JP2022168252A - Light emission performance unit and doll toy - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve presentation effect in which color of a specific portion in a doll toy is temporally changed in a simple structure.

SOLUTION: A light emission performance unit arranged in a doll toy comprises: a wiring flexible printed board; a plurality of light-emitting body units installed on wirings of the flexible printed board; and a control part which controls the direction of current flowing from an electric power source to the wirings. Each of the light-emitting body units has a first LED of a first color and a second LED of a second color, and the light-emitting body units are serially connected by the wirings.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a lighting effect unit and a doll toy.

2. Description of the Related Art Parts of assembly models and doll toys, so-called plastic models (registered trademark), include light-emitting parts for decorating the models and doll toys.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a toy in which a base body in which a plurality of through-holes are radially provided in a spherical hollow body and a decorative member composed of a luminous body that can be attached to and detached from the through-holes of the base body are combined. The toy can be used as a decoration or a toy by combining a substrate and a colored body or a substrate and a luminous body.

JP-A-11-047458

It is desired to achieve a dramatic effect with a simple configuration, such as temporally changing the color of a specific part of a model or toy doll, and the present invention provides a technique for that purpose.

The present invention is a lighting effect unit arranged inside a doll toy,
A flexible printed circuit board with wiring,
a plurality of light emitter units arranged on wiring of a flexible printed circuit board;
with
Each of the plurality of light emitter units comprises a first LED of a first color and a second LED of a second color, wherein the first LED and the second LED are of opposite polarity. are connected in parallel to the wiring, and when the direction of the current flowing from the power supply to the wiring is controlled, the first LED emits light when the direction of the current is the first direction, and the direction of the current is the first LED. the second LED emits light in a second direction opposite to the first direction;
The plurality of light emitter units are connected in series by the wiring.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a dramatic effect such as temporally changing the color of a specific portion of a model with a simple configuration.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a circuit diagram corresponding to the embodiment; The figure which shows an example of a structure of the flexible printed circuit board corresponding to embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the light emission control of LED corresponding to embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the structural example of the model component corresponding to embodiment. The figure which shows another example of the structural example of the model component corresponding to embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the cross section of the model component corresponding to embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. Also, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted. Also, in each drawing, the up, down, left, and right directions with respect to the paper surface are used as the up, down, left, and right directions of the components (or parts) in this embodiment in the description of the text.

First, FIG. 1 shows a circuit diagram of a light emission circuit that constitutes a light emission effect unit corresponding to this embodiment. The light emitting circuit can be configured by arranging light emitters such as LEDs of a plurality of colors on wiring of a flexible printed circuit board (FPC). By arranging the light-emitting bodies on the flexible printed circuit board at arbitrary parts of a model or a doll toy (hereinafter collectively referred to as a model), a specific part of the model can be made to emit light.

The circuit diagram shown in FIG. 1 is a simplified representation of a light emitting circuit. Also, although the number of light emitters is limited for illustrative purposes only, a larger number of light emitters can be arranged on the flexible printed circuit board.

In FIG. 1, the light emitting circuit 10 is configured to include a power source 100, a current direction control circuit 110, a control section 120, and a light emitting unit . The power supply 100 supplies power for the light emitting circuit 10 to operate. The current direction control circuit 110 is a switching circuit that switches the direction of the current flowing through the light emitting unit 130 between a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction. Works accordingly. The controller 120 supplies control signals for controlling the operation of the current direction control circuit 110 . The control unit 120 can be configured by a microcomputer, and provides a control signal to the current direction control circuit 110 so that the direction of current flow is switched between the first direction and the second direction at regular time intervals, for example. switch.

The light emitter unit 130 is composed of two different color LEDs, a first set of LEDs with a forward direction in the first direction and a second set of LEDs with a forward direction in the second direction. arranged in parallel. In other words, in the light emitter unit 130, the first LED and the second LED are connected in parallel with opposite polarities. Also, the first LED and the second LED have different emission colors. For example, if the first LED is red, the second LED can be green.

The combination of colors is not limited to the above, and any combination of colors can be used. Also, different colors may be combined depending on the part. For example, red and green may be used for the arms and legs of the model, and red and blue may be used for the body and head. Also, some light emitter units 130 may be a combination of LEDs of the same color. In that case, the emission color does not change in some parts. For example, the head of the model may maintain the same emission color.

In addition, the light emitter unit 130 includes a plurality of units connected in series. Thus, one current direction control circuit 110 can control the light emission of the light emitter unit 130 for the entire model.

The input unit 140 is, for example, an operation input unit such as a switch or button provided on the model.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a flexible printed circuit board, which is a component of the light emitting effect unit corresponding to this embodiment. A wiring 201 is laid inside the flexible printed circuit board 200, and the wiring 201 is covered with a base film and a coverlay. A light emitter unit 130 is installed at an arbitrary position on the wiring 201 . In the example shown in FIG. 2, the wiring 201 constitutes one wiring as a whole. and a second orientation.

