exemplary posable component. Alternatively, cavities 9/9* may be deep enough into surface 5 to completely hide a posable component 1. As Illustrated in FIGS. 5C-D, those skilled in the art would understand a plurality of angular arrangements between the cavity 9 and cavity 9*, such as acute angles and overlaps, spirals, and/or other labyrinthine grooves in face 5. As illustrated in FIG. 5E, an exemplary body 2/end 3 face 5 may have the boundary 7 surrounded by one or more cavities 9c into which excess posable component(e.g., slack space 8+) may be pushed so that a contact 8& may be formed between the instant face 5 in FIG. 5E and another adjacent face 5 (not shown). As may be illustrated in FIG. 5F, an exemplary pair of cavities 9c may be combined with an exemplary cavity 9* so that the groove of 9* intersects with cavities 9c. And while boundary 7 may show a circular opening, any other polygonal opening may be utilized depending on needs, such as hexagonal chamfered opening 7 in FIG. 5G. Any of the embodiments illustratively disclosed with respect to FIGS. 5B-G may be interchanged, increased in size, number, frequency, and proximity of one another and/or may be used in any variety or combination about one or more sides of an exemplary body component 2 and/or end component 3.
Alternatively, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may be wound or wrapped about another posable bendable toy 10 via its posable component 1 segments between each body component 2 and/or between each body component 2 and end component 3, as may be illustrated in FIGS. 6A-B. According to the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 6A-B, a single exemplary posable bendable toy 10A may be a scaffold for connecting numerous other exemplary posable bendable toys 10, such as, for example, illustrated posable bendable toy 10B, to form a combination 20. According to another exemplary embodiment, posable component 1 belonging to posable bendable toy 10B may be connected to posable bendable toy 10A via a twist 1t about the posable component 1 of posable bendable toy 10A. Accordingly, each of posable bendable toys 10A and 10B may be stably held in place between the faces 5 of each body 2 and/or ends 3 within the locus of twist 1t. The tightness of the twist 1t may dictate the rigidity between the posable bendable toys 10A and 10B to allow the combination to stably maintain each of their bent configurations in space. Alternatively, the friction between components 2/3 implicated in any twist 1t may enhance the rigidity between posable bendable toys 10A and 10B. For example, exemplary components 2/3 may form snap-fit arrangements whenever engaged in or part of a twist 1t. Moreover, a plurality of posable bendable toys 10A/10B may be coupled in posable component-wrapping arrangements to form combination 20.
Posable component 1 may be any type of bendable wire that can be bent with a minimal amount of force while still being capable of maintaining the last position it was in after being bent, in particular, it can hold its bent position against the forces of gravity. As one example, one such type of wire may be rated “dead soft” or modelling wire, which may be used to create figurines in the sculpting arts (also referred to as “armature wire”). An exemplary wire 1 may be sized and shaped appropriately for the particular linking applications and methods disclosed, and may have cross-sections that are round, half rounded, square, or other polygonal cross-sections. Typical appropriate wire 1 material may be made out of steel, aluminum, bronze, copper, oxidized copper, galvanized steel, and alloys of the same. A preferable wire 1 material may be galvanized annealed steel, such as type made in accordance with ASTM A641. Such wire 1 material may be between 30 AWG and 14 AWG, and preferably, 18 AWG and/or 1.01 mm (0.0402 in.) outer diameter. In alternative embodiments, wire 1 may be a combination of smaller diameter wire that is twisted or formed into a helix, such as, for example, a twisted helix of two dead soft 30 AWG wires, and/or the posable interwoven component 1i illustrated in FIGS. 2H-I and 3F. In further alternative embodiments, wire 1 may be electrically conductive, magnetic, non-conductive, non-magnetic or combinations of the same to enhance uses of the posable bendable toy 10. In an aspect of the two aforementioned wire embodiments, an exemplary posable interwoven component 1i may be a twisted helix of one magnetic wire of one gauge and another wire that is not magnetic. In yet another aspect, the posable interwoven component 1i may be composed of a plurality of metal wire constituents and/or non-metal components, such as, for example, a yarn, string, or fabric constituent, a dissolvable constituent, such as a poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) yarn, string, tape, or thread, a low-melting point constituent, or combinations of the same. According to this exemplary type of hybrid posable interwoven component 1i, an exemplary fabric constituent may allow material being over-molded onto the posable interwoven component 1i to embed itself into the pores of the fabric and thereby hold to the fabric and metal wire constituents simultaneously. According to another exemplary embodiment of a hybrid posable interwoven component 1i, an exemplary dissolvable constituent may be dissolved in response to material engaging the rest of posable interwoven component 1i during the posable bendable toy 10 forming process and, in dissolving, provide gaps or voids 1o within the posable interwoven component 1i helix to allow material making up the posable bendable toy 10 components to flow through and/or adhere (e.g., see orifices to in FIGS. 2H-I and 3F).
In an alternative embodiment, the portions of wire 1 that are not embedded in a body component 2 or an end component 3 may be exposed so as to be in contact with the fingers of a user and/or may be coated with flexible material, such as a rubber or silicone. It is preferred that any such coating does not restrict or impede the ability of wire 1, component 2, and/or component 3 to achieve a desired conformation. In other words, according to this preferred embodiment, if wire 1, component 2, and/or component 3 would achieve a substantially different conformation in the absence of wire 1 coating, then the coating thickness may be too thick. In an exemplary embodiment, the coating of flexible material on exposed portion of wire 1 may be no greater than about 0.1% to about 5% of the thickness of the exposed wire 1 portion. In another exemplary embodiment, the coating of flexible material cannot exceed the thickness of either component 2 and/or component 3. Posable component 1 may be a substantially smooth wire or may be knurled, stamped, or otherwise acted upon to create contours or deformations 1x in its surface prior to introduction into the components 2/3, posable bendable toys 10, and systems/combinations/constructs disclosed herein. For example, an exemplary wire 1 may be pinched, knurled, or stamped at any point along its length, but preferably near its terminal ends, prior to being used or positioned in an exemplary mold for making an exemplary posable bendable toy 10.
An exemplary body component 2 may be made of one or more of the following moldable materials, including, but not limited to, PMMA, ABS, PA, PETG, PS, PC, PP, PE, PEEK, PET, PLA, cyanate esters, epoxies, polyesters, polyurethanes, silicones, rubbers, vulcanized rubbers, aluminum, bronze, steel, alloys, and combinations of the same. An exemplary end 3 may be made of the same or a similar material as body 2. Additionally, any of the aforementioned materials may be in any color known to those skilled in the art and include their translucent, transparent, clear, and combined versions of the same. In an exemplary embodiment, the material used in posable bendable toy 10 components 2 and 3 may be optically clear, translucent, capable of glowing in the dark, capable of changing color in response to one or more of heat, pressure, liquid, or other chemical interactions, and/or combinations of the same. In a preferred embodiment, each body 2 and end 3 is a rigid component of posable bendable toy 10, preferably made of ABS or high impact polystyrene. Alternatively, each body 2 and end 3 may be made out of a recyclable plastic material.
An exemplary body component 2 and/or end 3 may be cylindrical in shape or have any other circular or rounded cross-section, polygonal cross-section, e.g., any cross-section with a shape having n+3 sides (where n is an integer ≥0), or combinations of the same. Further, any of ends 3 and/or bodies 2 may be spherical, polyhedron, combinations of the same, with or without additional fillets and/or chamfers on one or more surfaces or edges. Alternatively, ends 3 and/or bodies 2 may possess any number and combination of potential surface contours (in addition to or instead of those illustrated in FIGS. 5B-G): threading for screw-like attachments, domed or balled portions for ball-and-socket joints, circular bumps, longitudinal ridges, finned sections, hooks, tabs, snap-fit extensions (either indentation or the hooks themselves), hoops, and holes (either partially into the thickness of the component or a through-hole). Additionally, ends 3 and/or bodies 2 may be amorphous forms shaped for particular needs as are disclosed herein. In an exemplary embodiment, the cross-section of component 2 and/or end 3 may be such to allow it to friction-fit within an opening in a building block known to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, the circular hole of a Lego® Erling brick (Lego® Design ID Nos. 4070, 4070a, 30069, and 35388) and/or the circular hole of an exemplary Lego® technic brick (Lego® Design ID Nos. 6541, 3700). According to the aforementioned exemplary embodiment, the diameters of such openings in such building blocks are approximately 3.2 mm to approximately 4.8 mm. Thus, while faces 5/6 are illustrated as substantially circular and flat faces of cylindrical ends 3 and cylindrical bodies 2 in FIGS. 1, 2A-I, 3A-F, 5, 6A-B, and 6E-G for example, faces 5/6 may be any shape or shapes in combination and/or may have contours and surfaces that are not flat and/or may be irregular, such as in FIGS. 5B-G and 9C-D.
Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 4A-E and 9C-D, body 2 and/or end 3 may have more complex three-dimensional shapes, such as the shape and dimensions of building blocks known to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, Lego® blocks or bricks and their variants, K'nex, PicassoTiles®, Duplo®, Rasti blocks, Flexo, Brix Construx, and magnetic building blocks. According to this alternative, body 2 and/or end 3 may take the form of any existing Lego® brick. Further alternatively, end 3 may be one size and type of shape or building block and body 2 another size and type of shape or building block, such as, for example, a Lego® brick end 3 followed by a K′nex part as a body 2 of the posable bendable toy 10. Accordingly, body 2 and end 3 may be one or more of the foregoing sizes, shapes, and brick types and geometries to enable posable bendable toy 10 to be combined and/or used with any building block known to those skilled in the art and/or other type of toy, whether or not a building block. For example, end 3 may be shaped to be held by an action figure while a first body 2 may be shaped to connect with a Lego® block, a second body 2 may be shaped to connect to a Flexo block set, a third body 2 may be shaped to hold a pencil used for writing, and the opposing end 3 may be designed as a plastic insert shaped to fit within a power port for a smart phone or other electronic device (e.g., USB or USB-C) or another port found on similar devices (e.g., audio jacks, HDMI ports, ethernet ports, telephone ports, coax cable ports, and/or wall outlets). Accordingly, the variability of the body components 2 and end components 3 may increase the versatility and enjoyment of the posable bendable toy 10.
Further alternatively, an exemplary body 2 and/or exemplary end 3 of a posable bendable toy 10 may be shaped as a part of an action figure in whole or in part provided that the action figure does not inhibit the possibility of the exposed parts of the exemplary posable component (such as illustrated in FIG. 9C). For example, an exemplary end 3 may be shaped in the form of a hand, a plurality of exemplary body components 2 may be shaped in the form of the wrist, forearm, elbow, and upper arm, and the other exemplary end 3 may be the shoulder. As another example, each exemplary end 3 may be shaped in the form of a foot and a plurality of exemplary body components 2 may be portions of a leg on either side of a body component 2 shaped like a torso. As yet another example, exemplary end 3 may be the head of a dinosaur and the other exemplary end 3 the tip of the tail. According to the immediately aforementioned example, the plurality of body components 2 may be shaped like the neck, body and tail of the dinosaur whereby one or more of the body components 2 also allow for interconnections with another linkage that is for the arms and hands, while another linkage forms the legs and feet. The person of ordinary skill in the art can take any figurine, doll, or known plaything and design it so that each of its parts may be segmented (e.g., separated by lengths of exposed wire 1) and made into a series of individual or interwoven posable bendable toys 10.
The exemplary posable bendable toys 10, 10A, and 10B according to the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 1, 2A-I, 3A-F, 4A-E, 5A, and 6A-B and their related and interrelated disclosures may be made from plastic injection over-molding of the embedded posable component 1 (or other like processes known to those skilled in the art, such as for example, ABS injection molding) as may be illustrated in FIGS. 7A-E and 8A-G or by embedding the posable component 1 through additive manufacturing, as may be shown in FIGS. 12A-E.
Where injection molding is used to manufacture an exemplary posable bendable toy 10, the exemplary posable bendable toys 10 described may be injection molded in either horizontal or vertical presses. As an injected molded product, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may be fabricated using a plurality of mold structures and mechanisms. Any machinable or moldable materials and methods known to those skilled in the art may be used to fabricate the molds and components disclosed herein, such as aluminums, steels, or particular polymers and elastomers. To the extent an element of an injection mold is not expressly stated for any particular embodiment, such as, for example, cooling channels, release contours, or surface treatments, those skilled in the art would understand that such element is inherent in injection molding technologies or injection molding methods and should be considered to also be present in any of the embodiments and disclosures illustrated and/or described with respect to FIGS. 7A-E and 8A-G. Those skilled in the art would understand the design and implementation of the peripheral components used in such injection molds and mechanisms to take plastic in raw form (pellets or liquid) and inject it into the mold constructs illustratively and otherwise disclosed herein. What follows are disclosures of the exemplary inventive molds for injection molding of exemplary posable bendable toys 10.
An exemplary mold base 100 may be illustrated by FIG. 7A. An exemplary mold base 100 may comprise a working face 100a in which there may be (i) one or more orientation zones 140 to allow for orienting with adjacent mold parts; (ii) one or more alignment cavities 143-144 for use in placement of a posable component 1 within the mold base 100 by automated or manual placement means; and (iii) a work zone 110 where one or more exemplary posable bendable toy 10 is manufactured. Opposite the working face 100a is the rear face 100b, which may be the foundation for other mechanisms used in an exemplary manufacturing process. An exemplary cover mold 200 may be illustrated by FIG. 7B. An exemplary cover mold 200 may comprise a working face 200a in which there may be (i) one or more orientation zones 140 to allow for orienting with adjacent mold parts and (ii) a work zone 210 where an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 is manufactured in conjunction with mold base 100. Opposite the working face 200a is the rear face 200b, which may have additional features similar to rear face 100b of mold base 100. In an exemplary embodiment, where mold base 100 is immobile in an exemplary mold press (horizontal or vertical), then mold cover 200 is mobile. According to this exemplary embodiment, an exemplary immobile mold base 100 may contain one or more features in the working zone 110 to hold posable component 1 therein independently of or in conjunction with mold cover 200 during the injection molding process. In another exemplary embodiment, the aforementioned mobile and immobile roles of mold base 100 and mold cover 200 may be interchanged and/or shared with any other mold components depending on the surfaces necessary to make an exemplary posable bendable toy 10. According to the aforementioned exemplary embodiments disclosed with respect to mold cover 200, an exemplary mold cover 200 may provide the equal and opposite halves of each of the structures in mold base 100 and/or working zone 100a.
With reference to FIGS. 7A and 7C, an exemplary working zone 110 may comprise half cavities 102 and 103 that are interconnected by channels 107 through cavity partitions 108. An exemplary half cavity 102 may have two walls 105, one adjacent to each channel 107 flowing into the half cavity 102. An exemplary half cavity 103 may have a wall 106, for which there is no channel 107, and a wall 105, which like wall 105 for half cavities 102, is adjacent a channel 107 flowing into half cavity 103. As further illustrated in FIG. 7A, a crush pin 104 may extend upwardly from a surface of half cavity 103, although an exemplary half cavity 103 may not have any such crush pin extending upwardly from its surface. An exemplary crush pin 104 may be integrated with or mechanically fastened within a cavity 102/103 of mold 100, and preferably, within each end cavity 103. An exemplary pin 104 may be made of any rigid material that can be integrated into cavity 103 during machining of mold 100 (in which case the pin 104 may be made from the same material substrate as mold 100). Alternatively, an exemplary pin 104 may be configured for mechanical fastening with mold 100 through front face 100a and/or rear face 100b, for example, by being a cylindrical part that screws into mold 100, being configured to be friction fitted into an appropriately sized hole in mold 100, by being adhered or bonded to mold 100 via chemical adhesives, glues, arc or laser welding, or via any other mechanical fastening techniques known to those skilled in the art. While at least one pin 104 may be found in each cavity 103, a plurality of pins 104 may be used in any of cavities 102 and/or 103 in an exemplary mold 100.
