JP7660546B2 - Doll body, hip joint, and rotation mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a doll body, a hip joint, and a rotation mechanism.

To realize movements and poses similar to those of humans and animals, doll toys (doll bodies) include various joints and movable parts. However, providing a doll toy with the same number of joints as a human would require a large number of parts, and even in the case of an elaborate doll toy, the number is limited, making this difficult to achieve. Therefore, in order to realize the movements and poses described above, it is important to configure the doll with fewer joints and parts while expanding the range of motion of the joints and the parts connected to them. By expanding the range of motion, movements with a greater degree of freedom and a wider variety of poses can be achieved.

Patent Document 1 proposes a doll body in which a connecting member connected to the hip joint rotates between an open position and a closed position, and the legs are connected to the tip of the connecting member. With this doll body, it is possible to realize the movements of opening and closing the legs.

JP 2009-34232 A

However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, although the connecting member can rotate between the open and closed positions, the movement direction is unidirectional. To achieve natural movement like that of human limbs, it is desirable to be able to rotate in various directions. On the other hand, by providing the hip joint inside the waist, as in humans, it is possible to achieve natural leg movement connected to it, but the movement space is limited. In other words, there is a demand for the legs to be able to rotate more freely within the space limited by their relationship with other members such as the waist and skirt.

The present invention provides a mechanism for expanding the range of motion of the hip joints, for example in a doll body, to achieve greater freedom of movement and a greater variety of poses.

The present invention is, for example, a doll body comprising an upper body portion, a waist joint portion to which the upper body portion is connected, hip joint portions provided at the rear of the waist joint portion and corresponding to the left and right legs, respective connecting members having one spherical end rotatably supported on the hip joint portion, and respective legs rotatably connected to the other ends of the respective connecting members near both sides of the waist joint portion. The present invention also provides, for example, a doll body comprising an upper body portion, a waist joint portion to which the upper body portion is connected at the center of the waist of the doll body , an engagement portion provided at the rear of the waist joint portion and formed in a circular shape, a connecting member having a spherical one end which is rotatably engaged with the engagement portion, and a leg portion which is rotatably connected to the other end of the connecting member at a side of the waist joint portion , the connecting member including an L-shaped first portion extending from the one end engaged with the engagement portion at the rear of the waist joint portion to a lower portion of the waist joint portion and a rod-shaped second portion extending from the lower portion of the waist joint portion to the side of the doll body .

Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that it provides a rotation mechanism for the hip joints and legs of a doll body, for example, comprising a first rotation section in which one spherical end of each connecting member is journaled for each of the hip joints corresponding to the left and right legs, the first rotation section being provided at the rear of the waist joint to which the upper body is connected, and a second rotation section which rotatably connects each leg to the other end of each connecting member near both sides of the waist joint.
The present invention is also characterized in that, for example, a rotation mechanism for the hip joint and legs of a doll body includes a first rotation part, one spherical end of a connecting member which is rotatably engaged with an engaging part formed in a circular shape and provided at the rear of a waist joint to which an upper body part is connected at the center of the waist of the doll body, and a second rotation part which connects a leg at a side of the waist joint part so as to be rotatable with the other end of the connecting member, the portion between the one end and the other end of the connecting member including an L-shaped first part extending from the one end engaged with the engaging part at the rear of the waist joint part to a lower part of the waist joint part, and a rod-shaped second part extending from the lower part of the waist joint part to the side of the doll body .

The present invention allows for a greater range of motion in the hip joints of a doll body, allowing for greater freedom of movement and a greater variety of poses.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a front appearance of a doll body according to an embodiment. 1A and 1B are a perspective view and an exploded view of the lower body of a doll body according to one embodiment. 4A and 4B are an attachment view and an exploded view of the legs of a doll body according to one embodiment. FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 illustrates a hip joint pivot mechanism according to one embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating variations of a hip joint according to one embodiment.

The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined in any combination. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

<Appearance of the doll body>
First, an example of the external configuration of a doll body 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows the external front view of the doll body 100.

