JP2002126375A - Toy changing color by electroheating - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toy for little children which changes its color by electroheating which has improvements in magic characteristic and property as a toy and is safe. SOLUTION: The toy 1 which changes its color by electroheating comprises, as a control switch mechanism for an electroheating element 2, an operation member 6 with a magnet which turns a lead switch 5 provided in the main body on and off by a magnetic force. The operation member 6 is a separate body from the main body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrically heated and discolored toy. In detail, as a control switch mechanism of the energized heating element, a reed switch and an O
The present invention relates to a current-carrying discoloration toy comprising an operating member with a magnet for N-OFF operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electric heating element is disposed at the back of a thermochromic layer, and the heat generation temperature of the electric heating element is controlled by directly operating an ON-OFF switch mechanism to change the color of the thermochromic layer. Several proposals regarding toys have been disclosed (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 137093/1987,
2011178).

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, without directly touching the above-mentioned switch mechanism, electric current is controlled by an external magnetic force to cause thermal discoloration, and magic, toy,
An object of the present invention is to provide a current-carrying discolored toy suitable as an infant toy that remarkably enhances its merchantability and satisfies safety without danger of overheating.

[0004]

The present invention will be described with reference to the drawings (see FIGS. 1 to 3). According to the present invention, the thermochromic layer 4 is provided on the surface of the electric heating element 2 itself or on the surface of the base material 3 which is in contact with or close to the electric heating element 2, and the thermochromic layer 4 is energized by energizing the heat generating element 2. An electric heating and discoloring toy 1 for discoloring the layer 4, comprising a reed switch 5 and an operating member 6 with a magnet for turning on and off the reed switch 5 by magnetic force as a control switch mechanism of the energized heating element 2. The requirement is an electrically heated and discolored toy 1 characterized by the following. Further, the heating element 2 is connected to a power supply battery 7 via a reed switch 5, the three members are accommodated in a protective member 8, and the reed switch 5 is turned on.
The operation member with magnet 6 to be turned off is configured separately from the protection member 8 and is configured separately. The reed switch 5 is attached to an inclined surface or a vertical surface of the inner surface of the protection member 8. The attached operating member 6 is a toy-shaped object, and the energized heating element 2 has at least 25
A temperature coefficient of electric resistance having a positive value in the range of ° C to 65 ° C, and a heating element having a heat generation saturation temperature which is self-controlled to an arbitrary temperature within a temperature range of 25 ° C to 65 ° C. The current-carrying heating element 2 is made of a BaTiO ₃ -based sintered body, and the heat transfer substrate 31 is closely attached to the sintered body, and the thermochromic layer 4 has an electron-donating coloration. And a thermochromic material composed of an organic compound, an electron-accepting compound, and an organic compound medium that reversibly causes a color reaction between the two.

The energizing heating element 2 described above may be a system using an energizing and exothermic metal material such as tungsten, nickel, titanium or the like, but a positive characteristic resistance heating element having a self-temperature control function is used. It is suitable for this type of toy.
Above all, at least within the range of 25 ° C to 65 ° C
The temperature coefficient of electric resistance shows a positive value and the heat generation saturation temperature is 2
A resistance heating element that is self-temperature-controlled to an arbitrary temperature within a temperature range of 5 ° C to 65 ° C is effective. In the resistance heating element, a large current flows immediately after energization, self-heats, and the temperature rises rapidly, the resistance value increases rapidly, the temperature rises slowly, and the temperature rises at a temperature where the calorific value and the heat radiation amount match. Stable self-temperature control.

As a specific example of the resistance heating element, BaTi
O ₃ -based sintered material (semiconductor doped with a rare earth element and further substituted with an element such as Sr if desired), Si
A single crystal type or an organic plastic type (a low-melting crystalline plastic blended with a conductive fine powder such as graphite) and the like can be mentioned, and a low temperature range (25 to 60).
° C), the BaTiO ₃ -based sintered body is suitably applied from the viewpoints of the adjustment of the heat generation saturation temperature, the temperature rise characteristics, and the like.
To 20 cm ² (area of one), and a thickness 0.05
cm (preferably 0.5 cm or less) satisfies practicality for toys. A system with a smaller area has less discoloration effect and is unsuitable as a toy element, while a system with a large area and a large volume is preferable in terms of heat generation in a short time by applying a low voltage, heat generation efficiency, heat uniformity, and the like. Absent.

