Patent Abstract:
An eye is disclosed, which includes a spherical shell, a transparent body, a movable plate suspended inside the spherical shell, an elastic body disposed between the transparent body and the movable plate, and an electromagnetic driving device. The electromagnetic driving device drives the movable plate close to or away from the elastic body, and the elastic body is deformed when the electromagnetic driving assembly drives the movable plate.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention generally relates to artificial eyes, and more particularly to an artificial eye ball for use in a toy. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    As manufacturing technology develops, requirements for toys and novelties to feature enhanced and innovative function increase. One example is the authenticity of behavior exhibited by human or animal figures, and specifically, the eyes of such a toy. 
         [0005]    In many artificial eyes, expansion and contraction of a pupil are achieved by mechanical transmission driven by electrical motors. However, such mechanical structures controlling expansion and contraction of a pupil are complicated, and the effects tend to be far from lifelike. Furthermore, such controllers and electrical motors are easily damaged and have short lifetimes. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a cross-section of an eye as disclosed, showing driving components not electrically powered, and in which an elastic body is not depressed by a coil rod. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is another cross-section of the disclosed eye, showing driving components being electrically powered, and an elastic body depressed by the coil rod. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a toy system with the disclosed eye. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0009]    An embodiment of the disclosure is now described in detail and with reference to the drawings. 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show an eye  100  as disclosed, comprising a spherical shell  11 , a transparent body  13 , a movable plate  22 , an elastic body  23 , and an electromagnetically driven assembly  30 . The transparent body  13  acts as an intraocular lens, and the elastic body  23  mimics a pupil. Here, the spherical shell  11  and the transparent body  13  are manufactured integrally of transparent material with plasticity, such as silica gel, rubber or a combination. It is understandable that the transparent body  13  and the spherical shell  11  can be manufactured as two individual components rather than a whole body, and that spherical shell  11  can be glass, and the transparent body  13  can be of plastic material. Materials and manufacture of the spherical shell  11  and the transparent body  13  do not result in any limitation to the disclosure. 
         [0011]    In a first embodiment of the disclosure, the elastic body  23  is a plastic ball. In another embodiment of the disclosure, the elastic body  23  is rubber. It is also understood that the elastic body  23  can have different colors, depending on design. 
         [0012]    The movable plate  23  is provided opposite to the transparent body  13 . The transparent body  13  comprises a back plate  132  opposite the movable plate  22 . A recessed portion  134  defined in the center of the back plate  132  can be a hemisphere. The depth of the recessed portion  134  can be less than the diameter of the elastic body  23 . The elastic body  23  is partially received in the recessed portion  134 . 
         [0013]    The movable plate  22  comprises a first surface  221 , a second surface  222  located apart from the transparent body  13 , and two sides  223  perpendicular to the first surface  221  and the second surface  222 . A coil rod  26  extends from the center of the second surface  222 , and it is perpendicular to the second surface  222 . At least one first hook  224  is provided on each of the sides  223 , and at least one second hook  116  is provided on the spherical shell  11  which is opposite to the first hook  224 . 
         [0014]    The eye  100  further comprises at least one resilient component  40 , in this embodiment, a spring. One end of the resilient component  40  is connected to the first hook  224 , and another end is connected to the second hook  116  to suspend the movable plate  22  in the spherical shell  11 . In varied application, the resilient component can be a rubber band or any other resilient material. 
         [0015]    The electromagnetic driving assembly  30  drives the movable plate  22  to approach or leave the elastic body  23  in a reciprocating motion. In this embodiment, the electromagnetic driving assembly  30  comprises two fastening portions  28 , a first driving component  24  and a second driving component  25 . The two fastening portions  28  surround the coil rod  26 . In this embodiment, the fastening portions are parallel to the coil rod  26 . Two openings  114  are separately provided on each of the fastening portions  28 , and are shaped as a half-circle in this embodiment. The fastening portions  28  are movably inserted into the openings  114  provided on the spherical shell  11 . It is understandable that a variety of ways to fasten the fastening portions  28  on the spherical shell  11 , and the insertion of the fastening portions  28  into the spherical shell  11  which illustrated in this embodiment is not a limitation to the present disclosure. In another application, the recessed portions  114  may be provided on the first surface  221  of the movable plate  22 , which can partially receive the elastic body  23 . 
         [0016]    In this embodiment, the two first driving components  24  are permanent magnets, and the second driving component  25  is embodied as an electromagnetic coil corresponding to the first driving components  24 . The second driving component  25  winds around the coil rod  26 , and each of the first driving components  24  is fastened to the fastening portions  28  correspondingly. The second driving component  25  is provided around the coil rod  26 . The two first driving components  24  are separately formed on the two fastening portions  26 , and are spaced apart from the second driving component  25 . When the second driving components  25  are electrically powered, the resulting electric field generates a Lorentz force between the second driving components  25  and the first driving component  24 . The Lorentz force reciprocates the movable plate  22  backward and forward, nearing or moving away from the elastic body  23 . Thus, when movable plate  22  is impelled toward the elastic body  13  and away from the fastening portion  28 , the elastic body  13  is compressed by the first surface  221 , mimicking expansion of a pupil. When current is interrupted, the Lorentz force ceases, the coil rod  26  moves back to its original position, and the elastic body  13  returns to its original shape, mimicking contraction of the pupil. 
         [0017]    For another exemplary application, the two first driving components  24  can be two electromagnetic coils, wound around the fastening portion  28 . Correspondingly, the second driving component  25  can be a permanent magnet provided on the coil rod  26 , and positioned relative to the first driving component  24 . The relative arrangement of the fastening portion  28 , the first driving component  24 , and the second driving component  25  constitutes no limitation to the disclosed scope of the appended claims. 
         [0018]    The electromagnetic driving assembly of the disclosure eye drives the movable plate in a translational way, compressing the elastic body to mimic expansion of the artificial pupil. 
         [0019]      FIG. 3  discloses a toy system with the disclosed eye. The toy system comprises a recession  101  configured for receiving the eye  100  as disclosed, and a mask  102  configured for imitating a doll&#39;s face. It should be noted that the mask can be varied to any shape or any outline according to the requirements of users, and is not limited to the shown shape. 
         [0020]    Finally, it is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate rather than limit the invention. Variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed. The above-described embodiments illustrate the scope of the invention but do not restrict the scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0