JP7761887B2 - Synthetic resin eyeballs for dolls - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to eyeballs for dolls, and more specifically to synthetic resin eyeballs for dolls that are fitted from the inside into eye-exposing holes (eye holes) drilled in a hollow head body, with a portion of the eyeball facing outward through the eye hole.

In addition, in this specification, the term "doll" refers to any doll that has a torso, legs, arms, and a head and is a replica of a human being. However, it is not limited to this and may refer to dolls other than those that are replicas of humans, as long as some of the eyeballs are positioned so that they face one of the doll's external faces, or dolls that do not have a head that is clearly separated from the torso. In other words, the term covers all things that fall into the category generally referred to as dolls, and is a concept that also includes dolls that are replicas of animals, imaginary creatures, robots, etc.

As one of the parts that make up a doll, the eyeballs are quite important. That is to say, the more lustrous and vivid the irises, like those of a living creature, the more beautiful the doll's facial expression will be.
Therefore, even in the case of completed dolls that originally come equipped with the main components such as the head, legs, arms, and torso, there are many dolls that are missing only the eyeballs, and for these dolls, consumers purchase eyeballs that suit their preferences separately after purchasing the doll and then attach them later.
In addition, consumers can place such eyeballs against the eyeholes of the head body from the inside, exposing part of the white of the eye and the iris to the outside of the head body, thereby enhancing the realism of the doll's facial expression.

Among the eyeballs used for dolls, there are those called glass eyes, which are made from glass. These eyeballs are formed into a dome shape from glass, and as they are suitable for expressing a sense of depth in the pupils through a lens effect, they are in high demand as they can provide beautiful eyes.
However, glass eyes are expensive whether they are handmade or machine-made, so there has been a demand for eyeballs for dolls that can provide the same sense of depth at a lower price.
Therefore, eyeballs made of synthetic resin, known as low-cost acrylic eyes, are attracting attention.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an eyeball shaped like a dome, in which a cylindrical recess is provided on the top surface of the eyeball body (white part of the eye) made of acrylic material or the like, an iris part printed on a circular paper sheet is attached to the inner bottom surface of the recess, and a transparent, convex synthetic resin cover part (cornea part) is fitted into the recess so as to be in close contact with the iris part (see Figure 9).
This configuration allows for a greater distance between the iris and the outer surface of the cornea (cover), providing a sense of pupil depth and meeting consumer needs.

JP 2009-247798 A

Eyeballs include those in which both the iris and pupil are circular, those in which the iris is circular and the pupil is vertically narrow and cat-eye shaped, and those in which the iris is vertically long and roughly oval shaped.
In particular, those with a vertically elongated oval iris resemble the eyes of characters in anime, and are therefore called animetic eyes or character eyes, and are in high demand among consumers.

Here, let's consider a case where the configuration of Patent Document 1 is adopted and an iris portion of this vertically elongated ellipse is provided to form an animated eye.

First, a printed paper iris is formed with a diameter that fits into the inner bottom surface of a cylindrical recess provided on the top surface of the eyeball body (white part of the eye).
This paper iris part is made by printing the pupil part in a vertical cat's eye shape in the central area of a white circular paper sheet, for example, so that there are white sheets (background color) on the left and right of the pupil part (see Figure 9). Then, this paper iris part is attached to the inner bottom surface of the cylindrical part, and then the lens body is fitted into the recess to complete the product.
However, such a configuration can cause the following problems.
Due to the difference in physical properties between the white part of the eyeball body made of synthetic resin and the white part of the iris made of paper, there is a risk that the appearance of white will differ, which may cause a sense of discomfort (see Figure 9).

Even if the iris were printed on the same acrylic plate as the eyeball itself, there would be an edge at the top edge of the recess in the eyeball, which would cast a shadow and potentially create a step between the recess and the iris.

