Amusement devices: toys – Figure toy or accessory therefor – Having mechanism or manipulatable means to move figure or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-31
2002-08-27
Harrison, Jessica (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: toys
Figure toy or accessory therefor
Having mechanism or manipulatable means to move figure or...
C446S268000, C446S356000, C446S376000, C901S001000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06439951
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates a connecting apparatus and a robot, and more particularly, is applicable to a connecting apparatus for connecting components and a robot using the connecting apparatus.
BACKGROUND ART
Heretofore, as shown in FIG.
13
and
FIG. 14
, in a connecting apparatus
41
for connecting components, the apparatus for connecting selectively and removably lower components
43
,
44
which are different size to one upper component
42
by a mechanical and electrical connecting means
45
is generally limited to one type in the shape, structure, and size of the mechanical and electrical connecting means
45
, regardless of the size of the lower components
43
,
44
.
Therefore, the following problems are easy to occur. As shown in
FIG. 13
, in a case where the size of the lower component
43
is smaller than that of the upper component
42
, the size of the mechanical and electrical connecting means
45
becomes too larger than that of the lower component
43
, thereby the lower component
43
is needed to be large so as to fix into the size of the mechanical and electrical connecting means
45
. And as shown in
FIG. 14
, in a case where the size of the lower component
44
is larger than that of the upper component
42
, the size of the mechanical and electrical connecting means
45
becomes too smaller than that of the lower component
44
, thereby the strength of the connecting means
45
becomes insufficient.
Also, since the lower component
43
being small size has low power consumption and the lower component
44
being large size has high power consumption, when the size of the mechanical and electrical connecting means
45
is only one type regardless of the size of the lower components
43
,
44
which are different size, the electric current which can flow through the connecting means
45
is restricted. Thereby, as shown in
FIG. 14
, when the lower component
44
being large size is connected to the upper component
42
, it is impossible to flow a large amount of electric current which fits into the large size of the lower component
44
. That is, there is a problem that the power consumption which is needed by the large size of the lower component
44
can not be supplied sufficiently.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
This invention is to solve the above problems, and to provide a connecting apparatus for connecting so as to fit into the size of the lower component when a plurality of lower components which are different size are selectively and removably connected to an upper component by a mechanical and electrical connecting means, and to provide a robot using the connecting apparatus.
To solve the above problems, according to this invention, the connecting apparatus provides a plurality of mechanical and electrical connecting means which are arranged according to a regulation in the upper component, and provides, in each of the lower components which are different size selectively connected to the upper component, a plurality of mechanical and electrical connecting means being set to the number corresponding to the mechanical and electrical connecting means of the upper component and corresponding to the size of these lower components.
As a result, when the lower components which are different size are selectively and removably to the upper component, the connecting apparatus can commonly use the mechanical and electrical connecting means of the upper component, and at the same time, can connect by the mechanical and electrical connecting means being the size fitting into the size of the lower component.
The connecting apparatus and the robot constructed as described above give the following effects.
In the connecting apparatus according to claim 1, when the lower components which are different sizes are selectively and removably connected to the upper component, it is connected by the mechanical and electrical connecting means having the size corresponding to the size of the lower component, commonly using the mechanical and electrical connecting means of the upper component. Thereby, various lower components having different sizes can be freely connected to the upper component. At the time, it can be connected with the connection strength corresponding to the size of the lower component and the electric current corresponding to the size of the lower component can be supplied.
In the connecting apparatus according to claim 2, the mechanical connecting means is composed of a plurality of connection holes and connection pawls, and the electrical connecting means is composed of main connection terminals which are arranged at predetermined positions and sub-connection terminals which are connected at a plurality of connection holes, and connection pawls. Thereby, the binding strength according to the connection holes and the connection terminals is effectively used so as to obtain the stable electrical connection, and simultaneously, the simplification of the construction can be realized.
In the robot according to claim 3, a plurality of robot constituting units can be selectively and removably connected to a plurality of planes of common body unit by the mechanical and electrical connecting means. Thereby, Robots having various shapes can be constructed freely and easily.
In the robot according to claim 4, a plurality of robot constituting units are composed of the head unit, the tail unit, the leg units, and the wheel units. Thereby, Robots having various shapes which resembles an animal such as a dog and a cat can be constructed freely and easily.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4109398 (1978-08-01), Hida
patent: 4186515 (1980-02-01), Ogawa
patent: 4712184 (1987-12-01), Haugerud
patent: 4822296 (1989-04-01), Wilson
patent: 5378184 (1995-01-01), Bro et al.
patent: 5766077 (1998-06-01), Hongo
patent: 6116932 (2000-09-01), Kawakita
patent: 0 744 199 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 0 295 340 (1997-09-01), None
patent: 63-53874 (1988-03-01), None
patent: 64-10586 (1989-01-01), None
patent: 9-47575 (1997-02-01), None
Harrison Jessica
Kananen, Esq. Ronald P.
Rada, II Alex F. R. P.
Rader & Fishman & Grauer, PLLC
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