JP7474108B2 - Moving structures and toys - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a movable structure for a toy, etc.

One example of a toy with movable parts is a doll body that can be posed in a variety of ways, just like a human. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a toy that can be enjoyed by moving the movable parts.

JP 2017-159139 A

Among the dolls with movable parts, the most popular are those that recreate characters such as transforming heroes, soldiers, and large humanoid robots that appear in manga, anime, special effects movies, games, novels, etc. (hereafter collectively referred to as "original works").

When users purchase a doll of a character that appears in an original work, they want to be able to make it pose exactly as they saw it in the original work. However, the range of motion of the movable parts of a doll of a character that appears in an original work is narrow, and it is often the case that the reproduction of the pose is incomplete. From the user's point of view, because the flexibility of the movable parts is insufficient, it is difficult to reproduce the pose as close as possible to the original work, which can leave the user feeling disappointed.

In particular, when the original character is designed with movable parts that can be bent and stretched, it has not been possible to realize movable parts that can be bent and stretched while maintaining a certain pose at the toy level.

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide technology that realizes a movable structure that can be bent and expanded.

One aspect of the present invention is a movable structure that serves as a predetermined part of a toy, comprising: a group of shells arranged in a row, each having a joint support portion; and a group of links that are arranged in an internal space formed by the interiors of the hollow shells being connected to each other, and that maintain the arrangement of the group of shells in a row by supporting at least every other joint in the order of the arrangement of the hollow shells with the joint support portion being supported by the joint support portion of the hollow shell, the movable structure being capable of expanding and contracting the group of shells in a row by moving the group of links. Another aspect of the present invention is a movable structure that serves as a predetermined part of a toy, comprising: a group of shells arranged in a row, each having a joint support portion; and a group of links that are arranged in an internal space formed by the interiors of the hollow shells being connected to each other , and that maintain the arrangement of the group of shells in a row by supporting at least every other joint in the order of the arrangement of the hollow shells with the joint support portion of the hollow shell , the group of shells in a row having a connecting portion at an end that can be connected to another part, the movable structure being capable of expanding and contracting the group of shells in a row by moving the group of links.

The hollow shells may be cylindrical bodies with the dimensions of the internal space at one end being larger than the outer dimensions at the other end, and the row-shaped shell group may be arranged such that one end of an adjacent hollow shell on one side fits loosely into the other end of the adjacent hollow shell on the other side.

The row-shaped shell group may also be structured so that the overall shape can be changed between a linear contracted shape in which adjacent hollow shells fit tightly together, and a curved shape in which adjacent hollow shells are spaced apart and arranged in an arc shape.

In addition, each joint of the link group may be a swivel pair formed by a pin connection, the movement of the link group is along a predetermined movable surface determined by the swivel pairs of each joint, and the curvature of the row-shaped outer shell group may be along the movable surface.

The hollow shell and/or the link group may further include a limiting structure that limits the bending limit in one direction of the row of shells along the movable surface in both directions, compared to the bending limit in the other direction.

The limiting structure may also be a rotation limiting structure in one direction provided at each joint of the link group.

In addition, the extension of the link group may be limited by limiting the rotation angle by the rotation limiting structure, and the row-shaped outer shell group may be extendable within the extendable range of the link group.

The restriction structure may also include a structure in which the joint support portion is provided at a position offset in the other direction from the center line of the arrangement of the hollow shells.

The limiting structure may be a structure in which, when bending in the one direction, adjacent hollow shells interfere with each other, thereby setting a limit to bending in the one direction.

Another aspect is a toy that has the above-mentioned movable structure in a specified location.

The present invention makes it possible to realize a movable structure that can be bent and expanded.

FIG. FIG. 13 is a front external view showing a configuration example of the left arm. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the inside of an example configuration of the left arm. Exploded view of the row shell group. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the movable structure in an extended state. FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the state of the link group when the arm is fully extended. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the inside of the row-shaped outer shell group when the movable structure is bent. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example in which a limiting structure is added to the row-shaped outer shell group.

Figure 1 is a front external view of a doll body 2 in an upright position, which is an example of an embodiment to which the present invention is applied. The directional indications by arrows shown in each figure indicate the up-down (Y-axis direction; positive direction is up), front-back (Z-axis direction; positive direction is forward), and left-right (X-axis direction; positive direction is left) directions for the doll body 2. The directions in the following explanations will be based on this.

