GB2184663A - A pop-up robot toy - Google Patents

Abstract

A pop-up toy robot comprises: a base plate 1 having an accommodating portion (5); a robotic humanoid member 20 foldably coupled to said accommodating portion (5) on said base plate 1; said robotic humanoid member including a leg portion 21 pivoted to the base plate and a body (25) portion pivoted to said leg portion; springs 22,28 for urging said robotic humanoid member to a stand-up position on said accommodating portion (5); retaining means (6,30,31, 41,42) for retaining said robotic humanoid member (20) on said accommodating portion (5) in the folded state with the leg portion folded down under the folded down body portion; and release means (6,33,41) for releasing the retainment of said robotic humanoid member (20) to allow it to pop-up to the standing position. The base plate may be provided with wristlet to facilitate wearing of toy like a watch. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A pop-up robot toy The present invention consists of a simplyconstructed toy robot accommodated on a base plate in a folded state which can be popped-up from the base plate to a standing portion bya one-touch operation.

The object ofthe present invention is to provide a toy robot which can be popped-up from the folded state to a stand-up state bya simple operation.

Preferably according to the invention a pop-up toy robot comprises: (a) robot legs which are rotatably coupled to a base plate, said robot legs being urged towards a stand-up direction at all times; (b) robot body constituting members which are foldably coupled to said robot legs, said robot body constituting members being urged towards an extended position at all times; and (c) an accommodating portion formed in said base plate to accommodate said robot body constituting members in the folded state so as to over cometheforce in the stand-updirection, and an engaging portion which releasably engages with said robot body constituting members that are accommodated in a folded state.

According to the present invention as described above, the toy robot is accommodated in a folded state in the accommodating portion ofthe base plate. In this case, the robot body constituting mem bersareheldbytheengaging portion inafolded state. Underthis condition, the base plate and the robot body constituting members form the shape of a block. Therefore, a strap may be attached to the base plate like a wrist watch so that it can be carried and played with atanytime. Next, iftheengaging portion is manipulated to release the engagement between the robot body constituting members and the base plate, the robot legs stand up since they are urged at all times towards the stand-up direction relative to the base plate.At the same time, other robot body constituting members undergo extension as they are disengaged, and therefore the robot popsup from the base plate. Thus a very interesting and surprising toy is the final result.

The invention will now be described in greaterdetail by way of example, with reference to the drawings in which: Figures 1(a) and 1(b) are diagrams illustrating the stand-up state and the accommodated state according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figures 2(a), 2(b) and 2hc) are diagrams illustrating the structure ofthe base plate; Figures 3(a), 3(brand 38c) are diagrams illustrating articulate portions; Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams illustrating the operation ofthe present invention;; Figures sura), 5(b) and 5(c) are diagrams illustrating ths structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figures 6(a), 6(b) and 6(c) are diagrams illustrating the structure according to a third embodiment ofthe present invention; and Figures Fits a diagram illustrating the structure according to a fourth embodiment ofthe present invention.

The toy robot which pops-up from the present invention will now be described in detail.

Figures 1 (a),1 (b),2(a),2(b),2(c),3(a),3(b),4(a) and 4(b) illustrate a toy robot which pops-u p according to a first embodiment of the present invention consisting of a base plate 1 and a toy robot 20 rotatably supported on the base plate 1.

As shown in Figures 2(a), 2(b), 2(c) to Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the base plate 1 has upwardly directed prot rusions 3,4 at the front and rear ends thereof, and is comprised of a main base plate body 1 having an accommodating portion 5 in the central portion thereof to accommodatethetoy robot 20, and an engaging portion 6 that is rotatably supported by the front protrusion 3.

The engaging portion 6 consists of a n engag ing groove 3a formed in the protrusion 3 of the base plate 1, and an engaging protrusion Sc formed atthe endofan engaging cover6bsupportedbya rotary shaft 6a that penetrates through said protrusion 3.

The engaging cover6b has a push piece 6d fordisengagement. An opening 7 is formed close to the central portion of the accommodating portion 5, and leg portions 21 of the toy robot 20 are rotatablysupported by a shaft 8 thatspans acrossthe opening 7, the leg portions 21 being resiliently urged at all times towards a stand-up direction by a coil spring 22 that encircles the shaft 8.

The toy robot 20 consists of leg portions 21 thigh portions 24 that are foldably and rotatably coupled to the leg portions 21 by a pin 23, a body portion 25 mounted on thethigh portions 24 as a unitary struc- ture, arm portions 26 rotatably supported bythe body portion 25, and a head portion 27. The pin 23 is fitted with a coil spring 28 at a coupling position between the leg portions 21 and the thigh portions 24to urge the portions above the thigh portions 24tow- ards an expanding direction. Arecess 21a isformed in the back surface ofthe leg portions 21,the recess 21 a having such a size as to accommodate thethigh portions 24 in a folded state.The leg portions 21 and the body portion 25 have a thickness which is nearly equal to the height of the protrusions 3,4.

To accommodate the thus constructed toy robot 20 which is standing as shown in Figure 4(a) in the accommodating portion 5, the leg portions 21 are collapsed forward with the pin 8 as a centerwhich overcomes the force of the coil spring 22 as shown in Figure 4(b), the portions over the thigh portions 24 are collapsed backward in a folded state which overcomes the force ofthe coil spring 28, the engaging cover sub ofthe engaging portion 6 is placed on the leg portions 21 and the thigh portions 24, and the engaging protrusion Sc formed at the end of the engaging cover 6b is brought into engagement with the engaging groove 3a formed in the protrusion 3.

