JP7732967B2 - Combination toy, controlling toy body and partner toy - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to combination toys, etc., which are played with by transforming multiple toys from a pre-transformation form into a combination form and combining them.

Combination toys are popular among boys. Combination toys are multiple toys that can be played with individually, but can be transformed from their pre-transformation form into a combined form and combined to form one large toy.

Particularly popular among combination toys are toys modeled after the combination robots that appear as the heroes' craft in special effects superhero shows. In a typical combination scene in a special effects superhero show, along with heroic background music, the multiple small craft (for example, vehicles or animal-like robot machines) piloted by the heroes transform and combine one after another, eventually becoming a giant robot. The heroes then pilot these giant robots to fight and defeat enemy monsters and robots. Children can "pretend play" with combination toys modeled after these giant robots, transforming and combining the toys to feel as if they were the heroes in the show.

Some conventional combining toys are known to have built-in sound sources that emit sound effects (for example, background music, the sound of machines coming into contact and combining, the shouts of heroes, etc.), and allow the user to emit these sound effects by operating a specific button (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The act of transforming and combining combining toys while sound effects are played naturally heightens the sense of anticipation and excitement, and also enhances the "feeling of playing the role," creating a high level of immersion that makes them popular with many children.

JP 2014-108288 A

With conventional technology, the user had to operate a switch to play background music before transforming and combining, meaning that the process of transforming and combining was separate from the operation of playing the background music. As a result, a user who had become excited about playing the role-playing role while playing with the toy before it had transformed and combined could accidentally forget to operate the switch and the background music would not play, even when they began the process of transforming and combining. This could break the immersive experience. In such cases, the user, wanting to enjoy the process of transforming and combining while listening to the background music, would go to the trouble of returning the toy to its pre-transformation state, operate the switch again, and start the transformation and combination process. Conventional technology had the above-mentioned issues. Furthermore, while we have explained the use of background music as a means of creating a transformation and combination effect, similar issues could arise when using methods such as flashing LEDs or vibrations using a vibrator rather than sound as an effect.

One aspect of the present invention is a combining toy that has a plurality of toy bodies that can change shape, and that can combine with each other when the toy bodies are transformed from a pre-transformation form to a combination form, wherein the plurality of toy bodies are a single control body toy body and other partner toy bodies, and the control body toy body is equipped with a performance output unit, a combination transformation detection unit that detects the transformation of shape from the pre-transformation form, a displacement member that can be displaced from a pre-combined state, a displacement detection unit that detects the displacement of the displacement member, a standby control that starts outputting a given combination standby performance from the performance output unit in response to detection by the combination transformation detection unit, and a displacement control that outputs a given displacement performance from the performance output unit in response to detection by the transformation detection unit. In addition, the combination toy of the present invention is a combination toy that has a plurality of toy bodies that can change shape, and the toy bodies can combine with each other when transformed from a pre-transformation form to a combination form, and the plurality of toy bodies are a single control body toy body and other partner toy bodies, and the control body toy body executes a performance output unit, a combination transformation detection unit that detects the form transformation from the pre-transformation form, a combination detection unit that detects the combination of the partner toy bodies, a standby control that starts outputting a given combination standby performance from the performance output unit in response to detection by the combination transformation detection unit, and a combination time control that outputs a given combination performance from the performance output unit in response to detection by the combination detection unit. In addition, the combination toy of the present invention is a combination toy that has a plurality of toy bodies that can change shape, and the toy bodies that have transformed from their pre-transformation shapes to combination shapes can combine with each other, and the plurality of toy bodies are a single control body toy body and other partner toy bodies, and the control body toy body has a performance output unit and a combination transformation detection unit that detects the transformation of shape from the pre-transformation shape , and executes a combination detection unit that detects when the partner toy bodies have combined, a standby control that starts outputting a given combination standby effect from the effect output unit in response to detection by the combination transformation detection unit, and a combination control that stops outputting the combination standby effect in response to detection by the combination detection unit, and then outputs a given combination effect from the effect output unit.

The control toy body may also include a combination detection unit that detects when the partner toy body has combined, and the control unit may execute combination control to cause the performance output unit to output a given combination output in response to detection by the combination detection unit.

Furthermore, the combination control may be a control that stops the output of the combination standby effect in response to detection by the combination detection unit, and then outputs the combination effect.

Furthermore, there may be multiple types of partner toy bodies that can be combined with the control toy body, the control toy body further comprising a type detection unit that detects the type of the combined partner toy body, the performance output unit including at least a speaker, and the combination control may be control to emit a sound from the speaker as the combination performance, the sound including the name of the partner toy body corresponding to the type detected by the type detection unit.

Furthermore, the control unit may be configured to execute combination release control that causes the output unit to output a given combination release effect when detection by the combination detection unit is released after executing the combination control.

Furthermore, the type detection unit may also function as the combination detection unit, and the control unit may execute the combination control in response to the detection by the type detection unit of the type of the combined partner toy object.

