JP3586305B2 - Stuffed toys - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to a stuffed toy having a form imitating a pet animal such as a kitten, and having a built-in drive unit for operating its limbs and the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As an example of such a stuffed toy, the one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 6-19797 is known. This is a light that senses a change in natural light on the head of the stuffed toy body in order to realize an operation imitating a pet animal such as a kitten without impairing the appearance (prettyness, etc.) of the stuffed toy for pets. When a sensor is installed and the user touches the brush of the accessory to the stuffed nose or holds his hand over it, the optical sensor detects a change in the amount of light and controls the internal according to the detection signal. The unit performs a switch operation to operate the drive unit and the audio output unit. As a result, the stuffed limb is moved and the animal squeals. Furthermore, the drive unit having a mechanical configuration disposed inside the stuffed body is wrapped with an elastic body, and the size of the power supply unit is reduced as much as possible by separating the drive unit and the power supply unit, thereby providing a stuffed toy with a good feel. .
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-mentioned stuffed toy, instead of the switch directly turned on and off by the user, a predetermined operation is performed by a change in light, but the operation is caused by the generation of a call and the limbs equivalent to the forelimbs of the quadruped animal. Limited to the driving of the unit. In other words, this toy is not a simple switch operation, but operates according to the user's intention like an actual pet animal. Only the forefoot part extending forward among the four feet is driven.
[0004]
Therefore, it is conceivable to drive not only the forefoot but also the hindfoot in order to make the movement of the toy more like an actual animal, for example, to realize the movement of a kitten moving his feet while lying on his back. It is necessary to provide a mechanism for driving the rear foot near the rear foot. In this case, in addition to the drive mechanism for the front foot, a space for accommodating the drive mechanism for the rear foot in the stuffed body must be secured. However, in the stuffed toy as described above, in addition to the drive unit, a circuit for outputting sound and a speaker, and furthermore, a battery box serving as a power source for them are also housed, so that the drive mechanism of the rear foot unit is also provided. If it is to be stored, the arrangement of the existing components must be changed, but depending on the arrangement, the battery box etc. may protrude a part of the flexible stuffed body, and the stuffed animal has the appearance (cuteness) Etc.).
[0005]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a quadruped stuffed toy as described above, in which not only the forepaws are driven but also the four feet are simultaneously operated, so that an action or attitude as if the kitten is playing is performed. Provided is a stuffed toy which has a simple structure for that purpose, does not cause an existing battery box or the like to protrude a part of the stuffed body, and has both cuteness of appearance and operation and simplicity of an internal structure. It is.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The stuffed toy of the present invention is made in the form of a quadruped, and has a stuffed body having four projections corresponding to the four feet, and a stuffed toy extending from the interior of the stuffed body to the interior of the four projections. It comprises four driving shaft disposed movably in, and a drive unit for simultaneously rotating the drive shaft provided inside the stuffed animal body.
[0007]
The drive unit, a motor of a drive source, a first drive mechanism for rotating two drive shafts extending into the two protrusions corresponding to the hind legs or front legs of the animal by the rotation output of the motor, A second drive mechanism for driving two drive shafts extending into two protruding portions corresponding to the forefoot or hindfoot of the animal, and a rotational force taken out from the first drive mechanism to the second drive mechanism And a transmission shaft for transmission.
[0008]
In an embodiment of the present invention , a gap for accommodating a power supply box for supplying power to a motor is provided between the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism inside the stuffed body, and the gap portion is provided with the power supply box. It is formed in a bag shape having an entrance which can be put in and taken out from the outside of the stuffed body.
[0009]
In yet another embodiment, the power supply box comprises a case for housing a battery, the case including a contact for contacting the pole of the housed battery, and a power switch for turning on and off power supply from the battery to the drive source. And an electrical insulator can be inserted between the contact and the pole of the battery from the entrance / exit.
