A toy with spring function

Abstract

 A toy having two parts which are interconnected by means of a hinge, so that the parts may rotate relatively to each other about the axis of the hinge. The two parts of the toy are moreover connected by means of a spring which exerts forces on the parts that form a moment of force about the hinge axis. The two parts of the toy will be forced together because of the spring force, and when the toy is placed on a base, it will be capable of performing a jumping movement from the base. The toy is constructed such that the spring connecting the two parts can intersect the hinge axis, thereby achieving a stable state which may be disturbed by the supply of a relatively small amount of energy which releases the jumping movement.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a toy having two parts which are interconnected by means of a hinge so that the parts may rotate relatively to each other about the axis of the hinge. The two parts of the toy are moreover connected by means of a spring which exerts forces on the parts that form a moment of force about the hinge axis. The two parts of the toy will be forced together because of the spring force, and when the toy is placed on a base, it will be capable of performing a jumping movement from the base.

[0002] DE 829 729 describes such a toy constructed as a frog with an elastic rubber band between the forelegs and hind legs of the frog, where the force from the rubber band will cause the forelegs of the frog to perform a rearwardly directed movement. With a finger or something else, the user can press the frog down on a base with the forelegs stretched forwards and the rubber band tightened. When the user releases the frog, the rubber band will pull its forelegs rearwards, and the frog will hereby make a jump. The frog does not have means for holding the forelegs with the rubber band in its stretched state.

[0003] US 2 535 868 also shows such a toy designed to simulate a frog. That toy has two plate-shaped parts which have substantially the same shape and are hinged to each other at an edge of each part. An elastic rubber band is connected with both parts. The parts can rotate 360 degrees with respect to each other. In a first position, the rubber band is in a tightened state externally on the two parts and around the hinge, and the parts are positioned against each other and are retained in this position by means of a latch. The latch must be released manually, following which the rubber band rotates the parts relatively to each other, and the toy will jump.

[0004] US 3 990 177 and GB 2 299 951 both show a toy consisting of two plate-shaped objects having the same rectangular contour. The objects may be tightened by means of a rubber band in the same manner as in the above-mentioned US 2 535 868, but the user must hold them manually in the tightened state, and when they are released, the rubber band will cause a sudden movement.

[0005] According to the invention, by constructing such a toy in such a manner that the spring connecting the two parts may intersect the hinge axis, it is ensured, in contrast to the above-mentioned prior art, that the toy is stable in its tightened state, without the parts having to be held together by the user or by other parts particularly for this purpose. The reason is that precisely in the position in which a line between the points of attack of the spring on the two parts of the toy passes the hinge axis, the extension or deformation of the spring is maximum, and the tension or force of the spring is maximum, and the potential energy of the spring is thereby also maximum. The tightened position of the spring is different from this position with maximum potential energy in the spring, and left to itself with the spring in its tightened position where the spring has intersected the hinge axis, the toy will thus be stable in the tightened position. To release the energy of the spring, which makes the two parts of the toy assume a third position with minimum potential energy in the spring, an external disturbance is therefore needed with supply of at least so much energy that the position of maximum energy can be overcome. Such a disturbance with supply of energy in the spring may e.g. take place in that a child throws a smaller object on the toy, which will cause it to perform a jump.

[0006] The invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, in which

figure 1 shows a toy according to the invention in a first position, schematically and partially in longitudinal section,

figure 2 shows the toy of figure 1 in a second position,

figure 3 shows the toy of figure 1 in a third position, and

figure 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0007] Figures 1-3 show a toy of the following structure. A first plate-shaped part 10 and a second plate-shaped part 11. The first part 10 and the second part 11 are of plastics moulded in one integral piece, and the first part 10 and the second part 11 are interconnected by means of an integral hinge 12, which is moulded together with the two parts 11 and 12 and is shaped in a known manner as a thin, flexible bridge at respective edges of the parts 10 and 11 and at one side of the parts. The hinge defines a hinge axis perpendicular to the plane of the paper, and the parts can rotate about the hinge axis relatively to each other. An elongated spring 13, which is here an elastic rubber band, is secured to the first part and the second part in that it is passed around a hook or pin 14, 15 on respective ones of the parts and at a distance from the hinge 12. Instead of an elastic rubber band, e.g. a helical steel spring may be used. A pin 16 near the hinge 12 protrudes from the second part 11.

[0008] The toy of figures 1-3 has the following function. In figure 1, the toy is shown in a first position in which the spring or the rubber band 13 is tightened. In this position the rubber band 13 is disposed entirely on one side of the hinge 12 and will here try to rotate the first part 10 in an anticlockwise direction relative to the second part 11. Each of the parts 10 and 11 has edges 17, 18 on the side opposite the hinge, which edges, in the first position in figure 1, are in contact with each other and thereby prevent further rotation of the parts relative to each other. These edges are shown more clearly in figures 2-3 in which they are not in contact with each other. In the first position in figure 1, the toy rests on the pin 16 and an edge of the second part opposite the hinge, so that the first part 10, which is smaller and lighter than the second part 11, is raised above the base 20. The first position of the toy described above is stable, because the spring 13 is positioned entirely on one side of the hinge axis.