Furthermore, there may be multiple types of partner toy bodies that can be combined with the control toy body, and the control toy body may further include a type detection unit that detects the type of the combined partner toy body, and the displacement control may be a control that causes the effect output unit to output different displacement effects depending on the type detected by the type detection unit.

Furthermore, the partner toy body may be provided with protrusions whose number and arrangement vary depending on the type of partner toy body at a position facing the type detection unit when the partner toy body is combined with the control main toy body, and the type detection unit may detect the type of the combined partner toy body based on the combination of the number and arrangement of the protrusions.

Furthermore, the displacement member can be displaced from a pre-combined state to a combined state, the displacement detection unit is a combined state detection unit that detects when the displacement member is in the combined state, and the control unit may include a control unit that executes combined state control as the displacement control, in which a given combined state performance is output from the performance output unit in response to detection by the combined state detection unit.

Furthermore, the combination completion control may be control that outputs the combination completion effect when detection is made by the combination detection unit and also by the combination completion detection unit.

Another aspect of the present invention is a control subject toy body that becomes a combined toy by combining one or more partner toy bodies with a control subject toy body that has transformed from a pre-transformation form to a combination form, and that comprises: a performance output unit; a combination transformation detection unit that detects the transformation to the combination form; a displacement member that can be displaced from a pre-combination state; a combination completion detection unit that detects the displacement of the displacement member; a standby control that starts outputting a given combination standby performance from the performance output unit in response to detection by the combination transformation detection unit; and a displacement time control that outputs a given displacement performance from the performance output unit in response to detection by the displacement detection unit. In addition, the control subject toy body of the present invention is a control subject toy body that becomes a combined toy by combining one or more partner toy bodies with the control subject toy body that has transformed from a pre-transformation form to a combination form, and is equipped with a performance output unit, a combination transformation detection unit that detects form transformation from the pre-transformation form, a combination detection unit that detects that the partner toy bodies have combined, a standby control that starts outputting a given combination standby performance from the performance output unit in response to detection by the combination transformation detection unit, and a control unit that executes combination time control that outputs a given combination performance from the performance output unit in response to detection by the combination detection unit. In addition, the control subject toy body of the present invention is a control subject toy body that becomes a combined toy by combining one or more partner toy bodies with the control subject toy body that has transformed from a pre-transformation form to a combination form, and is equipped with a performance output unit, a combination transformation detection unit that detects form transformation from the pre-transformation form, a combination detection unit that detects that the partner toy bodies have combined, a standby control that starts outputting a given combination standby performance from the performance output unit in response to detection by the combination transformation detection unit, and a control unit that executes combination time control that stops outputting the combination standby performance in response to detection by the combination detection unit and then outputs a given combination performance from the performance output unit.

Furthermore, the displacement member can be displaced from a pre-combined state to a combined state, the displacement detection unit is a combined state detection unit that detects when the displacement member is in the combined state, and the control unit may include a control unit that executes combined state control as the displacement control, in which a given combined state performance is output from the performance output unit in response to detection by the combined state detection unit.

Another aspect of the present invention is a partner toy body that can combine with a control subject toy body in a first alternative form that has transformed from the pre-transformation form to the combination form.

This invention makes it possible to realize a combination toy that can output effects that enhance the transformation and combination operation in conjunction with the transformation operation for combination.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a combination toy. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of transformation and combination of a combination toy. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control subject toy body. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of state determination criteria data. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of type determination criterion data. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a production package. 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the transformation of the control toy body from the pre-transformation form to the combination form, and the accompanying changes in the state of the combination transformation detection unit and the type detection unit. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a partner toy body. FIG. 11 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining the combination of the control toy body and the partner toy body. FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining the combination of the control toy body and the partner toy body. FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 3) for explaining the combination of the control toy body and the partner toy body. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the flow of processing by a control unit related to transformation and combination.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a combination toy 2 which is an example of an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.
The combination toy 2 is a toy that a user can enjoy by transforming and combining multiple toys. The completed form of the combination toy 2 can be said to be an aggregation of multiple toys, so the combination toy 2 can also be said to be a toy group. The combination toy 2 has one or more transformable control toy bodies 10 and multiple types of transformable partner toy bodies 20 (20a, 20b, ...). The combination toy 2 may be sold as a set, or the control toy body 10 and the partner toy body 20 may be sold separately so that the user can select and purchase them as desired.

The number of control toy bodies 10 and partner toy bodies 20 that make up one combination toy 2 can be changed as needed. For example, it is possible to have two types of control toy bodies 10 and four types of partner toy bodies 20, for a total of six bodies. If there are multiple control toy bodies 10, it is preferable to have different designs for each type. Of course, the designs of the control toy bodies 10 and partner toy bodies 20 are not limited to the examples shown and can be set as needed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of transformation and combination of the combination toy 2.
The control subject toy body 10 and the opponent toy body 20 are each designed as a single unit in the pre-transformed form. For example, the control subject toy body 10 in Fig. 2 is designed with a land-walking bird motif and is a small land-based robot weapon equipped with a large movable artillery gun 15 on its back. The opponent toy body 20 (20a) in Fig. 2 is an aerial robot weapon designed with a flying bird motif and equipped with large wings 25 and an attacking sword 26 on its back.

