US20130203317A1 - Robot toy - Google Patents
Robot toy Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20130203317A1 US20130203317A1 US13/695,513 US201213695513A US2013203317A1 US 20130203317 A1 US20130203317 A1 US 20130203317A1 US 201213695513 A US201213695513 A US 201213695513A US 2013203317 A1 US2013203317 A1 US 2013203317A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- robot
- arm
- lever
- toy
- toy body
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
- A63H13/00—Toy figures with self-moving parts, with or without movement of the toy as a whole
- A63H13/02—Toy figures with self-moving parts, with or without movement of the toy as a whole imitating natural actions, e.g. catching a mouse by a cat, the kicking of an animal
- A63H13/04—Mechanical figures imitating the movement of players or workers
- A63H13/06—Mechanical figures imitating the movement of players or workers imitating boxing or fighting
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
- A63H11/00—Self-movable toy figures
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
- A63H29/00—Drive mechanisms for toys in general
- A63H29/22—Electric drives
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
- A63H3/00—Dolls
- A63H3/36—Details; Accessories
- A63H3/46—Connections for limbs
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
- A63H31/00—Gearing for toys
- A63H31/08—Gear-control mechanisms; Gears for imparting a reciprocating motion
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
- A63H30/00—Remote-control arrangements specially adapted for toys, e.g. for toy vehicles
- A63H30/02—Electrical arrangements
- A63H30/04—Electrical arrangements using wireless transmission
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a robot toy.
- robot toys have been known that are configured so that the robot-toy body moves forward in association with the movement in play fighting (For example, Patent Literature 1).
- Patent Literature 1 The robot toy disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is configured so that a robot-toy body moves forward by the impact force produced in stopping the rotation of the torso. This configuration makes it difficult to control the direction in which the body moves. Thus, when two toy robots are to fight in a match, it is difficult to make the two bodies face each other.
- the first means is a robot toy including: a robot-toy body including a control unit; and a controller which remotely controls the robot body via the control unit, the robot-toy body including: right and left arms each connected to a torso, wherein states of each of the right and left arms include a state of being extended forward and being pulled back, and wherein each of the right and left arms is pulled back by a predetermined biasing force in a normal condition; right and left legs each connected to a hip; right and left arm-actuating mechanisms provided at the right and left arms, respectively, wherein each of the arm-actuating mechanisms allows the corresponding arm to be extended in front of the robot-toy body against the biasing force; right and left thrust mechanisms provided at the right and left legs, respectively, wherein each of the thrust mechanisms allows the corresponding leg to push a floor so that the leg moves forward; and a driving unit which selectively and simultaneously drives a pair of the left arm-actuating mechanism and the left thrust mechanism and a pair of the right arm-actuating mechanism and the right
- the second means is the robot toy of the first means, wherein each of the right and left arms includes an upper arm and a lower arm which are bent and stretched with respect to each other; when the right and left arms are pulled back, the upper arm and the lower arm of each of the right and left arms are bent with respect to each other, so that the robot-toy body assumes a ready position; and when one of the right and left arms is extended forward, the upper arm and the lower arm of the extended arm are stretched with respect to each other, so that the robot-toy body assumes a punching position.
- the third means is the robot toy of the second means, wherein each of the thrust mechanisms includes: a lever extending vertically in an interior of the corresponding leg, the lever being supported rotatably with a shaft in the middle of the lever such that a bottom end portion of the lever moves back and forth; a wheel provided at the bottom end portion of the lever; and a clutch mechanism which locks the wheel when the bottom end portion of the lever moves backward, and which releases the wheel when the bottom end portion of the lever moves forward, and wherein a movement of the lever allows the corresponding leg to move forward.
- the fourth means is the robot toy of the third means, wherein the driving unit includes a rotary board which is rotatable about a shaft vertically extending just below the torso, the rotary board including right and left lever-operation touching units corresponding to the right and left levers, respectively; and when one of the right and left levers is touched by the corresponding lever-operation touching unit, the touched lever moves.
- the driving unit includes a rotary board which is rotatable about a shaft vertically extending just below the torso, the rotary board including right and left lever-operation touching units corresponding to the right and left levers, respectively; and when one of the right and left levers is touched by the corresponding lever-operation touching unit, the touched lever moves.
- the fifth means is the robot toy of the fourth means, wherein each of the arm-actuating mechanisms includes a four-bar linkage mechanism, wherein the four-bar linkage mechanism includes a supporting unit which supports the upper arm; the upper arm; the lower arm; and a link disposed between the supporting unit and the lower arm, and wherein one of the upper arm and the link serves as an input link; the rotary board includes right and left input-link-operation touching units corresponding to the right and left input links, respectively; and when one of the right and left input links is touched by the corresponding input-link-operation touching unit, the touched input link moves.
- the sixth means is the robot toy of any one of the first to fifth means, wherein the predetermined biasing force is the arm's own weight; and, in the normal condition, the robot-toy body assumes a ready position where each of the right and left arms is bent due to its own weight.
- the thrust mechanism pushes the floor, and the leg on the same side as the arm that has thrown a punch moves forward.
- the moving direction of the robot-toy body can be controlled easily.
- the wheel when the bottom end portion of the lever moves from the front to the back, the wheel is locked. As a result, the robot-toy body can effectively move forward by pushing the floor. On the other hand, when the bottom end portion of the lever moves from the front to the back, the wheel is released and rolls, which halts the robot-toy body. Thus, the advance movement of the robot-toy body is ensured.
- the rotary board rotates about the shaft which extends vertically just below the torso.
- the lever moves by being touched by the lever-operation touching unit formed on the periphery of the rotary board.
- one push of the lever allows the robot-toy body to move forward by a long distance.
- the rotary board actuates not only the thrust mechanism but also the arm actuating mechanism, which allows the structure of the driving unit to be simple.
- the body assumes a ready position where the left and right arms are bent due to their own weights in a normal condition.
- a biasing means such as a spring
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a robot toy according to the present invention
- FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the body of the robot toy shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of right and left arms of the robot-toy body shown in FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an arm-actuating mechanism of the robot-toy body shown in FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view showing a state of a leg of the robot-toy body shown in FIG. 2 which starts moving;
- FIG. 5B illustrates a state of the leg of the robot-toy body shown in FIG. 2 which stops moving;
- FIG. 6 is an elevation view of a driving unit, an arm-actuating mechanism, and a thrust mechanism of the robot-toy body shown in FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a state of a rotary board, obliquely viewed from above, in the robot-toy body shown in FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing a state of the rotary board, obliquely viewed from below, in the robot-toy body shown in FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a motor and a gear array in the driving unit of the robot-toy body shown in FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the head of the robot-toy body shown in FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the robot-toy body shown in FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a controller of the robot toy shown in FIG. 2 .
- the robot toy includes a robot-toy body 100 and a controller 200 .
- the robot-toy body 100 assumes a ready position in a normal condition.
- the robot-toy body 100 is moved by shaking a left operating unit 210 and a right operating unit 220 of the controller 200 .
- the robot-toy body 100 when the left operating unit 210 of the controller 200 is shaken, the robot-toy body 100 actively moves forward its left leg 41 a alone, and at the same time, throws an uppercut with a left arm 21 a . Subsequently, the left arm 21 a returns to its original position due to its own weight.
- the robot-toy body 100 actively moves forward its right leg 41 b alone, and at the same time, throws a hook with a right arm 21 b . Subsequently, the right arm 21 b returns to its original position due to its own weight.
- the robot-toy body 100 gets a punch in the face, a jaw of a head 50 drops, and the color of the head 50 changes in accordance with the number of punches that the body gets. If the robot toy gets a predetermined number of punches, the robot-toy body 100 automatically halts. In this case, after a user keeps the jaw of the head 50 held down for a predetermined time, the robot-toy body 100 is reactivated.
- the robot-toy body 100 includes a torso 10 , arms 20 , a hip 30 , legs 40 and the head 50 .
- the torso 10 , the hip 30 , and the legs 40 are connected to each other.
- a back board 60 of the torso 10 includes a battery and a circuit board with various circuit components.
- the head 50 is connected to the torso 10 .
- the left arm 21 a and the right arm 21 b are connected to the torso 10 .
- the left arm 21 a and the right arm 21 b substantially have the same configurations; therefore, they are described in reference to the same reference numerals hereinafter unless otherwise noted.
- the left arm 21 a and the right arm 21 b each include an arm base (supporting unit) 22 , an upper arm 23 , a lower arm 24 , and a first 25 .
- the first 25 is attached to the end of the lower arm 24 .
- the arm base 22 is fixed to the side of the torso 10 .
