JP7809019B2 - Doll head prosthetic eye retention structure and doll head - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a doll head prosthetic eye retention structure and a doll head.

There are dolls that can be customized to your liking by combining parts from a lineup of multiple items. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a doll head in which the prosthetic eye component can be replaced with one of your choice. This doll head comprises a head body, a spherical prosthetic eye component, and a pressing mechanism that presses and holds the prosthetic eye component against the inner surface of the head body, with the holding surface of the pressing mechanism that holds the prosthetic eye component formed into a concave curved surface that matches the shape of the prosthetic eye component. With this structure, the prosthetic eye component can be replaced, and by rotating the prosthetic eye component along the concave curved surface, the orientation of the prosthetic eye component (specifically the iris attached to the prosthetic eye component), which is an important element that determines facial expression, can be easily adjusted.

In recent years, this type of doll head has become available in multiple lineups, not only with prosthetic eye components but also with the head itself, allowing for more detailed customization of facial expressions.

However, if you want to offer a lineup of head bodies with different eye positions, for example, the doll head described in Patent Document 1 poses a problem. Specifically, with the doll head described in Patent Document 1, the prosthetic eye component is positioned on the head body by fitting into a concave curved surface. Therefore, if the eye position on the head body changes, the orientation and position of the pressing mechanism must be readjusted to match the new position. As a result, it becomes necessary to modify the internal structure for each head body, which increases manufacturing costs.

Patent No. 4182510

The main objective of this invention is to provide a prosthetic eye holding structure that not only allows for easy adjustment of the orientation of the prosthetic eye component, but can also be used regardless of the position of the eye on the head body.

The artificial eye retention structure for a doll's head according to the present invention comprises a hollow head body with through-holes formed at the positions of the eyes, and holds an artificial eye component within the head body so that it is visible from the outside through the through-hole. It further comprises an artificial eye retention body disposed within the head body, which has a retention surface that contacts the back surface of the artificial eye component facing in the opposite direction to the surface that is visible from the outside through the through-hole, and which holds the artificial eye component by sandwiching it between the retention surface and the inner surface of the head body, and which is characterized in that the retention surface is convex.

With this configuration, the holding surface of the prosthetic eye holder is convex, so the orientation of the prosthetic eye member can be easily changed by rotating it along the holding surface without moving it relative to the holding surface. Furthermore, by moving the prosthetic eye member relative to the holding surface, it is possible to align it with the through-hole even if the position of the eye in the head body changes. As a result, the same prosthetic eye holding structure can be used for head bodies with different eye positions, reducing manufacturing costs.

The contact surface may also be a convex spherical surface or an ellipsoidal spherical surface.

This configuration makes it possible to align the eyes on the head body with the through-holes regardless of whether the position changes left, right, up, or down.

The artificial eye holder may also be elastically deformable.

With this configuration, the restoring force of the prosthetic eye holder presses the prosthetic eye component against the inner surface of the head body, making it less likely to come off accidentally.

The head body may also be configured to be separable into a face member that constitutes the face side and a head member that constitutes the head side, and the artificial eye holder may be arranged to rise from the inner surface of the face member on the neck side of the through hole.

With this configuration, by removing the head component, it is possible to access the interior of the face component from the head side. This allows the prosthetic eye component to be replaced or its orientation to be changed while the doll's head is still attached to the body. Furthermore, because the prosthetic eye holder is arranged to rise from the inner surface of the face component on the neck side of the through-hole, the holding space between the holding surface and the inner surface of the head body is open toward the head side. This allows the prosthetic eye component to be inserted and removed from the holding space from the head side of the face component, facilitating replacement. The orientation of the prosthetic eye component held in the holding space can also be easily changed.

Furthermore, the head body may have a through-hole formed at the position of each of the left and right eyes, and the holding surfaces corresponding to each through-hole may all be formed on a single prosthetic eye holder.

With this configuration, the holding surfaces corresponding to each through hole are formed on a single prosthetic eye holder, reducing the number of parts and keeping manufacturing costs down.

The artificial eye holding structure for a doll's head according to the present invention comprises a hollow head body with through-holes formed at the positions of the eyes, and holds an artificial eye component within the head body so that it can be seen from the outside through the through-hole. The structure further comprises an artificial eye holder provided within the head body, which has a holding surface that contacts the back surface of the artificial eye component facing in the opposite direction to the surface visible from the outside through the through-hole, and which holds the artificial eye component by sandwiching it between the holding surface and the inner surface of the head body. The holding surface is convex when the back surface is flat, and is either convex or flat when the back surface is convex.