The user transforms the control toy body 10 and the partner toy body 20 into their respective combined forms (10h, 20h). They then combine into one body, and after the combination is complete, the combined form takes the form of a giant humanoid robot 30.

As shown in the bottom row of Figure 2, the combination completion operation exposes the robot head 33 of the giant humanoid robot 30. The large artillery cannon 15 becomes a weapon attached to the waist of the giant humanoid robot 30, and the wings 25 connect to form a large shield. A sword 26 can be attached and detached to the shield. The user can use the giant humanoid robot 30 to play with Western knight-style dolls.

The design of the completed combination form is not limited to a human form and can be set as appropriate. For example, it could be a large terrestrial quadruped, a giant battleship, a giant tank, a fantasy creature such as a dragon or demon, or a monster. Furthermore, the number of toys required for combination is not limited to a total of two, one control toy body 10 and one partner toy body 20, but could be a configuration in which one control toy body 10 combines with two or more partner toy bodies 20. For example, it is also possible for the control toy body 10 to transform into the torso of a giant robot, and the four partner toy bodies 20 to transform into left and right arms and left and right legs and combine.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control toy body 10, and corresponds to a side view of the control toy body 10 in the pre-transformation form.
The control toy body 10 is composed of multiple parts interconnected by movable structures such as joints or sliding structures. Specifically, the control toy body 10 has a first base 11, a second base 12, a head 13, legs 14, a large artillery cannon 15, and an equipment rack 17. The legs 14 and the equipment rack 17 each have a multi-joint structure in which multiple small parts are movably connected. The head 13, legs 14, large artillery cannon 15, and equipment rack 17 form a displacement part 6 that can be transformed from a pre-transformation form to a combined form. A control unit 50 is mounted inside the first base 11. Although not shown, the control toy body 10 also includes other elements, such as a power switch for the control unit 50, as appropriate. Furthermore, in FIG. 3 , the head 13 forms a hollow space that is open at the bottom, and the right half 33R of the head 33 of the giant humanoid robot 30 is housed within this space.

The control unit 50 is realized as a so-called control board. That is, the control unit 50 is realized by a printed circuit board and various electronic circuits and electrical elements mounted on it. Specifically, the control unit 50 has a CPU 51, RAM 52, ROM 53, an IC memory card 4 reader 54, a battery 55, a performance output unit 56, a combination transformation detection unit 60, a type detection unit 70, a combination detection unit 80, and a combination completion detection unit (displacement detection unit) 82. Note that while the IC memory card 4 reader 54 is provided in this embodiment, it is not required. If the data stored on the IC memory card 4 is stored in ROM 53 beforehand, the reader 54 can be omitted.

The effect output unit 56 outputs the effects associated with the transformation and combination. Specifically, in this embodiment, sound effects are emitted as effects, so the effect output unit 56 is implemented by a speaker.

Other electronic and electrical components may also be installed as appropriate. For example, it is possible to configure the device to include an interface IC that manages signal input and output between the CPU 51 and other circuit elements, a decoder IC, a voice/audio IC, etc. Some of these may also be implemented as a SoC (System on a Chip).

The combination transformation detection unit 60 detects the transformation operation from the pre-transformation form to the combination form and outputs a detection signal to the CPU 51. Specifically, the combination transformation detection unit 60 is implemented as a small push switch, and is arranged in a recess on the top surface of the first base 11 so that it can be pressed in from the outside. In the pre-transformation form of the control main toy body 10, it is pressed (ON state) by a protrusion 19 on the underside of the equipment rack 17.

The type detection unit 70 is a means for detecting the type of the partner toy body 20 combined with the control main toy body 10. Specifically, the type detection unit 70 is realized by three small push switches (first detection switch 71, second detection switch 72, third detection switch 73), which are arranged so that they can be operated from the top surface of the first base 11. In the pre-transformation form, the control main toy body 10 is in an unoperated state (OFF state). The number of push switches that make up the type detection unit 70 can be increased or decreased as needed depending on the number of types of partner toy bodies 20, so that all types can be identified. For example, if there are only three types of partner toy bodies 20, all types can be identified using only the first detection switch 71 and second detection switch 72.

In this embodiment, the combination transformation detection unit 60 and the type detection unit 70 together function as a combination detection unit 80 that detects the combination of the control toy body 10 in the combination form and the partner toy body 20 in the combination form. Note that the detection of combination may be performed in conjunction with the detection of the type of the combined partner toy body 20 by the type detection unit 70, in which case only the type detection unit 70 functions as the combination detection unit 80. In other words, the type detection unit 70 also functions as the combination detection unit 80.

The displacement detection unit (combination completion detection unit) 82 detects that the head 13 has been displaced (that the combination has been completed) and outputs a detection signal to the CPU 51. Specifically, the displacement detection unit (combination completion detection unit) 82 is implemented as a small push switch, and is located in a position that is pressed when the head 13 is swung (or when the combination completion operation is performed if the head 13 is to be swung at the end of the combination process) (details will be described later).