- a base end portion of the upper arm 23 is fixed to the arm base 22 through a shaft 26 a , whereby the upper arm 23 can rotate about the shaft 26 a.
- a base end portion of the lower arm 24 is connected to another end of the upper arm 23 through a shaft 26 b , whereby the lower arm 24 can rotate about the shaft 26 b.
- a base end portion of a link 27 is connected to the arm base 22 through a shaft 26 c so that the base end portion of the link 27 is disposed away from the shaft 26 b .
- Another end of the link 27 is connected to a part of the lower arm 24 through a shaft 26 d so that the end of the link 27 is disposed away from the shaft 26 b.
- a variety of interchangeable fists 25 with various weights may be prepared.
- a user may choose its style according to his/her preference. For example, a heavier first 25 makes a strong punch but makes it hard to pound. On the other hand, a lighter first 25 compromises the power of the punch but makes it easy to pound.
- the length of the arms 20 may be varied.
- the arms 20 may be detachably attached to the torso 10 , and a variety of interchangeable arms 20 with various lengths may be prepared.
- a user may choose its style according to his/her preference. For example, long arms 20 keep a long distance from the other body 100 but make it hard to pound. On the other hand, short arms 20 keep only a short distance to the other body 100 but make it easy to pound.
- the arm base 22 , the upper arm 23 , the lower arm 24 , and the link 27 constitute an arm-actuating mechanism A that is a four-bar linkage mechanism.
- the link 27 serves as an input unit of the arm-actuating mechanism A.
- FIG. 4 schematically shows the arm-actuating mechanism A.
- the orientation of the arm base 22 and the initial positional relationship between the upper arm 23 and the lower arm 24 are determined such that the left arm 21 a moves so as to throw an uppercut in boxing, and then returns to its original position by its own weight.
- the orientation of the arm base 22 and the initial positional relationship between the upper arm 23 and the lower arm 24 are determined such that the right arm 21 b moves so as to throw a hook in boxing, and then returns to its original position by its own weight.
- the left arm 21 a and the right arm 21 b return to their original positions by their own weights.
- a spring may be used to bring the arms back.
- the left leg 41 a and the right leg 41 b are fixed to the hip 30 .
- the left leg 41 a and the right leg 41 b substantially have the same configurations; therefore, they are described in reference to the same reference numerals hereinafter unless otherwise noted.
- a lever 42 is provided in each interior of the left leg 41 a and the right leg 41 b .
- the lever 42 extends from the vicinity of the sole of the left leg 41 a /right leg 41 b to just above the hip 30 .
- the bottom half of the lever 42 is bent to form a depression which faces front direction.
- the bottom half of the lever 42 has elasticity.
- the lever 42 can rotate about a horizontal shaft 43 disposed in the middle.
- the bottom half portion of the lever 42 is biased forwardly by a spring 44 disposed between the bottom part of the left leg 41 a /right leg 41 b and a fixing unit 44 a of the left leg 41 a /right leg 41 b .
- the “bottom half” refers to the portion below the shaft 43 herein.
- a front wheel 45 is fixed to the bottom half of the lever 42 such that the front wheel 45 partially protrudes from the sole of the left leg 41 a /right leg 41 b .
- a toothed wheel 46 is integrated with the front wheel 45 on the inner surface of the front wheel 45 , and shares a shaft with the front wheel 45 .
- a shaft 45 a for the front wheel 45 and the toothed wheel 46 lies through an oblong opening 45 b disposed at the bottom of the lever 42 . The shaft 45 a can shift and rotate within the oblong opening 45 b.
- a catch 47 is disposed at the bottom half of the lever 42 .
- a click 47 a of the catch 47 is disposed so as to face the toothed wheel 46 .
- Each of the left leg 41 a and the right leg 41 b is formed such that the heel portion extends backward.
- a rear wheel 48 is provided at the rear end of the extending heel portion.
- the rear wheel 48 is grounded.
- the rear wheel 48 helps to prevent the robot-toy body 100 from turning due to the impact from a punch, and helps the robot-toy body 100 to proceed straight forward to some extent.
- a variety of interchangeable rear wheels with various weights may be prepared.
- a user can choose its style according to his/her preference. For example, a heavy rear wheel 48 makes a strong punch but the body moves slowly. On the other hand, a light rear wheel 48 makes a weakened punch, but the body moves quickly.
- a thrust mechanism B is composed of the lever 42 , the front wheel 45 , the toothed wheel 46 , and the catch 47 .
- the top end of the lever 42 serves as an input unit of the thrust mechanism B.
- the initial position of the top end of the lever 42 is a rear position due to the biasing force of the spring 44 in the thrust mechanism B (See FIG. 5A ).
- a force F is applied to the top end of the lever 42 from the rear, the lever 42 rotates counterclockwise in the drawing about the shaft 43 against the biasing force of the spring 44 .
- the front wheel 45 is strongly pushed against the floor, which shifts the shaft 45 a of the front wheel 45 in a direction toward the click 47 a of the catch 47 within the oblong opening 45 b .
- the click 47 a of the catch 47 is engaged with a tooth of the toothed wheel 46 , thereby locking the front wheel 45 .
- the front wheel 45 pushes the floor by the movement of the lever 42 , whereby the leg corresponding to the lever 42 moves forward (See FIG. 5B ).
- the lever 42 rotates clockwise in the drawing about the shaft 43 due to the biasing force of the spring 44 .
- the oblong opening 45 b allows the shaft 45 a of the front wheel 45 to shift more slowly than the click 47 a of the catch 47 does, whereby the click 47 a of the catch 47 is disengaged from the tooth of the toothed wheel 46 , and then the front wheel 45 is released. Consequently, the front wheel 45 rolls so that the leg corresponding to the lever 42 remains in the halting state.
- the shaft within the oblong opening 45 b supports the front wheel 45 and the toothed wheel 46 , and the teeth of the toothed wheel 46 face the click 47 a of the catch 47 , which enables a one-way clutch mechanism, and the robot-toy body 100 can move effectively.
- the one-way clutch mechanism is not limited to the one illustrated in the drawing.
- FIG. 6 is an elevation view showing the configuration of a driving unit C, the arm-actuating mechanism A, and the thrust mechanism B.
- the driving unit C includes a motor 70 which can forwardly and reversely rotate.
- the motor 70 actuates the arm-actuating mechanism A and the thrust mechanism B via a gear array 71 and a rotary board 72 .
- FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the rotary board 72 viewed obliquely from above
- FIG. 7B is a perspective view of the rotary board 72 viewed obliquely from below.
- the rotary board 72 includes a small-radius section 73 in the front, a large-radius section 74 in the rear, and a stepped section 75 in the middle, the radius of the stepped section 75 being gradually increased to connect the small-radius section 73 with the large-radius section 74 .
- a circular opening 76 is provided in the front part of the rotary board 72 , and the body of the motor 70 lies through the circular opening 76 .
- the rotary board 72 can rotate around the body of the motor 70 serving as a shaft.
- a left-end wall of the large-radius section 74 composes a left-lever operation touching unit 75 a
- a right-end wall composes a right-lever operation touching unit 75 b
- the left-lever operation touching unit 75 a touches the left lever 42 from behind to operate the left lever 42
- the right-lever operation touching unit 75 b touches the right lever 42 from behind to operate the right lever 42 .
- a left input-link-operation touching unit 76 a and a right input-link-operation touching unit 76 b are formed on the left and right sides of the stepped section 75 , respectively, such that the left input-link-operation touching unit 76 a and the right input-link-operation touching unit 76 b protrude outward.
- the left input-link-operation touching unit 76 a touches the left link 27 from the rear to operate the left arm 21 a .
- the right input-link-operation touching unit 76 b touches the right link 27 from the rear to operate the right arm 21 b.
- An internal gear 77 having a semicircular arc shape is arranged below the rotary board 72 across the stepped section 75 and the large-radius section 74 .
- the gear 71 includes a gear 71 a provided on the motor shaft; a large-radius gear 71 b engageable with the gear 71 a ; a small-radius gear 71 c integrally formed with the large-radius gear 71 b ; a large-radius gear 71 d engageable with the small-radius gear 71 c ; a small-radius gear 71 e engageable with the internal gear 77 , which small-radius gear 71 e is integrally formed with the large-radius gear 71 d .
- the rotary board 72 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise in a planer view in accordance with the direction in which the motor 70 rotates.
- the head 50 is attached to a bracket 11 , which is provided on the upper face of the torso 10 , through a shaft 12 .
- the head 50 can swing backward and frontward about the shaft 12 .
- the shaft 12 supports the upper part of the head 50 , and the head 50 stands upright due to its own weight.