[0010]
[Action and effect]
In the present invention, when the drive unit provided inside the stuffed body rotates the drive shaft, four projections corresponding to the four feet protruding from the stuffed body are rotated. In particular, when the stuffed toy is turned on its back, the four projections are freely rotated while extending upward, so that the kitten can move on its back and move its feet. In addition, the power is less than when four legs are driven for walking, and the driving unit is configured simply, so that there is no large space inside the stuffed animal for the driving unit, and the battery box and other components It does not hinder the arrangement of the members.
[0011]
According to the present invention, the first drive mechanism rotates the two drive shafts by the rotation output of the motor of the drive source to move the two protrusions corresponding to the hind paws or the front paws of the animal, and simultaneously performs the first drive The second drive mechanism rotates the other two drive shafts by the rotational force transmitted from the mechanism via the transmission shaft, and moves the two protrusions corresponding to the animal's forefoot or hindfoot. Thus, the above-described four-legged operation can be realized, and the manufacturing and assembly can be facilitated by making the first and second driving mechanisms have the same configuration.
[0012]
According to the embodiment of the present invention , the power supply box is housed between the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism, so that the shape of the stuffed body is not changed, the appearance of the stuffed toy is maintained, and the stuffed toy is maintained. The power supply box can be inserted and removed from the entrance of the bag inside the main body, and replacement of the battery or the like becomes easy.
[0013]
According to yet another embodiment, if an electrical insulator is inserted between the contact of the power supply box and the pole of the battery from the entrance of the bag, power supply to the motor can be performed even when the power switch is turned on. No power can be saved when carrying or decorating a stuffed toy, etc. Is started and the stuffed toy operates, increasing the advertising effect.
[0014]
【Example】
FIG. 1 is an external view showing a part of a stuffed toy 1 made in the form of a kitten as one embodiment of the present invention. The stuffed toy 1 has a built-in elastic body (so-called cushion material, not shown) for giving a soft feeling to the stuffed body 2, and accommodates a driving unit described later therein.
[0015]
The stuffed body 2 includes a head 3, two forefoot portions 4L and 4R, two hindfoot portions 5L and 5R, and a tail portion 6 as protrusions. In this embodiment, the forefoot parts 4L, 4R and the hindfoot parts 5L, 5R are rotatable around the joint with the main body 2 in order to realize an operation in which the kitten turns four feet while lying on his back. It is. In addition, you may make it turn the tail part 6 other than a foot part.
[0016]
A nose 7 is provided on the front of the head 3, and a member forming the nose 7 is a portion 8 (see FIG. 5 to 7), and the portion 8 is attached to the stuffed body 2 by stopping the portion 8 from behind. Further, an optical sensor is arranged inside the nose 7. The details will be described later.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 2, a power supply box 10 for accommodating a dry battery 9 as a power supply, and first and second drive mechanisms (described later) to which a required voltage is supplied from the power supply are provided inside the stuffed body 2. And four drive shafts 12L, 12R rotatable extending from the drive unit 11 including the drive unit 11 and the two drive mechanisms of the drive unit 11 into the front feet 4L, 4R and the rear feet 5L, 5R of the stuffed body 2. , 13L, 13R, an audio output unit 14 (FIG. 1) located at the chest of the stuffed body 2, and a control circuit unit 15 (in FIG. 2, a circuit such as an IC) for controlling the operation of the drive unit 11 and the audio output unit 14. (Only the circuit board on which the elements are arranged is shown) is disposed so as to be surrounded by an elastic body made of polyester fibers filled in the stuffed body 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the portion of the stuffed body 2 in which the power supply box 10 is stored is formed in a bag shape having an entrance 16 through which the power supply box 10 can be inserted and removed from the outside. The entrance 16 is closed by a fastener provided at the entrance 16 unless the user pushes and opens it with a finger or the like.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 3, the four drive shafts 12L, 12R and 13L, 13R are formed of bar members 17 having a cross-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. Cylindrical caps 18 are mounted at the ends of the shafts, which are located inside 4L, 4R and 5L, 5R.