The CPU 51 reads and executes a control program stored in the ROM 53, and performs control to output effects related to transformation and combination.
Specifically, the CPU 51 determines the current state of the controlling toy body 10 and the type of the combined partner toy body 20 based on detection signals from the combination transformation detection section 60, type detection section 70, combination detection section 80, and displacement detection section (combination completion detection section) 82, and on the state determination standard data 100 and type determination standard data 102 stored in the ROM 53 or IC memory card 4. The CPU 51 then reads out performance data corresponding to the determined current state and the type of the combined partner toy body 20 from the performance package 110 stored in the ROM 53 or IC memory card 4, and executes performance output control. In this embodiment, the performance is sound, so the CPU 51 executes control to reproduce and process sound effect audio data and output it from the performance output section 56, which is a speaker.

4 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the state determination criterion data 100. In the following description of this embodiment, it is assumed that the displacement of the displacement member is a combination completion operation that should be performed at the end of the combination work.
The state determination reference data 100 is definition data for determining which of the four states the robot is in: before transformation (before transformation for combination; state of pre-transformation form), waiting (transformed state for combination before combination; combination form), combination detection (an intermediate state in which combination has been achieved but the displacement of the displacement member (combination completion in this embodiment) has not yet occurred), and combination completion (displacement of the displacement member has been completed). These four states are defined by combinations of the ON/OFF states of the combination transformation detection unit 60 (represented as ON=1 and OFF=0 in FIG. 4), the ON/OFF states of the three switches of the type detection unit 70, and the ON/OFF state of the displacement detection unit (combination completion detection unit) 82.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the type determination criterion data 102. As shown in FIG.
The type determination standard data 102 is definition data for determining the type of the partner toy body 20 combined with the control main toy body 10, and is defined by a combination of ON/OFF (in FIG. 5, ON=1, OFF=0) of the three switches (first detection switch 71, second detection switch 72, third detection switch 73) of the type detection unit 70. Note that the data configuration example of the type determination standard data 102 shown in FIG. 5 is merely an example. For example, if there are three types of partner toy bodies 20, it is also possible to define them by a combination of ON/OFF of the first detection switch 71 and the second detection switch 72. Specifically, when only the first detection switch 71 is ON, it is determined that Hawk (first type of opponent toy body) in Figure 5 has been combined, when only the second detection switch 72 is ON, it is determined that Drill (second type of opponent toy body) has been combined, and when both the first switch 71 and the second switch 72 are ON, it is determined that Arsenal (third type of opponent toy body) has been combined.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the rendering package 110. As shown in FIG.
One or more performance packages 110 are pre-stored in the initial state, but users can add or delete them as needed by purchasing and downloading them from a predetermined website via the Internet, etc. One performance package 110 includes a unique package ID 112, application requirements 114 that define the conditions for applying the package to control, combination standby performance data 116, a combination pattern-specific data set 120, and combination release performance data 130.

The application requirements 114 are described by one or a combination of, for example, a value indicating a standard setting, a specific date, a specific time period, and the time required from the start of merging until each state is detected.

The combination standby performance data 116 is data for realizing a combination standby performance. Specifically, the combination standby performance data 116 is audio data for a first type of sound effect that begins to be emitted when a transformation operation for combination is detected and is emitted until the combination is detected. In the case of a combination scene in a special effects superhero program, this would be the heroic background music that plays as the scene begins. The combination standby performance data 116 can also include audio such as a narration announcing that the combination sequence has begun. The type of combination standby sound can be set for each package, and may be common to all packages, or multiple types may be prepared depending on the settings of the application requirements 114.

A data set 120 for each combination pattern is prepared for each combination of the controlling toy body 10 and the partner toy body 20 to be combined, i.e., for each combination pattern. One data set 120 for each combination pattern includes a unique pattern ID 121, application requirements 123, combination performance data 125, and combination completion performance data 127. Note that in this embodiment, the displacement of the displacement member is the combination completion operation that should be performed at the end of the combination work, so data 127 is referred to as combination completion performance data; however, if the displacement of the displacement member is not the combination completion operation, data 127 should be referred to as displacement performance data.

The application requirement 123 indicates the combination pattern. Specifically, it is described as a combination of the type of control toy body 10 and the type of partner toy body 20. Note that even if the types of control toy body 10 and partner toy body 20 are the same, multiple patterns can be established due to different relative positional relationships when combining (for example, a pattern where the control toy body 10 is on top and the partner toy body 20 is on bottom, and a pattern where the partner toy body 20 is on top and the control toy body 10 is on bottom), the application requirement 123 is defined to include conditions for the relative positional relationships as well as conditions for the combination of the type of control toy body 10 and the type of partner toy body 20, as appropriate.