[0009] In figure 2, the toy is shown in a second position in which the first part 10 is rotated in a clockwise direction relative to the first position in figure 1. In this position the rubber band 13 intersects the hinge 12 at the hinge axis, and in this position the rubber band has its greatest length which is particularly greater than its length in the first position. In the second position, the potential energy of the rubber band is therefore maximum, and energy must therefore be supplied in order to get from the first position in figure 1 to the second position in figure 2.

[0010] This supply of energy may take place by manually rotating the parts relative to each other, but may also take place by throwing an object of a suitable size on the toy so that the object hits the first part on the upper side and thereby supplies so much energy that the equilibrium in the first position in figure 1 is disturbed, causing the first part to pass the second position in figure 2. The rubber band hereby passes the hinge axis so that it will now rotate the first part 10 clockwise relative to the second part. After a short rotation, the first part will hit the base 20 with its edge 19 opposite the hinge. The rubber band will fold the two parts additionally around the hinge, and by suitably strong dimensioning of the rubber band this movement will cause the toy to perform a jump from the base, following which it will assume a third position, which is shown in figure 3, in which the rubber band 13 is entirely relaxed, and the first part 10 and the second part 11 are folded about the hinge 12.

[0011] The angle through which the first part 10 is rotated in the second position relative to the first position, is an acute angle, preferably a rather small angle between 1 degree and 15 degrees.

[0012] The first part 10 is smaller and lighter than the second part 11, as mentioned, and the first part is therefore raised above the base in the first position. The pin 16 thus lifts the first part 10 of the toy from the base, and this causes the first part to have a certain speed and thereby a certain kinetic energy before its edge 19 hits the base. A particularly good effect of the jump performed by the toy is achieved hereby.

[0013] Figure 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the toy according to the invention in the first position corresponding to figure 1. The toy is shown here from its underside, and it has a contour as a stylized insect with six legs. The first part 10 constitutes the tail of the animal, while the second part 11 constitutes the body of the animal. The rubber band 13 is secured to pins 14, 15 at the tail of the body and its head, respectively, and the rubber band extends across the hinge 12. For the rubber band to pass the hinge axis, two notches are provided in the hinge in which the rubber band may be received in the shown first position. The two notches thus divide the hinge into three parts. The two legs closest to the hinge are provided with pins 16 which support the toy, as described above.

[0014] The toy is described here with a tension spring in the form of an elastic rubber band or a helical steel spring. Other forms of springs may be used, e.g. a C-shaped clamping spring which can attack the parts relatively close to the hinge axis. In that case, it is essential to the invention that the geometrical line between the points of attack of the spring on the respective parts can intersect the hinge axis, while no physical parts of such a spring need intersect the hinge axis.

Claims

1. A toy comprising a first part (10), a second part (11) and a hinge (12) which connects the first part (10) and the second part (11) with each other so that they may move relatively to each other by rotation about a hinge axis, as well as a spring (13) connected with the first part (10) at a first point of attack spaced from the hinge axis and with the second part (11) in a second point of attack likewise spaced from the hinge axis, so that the spring (13) may exert forces on the first part (10) and on the second part (11), whereby the forces form a moment of force about the hinge axis,
characterized in that the first part (10) and the second part (11) may assume the following positions relative to each other:

- a first position in which a straight line between the first point of attack and the second point of attack is positioned on one side of the hinge axis,

- a second position in which the line between the first point of attack and the second point of attack intersects the hinge axis, and

- a third position in which the line between the first point of attack and the second point of attack is positioned on the other side of the hinge axis,

and that the parts (10, 11) will assume the second position during the movement of the parts (10, 11) between the first position and the third position.

2. A toy according to claim 1, characterized in that the first part (10) has a first engagement face (17) and the second part (11) has a second engagement face (18), said first and second engagement faces (17, 18) being spaced from the hinge axis and adapted to engage each other in the first position so that the angle through which the parts (10, 11) are to be moved between the first position and the second position, is an acute angle.

3. A toy according to claim 2, characterized in that the angle is between 1 degree and 15 degrees.

4. A toy according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the spring (13) is a flexible tension spring.

5. A toy according to claim 4, characterized in that the spring (13) is an elastic rubber band.

6. A toy according to claims 1-5, characterized in that the parts (10, 11) are plate-shaped, and that, on each of the parts, the hinge (13) is arranged at one side and along an edge.

7. A toy according to claim 6, characterized in that it has a protruding pin (16) at the same side as the hinge (13).

8. A toy according to claims 1-7, characterized in that one of the parts (10) is smaller than the other part (11).

Drawing