The doll body (doll toy) 100 includes a head 101, a torso 102, arms 103, a waist 104, and legs 105 (105a, 105b). The head 101 is connected to the torso 102. The arms 103, including the right arm and the left arm, are further connected to the torso 102, and the waist 104 is connected at the bottom. The legs 105, including the right foot 105a and the left foot 105b, are connected to the waist 104. In the following, the upper body including the head 101, the torso 102, and the arms 103 is referred to as the upper body. The waist 104 is located in the area indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 1, and includes a waist joint to which the upper body is connected, and a hip joint to which the left and right legs 105a, 105b are connected. In addition, the waist 104 may be provided with decorations such as clothes for the doll body 100 on the outside. These decorations may be integrated into the waist area 104.

<Lower body composition>
Next, an example of the configuration of the lower body of the doll body 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2(a) shows a perspective view of the lower body of the upper body with only the left leg connected, and Fig. 2(b) shows an exploded perspective view of Fig. 2(a). Both Fig. 2(a) and Fig. 2(b) are perspective views seen from below of the doll body 100, showing the state in which the inside of the waist part 104 can be seen with the right leg removed from the upper body. Note that the up-down, left-right, and front-back arrows indicate the direction of the doll body in the figure, and the same applies to the other figures.

The waist 104 comprises a waist base member 104a and a waist decorative member 104b. The detailed structure of the waist 104 will be described later with reference to Figures 4 and 5. The legs 105 are composed of a connecting member 202b rotatably connected to connecting members 201 (201a, 201b) and a leg body 203b. The detailed structure of the legs 105 will be described later with reference to Figure 3. The legs 105 are rotatably connected near the sides of the waist joints to connecting members 201 connected to the respective hip joints corresponding to the left and right legs a, 105b of the waist 104.

<Leg detailed configuration>
Next, the detailed configuration of the leg section 105 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3(a) shows how the leg section 105b is connected to the waist section 104, and Fig. 3(b) is an exploded view of the leg section 105b. Fig. 3(a) and Fig. 3(b) both show the configuration of the leg section 105b, which corresponds to the left foot, from the base to the knee. Other parts are omitted to simplify the description.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), one end of the connecting member 201b is rotatably connected to the hip joint, and the other end 502b is connected to the leg 105b. The other end 502b connected to the leg 105b is formed in a cylindrical shape. Meanwhile, the connecting portion 202b of the leg 105b is formed with a fitting portion 310 that receives the cylindrical member that is the other end 502b of the connecting member 201b. Therefore, the leg 105b connected to the other end 502b can be rotated around the cylindrical shape as an axis. This rotation mechanism is an example of a second rotation portion, and can rotate the leg 105b in the front-rear direction 302 of the doll body 100.

The leg body 203b of the leg 105b is configured so that its thigh part can rotate in the direction of the arrow 303 around the axial direction of the leg 105b. A detailed description will be given with reference to FIG. 3(b). The leg 105b includes a connecting part 202b and a leg body 203b. The leg body 203b includes an attachment member 305, a rotating member 306, and a thigh 307. The attachment member 305 is attached to the connecting part 202b. The attachment member 305 is fitted and fixed to the connecting part 202b. The lower part of the attachment member 305 is composed of a cylindrical member. The rotating member 306 is fitted into this cylindrical member so that it can rotate (rotatably) in the direction of the arrow 308. Furthermore, the thigh 307 is attached and fixed to the rotating member 306. Although not shown, the lower part of the thigh 307 is connected to a configuration below the knee. Therefore, the components below the thigh 307 follow the rotation of the lower part of the mounting member 305 and the rotating member 306. This rotation mechanism is an example of a third rotation part, and can rotate the lower part of the leg 105 below the thigh in the directions of the arrows 303 and 308 centered on the axial direction of the leg. It is preferable that the lower part of the knee (not shown) is also configured to be rotatable at least at the knee and ankle positions.

<Detailed structure of the waist>
Next, the detailed configuration of the waist portion 104 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4(a) is a view of the waist portion base member 104a seen from above, and Fig. 4(b) is a view of the waist portion base member 104a seen from below. Fig. 4(c) is a perspective view seen from above, and Fig. 4(d) is a view of the doll body 100 seen from the left side.

The waist base member 104a is composed of a waist joint section 401 and hip joint sections 402a, 402b. The waist joint section 401 is a joint to which the upper body section of the doll body 100 is connected, and a sphere (not shown) on the lower part of the upper body section is rotatably connected. This allows the upper body to rotate around the waist. The waist joint section 401 is formed in a circular shape to rotatably receive the sphere on the lower part of the upper body section. The waist joint section 401 is formed with a diameter slightly shorter than the diameter of the sphere on the lower part of the upper body, and since it is formed of an elastic material such as plastic, when the sphere is inserted, it bends when pressed to receive the sphere.