The combination performance data 125 is data for realizing a performance when a combination is detected, and in this embodiment is audio data for a combination sound. The combination sound is a sound effect that is played and emitted when a combination is detected. Specifically, the combination sound includes one or more of the following: sound effects emitted when machines come into contact or combine with each other (for example, operating sounds, sliding sounds, collision sounds, etc. such as click, whoosh, clang, etc.), a voice reading out the name of the controlling toy body 10 and the name of the partner toy body 20, and background music that is played in place of the combination standby sound. The content of the combination sound varies depending on the type of data set, i.e., the combination pattern.

The combination completion effect data 127 is data for realizing the effect when the combination is complete, and in this embodiment, it is audio data for a combination completion sound. The combination completion sound is a sound effect that is played or emitted when the completion of combination is detected. Specifically, the combination completion sound includes one or more of the following: a sound effect emitted when the machines come into contact with or combine with each other; a voice announcing the name of the giant humanoid robot 30 in its completed combined form; a sound effect announcing the completion of combination (e.g., "shakin" or "zukyuun"); and background music such as a fanfare announcing the completion of combination. The content of the combination completion sound varies depending on the type of data set, i.e., the combination pattern. Note that in this embodiment, the displacement of the displacement member is the combination completion operation that should be performed at the end of the combination process, and therefore data 127 is data for realizing the effect when the combination is complete. However, if the displacement of the displacement member is not the combination completion operation, data 127 will be data for realizing the effect at that displacement. Specifically, possible transformation effects include sound effects such as those emitted when machines slide together.

The combination cancellation effect data 130 is data for realizing the effect of canceling the combination, and in this embodiment is audio data for the combination cancellation sound. The combination cancellation sound is a sound effect that is played or emitted when the combination state changes from a completed combination state to another state. Specifically, it includes one or more of the sound effects emitted when the machines come into contact or combine with each other, and a sound announcing that the combination has been cancelled. The content of the combination cancellation sound may be common to all packages, or may differ depending on the type of data set, i.e., the combination pattern.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the transformation of the control toy body 10 from its pre-transformation form to its combined form, and the accompanying changes in the state of the combination transformation detection unit 60 and type detection unit 70. The pull-out portion in Figure 7 corresponds to an enlarged view of the area around the combination transformation detection unit 60 and type detection unit 70.

As shown in Figure 7 (1), in the control toy body 10 in the pre-transformation form, the switch of the combination transformation detection unit 60 is installed so that the operating portion of the switch protrudes into a recess provided on the surface of the first base 11 facing the equipment rack 17. The equipment rack 17 has a protrusion 19 on the surface facing the first base 11, and in the pre-transformation form, this protrusion 19 presses the switch of the combination transformation detection unit 60, turning it ON. However, because the equipment rack 17 does not have protrusions corresponding to the three switches of the type detection unit 70 (first detection switch 71, second detection switch 72, third detection switch 73), these three switches are OFF.

To transform the control subject toy body 10 from its pre-transformation form to its combined form, the user performs a transformation operation. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7 (2), the equipment rack 17, which was folded on the first base 11, is extended rearward. Next, as shown in FIG. 7 (3), the user removes the large artillery 15 from the equipment rack 17 and attaches it to the underside of the second base 12. The head 13 is also turned upside down and then slid upward. The legs 14 are slid forward and inverted. Next, as shown in FIG. 7 (4), the user extends one leg 14 (the front side of FIG. 7) from its folded state, and further folds the other leg 14 (the back side of FIG. 7) from its folded state and swings it toward the rear side (the back side of FIG. 7). This completes the combined form.

The control toy body 10 (10h) in the combined form becomes the right half of the giant humanoid robot 30. That is, the first base 11 becomes the right chest of the giant humanoid robot 30, the second base 12 becomes the right waist, the head 13 becomes the right head cover, one of the legs 14 becomes the right arm, the other leg 14 becomes back equipment, the large artillery cannon 15 moves to the waist position, and the equipment rack 17 becomes the right leg. The head 13, legs 14, large artillery cannon 15, and equipment rack 17 of the control toy body 10 can be said to be the displacement parts 6 that can be transformed from the pre-transformation form of the control toy body 10 to the combined form.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the mating toy body 20 (20a), and corresponds to a side view of the mating toy body 20 (20a) in the pre-transformation form.
The partner toy body 20 (20a) is composed of multiple parts interconnected by movable structures such as joints and sliding structures. Specifically, the partner toy body 20 has a first base 21, a second base 22, a head 23, legs 24, specific equipment (wings 25 and sword 26), and an equipment rack 27. The head 23, legs 24, wings 25, sword 26, and equipment rack 27 form a displacement part 6 that allows the partner toy body 20 to transform from its pre-transformation form to its combined form. While the control unit 50 was mounted inside the first base 11 of the control body toy body 10, it is not mounted in the partner toy body 20, contributing to overall cost reduction of the combined toy 2. Furthermore, in FIG. 8 , the head 23 forms a hollow space that is open at the bottom, and the left half 33L of the head 33 of the giant humanoid robot 30 is housed within this space.