As may be illustrated in FIGS. 7A-C and 8A-E, an exemplary crushing pin 104 may be located anywhere along the axial length of end cavity 103, but preferably is more proximal to wall 105 than wall 106. In an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary pin 104 may be located in alignment with the central axis of cavity 103 and/or be located at a distance that is no more than between about 15% to about 50% of the overall length of end cavity 103. While an exemplary pin 104 may be cylindrical in shape, pin 104 may be any variety of sizes, shapes, and/or cross-sections, depending on needs. In one example, an exemplary pin 104 may be spherical, domed, cupped, or chamfered. Alternatively, pin 104 may have non-circular cross-sections, such as rectilinear shapes, so as to be a cubic or prismatic polyhedron. Pin 104 may also be magnetic, such as a neodymium magnet, or an exposed portion of an electromagnet whose electromagnetism may be controlled through timing circuitry known to those skilled in the art. Additionally, an exemplary pin 104 may allow passage of vacuum (VAC) to hold posable component 1 resting upon its surface. An exemplary pin may have contours at its apex 104*, such as flat, grooved, circular, domed, or other types of surfaces and/or sharp points, that enable crushing of posable component 1 during the molding process to form an exemplary crushed portion 1c in the posable component 1.
Referring to either of FIG. 7A or 7C, an exemplary working zone 110 may also have a plurality of ejector pin ports 121 and passages 122 running through the thickness of mold base 100. In an exemplary embodiment, ejector pin ports 121 may only be located within either or both of half cavities 102 and/or half cavities 103 and translate from rear face 100b to the cavity interior where it is used to eject a finished component 2 and/or 3. In another exemplary embodiment, passages 122 may only be located in channels 107 and connect to mechanisms in the rear face 100b of mold base 100. With further reference to FIG. 7A, an exemplary mold base 100 may have an injected plastic feeding system comprised of a sprue 115 that feeds injected plastic into runners 116, that flows through branches 117 and enters one or more half cavities 102/103 by way of a gate 118. While a specific form of injected plastic feeding system may be illustrated by FIG. 7A, those skilled in the art may vary the shape and features of the sprue 115, runners 116, branches 117, and gates 118 as is known in the art to enable a complete and/or sufficient manufacture of posable bendable toy 10. In an exemplary embodiment, one or more of the runners 116 and branches 117 may be comprised of more channels than just a single channel, such as, for example, in stepped, zig-zag, or other configurations that may lead to balanced filling of the cavities 102/103. Alternatively, an exemplary mold base 100 may have a working zone 110 that is devoid of an injected plastic feeding system runners 116, branches 117, and/or gates 118, as may be illustrated with respect to FIG. 7B, when that system is present in an exemplary mold cover 200.
With reference to FIGS. 7B and 7D, an exemplary working zone 210 may comprise half cavities 202 and 203 that are interconnected by channels 207 through cavity partitions 208. Each half cavity 202 may have two walls 205, one adjacent to each channel 207 flowing into the half cavity 202. Each half cavity 203 may have a wall 206, for which there is no adjacent channel 207, and a wall 205, which like wall 205 for half cavities 202, is adjacent a channel 207 flowing into half cavity 203. Like the exemplary mold base 100 illustrated in FIG. 7A, a crush pin 204 may be present in a surface of half cavity 203 and/or 202 of an exemplary cover mold 200. Referring to FIG. 7D, an exemplary working zone 210 may have a plurality of ejector pin ports 121 running through the thickness of cover mold 200 (from rear face 200b to cavity surface adjacent face 200a) while mold base 100 in FIG. 7C does not have these features. In another exemplary embodiment, passages 122 may only be located in channels 207 of an exemplary mold cover 200 instead of in the mold base 100 of FIG. 7C. With further reference to FIG. 7B, an exemplary mold cover 200 may have an injected plastic feeding system comprised of just a sprue 115 that feeds injected plastic into mold base 100 using runners 116, branches 117, and gates 118 interconnected to one or more half cavities 102/103. While a specific form of injected plastic feeding system may be illustrated by FIG. 7B, those skilled in the art may vary the shape and features of the sprue 115, runners 116, branches 117, and gates 118 as is known in the art to enable a complete manufacture of bendable component 10, such as by placing runners 116, branches 117, and/or gates 118 into the working zones 110 and/or 210 of exemplary mold base 100 and/or mold cover 200 either in whole or in part. Alternatively, an exemplary mold cover 200 may have a working zone 210 that is devoid of an injected plastic feeding system runners 116, branches 117, and/or gates 118, as may be illustrated with respect to FIG. 7B. As illustrated in FIG. 7D, an exemplary sprue 115 may be divided into multiple sprue points 115a to allow for complete injection/filling of the cavities 102/202 and 103/203 of the combination of mold base 200 and mold cover 100, such as, injection molding through a manifold or like injection molding structure (not shown).
With further reference to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 7D, an exemplary path 215 of an exemplary injected plastic feeding system may be shown in an exemplary mold cover 200 within its working zone 210. While path 215 may be shown as being a section of mold cover 200, the same or similar path 215 may be found in an exemplary mold base 100. Path 215 may provide a closer view of a sprue point 115a that feeds into runner 116, branch 117, and a plurality of gates 118. As illustrated, gates 118 may take the form of a “Y” that may advantageously simultaneously feed two volumes separately formed from the combination of half cavities 102 and 202 and/or half cavities 103 and 203 or two volumes separately formed by the combination of two half cavities 102 and two half cavities 202. According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 7D, by placing the gates 118 adjacent to the walls 105/205 of a given half cavity 102/103/202/203, the resultant injection-molded product may be removed from the molds 100/200 and thereafter be cleaved from the plastic that had filled gates 118 without any residual plastic interfering with the outer peripheries of the components 102/103 formed thereby. In other words, positioning gates 118 to feed behind the walls 105 that will become the internal surfaces 5 of exemplary components 2/3 may allow the removal of the final posable bendable toy 10 while substantially reducing and/or eliminating the possibility of residual plastic from the manufacturing process resulting on the outermost surfaces of the components 2/3, as may be seen in FIGS. 5A and 6B. An exemplary mold result 70 illustrating the advantages of gate 118 position on the final resulting injection-molded product may be provided in FIGS. 10A-C. In an alternative embodiment, gates 118 may be positioned to feed into sides of the cavities 102/103 and/or 202/203 besides the walls 105/205, respectively.
FIG. 7E illustrates a cross-section of an isometric view of the abutment between face 100a of mold base 100 and face 200a of mold cover 200 just prior to injection molding of the whole cavities and channels formed by the combination of the mold parts. The solid line to which the annotation 100a/200a points represents the demarcation between mold base 100 and mold cover 200 in the exemplary cross-section of FIG. 7E. As illustrated in FIG. 7E, an exemplary half cavity 103 may be abutted with an exemplary half cavity 203 to form a volume V3 into which injected plastic may flow. As illustrated, an exemplary ejector pin passage 121 may be shown in the half cavity 203 and through which an ejector pin may travel to expel the completed end component 3 that was formed with injected material within volume V3 during the injection molding process. Similarly, an exemplary half cavity 102 may be illustrated in abutment with an exemplary half cavity 202 to form a volume V2 into which injected plastic may flow. Walls 105 and 205 may abut to form the extremities of the volumes V2 made from exemplary half cavities 102 and 202 whereas walls 105 and 205 and walls 106 and 206 abut to form the extremities of the volumes V3 made from exemplary half cavities 103 and 203.