It may also be possible to create a sheet on which only the pupil of the eye is printed and attach it to the inner bottom surface of the recess. In this case, it can be said that the above-mentioned problem is unlikely to occur.
However, it is difficult to attach such a vertically narrow cat's eye-shaped pupil part to the inner bottom surface of the recess in a fixed position without misalignment, and there is also the problem that it is time-consuming and very difficult to attach to the inner bottom surface of a cylindrical recess with sharp edges.
Furthermore, attaching a printed iris to the bottom of the recess creates at least some space between the recess and the iris, making the edges of the eyeball body and the rim of the iris clearly visible, and the lens body causes this space (gap) to appear raised, which is problematic. In other words, in actual human eyeballs and the eyeballs of characters in manga and anime, there is no space (gap) at the boundary between the iris and the white of the eye, and there is a smooth, continuous line. Therefore, in conventional synthetic resin eyeballs, this unnatural space (gap) detracts from the realism of the eyeball, limiting the realism of the doll's facial expression.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages and provide a synthetic resin eyeball for dolls that has a smooth, continuous boundary between the iris and the white of the eye, a vivid iris, and a glossy outer surface for the white of the eye, resulting in a highly realistic appearance.

The technical means of the first invention to solve the above problems is a doll's eyeball held in an eyeball holder of a doll,
a main body made of synthetic resin, the main body being configured with a top surface portion formed in a concave shape and a bottom portion that is continuous with the top surface portion and gradually widens in diameter;
an iris portion disposed on the top surface portion;
a cover portion made of a transparent synthetic resin that closely covers the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion and the iris portion and is disposed on the iris portion in a dome shape ,
The top surface portion has a concave surface that is recessed in a spherical shape,
The upper edge of the top surface portion is configured in an R-shape without a step from the inner bottom surface of the concave surface of the top surface portion to the bottom portion,
The bottom surface of the main body is located inward from the end of the hem and is provided with an eye direction adjustment assisting portion,
the eyeball direction adjustment assisting portion includes a jig insertion groove formed between a plurality of protruding portions protruding from the bottom surface portion,
The synthetic resin eyeballs for dolls are characterized in that the protruding parts are provided at a height that does not protrude beyond the edge of the bottom of the main body .

The second aspect of the present invention is the optical lens of the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the iris portion is arranged in a vertically elongated shape,
The jig insertion groove is provided between two protruding pieces that are spaced a predetermined distance apart,
The synthetic resin eyeball for dolls is characterized in that the protrusion extends in the same direction as the length of the iris.

The third aspect of the present invention is the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the cover portion has a first region that thinly covers a bottom region of the main body portion;
and a second region that covers the iris in a dome shape .

The fourth invention is the method according to any one of the first to third inventions,
This is what we have decided.

This invention makes it possible to provide synthetic resin eyeballs for dolls that have a highly realistic appearance, with a smooth, continuous boundary between the iris and the white of the eye, a vivid iris, and a glossy outer surface for the white of the eye.

1 is a schematic front view showing an embodiment of a synthetic resin eyeball for a doll according to the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic bottom view of the synthetic resin eyeball for dolls shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view of the area surrounded by the dashed line in FIG. 4 . FIG. 10 is an image diagram showing a tracking state. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional plan view showing a state in which the direction of the eyeball is being adjusted by inserting a jig into the eyeball direction adjustment assisting portion. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which synthetic resin eyeballs for dolls according to the present invention are held in eyeholes (eyeball holding portions) in the head of a doll. FIG. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional synthetic resin eyeball for a doll.

The following describes synthetic resin eyeballs for dolls according to one embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Please note that this embodiment is merely one embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting in any way. Design modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the eyeball 1 in this embodiment has a roughly bowl-shaped appearance.
The eyeball 1 is held by, for example, pressing the outer surface 1b of the convex side (surface side) 1a against the eyehole (eyeball holding portion) G of the doll's head H from the inside of the head H (see Figure 9).
In this embodiment, the eyepiece is slidably fitted into the eyehole G.
At this time, a part of the eyeball 1 is exposed to the front of the face through the eyehole G to form the doll's facial expression.

The eyeball 1 consists of a main body 3, which becomes the white of the eye, an iris 21 located on the top surface 5 of the main body 3, and a cover 23 that covers the iris 21 and the main body 3.

As shown in the figure, the main body 3 is configured as a hollow, approximately hemispherical shape, with a top surface 5 having a spherically recessed concave surface 5a and a hollow, bowl-shaped base 7 that gradually widens from the upper edge 5b of the top surface 5. In other words, the bottom surface 9 of the main body 3 is located inward from the end 11 of the base 7 and is formed back-to-back opposite the top surface 5 (see Figure 3).

