Patent Publication Number: US-2005142984-A1

Title: Toy actuation device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates generally to a toy actuation device, and, more particularly, to a toy actuation device that causes a toy such as a stuffed toy not having an actuation mechanism to move as if it were provided with an actuation mechanism.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Conventionally, toys such as stuffed figures and stuffed animals that speak and move have been well known. These toys are configured so that an audio device that causes the toy to speak or an actuation device that causes the toy to move is disposed inside the body of the toy and the toy speaks or moves due to the audio device or the actuation device being actuated (e.g., Japanese Utility Model Application No. 5-82490).  
      However, because the various actuation devices, audio devices and batteries are housed inside the bodies of the toys, there have been problems in that, when the bodies of the toys are touched, the cases housing the operational devices, audio devices and batteries feel unnatural, and the manufacturing costs of the toys themselves rise.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an object of the present invention to solve these problems by providing a toy actuation device that can actuate a stuffed toy not including an actuation device as if it were provided with an actuation device and with which the manufacturing costs of the stuffed toy can be reduced.  
      In order to achieve the above object, a major aspect of the invention provides a toy actuation device having a device body, the device body comprising a holding unit that holds a toy such as a stuffed toy, the holding unit including first detecting means for detecting that the toy is held in the holding unit; movable engagement members that are engageable with parts of the toy; an actuation mechanism that actuates the engagement members; at least one user-holdable figurative member associated with the toy, the figurative member being detachably disposed at the device body and including second detecting means for sensing that the user is holding the figurative member and operating the holdable member in association with the toy; and a control unit that actuates the actuation mechanism on the basis of the detection results of the first detecting means and the second detecting means.  
      The device body may further comprise a sound effect output unit for outputting sound effects associated with the figurative member, with the control unit actuating the sound effect output unit on the basis of the detection result of the second detecting means.  
      According to the first aspect of the invention, parts of a toy such as a stuffed toy held in the device body by the holding unit are actuated when the actuation mechanism is actuated, so that even a stuffed toy that is not internally provided with an actuation mechanism can be caused to move as if it were internally provided with an actuation mechanism. Thus, toys that the user already owns can be actuated so that the user can play with them in a new way.  
      Moreover, because the actuation mechanism is not actuated as long as the toy is not held in the holding unit, the toy actuation device is not unnaturally actuated.  
      Also, because it is not necessary to house a mechanism in the stuffed toy, the stuffed toy can be easily cleaned when it is dirty so that one can play with the clean stuffed toy, thus greatly improving hygiene, and the manufacturing costs of the toy can be reduced.  
      According to the second aspect of the invention, the sound effect output unit outputs sound effects associated with the figurative member when the second detecting means disposed at the figurative member is actuated. Thus, when the user holds the figurative member in his/her hand and operates the user-holdable member in association with the toy, the sound effects can be outputted so that the toy becomes more fun to play with. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The above and other objects, aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an example of a toy actuation device according to the invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a side perspective view of the toy actuation device;  
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of an actuation mechanism;  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view describing examples of figurative members;  
       FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view describing the configuration of one of the figurative members;  
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram describing the electrical configuration of the toy actuation device;  
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view describing a state of use of the toy actuation device; and  
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram showing another electrical configuration of the toy actuation device. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      A toy actuation device according to the present invention has a device body including: a holding unit that holds a toy such as a stuffed toy, with the holding unit including first detecting means for detecting that the toy is held in the holding unit; movable engagement members that are engageable with outer parts of the toy; an actuation mechanism that actuates the engagement members; at least one user-holdable figurative member associated with the toy, the figurative member being detachably disposed at the device body and including second detecting means for sensing that the user is holding the figurative member and operating the user-holdable member in association with the toy; and a control unit for actuating the actuation mechanism on the basis of the detection results of the first detecting means and the second detecting means.  
      An embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , reference numeral  1  represents a toy actuation device (referred to below as “the actuation device”) that actuates a toy such as a stuffed toy. The actuation device  1  is formed in imitation of a chair that seats an infant and includes a holding unit  2  comprising a seat back  3 , arm rests  4  and a table  5 . First detecting means  7 , which detects whether or not a toy such as a stuffed figure or stuffed animal is held in the holding unit  2 , is disposed in a seat  6 .  