A may be further illustrated by the cross-sectional view of the mold parts 100 and 200 depicted in FIG. 7E, an exemplary gate 118 may be exposed within volume V3. According to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 7E, an exemplar mold cover 200 may be of the type depicted in FIG. 7D in which the injection molding feeding system comprised of sprue points 115a, runners 116, and oscillating branches 117 may be present. As may also be understood with reference to FIG. 7E, an exemplary passage 122 may extend into the volume VC formed from the abutment combination of channel 107 and channel 207. As described, VC may be filled entirely by the posable component 1 during the manufacturing of exemplary posable bendable toy 10. In other words, VC may be intended so as not to be filled with any injected material to result in exposed portions of posable component 1. However, in the event VC may be filled in whole or in part by injected material, VC may be dimensioned accordingly so that any amount of injected material found therein can be either peeled away or broken away once an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 is in early stages of use by an end user. The “Y” shape of the gates 118 may once again be visible in FIG. 7E to provide the advantage of preventing any flash or extra plastic from being present on the outer surfaces of the components 2 and/or 3 formed in volumes V2 and/or V3, respectively. As may also be illustrated by FIG. 7E is the strategic placement of gates 118 to sufficiently fill each of the component volumes V2/V3 forming the end product posable bendable toy 10.
FIGS. 8A-G illustrate an exemplary manufacturing methodology using one or more of the components, features, and embodiments described in and/or illustrated via FIGS. 7A-E. It should be understood that mold base 100 and mold cover 200 may have one or more of the features depicted in each other's drawings, may have variability in those features' size, configuration, order, orientation, and placement, and may be modified by persons skilled in the art to adequately achieve the desired shape, size, and functionality of any given component(s) 2, component(s) 3, posable component 1, and overall posable bendable toy 10. As used in FIGS. 8A-E, the symbols “●●●” are meant to disclose the possibility of additional lengths of posable component 1 and/or components 2/3. The symbols “∘∘∘” are meant to disclose the possibility of one or more additional mold sections, cavities, or channels and/or different portions of any mold 100/200 structures.
As may be further illustrated with respect to the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 8A-G, an exemplary passage 122 may be the conduit for other components and mechanisms for use in manufacturing an exemplary posable bendable toy 10, such as: (i) vacuum/suction VAC; or (ii) magnetic mechanisms M (either permanent or controllable/electromagnet). Additionally, as may be found with reference to the closing step between mold parts 100 and 200 illustrated in FIGS. 8A-G, exemplary channels 107/207 may retain an exemplary posable component 1 within one of its contours using one or more of the following: (i) a clamping channel 207* to frictionally hold a cross-section of the posable component 1; (ii) a vacuum/suction VAC that creates suction through passage 122 that holds the surface of the posable component 1 into the channel 107/207; or (iii) a magnetic source (either permanent or controllable/electromagnet) M that resides within passage 122 that attracts an appropriately magnetized posable component 1 into channel 107/207. Where a crushing pin 104/204 may be used, an exemplary vacuum suction VAC or magnetic source M may cause posable component 1 to be held in contact with the apex 104*/204* of pin 104/204 in addition to the troughs of channels 107/207. In another alternative embodiment, wire channel 107/207 may qualify as a clamp channel 207* through use of a high-temperature resistant elastomer gasket or layer G on one of the channel 107/207 surfaces. Where a gasket G may make up the clamp channel 207* in whole or in part, it may enable the clamping of the posable component 1 within the volume VC formed by the contact between mold base 100 and mold cover 200. Exemplary high-temperature resistant gasket G materials may include silicones, ethylene acrylic elastomers, such as Vamac® and Kalrez® made and sold by Dupont. The clamp channel 207* (with or without a gasket G) may also be used in mold 100 to affect the same purposes as described above and illustrated in FIGS. 8F-G.
With reference to FIG. 8A, an exemplary loading step 801 may be illustrated. According to an exemplary embodiment, a posable component 1 having two pre-formed deformations 1x found in deformed portions 1d proximal to the respective terminus 1z at each end of posable component 1 may be disposed above the locations in mold base 100 where it is to be located. This may be done via automated or manual means. Exemplary manual loading steps 801 may include using a trained operator or a team of operators to place the posable component 1 within mold base 100 along an assembly line and/or rolling the posable component 1 along surface 100a until it falls into the proper channel 107. In an exemplary rolling loading step 801, an exemplary posable component 1 may be rolled along one or more barriers with protrusions designed to fit within one or more of the alignment grooves 143 in mold surface 100a. Alternatively, an exemplary automated loading step 801 may involve each posable component 1 being picked up or lifted and placed into channel 107 using robotic arms of two or more degrees of freedom (such as, for example, a Mecademic Meca500 6-axis robot arm, made by Mecademic Robotics, Montreal, Canada), automated vacuum loading systems with end effectors that utilize one or more of magnets, tweezers, or vacuum-assisted tweezers, such as the ESD-Safe Tweezer-Vac™ Continuous Vacuum System with Pick-Up Tool that is manufactured and sold by Virtual Industries, Inc. of Colorado Springs, Colo. or one or more of the vacuum pick-ups manufactured and sold by EIS Inc. of Atlanta, Ga. According to another exemplary embodiment, an exemplary posable component 1 may be loaded into mold base 100 (whether manually or through robotics/automation) as a substantially straightened, pinched, and/or cut wire, such as wire straightened, pinched, and/or cut by Novo Precision of Bristol, Conn. or Little Falls Alloys of Paterson, N.J. In a preferred embodiment, an exemplary wire 1 will be straightened and have at least one “pinch” deformation 1x proximal to each terminus 1z to serve as the anchoring deformed portion 1d.
According to another aspect of the exemplary embodiment illustrated by FIG. 8A, posable component 1 may be a specifically configured posable component 1 so as to be in alignment with one or more of the channels 107 in mold base 100 when disposed therein. In a preferred embodiment, specifically configured posable component 1 may take the form of a substantially straightened and cut wire, such as a wire between 30 AWG and 14 AWG, and preferably, 18 AWG and/or 1.01 mm (0.0402 in.) outer diameter that has been straightened, cut to length, and/or otherwise treated by wire straightening and cutting machines made and sold by Novo Precision of Bristol, Conn. Referring still to FIG. 8A, an exemplary posable component 1 may have deformations 1x that may face in any circumferential direction about component 1 axis 11 when loaded within mold base 100. As may be further illustrated in FIG. 8A, posable component 1 in an exemplary loading step 801 may be brought into mold base 100 via magnetic attraction to magnetic source M or be brought into mold base 100 via a suction or vacuum source VAC. According to this exemplary embodiment, use of magnetic source M and/or vacuum source VAC may cause posable component 1 to be disposed within channels 107 in mold base 100 and remain in place while the rest of the manufacturing process continues. While not shown, those skilled in the art would readily appreciate a variety of ways to control magnetic source M as an electromagnet through mold base 100's thickness. Alternatively, magnetic source M may be a permanent magnet that is affixed within mold base 100. While not shown, those skilled in the art would readily appreciate a variety of ways to control vacuum source VAC by use of hoses or other vacuum tubing and arrangements behind mold base 100. Again, while magnetic source M and vacuum source VAC may be illustrated in an exemplary mold base 100, they may similarly be found in an exemplary mold cover 200, depending on needs.
With reference to FIG. 8B, an exemplary approach step 802 may be illustrated showing the posable component 1 loaded within mold base 100 according to loading step 801 but now ready for advancement of mold cover 200. As shown in FIG. 8B, the loading step 801 may be complete once posable component 1 is nested within channels 107 of mold base 100. Alternatively, the loading step 801 may be complete once posable component 1 is sufficiently stabilized atop one or more surfaces in mold base 100, which may include channels 107, cavities 102/103, magnets M, and/or atop apex 104* of crush pin 104. As previously described, in any or all of the aforementioned completed loading steps 801, magnetic source M and/or vacuum source VAC may still be on and/or controlled to maintain posable component 1 within its loaded position following step 801. As illustratively provided for according to FIG. 8B, the machinery used to hold mold base 100 may be the same machinery that controls the approach of mold cover 200 towards mold base 100 surface 100a. According to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 8B an exemplary mold cover 200 may also have a crush pin 204 with an apex 204* that may extend beyond mold cover surface 200a, while the apex 104* of crush pin 104 remains slightly below mold base surface 100a. Alternatively, and additionally, a clamp channel 207* may be provided in the mold cover 200 so as to force posable component 1 into friction fit within the combination of clamp channel 207* and corresponding channel 107. The reference “F-G” may be a selective cross-section of clamp channel 207* and channel 107 with respect to posable component 1 that may be further illustrated and explained with reference to FIGS. 8F-G. An exemplary approach step 802 may be timed according to when posable component 1 is secured within mold base 100 and/or channels 107 and/or cavities 102/103. Alternatively, an exemplary approach step 802 may take place once the means for loading posable component 1 (manual or automated) are no longer within the working zone 110a and/or disposed in front of mold base 100.
