GB2225276A - Moulding a decorated resin plate into a decorated toy body - Google Patents

Abstract

A wood mould (1a) is made of a body shape e.g. of a toy car body; a first resin plate (1) provided with a grid indicia of equal sized sections is moulded on the wood mould to form a prototype body shape; portions of the body to be painted in different colours are correlated to deformations (1b) of the sections moulded in the first resin plate (1), undeformed sections (1b) of a second resin plate are painted or printed to correspond to the portions of different colour required in the moulded body, and the decorated second resin plate (4) is then moulded on the wood mould (1a) to form the toy body. The moulding may be performed by vacuum, or air pressure moulding. A toy with a glossy surface e.g. an electric slot racing car chassis, may be obtained by applying the paint on the underside surface of a transparent second resin plate. <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION TOY BODY AND A METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME The present invention relates to a toy body and a method for producing the toy body, and more particularly, to painting or decorating a toy body during moulding, based on measured deformations in a moulded prototype of the toy body.

Toy vehicle bodies have conventionally been made by deforming a metal plate with a press die. The application of a printed or painted decoration on the deformed metal plate, e.g. body colours, racing numerals, car names, stripes, etc. was dependent upon the deformed condition of the metal plate. That is, in order to properly apply the decoration, the type of material, the thickness of the material, and the degree of the deformation had to be subjectively considered, or else the decoration would be distorted. As a result, great skill and even an artistic technique were required to accurately decorate such a toy body.

Alternatively, toy vehicle bodies have been formed by plastic moulding. For example, when vacuum moulding a light weight body for a toy, an undecorated synthetic resin plate is deformed using a mould.

Decorations again must be applied after the toy body is moulded, and distortions again pose a problem.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a moulded toy vehicle body, wherein the body can be accurately and realistically decorated during actual moulding.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toy body which is accurately and realistically decorated during actual moulding.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a decorated, moulded body, comprising the steps of forming a wood mould of a body shape; forming a first resin plate including sectioned indicia thereon; moulding the first resin plate on the wood mould to form a prototype corresponding to the body shape; measuring deformations in the sectioned indicia for the purpose of determining portions of the body to be decorated; applying decoration to a second unsectioned resin plate and moulding the second resin plate on the wood mould to form the decorated, moulded body.

Preferably, the moulding steps are formed by vacuum moulding or air pressure moulding.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toy body which is moulded and decorated, produced from forming a wood mould of the toy body shape; forming a first resin plate including sectioned indicia thereon; moulding the first resin plate on the wood mould to form a prototype corresponding to the body shape; measuring deformations in the sectioned indicia for the purpose of determining portions of the toy body to be decorated; the moulded toy body being decorated by applying decoration to a second unsectioned resin plate and moulding the second resin plate on the wood mould.

The toy body is preferably formed in the shape of an automobile, the moulding steps having been performed by vacuum moulding or air presure moulding.

The toy vehicle body thus produced by this process is new in that it includes all decorations once moulded, as opposed to requiring decoration after moulding.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.

By way of example only, a specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.l is a top view of a prototype of a toy body moulded into a first sectioned plate; Fig.2 is a side view of the first sectioned plate and prototype shown in Fig.l; Fig.3 is a rear view of the first sectioned plate and prototype shown in Fig.l; Fig.4 is a top view of decoration formed on a second resin plate, before moulding; Fig.5 is a top view of the second resin plate shown in Fig.4, after moulding; Fig.6 is a side view of the moulded second resin plate shown in Fig.5, and Fig.7 is a perspective view of the finished toy body.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show a first plate 1, made of a thermal, flexible resin and vacuum moulded or air pressure moulded on a wood mould la which is in the shape of a toy body 7. As can be seen, the first plate 1 includes a grid indicia lc having equal-sized square sections lb. For example, the sectioned plate 1 shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 could have a side of 10 mm length before moulding, which is divided into ten equal mm portions. The sections lb are differentially deformed during moulding as described below.

When the first, sectioned plate 1 is moulded on the wood mould la, a prototype 2 is formed in the shape of the wood mould la, in this case, an automobile shape.

The prototype 2 basically includes an expanded portion 3, wherein the sections Ib are very non-uniformly deformed, and a driver's compartment 11 which is formed in the centre portion in a substantially uniform manner. Particularly, the side edges of the prototype 2 shown in Fig.2 and the back edge of the sectioned plate 2 shown in Fig.3 rise up substantially vertically. The shape of the driver's compartment 11 can be oval in cross-section, for example, and it is the driver 5 compartment 11 and the expanded portion 3 which are to be decorated.