The doll head of the present invention also comprises a hollow head body with through-holes formed at the positions of the eyes, a prosthetic eye member held within the head body so that it can be seen from the outside through the through-hole, and a prosthetic eye holder provided within the head body and having a holding surface that contacts the back surface of the prosthetic eye member facing in the opposite direction to the surface that can be seen from the outside through the through-hole, and which holds the prosthetic eye member by sandwiching it between the holding surface and the inner surface of the head body; the holding surface is convex when the back surface is flat, and is either convex or flat when the back surface is convex.

With this configuration, the holding surface of the artificial eye holder is convex when the back surface of the artificial eye member is flat, and convex or flat when the back surface is convex. Therefore, the orientation of the artificial eye member can be easily changed by rotating it without moving it relative to the holding surface. Furthermore, by moving the artificial eye member relative to the holding surface, it can be aligned with the through-hole even if the position of the eye in the head body changes. As a result, the same artificial eye holding structure can be used for head bodies with different eye positions, reducing manufacturing costs.

As described above, the artificial eye holding structure for a doll head according to the present invention not only allows for easy adjustment of the orientation of the artificial eye component, but can also be used even if the position of the eye on the head itself is different. As a result, manufacturing costs can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a doll head according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a face member of the doll head according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view schematically showing a doll head according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing an artificial eye member for a doll head according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view schematically showing a doll head according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the doll head of the embodiment.

A doll head according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

<Embodiment> As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the doll head 100 of this embodiment comprises a head body 10, an artificial eye member 40, and an artificial eye holder 50, with the head body 10 and the artificial eye holder 50 forming an artificial eye holding structure. Here, the term "doll" is not limited to humanoid dolls, but also includes animal and robot types.

The head body 10 is hollow and can be separated into a face member 20 that forms the face side and a head member 30 that forms the head side. The face member 20 and head member 30 are detachable from each other. Therefore, the inside of the head body 10 can be accessed by removing the head member 30 from the face member 20. In other words, the inside of the face member 20 can be accessed by removing the head member 30 from the face member 20 while the head body 10 remains attached to the torso (not shown).

Specifically, the face member 20 and the head member 30 are connected by bringing their contact surfaces 21, 31 into contact with each other. More specifically, an engaging protrusion 22 is formed on one of these contact surfaces 21, 31, and an engaging recess 32 is formed on the other. The face member 20 and the head member 30 are positioned relative to each other by engaging the engaging protrusion 22 with the engaging recess 32. In addition, magnets 23, 33 are provided at corresponding positions on both contact surfaces 21, 22, and the magnetic force of these magnets 23, 33 prevents the face member 20 and the head member 30 from accidentally detaching.

The face member 20 has at least a face section 24 and a neck base section 25. Through holes 26 are formed in the face member 20 at the positions of the left and right eyes. The inner surface 26s of this through hole 26 is tapered, with the diameter decreasing from the inner opening end to the outer opening end. In addition, a fitting hole 27 for attaching the prosthetic eye holder 40 is formed in the face member 20 on the inner surface closer to the neck than the through hole 26. In this embodiment, the fitting hole 27 is formed in the neck base section 25. This fitting hole 27 has a rectangular cross section and is located in the left-right center of the head body 10.

Furthermore, the face member 20 is provided with a connecting mechanism 28 for connecting to the doll's body (not shown) at the base of the neck 25. In this embodiment, the connecting mechanism 28 is a connecting hole into which a connecting shaft (not shown) provided on the doll's body is inserted, and is provided behind the fitting hole 27. Therefore, the fitting hole 27 is formed between the through hole 26 and the connecting mechanism 28.

As shown in Figure 2, the artificial eye member 40 is, for example, approximately hemispherical. The artificial eye member 40 of this embodiment comprises a disc-shaped artificial eye body 41, an iris 42 provided on one end surface of the artificial eye body 41, a translucent convex lens body 43 covering one end of the artificial eye body 41, and a handle 44 protruding radially from the outer circumferential surface of the convex lens body 43. The artificial eye member 40 is designed so that the iris 42 can be seen through the convex lens body 43, and the convex spherical surface formed by this convex lens body 43 forms the front surface 40a. The surface facing the opposite direction from this front surface 40a, i.e., the flat surface formed by the other end surface of the artificial eye body 41, forms the back surface 40b. The iris 42 may be formed, for example, by drawing it directly on one end of the artificial eye body 41, or by drawing it on a sticker attached to that end.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the artificial eye holder 50 is, for example, generally T-shaped overall and is elastically deformable backward (toward the occipital region), which is the opposite direction to the orientation of the iris 42. In this embodiment, the artificial eye holder 50 comprises a shaft 51 that fits into the fitting hole 27 and an elastically deformable holding arm 52 fixed to the shaft 51. The shaft 51 has a rectangular cross section and is shaped to fit snugly into the fitting hole 27. The holding arm 52 has a pair of arms 53 that extend from the shaft 51 in a direction perpendicular to its axial direction. The arms 53 elastically deform so as to flex circumferentially around the shaft 51, with the shaft 51 as the central axis. Each arm 53 also has a holding surface 50s formed at its tip. The holding surface 50s is a convex spherical surface.