The light emitter unit 130 is arranged on the surface side of the flexible printed circuit board 200, and the wiring 201 and the LED of the light emitter unit 130 are connected. For example, as shown in the area surrounded by the dotted line, the anode of the red LED and the cathode of the green LED are connected to the positive electrode side of the wiring 201, and the cathode of the red LED and the anode of the green LED are connected to the negative electrode side. It is

The flexible printed circuit board 200 is provided with engagement holes 204 for fixing to parts of the model. can be done. Moreover, since the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be bent arbitrarily, it can be attached by bending or bending according to the shape of parts of a doll toy or a model.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the flexible printed circuit board 200 is divided into limbs, shoulders/arms, and torso/waist as indicated by dashed lines. The flexible printed circuit board 200 is connected to the body/waist and shoulders/arms, and is also connected to the body/waist and limbs (legs). As a result, the flexible printed circuit board 200 is arranged from the torso/waist to the arm via the shoulder, and is arranged from the torso/waist to the limbs.

The flexible printed circuit board 200 is arranged so as to penetrate or pass through the parts that form the joints such as the neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. Therefore, it is desirable that the width of the flexible printed circuit board 200 is as small as possible, and it is necessary to reduce the number of wirings. In this embodiment, since the number of wirings on the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be two, the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be configured with the minimum number of wirings. As an example, the width of the wiring portion of the flexible printed circuit board is, for example, 4 mm at the narrowest point. However, as for the width of the wiring portion, the narrowest width differs depending on the size of the model or doll toy, and may be wider than 4 mm. Alternatively, it may be narrower than 4 mm. However, in order to suppress noise, it is desirable to secure a width of 1 mm for each wiring and a width of 0.3 to 0.5 mm between wirings.

Next, light emission control of the light emitter unit 130 by the controller 120 will be described with reference to FIG. The controller 120 can PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control the voltage supplied to the light emitter unit 130 through the current direction control circuit. FIG. 3 shows an example of control, and the vertical axis of the graph indicates the luminance of the LED by the ratio (unit: %) at which the voltage pulse is turned on per unit time at the duty ratio. Both the red LED and the green LED increase the luminance from the off state by increasing the duty ratio from 0% to 90% in the first approximately 3 seconds.

After that, when the duty ratio reaches 90%, it is temporarily lowered to 50% over about 3 seconds to lower the luminance. After that, 50% to 90% is repeated four times in a period of about 6 seconds, and the brightness is increased or decreased accordingly. By dropping from 50% to 0% in about 3 seconds at the end of the production, the brightness is gradually lowered and the light is turned off. The red LED and the green LED are alternately turned on, and the above control is repeated. The switching interval between the red LED and the green LED can be, for example, about 10 seconds, but it may be shorter or longer.

The above control method is merely an example, and other methods can be used to control the duty ratio and control the lighting time. Further, the red LED or the green LED may be switched to light according to the operation input from the input unit 140 . In addition, a plurality of buttons may be provided in the input section 140, and the light emitter unit 130 may emit light with different duty ratios and light emission times depending on the type of button operated. Also, the switch of the input unit 140 may be arranged at, for example, a joint, and the switch may be turned on by moving the joint. For example, the switch may be turned on when the arm placed at the arm joint is swung up.

In addition, the model can be manually or automatically transformed from the first mode to the second mode. In the first mode, the light emitter unit 130 is hidden, but in the second mode, the light emitter unit 130 is hidden. may be exposed. In that case, in the first aspect, part or the whole of the parts covering the light emitter unit 130 may be made of a light shielding member. The light-shielding member may be configured by, for example, using a molded part with a color that absorbs light, or by attaching a reflective sticker.

In this embodiment, the flexible printed circuit board 200 is arranged inside the model, more specifically, straddling the body and arms and passing through joints (for example, elbow joints and knee joints). Thereby, the light-emitting unit 130 arranged on the flexible printed circuit board 200 can be arranged at a predetermined position on the model. Specific examples of the arrangement will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG.

FIG. 4 shows an example of placement on the torso and waist of the model. The part 401 of the flexible printed circuit board is arranged in the clear part 402, and the light emitted from the LEDs at both ends passes through the clear part 402 and is irradiated to the outside. The clear part 402 is a member made of transparent ABS resin of a predetermined color and transmits light. A part 403 is placed over the clear part 402, and the part 403 is made of polystyrene that does not transmit light. However, the use of materials other than polystyrene (polyethylene, thermoplastic resins such as ABS, thermosetting resins, metals, etc.) is not excluded as the material for forming such light-impermeable parts. Therefore, the emitted light from the LED arranged on the part 401 is emitted downward in the drawing. The wiring portion 404 of the flexible printed circuit board extends to other parts of the model through the opening of the part 405 . In this way, the wiring of the flexible printed circuit board 200 passes through the parts of the model and is arranged inside the model (for example, limbs).