The legs 24 and the equipment rack 27 each have a multi-joint structure with multiple parts movably connected. The wings 25 are detachable from the equipment rack 27, and the sword 26 is detachable from the first base 11.

The partner toy body 20 transforms into the left half of the giant humanoid robot 30. The transformation of the partner toy body 20 is basically the same as that of the control subject toy body 10. That is, the user removes the unique equipment of the partner toy body 20 (wings 25 and sword 26 in the example of Figure 8), extends the equipment rack 27, flips the legs 14 to extend one leg, and folds the other leg to swing it. The user then slides and flips the head 23, attaches the removed unique equipment in the designated position, and transforms it into the combined form.

Figures 9 to 11 are diagrams for explaining the combination of the control toy body 10 and the partner toy body 20 (20a), with state transitions occurring in the order shown in Figures 9 to 11. Note that the pull-out areas in the figures correspond to enlarged views of the combination transformation detection unit 60 and the type detection unit 70.

As shown in Figure 9, the control toy body 10 (10h) transformed into the combination form has the shape of the right half of the giant humanoid robot 30, and the partner toy body 20 (20h) transformed into the combination form has the shape of the left half of the giant humanoid robot 30. Focusing on the combination transformation detection unit 60 and the type detection unit 70 at this time, the switch of the combination transformation detection unit 60 and the three switches of the type detection unit 70 (first detection switch 71, second detection switch 72, third detection switch 73) are all OFF.

The user places the left side of the control toy body 10 (10h) transformed into the combination form against the right side of the partner toy body 20 (20h) transformed into the combination form, and then they are tightly coupled together. This coupling operation joins the two toy bodies together via the coupling structure 90, as shown in Figure 10.

Specifically, the connecting structure 90 has a claw-shaped first engaging portion 91 or second engaging portion 92 at opposing positions on the left side of the control toy body 10 (10h) transformed into the combination form and the right side of the mating toy body 20 (20h) transformed into the combination form (see Figure 9). These engage and connect through the connecting operation. Note that the connecting structure 90 is not limited to the claw type. For example, a magnet may be built into one of the control toy body 10 or the mating toy body 20, and an iron piece may be embedded in the other, allowing them to be connected by magnetic force.

In addition, the head 13 of the controlling toy body 10 (10h) and the head 23 of the partner toy body 20 (20h) are in close contact with each other, and in their internal space, the right half body 33R and the left half body 33L are in close contact with each other and joined together to form the head 33 of the giant humanoid robot 30.

When dividing the head 33 into the right half 33R and the left half 33L, the division method can be set appropriately depending on the design of the head 33. For example, if the head 33 has a Western knight-style design equipped with helmet-like armor, the left half 33L may be divided into the face and the left half of the helmet-like armor, and the right half 33R may be divided into the right half of the helmet-like armor. In this case, it is preferable to change the design of the face depending on the type of control toy body 10 and the type of partner toy body 20 to be combined. The connection structure between the right half 33R and the left half 33 may be a spigot structure, a magnetic connection, or other suitable structure.

Focusing on the combination transformation detection unit 60 and the type detection unit 70, in this embodiment, when the toy bodies 20 (20h) are connected and combined, the combination detection convex portion 28g provided on the right surface of the partner toy body 20 (20h) presses the combination transformation detection unit 60 and turns on the switch. Note that if the type determination convex portion 28s (described below) detects combination by turning on one of the switches of the type detection unit 70, the combination detection convex portion 28g can be omitted. In that case, the type detection unit 70 will also serve as the combination detection unit referred to in the present invention.

In addition, a type-determining protrusion 28s is provided on the right surface of the mating toy body 20 (20h). The type-determining protrusions 28s are set so that their number and arrangement vary depending on the type of mating toy body 20, and at least one of the three switches of the type detection unit 70 is turned ON upon combination. The type-determining protrusion 28s is realized as a protrusion, and the type of the mating toy body 20 is identified based on whether it is located in a position that corresponds one-to-one with the switch of the type detection unit 70. Figure 10 shows an example in which there is only one type-determining protrusion 28s that presses the third detection switch 73. Upon connection and combination, the three switches of the type detection unit 70 are turned ON/OFF according to the type of the mating toy body 20.

Once the connection operation has been performed, the user performs the combination completion operation, as shown in Figure 11. To complete the connection operation, the head 13 (the "displacement member" referred to in this invention) of the controlling toy body 10 (10h) is swung (displaced) outward, and the head 23 of the partner toy body 20 (20h) is also swung outward. In other words, immediately after the connection operation, the heads 13 and 23 are closely facing each other along the midline of the giant humanoid robot 30 (see Figure 10), but these upper ends are then deployed so as to move away from each other. The robot head 33 of the giant humanoid robot 30 then appears from within.

The switch of the displacement detection unit (combination completion detection unit) 82 is located in a position where it is pressed by the swing of the head 13. Therefore, the displacement detection unit (combination completion detection unit) 82 changes from OFF to ON when the combination completion operation is performed (in this embodiment, the swing of the head 13, i.e., the displacement of the displacement member, is considered to be the combination completion operation that should be performed at the end of the combination work).