- the head 50 gets a punch in the face, the head 50 tilts forward.
- an touching unit 51 in the head 50 hits a push switch 52 , and thereby, it is determined that there is a punch in the face.
- a leaf switch may be used instead of the push switch 52 .
- An LED (light-emitting diode) 53 is provided inside the face on the head 50 (See FIG. 10 ).
- the LED 53 has modes of “on”, “flashing”, and “off”.
- the LED 53 displays the degree of damage in accordance with the number of punches, for example.
- the installing location of the LED 53 is not limited to the head 50 .
- the LED 53 may be provided in the torso 10 , the arms 20 , or the legs 40 to indicate the degree of fatigue or damage of the robot-toy body 100 or each body part. In a case where the robot toy is provided with a weapon or tool, the LED 53 may be provided on the weapon or tool.
- FIG. 10 shows a circuit configuration of the robot-toy body 100 .
- the robot-toy body 100 includes a control unit 81 , a transmitting/receiving unit 82 , the motor 70 , the push switch 52 , and the LED 53 .
- the control unit 81 receives an operation-control signal from the controller 200 via the transmitting/receiving unit 82 .
- the motor 70 controls the movement of the robot-toy body 100 .
- the control unit 81 receives a signal from the push switch 52 , and controls lighting of the LED 53 and controls operation of the motor 70 in accordance with the number of punches the body has received.
- the control unit 81 transmits a signal indicating that the body gets punched to the controller 200 via the transmitting/receiving unit 82 every time the robot-toy body 100 receives a punch.
- control unit 81 activates the motor 70 for a certain time necessary for throwing a punch and forwarding the robot-toy body 100 , and subsequently stops the motor 70 .
- the controller 200 includes the left operating unit 210 and the right operating unit 220 .
- Each of the left operating unit 210 and the right operating unit 220 is a size that can be held by one hand.
- the left operating unit 210 and the right operating unit 220 are electrically connected to a cable 230 .
- FIG. 11 shows a circuit configuration of the controller 200 .
- the controller 200 includes a control unit 230 , a transmitting/receiving unit 231 , a left sensor 232 , a right sensor 233 , and a speaker 234 .
- the control unit 230 , the transmitting/receiving unit 231 , the right sensor 233 , and the speaker 234 are provided in the right operating unit 220 , whereas the left sensor 232 is provided in the left operating unit 210 .
- the transmitting/receiving unit 231 and the speaker 234 may be provided in the left operating unit 210 .
- the control unit 230 When the left sensor 232 detects shaking of the left operating unit 210 , the control unit 230 generates an operation-control signal for the left side, and transmits the operation-control signal for the left side to the robot-toy body 100 via the transmitting/receiving unit 231 .
- the control unit 230 when the right sensor 233 detects shaking of the right operating unit 220 , the control unit 230 generates an operation-control signal for the right side, and transmits the operation-control signal for the right side to the robot-toy body 100 via the transmitting/receiving unit 231 .
- control unit 230 When the control unit 230 receives a signal, which indicates that the robot-toy body 100 gets a punch, from the robot-toy body 100 via the transmitting/receiving unit 231 , the control unit 230 outputs a punching sound or the like through the speaker 234 in response to the signal.
- the controller 200 may include a recharger for the robot-toy body 100 .
- the rotary board 72 rotates clockwise in a planer view, and the left-lever operation touching unit 75 a in the rotary board 72 comes into contact with the upper end portion of the left lever 42 from behind to push out the upper end portion of the left lever 42 frontward. Then, the lever 42 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 5A against the biasing force of the spring 44 . At this time, the click 47 a of the catch 47 in the lever 42 is engaged with a tooth of the toothed wheel 46 to lock the front wheel 45 . Thus, the front wheel 45 pushes the floor so that the left leg 41 a moves forward.
- the right leg 41 b Since the right-lever operation touching unit 75 b in the rotary board 72 does not come into contact with the upper end portion of the right lever 42 , the right leg 41 b does not so much move forward; however, due to the rear wheel 48 in the right leg 41 b , the right leg 41 b moves forward to some extent.
- the left lever 42 returns to its original position due to the biasing force of the spring 44 after the motor 70 stops moving.
- the left input-link-operation touching unit 76 a in the rotary board 72 comes into contact with the link 27 from behind, thereby pushing the link 47 forward. Consequently, the link 47 allows the upper arm 23 and the lower arm 24 to move forward against the biasing force of gravity, whereby the body throws a punch with the left arm 21 a.
- the left arm 21 a returns to its original position due to its own weight after the motor 70 stops moving.
- the rotary board 72 rotates counterclockwise in a planer view, and the right-lever operation touching unit 75 b in the rotary board 72 comes into contact with the upper end portion of the right lever 42 from behind to push forward the upper end portion of the lever 42 . Consequently, the lever 42 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 5A against the biasing force of the spring 57 . At this time, the click 47 a of the catch 47 in the lever 42 is engaged with a tooth of the toothed wheel 46 , thereby locking the front wheel 45 . Thus, the front wheel 45 pushes the floor so that the right leg 41 b moves forward.
- the left leg 41 a Since the left-lever operation touching unit 75 a in the rotary board 72 does not come into contact with the upper end portion of the right lever 42 , the left leg 41 a does not so much move forward; however, due to the rear wheel 48 in the left leg 41 a , the left leg 41 a moves forward to some extent.
- the right lever 42 returns to its original position due to the urge of the spring 44 after the motor 70 stops moving.
- the right input-link-operation touching unit 76 b in the rotary board 72 comes into contact with the link 47 from behind, thereby pushing the link 47 forward. Consequently, the link 47 allows the upper arm 23 and the lower arm 24 to move forward against the biasing force of gravity, whereby the body throws a punch with a right arm 21 b.
- the left arm 21 b returns to its original position due to its own weight after the motor 70 stops moving.
- the lever 42 in the thrust mechanism B pushes the floor and the leg on the same side as the arm that has thrown the punch moves forward.
- the moving direction of the robot-toy body can be controlled easily.
- the robot toy when the bottom half portion of the lever 42 moves from the front to the back, the front wheel 45 is locked. As a result, the robot-toy body 100 can effectively move forward by pushing the floor. On the other hand, when the bottom half portion of the lever 42 moves from the front to the back, the front wheel 45 is released and rolls, which halts the robot-toy body 100 . Thus, the advance movement of the robot-toy body 100 is ensured.
- the rotary board 72 rotates about a shaft (the body of the motor 70 ), which extends vertically just below the torso 10 .
- the levers 42 move by being touched by the left-lever operation touching unit 75 a and the right-lever operation touching unit 75 b formed on the periphery of the rotary board 72 .
- one push of the levers 42 allows the robot-toy body 100 to move forward by a long distance.
- the rotary board 72 actuates not only the thrust mechanism B but also the arm actuating mechanism A, which allows the structure of the driving unit C to be simple.
- the body assumes a ready position where the left and right arms 21 a and 21 b are bent due to their own weights in a normal condition.
- the robot toy of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various changes may be made within the scope of the present invention.
- the robot toy is constructed to throw a punch in the above embodiment, the robot toy may throw a slap in sumo wrestling.
- the LED 53 has the modes of “on”, “flashing”, and “off” in the above embodiment, variations of lighting color may be employed in place of, or in addition to these three modes. With a variation of lighting color, a robot toy and an opponent robot toy may easily be distinguished by the color in a play fighting.
- the way of playing may include different variations.
- three or more robot-toy bodies 100 may play tag.
- red is assigned to a robot-toy body 100 of “it”, and blue is assigned to the other robot-toy bodies 100 .
- red is assigned to a robot-toy body 100 of “it”
- blue is assigned to the other robot-toy bodies 100 .
- the robot-toy body 100 with a blue light gets punched, the color of the robot-toy body 100 which has been punched turns red, and the color of the robot-toy body 100 that has thrown the punch turns blue.
- the robot toy of the present invention can be employed in toy manufacturing, for example.
Abstract
A robot toy includes a body and a controller. The body includes right and left arms, legs, arm-actuating mechanisms, thrust mechanisms, and a driving unit. The arms can be extended forward and back, and are pulled back by a predetermined biasing force in a normal condition. The arm-actuating mechanisms provided at the respective arms allow the corresponding arms to be extended in front of the body against the biasing force. The thrust mechanisms provided at the respective legs allow the corresponding legs to move forward. The driving unit drives one of a pair of the left arm-actuating mechanism and the left thrust mechanism and a pair of the right arm-actuating mechanism and the right thrust mechanism. The driving unit simultaneously drives the arm-actuating mechanism and the thrust mechanism in the same pair.