Referring to FIGS. 8A-B, it should be appreciated that any of the features of mold base 100 and/or mold cover 200 may be modified as needed to ensure proper holding of posable component 1 within the volumes formed by the closed mold parts 100/200 (that is, reduced and/or substantially eliminated movement of posable component 1 within volumes VC, V2, and/or V3). For example, while a clamp channel 207* may be shown for an exemplary mold base 200 according to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 8B, the same or similar clamping surfaces may be found as part of channels 107 of mold base 100.
With reference to FIG. 8C, an exemplary closing step 803 may be illustrated showing the posable component 1 held between one or more features (magnet source M, vacuum source VAC, clamp channel 207*, crush pins 104/204) of mold base 100 and/or mold cover 200 when surfaces 100a and 200a are in contact with one another. As shown in FIG. 8C, the closing step 803 may result in the formation of volumes V3 and V2 partially occupied by either the terminus 1z and terminal regions of posable component 1 or other lengths of posable component 1. Unlike in FIG. 7E, the volume VC that would otherwise exist upon contact between channel 107 and 207/207* may not be present following an exemplary closing step 803 because it preferably is filled substantially entirely with a portion of posable component 1. Alternatively, any portions of VC that may not be filled with posable component 1 may be substantially free of any injection molded material delivered into the volumes V3/V2 during the process. Further alternatively, for any injected material that may find its way into the channel 107/207/207* volume VC, it may be removed through use and/or flexing of the resulting posable bendable toy 10.
As shown in FIG. 8C, the closing step 803 may result in the formation of the crushed portion 1c by virtue of the difference in space between crushing pins 104 and 204. As shown in FIG. 8C, an exemplary clamping channel 207* may be advantageously placed near the deformed portion 1d in end cavity 103/203. According to this exemplary embodiment, an exemplary clamping channel 207* may be placed nearest to end cavities 103/203 to ensure little or no movement by the portion of posable component 1 that is not held by any other mechanism, such as, for example, a crushing pin 104/204 and/or magnet M or vacuum VAC. In embodiments where crushing pin 104/204 may be used, an exemplary clamping channel 207* may be placed distal from the terminus 1z and any other retention mechanisms M or VAC since the mold will take advantage of the clamping provided by crushing pin 104/204. An exemplary closing step 803 as may be illustrated by FIG. 8C may advantageously hold posable component 1 in a substantially taught or stretched position to sufficiently resist movement and/or deflection by injected material entering the surrounding volumes V2 and V3 in which it may be found.
With reference to FIG. 8D, an exemplary molding step 804 may be illustrated showing the injection of molten plastic (shown in hashed lines) into each of volumes V2 and V3 about the portions of posable component 1 found therein to form components 2 and 3 of posable bendable toy 10. While not shown, those skilled in the art may understand that the injection molding feeding system may be allowing for injection material to enter the volumes V2 and V3 from a position that faces FIG. 8D (out of the page and flowing into the page) or from a position that originates behind FIG. 8D (behind the figure and flowing out of the page toward the viewer). As may be appreciated from FIG. 8D, the deformations 1x in the terminal regions of posable component 1 and/or the crushed portion 1c formed via an exemplary closing step 803 may prevent the material making up end components 3 from dislodging from posable component 1 when used. That is, the molding step 804 may enable injected material to intimately embed itself around and/or into the spaces formed by each deformation 1x, extension surface 1w, bend 1b, crushed section 1*, orifice 1o, pit 1p, and/or twist 1t in posable component 1, and in particular, in the terminal region of the posable component 1. According to an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary molding step 804 may involve injection of one or more of the following materials: PMMA, ABS, PA, PETG, PS, PC, PP, PE, PEEK, PET, PLA, cyanate esters, epoxies, polyesters, polyurethanes, silicones, rubbers, vulcanized rubbers, and combinations of the same. Alternatively, certain volumes V2/V3 may be filled with one type of material while other volumes V2/V3 may be filled with a different type of material during molding step 804.
With continued reference to FIG. 8D, it may also be appreciated that posable component 1 may remain held by the clamping channel 207* and/or magnetic source M, which may be a specifically designed magnetic source that can resist repeated high temperatures (e.g., a high temperature neodymium permanent magnet or a steel core electromagnet with windings located on another side of the mold 100/200 in which it is found). In one aspect, the vacuum source VAC previously used to stabilize posable component 1 as per FIGS. 8A-C, may be turned off during an exemplary molding step 804 to avoid injected material being drawn into the passages 122. However, those skilled in the art may “close” the vacuum passage 122 using an ejector pin in the passage 122 in much the same way that any ejector pin passage 121 may similarly be closed during an exemplary molding step 804.
With reference to FIG. 8E, an exemplary release step 805 and ejecting step 806 may be illustrated showing the removal of mold cover 200 from contact with mold base 100 and the use of ejector pins 124 to eject the finished posable bendable toy 10 from the molds 100/200. As may be illustrated in FIG. 8E, the posable bendable toy 10 may be ejected in the configuration in which posable component 1 was inserted. In other words, if posable component 1 was inserted into mold base 100 as a substantially straightened posable component 1, then posable bendable toy 10 may be ejected in a substantially straightened conformation. As depicted in FIG. 8E, the terminus 1z adjacent to crushed portion 1c may be shown with a straight section 1s rather than the deformation 1x and deformed portion 1d illustrated in FIGS. 8A-D. This substitution may be understood based on disclosures in which the various features on a posable component 1 may be interchanged and used in numerous forms, conformations, angles, and frequencies.
An exemplary posable bendable toy 10 ejected according to an exemplary ejection step 806 may appear as the mold result 70 shown in one or more FIGS. 8114, assuming molds 100/200 were designed for manufacturing a plurality of posable bendable toys 10 per injection step 804. As illustrated in FIGS. 8114, an exemplary mold result 70 may comprise the end components 3 and body components 2 of an exemplary posable bendable toy 10. While not shown, an exemplary mold result 70 may comprise just end components 3 of an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 meant to have only two end components 3. Additionally, an exemplary mold result 70 may comprise the remainder injection material from the injection molding step 804, such as, legs 15 and 15a, spine 16, arms 17, and fingers 18. Those skilled in the art would understand that each of leg 15a, spine 16, arm 17, and finger 18 may be the injection-molded results of the injection molding process 804 through sprue points 115a, runners 116, branches 117, and gates 118, respectively.
FIGS. 8H-I may also show how the fingers 18 of mold result 70 allows for advantageous release of the components 2/3 from the mold result 70 to be independent posable bendable toys 10. Fingers 18 advantageously comprise extremely small amounts of injection material interconnecting the component 2 and/or 3 to the remainder of the arms 17 and spine 16 of the mold result 70. As such, fingers 18 may be frangible and/or relatively weaker in torsion and bending than any of the other remainder portions of the injection molding process 804. Further, because fingers 18 are connected only to faces 5 of the components 2 and/or 3, breakage of fingers 18 from the mold result 70 may not affect the overwhelming majority of visible surfaces of the resulting components 2 and/or 3.