In addition, hip joint parts 402a, 402b corresponding to the left and right legs 105a, 105b are formed separately at the rear of the waist joint part 401. In other words, the left and right legs 105a, 105b are pivoted to different hip joint parts 402a, 402b, respectively, and can be moved separately. This allows for more natural movements and a variety of poses. In addition, by providing the hip joint parts 402a, 402b at the rear of the waist part 104, their shapes can be hidden by the buttocks, decorations, etc. Each of the hip joint parts 402a, 402b is formed in a circular shape, similar to the waist joint part 401. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the waist joint part 401 and the hip joint parts 402a, 402b may be formed integrally. This allows for increased strength of the waist joint part 401 and the hip joint parts 402a, 402b, while also reducing the number of parts and simplifying the manufacturing process.

One end of the connecting member 201a, 201b is pivotally supported on each of the hip joints 402a, 402b. The other ends of the connecting members 201a, 201b are connected to the left and right legs 105a, 105b, respectively. According to this embodiment, as shown in the figure, each hip joint 402a, 402b is formed at the rear of the waist joint 401, shifted from the center of the doll body, and one end of the connecting member 201a, 201b is pivotally supported thereon. Meanwhile, the other ends of the connecting members 201a, 201b are connected to the respective legs 105a, 105b near the lower side of the waist joint 401. In this way, by ensuring that the distance between the pivoted end and the other end connecting the legs 105a, 105b is as long as possible within the range of the waist 104 parts, the range of motion of the hip joints can be expanded as much as possible.

Now, referring to Figure 5, we will explain how to connect the connecting members 201a, 201b to the hip joints 402a, 402b. Figure 5(a) is a perspective view of the waist base member 104a from above, and Figure 5(b) is a perspective view of the waist base member 104a from below, showing how the connecting members are attached.

The connecting members 201a and 201b each have one end (sphere) 501a and 501b formed in a spherical shape, and the other end 502a and 502b formed in a cylindrical shape. As shown in FIG. 5B, the connecting member 201b is formed in an L-shape from the one end 501b to the other end 502b. In other words, the connecting members 201a and 201b according to this embodiment are formed in an L-shape so as to extend from the rear of the waist joint 401 to the corresponding side of the waist joint 401 according to the left and right legs 105a and 105b. This allows the distance from one end (center of rotation) of the pivoted connecting member to the other end to which the legs are connected to be secured as far as possible within the space of the waist 104. The connecting member 201a is formed in a similar manner.

In the present invention, it is not intended to limit the connecting member to an L-shape. The L-shape is specified according to the configuration of the doll body 100 in order to secure the longest possible distance from one end to the other end in a narrow part, for example, in the space inside the waist 104, and any shape can be applied to other doll bodies in relation to the respective parts. In other words, any shape that can secure the longest possible distance between one end and the other end in a limited space is sufficient. In addition, when the leg 105 is operated, it may come into contact with other parts and narrow the range of motion, so it is desirable to have a shape that takes into account the movement during movement. In addition to the above conditions, it is also desirable that the shape of the axis and the spherical part is easy to remove from the mold, and that the number of parts can be reduced as much as possible (preferably with one part). The L-shape satisfies these conditions.

As shown in FIG. 5(a) and FIG. 5(b), one end 501a, 501b of each connecting member 201a, 201b is attached to the lower side of the hip joint portion 402a, 402b and supported by the joint. The hip joint portion 402a, 402b is formed in a circular shape, and its diameter is slightly shorter than the diameter of the spherical one end 501a, 501b. When the sphere is inserted, the hip joint portion 402a, 402b is formed of an elastic material such as plastic, so that it can bend by pressure to accept the sphere. This allows the hip joint portion 402a, 402b to support the connecting members 201a, 201b by the joint. Here, an example in which the connecting members 201a, 201b are connected to the hip joint portion 402a, 402b from below has been described, but due to spatial constraints, they may be connected from above. In this case, it is desirable that the hip joint portion is located further below the waist joint portion. This allows as much space as possible for the connecting members to rotate.

