Figure and a Composition for Forming the Figure
A toy figure having at least one solid, molded part with a varying thickness is disclosed. The toy figure is a collector or fashion doll that has particular characteristics or properties. The toy figure is formed using a composition of ABS and barium sulfate, which provides several desired characteristics, including at least the aesthetics, feel, weight, and paintability of the toy figure.
This application is a continuation of PCT Application Ser. No. PCT/US2011/023260, entitled “Figure and a Composition for Forming the Figure”, filed Feb. 1, 2011, Attorney Docket No. 1389.0197i, which was published as International Publication No. WO 2011/094726A3 on Aug. 4, 2011, which claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/300,327, filed Feb. 1, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a figure, and in particular, to a material or composition that can be used to form the figure. The present invention also relates to method of making the figure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONConventional figures are formed of a thermoplastic material, such as resin, that is molded into shaped objects. These figures usually have multiple components or body parts that are molded using the thermoplastic material. Typically, the body parts are hollow and not solid. The molding of such parts results in the walls of a body part having a uniform thickness. In addition, due to the hollow structure of the body parts, the parts are generally lightweight. Moreover, such conventional figures and body parts typically lack any pleasing aesthetic features.
Thus, there is a need for a material that can be used to form molded figures or other objects and that is easy to mold. In addition, there is a need for a figure that is aesthetically pleasing and that is formed by a material that has desired properties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one embodiment, a toy figure has at least one solid, molded part with a varying thickness. The toy figure is a collector or fashion doll that has particular characteristics or properties. One characteristic is the feel or touch of the material of the toy figure. The material has a cool feel or touch, resembling that of a porcelain material. Another characteristic is that the toy figure material aesthetically resembles or appears to look like porcelain. Another characteristic is that the toy figure material has a specific gravity in a particular range which gives the toy figure a heavier or weighted feel. Additional characteristics are that the toy figure material is easily paintable and resistant to staining.
The molded part is formed using a mixture of ABS and barium sulfate. The mixture of ABS and barium sulfate can be about 20-80 weight percent barium sulfate and about 20-80 weight percent ABS. In another embodiment, the mixture includes about 30-70 weight percent barium sulfate and about 30-70 weight percent ABS. In yet another embodiment, the mixture includes about 40-60 weight percent barium sulfate and about 40-60 weight percent ABS. Alternatively, the mixture may include about 35-55 weight percent barium sulfate and about 45-65 weight percent ABS.
In an alternative embodiment, a colorant is added to the mixture of ABS and barium sulfate. In another embodiment, a flow additive is added to the mixture of ABS and barium sulfate.
Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements throughout this disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONThe term “figure” as used herein includes all types of toy figures and dolls. In particular, one type of figure or doll is a collector or fashion doll which, as described below, typically has different properties than conventional toy figures or dolls. The terms “characteristics,” “properties,” and “features” are used interchangeably herein in reference to molded articles.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In this embodiment, the leg 18 is a solid, molded piece of material. Leg 20 and arms 14 and 16 are also solid, molded pieces of material. In one method, one or more parts of the figure are molded using an injection molding technique. The material to be molded needs to have a viscosity that enables it to fill all of the cavities of the mold.
Typically, molding involves forming parts that have an even wall thickness, which the parts of the toy
When the molding material is a mixture of two materials, one viscoelastic and the other essentially solid particles suspended in the viscoelastic material, there is a tendency for the mixture to separate due to high stresses required to make the material flow when the mixture is force through channels. Since the stress is highest at the boundary between the material and the wall of the mold channels, combined with the fact that the mold is cooler than the melt mixture, the tendency is to cause the surface of the melt to fracture. This is then “frozen” at the surface since the melt is in contact with a cooled mold. This causes aesthetic defects to appear on the surface of the molded part, particularly at high stress points.
To minimize this effect, there are several techniques available. One technique is that large flow channels, including the sprue, the runner system, and the gate, can be used. Another technique is that a slow and profiled injection speed can be used to control shear rates as the melt front passes restrictions/high stress areas. Alternatively, melt viscosity can be reduced by using high MFI grade resins and raising melt temperature as much as possible. Also, heated molds can be used to reduce the rate of cooling and to slightly reduce the stress at the boundary layer.