A part 406 is a connector for connecting the flexible printed circuit board 200 to an external device or power supply part. It can be used to connect to the current direction control circuit 110, the power source 100, the control section 120, the input section 140, etc. shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the current direction control circuit 110, the power supply 100, the control section 120, and the input section 140 are arranged as a battery box in the base on which the model is installed, and are connected to connectors by predetermined wiring. However, this embodiment is merely an example, and the current direction control circuit 110, the power supply 100, the control unit 120, and the input unit 140 may all be mounted inside the model, or at least some of them, such as the current Only the direction control circuit 110 may include the current direction control circuit 110, the control section 120 and the input section 140, and the remaining parts may be arranged in the installation base.

Next, FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of the legs of the model. A part 501 on which LEDs of a flexible printed circuit board are arranged is arranged inside a surface emitting part 502 . The surface emitting parts are made of GP (high impact PS) as a material, and the material has a milky white color. The above-mentioned clear parts 402 were composed of a transparent color that seems to be transparent, but on the other hand, the surface emitting parts are made milky white like frosted glass, or translucent to prevent light from escaping and diffuse the light. It is designed so that the entire light-emitting surface emits light uniformly.

A light shielding part 503 that does not transmit light is arranged outside the surface emitting part 502, and the surface emitting part 502 is partially exposed from a state in which the surface emitting part 502 is hidden by the light shielding part 503. It is configured in combination with other parts so that the position of the part 503 can be shifted. A mechanism for shifting the position of the light shielding part 503 is a general mechanism, so the description thereof is omitted. Thereby, the light generated by lighting of the LED can be confirmed through the gap between the light shielding parts 503 through the surface light emitting parts 502 .

Although the case where the surface emitting parts directly receive the light from the LED is described above, the light may be diffused by the surface emitting parts via the clear parts as shown in the exemplary cross-sectional view of FIG. . In FIG. 6, the emitted light from the LED 601 is transmitted through the clear parts 602 and 603 to the surface emitting part 605 and diffused. Since the outer side of the clear part is covered with the light shielding part 604 that does not transmit light, the light is transmitted in the direction of the part 605 without diffusing in the horizontal direction. By using the clear parts in this manner, the diffusion direction and range of the light can be adjusted according to the size and thickness of the clear parts, and further by combining with the light shielding parts.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, by controlling the direction of the current flowing through the wiring, it is possible to alternately or selectively cause a plurality of LEDs of different emission colors to emit light. In an exemplary embodiment, a red LED emits light when current is flowing in a first direction, and a green LED is lit when current is flowing in a second direction opposite to the first direction. luminous.

In this embodiment, the number of wires can be minimized by connecting LEDs of different emission colors in parallel in opposite directions. As a result, the width of the flexible printed circuit board can be minimized, and LEDs can be arranged at arbitrary positions through the interior of model parts to perform lighting effects.

In addition, in this embodiment, by combining a light emitting body (LED) that is a light source, a transparent part that transmits light, and a surface emitting part that diffuses light, the light from the light source can be emitted from any position of the model. can be transmitted to and diffused.

The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims (12)

A light emitting unit arranged inside a doll toy,
A flexible printed circuit board with wiring,
a plurality of light emitter units arranged on wiring of a flexible printed circuit board;
with
Each of the plurality of light emitter units comprises a first LED of a first color and a second LED of a second color, wherein the first LED and the second LED are of opposite polarity. are connected in parallel to the wiring, and when the direction of the current flowing from the power supply to the wiring is controlled, the first LED emits light when the direction of the current is the first direction, and the direction of the current is the first LED. the second LED emits light in a second direction opposite to the first direction;
The plurality of light emitter units are connected in series by the wiring,
A lighting unit. 2. The lighting effect unit according to claim 1, wherein said first color and said second color are different colors. 2. The light emitting unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of light emitting units has the same first color and second color. at least one of the plurality of light emitter units comprises a third LED of a third color and a fourth LED of a fourth color, wherein the third color and the fourth color are 4. The light emitting effect unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the color is different from at least one of the first color and the second color. The flexible printed circuit board is configured such that a portion to be placed on the arm of the toy doll and a portion to be placed on the limb of the toy doll are connected to portions to be placed inside the body of the toy doll. 5. The luminescence effect unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein 6. The lighting effect unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the flexible printed circuit board has a width of 4 mm. Further comprising a connector connected to the wiring of the flexible printed circuit board,
7. The lighting effect unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is connected to the power supply and a control section that controls the direction of current flowing from the power supply to the wiring through the connector. A doll toy in which the light emitting production unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is arranged. 9. The doll toy according to claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of light emitting units is fixed to a predetermined portion of said doll toy by arranging said flexible printed circuit board inside said doll toy. 10. A doll toy according to claim 9, wherein at least one of said plurality of light emitting units is disposed within at least one limb of said doll toy to illuminate a predetermined location of said limb. 11. A doll toy according to claim 10, wherein said limb has a bendable articulation mechanism and said flexible printed circuit board is positioned inside said limb so as to pass through said articulation mechanism. 12. The doll toy according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein said flexible printed circuit board extends from the inside of said doll toy body to the inside of at least one limb.

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