The artificial eye holder 50 is then attached to the face member 20 by fitting the shaft 51 into the fitting hole 27. In this state, the artificial eye holder 50 rises from the base of the neck 25 of the face member 20 toward the head, and is positioned so that the holding surface 54 faces the through-hole 26 with a gap between them. Therefore, a holding space S for holding the artificial eye member 40 is formed between the holding surface 54 and the through-hole 26, and this holding space S is open toward the head.

Next, we will explain how to use the doll head 100.

First, remove the head member 30 from the face member 20 of the head body 10. This allows access to the interior of the face member 20 through an opening on the rear side of the head. Then, insert the prosthetic eye member 40 into the holding space S. Specifically, insert the prosthetic eye member 40 into the holding space S with the front surface 40a of the prosthetic eye member 40 facing the through-hole 26 and the back surface 40b facing the holding surface 50s. Note that because the holding space S is open toward the head, there are no obstacles in front of the holding space S, making it easy to insert the prosthetic eye member 40.

When the prosthetic eye member 40 is fitted into the holding space S, the convex spherical surface 40a abuts against the inner circumferential surface 26s of the through-hole 26, and the flat back surface 40b abuts against the holding surface 50s, sandwiching and holding the prosthetic eye member 40 between the inner circumferential surface 26s and the prosthetic eye member 40 by the eye-holding body 50. In this state, the iris 42 is visible through the through-hole 26 and the convex lens body 43 from outside the head body 10. Furthermore, the arm portion 53 is pushed by the prosthetic eye member 40 and elastically deforms slightly backward. Specifically, the arm portion 53 is pushed by the prosthetic eye member 40 and elastically deforms so as to bend circumferentially around the shaft body 51, with the shaft body 51 as the central axis. As a result, the restoring force of the arm portion 53 presses the prosthetic eye member 40 toward the inner circumferential surface 26s. In other words, the artificial eye component 40 is biased toward the inner surface (inner peripheral surface 26s) of the head body 10 by the artificial eye holder 50, and is held in place to prevent inadvertent movement.

Next, to change the orientation of the artificial eye member 40 in the left-right direction, as shown in Figure 5, the artificial eye member 40 is rotated left-right with almost no relative movement relative to the holding surface 50s. At this time, the degree of deflection of the arm portion 53 changes. Specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), when the artificial eye member 40 is rotated, the arm portion 53 deflects more greatly. Note that, to change the orientation of the artificial eye member 40 in the up-down direction, the artificial eye member 40 is rotated up-down with almost no relative movement relative to the holding surface 50s. At this time, the degree of deflection of the arm portion 53 also changes. In addition, the arm portion 53 elastically deforms so as to be twisted in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction.

The doll head 100 shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b) is a variation of this embodiment in which only the position of the eyes on the head body 10 has been changed, with the rest of the structure remaining the same as in this embodiment. Specifically, the head body 10 shown in Figure 6(a) has the eyes positioned further apart compared to this embodiment, while the head body 10 shown in Figure 6(b) has the eyes positioned closer together compared to this embodiment. As can be seen from these variations, if the position of the eyes on the head body 10 is changed, the prosthetic eye member 40 can be aligned with the through-hole 26 by moving it relative to the holding surface 50s.

In the artificial eye holding structure of the doll head 100 according to this embodiment, the holding surface 50s of the artificial eye holding body 50 is a convex spherical surface, so the orientation of the artificial eye member 40 can be easily changed by rotating it with almost no relative movement relative to the holding surface 50s. Furthermore, by moving the artificial eye member 40 relative to the holding surface 50s, it is possible to align it with the through-hole even if the position of the eye on the head body 10 changes. As a result, the same artificial eye holding structure can be used for head bodies with different eye positions, reducing manufacturing costs.

In addition, because the artificial eye holder 50 is elastically deformable, the artificial eye member 40 can be pressed against the inner surface 26s of the through-hole 26 and held there. This makes it less likely for the artificial eye member 40 to accidentally fall off and its orientation to shift. Furthermore, because the front-to-back spacing of the holding space S can be adjusted to match the shape of the artificial eye member 40, the artificial eye member 40 can be held even if its size changes to some extent.