[0019]
The drive section 11 has a case 20 extending from the head 3 side to the tail section 6 inside the stuffed body 2, and has cylindrical projections 21 L and 21 R protruding left and right on the tail section 6 side, respectively. Each shaft is rotatably supported through two drive shafts 13L and 13R for moving the rear foot portions 5L and 5R, and a first drive mechanism 11a for rotating these drive shafts 13L and 13R is housed. The first drive mechanism 11a includes a large pulley 25 to which rotation of a small pulley fixed to a rotation output shaft of a motor 22 is transmitted via a belt 24, a pinion 26 rotating coaxially with the large pulley 25, and a pinion 26 A large gear 27 that rotates integrally with the crown gear, a small gear 28 that rotates coaxially with the large gear, a large gear 29 that meshes with the small gear, and a drive shaft 13L of the left rear foot portion that meshes with the large gear 29. , A large gear 31 meshing with the large gear 27 integral with the crown gear, a small gear 32 rotating coaxially with the large gear, a large gear 33 meshing with the small gear, and A right rear foot drive pinion 34 is provided on the right rear foot drive shaft 13R so as to mesh with the large gear 33.
[0020]
Further, the drive unit 11 passes through two drive shafts 12L and 12R for moving the forefoot parts 4L and 4R, respectively, to cylindrical protrusions 41L and 41R protruding on the left and right sides of the head 3 side of the case 20. A second drive mechanism 11b that rotatably supports the shaft and rotates these drive shafts 12L and 12R is housed. The second driving mechanism 11b is transmitted with a rotational force by a transmission shaft 42 extending from the first driving mechanism 11a to near the forefoot. The transmission shaft 42 is a rotation shaft that is rotatably supported in the case 20 by fixing the large pulley 25 of the first drive mechanism 11a to one end thereof, and has a pinion 43 fixed to the other end. The second drive mechanism 11b includes a large gear 44 that rotates integrally with a crown gear that meshes with the pinion 43, a small gear 45 that rotates coaxially with the large gear, a large gear 46 that meshes with the small gear, and meshes with the large gear 46. The left forefoot drive pinion 47 provided on the drive shaft 12L of the left forefoot portion, the large gear 48 meshing with the large gear 44 integrated with the crown gear, the small gear 49 rotating coaxially with the large gear, and the small gear meshing the large gear 50 and, by the right foreleg drive pinion 51 provided on the drive shaft 12R of the right front leg portion to mesh with the large gear 50, it is configured.
[0021]
The lower end of each drive shaft 12L, 12R, 13L, 13R is formed as a thin shaft, and is pushed into the center hole of each pinion 47, 51, 30, 34. For this reason, the direction of each bent tip can be changed by rotating each drive shaft 12L, 12R, 13L, 13R with respect to each pinion 47, 51, 30, 34. Thereby, the rotation direction of each foot can be set arbitrarily.
[0022]
In the stuffed toy 1, the audio output unit 14, the control circuit unit 15, and the power supply box 10 are housed between the first drive mechanism 11a and the second drive mechanism 11b. That is, the driving unit is divided into the first driving mechanism 11a and the second driving mechanism 11b, and the two are connected so that the torque is transmitted by the transmission shaft 42, so that the audio output unit 14, the control circuit unit 15 In addition, a space for accommodating the power supply box 10 and the like is secured so that the appearance of the stuffed toy is not impaired by the accommodation. Further, since the first drive mechanism 11a and the second drive mechanism 11b have substantially the same configuration as described above, the same mechanism is used for any of the two drive mechanisms provided for driving the front and rear feet. Can be used, and assembly of the drive unit, addition of the mechanism, and other modifications can be easily and at low cost. Further, the second drive mechanism may be driven by the rotation output of the motor, and the first drive mechanism may be driven from the second drive mechanism via the transmission shaft.
[0023]
The power supply box 10 is composed of a case for accommodating the batteries 9 (in this case, two batteries). As described above, this case has an entrance provided at the side of the body of the stuffed body 2 for replacement of the batteries 9 or the like. You can enter and exit from 16.