FIG. 8J illustrates an exemplary release step 807 in which numerous advantages provided for in the manufacture of posable bendable toy 10 may be understood. According to FIG. 8J, an exemplary release step 807 involves rotating the body components 2 of the mold result 70 until the adjoining fingers 18 break. In so doing, FIG. 8J takes advantage of two different advantages disclosed: (i) the free rotation of body components 2; and (ii) the location and configuration of fingers 18. Thus, an exemplary release step 807 may provide for the ease of removal of posable bendable toys 10 from the mold result 70 while resulting in a posable bendable toy 10 whose surfaces are substantially free of the results of the injection molding process 804. The term “substantially free” as used in this paragraph only is meant to refer to the fact that marks from ejector pins 124 in components 2/3 may be unavoidable during the ejection step 806 and, depending on whether it is used, the openings 4A and 4B are necessary results of the manufacturing process if crushed portion 1c is meant to be used on the posable component 1 to retain the same in a body component 2 and/or end component 3. Further, to the extent a body component 2 is meant to be static with respect to posable component 1 in the final posable bendable toy 10, the same may still be twisted off of a finger 18 by spinning one or more portions of the other movable components 2 while attached as mold result 70. If all components 2/3 of a posable bendable toy 10 in the result 70 are static, then a user can bend the entire toy 10 into and out of the plane of the spine 16 until it breaks away. In an alternative embodiment, the fingers 18 formed in the result 70 may be made so as to be more frangible to allow for easier removal of the posable bendable toy 10 from the result 70.
While cavities 102/202 and/or 103/203 may have heretofore been illustratively shown as cylindrical elements, they may be any other shapes known to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, building blocks or parts/components/accessories of other toys and figures. For example, cavity 102/202 may each be one half of the negative of a Lego® block while cavity 103/203 may each be one half of the negative of a K′nex® building piece. Any building block or building toy component known to those skilled in the art may have a cavity 102/202/103/203 made of it in an exemplary mold 100 and mold half 200. If a three-piece mold or a greater number of mold parts are necessary to form a particular cavity 102/202/103/203, those skilled in the art would be capable of implementing the inventive embodiments herein as long as at least two of any plurality of mold parts can serve as a mold 100 and/or 200 while sufficiently holding an exemplary posable component 1 therein (e.g., using magnetic sources M, vacuum sources VAC, clamping channels 207* with or without gaskets G, or crush pins 104/204). In other words, mold 100 may be a single construct or a combination of a plurality of mold parts and mold 200 may be a single construct or a combination of a plurality of mold parts.
Additionally, a mold 100/200 may also allow for the use of a plurality of posable bendable toys 10 to interconnect numerous volumes V2 and V3 formed by an exemplary mold. An example of this may be had with reference to FIGS. 9A-B. As illustratively provided for in FIGS. 9A-B, an exemplary mold base 100 may have within it a plurality of body cavities 102A, 102B, 102C1, and 102C1, and a plurality of end cavities 103A, 103A1, 103B, 103C and 103C1 in which there may be found one or a plurality of posable components 1A, 1B, and 1C, respectively, having any of the features described and illustrated in FIGS. 2A-I, which may include one or more deformations 1x in deformed portions 1d and/or terminal regions that will be subject to crushing by a crush pin 104 so as to form a crushed portion 1c and corresponding crushed section 1*. Additionally, as illustrated in FIG. 9A, an exemplary mold base 100 may have numerous faces 106A. 106B, 106C, 105A, 105A1 and 105C1 similar to faces 105/106 previously described. FIGS. 9A-B may also illustrate channels 107A, 107B, and 107C at different depths from mold base surface 100a towards the rear face 100b of mold base 100. Accordingly, different elevations in the various channels may allow for a first posable component 1A to be disposed above a second posable component 1B while a third posable component 1C may be disposed under the second posable component 1B. In this way, an exemplary mold base 100 may accommodate more than one posable component in different orientations while laying the foundation for manufacturing a construction 30, such as the one illustrated in FIGS. 9C-D.
With continued reference to FIGS. 9A-B, an illustrative mold 100 for a construct 30 may be comprised of an end cavity 103A in which there is found a surface for creating a cavity 109 in the final end component 3A made thereby. Alternatively, a crush pin 104A and 104C may occupy end cavities 103A1 and 103C1, respectively. An exemplary body component 102C2 may have one or more indents 125 that may form extensions 25 on a given body component 2C2 made thereby (as shown in FIG. 9C). Unique to a mold base 100 and/or mold cover 200 for an exemplary construct 30 are the various intersection cavities and intersection retention components. As illustrated in FIGS. 9A-B, an exemplary shared body cavity 102S may be a body cavity in which more than one length of posable component is present within the walls 105S (as illustrated, posable components 1B and 1A each have lengths spanning shared body cavity 102S). The result of over molding the posable components 1A and 1B may be the shared body 2S and embedded portions 1eA and 1eB illustratively provided for in FIG. 9C. A further unique feature may be the end body 132 in which the terminal region of a posable component may be found along with another portion of another posable component that is not the terminal region, such as, for example, the terminal region of posable component 1B and a non-terminal portion of posable component 1C found within the end body cavity 132 as illustrated in FIG. 9B.
An end body cavity 132 may serve as a body cavity to at least one of the posable components running through it (in FIG. 9B, this would be posable component 1C) and may serve as an end cavity to at least one of the posable components running through it (in FIG. 9B, this would be posable component 1B). Assuming the posable component 1B had a terminal region with one or more bends 1b, deformation portions 1d (such as a preformed pinch or dent in the terminal region of an exemplary posable component), twists 1t, orifices 1o, or combinations of the same, then the terminal region of the particular posable component may be over-molded along with the adjacent non-terminal portion of the additional posable component (as shown in FIG. 9B, that would be posable component 1C). However, where the terminal region of the posable component found in the end body cavity 132 requires a crushed section 1c and/or the non-terminal region of the adjacent posable component requires a crushed section 1c, then an exemplary mold base 100 may use a multi-crush pin 144 within end body cavity 132. Following an exemplary manufacturing process as described in FIGS. 8A-G, the result of injection molding end body cavity 132 may be end body 32 as illustrated in FIG. 9C. A more detailed discussion of use and embodiments of an exemplary multi-crush pin 144 may be had with respect to FIGS. 9E-H. While not illustrated in FIGS. 9A-B, those skilled in the art may include within an exemplary mold base 100 and/or mold cover 200 for construct 30 any sprues 115/215, runners 116/216, branches 117/217, and gates 118/218 for injection molding within the cavities in the mold surface. Furthermore, any features previously disclosed with respect to mold 100 and/or 200 of FIGS. 7A-E and FIGS. 8A-E (e.g., passages 122, tunnels 121) may also be included in the mold 100 and/or corresponding mold 200 of FIGS. 9A-B in like or similar kind, functionality, and placement.
Referring to FIG. 9C, an exemplary construct 30 may be the product of applying the manufacturing steps 801-807 as illustratively provided for in FIGS. 8A-G to the mold base 100 illustrated in FIGS. 9A-B. As may be illustrated in FIG. 9C, the construct 30 may have a hand 3A with an extension 25 and cavity 9 (not shown), that is formed using cavity 103A from FIGS. 9A-B. Hand 3A may be connected by posable component 1A to shared body 2S in which posable component 1A is embedded to connect arm part 2A thereto (arm part 2A being the result of injection molding cavity 102A of FIG. 9A while posable component 1A is within—as shown in FIG. 9B). Hand 3A1 differs from hand 3A in that hand 3A1 was formed using a crushing pin 104A in the end cavity 103A1 as shown in FIGS. 9A-B. As previously described, a process in which crushing pin 104 is employed necessarily will leave behind an opening 4, which may be illustrated for hand 3A1 in FIG. 9C. Head 3B may be illustrated as being interconnected to shared body 2S and end body 32 via posable component 1B. Unlike hand 3A1, use of deformation 1x at the terminal region of posable component 1B in cavity 103B permits the final end component 3 to be without any holes 4 through the surface. However, the other end of posable component 1B may have been subjected to crushing via multi-crush pin 144, the results of which being crushed portion 1c on the terminal region of posable component 1B found within end body 32, as viewable in FIG. 9C.