<Other embodiments> In the above embodiment, the holding surface is a convex spherical surface, but it may also be an ellipsoidal spherical surface. Furthermore, for example, the holding surface may be a convex curved surface. Specifically, the holding surface may be a convex curved surface that curves in the left-right direction, or a convex curved surface that curves in the up-down direction.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the holding arm of the artificial eye holder is elastically deformable, but for example, the shaft may be elastically deformable, or the entire artificial eye holder may be elastically deformable. Furthermore, the artificial eye holder does not necessarily have to be elastically deformable.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the holding surfaces corresponding to the left and right eyes are provided on a single prosthetic eye holder, but they may also be provided on separate prosthetic eye holders.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the artificial eye holder is arranged to protrude from the neck side toward the head side beyond the through-hole, but it may also be arranged to protrude, for example, from the head side toward the neck side.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the back surface of the prosthetic eye component is flat and the holding surface of the prosthetic eye holder is convex. However, for example, the back surface may be convex and the holding surface may be convex or flat. In other words, it is sufficient if either the back surface or the holding surface is convex and the other is convex or flat. Therefore, the prosthetic eye component is not limited to being hemispherical, but may be, for example, spherical or ellipsoidal. In other words, the back surface of the prosthetic eye component may be a convex curved surface, spherical surface, or ellipsoidal surface. In this case, the head body and the prosthetic eye holder may have the same configuration as in the above embodiment.

In addition, parts of various embodiments may be combined or modified as long as they do not contradict the spirit of the present invention.

100: Doll head 10: Head body 20: Face member 26: Through hole 26s: Inner peripheral surface 30: Head member 40: Artificial eye member 40a: Surface 40b: Back surface 50: Artificial eye holder 50s: Holding surface

Claims (7)

A hollow head body having a through hole formed at the position of the eye, and a prosthetic eye member is held in the head body so that it can be seen from the outside through the through hole.
The artificial eye holder is provided in the head body and has a holding surface that faces and contacts the back surface of the artificial eye member facing in the opposite direction to the surface that is visible from the outside through the through hole, and holds the artificial eye member between the holding surface and the inner surface of the head body.
A prosthetic eye retention structure for a doll head, characterized in that the retention surface is convex and protrudes toward the center of the back surface of the prosthetic eye member . The artificial eye retention structure for a doll head according to claim 1, wherein the retention surface is a convex spherical surface or an ellipsoidal spherical surface. The artificial eye retention structure for a doll head according to claim 1, wherein the artificial eye retention body is elastically deformable. The head body is configured to be separable into a face member constituting a face side and a head member constituting a head side,
2. The artificial eye holding structure for a doll head according to claim 1, wherein the artificial eye holding body is provided so as to rise from the inner surface of the face member closer to the neck than the through hole. The head body has the through holes formed at the positions of the left and right eyes,
2. The artificial eye holding structure for a doll head according to claim 1, wherein the holding surfaces corresponding to the respective through holes are all formed on one of the artificial eye holding bodies. A hollow head body having a through hole formed at the position of the eye, and a prosthetic eye member is held in the head body so that it can be seen from the outside through the through hole.
The artificial eye holder is provided in the head body and has a holding surface that faces and contacts the back surface of the artificial eye member facing in the opposite direction to the surface that is visible from the outside through the through hole, and holds the artificial eye member between the holding surface and the inner surface of the head body.
The back surface of the artificial eye member is flat and the holding surface is convex, protruding toward the center of the back surface of the artificial eye member; the back surface of the artificial eye member is convex and the holding surface is convex, protruding toward the center of the back surface of the artificial eye member; or the back surface of the artificial eye member is convex and the part of the holding surface that comes into contact with the center of the back surface of the artificial eye member is flat;
A prosthetic eye holding structure for a doll head, characterized in that the orientation of the prosthetic eye member can be changed by rotating the prosthetic eye member along the holding surface . A hollow head body having through holes formed at the positions of the eyes;
An artificial eye member held in the head body so as to be visible from the outside through the through hole;
The artificial eye holder is provided in the head body and has a holding surface that faces and contacts the back surface of the artificial eye member facing in the opposite direction to the surface that is visible from the outside through the through hole, and holds the artificial eye member between the holding surface and the inner surface of the head body,
The back surface of the artificial eye member is flat and the holding surface is convex, protruding toward the center of the back surface of the artificial eye member; the back surface of the artificial eye member is convex and the holding surface is convex, protruding toward the center of the back surface of the artificial eye member; or the back surface of the artificial eye member is convex and the part of the holding surface that comes into contact with the center of the back surface of the artificial eye member is flat;
A doll head characterized in that the orientation of the artificial eye member can be changed by rotating the artificial eye member along the holding surface .