Further, concave portions 9 are formed in the prototype 2 to represent air intake holes on both sides of the driver's compartment 11. Finally, an edge 10 is formed as a curved line near each concave portion 9, and is indented towards the centre of the prototype 2.

Once the first sectioned plate 1 is moulded on the wood mould la and the prototype 2 formed, the deformed sections lb of the prototype 2 are measured. That is, a determination is made as to how much each section lb has expanded. Based on this measurement, a decoration, such as a car colour for a certain portion of the toy body 7, can be formed corresponding to the deformed segment lb. This determination is made for each segment lb.

After measuring all deformed sections lb of the prototype 2, the entire decorating scheme for the toy body 7 can be formed on a second, transparent unsectioned resin plate 4 as shown in Fig.4. For example, to form windows within a border 12 of the driver's compartment 11, a transparent portion (T) is formed at the front and both sides of the driver's compartment 11, by painting the remaining portions in black (B) and white (W).

Further, the concave portions 9 corresponding to the air intake holes on both sides of the border 12 are coloured in black (B), and the other portions are coloured in red (R), yellow (Y) and white (W) to form a certain overall design used as a decoration for the body 7 of the automobile toy. Headlights 5 are painted at both sides of the front portion of toy body 7, and tail-lights 6 are painted at both sides of the back portion of the toy body 7. Any words or other designs can be applied to the toy body 7 using block copy or engraving, as known in the art.

A second resin plate 4, which is made of the same material (preferably a vinyl chloride resin or a polycarbonate resin) and which has the same thickness as the sectioned plate 1, is then vacuum moulded or air pressure moulded under the same conditions as the first resin plate 1 by utilizing the original wood mould la.

Fig.5 is a top view showing the moulded condition of the second resin plate 4, and the decorations formed on the toy body.

Fig.6 is a side view showing the moulded second resin plate 4 of Fig.5. When the peripheral, non-expanded portions 6 of the first resin plate 1 and the areas 8 shown in Fig.6 are cut off, the completely decorated toy body 7 shown in Fig.7 is obtained.

The above-described decorating process can be applied to any portions of the second resin plate 4.

If decorating is performed only on the underside of a transparent second resin plate 4, the resulting toy body 7 has a desirable glossy coat.

Thus, as described above, after forming the prototype 2 by vacuum moulding or air pressure moulding the sectioned resin plate 1 on the wood mould la, the deformed sections lb of the prototype 2 are measured and corresponding decorations can be printed directly on a second, non-sectioned resin plate 4, thereby producing a moulded toy body 7 already having certain designs and colouring. As a result, decoration can be applied easily and accurately to irregularly formed portions of a toy body during the actual moulding process. Further, homogeneous products can be obtained without special techniques.

This invention has particular application to forming a lightweight, plastic moulded automobile body to be applied to an electric slot racing car chassis.

Such cars have traditionally included various colour schemes, numerals, stripes, sponsoring manufacturer's trademarks, etc. However, it is to be understood that shapes other than automobiles are contemplated, wherein one desires to incorporate colouring and/or decorations on a moulded shape during moulding.

The foregoing is considered illustrative only of the principals of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to that fall within the scope of the invention and the appended claims.

Claims (8)

1. A method for producing a decorated, moulded body, comprising the steps of forming a wood mould of a body shape; forming a first resin plate including sectioned indicia thereon; moulding the first resin plate on the wood mould to form a prototype corresponding to the body shape; measuring deformations in the sectioned indicia for the purpose of determining portions of the body to be decorated; applying decoration to a second unsectioned resin plate and moulding the second resin plate on the wood mould to form the decorated, moulded body.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the moulding steps are performed by vacuum moulding.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the moulding steps are performed by air pressure moulding.

4. A method for producing a decorated, moulded body, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A toy body which is moulded and decorated, produced from forming a wood mould of the toy body shape; forming a first resin plate including sectioned indicia thereon; moulding the first resin plate on the wood mould to form a prototype corresponding to the body shape; measuring deformations in the sectioned indicia for the purpose of determining portions of the toy body to be decorated; the moulded toy body being decorated by applying decoration to a second unsectioned resin plate and moulding the second resin plate on the wood mould.

6. A toy body as claimed in claim 5, wherein the body is in the shape of an automobile, the moulding steps having been performed by vacuum moulding.

7. A toy body as claimed in claim 5, wherein the body is in the shape of an automobile, the moulding steps having been performed by air pressure moulding.

8. A toy body substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.