[0024]
Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the power supply box 10 has a contact plate 10 a with which the poles of two stored batteries 9 (one is a positive pole and the other one is a negative pole), and A power switch 10b (FIG. 2) for turning on / off the power supply to the motor 22, the control circuit unit 15, and the like; a contact plate 10a from the entrance 16 of the stuffed body 2 and one pole of the battery 9 (+ pole in this case). And a slit 10c for inserting the distal end portion 60a of the elongated plate-shaped electrical insulator 60 therebetween.
[0025]
Therefore, if the tip 60a of the insulator 60 is inserted between the contact plate 10a and the pole of the battery 9 from the entrance 16 through the slit 10c of the power supply box 10, the motor 22 is turned on even if the power switch 10b is turned on. Since power is not supplied to the stuffed toy 1 and the like, the consumption of the battery 9 can be suppressed when the stuffed toy 1 is carried or displayed, and the stuffed toy 1 is decorated at a store such as a toy store. , The power supply to the motor 22 and the like is started, and the stuffed toy 1 can operate as described later, thereby increasing the advertising effect.
[0026]
The control circuit unit 15 is connected to the power supply box 10 for power supply, and is electrically connected to the motor 22, the audio output unit 14, and the optical sensor 71 via lead wires, respectively.
[0027]
The audio output unit 14 is formed of a sounding body such as a speaker or a piezoelectric buzzer, and is disposed on the case 20 of the driving unit 11. The control circuit section 15 includes a voice synthesis or voice generation circuit that outputs an electric signal for generating a voice simulating a cry of a kitten or the like from the sounding body.
[0028]
In the case of this embodiment, the nose 7 is made of a resin molded member colored relatively brightly. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, this member has a rear protruding portion 8 which is inserted into a hole 3a provided in the face portion of the head portion 3 of the stuffed body 2, and the protruding portion 8 has a head portion. 3 is attached to the head 3 by a stepped washer 70 fitted from behind the face portion. In order to prevent the protrusion 8 from easily coming off after the attachment, a check step 8a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion 8.
[0029]
The rear protruding portion 8 of the nose 7 has a cavity opened on the back side as shown in FIG. 7, and the optical sensor 71 is inserted into the cavity. The optical sensor 71 mounted in the rear protruding portion 8 of the nose 7 detects the amount of light entering through the fabric of the face from the front side of the stuffed body 2 and the detection output changes according to the change in the amount of light. Things. The control circuit unit 15 responds to the change of the detection signal from the optical sensor 71 by outputting an electric signal for driving the motor 22 and the audio output unit 14 of the driving unit for a certain period of time (the length thereof is arbitrarily set in advance Output). Therefore, when the user holds his hand near the nose 7, the optical sensor 71 detects a change in the amount of light, the motor 22 starts, and the animal output sounds from the sound output unit 14.
[0030]
The stuffed toy 1 of FIG. 1 operates as follows with the above configuration.
[0031]
First, when the user holds his hand near the nose 7 of the stuffed toy 1 or touches a brush or the like on the nose 7 like the above-mentioned known stuffed toy, the optical sensor 71 inside the nose 7 detects the amount of light. The decrease is detected, and the detection signal is sent to the control circuit unit 15. In response, the control circuit unit 15 outputs a signal for driving the motor 22 and the audio output unit 14. For this reason, in the first drive mechanism 11a, the rotational force of the output shaft of the motor 22 is transmitted to the large pulley 25 via the belt 24, and the large gear 27 is transmitted from the pinion 26 coaxial with the large pulley 25 via the crown gear. It rotates, and the large gear 29 rotates via the small gear 28 which is coaxial therewith. Thus, the drive shaft 13L is rotationally driven via the left rear foot drive pinion 30, and rotates the left rear foot 5L. On the other hand, the large gear 33 rotates from the large gear 27 via the large gear 31 and the small gear 32 coaxial with the large gear 31. As a result, the drive shaft 13R is rotationally driven via the right rear foot drive pinion 34 to rotate the right rear foot 5R.
