GB2155346A

GB2155346A - Reconfigurable toy and mechanism therefor

Info

Publication number: GB2155346A
Application number: GB08505817A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kouzin Ohno
Original assignee: Takara Co Ltd
Current assignee: Takara Co Ltd
Priority date: 1984-03-06
Filing date: 1985-03-06
Publication date: 1985-09-25
Also published as: JPH0324212Y2; FR2560781A1; FR2560781B1; JPS60144488U; DE8506256U1; GB8505817D0; GB2155346B; CA1243208A; IT8509354A0

Abstract

A mechanism forming part of a reconfigurable toy, comprises a first member (6) connected to another part (1) of the toy on a shaft (10) and movable axially of the shaft (10) relative to part (1), and a second member (7) pivotally connected to the first member (6) at a point (11a,b) spaced from the shaft (10) and being rotatable from a position in which it covers the first member (6) (dinosaur configuration - Figure 1) to a position in which the first member (6) is exposed (robot configuration, Figure 3). An assembly of a member 6, a member 7, a member 8 (pivoted to member 7) and a member 9 (pivoted to member 8) constitutes each side of the rear dinosaur body. Moving the two assemblies apart (members 6 slide axially along shafts 10) permits pivoting of members 7 and a tail 3 from their Figure 1 positions. Two dinosaur abdomen members 1b are pivotally mounted for opening outwardly to left and right. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Reconfigurable toy and mechanism therefor This invention relates to a reconfigurable toy and to a mechanism therefor, and more particularly to a toy which is configured in a dinosaurian form in a first position and a robotic humanoid form on a second position.

The invention provides a mechanism forming part of a reconfigurable toy, comprising at least two members, the first member being connected to another part of the toy on a shaft forming part of the other part and being movable axially of the shaft relative to said other part, and the second member being pivotally connected to the first member at a point spaced from the shaft and being rotatable from a position in which it covers the first member and conceals it from view, in which position it cooperates with further parts of the toy in a first configuration of the toy, to a position in which the first member is exposed, in which position the second member fulfils a different function in a second configuration of the toy.

The invention also provides a reconfigurable toy incorporating the mechanism, and especially a reconfigurable toy which is configured in a first position to provide a dinosaurian form and in a second position to simulate a robotic humanoid form, comprising a dinosaurian front body member which constitutes a robotic body member in the second position, including a dinosaurian head member, a robotic head member, a pair of dinosaurian front leg members, pivotally mounted to the body, which constitutes a pair of robotic arm members in the second position, and a pair of dinosaurian abdomen members, pivotally mounted to the body so as to open outwardly; a pair of first members, slidably mounted on shafts on each side of the lower end of the dinosaurian front body member so as to slide outwardly in the second position to constitute robotic thigh members;; a pair of second members, pivotally mounted to the lower end portions of the first members, covering the first members in the first position, which constitute a dinosaurian rear body member in the first position and robotic foot members in the second position; a pair of third members, pivotally mounted to the second members, which constitute dinosaurian rear thigh members in the first position and parts of the robotic foot members in the second position; a pair of fourth members, pivotally mounted to the third members, which constitute dinosaurian rear shank members in the first position and parts of the robotic foot members in the second position; and a dinosaurian tail member, pivotally mounted to the lower end portion of the dinosaurian front body member via link members, which constitutes a part of a robotic back member in the second position.

The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of one embodiment of a reconfigurable toy according to the invention; Figure 2 is an exploded view of one form of the mechanism according to the invention; Figure 3 is a side view of toy of Fig. 1 showing its reconfigurable state; and Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are explanatory views of the mechanism of Fig. 2.

As shown in Fig. 1, a reconfigurable toy has, in its dinosaurian form, a front body 1, and rear body 2, and a tail 3, the tail 3 being pivoted from the base 1a of the front body 1 through links 4 and 5.