<Hip joint rotation mechanism>
Next, a rotation mechanism of the hip joint parts according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The rotation mechanism of the hip joint parts 402a, 402b described below is an example of a first rotation part.

Figure 6 (a) shows a left cross-sectional view of the waist 104, showing how the connecting member 201b rotates in the front-rear direction. The dotted line 601 indicates the position where the connecting member 201b is rotated in the front direction of the doll body 100 around one end 501b pivoted to the hip joint 402b. The dotted line 602 indicates the position where the connecting member 201b is rotated in the rear direction of the doll body 100 around one end 501b pivoted to the hip joint 402b. Therefore, the connecting member 201b pivoted to the hip joint 402b can obtain a range of motion in the front-rear direction of the doll body 100, as shown by the dotted arrow 603. In addition, the leg 105b is connected to the other end 502b of the connecting member 201b so as to be further pivotable in the front-rear direction, so that the leg 105b can obtain a larger range of motion. The connecting member 201a also rotates in the same way, and a similar range of motion can be obtained.

In this way, according to this embodiment, the connecting member itself rotates in the front-rear direction around the hip joint, and the legs are further rotatably attached to the connecting member. In other words, in response to the front-rear movement of the legs, the hip joints, which correspond to the bases of the legs, can also rotate in the front-rear direction accordingly, which not only naturally increases the range of motion, but also allows for more dynamic movements and poses to be achieved.

6(b) shows a view of the waist 104 from above, showing how the connecting members 201a and 201b rotate in the left-right direction. The dotted line 604a indicates the position where the connecting member 201a is rotated to the right of the doll body 100 around one end 501a pivoted to the hip joint 402a. The dotted line 605a indicates the position where the connecting member 201a is rotated to the left of the doll body 100 around one end 501a pivoted to the hip joint 402a. Therefore, the connecting member 201a pivoted to the hip joint 402a can obtain a range of motion in the left-right direction of the doll body 100, as shown by the dotted arrow 606a. Similarly, the dotted line 604b indicates the position where the connecting member 201b is rotated to the left of the doll body 100 around one end 501b pivoted to the hip joint 402b. Dotted line 605b indicates the position where connecting member 201b is rotated to the right of doll body 100 around one end 501b pivoted to hip joint 402b. Therefore, connecting member 201b pivoted to hip joint 402b can obtain a range of motion in the left-right direction of doll body 100 as indicated by dotted arrow 606b. In this way, the hip joint rotation mechanism according to this embodiment allows each connecting member 201a, 201b and each leg 105a, 105b connected thereto to rotate left and right independently.

In this way, the hip joint rotation mechanism according to this embodiment supports the spherical ends 501a, 501b on the hip joints 402a, 402b, so that the doll body 100 can rotate not only in the front-rear direction but also in the left-right direction. Note that, to simplify the explanation, the front-rear direction and the left-right direction have been described here, but since the ends 501a, 501b are spherical and the hip joints 402a, 402b are circular, it is of course possible to rotate in other directions as well. In other words, the hip joint rotation mechanism according to this embodiment allows rotation in all directions within the space within the waist 104 of the doll body 100. This allows for more natural movements and a variety of poses to be realized.

For example, the hip joint configuration according to this embodiment makes it possible to naturally realize a posture as if straddling a two-wheeled vehicle. Also, by rotating the right leg of the doll body forward and bending the left leg and rotating it backward, it is possible to realize a posture with one leg bent forward, such as the posture used in track and field when jumping over a hurdle. Also, by standing with the connecting members squeezed inward, a more natural standing posture with the legs turned inwards can be realized. Alternatively, various poses can be realized by opening the connecting members outward or rotating both the left and right connecting members in the same direction to the right. In this way, this embodiment makes it possible to realize more natural movements and a variety of poses.