[0032]
Further, the rotation of the large pulley 25 of the first drive mechanism 11a is transmitted by the transmission shaft 42 to the large gear 44 of the second drive mechanism 11b, and the large gear 46 rotates via the small gear 45 coaxial with the large pulley 25. Thereby, the drive shaft 12L is rotationally driven via the left forefoot drive pinion 47, and rotates the left forefoot part 4L. On the other hand, the large gear 50 is rotated from the large gear 44 via the large gear 48 and the small gear 49 coaxial with the large gear 48. Thus, the drive shaft 12R is rotationally driven via the right forefoot drive pinion 51, and rotates the right forefoot part 4R.
[0033]
Thus, the stuffed toy 1 simultaneously rotates the four feet 4L, 4R and 5L, 5R, and performs an action such that the kitten is played. This operation continues while the control circuit unit 15 outputs a signal for driving the motor 22 (a preset time), and when the time has elapsed, stops with a squeal.
[0034]
In particular, as shown in FIG. 1, if the above operation is performed with the stuffed toy 1 turned on its back, the four feet freely rotate while extending upward, so that the kitten turns on its back and lifts its feet. It becomes a motion that moves. In such a configuration to operate on the back, for example, compared to a case where the four feet are moved on the floor or the like as in a walking motion, there is no load on the four feet, and although all four feet are driven, The drive unit can be simply configured. Therefore, a large space is not taken inside the stuffed animal for the driving mechanism, and the arrangement of the battery box and other components is not hindered.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external view showing a part of a stuffed toy according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of the stuffed toy of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a view showing a shape of a drive shaft in the embodiment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a unit for stopping power supply from a power supply box of the toy.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a mounting structure of a nose of the stuffed toy of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view showing a state in which a nose is attached to the front of the head of the stuffed toy.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration in which an optical sensor is inserted into a member forming a nose.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Stuffed toy, 2 ... Stuffed body, 3 ... Head, 4L, 4R ... Forefoot, 5L, 5R ... Hindfoot, 6 ... Tail, 7 ... Nose, 8 ... Rear protruding part, 9 ... Battery, 10 ... Power supply box, 11a: first drive mechanism, 11b: second drive mechanism, 12L, 12R, 13L, 13R: drive shaft, 14: audio output unit, 15: control circuit unit, 16: doorway, 17: cross section member , 18 cap, 20 drive case, 21L, 21R, 41L, 41R protrusion, 22 motor, 24 belt, 25 pulley, 26, 43 pinion, 42 transmission shaft, 60 electrical Insulator, 70: stepped washer, 71: optical sensor.

Claims (3)

A stuffed body made in the form of a quadruped and having four projections corresponding to the four feet, and four slidable bodies extending from the interior of the stuffed body to the interiors of the four projections, each being rotatably installed. A drive shaft provided with a drive unit provided inside the stuffed toy body and configured to simultaneously rotate the drive shaft ,
The drive unit, a motor of a drive source, a first drive mechanism for rotating two drive shafts extending into the two protrusions corresponding to the hind legs or fore legs of the animal by the rotation output of the motor, A second drive mechanism for driving two drive shafts extending into two protruding portions corresponding to the forefoot or hindpaw of the animal; and a second drive mechanism for taking out rotational force from the first drive mechanism. A stuffed toy characterized by comprising a transmission shaft for transmitting . The stuffed toy according to claim 1, wherein a gap for accommodating a power supply box for supplying power to the motor is provided between the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism inside the stuffed body, and the gap portion is provided. A stuffed toy characterized in that the stuffed toy is formed in a bag shape having an entrance through which the power supply box can be put in and taken out of the stuffed body . 3. The stuffed toy according to claim 2, wherein the power supply box comprises a case for storing a battery, and the case turns on / off a power supply from the battery to the drive source, the contact being in contact with a pole of the stored battery. A stuffed toy, characterized in that the stuffed toy has a power switch that can be inserted between the entrance and the outlet and between the contact and the pole of the battery .

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