The doll body 2 is a toy with movable parts that reproduces a character originally from a manga, anime, special effects movie, game, novel, etc. as a three-dimensional model. The doll body 2 in this embodiment has a design that imitates a humanoid robot weapon, and is a toy made by assembling parts for different body parts.

The parts of the doll body 2 include a head 3, a torso 4, arms 5, and legs 6. In this embodiment, the arms 5 of the doll body 2 have a movable structure that is bendable and stretchable.

The basic form of the doll body 2 is a human-like form with a torso 4 at the center, a head 3 at the top, arms 5 on each side, and two legs 6 at the bottom. In addition to this form, the doll body 2 may be fitted with a backpack-like attachment on the back (for example, a back vernier in the case of a robot weapon), wings may be provided on the back, or a tail may be attached. Any of these have the basic form of the doll body 2 of this embodiment, and may be referred to as the doll body of this embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a front external view showing an example of the configuration of the left arm 5, and shows a state in which the movable structure is most shortened and linearly shaped, i.e., a "reduced shape". Fig. 3 is a view showing the inside of the same.
The right arm 5 is symmetrical to the left arm 5 and has the same configuration, so duplicated explanations will be omitted. The direction in which the arm 5 and the movable structure 14 can be bent with the smallest minimum radius of curvature (simply put, the direction in which they bend most often) is called the "main bending direction". In the case of Figures 2 and 3, the arm 5 is the left arm, and the main bending direction is to the right (negative direction of the X-axis) with respect to the doll body 2. Although the degree of bending does not reach the main bending direction, the arm can also be bent in the opposite direction to the main bending direction, so the opposite direction to the main bending direction is called the "sub-bending direction". The main bending direction and the sub-bending direction are along the XY plane in Figures 2 and 3.

The arm 5 has a shoulder joint 10, a hand 12, a hand joint 13, and a movable structure 14. The movable structure 14 further has a row-shaped shell group 20 and a link group 50.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the array of shells 20.
The row-shaped shell group 20 is a part group in which a plurality of hollow shells are arranged in a row. Specifically, the row-shaped shell group 20 has a first type hollow shell 21, a plurality of second type hollow shells 22, and a third type hollow shell 23, which are arranged in a row.

The first type hollow shell 21 is composed of two pieces (a front piece 21f and a rear piece 21r) that are symmetrical from front to rear, and these pieces are fitted together from front to back to form a single cylindrical body.
When focusing on the appearance as a single cylindrical body, the first type hollow shell 21 has an outer diameter smaller at one end side (upper side) above the vicinity of the vertical center than at the other end side (lower side) below the vicinity of the vertical center. In detail, one end of the first type hollow shell 21 gradually becomes thinner toward the top, and the other end side at the bottom has a cylindrical shape. When focusing on the volume relationship, the other end side of the internal space of the first type hollow shell 21 has a size large enough to accommodate the one end side. In other words, the first type hollow shell 21 has a dimension of the internal space on the other end side larger than the outer dimension of the one end side.

Looking at the inside, the first type hollow shell 21 has, at its upper end, a shoulder joint connecting part 24 for clamping the connecting protrusion 11 of the shoulder joint part 10 from front to back, a joint support part 25 that supports the link group 50 so that it can swing up and down, and a swing restriction part 26 that restricts one side of the swing of the topmost link of the link group 50.

The joint support portion 25 is a hole or aperture into which the end of a roll pin (a joint member that connects links) that connects each link in the link group 50 with a rotational pair is fitted. The position of the joint support portion 25 is set at a position shifted toward the main bending direction of the movable structure 14 from the array center line L1 of the row-shaped outer shell group 20 (the same as the center line of the first type hollow outer shell 21 when viewed from the front).

The second type hollow shell 22 is composed of two pieces (a front piece 22f and a rear piece 22r) that are symmetrical from front to rear, and these pieces are joined together from front to back to form a single cylindrical body.
When the second type hollow shell 22 is viewed from the outside as a single cylindrical body, the outer diameter of the one end side (upper side) above the vertical center is smaller than that of the other end side (lower side) below the vertical center. In detail, the one end of the second type hollow shell 22 has a joint support part 25, an opening part 27 on the upper and right sides, and a cover part 28 that is curved convexly to the left. The other end side of the lower part of the second type hollow shell 22 has a cylindrical shape. When the volume relationship is viewed, the other end side of the internal space of the second type hollow shell 22 has a width that can accommodate the one end. In other words, the dimensions of the internal space of the other end side of the second type hollow shell 22 are also set to be larger than the outer dimensions of the one end side.