      The first detecting means  7  is configured by a light sensor. When a stuffed toy A is held in the holding unit  2  and thus the input of light to the light sensor is blocked off, a later-described control unit  35  can verify that the holding unit  2  holds the stuffed toy A.  
      It should be noted that the first detecting means  7  may also be configured by a magnetic sensor. In this case, a magnet is disposed by an appropriate method in the bottom portion of the stuffed toy A.  
      An actuation mechanism  10  is disposed below the seat  6 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the actuation mechanism  10  is provided with engagement members  12  that alternately pivot up and down using a motor  11  as a driving force. The engagement members  12  are configured by two seesaw panels  13  and  14  and formed so that the legs of the stuffed toy A engage with top surfaces of the seesaw panels  13  and  14  when the stuffed toy A is seated in the chair (the actuation device)  1 .  
      It should be noted that the seesaw panels  13  and  14  are formed to be level with a top surface of a base  8  when they pivot downward so that one is not visually aware of the actuation device even when the stuffed toy A is not seated in the chair (the actuation device)  1 .  
      The actuation device  1  is also provided with figurative members B that the user can hold in his/her hand and which are associated with the stuffed toy. The figurative members B are configured by a toy jar  15  formed in imitation of a honey jar, a toy baby bottle  16  formed in imitation of a baby bottle, and a toy rattle  17  formed in imitation of a castanet rattle.  
      The actuation mechanism  10  causes the engagement members  12  to alternately move up and down using the motor  11  as a driving force. A reduction gear  22  meshes with a pinion gear  21  fixed to an output shaft  20  of the motor  11 , a friction cam  25  formed with a substantially triangular engagement protrusion  24  that projects from one side of the friction cam  25  is fixed to a rotating shaft  23  of the reduction gear  22 , and a free drive cam  26  is disposed at the rotating shaft  23  facing the one side of the friction cam  25 . An engagement recess  27  is formed at a position in the surface of the drive cam  26  facing the friction cam  25  where the engagement protrusion  24  can engage with the engagement recess  27 . Drive pins  28   a  and  28   b  that project from mutually different sides of the drive cam  26  and periodically engage with rear ends  13   a  and  14   a  of the seesaw panels  13  and  14  are formed at opposing positions with respect to the rotating shaft  23 . The drive cam  26  is urged, by a spring  29  including an end fixed to the rotating shaft  23 , so as to always push against the friction cam  25 . The seesaw panels  13  and  14  pushed down by the drive pins  28   a  and  28   b  pivot up and down around a shaft  30 . It should be noted that, when a load is applied to the seesaw panels  13  and  14 , the engagement between the engagement protrusion  24  and the engagement recess  27  is released so that the affect of the load does not extend to the actuation mechanism  10 .  
      Second detecting means  31  ( 31   a ,  31   b  and  31   c ) are respectively disposed at the figurative members B (the toy jar  15 , the toy baby bottle  16  and the toy rattle  17 ). The second detecting means  31   a ,  31   b  and  31   c  are configured to be able to input detection signals via signal lines  36 ,  37  and  38  to the control unit  35  controlling the motor  11 .  
      The second detecting means  31   a  is configured by an ON/OFF switch such as a push-button switch or a leaf switch disposed inside the toy jar  15  formed in imitation of a honey jar containing honey. When the end of a toy spoon  40  is inserted through an opening  15   a  in the top surface of the toy jar  15 , the toy spoon  40  pushes the switch  31   a  ON, and the control unit  35  is programmed to actuate, for a set amount of time, the motor  11  on the condition that the first detecting means  7  detects the fact that the stuffed toy A is held in the holding unit  2 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the toy spoon  40  includes a slider  42  that is slidably disposed in a spoon body  41  so that a front portion  42   a  of the slider  42  emerges from and slides back into the spoon body  41 . The front portion  42   a  of the slider  42  is formed in imitation of the contents (honey) of the toy jar  15 . The slider  42  is urged by a spring  43  so that it is always disposed inside the spoon body  41 ; however, when the toy spoon  40  is inserted inside or pulled out from the toy jar  15 , one of protruding engagement pieces  45  that are formed on both sides of the slider  42  and are exposed through guide grooves  44  formed in the top and bottom surfaces of the spoon body  41  engages with a protruding engagement portion  47  formed at an inner wall surface of a guide tube  46  disposed so as to be continuous with the opening  15   a  of the toy jar  15 , and the slider  42  slides outward so that the contents appear on the toy spoon  40  as if the contents had been scooped up by the toy spoon  40 .  