The concave surface 5a of the top surface portion 5 is recessed in a perfect circular shape in a plan view, and the radius of curvature R1 is preferably about 10 mm (R10) when, for example, in this embodiment, assuming that the diameter of the end 11 of the skirt portion 7 of the main body portion 3 is 20 mm and the height of the main body portion 3 is about 7 mm. This is because the depth D to which ultraviolet light can penetrate the ultraviolet-curing resin that makes up the cover portion 23, which will be described later, is about 2 mm.
The radius of curvature R1 of the concave surface 5a is not particularly limited and can be modified within the scope of the present invention. The curved shape of the skirt portion 7 is also not particularly limited and can be modified within the scope of the present invention.

The upper edge 5b of the top surface 5 continues from the inner bottom surface of the concave surface 5a of the top surface 5 and is configured in a smooth, stepless curve extending to the bottom 7 (see Figures 3 to 5).

The radius of curvature R2 of the upper edge portion 5b has a relationship of R1>R2 with the radius of curvature R1 of the concave surface 5a of the top surface portion 5 (see FIG. 5).
In this embodiment, the radius of curvature R1 of the concave surface 5a of the top surface portion 5 is set to about 10 mm, while the radius of curvature R2 of the upper edge portion 5b is set to about 2.5 mm (R2.5).

In addition, in this embodiment, the upper edge portion 5b is configured with the same radius of curvature R2 in the circumferential direction, but it is within the scope of the present invention if the radius of curvature is partially changed.
Note that the upper edge 5b is not restricted to the relationship R1>R2 as in this embodiment, as long as it is continuous from the inner bottom surface of the concave surface 5a of the top surface portion 5 and is configured in a gentle R shape without any steps toward the bottom portion 7. However, if the radius of curvature is extremely small, there is a risk that the edge will become sharp, so attention should be paid to this point.

In this embodiment, the main body 3 has a configuration in which the thickness of the top surface 5 and the thickness of the bottom surface 7 are different (see Figures 3 and 4), but this is not intended to be limiting, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the thicknesses are the same. Furthermore, the thickness of the bottom surface 7 may be gradually thinner or thicker from the end 11 of the bottom surface 7 toward the top surface 5, as desired.

The material of the main body 3 is not particularly limited as long as it can maintain a certain level of strength, as it will become the main body of the eyeball 1, but for example, synthetic resins such as polycarbonate can be selected as desired.
In this embodiment, since the main body 3 becomes the white part of the eyeball 1, it is preferable that a white material is selected or that the outer surface of the main body 3 is colored white, but this is not a limiting interpretation, and it is within the scope of the present invention to appropriately select a material such as transparent or a color other than white. It is also possible to adopt a material other than polycarbonate.

In this embodiment, an eye direction adjustment assistance unit 13 is provided on the bottom surface 9 of the main body unit 3 (see Figures 2 to 5 and 7).

The eyeball direction adjustment auxiliary part 13 is an auxiliary part that allows a consumer to easily change the direction of the eyeball 1, i.e., the pupil, in any direction up, down, left or right to change facial expression after attaching the eyeball 1 to the eyehole G of the head H, using a jig J.
The eyeball direction auxiliary part 13 constituting the present invention is provided on the bottom surface part 9 of the main body part 3, and can be modified in design within the scope of the present invention as long as it can insert a jig and move the eyeball 1 in any direction up, down, left or right.
Furthermore, the eye direction adjustment assisting part 13 is configured so as not to protrude from the end 11 of the hem 7 of the main body 3. If the eye direction adjustment assisting part 13 were provided so as to protrude from the end 11 of the hem 7 of the main body 3, a protrusion would exist inside the head H, which could occupy the internal space of the head and become a nuisance, particularly in the case of a doll with a small head with a narrow internal space.

In this embodiment, the eyeball direction adjustment assisting portion 13 includes a jig insertion groove 17 formed between two rectangular protrusions 15, 15 that are spaced a predetermined distance apart and integrally protrude from the bottom surface 9 of the main body portion 3. The two protrusions 15, 15 are aligned in the same vertical direction Y1 as the iris portion, in accordance with the vertically elongated iris portion 21 provided on the top surface 5 of the main body portion 3 (see FIGS. 2 to 5 and 7).
The reason for this configuration is as follows.
In a doll having a vertically long iris portion 21 as in this embodiment, the orientation of the iris portion 21 is important. That is, the vertically long iris portion 21 needs to be arranged vertically. For example, if this vertically long iris portion 21 is arranged horizontally at an angle of 90 degrees, not only will the iris portion 21 be completely useless, but it will also cause problems with the doll's facial expression.
Therefore, by providing two protruding portions 15, 15 that extend in the same direction (vertical direction Y1) as the longitudinal direction of the iris portion 21, the orientation of the eyeball 1 (position of the iris portion 21) can be grasped easily and accurately when attaching the eyeball 1 to the eyehole G from the internal space side of the head H, which makes the jig extremely easy to handle. The jig J shown in the figures is one embodiment and is not to be construed as being limited thereto.