In the second type hollow shell 22, the position of the joint support portion 25 is set at a position shifted in the main bending direction from the array center line L1 of the row-shaped shell group 20 (which is the same as the center line of the second type hollow shell 22 when viewed from the front).

Following the three second type hollow shells 22, a third type hollow shell 23 is arranged.
The third type hollow shell 23 is composed of two pieces (a front piece 23f and a rear piece 23r) that are symmetrical from front to rear, and these pieces are fitted together front to back to form a single part.

The third type hollow shell 23 has a joint support part 25 and a cover part 28 at one end (upper side) above the vertical center, and a joint bearing 29 that supports the hand joint 13 so that it can rotate around the axis at the other end below the vertical center. In the third type hollow shell 23, the position of the joint support part 25 is also set at a position shifted in the main bending direction of the movable structure 14 from the array center line L1 of the row-shaped shell group 20 (the same as the center line of the third type hollow shell 23 when viewed from the front).

The third type hollow shell 23 has an outer diameter smaller at one end (upper side) above the vertical center than at the other end (lower side) of the second type hollow shell 22. In detail, one end of the third type hollow shell 23 has a cylindrical shape that gradually tapers upward, and the other lower end also gradually tapers downward. In terms of volumetric relationship, one end of the third type hollow shell 23 is set to a size that can be accommodated in the other end of the second type hollow shell 22. In other words, the outer dimensions of one end of the third type hollow shell 23 are set to be larger than the dimensions of the internal space at the other end of the adjacent hollow shell.

The row shell group 20 is made up of a number of hollow shells (a first type hollow shell 21, three second type hollow shells 22, and a third type hollow shell 23) arranged from top to bottom with one end of an adjacent hollow shell loosely fitted into the other end of the adjacent hollow shell on the other side.

5 is a front view of the link group 50. FIG.
The link group 50 is a connected body of multiple links arranged in an internal space formed by communication of the interior of the hollow shell. Specifically, from the top, the link group 50 has seven first-type links 51 and one second-type link 52. Adjacent links of these links are connected by a swivel pair formed by a pin connection at roll pin joints 53 (53L, 53S), and can rotate relative to each other about the roll pin joint 53 as an axis.

The roll pin joint 53 is a long type roll pin joint 53L and a short type roll pin joint 53S. The long type roll pin joint 53L is used in the main bending direction of the movable structure 14 (negative side of the X-axis in FIG. 5), and the short type roll pin joint 53S is used in the secondary bending direction (positive side of the X-axis in FIG. 5).

Fig. 7 is a perspective external view of the first type link 51. Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same.
The first type link 51 has a single ring 511, a twin ring 512, and a connecting portion 513 that connects these rings so that the holes are oriented in parallel.

The inner diameter of the hole in the single ring 511 is set so that the roll pin joint 53 fits and is fixed in place. The inner diameter of the hole in the twin ring 512 is set slightly larger than the inner diameter of the single ring 511 so that the roll pin joint 53 can be loosely fitted into it.

The thickness D of the single ring 511 in the hole direction is set to be slightly smaller than the distance W between the opposing faces of the twin ring 512, so that when they are connected as a link group 50, the single ring 511 fits loosely between the opposing faces of the twin ring 512 of another adjacent link.

The single ring 511 also has a limiting protrusion 54 that is locally enlarged in diameter on the outer periphery. The connecting portion 513 also has a step portion 55 on the lower surface facing between the opposing surfaces of the twin ring 512.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the second type link 52.
The second type link 52 has a first single ring 521, a second single ring 522, and a connecting portion 523 that connects these rings so that the holes are oriented in parallel.

The first single ring 521 is the same as the single ring 511 of the first type link 51. That is, the inner diameter of the hole of the first single ring 521 is set to fit and fix the roll pin joint 53. The thickness D of the first single ring 521 in the hole direction is the same as that of the single ring 511 of the first type link 51. In addition, the first single ring 521 has a limiting protrusion 54 that is locally enlarged in diameter on the outer periphery.

The second single ring 522 is a type in which one of the twin rings 512 of the first type link 51 has been omitted. Therefore, the inner diameter of the hole of the second single ring 522 is set slightly larger than the diameter of the first single ring 521 so that the roll pin joint 53 can be loosely fitted therein.

Figure 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the link group 50. To facilitate understanding, adjacent first-type links 51 are shown with different hatching in cross section.