To raise the toy robot 20 from the accommodated state shown in Figure 4(b),the push piece 6d fordisengagement which protrudes forwardly of the base plate 1 is lightly depressed downwards to release the engagement. Therefore, the leg portions 21 and thigh portions24are raised bythecoil springs 22 and 28, and are pushed up in an expanding direction.

Figures 5(a) and 5(b) illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention. The same portions as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals but are not described again. Thesecondembodimentis differentfromthe first embodiment in that an engaging piece 30 is protruded from the back surface of the body portion 25 ofthe robot, a hole 31 is formed in the base plate 1 in which will enter said engaging piece 30 when the toy robot is accommodated by being folded at its articulates, and an engaging portion 32 is pivotally supported bythe base plate 1 so as to move in the horizontal direction thereof, the engaging portion 32 extending from the outside of the base plate 1 into the hole 31. Reference numeral 35 denotes a covering member.The engaging portion 32 has a rod-like rotary piece 33 that is rotatably fastened to the base plate 1 bya pin 33a and that is urged bya spring 34 toward the engaging direction A at all times. When no external force is exerted, the rotary piece 33 is partly protruded into the hole 31 as shown by a solid line in Figure 5(b). When turned in the disengaging direction B against the force of the spring 34, the rotary piece 33 goes out ofthe hole 31 as shown by a dotted line.

When the back surface ofthe body portion 25 of the robot is brought down on the base plate t to accommodatethe toy robot 20, a hook 30a at the tip of the engaging piece 30 depresses the rotary piece 33 located in the hole 31 toward the disengaging direction B, and then surpasses the rotary piece 33 so as to be engaged therewith as indicated by a solid line in Figure 5(c). The lower half portion ofthe robot is then covered with the covering member35,sothatthetoy robot is completely accommodated. To raise the toy robotfrom theaccommodated state,the rotary piece 33 should simply be turned in the disengaging direction B. The rotary piece 33 located in the hole 31 then retreats therefrom; i.e.,the rotary piece 33 is disengaged from the engaging piece 30.Namely, the toy robot 20 is automatically raised by the resilient force of coil springs at articulate portions, and is expanded.

Figures 6(a), 6(b) and 6(c) illustrate a third embodi ment ofthe present invention. The same portions as those ofthe second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals but are not described again. What makes this embodiment different is the structure ofthe engaging portion.That is, the engaging portion 40 ofthis embodiment consists of a rotary piece 41 rotatably supported by one of the pro trusions 4 at the rear portion of the base plate 1,and an engageable portion (recess or protrusion) 42 that is formed in one ofthe shoulder portions ofthe body 25 ofthetoy robot 20. With the toy robot 20 being accommodated on the base plate 1, the rotary piece 41 is turned in the engaging direction A so that a hook43atthelowerend isinserted intheen- gageable portion 42, and is engaged therewith; i.e., the toy robot 20 is accommodated on the base plate i.To releasethe engagement, the rotary piece 41 should be turned in the disengaging direction B.

Figure 7 illustrates a fourth embodiment ofthe present invention, in which a rotary plate 50 is rotatably supported on the base plate 1, and a recess 21 a in the leg portion ofthe toy robot 20 is detachably fitted to a protrusion 50a on the rotary plate 50. The coupling structure between the rotary plate 50 and the base plate 1 is the same as the coupling structure (inclusive ofthe structure which employs springs) between the base plate and the leg portions 21 in the aforementioned embodiments. The retaining means in this embodiment are as shown in Figures 1 to 4 but the retaining means of Figure 5 or Figure 6 could alterna- tively be adopted.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, the articulate portions (coupling structure between the base plate and the leg portions in Figure 7) were coupled by using coil springs. However, it is also allowable to use a variety of urging means, such as leaf springs or the like, in addition to the coil springs.

Claims (4)

1. Apop-uptoyrobotcomprising: a base plate having an accommodating portion; a robotic humanoid memberfoldably coupledto said accommodating portion on said base plate; said robotic humanoid member including a leg portion and a body portion foldably coupled to said leg portion; urging means four urging said robotic humanoid member two a stand-up position on said accommodating portion; engaging means for retaining said robotic hum- anoid member on said accommodating portion in the folded state; and release means for releasing the retainment of said robotic humanoid membertoallowittopop-upto the standing position.

2. A pop-up toy robot according to claim 1,which comprises: (a) robot legs which are rotatably coupled to a base plate, said robot legs being urged towards a stand-up direction at all times; (b) robot body constituting members which are foldably coupled to said robot legs, said robot body constituting members being urged towards an extended position at all times; and (c) an accommodating portion formed in said base plate to accommodate said robot body constituting members in the folded state so as to overcome the force in the stand-up direction, and an engaging portion which releasably engages with said robot body constituting members that are accommodated in a folded state.

3. Apop-uptoyrobotaccordingtoclaim 1 or claim 2, wherein the base plate is attached to a wristlet.

4. A pop-up toy robot according to claim 1,sub- stantially as described herein with reference to the Figures 1 to 4 or Figure 5 or Figure 6 or Figure 7 ofthe drawings.