In one embodiment, the toy
According to the invention, the toy
Another characteristic or feature of the toy
Another characteristic or feature of the toy
Another alternative characteristic or feature of the toy
While several of the desired characteristics described above are based on the toy
The toy
Typically, the use of a resin such as ABS in a molded component requires a glass fiber or filler in the resin compound due to the fragility and brittleness of molded ABS material. However, the composition that is used to mold the parts of the toy
In forming the mixture of the composition to be molded, barium sulfate (BaSO4) is added to the ABS resin as a filler. The quantity of barium sulfate that is added to the ABS material changes the properties of the overall mixture. For example, as the quantity of barium sulfate added to ABS increases, the resulting composition becomes drier. As mentioned above, the composition to be molded needs to be able to adequately fill the cavities of the mold. Accordingly, if the mixture is too dry, then the mixture will likely not adequately flow throughout the mold, thereby resulting in defects in the molded toy
In one exemplary method of making the toy
In an alternative embodiment, the initial mixture can be formed of 20-80 weight percent barium sulfate added to 20-80 weight percent ABS. Alternatively, the initial mixture for the toy
The main components of the material used to form the toy
In another embodiment, a flow modifier is added to the main component mixture. The flow modifier is added to reduce gate blush and flow marks from the molded components. The mixture may include about 0.5-5.0 percent weight of the flow modifier as well.
As mentioned above, the specific gravity of the toy
Regarding the molding process, the desired mixture of ABS and barium sulfate (and, if included, a colorant and/or a flow agent) is molded using an injection molding process. Once the component is molded, the molded component can be painted. This molded component can be painted without a primer due to the ABS being used. In addition, this molded component allows solvent bonding using common industrial solvents such as MEK (also known as butanone) and methylene chloride. Also, this molded component has significantly improved color migration absorption properties as compared to conventional materials. Conventional materials, such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), absorb colorants used in polyester based fabrics. This absorption results in the staining of the conventional molded components. However, molded components including ABS do not have any color transfer from dyes used in polyester fabrics or other materials.
In an alternative embodiment, the toy figure can be a single piece of material and formed using a single molded piece of material.
Therefore, although the disclosed inventions are illustrated and described herein as embodied in one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the inventions and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Further, various features from one of the embodiments may be incorporated into another of the embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. A toy figure, comprising:
- a body including at least one molded component, the at least one molded component being formed from a composition comprising barium sulfate and ABS.
2. The toy figure of claim 1, wherein the composition includes about 20-80 weight percent barium sulfate and about 20-80 weight percent ABS.
3. The toy figure of claim 2, wherein the composition includes about 30-70 weight percent barium sulfate and about 30-70 weight percent ABS.
4. The toy figure of claim 3, wherein the composition includes about 40-60 weight percent barium sulfate and about 40-60 weight percent ABS.
5. The toy figure of claim 3, wherein the composition includes about 35-55 weight percent barium sulfate and about 45-65 weight percent ABS.
6. The toy figure of claim 1, wherein the toy figure includes a torso, a pair of legs, and a pair of arms, the at least one molded component being one of the legs.
7. The toy figure of claim 6, wherein each of the legs and the arms is molded from a composition of barium sulfate and ABS.
8. The toy figure of claim 1, wherein the composition includes a colorant.
9. The toy figure of claim 1, wherein the composition includes a flow agent.
10. A toy figure included a molded portion, the molded portion consisting essentially of:
- barium sulfate; and
- ABS.
11. The toy figure of claim 10, wherein the molded portion includes about 20-80 weight percent barium sulfate and about 20-80 weight percent ABS.
12. The toy figure of claim 11, wherein the molded portion includes about 30-70 weight percent barium sulfate and about 30-70 weight percent ABS.
13. The toy figure of claim 12, wherein the molded portion includes about 40-60 weight percent barium sulfate and about 40-60 weight percent ABS.
14. The toy figure of claim 12, wherein the molded portion includes about 35-55 weight percent barium sulfate and about 45-65 weight percent ABS.
15. The toy figure of claim 10, wherein the toy figure includes a torso, a pair of legs, and a pair of arms, the molded portion including one of the legs.
16. The toy figure of claim 15, wherein each of the legs and the arms is molded from a composition of barium sulfate and ABS.
17. The toy figure of claim 10, wherein the composition includes a colorant.
18. The toy figure of claim 10, wherein the composition includes a flow agent.
19. A method of manufacturing a figure, the method comprising the steps of:
- mixing a composition comprising about 35-60 weight percent barium sulfate and about 40-65 weight percent ABS; and
- molding the composition to form the portion of the figure.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the portion of the figure is a leg of the figure and the leg has a non-uniform thickness.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 19, 2012
Publication Date: Dec 13, 2012
Inventors: Jason KROSKRITY (Los Angeles, CA), Yuk Ha MO (Torrance, CA), Peter SIMPSON (Jakarta), Sean P. WHITLEY (Canyon Country, CA)
Application Number: 13/552,997
International Classification: A63H 3/36 (20060101);