The seven first-type links 51, proceeding from the top, alternate between a position in which the step portion 55 faces the secondary bending direction (the positive direction of the X-axis in FIG. 10) and a position in which the step portion 55 faces the primary bending direction (the negative direction of the X-axis in FIG. 9). The single ring 511 of the lower first-type link 51 is inserted between the twin rings 512 of the upper first-type link 51, and the holes in both rings are connected through the roll pin joint 53.

The second type link 52 is formed by inserting the first single ring 521 into the twin ring 512 of the adjacent first type link 51, and connecting the two rings through the holes in the two rings with the roll pin joint 53.

Now, returning to FIG. 3, focusing on the assembly relationship between the row shell group 20 and the link group 50, the front and rear ends of the long type roll pin joint 53L (see FIG. 5) of the link group 50 are fitted and fixed to the joint support portion 25 (see FIG. 4) of the hollow shell, and the roll pin joint 53S is not fixed to the joint support portion 25 or the like and can move freely inside the hollow shell. Therefore, as if the link group 50 were an internal skeleton, every other roll pin joint 53 is supported by the joint support portion 25 in the order of arrangement of the hollow shell, and the link group 50 maintains the arrangement of the row shell group 20. In this embodiment, every other roll pin joint 53 is supported by the joint support portion 25, but this is not limited to this, and the positional relationship between the roll pin joint 53 and the joint support portion 25 can be appropriately changed depending on the shape of bending and stretching. For example, every third roll pin joint 53 may be supported by the joint support portion 25.

Next, the operation of the movable structure 14 will be described.
FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the movable structure 14 in an extended state.
3, the movable structure 14 is linear and has the shortest overall length. Focusing on the row-shaped shell group 20, the row-shaped shell group 20 can be said to have a linear, reduced shape in which adjacent hollow shells fit together.

As mentioned above, each joint of the link group 50 is a swivel pair formed by a pin connection with the roll pin joint 53, and the movement of the link group 50 is along a predetermined movable plane (in Figure 11, the XY plane that intersects with the axial direction of the roll pin joint 53) determined by the swivel pair of each joint.

Therefore, when the user wants to extend the arm 5 of the doll body 2, they pull the hand 12 downward. This causes the links 50 to rotate and swing relative to each other at the roll pin joint 53, with the XY plane as the movable surface. If we look at the overall shape of the links 50, the zigzag bend angle of the links becomes gentler, and the overall length appears to be extended.

However, the stretch of the link group 50 is limited to a certain length.
12 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the state of the link group 50 when the arm 5 is stretched to its limit. When paying attention to the positional relationship of adjacent links during the movement of stretching the link group 50, the limiting protrusion 54 of the single ring 511 of the lower link approaches the step portion 55 of the twin ring 512 of the adjacent link above. When the user continues to stretch the arm 5, the limiting protrusion 54 eventually comes into contact with the step portion 55, thereby restricting further rotation and swing. In other words, the limiting protrusion 54 and the step portion 55 function as a rotation limiting structure 59 (see FIG. 7).

Focusing on the row shell group 20, the link group 50 is connected to the hollow shell of the row shell group 20 by a long type roll pin joint 53L, so in the row shell group 20, the spacing between adjacent hollow shells widens in conjunction with the extension of the link group 50. Therefore, the movable structure 14 and the arm 5 appear to be extended. Of course, if the user moves the hand 12 straight up and back to its original position, the link group 50, row shell group 20, and movable structure 14 return to the original state shown in Figure 3, and the arm 5 returns to its original, shortest, straight state.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the inside of the row-shaped shell group 20 in a state in which the movable structure 14 is bent.
If a user wishes to bend the arm 5 of the doll body 2 from the state shown in Fig. 3 or 11 in the main bending direction (negative direction of the X-axis in Fig. 3 or 11), by holding the hand 12 and moving it to the right with respect to the upright posture as a reference, the arm 5 will bend in the bending direction while stretching slightly, as shown in Fig. 13. Of course, in the case of the right arm 5, by holding the hand 12 and moving it to the left in the same manner with respect to the upright posture as a reference, the right arm 5 will bend to the left (the main bending direction for the right arm 5) while stretching slightly.