With continued reference to FIG. 9C, an exemplary foot 3C may be the product of over-molding the terminal region of posable component 1C in cavity 103C in which two deformed portions 1d may have been provided as shown in FIG. 9B. The foot 3C is interconnected to leg 2C1 and end body 32 via posable component 1C. As illustrated in FIG. 9C, posable component 1C may be able to slide through end body 32 (much like a mobile body component 2 may do along a posable component 1 in prior embodiments). Thus, end body 32 may possess the functionalities of an end component and those of a body component simultaneously. Those skilled in the art would recognize the leg 2C2 as being the same as or similar to a building block for interconnections with compatible toys, as shown in FIGS. 4A-E. Leg 2C2 may be the result of manufacturing with the cavity 102C2 illustrated in FIGS. 9A-B. In contrast, foot 3C1 may be manufactured from cavity 103C1 and crushing pin 104C illustrated in FIGS. 9A-B. The resulting terminal region found within an exemplary foot 3C1 may have both a crushed portion 1c found between openings 4 in the foot 3C1 and a bend 1b and deformed portion 1d as well. The exemplary construct 30 may take the form of a figurine as shown and/or a hybrid figurine with interconnecting building block compatibilities.
With reference to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 9D, an exemplary construct 30 may be comprised of any number and variety of end components 3, body components 2, shared body components 2S, and end bodies 32. In addition to providing illustrations of features from other figures on one or more portions of posable components 1A and 1B, such as a deformation 1d that acts as the terminus 1z for posable component 1A, FIG. 9D may illustrate the versatility and endless permutations of components 2/3 that may be available for use in making a construct 30 using the disclosures herein. Worthy of mention is the strategic placement of opening 4 with respect to certain of the building block components 3 and 2 found along posable component 1A. As illustrated, an exemplary opening 4 may be made so as not to interfere with the interconnection capabilities of the building block end component 3, that is, the opening 4 may be found between extensions 25, which may take the form of Lego-like studs, illustrated to the left of shared body 2S, so that the same interconnecting capabilities are not hampered by the presence of opening 4. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 9D, an exemplary body component 2 located on the same posable component 1A may also have an opening 4 through the thickness of its hollow extension 27, but not for the purpose of creating a crushed portion 1c on the posable component 1A, but rather, to allow the resulting building block component 2 (which in this case is an Erling Lego brick having one of the following Lego Design ID Nos. 4070, 87087, 87069, 99206, 11211, and 30414) to be useable as such a building block while still allowing for translation up and down the posable component 1A. Also worthy of mention is the rectilinear-shaped hole 4 shown in the end 3 on posable component 1B. Furthermore, shared body 2S may allow for slack spacing 8+ and reduced spacing 8− for the body components 2 disposed along posable components 1A and 1B. As may be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art, an exemplary construct 30 may comprise at least one component 2/3 that is shared by a plurality of posable components 1, which as shown in FIG. 9C, may be posable components 1B and 1C sharing body end 32 and posable components 1A and 1B sharing body 2S.
FIG. 9D may also illustrate how a component like shared body 2S may be spherical so that its boundaries 7 may be located about an equator and poles that are at right angles from one another. In an embodiment, posable components 1A and 1B may intersect within shared body 2S in any formation, including a non-contact arrangement, a wound or wrapped arrangement (e.g., as may be shown in FIGS. 6A-B), a friction or other type of weldment (heat or laser), an adhesive-enabled joint, a knotted configuration, or as part of a crushed fitting or deformation fitting). The same or similar type of arrangement may be provided for the intersections between posable components 1A, 1B, and 1C in FIG. 9C. That is, where a posable component 1B and posable component 1C in FIG. 9C may interact in body end 32 via multi crush pin 144, alternatively posable component 1B may be adjoined to posable component 1C by a twist 1t (as shown in FIGS. 6A-B) or may be welded, adhered, knotted, or merely overlaid one another. In an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of posable components 1 may be able to interlink with one another via one or more of the pre-loaded posable component surface features (not crushed portion 1c which only forms during the bendable linkage 10 formation process) that are described and illustrated with respect to FIGS. 2A-B and 2D-I and 3B-F (e.g., a deformation 1x friction fitting within another deformation 1x, a bend 1b friction fitting within a deformation 1x, a twist 1t wrapped about a deformation 1x). As an exemplary spherical body 2 has only one surface, a spherical body 2's outermost face may always be an interior surface 5. However, where an ending 3 may be spherical in shape, that surface may always be an exterior surface 6.
Referring now to the illustrative embodiments depicted in FIGS. 9E-H, which disclose, among other things, the multi-crush pins 144 and 244 of exemplary mold base 100 and/or mold cover 200 as described with respect to construct 30, as illustratively provided for in FIGS. 9A-C. As illustrated in FIGS. 9E-H, an exemplary multi-crush pin 144 may be used with a plurality of posable components (e.g., 1A and 1B) and may comprise a pin apex 104*, a pin shoulder 104a, a pin arm 104b, and shoulder region 104a*. In an exemplary embodiment, as illustratively shown in FIGS. 9E-F, pin shoulder 104a and pin arm 104b may be any other shapes or combination of shapes that may allow one posable component to bypass another section of the mold in which it is found. In one exemplary embodiment, a first posable component 1A may be oriented to rest on apex 104* of an exemplary multi-crush pin 144 in an exemplary mold base 100 for a construct 30. A second posable component 1B may be oriented substantially orthogonal to the first posable component 1A so that it may have a cross-section located between pin arm 104b and pin 144 and spaced above shoulder region 104a*. In an aspect of this exemplary embodiment, one of pin arm 104b or pin 144 may have a contour for receiving the cross-section of second posable component 1B so that it may be suspended above shoulder region 104a*. In another additional aspect of this exemplary embodiment, the cross-section of second posable component 1B may rest directly on shoulder region 104a*. With respect to this additional aspect, by resting second posable component 1B on shoulder region 104a*, second posable component 1B may avoid any form of crushing operation in the cavity and when over-molded by injected material, such as plastic or rubber, the second posable component 1B may be only exposed on one hemisphere when viewed from the exterior surface of the final construct 30 and/or posable bendable toy 10 (assuming such a pin 104 is used) in which it may be found. In other words, a shared body 2S or an end body 32 in which an exemplary multi-crush pin 144 and posable component arrangement as depicted in FIG. 9F, may have only one opening through which the uncrushed surface of posable component 1B may be visible as opposed to two openings through which a crushed section 1* or an under surface 1u of posable component 1A, following crushing, may be visible.
According to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 9G-H, an exemplary second mold 200 for use in making a final construct 30 may have a complementary pin 244 with multiple contact surfaces 204* and 204a*. In an exemplary embodiment, pin 204 may be shaped so that contact surface 204* is larger than apex 104* and contact surface 204a* is larger than shoulder region 104a* but not so large as to contact apex 104*. As may be further shown with reference to FIG. 911, an exemplary contact surface 204a* as previously described may be shaped so that when an exemplary pin 244 impacts posable component 1B, the posable component 1B cross-section located on and/or above shoulder region 104a* may be crushed between pin arm 104b, pin shoulder 104a, and pin 144. In an exemplary embodiment, a crushed posable component 1B may have a deformation region consisting of an underside 1u and a deformation extension 1w. In a further exemplary embodiment, a crushed posable component 1A may have a deformation region 1c with one or more residual posable component surfaces 1r adjacent to the contact surface 204* and apex 104*. According to these embodiments, multiple lengths of posable component may be held within molds 100 and 200 for an exemplary construct 30 or posable bendable toy 10 and simultaneously over-molded with plastic following an injection process.