Next, automatic sound effects that accompany the transformation and combination of the combination toy 2 will be described.
12 is a diagram for explaining the flow of processing related to transformation and combination by the control unit 50. When the power is turned on, the CPU 51 automatically loads and executes a control program, and starts the processing described here.

First, the CPU 51 compares the input status (ON/OFF) of the detection signals from the combination transformation detection unit 60, type detection unit 70, combination detection unit 80, and displacement detection unit (combination completion detection unit) 82 with the state determination reference data 100 (see Figure 4), and determines the current state of the controlling toy body 10 (step S2). The determination result is temporarily saved in RAM 52.

If the state determination determines that the user has performed a transformation operation for combination, causing the state to change from "before transformation" to "on standby," in other words, if a transformation operation is detected (YES in step S4), the CPU 51 performs standby control and starts outputting a combination standby effect, i.e., playing back a combination standby sound (step S6). Specifically, it searches for a package that satisfies the application requirements 114 from the effect packages 110 (see FIG. 6), reads the combination standby effect data 116 of the searched package, and starts playing back the sound. The CPU 51 temporarily stores the number of times the combination standby effect is output or the duration of the output in RAM 52, and stops the effect output when the number of times the effect is output reaches a predetermined upper limit or when the duration of the output reaches a predetermined length.

If the result of the state determination is that the state has changed from "standby" to "combination detected," in other words, if a combination operation is detected (YES in step S10), the CPU 51 executes steps S12 to S16 as combination control.

That is, the CPU 51 compares the ON/OFF status of the three switches of the type detection unit 70 with the type determination standard data 102 (see Figure 5) to determine the type of the combined partner toy bodies 20 (step S12). Next, the CPU 51 searches for and references the combination performance data 125 (see Figure 6) corresponding to the type of the combined partner toy bodies 20 (step S14), stops playing the combination standby sound as the output of the combination standby performance, and starts playing the combination sound of the searched data (step S16). The CPU 51 also saves the number of times the combination performance is output or the output duration in RAM 52, and stops the performance output when the number of outputs reaches a predetermined upper limit or the output duration reaches a predetermined length.

If the result of the state determination is that the state has changed from "combination detected" to "combination completed" (in this embodiment, the displacement of the displacement member is the combination completion operation that should be performed at the end of the combination work, so this is considered to be a change to "combination completed," but in other words, "when the displacement member is displaced"), in other words, when the combination completion operation (operation to displace the displacement member) is detected (YES in step S20), the CPU 51 executes steps S22 to S24 as combination completion control (displacement control).

That is, the CPU 51 searches for and references the combination completion effect data 127 (see Figure 6) corresponding to the type of combined partner toy body 20 (step S22), stops the playback output of the combination sound as the output of the combination completion effect, and starts playing back the combination completion sound of the searched data (step S24). The CPU 51 also temporarily stores the number of times the combination completion effect has been output or the duration of the output in RAM 52, and stops the effect output when the number of times the effect has been output reaches a predetermined upper limit or when the duration of the output reaches a predetermined length of time.

If the result of the state determination is that the state has changed from "combination complete" to another state, in other words, if a combination cancellation operation is detected (YES in step S30), the CPU 51 will cancel the performance currently being output as combination cancellation control, search for and refer to the combination cancellation performance data 130 (see Figure 6), and begin playing and outputting the combination cancellation sound of the searched data as the output of the combination cancellation performance (step S32).

As described above, this embodiment makes it possible to realize a combination toy that can automatically output effects to liven up the transformation and combination operation in conjunction with the transformation operation for combination. Unlike conventional methods, the user does not have to take the trouble of operating a switch to play and output sound effects before performing the transformation and combination operation. Instead, sound effects are played and output in conjunction with the transformation and combination operation, and the sound effects change as the transformation and combination operation progresses, creating an excitement for the transformation and combination operation without losing the sense of immersion. Furthermore, the operation related to the robot's head, which is the climax of the transformation and combination operation, is detected and an effect is output along with that operation, making it highly entertaining. Moreover, this effect is the combination completion effect, which is the climax of the transformation and combination effect, further increasing the excitement.

[Modification]
The embodiments to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the above examples, and constituent elements can be added, omitted, or modified as appropriate.

(Variation 1)
For example, although a humanoid robot weapon is shown as an example of the appearance of the combination toy 2 to which the present invention is applied after combination is complete, the appearance after combination is not limited to this. For example, it may be a beast-type or insect-type robot weapon, a multi-legged tank, etc. The installation positions of the combination transformation detection unit 60, the type detection unit 70, the combination detection unit 80, and the displacement detection unit (combination completion detection unit) 82 can be set appropriately according to the design, as long as they are at points where the parts separate/join before and after transformation or combination, or at points where the relative angle or relative position changes before and after transformation or combination.