Specifically, when the user moves the hand portion 12 of the arm portion 5 in the main bending direction, the long type roll pin joint 53L is on the inside of the curve, and the short type roll pin joint 53S (a kind of floating axis floating relative to the row-shaped outer shell group 20) is on the outside of the curve. Therefore, the distance between adjacent long type roll pin joints 53L is smaller than the distance between adjacent short type roll pin joints 53S, and the zigzag state of the link group 50 when viewed from the front closes in the main bending direction while opening in the secondary bending direction, resulting in a curve as a whole.

The long type roll pin joint 53L is connected to each hollow shell of the row shell group 20, so the arrangement of the row shell group 20 also follows the deformation of the link group 50. As a result, the positional relationship of adjacent hollow shells (first type hollow shell 21, second type hollow shell 22, third type hollow shell 23) is such that the ends on the main bending direction side remain close to each other, while the ends on the secondary bending direction side are separated and spaced apart. The movable structure 14 and arm 5 change into a curved shape arranged in an arc along the movable surface of the link group 50, changing the overall shape.

When the ends of adjacent hollow shells in the secondary bending direction are separated, the cover portion 28 (see FIG. 4) of each hollow shell is pulled out from the internal space of the lower end of the adjacent hollow shell above, preventing the interior of the row of shells 20 from being exposed and maintaining the appearance of the arm portion 5 when it is bent.

Even if the link group 50 bends in the main bending direction, as the link group 50 stretches, the limiting protrusion 54 and the step portion 55 eventually come into contact, preventing the link group 50 from stretching any further. As a result, the bending of the movable structure 14 and the arm portion 5 in the main bending direction is also restricted. In other words, the arm cannot bend beyond a certain point.

So, what happens if you try to bend arm 5 in the secondary bending direction?
3 or 11, when the user holds the hand 12 and moves it leftward from the upright position, the link group 50 and the linear outer shell group 20 move in the opposite direction to when the hand 12 is moved rightward. Therefore, the link group 50 bends in the secondary bending direction (leftward).

Bending in the secondary bending direction is also limited by the restriction on the elongation of the link group 50, just like bending in the primary bending direction. However, the long type roll pin joint 53L that connects the link group 50 to the row-shaped outer shell group 20 is offset from the arrangement center line L1 (see Figure 4) of the row-shaped outer shell group 20. Therefore, assuming that the degree of bending of the row-shaped outer shell group 20 is the same, the total length of the link group 50 will be longer when bent in the secondary bending direction (positive direction of the X-axis) than when bent in the primary bending direction (negative direction of the X-axis). As mentioned above, because the total length of the link group 50 is limited, paradoxically, when it is bent in the secondary bending direction, the restriction acts earlier and the bending is restricted.

Therefore, the rotation limiting structure 59 of the link group 50 (see Figures 7 and 8) acts to limit the bending limit of the row-shaped outer shell group 20 along the movable surface of the link group 50 in one direction (secondary bending direction) compared to the bending limit in the other direction (main bending direction). The restriction of the rotation angle by the rotation limiting structure 59 places a limit on the extension of the link group 50, and it can be said that the row-shaped outer shell group 20 can be extended within the extension range of the link group 50.

As described above, this embodiment makes it possible to realize a movable structure that can be bent and expanded.

[Modifications]
The embodiments to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the above examples, and components can be added, omitted, or modified as appropriate.

(Variation 1)
For example, in the above embodiment, 1) the link group 50 has a rotation limiting structure 59 (see FIG. 7) as a first limiting structure, and 2) the row-shaped shell group 20 has a joint support portion 25 as a second limiting structure at a position shifted from the center line L1 of the arrangement of the hollow shells (see FIG. 4). The first and second limiting structures act to limit the bending limit in one direction compared to the bending limit in the other direction, giving the movable structure 14 a biased bending property. The movable structure 14 is used as the arm 5, and the biased bending property is preferable in that it reproduces the characteristic of a human arm that is easy to bend in a specific direction but difficult to bend in the opposite direction. When the movable structure 14 is used for the concept of the neck or abdomen of the doll body 2, it can be said that it is preferable to give the movable structure 14 a biased bending property for the same reason.

However, depending on the specific part of the toy in which the movable structure 14 is used, it is not necessary to provide the same degree of bendability as in the above embodiment. For example, in a toy with an octopus motif, the movable structure 14 may be used for the octopus's legs. It would also be the case that in a toy with a design motif of a real or imaginary animal or plant, the movable structure 14 is used for a part that will become a freely bending tail or tentacles.