Description
- The present invention relates to a robot toy.
- Conventionally, robot toys have been known that are configured so that the robot-toy body moves forward in association with the movement in play fighting (For example, Patent Literature 1).
- In such a robot, when the torso of the body is rotated, its arms are rotated in conjunction with it. When the rotation of the torso is stopped, impact force produced by the stopping is transmitted to the hip, from which legs extend. Guidance wheels disposed at the toes of the legs, in turn, move the lower body along its inertial force, enabling the body to move forward.
- Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 2701121
- The robot toy disclosed in
Patent Literature 1 is configured so that a robot-toy body moves forward by the impact force produced in stopping the rotation of the torso. This configuration makes it difficult to control the direction in which the body moves. Thus, when two toy robots are to fight in a match, it is difficult to make the two bodies face each other. - It is an object of the present invention to provide a robot toy which enables easy control of the moving direction of the robot-toy body.
- The first means is a robot toy including: a robot-toy body including a control unit; and a controller which remotely controls the robot body via the control unit, the robot-toy body including: right and left arms each connected to a torso, wherein states of each of the right and left arms include a state of being extended forward and being pulled back, and wherein each of the right and left arms is pulled back by a predetermined biasing force in a normal condition; right and left legs each connected to a hip; right and left arm-actuating mechanisms provided at the right and left arms, respectively, wherein each of the arm-actuating mechanisms allows the corresponding arm to be extended in front of the robot-toy body against the biasing force; right and left thrust mechanisms provided at the right and left legs, respectively, wherein each of the thrust mechanisms allows the corresponding leg to push a floor so that the leg moves forward; and a driving unit which selectively and simultaneously drives a pair of the left arm-actuating mechanism and the left thrust mechanism and a pair of the right arm-actuating mechanism and the right thrust mechanism.
- The second means is the robot toy of the first means, wherein each of the right and left arms includes an upper arm and a lower arm which are bent and stretched with respect to each other; when the right and left arms are pulled back, the upper arm and the lower arm of each of the right and left arms are bent with respect to each other, so that the robot-toy body assumes a ready position; and when one of the right and left arms is extended forward, the upper arm and the lower arm of the extended arm are stretched with respect to each other, so that the robot-toy body assumes a punching position.
- The third means is the robot toy of the second means, wherein each of the thrust mechanisms includes: a lever extending vertically in an interior of the corresponding leg, the lever being supported rotatably with a shaft in the middle of the lever such that a bottom end portion of the lever moves back and forth; a wheel provided at the bottom end portion of the lever; and a clutch mechanism which locks the wheel when the bottom end portion of the lever moves backward, and which releases the wheel when the bottom end portion of the lever moves forward, and wherein a movement of the lever allows the corresponding leg to move forward.
- The fourth means is the robot toy of the third means, wherein the driving unit includes a rotary board which is rotatable about a shaft vertically extending just below the torso, the rotary board including right and left lever-operation touching units corresponding to the right and left levers, respectively; and when one of the right and left levers is touched by the corresponding lever-operation touching unit, the touched lever moves.
- The fifth means is the robot toy of the fourth means, wherein each of the arm-actuating mechanisms includes a four-bar linkage mechanism, wherein the four-bar linkage mechanism includes a supporting unit which supports the upper arm; the upper arm; the lower arm; and a link disposed between the supporting unit and the lower arm, and wherein one of the upper arm and the link serves as an input link; the rotary board includes right and left input-link-operation touching units corresponding to the right and left input links, respectively; and when one of the right and left input links is touched by the corresponding input-link-operation touching unit, the touched input link moves.
- The sixth means is the robot toy of any one of the first to fifth means, wherein the predetermined biasing force is the arm's own weight; and, in the normal condition, the robot-toy body assumes a ready position where each of the right and left arms is bent due to its own weight.
- According to the first and second means, the thrust mechanism pushes the floor, and the leg on the same side as the arm that has thrown a punch moves forward. As a result, the moving direction of the robot-toy body can be controlled easily.
- According to the third means, when the bottom end portion of the lever moves from the front to the back, the wheel is locked. As a result, the robot-toy body can effectively move forward by pushing the floor. On the other hand, when the bottom end portion of the lever moves from the front to the back, the wheel is released and rolls, which halts the robot-toy body. Thus, the advance movement of the robot-toy body is ensured.
- According to the fourth means, the rotary board rotates about the shaft which extends vertically just below the torso. Thereby, the lever moves by being touched by the lever-operation touching unit formed on the periphery of the rotary board. As a result, one push of the lever allows the robot-toy body to move forward by a long distance.
- According to the fifth means, the rotary board actuates not only the thrust mechanism but also the arm actuating mechanism, which allows the structure of the driving unit to be simple.
- According to the sixth means, the body assumes a ready position where the left and right arms are bent due to their own weights in a normal condition. This eliminates the need for a biasing means, such as a spring, to make the ready position, which allows the structure of the robot-toy body to be simple.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a robot toy according to the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the body of the robot toy shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of right and left arms of the robot-toy body shown inFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an arm-actuating mechanism of the robot-toy body shown inFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view showing a state of a leg of the robot-toy body shown inFIG. 2 which starts moving; -
FIG. 5B illustrates a state of the leg of the robot-toy body shown inFIG. 2 which stops moving; -
FIG. 6 is an elevation view of a driving unit, an arm-actuating mechanism, and a thrust mechanism of the robot-toy body shown inFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a state of a rotary board, obliquely viewed from above, in the robot-toy body shown inFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing a state of the rotary board, obliquely viewed from below, in the robot-toy body shown inFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a motor and a gear array in the driving unit of the robot-toy body shown inFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the head of the robot-toy body shown inFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the robot-toy body shown inFIG. 2 ; and -
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a controller of the robot toy shown inFIG. 2 . - A robot toy of the present invention will now be described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.
- The robot toy includes a robot-
toy body 100 and acontroller 200. The robot-toy body 100 assumes a ready position in a normal condition. - With this robot toy, the robot-
toy body 100 is moved by shaking aleft operating unit 210 and aright operating unit 220 of thecontroller 200. - The actual operation of the robot toy will now be described. With the robot-
toy body 100, when theleft operating unit 210 of thecontroller 200 is shaken, the robot-toy body 100 actively moves forward itsleft leg 41 a alone, and at the same time, throws an uppercut with aleft arm 21 a. Subsequently, theleft arm 21 a returns to its original position due to its own weight. - On the other hand, when the
right operating unit 220 of thecontroller 200 is shaken, the robot-toy body 100 actively moves forward itsright leg 41 b alone, and at the same time, throws a hook with aright arm 21 b. Subsequently, theright arm 21 b returns to its original position due to its own weight. - In order to play fighting, a plurality of such robot toys are used.
- If the robot-
toy body 100 gets a punch in the face, a jaw of ahead 50 drops, and the color of thehead 50 changes in accordance with the number of punches that the body gets. If the robot toy gets a predetermined number of punches, the robot-toy body 100 automatically halts. In this case, after a user keeps the jaw of thehead 50 held down for a predetermined time, the robot-toy body 100 is reactivated. - Details of the robot toy will now be described hereinafter.
