Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This invention relates to toy figures, particularly
but not essentially toy human figures, and is especially
concerned with the provision of improved hip joint
structure therefor.
It is wellknown to provide a ball joint at the hip of
a toy figure. In one known arrangement a par-t-spherical
surface is formed on the upper end of each upper leg member
and is rotatably received in a matinc3 recess in the torso.
In another arrangement a whole sphere is interposed between
10 mating recesses in the torso and -the top of the upper leg
member. In both cases the parts a]~ held together by an
elastic member secured internally of the torso and internally
of the leg member. A disadvantac~e of these earlier proposals
is that when the figure is put in a sitting position the legs
tend to splay apart into an un-natural posture. under the
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tension of the elastic member.
;`- According to the present invention there is
provided a hip joint for a -toy figure comprising an upper
~` leg member provided with a hollow part-spherical top end
portion formed with an elongate slot in its wall and, either
,~ in or fcr incorporation in the bottom of the torso, a leg
~, mounting mer~er comprising an elongate connecting element
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extending throuyh said slot and movable along the slot to
permit swinging movement of the ley member relative to the
torso, and a mounting element carried by said connecting
element and haviny a part-spherical surface which makes a
rotary sliding fit inside said top end portion of the ley
member for rotation of the leg member relative to the torso.
Preferably the said top end portion of the upper leg
member comprises a terminal hemispherical portion formed with
the said slot and rotatably mounted on the leg mem~er for
rotation about the longitudinal axis of the latter. Preferably
the said slot extends in a plane containing said longitudinal
axis. Preferably the slot extends over an arc of about 90
of the part-spherical top end portion and down~iardly;from the top thereof.
The said mounting element is sub~tantially disc-shaped with a part-
spherical edge element. Preferabl~ the said ley mountinymember comprises a unitary member for mounting both legs
of the to~ figure, comprisiny two of said connectiny and
mounting elements, adapted to be secured in the torso.
A preferred embodiment of -the invention further
provides a toy fiyure haviny hip joints as set forth
above.
An embodiment of the invention, together with a
modification, will now be described by way of example and
with reference to the accompany drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is an exploded view of a toy figure embodying
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the invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the assembled figure;
and
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the torso illustrating
a modification~
Referring to Figures 1 ancl 2 the toy figure comprises
a head 1, a neck assembly 2 front and rear torso shells 3
two shoulder elements 4, two upper arm assen~lies 5, t~o fore-
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arm assemblies 6 two hands 7, a leg mounting member 8 trunks
9, two hip joint elements 10, two pairs of upper leg shells 11,
two knee elements 12, two lower leg assemblies 13 and two
feet 14.
-` The head, the neck assembly and the torso shells do not
: themselves form part of the present invention and will not
therefore be described in any further de-tail.
Each of the upper arm assemblies 5 each of the fore-arm
~ assemblies 6 and each of the lower lec) assemblles 13, comprisin~
''7 a limb member incorporating a skeletal structure in accordance
with -the invention. All of assemblies 5 and 6 are substantially
identical in structure; ti1e assemblies 13 differ only in that
-the aforementioned second element of the skeletal structure is
forrned with a slo-t rather than a tonyue.
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Thus referring to one of the assemblies 5 by way of
e~ample, this assembly comprises a skeletal structure com-
prising ~ first elongate tubular element 15 having a slotted
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portion in the form of a ball 16 formed with a slot 17 at
one end thereof, and a second elongate element 18 carrying
a tongue in the form of a disc 19 provided with a pair of
axial pins 20. The element 18 is formed with two shoulders
21 and a central slot 22 whereby the shoulders 21 are
; resiliently clepressible inwardly. This enables the element
- 18 to be inserted in the tubular element 15 so that the
'` shoulders 21 snap,behind an annular shoulder 23 ~see Figure 2)
in the element 15 to prevent withdrawl of the element 18 whilst
permitting relatlve rotation. The limb assembly 5 is completed
~, by an outer shell 24 formed to resemble the outward shape of
:~ the upper arm, into which shell the element 15 is inserted
before the element 18 is engaged with it. The shell 24 is
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',, formed with terminal cup-like port;ions whicll frictionally
engage the ball 16 and the disc 19 respectively to assist in
;~,, maintaining the limb member in a desired position.
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Each fore-arm assembly 6 is assembled in the same way
and is con~ cted to the upper arm assembly by snapping the
'~ pins 20 into holes 25 (Figure 2) in the opposite side walls
of the slot 17 of the fore-arm. The hand 7 is formed with
-, , a slotted ball 26 at the wrist for connection to the fore-arm
in the same manner. The shoulder element 4 comprises a
disc formed with pins 27 for enga~ement in the holes ~not
shown) of the slot 17 of the upper arm element 15, the disc
being rotatably mounted in a shoulder recess 28. The discs
;- make a fairly tight friction fit in their respective slots,
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again to assist in maintaining the lirnb mernbers in desired
positions.
In the case of the lower leg assemblies 13 each of the
elements 18 terminates in a slotted ball 16 rather than a
disc, the feet being formed with discs 19 for connection
thereto. The knee element 12 is simi]ar to the shouldor
element 4.
The various equivalent parts of the other limb assemblies
are indicated in the drawings by the same reference numerals
as used above, and need not be descrlbed in further detail.
The hlp joint comprises the leg mounting mernber 8 ~hich
includes two connecting elements 29 each carrying a disc-like
mounting element 30 formed with a part-spherical edge surface
31 which is rotatably received in the hol]ow interior of the
hemispherical hip joint element 10-which forms the rotatable
top of the respective upper leg member, the hemisphere being
; formed with a slot 32 through w~ich the connecting-member 29
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~ extends. The element 8 is mounted via a ring 33 on pins 34
s,
in the torso shell.
In a modification shown in Figure 3 the member 8 is
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mounted on a pin 35 rotatably confined in a shell 36 mounted
in the torso so as to provide unlimited rotation of the trunks
9 and the leys relative to the torso.
All of the parts are moulded from suitable hard-
we-ring pl~stics materials s~ch as polyLhcne and nylon.
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