The electric heating element 2 has a disk shape, a band shape,
A honeycomb shape or any other appropriate shape depending on the purpose is adopted. It is effective to provide electrodes on the heating element 2 in terms of the current-carrying assembly structure. A heat transfer base material 3 formed by plating the opposite surface with aluminum spraying or nickel or the like, or closely arranged to the electric heating element 2
The electrode is connected to a lead wire and is set so as to be able to conduct electricity to a power source battery 7 via a reed switch 5 (see FIG. 3). If the load is large,
An amplifier circuit can be provided as appropriate.

The reed switch 5 is provided with a pair of contact pieces made of a magnetic material having a small residual magnet so as to overlap each other with a slight gap between the ends, sealed in a glass tube, and placed from both ends of the glass tube. A conventionally known electric switch having a form in which a conductor is drawn out is applied.

An energizing heating element composed of the energizing heating element 2, the reed switch 5 and the power supply battery 7 is set inside the protective member 8. The base material 3 on which the thermochromic layer 4 is formed is placed in close or close proximity to the energizing heating element 2, and is heated to a predetermined temperature to perform thermochromic. The base material 3 is paper, synthetic paper,
Examples thereof include a plastic sheet, a fabric, a plastic molded product, and a metal material, and may be a part of a toy element. Also, a heat transfer base material 31 such as an aluminum flake having a larger area than the contact surface with the current-carrying heating element 2 is arranged in close contact with the current-carrying heating element 2 so as to propagate heat over a wide range. The visual effect can be enhanced by setting the thermochromic layer 4 to be formed to a size within the range that the propagation temperature reaches. The protective member 8 may have a space for accommodating the energized heating element therein, and may include a doll's head, a torso, a hollow toy such as a riding toy, and other various toys having a toy-like hollow. Shaped objects, figurines made of cloth such as clothes of dolls, and other cover-like elements that hinder external vision can be given. In the system in which the reed switch 5 is mounted in the hollow three-dimensional protection member 8, by mounting the reed switch 5 on the inclined surface or the vertical surface of the inner wall, the proximity operation of the distal end portion of the operation member 6 with magnet can be easily performed, and The operation member 6 cannot be placed or locked on the inclined surface or the vertical surface, and an inadvertent magnetic force acts to keep the switch ON state, which is safe.

The thermochromic layer 4 is made of a conventionally known reversible thermochromic material, for example, cholesteric liquid crystal, (a) an electron-donating color-forming organic compound, (b) an electron-accepting compound, and (c) It is effective to use a form in which a known reversible thermochromic composition is encapsulated in microcapsules, which is composed of a homogeneous solution of a reaction medium that determines the temperature at which both color reactions occur.
Specifically, Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 51-4747 proposed by the present applicant has
No. 06, JP-B-51-44708, JP-B-1-29398 and the like can be used.
The color changes before and after a predetermined temperature (discoloration point) as a boundary, and only one specific state can exist in a normal temperature range between the two states before and after the change. That is, the other state is maintained while the heat or cold required for the state to develop is applied, but returns to the state exhibited in the normal temperature range if the application of the heat or cold disappears, so-called, Temperature due to temperature change
It has a thermal discoloration characteristic of a type in which the color density changes with a small hysteresis width (ΔH).

Also, Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-171 proposed by the present applicant.
No. 54, JP-A-7-179777, JP-A-7-179777
No. 33997 describes a large hysteresis characteristic and discolors. That is, the shape of a curve plotting a change in coloring density due to a temperature change is caused by increasing the temperature from a lower temperature side than the discoloration temperature range. Contrary to the case, the color changes following a significantly different path between the case where the color is lowered from the high temperature side and the case where the color is lowered from the high temperature side, and in the normal temperature range between the low temperature side color change point and the high temperature side color change point, the temperature is lower than the low temperature side color change point. Alternatively, a thermochromic composition of a type capable of storing and retaining a state changed at a temperature equal to or higher than the high-temperature side discoloration point can be put into practical use by being encapsulated in microcapsules.

The present invention proposes an electron-accepting compound having a straight-chain or side-chain alkyl group having 3 to 18 carbon atoms, which develops a color by heating from a decolored state as a heat-colorable composition. (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 11-129623 and 11-5973, or a system to which a specific hydroxybenzoic acid ester is applied (Japanese Patent Application No. 11-286202).
No.).