- As shown in
FIG. 2 , the robot-toy body 100 includes atorso 10,arms 20, ahip 30,legs 40 and thehead 50. Thetorso 10, thehip 30, and thelegs 40 are connected to each other. Aback board 60 of thetorso 10 includes a battery and a circuit board with various circuit components. Thehead 50 is connected to thetorso 10. - The
left arm 21 a and theright arm 21 b are connected to thetorso 10. Theleft arm 21 a and theright arm 21 b substantially have the same configurations; therefore, they are described in reference to the same reference numerals hereinafter unless otherwise noted. - As shown in
FIG. 3 , theleft arm 21 a and theright arm 21 b each include an arm base (supporting unit) 22, anupper arm 23, alower arm 24, and a first 25. The first 25 is attached to the end of thelower arm 24. - The
arm base 22 is fixed to the side of thetorso 10. - A base end portion of the
upper arm 23 is fixed to thearm base 22 through ashaft 26 a, whereby theupper arm 23 can rotate about theshaft 26 a. - A base end portion of the
lower arm 24 is connected to another end of theupper arm 23 through ashaft 26 b, whereby thelower arm 24 can rotate about theshaft 26 b. - A base end portion of a
link 27 is connected to thearm base 22 through ashaft 26 c so that the base end portion of thelink 27 is disposed away from theshaft 26 b. Another end of thelink 27 is connected to a part of thelower arm 24 through ashaft 26 d so that the end of thelink 27 is disposed away from theshaft 26 b. - Preferably, a variety of
interchangeable fists 25 with various weights may be prepared. In this case, a user may choose its style according to his/her preference. For example, a heavier first 25 makes a strong punch but makes it hard to pound. On the other hand, a lighter first 25 compromises the power of the punch but makes it easy to pound. - Alternatively, the length of the
arms 20 may be varied. For example, thearms 20 may be detachably attached to thetorso 10, and a variety ofinterchangeable arms 20 with various lengths may be prepared. In this case, a user may choose its style according to his/her preference. For example,long arms 20 keep a long distance from theother body 100 but make it hard to pound. On the other hand,short arms 20 keep only a short distance to theother body 100 but make it easy to pound. - The
arm base 22, theupper arm 23, thelower arm 24, and thelink 27 constitute an arm-actuating mechanism A that is a four-bar linkage mechanism. Thelink 27 serves as an input unit of the arm-actuating mechanism A. -
FIG. 4 schematically shows the arm-actuating mechanism A. - In the arm-actuating mechanism A, when a force F is applied to the
link 27, thelink 27 rotates about theshaft 26 c, which actuates theupper arm 23 and thelower arm 24, thereby throwing a punch, as indicated by the two-dot chain line. - With the robot-
toy body 100, a punch thrown by theleft arm 21 a and a punch thrown theright arm 21 b are different from each other. After the robot-toy body 100 throws a punch, theleft arm 21 a and theright arm 21 b return to their original position by their own weights. - Namely, the orientation of the
arm base 22 and the initial positional relationship between theupper arm 23 and thelower arm 24 are determined such that theleft arm 21 a moves so as to throw an uppercut in boxing, and then returns to its original position by its own weight. - On the other hand, the orientation of the
arm base 22 and the initial positional relationship between theupper arm 23 and thelower arm 24 are determined such that theright arm 21 b moves so as to throw a hook in boxing, and then returns to its original position by its own weight. - With the present embodiment, the
left arm 21 a and theright arm 21 b return to their original positions by their own weights. Alternatively, a spring may be used to bring the arms back. - The
left leg 41 a and theright leg 41 b are fixed to thehip 30. Theleft leg 41 a and theright leg 41 b substantially have the same configurations; therefore, they are described in reference to the same reference numerals hereinafter unless otherwise noted. - As shown in
FIG. 5A , alever 42 is provided in each interior of theleft leg 41 a and theright leg 41 b. Thelever 42 extends from the vicinity of the sole of theleft leg 41 a/right leg 41 b to just above thehip 30. The bottom half of thelever 42 is bent to form a depression which faces front direction. The bottom half of thelever 42 has elasticity. Thelever 42 can rotate about ahorizontal shaft 43 disposed in the middle. The bottom half portion of thelever 42 is biased forwardly by aspring 44 disposed between the bottom part of theleft leg 41 a/right leg 41 b and a fixingunit 44 a of theleft leg 41 a/right leg 41 b. The “bottom half” refers to the portion below theshaft 43 herein. - A
front wheel 45 is fixed to the bottom half of thelever 42 such that thefront wheel 45 partially protrudes from the sole of theleft leg 41 a/right leg 41 b. Atoothed wheel 46 is integrated with thefront wheel 45 on the inner surface of thefront wheel 45, and shares a shaft with thefront wheel 45. Ashaft 45 a for thefront wheel 45 and thetoothed wheel 46 lies through anoblong opening 45 b disposed at the bottom of thelever 42. Theshaft 45 a can shift and rotate within theoblong opening 45 b. - A
catch 47 is disposed at the bottom half of thelever 42. Aclick 47 a of thecatch 47 is disposed so as to face thetoothed wheel 46. - Each of the
left leg 41 a and theright leg 41 b is formed such that the heel portion extends backward. Arear wheel 48 is provided at the rear end of the extending heel portion. Therear wheel 48 is grounded. Therear wheel 48 helps to prevent the robot-toy body 100 from turning due to the impact from a punch, and helps the robot-toy body 100 to proceed straight forward to some extent. Preferably, a variety of interchangeable rear wheels with various weights may be prepared. In this case, a user can choose its style according to his/her preference. For example, a heavyrear wheel 48 makes a strong punch but the body moves slowly. On the other hand, a lightrear wheel 48 makes a weakened punch, but the body moves quickly. - A thrust mechanism B is composed of the
lever 42, thefront wheel 45, thetoothed wheel 46, and thecatch 47. The top end of thelever 42 serves as an input unit of the thrust mechanism B. - The operation of the thrust mechanism B will now be described.
- The initial position of the top end of the
lever 42 is a rear position due to the biasing force of thespring 44 in the thrust mechanism B (SeeFIG. 5A ). When a force F is applied to the top end of thelever 42 from the rear, thelever 42 rotates counterclockwise in the drawing about theshaft 43 against the biasing force of thespring 44. At this time, thefront wheel 45 is strongly pushed against the floor, which shifts theshaft 45 a of thefront wheel 45 in a direction toward theclick 47 a of thecatch 47 within theoblong opening 45 b. Then, theclick 47 a of thecatch 47 is engaged with a tooth of thetoothed wheel 46, thereby locking thefront wheel 45. As a result, thefront wheel 45 pushes the floor by the movement of thelever 42, whereby the leg corresponding to thelever 42 moves forward (SeeFIG. 5B ). - Subsequently, when the force F applied to the top end of the
lever 42 is eliminated, thelever 42 rotates clockwise in the drawing about theshaft 43 due to the biasing force of thespring 44. In this case, theoblong opening 45 b allows theshaft 45 a of thefront wheel 45 to shift more slowly than theclick 47 a of thecatch 47 does, whereby theclick 47 a of thecatch 47 is disengaged from the tooth of thetoothed wheel 46, and then thefront wheel 45 is released. Consequently, thefront wheel 45 rolls so that the leg corresponding to thelever 42 remains in the halting state. - Thus, the shaft within the
oblong opening 45 b supports thefront wheel 45 and thetoothed wheel 46, and the teeth of thetoothed wheel 46 face theclick 47 a of thecatch 47, which enables a one-way clutch mechanism, and the robot-toy body 100 can move effectively. The one-way clutch mechanism is not limited to the one illustrated in the drawing. -
FIG. 6 is an elevation view showing the configuration of a driving unit C, the arm-actuating mechanism A, and the thrust mechanism B. - The driving unit C includes a
motor 70 which can forwardly and reversely rotate. Themotor 70 actuates the arm-actuating mechanism A and the thrust mechanism B via agear array 71 and arotary board 72. -
FIG. 7A is a perspective view of therotary board 72 viewed obliquely from above, andFIG. 7B is a perspective view of therotary board 72 viewed obliquely from below. - The
rotary board 72 includes a small-radius section 73 in the front, a large-radius section 74 in the rear, and a steppedsection 75 in the middle, the radius of the steppedsection 75 being gradually increased to connect the small-radius section 73 with the large-radius section 74. - A
circular opening 76 is provided in the front part of therotary board 72, and the body of themotor 70 lies through thecircular opening 76. Therotary board 72 can rotate around the body of themotor 70 serving as a shaft. - A left-end wall of the large-
radius section 74 composes a left-leveroperation touching unit 75 a, and a right-end wall composes a right-leveroperation touching unit 75 b. When therotary board 72 rotates clockwise in a planer view, the left-leveroperation touching unit 75 a touches theleft lever 42 from behind to operate theleft lever 42. On the other hand, when therotary board 72 rotates counterclockwise in a planer view, the right-leveroperation touching unit 75 b touches theright lever 42 from behind to operate theright lever 42. - With the
rotary board 72, a left input-link-operation touching unit 76 a and a right input-link-operation touching unit 76 b are formed on the left and right sides of the steppedsection 75, respectively, such that the left input-link-operation touching unit 76 a and the right input-link-operation touching unit 76 b protrude outward. When therotary board 72 rotates clockwise in a planer view, the left input-link-operation touching unit 76 a touches theleft link 27 from the rear to operate theleft arm 21 a. On the other hand, when therotary board 72 rotates counterclockwise in a planer view, the right input-link-operation touching unit 76 b touches theright link 27 from the rear to operate theright arm 21 b. - An
