JP2009233287A - Joint structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a joint structure capable of arbitrarily maintaining the angle of a joint in joints of a doll, robot, model and the like, and easily and smoothly varying the angle. <P>SOLUTION: The parts on both sides contacted by a spherical surface 7 are pulled with each other and pressed by an elastic wire 9 inserted through a center. Small insertion holding holes 13 which hold the inserted elastic wire 9 are formed at a part of the recessed side of the spherical surface 7 and the center part 19 on the protruded side of the spherical surface 7 at the equal distance from the spherical surface 7. By this arrangement, the length of the elastic wire 9 is substantially the same even if the angle of the joint varies. Accordingly, natural change to the angle at which the length of the elastic wire 9 is shortened does not occur. Accordingly, the set angle can be easily maintained. By this arrangement, it is not necessary to make friction large for maintaining the angle, and the angle can be smoothly varied with small friction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to the structure of joints such as dolls, robots, and models.

The joints such as dolls, robots, models of animals and dinosaurs, and toys of these must be able to smoothly change to any angle within the movable range, hold that angle, and be difficult to come off.
As a joint structure for this purpose, there is proposed a structure in which a spherical surface is in contact with each other and the portions on both sides that are in contact with each other are pulled and pressed by elastic wire rods that are inserted through the centers of both sides. As this elastic wire, a rubber string, a string connected to a coil spring, a wire, or the like is employed.

For example, the knee joint of the following doll of Patent Document 1 has a structure in which a contact portion forms a part of a spherical surface and is pulled by a rubber string.
Further, the shoulder joint and hip joint of the doll of Patent Document 2 described below have a structure in which a contacting portion forms a part of a spherical surface and is pulled by a string-like elastic body.
JP 2005-52393 A Utility model registration 3058140

  However, in the joint structures of Patent Documents 1 and 2, even if an arbitrary angle is set in the movable range, it is difficult to maintain the set angle, and the angle changes. For this reason, in order to maintain the set angle, it is necessary to increase the friction of the contacting surface. However, when the friction is increased, it becomes difficult to change the angle smoothly.

  In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a joint structure that can easily maintain an angle and at the same time easily change the angle.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the first invention is that the inserted elastic wire is held in the entire radial direction in a joint that is in contact with a spherical surface and that presses the portions on both sides in contact with each other by an elastic wire inserted through the center. The insertion holding hole is formed in a concave portion of the spherical surface and a center portion equidistant from the spherical surface on the convex side of the spherical surface.

  Further, in the second invention, the joint is a spinal joint of a model, and both portions contacting with the spherical surface are both vertebrae, and the joint holding hole is formed in the spherical surface in which the insertion holding hole is formed. A part on the concave side is the center of the concave spherical surface, and a center part equidistant from the spherical surface on the convex side of the spherical surface where the insertion holding hole is formed is a substantially cone It is the joint structure characterized by being located in the back | inner side top part of a shape-like space.

  In the joint structure of Patent Documents 1 and 2, since the length of the elastic wire changes depending on the angle of the joint, the length of the elastic wire naturally changes to an angle at which the length becomes shorter. It was difficult to maintain the set angle.

  On the other hand, according to the first or second invention, the insertion holding hole in which the elastic wire is held in all radial directions is equidistant from the spherical surface on the concave side of the contacting spherical surface and the convex side of the contacting spherical surface. The length of the elastic wire is substantially the same even if the angle of the joint changes. Therefore, it does not naturally change to an angle at which the length of the elastic wire is shortened. Therefore, the set angle can be easily held. For this reason, it is not necessary to increase the friction to maintain the angle, and it is easy to change the angle smoothly with a small friction.

  According to the second invention, since the joint is straight and a part of the spherical surface on which the insertion holding hole is formed on the concave side is the center of the concave spherical surface, the joint is straight. It is easy to change evenly at all angles and is therefore suitable for spinal joints. In addition, the central portion equidistant from the spherical surface on the convex side of the spherical surface where the insertion holding hole is formed is located at the top of the substantially conical space formed on the convex spherical surface, so that this substantially conical shape is formed. The elastic wire can move only in this space, and therefore, it is easy to set the movable range of the spinal joint by this substantially conical angle.

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 2, this embodiment is adopted in a dinosaur skeleton model 1, and in particular, applied to a spinal joint 3. The spine has a plurality of vertebrae 5 in series. In the spinal joint 3, adjacent vertebrae 5 are in contact with a spherical surface 7. The spherical surface 7 is formed within the movable range of the joint, and thus forms only a part of a complete sphere.

The center of the portion where the adjacent vertebra 5 contacts is inserted by the elastic wire 9. In this embodiment, the elastic wire 9 can be a thin rubber string, a coil spring having a small diameter, a string (see FIG. 2) connected in series to the coil spring, or a wire.
As shown in FIG. 2, the elastic wire 9 is inserted through a large number of vertebrae 5 and is locked to the vertebra 5 or other bones 11 in contact with the vertebra 5 at both ends. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 3D and 3E, a few vertebrae 5 are inserted and both ends are locked to the vertebrae 5. Further, alternatively, as shown in FIG. 1, two vertebrae 5 are inserted and both ends are locked to the vertebrae 5. By such an action of the elastic wire 9, the vertebrae 5 in contact with each other are pulled and pressed together.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the vertebra 5 is formed with a structure for restricting the movement of the elastic wire 9. That is, an insertion holding hole 13 having a small diameter through which the elastic wire 9 is inserted is formed at the center of the vertebra 5. The diameter of the insertion holding hole 13 is substantially the same as the diameter of the elastic wire 9, so that the inserted elastic wire 9 is held in all radial directions, that is, in all radial directions, and movement in the radial direction is restricted. The