The two protruding portions 15, 15 are each formed to a protruding height sufficient to be accommodated within the internal space of the main body 3 and not to protrude from the end portion 11 (see FIG. 3).
Furthermore, the top surface 5 (concave surface 5a) of the main body 3 is formed thin, but two protruding pieces 15, 15 are integrally molded on the back side of the top surface 5 (concave surface 5a), and these protruding pieces 15, 15 function as reinforcing material.

The eyeball direction adjustment assistance unit 13 is not limited to this embodiment, and other forms can be adopted as long as they are capable of fine-tuning the direction of the eyeball 1 via the jig J, and the design can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention.
For example, although not shown in the figure, it is also possible to further protrude two protruding parts extending in the horizontal direction X1 at a predetermined distance from the bottom surface 9 of the main body part 3 so as to be perpendicular to the two protruding parts 15, 15 extending in the vertical direction Y1 in this embodiment, thereby forming a cross-shaped jig insertion groove.

In this embodiment, the iris portion 21 is provided by printing directly on the concave surface 5a of the top surface portion 5 of the main body portion 3. In addition, in this embodiment, in order to provide an animated eye, a vertically elongated, approximately elliptical iris portion is employed, with the vertical direction Y1 portion being longer than the horizontal direction X1 portion (see FIG. 1).
The iris portion 21 is printed in the vertical direction Y1 over the entire curved slope 19a of the concave surface 5a, and in the horizontal direction X1 up to the middle of the curved slope 19b (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
The iris portion 21 may be printed only in the central region of the concave surface 5a that does not overlap the R-shaped slopes 19a and 19b of the concave surface 5a, and this is within the scope of the present invention.

The iris portion 21 can be designed to have a circular shape in a plan view or other shapes within the scope of the present invention, and the surface of the iris portion 21 is printed with any iris pattern, pupil pattern, highlight pattern reflecting external light, etc. in any color.
Any shape may be used depending on the size and shape of the pattern to be displayed on the surface of the iris portion 21, such as an oval, a circle, or a star. It is also possible to freely select an iris portion that is printed with only coloring and no pattern.
Alternatively, a three-dimensionally printed iris may be used, for example, in the shape of a convex bulge at the center, a concave depression at the center, a crown, a star, or the like.

The cover portion 23 is arranged so that the transparent resin tightly covers the outer surface of the bottom portion 7 of the main body portion 3 and the iris portion 21, and is integrally molded onto the outer surface of the bottom portion 7 of the main body portion 3 and the iris portion 21 by molding using a specified molding die so that a first region 23a that covers the bottom portion 7 region of the main body portion 3 in a thin shape and a second region 23b that covers the top surface portion 5 region of the main body portion 3 in a thick dome shape compared to the first region 23a are formed smoothly and continuously.
That is, when the thickness of the first region 23a is t1 and the thickness of the second region 23b is t2, there is a relationship of t1<t2.
In this embodiment, the thickness t1 of the first region 23a and the thickness t2 of the second region 23b can be made different by molding the cover portion 23, so that the thickness t2 of the second region 23b can be made thick and dome-shaped to enhance the lens effect, while the thickness t1 of the first region 23a can be made thin. Therefore, when the eyeball 1 is placed from the inside against the eyehole G of the doll's head H, the eyeball 1 can protrude from the eyehole G by an appropriate amount (see Figure 9).

The resin material forming the cover portion 23 can be selected appropriately according to needs, as long as it is highly transparent, can form a glossy surface, and can harden sufficiently to maintain the external shape of the eyeball 1. For example, in this embodiment, ultraviolet-curing (UV) resin is used. By using ultraviolet-curing (UV) resin, hardening proceeds quickly, thereby shortening the production time. Furthermore, if a two-component resin (e.g., epoxy resin) is used, it will take longer to harden, but the surface will have a beautiful gloss and will be less susceptible to deterioration over time. Note that the resin is not limited to these examples, and other transparent resins may also be used.