The thermochromic layer 4 is not limited to a solid printed one, but may be an image of a design, a character, a symbol, a numeral or the like. The thermochromic layer 4 may be a layer in which a plurality of images having different thermochromic temperatures or colors at the time of color development are overprinted or juxtaposed. Further, a non-thermochromic image may be provided on the upper or lower layer of the thermochromic layer 4 to further enhance the visual effect.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[0015]

EXAMPLE 1 (see FIG. 1) An electric heating element 2 [BaTiO ₃ -based sintered body (5 mmφ, thickness 1 mm, 2.0 Ω) was placed inside a plastic box-shaped protective member 8 having an open display portion. ), Exothermic saturation temperature 4
0 ° C]], a conductive plating layer is formed on both surfaces, and the thickness is 0.1 m.
A heat transfer base material 31 made of an aluminum plate having a thickness of m is joined to one surface of the current-carrying heating element 2 by a conductive adhesive, and a reed switch 5 is interposed between the heat-carrying element and the power-supply battery 7. A heating unit was attached. here,
The reed switch 5 is attached to the inclined surface of the inner wall of the box-shaped protection member 8. A reversible thermochromic layer 4 that is black at 25 ° C. or lower and reversibly changes colorless at 30 ° C. or higher to cover a photograph or a non-thermochromic printed image is formed on the display unit in the open state. The display element composed of the sheet substrate 3 is attached to the main body of the toy. As a separate body from the toy main body, an operation member 6 with a magnet, in which a magnet 6A is mounted in the hollow portion, was prepared as a plastic rod having a hollow portion at the tip. When the tip of the operation member 6 is brought close to the outer wall of the protection member 8 at the position where the reed switch 5 is attached, the reed switch 5 is turned on, the temperature of the energizing heating element 2 is raised, and black in a normal state (22 ° C.). The thermochromic layer 4 presented turned colorless and a photograph or a non-thermochromic printed image was visualized. When the magnetic force operation due to the proximity of the operation member 6 was released, the reed switch 5 was turned off, the display surface returned to the original black state, and the photograph or the non-thermochromic print image became invisible again.

Embodiment 2 An electric heating element similar to that of Embodiment 1 is mounted in the hollow head of the doll with the electric heating element 2 positioned at the eye. A doll toy was constructed by attaching an eye element, which overprinted a thermochromic eyeball image, which covered the non-thermochromic eyeball image, exhibited a brown color at 25 ° C. or lower, and turned colorless at 30 ° C. or higher. Zu). When the distal end portion of the magnet-attached operation member 6 of the first embodiment was brought close to the eye element, the reed switch was turned ON, and the eyeball that was brown at room temperature (22 ° C.) was a pale blue eyeball. It was visually discolored.

[0017]

According to the present invention, the switch mechanism is operated by applying an operating member with a magnet separate from the toy main body without applying a hand to the switch mechanism of the toy main body. The present invention can provide an electrically heated discolored toy that can be used to enhance the magic, toy, and merchantability of the product, and that there is no danger due to overheating, and that an infant or the like can play with the discoloration with confidence. Furthermore, as the operating member with magnet, any toy-shaped object can be applied. In particular, if it is formed in the shape of a stick, a recent magic boom can be realized as a magic wand, It is suitable as a toy for infants who fulfills their dreams.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of an electrically heated and discolored toy according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electrically heated and discolored toy main body of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a circuit of the electrically heated and discolored toy of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric heating discoloration toy 2 Electric heating element 3 Substrate 31 Heat transfer substrate 4 Thermal discoloration layer 5 Reed switch 6A magnet 6 Operation member 7 Power supply battery 8 Protective member

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A thermochromic layer is provided on the surface of a current-generating heating element itself or on a surface of a base material that is in contact with or close to the current-generating heating element, and the color of the thermochromic layer is changed by applying a current to the current-generating heating element. An electrically heated and discolored toy, comprising: a reed switch and an operating member with a magnet for turning on and off the reed switch by a magnetic force as a control switch mechanism of the energized heating element. 2. An electric heating element is connected to a power supply battery via a reed switch, the three members are housed in a protective member, and an operation member with a magnet for turning on and off the reed switch is: The electrically heated and discolored toy according to claim 1, wherein the toy is configured separately from the protective member. 3. The electrically heated and discolored toy according to claim 1, wherein the reed switch is attached to an inclined surface or a vertical surface of the inner surface of the protective member. 4. The electrically heated and discolored toy according to claim 1, wherein the operation member with a magnet is a model of a toy figure. 5. The heating element is at least 25 ° C. to 65 ° C.
2. A resistance heating element in which the temperature coefficient of electric resistance shows a positive value within the range of .degree. C., and the heat generation saturation temperature is self-controlled to an arbitrary temperature within a temperature range of 25.degree.
The electrically heated and discolored toy according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. The electric heating element according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is made of a BaTiO ₃ -based sintered body, and a heat-transfer base material is closely attached to the sintered body. The energized heated discoloration toy described. 7. The thermochromic layer contains a thermochromic material comprising an electron-donating color-forming organic compound, an electron-accepting compound, and an organic compound medium which reversibly causes a color reaction between the two. The electrically heated and discolored toy according to claim 1.