A particular advantage to having a gap between shoulder region 104a* and a cross-section of posable component (here posable component 1B) may be to allow additional plastic material to over mold the deformed portion of posable component 1B in construct 30. Further, while a pin 144 shown in FIGS. 9E-H may be utilized for the posable components of a construct 30, the same of similar pin 144 may be used to form a posable bendable toy 10 of the type described here. In other words, pins 144 and 244 shown in any other figures may be separately stamped, printed, or otherwise molded and be mechanically interchanged with pins 104 and 204 shown in any other figures (e.g., by being screwed in or otherwise snap-fit or held within the cavities 102/103/202/203 of the molds 100/200 in which they are used).
The exemplary posable bendable toys 10, combinations 20, and constructs 30 may be used with numerous add-ons and connections to increase use and enjoyment of systems made thereby. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 10A-J, two fragments 40A and 40B of a figure may each have connectors 44 opposite their finished surfaces 42 and separated from the connecting face 41 by a material thickness 43. Exemplary fragments 40A/B may be configured to use connectors 44 to attach onto or receive within themselves the surface(s) of an exemplary component 2 and/or 3, as may be illustrated by FIGS. 10A-B and FIGS. 10D-E and 10G. When fragments, such as the ones illustrated and depicted as 40A and 40B in FIGS. 10A-I, are interconnected via a component 2/3, they may combine to become a shell 45, as illustrated in FIGS. 10B and 10J. However, as illustrated in FIGS. 10F-G and 10J, a combination of fragments 40A/B may be combined with another shell 45B to form a combination of shells 46. Further alternatively, a shell 45C may also be snapped to a body component 3 or an end component 3 through a unique gapped snap arrangement that allows the component 2/3 to pass through the shell 45C and then be snapped thereto, as illustratively provided for in FIGS. 10H-I. As illustrated by shell 45B an exemplary connector 44 may allow for slipping the cross-section of components 2/3 there through, as an alternative to the snap-fit arrangements of fragments 40A/B and shell 45B. In an alternative embodiment, exemplary connectors 44 may allow for attachment to any exposed portion of posable component 1 and/or into any opening 4 or other contour found on surfaces of components 2/3 (e.g., screw threads, fins, spherical surfaces). It should be understood that an exemplary fragment 40A/40B or shell 45B/45C may be configured to friction fit onto any part of an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 using grooves, hooks, clasps, magnets, screw threads, and other mechanical attachments to substantially hide the posable bendable toy 10 from view and instead present a figure or other toy comprised of the shells 45.
Referring to FIG. 10K, a posable bendable toy 10 may be dimensioned and sized to hold a fabric body 50 via through-holes 52 formed by pieces of fabric in the body. An exemplary fabric body 50 may be cloth piece Lego Part Number 86297. Due to its possibility, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may use the gaps 8 between each of the internal faces 5 of body components 2 to retain the fabric holes 52 of an exemplary cloth part or fabric accessory 50 and provide structure to its otherwise flimsy and flowing texture. As such, the exemplary posable bendable toy 10 described may be used to form wings, tails, webs, and other intricate patterns using the fabric 50 via the interconnections between exposed wire portions 1 and openings 52 in the fabric 50.
According to the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 11A-F, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may be fabricated using additive manufacturing processes, such as, for example, 3D printing. In a first step illustrated by FIGS. 11A and 11D, an exemplary additive manufacturing process may form base layers 2q and 3q having receiving layers 2r and 3r, respectively, atop a work surface 1000. Unlike base layer 2q, a base layer 3q may have a barrier end 6q and a terminal receiving layer 6r. Exemplary base layers 2q and/or 3q may be manufactured using any additive manufacturing devices or methods known to those skilled in the art. Exemplary base layers 2q and/or 3q may also be made out of any material useable with such additive manufacturing devices. According to an exemplary embodiment, each of the base layers 2q and 3q of FIGS. 11A and 11D may be still molten and/or not fully cured so that additional material may continuously be added to the cupped features throughout the process until completed.
In a second step illustrated by FIGS. 11B and 11E, an exemplary posable component 1 may be placed into the receiving layers 2r of each base layer 2q while its terminal region is placed into the base layer 3q within receiving layer 3r. Such placement is contemplated while each feature of the base layers 2q/3q is still substantially able to be built upon through additive manufacturing. An exemplary posable component 1 may be pre-deformed to have a deformed portion 1d adjacent the terminus 1z. In an exemplary embodiment, the terminus 1z may be substantially flush or at a minimum will not exceed the boundary 6q and terminal receiving layer 6r.
In a third step illustrated by FIGS. 11C and 11F, an exemplary posable component 1 resting within the receiving layers 2r and 3r atop base layers 2q and 3q, respectively, may be enclosed within the base layers by corresponding completion layers 2s and/or 3s using the same or different 3D printed material. According to this exemplary embodiment, molten material will be layered on top of posable component 1 so that it may fill whatever surfaces that may exist on posable component 1 as a result of deformed portion 1d, bend 1b, twist 1t, pit 1p, or orifice 1o.
According to the illustrative embodiments and steps of FIGS. 11A-F, an exemplary posable component 1 may be placed in the base layers 2q/3q and between the receiving layers 2r, 3r, and 6r in a sufficient amount of time to achieve a completion layer 2s/3s that will be integral with the receiving layers and the base layers. In a preferred embodiment, the posable component 1 may be placed in the base layers 2q/3q and within receiving layers 2r/3r, respectively, in approximately 1-2 minutes leaving only one minute for the additive manufacturing of the completion layers 2s/3s to begin. Depending on the curing times of the filament used to create base layers 2q and 3q, those skilled in the art would understand to time the supply of posable component 1 to the 3D printing process so that it reduces the chance of full curing of the base layers 2q/3q and/or receiving layers 2r/3r.
With reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 12A-E, an exemplary mass production process for manufacturing an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 using additive manufacturing may be provided. According to the illustrations, each of FIGS. 12A-E may show how an additive manufacturing device having a nozzle 55 may create base layers 2q and 3q with their respective receiving layers 2r and 3r on work surface 1000 while a manipulator 55 may obtain an exemplary posable component 1 with pre-formed features (e.g., bend 1b or deformed portion 1d) from repository 500. Manipulator 55 may use magnetism, as illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 12E to grab a posable component 1 and await a point in the additive manufacturing process when nozzle 55 may be out of the way, such as may be illustrated in FIG. 12B. According to the process depicted in FIG. 12C, manipulator 56 may move an exemplary posable component 1 from the repository 500 to the work surface 1000 where it will place the posable component within the receiving layers 2r and 3r of the base layers 2q and 3q, respectively. Once complete, nozzle 55 may substantially immediately resume the additive manufacturing of the components while manipulator returns to the repository 500, as may be shown in FIG. 12D. As may be illustrated in FIG. 12E, an exemplary posable bendable toy 10 may be formed on the work surface 1000 following disposition of the completion layer 3s and 2s and simultaneous embedding of the posable component 1 therein.
It should be understood that the embodiments using the enumerated structures, features, and methods described are not limited to those expressly disclosed and/or illustrated, but encompass all varieties and variations. First, every feature in any figure may be used in place of the same or a similar feature in another figure or embodiment, unless otherwise expressly limited by function. Second, every physical feature in any figure may be used in conjunction with any other feature in any other figure such that all permutations achievable by such conjunctive use are hereby disclosed. Third, to the extent reference is made to a particular building block, figurine, toy, or other similar structure, it should be understood that all known building blocks, figurines, toys, and any other similar structures are equally applicable and may be substituted in place of any expressly disclosed building block, figurine, toy, or other similar structure used by or formed by the disclosed features herein, e.g., any fragments 40 and shells 45/46. Fourth, all sizes and dimensions of any embodiment are contemplated without restriction unless otherwise stated. Fifth, all embodiments may be used to modify any other embodiment to achieve a desired purpose, whether or not the desired purpose is expressly stated.
Many further variations and modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in art upon making reference to above disclosure and foregoing interrelated and interchangeable illustrative embodiments, which are given by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope and spirit of the interrelated embodiments of the invention described herein.
Patent Application
20230201736