  Furthermore, the positions where the insertion holding holes 13 are formed are two locations on the concave side and the convex side of the spherical surface 7 in contact therewith. That is, in the state where the joint is straight, the concave side is the central portion 16 of the concave spherical surface 15. On the convex side, it is the equidistant center portion 19 from the convex spherical surface 17. The equidistant center portion 19 is located at the top on the back side in a space of a substantially conical shape 21 formed on the convex spherical surface 17 and having a tapered shape on the back side.

"Effect of the embodiment"
First, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of Patent Document 1 and the knee joint of the doll shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 2, or the shoulder joint and hip joint of the doll shown in FIG. FIG. 1D shows a case where the insertion holding hole 13 to be held is not provided and a large cavity is provided. In such a joint structure, the position of the elastic wire 9 with respect to the joint changes depending on the angle of the joint, and as a result, the length of the elastic wire 9 changes.

  That is, the solid line state is shorter than the dotted line state in the figure. For this reason, even if the joint is set to a desired angle, for example, a straight state, the elastic wire 9 is naturally changed to an angle at which the length of the elastic wire 9 is shortened, that is, a bent solid line, so that the set angle can be maintained. It was difficult.

  On the other hand, according to this embodiment, the insertion holding hole 13 having a small diameter for holding the elastic wire 9 in the entire radial direction has the center of the concave spherical surface 15 and the equidistant central portion 19 from the convex spherical surface 17. Therefore, the movement of the elastic wire 9 in the radial direction is restricted. For this reason, even if the angle of the joint changes (FIGS. 1B and 1C), the position of the elastic wire 9 relative to the joint does not change, and thus the length of the elastic wire 9 is straight (FIG. 1A )) Is almost the same. For this reason, it does not naturally change to an angle at which the length of the elastic wire 9 is shortened.

Therefore, the set angle can be easily held. For this reason, it is not necessary to increase the friction to maintain the angle, and it is easy to change the angle smoothly with a small friction.
Further, when the joint is straight, a part of the spherical surface 7 on which the insertion holding hole 13 is formed on the concave side is the center of the concave spherical surface 15, and the spherical surface on which the insertion holding hole 13 is formed. The center portion 19 equidistant from the spherical surface 7 on the convex side of the convex portion 7 is located at the top on the far side of the space of the substantially conical shape 21 formed on the convex spherical surface 17, so that all angles from a straight state are obtained. Therefore, it is suitable for the spinal joint 3.

  Further, since the insertion holding hole 13 is positioned at the top of the substantially conical 21 space, the elastic wire 9 can move only in the substantially conical 21 space. It is easy to set the movable range of the spine joint 3. That is, joints with a wide range of motion and narrow joints can be easily and freely set.

"Other embodiments"
In the above embodiment, the dinosaur skeleton model 1 was implemented especially on the spinal joint 3. However, in other embodiments, a doll, a robot, a model of an animal or a dinosaur, or a toy thereof. This can be applied not only to the spinal joint 3 but also to the arm and leg joints.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the effect of the joint structure according to the embodiment of the present invention when there are two vertebrae of the spinal joint, (A) is a diagram showing a state where the joint is straight, and (B) and (C) are The figure which shows the state in which the joint became an angle, (D) is a figure in case the insertion holding hole by which an elastic wire is hold | maintained in all radial directions is not provided. It is a model figure of the whole body skeleton of the dinosaur which showed the spine which adopted the joint structure concerning one embodiment of this invention in the section. 2A is a view of the appearance of a part of the spine of FIG. 2 from the side, FIG. 2B is a view of the appearance of one vertebra constituting the spine of FIG. 2A, and FIG. (B) is a cross-sectional view, (D) is a diagram showing a state in which several vertebrae of (C) are connected in series and an elastic wire is inserted, and (E) is an operation diagram in which each indirect angle of (D) is changed. It is.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Model of dinosaur skeleton, 3 ... Spinal joint, 5 ... Vertebral bone, 7 ... Spherical surface, 9 ... Elastic wire, 11 ... Other bones, 13 ... Insertion holding hole, 15 ... Concave side spherical surface, 16 ... Concave side spherical surface 17 ... convex side spherical surface, 19 ... equidistant center, 21 ... substantially conical.

Claims (2)

  An insertion holding hole in which the inserted elastic wire is held in the entire radial direction in a joint that touches the spherical surface and presses the both sides in contact with each other by the elastic wire that passes through the center is a part of the concave side of the spherical surface. And a joint structure characterized by being formed on the convex side of the spherical surface and at a center part equidistant from the spherical surface.   The joint is a spinal joint of the model, and both portions contacting with the spherical surface are both vertebrae, and in a state where the joint is straight, a part on the concave side of the spherical surface where the insertion holding hole is formed is The center of the concave spherical surface, and the center part equidistant from the spherical surface on the convex side of the spherical surface on which the insertion holding hole is formed, is the top on the back side of the substantially conical space formed on the convex spherical surface Joint structure characterized by being located in