In this case, specifically, if the deviation of the hollow shell from the center line L1 of the arrangement is made smaller than in the above embodiment in relation to the setting position of the joint support portion 25, the degree of deflection can be made smaller than in the above embodiment. Also, by omitting the rotation limiting structure 59 from the link group 50, or by making the step portion 55 deeper in the circumferential direction of the twin ring 512, the degree of deflection can be made smaller than in the above embodiment.

Of course, the number of hollow shells arranged in the row shell group 20 and the number of links connected in the link group 50 can be set appropriately depending on the specific part of the toy to which the movable structure 14 is applied.

(Variation 2)
14, a limiting structure can also be added to the row-shaped shell group 20. Specifically, a first protrusion 31 is provided on the outside of the cover portion 28 of the hollow shell, and a second protrusion 32 that abuts against the first protrusion 31 is provided on the inner surface of the other end side of the hollow shell. The relative positional relationship between the first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32 is set so that in adjacent hollow shells, the movable structures 14 are separated from each other in the contracted shape, and come into contact at the extension limit when the movable structures 14 are extended.

In the example of FIG. 14, the first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32 are provided on the secondary bending direction side, but they may be provided on the primary bending direction side, or may be provided in both directions. In a configuration in which they are provided in both directions, the relative positional relationship between the first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32 can be changed depending on the direction, so that the bending limit in one direction of the row-shaped outer shell group 20 is more limited than the bending limit in the other direction. Furthermore, if a second protrusion 32 that abuts against the first protrusion 31 is provided, the rotation limiting structure 59 can be omitted from the link group 50.

For ease of understanding, the first protrusion 31 and the second protrusion 32 are depicted as protruding parts, but depending on the internal dimensions of the other end of the hollow shell and the setting of the curvature of the cover part 28 (see Figure 4), it is possible to make it so that when it reaches a point of curvature, the cover part 28 comes into contact with or interferes with the inside of the other end, creating a restriction.

2...Doll body (toy)
5...Arm portion 14...Movable structure 20...Row-shaped shell group 21...First type hollow shell 22...Second type hollow shell 23...Third type hollow shell 25...Joint support portion 26...Swing restriction portion 28...Cover portion 50...Link group 51...First type link 52...Second type link 53 (53L, 53S)...Roll pin joint 54...Limiting protrusion 55...Step portion 59...Rotation restriction structure L1...Arrangement center line

Claims (10)

A movable structure that serves as a predetermined part of a toy,
A row-arranged shell group in which hollow shells each having a joint support portion are arranged in a row;
a group of links arranged in an internal space formed by the communication of the interiors of the hollow shells, at least every other joint being supported by the joint support portion of the hollow shells to maintain the arrangement of the row-shaped shell group ;
The row-shaped shell group has a connecting portion at an end portion thereof that can be connected to another part,
A movable structure in which the group of linear outer shells can be expanded, contracted, and bent by the movement of the group of links. The hollow shell is a cylindrical body having an internal space at one end that is larger in size than the outer size of the other end,
The row-shaped shell group is arranged such that one end side of the hollow shell on one side of the adjacent hollow shell is loosely fitted into the other end side of the hollow shell on the other side.
The movable structure according to claim 1 . The movable structure according to claim 2 , wherein the row of shells is capable of changing its overall shape between a linear contracted shape in which adjacent hollow shells fit together, and a curved shape in which adjacent hollow shells are arranged in an arc shape with spaces between them. Each joint of the link group is a swivel joint formed by a pin connection,
The movement of the link group is along a predetermined movable plane defined by a swivel pair of each joint,
The curvature of the row of shells is a curvature along the movable surface.
The movable structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3. a limiting structure for limiting the bending limit in one direction of the bending of the row of shells along the movable surface in comparison with the bending limit in the other direction, on one or both of the hollow shells and the link group;
The movable structure according to claim 4 , further comprising: The limiting structure is a rotation limiting structure in the one direction provided at each joint of the link group.
The movable structure according to claim 5 . The rotation limiting structure limits the extension of the link group by limiting the rotation angle, and the row-shaped outer shell group is extendable within the extendable range of the link group.
The movable structure according to claim 6. The restriction structure includes a structure in which the joint support portion is provided at a position shifted in the other direction from an arrangement center line of the hollow outer shells.
The movable structure according to any one of claims 5 to 7. The limiting structure is a structure in which adjacent hollow shells interfere with each other when bending in the one direction, thereby providing a bending limit in the one direction.
The movable structure according to any one of claims 5 to 8. A toy comprising the movable structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9 at a predetermined position.

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