      The slider  42  that has slid outward is maintained in a state where a locking protrusion  48  formed in a side surface of the slider  42  locks with and projects into a locking recess  49  formed in an inner wall surface of the spoon body  41 ; however, when the front portion  42   a  of the slider  42  projecting from the end of the spoon body  41  is pushed into a mouth portion of the stuffed toy A, an opening  50  flexes so that the locked state resulting from the locking recess  49  is released and the slider  42  is urged by the spring  43  back inside the spoon body  41 , so that it appears as if the stuffed toy has eaten the contents of the toy spoon  40 .  
      The second detecting means  31   b  is configured by an ON/OFF switch such as a micro-switch or a leaf switch disposed inside the toy baby bottle  16  formed in imitation of a baby bottle. The switch  31   b  is turned ON when a nipple portion  16   a  at the tip of the toy baby bottle  16  is pushed into the mouth portion in the stuffed toy A so that the nipple portion  16   a  is drawn inside the toy baby bottle  16 , whereby the motor  11  is controlled by the control unit  35  so that the motor  11  is actuated for a set amount of time.  
      The second detecting means  31   c  is configured by an ON/OFF switch such as a vibration switch or a pendulum switch disposed inside the toy rattle  17  formed in imitation of a rattle and whose inside is hollow. When the toy rattle  17  is shaken as if to pacify the stuffed toy A, plural balls  51  housed inside the toy rattle  17  hit each other and produce a rattling sound and the switch  31   c  is turned ON, whereby the motor  11  is controlled by the control unit  35  so that the motor  11  is actuated for a set amount of time.  
      As shown in  FIG. 6 , the control unit  35  controls a sound effect output unit  55 . The sound effect output unit  55  is configured by an electronic speech circuit  56  and a speaker  57 . When the switches  31   a ,  31   b  and  31   c  are switched ON, the sound effect output unit  55  outputs, from sound effect data prestored in the electronic speech circuit  56  and on the basis of an instruction from the control unit  35 , sound effect data that differs for each switch so that the sound effect data is outputted from the speaker  57  as sound effects.  
      The sound effect data is set so that when the switch  31   a  of the toy jar  15  is ON, the sound effect of “I&#39;m hungry, give me something to eat!”, where a bear demands honey, is outputted. When the switch  31   b  of the toy baby bottle  16  is ON for a short amount of time, the gulping sound effect of “gulp, gulp” is continuously outputted once or twice followed by “Give me some more” in correspondence to the amount of time that the switch  31   b  is ON. When the switch  31   b  of the toy baby bottle is ON for a long amount of time, the gulping sound effect of “gulp, gulp” is continuously outputted three or more times followed by “I&#39;m full” in correspondence to the amount of time that the switch  31   b  is ON. When the switch  31   c  of the toy rattle  17  is ON, a laughing voice is outputted. It should be noted that, in  FIG. 6 , reference numeral  58  represents a power switch, reference numeral  59  represents a power battery and reference numeral  60  represents a drive circuit of the motor  11 .  
      According to the actuation device of the above-described configuration, the stuffed toy A formed in imitation of a bear cub is seated in the body of the actuation device (chair)  1  and both legs of the stuffed toy A are held in the holding unit  2  so that they are respectively placed on the seesaw panels  13  and  14 . When the power switch  58  is turned ON in this state, the first detecting means  7  detects the fact that the stuffed toy A is held in the holding unit  2 , the detection signal is inputted to the control unit  35 , and the control unit  35  verifies that the stuffed toy A is held in the holding unit  2 .  
      In this state, for example, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the nipple portion  16   a  of the toy baby bottle  16  is pushed into the mouth portion of the stuffed toy A. When the nipple portion  16   a  is pushed into the mouth portion, the switch  22  is switched ON, but because the first detecting means  7  has already verified that the stuffed toy A is held in the holding unit A, the control unit  35  causes the motor  11  to rotate and causes the drive cam  26  to rotate via the reduction gear  22  and the friction cam  25 . When the drive cam  26  rotates, the drive pins  28   a  and  28   b  alternately engage with the rear ends  13   a  and  14   a  of the seesaw panels  13  and  14  to cause the seesaw panels  13  and  14  to alternately pivot upward.  