internal gear 77 having a semicircular arc shape is arranged below therotary board 72 across the steppedsection 75 and the large-radius section 74. - The
gear array 71 will now be described. As shown in FIG. 8, thegear 71 includes agear 71 a provided on the motor shaft; a large-radius gear 71 b engageable with thegear 71 a; a small-radius gear 71 c integrally formed with the large-radius gear 71 b; a large-radius gear 71 d engageable with the small-radius gear 71 c; a small-radius gear 71 e engageable with theinternal gear 77, which small-radius gear 71 e is integrally formed with the large-radius gear 71 d. Having this configuration, therotary board 72 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise in a planer view in accordance with the direction in which themotor 70 rotates. - As shown in
FIG. 9 , thehead 50 is attached to abracket 11, which is provided on the upper face of thetorso 10, through a shaft 12. Thehead 50 can swing backward and frontward about the shaft 12. - The shaft 12 supports the upper part of the
head 50, and thehead 50 stands upright due to its own weight. When thehead 50 gets a punch in the face, thehead 50 tilts forward. As shown inFIG. 9 , when thehead 50 tilts forward, an touchingunit 51 in thehead 50 hits apush switch 52, and thereby, it is determined that there is a punch in the face. Alternatively, a leaf switch may be used instead of thepush switch 52. - An LED (light-emitting diode) 53 is provided inside the face on the head 50 (See
FIG. 10 ). TheLED 53 has modes of “on”, “flashing”, and “off”. TheLED 53 displays the degree of damage in accordance with the number of punches, for example. The installing location of theLED 53 is not limited to thehead 50. TheLED 53 may be provided in thetorso 10, thearms 20, or thelegs 40 to indicate the degree of fatigue or damage of the robot-toy body 100 or each body part. In a case where the robot toy is provided with a weapon or tool, theLED 53 may be provided on the weapon or tool. -
FIG. 10 shows a circuit configuration of the robot-toy body 100. The robot-toy body 100 includes acontrol unit 81, a transmitting/receivingunit 82, themotor 70, thepush switch 52, and theLED 53. Thecontrol unit 81 receives an operation-control signal from thecontroller 200 via the transmitting/receivingunit 82. In response to the operation-control signal, themotor 70 controls the movement of the robot-toy body 100. Thecontrol unit 81 receives a signal from thepush switch 52, and controls lighting of theLED 53 and controls operation of themotor 70 in accordance with the number of punches the body has received. Thecontrol unit 81 transmits a signal indicating that the body gets punched to thecontroller 200 via the transmitting/receivingunit 82 every time the robot-toy body 100 receives a punch. - Every time the
left operating unit 210 or theright operating unit 220 of thecontroller 200 is shaken once, thecontrol unit 81 activates themotor 70 for a certain time necessary for throwing a punch and forwarding the robot-toy body 100, and subsequently stops themotor 70. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , thecontroller 200 includes theleft operating unit 210 and theright operating unit 220. Each of theleft operating unit 210 and theright operating unit 220 is a size that can be held by one hand. Theleft operating unit 210 and theright operating unit 220 are electrically connected to acable 230. -
FIG. 11 shows a circuit configuration of thecontroller 200. Thecontroller 200 includes acontrol unit 230, a transmitting/receivingunit 231, aleft sensor 232, aright sensor 233, and aspeaker 234. Thecontrol unit 230, the transmitting/receivingunit 231, theright sensor 233, and thespeaker 234 are provided in theright operating unit 220, whereas theleft sensor 232 is provided in theleft operating unit 210. It should be noted that the transmitting/receivingunit 231 and thespeaker 234 may be provided in theleft operating unit 210. - When the
left sensor 232 detects shaking of theleft operating unit 210, thecontrol unit 230 generates an operation-control signal for the left side, and transmits the operation-control signal for the left side to the robot-toy body 100 via the transmitting/receivingunit 231. On the other hand, when theright sensor 233 detects shaking of theright operating unit 220, thecontrol unit 230 generates an operation-control signal for the right side, and transmits the operation-control signal for the right side to the robot-toy body 100 via the transmitting/receivingunit 231. - When the
control unit 230 receives a signal, which indicates that the robot-toy body 100 gets a punch, from the robot-toy body 100 via the transmitting/receivingunit 231, thecontrol unit 230 outputs a punching sound or the like through thespeaker 234 in response to the signal. - The
controller 200 may include a recharger for the robot-toy body 100. - (1) In Case where
Left Operating Unit 210 is Operated: - The
rotary board 72 rotates clockwise in a planer view, and the left-leveroperation touching unit 75 a in therotary board 72 comes into contact with the upper end portion of theleft lever 42 from behind to push out the upper end portion of theleft lever 42 frontward. Then, thelever 42 rotates counterclockwise inFIG. 5A against the biasing force of thespring 44. At this time, theclick 47 a of thecatch 47 in thelever 42 is engaged with a tooth of thetoothed wheel 46 to lock thefront wheel 45. Thus, thefront wheel 45 pushes the floor so that theleft leg 41 a moves forward. - Since the right-lever
operation touching unit 75 b in therotary board 72 does not come into contact with the upper end portion of theright lever 42, theright leg 41 b does not so much move forward; however, due to therear wheel 48 in theright leg 41 b, theright leg 41 b moves forward to some extent. - The
left lever 42 returns to its original position due to the biasing force of thespring 44 after themotor 70 stops moving. - The left input-link-
operation touching unit 76 a in therotary board 72 comes into contact with thelink 27 from behind, thereby pushing thelink 47 forward. Consequently, thelink 47 allows theupper arm 23 and thelower arm 24 to move forward against the biasing force of gravity, whereby the body throws a punch with theleft arm 21 a. - At this time, since the right input-link-
operation touching unit 76 b in therotary board 72 does not come into contact with theright link 47, theright arm 21 b does not move due to its own weight. - The
left arm 21 a returns to its original position due to its own weight after themotor 70 stops moving. - (2) In Case where
Right Operating Unit 220 is Operated: - The
rotary board 72 rotates counterclockwise in a planer view, and the right-leveroperation touching unit 75 b in therotary board 72 comes into contact with the upper end portion of theright lever 42 from behind to push forward the upper end portion of thelever 42. Consequently, thelever 42 rotates counterclockwise inFIG. 5A against the biasing force of the spring 57. At this time, theclick 47 a of thecatch 47 in thelever 42 is engaged with a tooth of thetoothed wheel 46, thereby locking thefront wheel 45. Thus, thefront wheel 45 pushes the floor so that theright leg 41 b moves forward. - Since the left-lever
operation touching unit 75 a in therotary board 72 does not come into contact with the upper end portion of theright lever 42, theleft leg 41 a does not so much move forward; however, due to therear wheel 48 in theleft leg 41 a, theleft leg 41 a moves forward to some extent. - The
right lever 42 returns to its original position due to the urge of thespring 44 after themotor 70 stops moving. - The right input-link-
operation touching unit 76 b in therotary board 72 comes into contact with thelink 47 from behind, thereby pushing thelink 47 forward. Consequently, thelink 47 allows theupper arm 23 and thelower arm 24 to move forward against the biasing force of gravity, whereby the body throws a punch with aright arm 21 b. - At this time, since the left input-link-
operation touching unit 76 a in therotary board 72 does not come into contact with theright link 47, theleft arm 21 a does not move due to its own weight. - The
left arm 21 b returns to its original position due to its own weight after themotor 70 stops moving. - According to the robot toy, when a punch is thrown, the
lever 42 in the thrust mechanism B pushes the floor and the leg on the same side as the arm that has thrown the punch moves forward. As a result, the moving direction of the robot-toy body can be controlled easily. - Furthermore, according to the robot toy, when the bottom half portion of the
lever 42 moves from the front to the back, thefront wheel 45 is locked. As a result, the robot-toy body 100 can effectively move forward by pushing the floor. On the other hand, when the bottom half portion of thelever 42 moves from the front to the back, thefront wheel 45 is released and rolls, which halts the robot-toy body 100. Thus, the advance movement of the robot-toy body 100 is ensured. - According to the robot toy, the
rotary board 72 rotates about a shaft (the body of the motor 70), which extends vertically just below thetorso 10. Thereby, thelevers 42 move by being touched by the left-leveroperation touching unit 75 a and the right-leveroperation touching unit 75 b formed on the periphery of therotary board 72. As a result, one push of thelevers 42 allows the robot-toy body 100 to move forward by a long distance. - Moreover, according to the robot toy, the
rotary board 72 actuates not only the thrust mechanism B but also the arm actuating mechanism A, which allows the structure of the driving unit C to be simple. - Furthermore, according to the robot toy, the body assumes a ready position where the left and
right arms toy body 100 to be simple. - The robot toy of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various changes may be made within the scope of the present invention.
- Although the robot toy is constructed to throw a punch in the above embodiment, the robot toy may throw a slap in sumo wrestling.
- Further, although the
LED 53 has the modes of “on”, “flashing”, and “off” in the above embodiment, variations of lighting color may be employed in place of, or in addition to these three modes. With a variation of lighting color, a robot toy and an opponent robot toy may easily be distinguished by the color in a play fighting. - Moreover, the way of playing may include different variations.