As described above, the doll body according to this embodiment is characterized by comprising an upper body, a waist joint to which the upper body is connected, hip joints provided at the rear of the waist joint and corresponding to the left and right legs, each connecting member having one spherical end pivotally supported on the hip joint, and each leg pivotally connected to the other end of each connecting member near both sides of the waist joint. In this way, the doll body according to this embodiment forms a first rotation part that allows the connecting member to rotate in multiple directions by the hip joint and the connecting member, and a second rotation part that allows the leg to rotate in the front-rear direction of the doll body by the connecting member and the leg. This provides a mechanism that expands the range of motion of the hip joint in the doll body, and realizes more flexible movements and a variety of poses. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the hip joints are each formed in a circular shape, and one end of each connecting member may be pivotally supported on the hip joint so as to be rotatable in all directions within the space within the waist of the doll body. Furthermore, each leg may be configured to be rotatable around the axial direction of the leg (third rotation part). Thus, according to this embodiment, in addition to the first and second rotation parts, a third rotation part may be formed to rotate the thighs and below. This allows for more natural movements and a variety of poses.

<Modification>
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the hip joint is provided at the rear of the waist joint, but the present invention is not limited to this. A modification of the hip joint will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

As shown in FIG. 7, the waist base member 700 is formed with a waist joint portion 701, and hip joint portions 702a, 702b in front of the waist joint portion 701. As in the above embodiment, connecting members 703a, 703b are connected to the hip joint portions 702a, 702b, respectively, and one spherical end of each is supported. Thus, according to the present invention, instead of providing the hip joint portion at the rear of the waist joint portion as in the above embodiment, it is also possible to provide the hip joint portion at the front of the waist joint portion. For example, when the front of the waist of the doll body is heavily decorated, the hip joint can be provided in the internal space to obtain a more efficient range of motion for the hip joint.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the connecting member was formed in an L-shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any shape can be used as long as it ensures the longest possible distance between one end pivoted to the hip joint and the other end connected to the leg, depending on the space inside the waist (part). Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the waist joint and the two hip joints are formed integrally, but they may be spaced apart due to constraints such as other members.

The shape of the doll toy (doll body) is not particularly limited, and includes various shapes that have hip joints, such as humans, animals, robots, insects, and dinosaurs.

100: Doll body, 101: Head, 102: Torso, 103: Arms, 104: Waist, 105a, 105b: Legs, 201a, 201b: Connecting member, 304: Connecting part, 305: Wearing member, 306: Rotating member, 307: Thigh, 401: Waist joint, 402a, 402b: Hip joint

Claims (8)

A doll body,
The upper body and
a waist joint portion to which the upper body portion is connected at the center of the waist portion of the doll body ;
An engagement portion provided at the rear of the waist joint portion and formed in a circular shape;
A connecting member having a spherical end rotatably engaged with the engaging portion;
a leg portion rotatably connected to the other end of the connecting member at a side portion of the waist joint portion ,
said connecting member is provided including an L-shaped first portion, the portion between said one end and said other end of said connecting member extending from said one end engaged with said engaging portion at the rear of said waist joint portion to a lower portion of said waist joint portion, and a rod-shaped second portion extending from the lower portion of said waist joint portion to a side of said doll body . 2. The doll body according to claim 1, wherein a space for said connecting member to rotate in multiple directions when rotating with respect to said engaging portion is secured within a waist portion of said doll body . The doll body according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the one end of the connecting member is pivotally supported by the engaging portion so as to be rotatable in all directions within the space within the waist portion of the doll body. 4. The doll body according to claim 1 , wherein the leg is rotatable about an axial direction of the leg. 5. The doll body according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging portion is provided at a front portion of the waist joint portion instead of at a rear portion of the waist joint portion. 6. The doll body according to claim 1 , wherein the waist joint portion and the engaging portion are integrally provided. A hip joint and leg rotation mechanism for a doll body,
a first rotation part in which one spherical end of a connecting member is rotatably engaged with a circular engaging part provided at the rear of a waist joint part to which the upper body part is connected at the center of the waist part of the doll body ;
a second pivot portion that connects a leg portion to a side portion of the hip joint portion so as to be rotatable relative to the other end of the connecting member;
a connecting member having an L-shaped first portion extending from the one end engaged with the engaging portion at the rear of the waist joint portion to a lower portion of the waist joint portion, and a rod-shaped second portion extending from the lower portion of the waist joint portion to a side of the doll body, the connecting member having an L-shaped first portion extending from the one end engaged with the engaging portion at the rear of the waist joint portion to a lower portion of the waist joint portion. 8. The pivot mechanism according to claim 7 , further comprising a third pivot part to which the leg is attached so as to be pivotable about an axial direction of the leg.

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