The front body 1 is a toy body having a head, front legs, and a pair of right and left rib cage members 1b constituting a dinosaurian abdomen portion. The members ib are pivotally mounted to the back of the front body 1 so as to be openable outwardly to the right and left sides.

One side of the rear body 2 comprises a first member 6, a second member 7, a third member 8 and a fourth member 9.

The first member 6 is an elongate member and is journalled on a shaft 10 on the base 1a. The first member 6 is slidable axially on the shaft 10 and is held on the shaft 10 by a head 10a. The first member 6 may also be rotatable about shaft 10a. The second member 7 has a profile of the dinosaur shank, and is pivotally mounted on the first member 6 by a pivot 11a, 11 b. The third member has the profile of a dinosaur thigh and is pivoted on the second member at a pivot 12a, 12b. The fourth member 9 has the profile of a dinosaur foot and is pivoted on the third member at a pivot 13a.

When the toy is in the form shown in Fig. 1, i.e., in the dinosaur form, the first member 6 lies behind the second member 7 and is not externally exposed.

The other side of the rear body 2 is similarly constituted.

The second member 7 has a recessed edge portion 16, which when the first member 6 is in its innermost position on shaft 10, receives the head 10a of the shaft so that member 7 is prevented from rotation about pivot 11a, lib. When the first member 6 is moved to is outermost position on shaft 10 the edge 16a of recess 16 can pass over the head 10a thereby allowing second member 7 to be rotated about pivot 11 a, 11 b.

The tail 3 journalled to the base la of the front body 1 through the links 4 and 5 and passes between the two rear bodies halves on the right and left sides.

When the toy A is to be reconfigured from the dinosaur form shown in Fig. 1 to the robot form shown in Fig. 3, firstly, the rib cage members ib are pivoted outwardly and then the rear body halves comprising first members 6 and second members 7, etc., are slid outwardly along shafts 10, firstly to allow the tail to be released and secondly to allow the second members 7 to be rotated by 1800 around pivot 11a, 11b, relative to members 6 as indicated by arrow B in Fig. 3.

The fourth member 9 is rotated about pivot 13a as indicated by an arrow 6, and is partly introduced into the third member 8. Further, the tail 3 is moved to the rear of the front body 1 by turning the links 4 and 5. Then, the whole model is turned through 90 so that it stands on the second members 7. In this position a face 14 of the robot is presented and the dinosaur's front legs 15 become the arms of the robot, the base 1a of the front body 1 becomes the waist, the first member 6 becomes the thigh of the robot, the second member 7 becomes the foot of the robot, the third member 8 becomes part of the foot, the tail 3 becomes part of the back of the robot, and the entirety is altered to a robotic form.

The third member 8 itself need not be rotated but it normally will be rotated. When the third member is rotated it is not necessary to rotate the fourth member relative to the third member. Thus, several different forms of robotic foot and appendages can be produced.

Figs. 4(a) and 4(b) show the method of locking and unlocking the first member 6 relative to the second member 7 by engaging the recess 16 with the shaft 10 on which the first member 6 is mounted. Figs 4(a) and 4(b) show the first member 6 in its outermost position on shaft 10. In this position edge 16a of recess 16 on second member 7 can pass over the head 10a of the shaft 10 on rotation of second member 7 in the direction of arrow B to form the robotic form of the toy (as shown in Fig. 4(a)). On rotation of the second member 7 in the direction of arrow D from the dotted line position shown in Fig 4(b) to the full line position, the portion 7a rides up over chamfer 10b to ease movement of second member 7. The chamfer 10b may be formed around the entire periphery of the part of first member 6 surrounding head 10a.