- For example, three or more robot-
toy bodies 100 may play tag. - Specifically, red is assigned to a robot-
toy body 100 of “it”, and blue is assigned to the other robot-toy bodies 100. When a robot-toy body 100 with a blue light gets punched, the color of the robot-toy body 100 which has been punched turns red. The last robot-toy body 100 with a blue light wins. Alternatively, in the tag, red is assigned to a robot-toy body 100 of “it”, and blue is assigned to the other robot-toy bodies 100. When the robot-toy body 100 with a blue light gets punched, the color of the robot-toy body 100 which has been punched turns red, and the color of the robot-toy body 100 that has thrown the punch turns blue. - The robot toy of the present invention can be employed in toy manufacturing, for example.
-
- 100 robot-toy body
- 10 torso
- 20 arm
- 21 a, 21 b arm
- 22 arm base (supporting unit)
- 23 upper arm
- 24 lower arm
- 27 link
- 30 hip
- 40 leg
- 41 a, 41 b leg
- 42 lever
- 45 front wheel
- 46 toothed wheel
- 47 catch
- 50 head
- 70 motor
- 71 gear array
- 72 rotary board
- 200 controller
- A arm-actuating mechanism
- B thrust mechanism
- C driving unit
Claims (11)
1-6. (canceled)
7. A robot toy comprising:
a robot-toy body including a control unit; and
a controller which remotely controls the robot body via the control unit,
wherein the robot-toy body includes:
right and left arms each connected to a torso,
wherein states of each of the right and left arms include a state of being extended forward and being pulled back, and
wherein each of the right and left arms is pulled back by a predetermined biasing force in a normal condition;
right and left legs each connected to a hip;
right and left arm-actuating mechanisms provided at the right and left arms, respectively,
wherein each of the arm-actuating mechanisms allows the corresponding arm to be extended in front of the robot-toy body against the biasing force;
right and left thrust mechanisms provided at the right and left legs, respectively,
wherein each of the thrust mechanisms allows the corresponding leg to push against a support so that the leg moves forward; and
a driving unit which selectively and simultaneously drives a pair of the left arm-actuating mechanism and the left thrust mechanism and a pair of the right arm-actuating mechanism and the right thrust mechanism.
8. The robot toy according to claim 7 , wherein
each of the right and left arms includes an upper arm and a lower arm which are bent and stretched with respect to each other;
when the right and left arms are pulled back, the upper arm and the lower arm of each of the right and left arms are bent with respect to each other, so that the robot-toy body assumes a ready position; and
when one of the right and left arms is extended forward, the upper arm and the lower arm of the extended arm are stretched with respect to each other, so that the robot-toy body assumes a punching position.
9. The robot toy according to claim 8 , wherein
each of the thrust mechanisms comprises:
a lever extending vertically in an interior of the corresponding leg, the lever being supported rotatably with a shaft in the middle of the lever such that a bottom end portion of the lever moves back and forth;
a wheel provided at the bottom end portion of the lever; and
a clutch mechanism which locks the wheel when the bottom end portion of the lever moves backward, and which releases the wheel when the bottom end portion of the lever moves forward, and wherein
a movement of the lever allows the corresponding leg to move forward.
10. The robot toy according to claim 9 , wherein
the driving unit comprises a rotary board which is rotatable about a shaft vertically extending just below the torso, the rotary board including right and left lever-operation touching units corresponding to the right and left levers, respectively; and
when one of the right and left levers is touched by the corresponding lever-operation touching unit, the touched lever moves.
11. The robot toy according to claim 10 , wherein
each of the arm-actuating mechanisms includes a linkage mechanism having a supporting unit which supports the upper arm; the upper arm; the lower arm; and a link disposed between the supporting unit and the lower arm, and wherein one of the upper arm and the link serves as an input link;
the rotary board includes right and left input-link-operation touching units corresponding to the right and left input links, respectively; and
when one of the right and left input links is touched by the corresponding input-link-operation touching unit, the touched input link moves.
12. The robot toy according to claim 7 , wherein the predetermined biasing force is the arm's own weight; and
in the normal condition, the robot-toy body assumes a ready position where each of the right and left arms is bent due to its own weight.
13. The robot toy according to claim 8 , wherein
the predetermined biasing force is the arm's own weight; and
in the normal condition, the robot-toy body assumes a ready position where each of the right and left arms is bent due to its own weight.
14. The robot toy according to claim 9 , wherein
the predetermined biasing force is the arm's own weight; and
in the normal condition, the robot-toy body assumes a ready position where each of the right and left arms is bent due to its own weight.
15. The robot toy according to claim 10 , wherein
the predetermined biasing force is the arm's own weight; and
in the normal condition, the robot-toy body assumes a ready position where each of the right and left arms is bent due to its own weight.
16. The robot toy according to claim 11 , wherein
the predetermined biasing force is the arm's own weight; and
in the normal condition, the robot-toy body assumes a ready position where each of the right and left arms is bent due to its own weight.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/896,749 US8747179B2 (en) | 2012-01-31 | 2013-05-17 | Robot toy |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2012/052146 WO2013099299A1 (en) | 2012-01-31 | 2012-01-31 | Robot toy |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/896,749 Continuation US8747179B2 (en) | 2012-01-31 | 2013-05-17 | Robot toy |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20130203317A1 true US20130203317A1 (en) | 2013-08-08 |
Family
ID=48696825
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/695,513 Abandoned US20130203317A1 (en) | 2012-01-31 | 2012-01-31 | Robot toy |
US13/896,749 Active US8747179B2 (en) | 2012-01-31 | 2013-05-17 | Robot toy |
Family Applications After (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/896,749 Active US8747179B2 (en) | 2012-01-31 | 2013-05-17 | Robot toy |
Country Status (7)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US20130203317A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2662123A4 (en) |
JP (1) | JP5426775B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR20140126783A (en) |
CN (1) | CN203620240U (en) |
AU (1) | AU2012359758A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2013099299A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9333435B1 (en) * | 2014-11-26 | 2016-05-10 | Sejong Industry-Academia Cooperation Foundation, Hongik University | Customized 3D printing robot |
CN114570034A (en) * | 2020-11-30 | 2022-06-03 | 株式会社多美 | Toy system |
Families Citing this family (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2015111196A1 (en) | 2014-01-24 | 2015-07-30 | 株式会社タカラトミー | Toy |
CN104014131B (en) * | 2014-04-30 | 2016-08-17 | 岱山县宇圣工艺玩具有限公司 | The electronic toy that can dance |
CN105511260B (en) * | 2015-10-16 | 2018-08-21 | 深圳市天博智科技有限公司 | Humanoid robot and its exchange method and system are accompanied in a kind of children education |
CN106492468A (en) * | 2017-01-11 | 2017-03-15 | 深圳市皮皮高机器人有限公司 | A kind of toy machine Canis familiaris L. |
CN109876464A (en) * | 2019-03-29 | 2019-06-14 | 乐森机器人(深圳)有限公司 | A kind of fighter toy |
JP6964171B1 (en) * | 2020-10-09 | 2021-11-10 | 株式会社バンダイ | Directing output toys |
JP7069273B1 (en) * | 2020-11-02 | 2022-05-17 | 株式会社バンダイ | Movable shaft locking mechanism, movable shaft, and doll toys |