(Variation 2)
In the above embodiment, the combination deformation detection unit 60, the type detection unit 70, the combination detection unit 80, and the displacement detection unit (combination completion detection unit) 82 are implemented as small push switches. However, each detection unit may be implemented as other switches, sensors, or the like. For example, two electrodes may be used instead of push switches, and conductive material that simultaneously contacts the two electrodes to conduct electricity may be attached to the tips of the combination detection protrusions 28g and the type determination protrusions 28s. Alternatively, a hall sensor may be used instead of push switches, and a small magnet may be embedded in the tips of the combination detection protrusions 28g and the type determination protrusions 28s.

(Variation 3)
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the effect output was realized by emitting sound effects, but it is not limited to sound emission; light emission, vibration, and other effects can also be used. In this case, a control IC according to the output form of the effect output unit 56 may be added to the control unit 50 as appropriate. For example, if light emission or image display is used as an effect, the effect output unit 56 may be equipped with a light-emitting element such as an LED or a display element such as an LCD, and the control unit 50 may be equipped with a control driver circuit for these elements as appropriate. Furthermore, if vibration is used as an effect, a vibrator may be installed as the effect output unit 56, and an IC for vibration control may be installed in the control unit 50.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2: Combination toy 4: IC memory card 6: Displacement portion 10: Controlling toy body 11: First base 12: Second base 13: Head 14: Legs 15: Large cannon 17: Equipment rack 19: Protrusion 20: Opponent toy body 21: First base 22: Second base 23: Head 24: Legs 25: Wings 26: Sword 27: Equipment rack 28g: Protrusion for combination detection 28s: Protrusion for type determination 30: Giant humanoid robot 33: Robot head 33R: Right half 33L: Left half 50: Control unit 51: CPU
52...RAM
53...ROM
54...Reader 55...Battery 56...Performance output unit 60...Combination transformation detection unit 70...Type detection unit 71...First detection switch 72...Second detection switch 73...Third detection switch 80...Combination detection unit 82...Displacement detection unit (combination completion detection unit)
90: Connecting structure portion 91: First engaging portion 92: Second engaging portion 100: State determination reference data 102: Type determination reference data 110: Performance package 112: Package ID
114... Application requirements 116... Combination standby performance data 120... Data set for each combination pattern 121... Pattern ID
123... Application requirements 125... Combination performance data 127... Combination completion performance data (displacement performance data)
130... Fusion cancellation performance data

Claims (7)

A combination toy comprising a plurality of toy bodies that can be transformed into a combination form, and the toy bodies can be combined with each other when transformed from a pre-transformation form into a combination form,
The plurality of toy bodies include one control subject toy body and other counterpart toy bodies,
The control subject toy body is
A performance output unit;
a combination transformation detection unit that detects a transformation from the pre-transformation form;
a combination detection unit that detects that the partner toy bodies have been combined;
Equipped with
A standby control is executed to start outputting a given combination standby performance from the performance output unit in response to detection by the combination transformation detection unit, and a combination control is executed to stop outputting the combination standby performance in response to detection by the combination detection unit and then outputting a given combination performance from the performance output unit.
Combined toys. There are multiple types of partner toy bodies that can be combined with the control subject toy body,
The control subject toy body is
a type detection unit for detecting the type of the combined toy body;
Further provided with
The performance output unit includes at least a speaker,
The combination control is a control to emit a sound including the name of the other toy body according to the type detected by the type detection unit from the speaker as the combination effect.
The combination toy according to claim 1. The control toy body further includes a control unit that executes the standby control and the combined control,
The control unit
After executing the combination control, when the detection by the combination detection unit is canceled, execute combination cancellation control to output a given combination cancellation performance from the performance output unit.
The combination toy according to claim 1 or 2. There are multiple types of partner toy bodies that can be combined with the control subject toy body,
The control subject toy body is
a type detection unit for detecting the type of the combined toy body;
a control unit that executes the standby control and the combined control;
Further provided with
the type detection unit also serves as the combination detection unit,
the control unit executes the combination control in response to detection of the type of the combined partner toy object by the type detection unit.
The combination toy according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The mating toy body is
a protrusion having a number and arrangement that differs depending on the type of the counterpart toy body, the protrusion being located at a position facing the type detection unit when the counterpart toy body is combined with the control subject toy body;
Equipped with
the type detection unit detects the type of the combined partner toy body based on a combination of the number and arrangement of the protrusions.
The combination toy according to claim 2 or 4. A control toy body that has been transformed from a pre-transformation form into a combination form can be combined with one or more partner toy bodies to form a combination toy,
A performance output unit;
a combination transformation detection unit that detects a transformation from the pre-transformation form;
a combination detection unit that detects that the partner toy bodies have been combined;
a control unit that executes standby control to start outputting a given combination standby performance from the performance output unit in response to detection by the combination transformation detection unit, and a control unit that executes combination control to stop outputting the combination standby performance in response to detection by the combination detection unit and then outputting a given combination performance from the performance output unit;
A control subject toy body comprising: A mating toy body that can be combined with the control-subject toy body described in claim 6 that has transformed from the pre-transformation form to the combination form.