Claims

1. A mechanism forming part of a reconfigurable toy, comprising at least two members, the first member being connected to another part of the toy on a shaft forming part of the other part and being movable axially of the shaft relative to said other part, and the second member being pivotally connected to the first member at a point spaced from the shaft and being rotatable from a position in which it covers the first member and conceals it from view, in which position it cooperates with further parts of the toy in a first configuration of the toy, to a position in which the first member is exposed, in which position the second member fulfils a different function in a second configuration of the toy.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said second member has a recessed portion and in one position of the first member on the shaft, the shaft or a head thereon engages in said recess to prevent rotation of the second member and in a second position of the first member on the shaft, the shaft or head thereon is disengaged from said recess to allow rotation of the second member.

3. A mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said first member has a chamfered portion to ease movement of the second member over the shaft or the head thereon on rotation of said second member.

4. A reconfigurable toy including a mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A reconfigurable toy according to claim 3, wherein a third member is pivotally mounted on the second member at a point spaced from the point of connection of the first and second members and is rotatable from a position in which it fulfils one function in the first configuration of the toy to a position in which it fulfils another function in the second configuration of the toy.

6. A reconfigurable toy according to claim 5, wherein a fourth member is pivotally mounted on said third member.

7. A reconfigurable toy including two mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3 mounted symmetrically one on either side of said other part of the toy.

8. A reconfigurable toy according to any one of claims 4 to 7, which is reconfigurable from a dinosaurian form to a robotic form wherein said first members constitute thigh members in the robotic configuration and the second member represent flank members in the dinosaurian configuration and foot members in the robotic configuration.

9. A reconfigurable toy according to claim 8, wherein third members constituting thigh members in the dinosaurian configuration and foot appendages in the robotic configuration are pivotally mounted on the second members.

10. A reconfigurable toy according to claim 9, wherein fourth members constituting shank and feet members in the dinosaurian configuration and further parts of the foot appendages in the robotic configuration are pivotally attached to the third members.

11. A reconfigurable toy according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein said other portion of the toy comprises a dinosaurian front body portion including pivotally mounted members constituting front legs in the dinosaurian configuration and arm members in the robotic configuration and a dinosaurian head member having on its under side a robotic head member which is concealed in the dinosaurian configuration and exposed in the robotic configuration.

12. A reconfigurable toy according to claim 11, including a lower jaw member pivotally mounted to the dinosaurian head such that it can be pivoted to expose the robotic head and form a chest plate member in the robotic configuration.

13. A reconfigurable toy according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the front body portion includes rib cage portions in the dinosaurian configuration which in the robotic configuration are pivoted outwardly on each side of the front body portion to allow rotation of the second members.

14. A reconfigurable toy according to any one of claims 8 to 13 also including a dinosaurian tail member pivotally mounted on said other portion of the toy through a linking mechanism.

15. A reconfigurable toy according to claim 14, wherein the linking mechanism extends between two second members one on each side of the toy and said second and first members can be slid outwardly on the shaft to allow the linking mechanism to be released through the resulting space between the second members, comprising

16.A reconfigurable toy which is configured in a first position to provide a dinosaurian form and in a second position to simulate a robotic humanoid form, comprising a dinosaurian front body member which constitutes a pair of robotic arm members in the second position, and a pair of dinosaurian abdomen members, pivotally mounted to the body so as to open outwardly; a pair of first members, slidably mounted on shafts on each side of the lower end of the dinosaurian front body member so as to slide outwardly in the second position to constitute robotic thigh members; a pair of second members, pivotally mounted to the lower end portions of the first members, covering the first members in the first position, which constitute a dinosaurian rear body member in the first position and robotic foot members in the second position; ; a pair of third members, pivotally mounted to the second members, which constitute dinosaurian rear thigh members in the first position and parts of the robotic foot members in the second position; a pair of fourth members, pivotally mounted to the third members, which constitute dinosaurian rear shank members in the first position and parts of the robotic foot members in the second position; and a dinosaurian tail member, pivotally mounted to the lower end portion portion of the dinosaurian front body member in the second position.

17. A mechanism forming part of a reconfigurable toy substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

18. A reconfigurable toy substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.