      When the engagement between the drive pins  28   a  and  28   b  and the seesaw panels  13  and  14  is released, the seesaw panels  13  and  14  fall by their own weight, the seesaw panels  13  and  14  alternately move upward in accompaniment with the rotation of the drive cam  26  and alternately engage with the feet of the stuffed toy A to alternately push the feet upward and cause the feet to move as if the feet were kicking.  
      The control unit  35  instructs the electronic speech circuit  56  to output sound effects at this time, and the sound effects are outputted from the speaker  57 . When the amount of time that the switch  31   b  of the toy baby bottle  16  is ON is short, the gulping sound effect of “gulp, gulp” is continuously outputted once or twice followed by “Give me some more”. When the amount of time that the switch  31   b  of the toy baby bottle  16  is ON is long, the gulping sound effect of “gulp, gulp” is continuously outputted three or more times followed by “I&#39;m full”. Thus, the stuffed toy A can be made to move so that the stuffed toy A appears as if it is kicking its legs while drinking milk and gives an animate display of whether it wants something else or is satisfied.  
      When the end of the toy spoon  40  is inserted through the opening  15   a  in the top surface of the toy jar  15 , the toy spoon  40  pushes the switch  31   a  ON, whereby the control unit  35  causes the sound effect of “I&#39;m hungry, give me something to eat!”, where a bear demands honey, to be outputted from the speaker  57 , and the first detecting means  7  detects the fact that the stuffed toy A is held in the holding unit  2 . Thus, the seesaw panels  13  and  14  are caused to alternately pivot up and down to cause the feet of the stuffed toy A to move up and down, so that a state can be created where it appears as if the stuffed toy A is kicking its feet due to its wanting something.  
      When the toy spoon  40  is inserted into the toy jar  15 , the end of the slider  42  projects from the end of the spoon body  41  and the locking protrusion  48  is locked in the locking recess  49  so that the honey at the end is exposed. When the honey is pushed into the mouth portion of the stuffed toy A, the lock is released and the slider  42  is urged by the spring  43  back into the spoon body  41 , so that it can appear as if the stuffed toy A has eaten the honey.  
      When the toy rattle  17  is shaken, the switch  31   c  is switched ON, whereby the control unit  35  causes a delighted sound effect (laughing voice) to be outputted from the speaker  57  and the first detecting means  7  detects the fact that the stuffed toy A is held in the holding unit  2 . Thus, the seesaw panels  13  and  14  are caused to alternately pivot up and down to cause the feet of the stuffed toy A to move up and down, so that a state can be created where it appears as if the stuffed toy A is kicking its feet in delight.  
      As described above, a stuffed toy that does not include an actuation mechanism is seated in a chair, and changes in the state thereof are detected by a detecting means, whereby the stuffed toy can be made to move as if a sound effect output unit causing the stuffed toy to speak and an actuation mechanism causing the body of the stuffed toy to move were present inside the stuffed toy. Moreover, because it is not necessary to house, inside the stuffed toy, a device for causing the stuffed toy to move, the soft feeling that a stuffed toy usually has can be obtained and thus any unnatural feeling can be eliminated.  
      Also, by causing a stuffed toy that one likes to be held in the device body, it appears as if life has been breathed into a mere stuffed toy, an attachment with respect to the toy is created and thus the toy becomes more fun to play with. Additionally, because a mechanism is not housed inside the stuffed toy, the stuffed toy can be easily cleaned so that the stuffed toy can always be used in a clean state, thus greatly improving hygiene.  
      As shown in  FIG. 8 , the invention can also be configured by disposing a voice switching switch  61  in the electronic speech circuit  56  so that the voice switching switch  61  is switched depending on the type of stuffed toy (boy, girl, animal, etc.), whereby the voice can be selected in correspondence to the type of the stuffed toy.  
      The invention can also be configured by disposing, in the device body, detecting means comprising a sound sensor such as a condenser microphone that detects sound so that the actuation mechanism is actuated in response to a sound to cause the stuffed toy to move.  
      Moreover, although the detection results of the detecting means were inputted to the control unit via lead wires in the aforementioned actuation device, transmitters may be disposed in the detecting means and a receiver may be disposed in the control unit. In this case, the results of detection by the detecting means are transmitted by the transmitters and received by the receiver disposed in the control means, whereby the actuation device can be remotely actuated to cause a toy such as a stuffed toy to move.  
      While the illustrative and presently preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.