Family Cites Families (49)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
BE483490A (en) * | 1947-05-05 | |||
US2761243A (en) * | 1954-09-20 | 1956-09-04 | Ideal Toy Corp | Walking and crawling doll |
DE1193846B (en) * | 1959-02-02 | 1965-05-26 | Markes & Co Kommanditgesellsch | Freely movable robot figure on one level |
US3332165A (en) * | 1964-12-16 | 1967-07-25 | Losonczy Vince Ambrosio | Swimming figure toy |
JPH0736842B2 (en) | 1989-05-22 | 1995-04-26 | 株式会社トミー | Boxer doll and boxing game machine equipped with the doll |
JPH036324A (en) | 1989-05-31 | 1991-01-11 | Sumitomo Metal Ind Ltd | Press forming method for steel sheet excellent in formability |
US5046987A (en) | 1989-09-05 | 1991-09-10 | Simeon Djordjevic | Toy boxer arms |
US5100138A (en) | 1990-07-18 | 1992-03-31 | Wilde Mark S | Motorized mobile boxing robot |
ES2049139B1 (en) * | 1991-10-24 | 1996-11-01 | Onil Fab Agrup De Munecas | SKATING DOLL. |
US5355064A (en) | 1992-03-04 | 1994-10-11 | Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Control system for legged mobile robot |
JP3052564B2 (en) | 1992-04-28 | 2000-06-12 | 株式会社明電舎 | Dynamometer reverse rotation prevention device |
JP2528756Y2 (en) * | 1992-09-03 | 1997-03-12 | 株式会社バンダイ | Robot toys |
JP3006324B2 (en) | 1992-12-24 | 2000-02-07 | 富士ゼロックス株式会社 | Subband image encoding apparatus and method |
JP2538493B2 (en) * | 1993-01-18 | 1996-09-25 | 株式会社バンダイ | Robot toys |
JP3006324U (en) * | 1993-03-30 | 1995-01-24 | 株式会社トミー | Robot toys |
JP2701121B2 (en) * | 1993-05-19 | 1998-01-21 | 株式会社バンダイ | Robot toys |
JP3615566B2 (en) | 1994-05-25 | 2005-02-02 | 株式会社センテクリエイションズ | Movable doll body and movable doll body toy |
US5732953A (en) | 1994-12-20 | 1998-03-31 | Konami Co., Ltd. | Boxing game machine |
US5727982A (en) | 1996-04-12 | 1998-03-17 | Hasbro, Inc. | Action figure with rotating arm mechanism |
DE69734835T2 (en) | 1996-12-19 | 2006-07-20 | Honda Giken Kogyo K.K. | POSITIVE CONTROLLER ON A ROBOT MOVING ON LEGS |
US6022263A (en) | 1998-03-20 | 2000-02-08 | Lcd International, L.L.C. | Mechanical toy figures |
JP3298834B2 (en) * | 1998-10-14 | 2002-07-08 | 株式会社バンダイ | Positive cams and robot toys |
US6106359A (en) | 1999-01-29 | 2000-08-22 | Mattel, Inc. | Toy figure having weapon swinging action |
US6280286B1 (en) | 2000-02-03 | 2001-08-28 | Mattel, Inc. | Toy figure pair simulating combat |
JP2001259245A (en) * | 2000-03-15 | 2001-09-25 | Cube:Kk | Bipedal walking toy |
JP2001260063A (en) * | 2000-03-21 | 2001-09-25 | Sony Corp | Articulated robot and its action control method |
US6296543B1 (en) * | 2000-08-03 | 2001-10-02 | Mattel, Inc. | Toy figure having enhanced punching feature |
US6949003B2 (en) | 2000-09-28 | 2005-09-27 | All Season Toys, Inc. | Card interactive amusement device |
US6674259B1 (en) | 2000-10-06 | 2004-01-06 | Innovation First, Inc. | System and method for managing and controlling a robot competition |
US20020193045A1 (en) * | 2001-05-08 | 2002-12-19 | Lee James S. W. | Toy robot apparatus and method |
US6626731B2 (en) | 2001-05-14 | 2003-09-30 | Mattel, Inc. | Cable and rotor/linkage actuation system for animated toy mechanized movable limb |
JP3760186B2 (en) | 2001-06-07 | 2006-03-29 | 独立行政法人科学技術振興機構 | Biped walking type moving device, walking control device thereof, and walking control method |
USD461856S1 (en) | 2001-10-09 | 2002-08-20 | Peter Sui Lun Fong | Robot |
USD459412S1 (en) | 2001-10-09 | 2002-06-25 | Peter Sui Lun Fong | Robot |
JP3569764B2 (en) | 2001-11-19 | 2004-09-29 | 独立行政法人 科学技術振興機構 | Bipod walking type moving device, its walking control device, and walking control method |
US6736693B1 (en) | 2001-12-28 | 2004-05-18 | Lund And Company | Rolling and standing toy doll |
US6935919B2 (en) * | 2002-04-22 | 2005-08-30 | Peter Sui Lun Fong | Animation device for head, mouth, arms and body of a toy |
TW585126U (en) | 2002-04-30 | 2004-04-21 | Jr-Cheng Tsai | Doll with linked shoulder and swing arm |
US6672935B1 (en) | 2002-07-10 | 2004-01-06 | Lund & Company | Somersaulting figure |
AU2003289456A1 (en) | 2003-12-19 | 2005-07-14 | Kabushiki Kaisha Bandai | Robot toy, toy with at least a pair of leg parts, and toy with arm parts |
US7734375B2 (en) | 2004-06-09 | 2010-06-08 | Boston Dynamics | Robot and robot leg mechanism |
DE202005001923U1 (en) | 2005-02-04 | 2005-04-21 | Arora, Davander Kaur | Toy in form of robot has torso, head mounted on torso, legs jointed to torso arms jointed to torso, at least one with upper and lower arms jointed together; at least one body part can be moved using remote controller |
US7475881B2 (en) | 2005-11-03 | 2009-01-13 | Mattel, Inc. | Fighting figure game |
US7654881B2 (en) | 2006-06-12 | 2010-02-02 | Mattel, Inc. | Action figure with movable appendages |
JP4551893B2 (en) * | 2006-12-27 | 2010-09-29 | 株式会社タカラトミー | Robot toy |
WO2009044287A2 (en) | 2007-04-16 | 2009-04-09 | The Governors Of The University Of Calgary | Methods, devices, and systems for automated movements involving medical robots |
CN201235220Y (en) * | 2008-06-24 | 2009-05-13 | 邱良生 | Novel electric toy robot |
WO2010027811A2 (en) | 2008-08-25 | 2010-03-11 | Mattel, Inc. | Action toy |
KR101614336B1 (en) | 2009-06-08 | 2016-04-21 | 주식회사 로보빌더 | Fighter robot system |
-
2012
- 2012-01-31 CN CN201290000111.7U patent/CN203620240U/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2012-01-31 US US13/695,513 patent/US20130203317A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2012-01-31 AU AU2012359758A patent/AU2012359758A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2012-01-31 KR KR1020127029952A patent/KR20140126783A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2012-01-31 EP EP12775595.7A patent/EP2662123A4/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2012-01-31 WO PCT/JP2012/052146 patent/WO2013099299A1/en active Application Filing
- 2012-01-31 JP JP2012534483A patent/JP5426775B2/en active Active
-
2013
- 2013-05-17 US US13/896,749 patent/US8747179B2/en active Active
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9333435B1 (en) * | 2014-11-26 | 2016-05-10 | Sejong Industry-Academia Cooperation Foundation, Hongik University | Customized 3D printing robot |
CN114570034A (en) * | 2020-11-30 | 2022-06-03 | 株式会社多美 | Toy system |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP2662123A4 (en) | 2014-01-22 |
US8747179B2 (en) | 2014-06-10 |
CN203620240U (en) | 2014-06-04 |
JPWO2013099299A1 (en) | 2015-04-30 |
EP2662123A1 (en) | 2013-11-13 |
KR20140126783A (en) | 2014-11-03 |
JP5426775B2 (en) | 2014-02-26 |
US20130252509A1 (en) | 2013-09-26 |
WO2013099299A1 (en) | 2013-07-04 |
AU2012359758A1 (en) | 2013-09-19 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US8747179B2 (en) | Robot toy | |
US7475881B2 (en) | Fighting figure game | |
CN102131558B (en) | Action toy | |
JP6267822B1 (en) | Ball injection device | |
JP2010531158A (en) | Game system controller | |
WO2016067474A1 (en) | Robot toy | |
JP2002136773A (en) | Soccer and fight robot and driver/operator for the same | |
WO2015068270A1 (en) | Battle toy | |
US9242183B2 (en) | Toy | |
JP2011254988A (en) | Toy device | |
JP2003181152A (en) | Toy robot | |
JP3737961B2 (en) | Toy battle system and battle toy | |
JP2701121B2 (en) | Robot toys | |
JP2000202171A (en) | Sound sensitive toy | |
JP2017070600A (en) | Battle toy | |
TWI449562B (en) | Game machine | |
JP5504380B1 (en) | Battle toys | |
JP6788048B2 (en) | Rotating toys | |
JP6481002B1 (en) | Mobile toy, mobile toy operation unit, and mobile toy set | |
JP7220585B2 (en) | fighting game device | |
JPH06285249A (en) | Boxing game device | |
TW200303227A (en) | Master and slave toy vehicle pair | |
KR200255940Y1 (en) | Robot for Survival Game | |
JP3114364U (en) | Sphere launch prevention device | |
CN114570034A (en) | Toy system |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: TOMY COMPANY, LTD., JAPAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:NAGAI, TOMOHITO;SATO, RYOICHI;KITAMURA, TERUO;SIGNING DATES FROM 20120924 TO 20120926;REEL/FRAME:029350/0882 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: EXPRESSLY ABANDONED -- DURING EXAMINATION |