When the eyeball 1 is formed in this manner, a large distance can be created between the iris portion 21 printed on the concave surface 5a of the top surface portion 5 of the main body portion 3 and the second region 23b formed in a thick dome shape of the cover portion 23, so that a sense of depth is created through the lens effect, and the iris portion 21 appears three-dimensional and large.
Furthermore, since a sense of depth is obtained, a tracking effect can also be obtained due to the lens effect (see Figure 6). That is, even when the consumer looks at the eyeball 1 from a direction (diagonal lateral direction) away from the center of the eyeball 1 (the most protruding area of the second area 23b), the iris 21 can be seen on the surface of the lens-like protruding second area 23b of the cover part 23, making it seem as if the consumer and the doll are always looking at each other, and the doll's facial expression becomes more expressive.

The top surface 5 of the main body 3 is recessed to form the concave surface 5a, and the upper edge 5b of the top surface 5 is formed in a gentle, rounded shape that continues from the concave surface 5a and extends to the bottom 7 without any steps. This means that the lens effect of the thick, dome-shaped second region 23b of the cover 23 makes it difficult to see the boundary between the main body 3 and the iris 21, which forms the white of the eye. In other words, the space (gap, boundary line, step, etc.) at the boundary between the main body 3 and the iris 21, which was clearly visible in prior art, is now difficult to see, resulting in a beautiful appearance.

Furthermore, the outer diameter of the cover portion 23 (outer diameter of the eyeball 1) is formed to match the outer diameter dimensions of the eyeball 1 set in the eyehole G of the doll's head H. As a result, when the eyeball 1 is placed against the eyehole G of the doll's head H from the inside, the eyeball 1 protrudes from the eyehole G by an appropriate amount, making it possible to create a well-balanced facial expression for the doll.

In this embodiment, the main body 3 is formed in a hollow hemispherical shape, but the design of the inside shape of the main body 3 can be freely modified according to specifications. For example, the inside of the main body 3 may be solid. However, it is preferable that the eye direction adjustment assistance part 13 does not protrude outward.

Since the cover portion 23 can be molded integrally using a transparent resin material by molding, it is possible to arrange predetermined ornaments such as jewels or glass beads (glass pieces) on the cover portion 23, thereby enhancing the decorative effect and increasing the interest of consumers.
It should be noted that the iris portion 21 is not formed by printing directly onto the concave surface 5a of the main body portion 3, but rather, a configuration in which it is printed on a thin flexible sheet and placed on the concave surface 5a of the main body portion 3 is not excluded, and the design can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention.

This invention can be used with all dolls, regardless of their overall height.

1 Eyeball 3 Main body 5 Top surface 5a Concave surface 5b Upper edge 7 Bottom 13 Eyeball direction adjustment assisting portion 15 Protrusion 21 Iris 23 Cover 23a First region 23b Second region

Claims (4)

A doll's eyeball held in an eyeball holder of a doll,
a main body made of synthetic resin, the main body being configured with a top surface portion formed in a concave shape and a bottom portion that is continuous with the top surface portion and gradually widens in diameter;
an iris portion disposed on the top surface portion;
a cover portion made of a transparent synthetic resin that closely covers the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion and the iris portion and is disposed on the iris portion in a dome shape ,
The top surface portion has a concave surface that is recessed in a spherical shape,
The upper edge of the top surface portion is configured in an R-shape without a step from the inner bottom surface of the concave surface of the top surface portion to the bottom portion,
The bottom surface of the main body is located inward from the end of the hem and is provided with an eye direction adjustment assisting portion,
the eyeball direction adjustment assisting portion includes a jig insertion groove formed between a plurality of protruding portions protruding from the bottom surface portion,
The synthetic resin eyeball for a doll is characterized in that the protruding portion is provided at a height that does not protrude beyond the end of the hem of the main body portion . The iris portion is arranged in a vertically elongated shape,
The jig insertion groove is provided between two protruding pieces that are spaced a predetermined distance apart,
2. The synthetic resin eyeball for dolls according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion extends in the same direction as the length of the iris. The cover portion includes a first region that thinly covers a bottom region of the main body portion;
3. The synthetic resin eyeball for dolls according to claim 1, further comprising a second area that covers the iris in a dome shape . 4. The synthetic resin eyeball for dolls according to claim 1, wherein when the radius of curvature of said concave surface is R1 and the radius of curvature of said upper edge is R2, the relationship of R1 > R2 is satisfied .