The present invention relates to a joint structure intended for connecting a movable element made of a mainly sheet-like material in an articulated manner to a frame part made of a mainly sheet-like material.

In particular, the invention relates to a joint structure made from a sheet-like material by means of which movable parts of a multi-element profile figure or assembly kit fabricated from a sheet-like material e.g. by graphical methods can be connected together in an ar¬ ticulated manner so as to allow them to be set into de¬ sired positions.

Industrially produced paper dolls and similar άum- ies and scale-model type toys and collection items rep¬ resenting living beings and various constructions, de¬ signed for hobby and collecting activities, are tradi¬ tionally based on two-dimensional prints. Parts that are supposed to be movable are usually immovable or they are connected to the product using joints, wires, cords etc. made of a raw material - such as metal or plastic - dif¬ fering from the material of the product itself, or by using other kinds of connectors. In such solutions, the movable parts are subject to irregular wear and they are easily torn off and provide only illusory adjustability. When three-dimensional models are used, they are either completely finished or their finishing is left to the user.

The static design of two-dimensional models and the high price of three-dimensional models are an im¬ pediment restricting the production of models designed

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to depict by as simple means as possible the limbs, po¬ sitions and movements of e.g. human beings, animals and various fictitious beings or mythical creatures as seen from different directions, as well as the parts, wheels etc. of vehicles, machines, instruments, tools, dials and other equipment and their use. Generally, the means currently used to create two-dimensional or three- dimensional models of the limbs and movements of living beings or of the movable parts of machines and equipment are inadequate.

The object of the present invention is to elimi¬ nate the drawbacks described above. More particularly, the object of the invention is to present a new type of joint structure that can be used especially in models fabricated from sheet-like material to represent the limbs of living beings as well as jointed parts of me¬ chanical devices. A specific object of the invention is to present a new type of joint structure which can be used to expand two-dimensional models into three- dimensional form and towards a dynamic design, yet with¬ out abandoning the starting point of economic mass pro¬ duction of models, especially the traditional printing production methods.

As for the features characteristic of the inven- tion, reference is made to the claims.

The invention is based on research and development work carried out to develop a joint structure for con¬ necting a movable element made of a mainly sheet-like material in an articulated manner to a frame part made of a mainly sheet-like material. The joint structure de¬ veloped comprises a pivot part which can be attached to

the frame part; a bearing part which is provided with an aperture and which can be mounted onto the pivot part by its aperture; and a locking part designed to be attached to the pivot part to lock the bearing part in an articu- lated manner between the frame part and the locking part so as to allow a turning motion of the bearing part. The pivot part, bearing part and locking part are preferably made of the same shee -like material as the frame part and the movable element. The bearing part may in itself constitute a mov¬ able element. On the other hand, the bearing part can be connected to the movable element either directly or e.g. via an adapter.

The bearing part is preferably of a ring-like shape and fitted to turn freely around by the pivot part and supported by it.

The pivot part can be attached to the frame part, the locking part can be attached to the pivot part and/or the bearing part can be joined to the movable element by any known method, e.g. by gluing, by using sticker glue, by using a hot-setting adhesive of by a similar method.

The invention is applicable for use in the fabri¬ cation and use of models made of sheet-like material, such as paper, paperboard, cardboard, plastic sheets or plates and sheet-like material in general.

The invention makes it possible to produce models with jointed parts that can be moved, and rotated if necessary, and repeatedly adjusted to desired positions, in which they remain. Thus, the result can be observed from different directions. All parts and elements of the

joint structure can advantageously be produced from the same sheet-like material, which means that these parts are subject to uniform wear, thus extending the useful life of the product. The invention allows the use of versatile hobby kits to be extended to include e.g. ad¬ vertising post cards, tablets, books, teaching aids, e.g. a teaching dial made of cardboard or paperboard.

Thanks to the invention, all parts of a paper doll or dummy, profile figure, hobby kit or other correspond- ing product made of paper, cardboard, paperboard or other thin plate-like or sheet-like material can be fab¬ ricated e.g. by a printing method from the same material at the same time e.g. on the same printing sheet, to be assembled and then used by the user. The invention makes it possible to produce profile figures and hobby kits in which all parts intended to be movable can be set to desired positions, and to signifi¬ cantly diversify the possible uses of products designed for play, sport, collecting, teaching and advertising purposes.

In the following, the invention is described in detail by the aid of a few embodiment examples by refer¬ ring to the attached drawing, in which

Fig. 1 presents plate-like parts of the joint structure of the invention and the order in which they are mounted in an embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 presents plate-like parts of the joint structure of the invention and the order in which they are mounted in another embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3 presents plate-like parts of the joint structure of the invention and the order in which they

are mounted in a third embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 4 presents plate-like parts of the joint structure of the invention and the order in which they are mounted in a fourth embodiment of the invention, Fig. 5a-d sections of Fig. 1-4 along line V-V,

Fig. 6 presents a versatile profile figure fabri¬ cated by the method of the invention,

Fig. 7 presents a wheel application according to the invention, and Fig. 8 presents a joint structure according to the invention as applied to clock hands on a dial.

The embodiments presented in Fig. 1-8 comprise parts of a hobby kit, profile figure and similar joint structures, produced by graphic methods from paperboard, cardboard, paper or other suitable sheet-like material. As desired, the parts are pre-coloured on both sides of the printing sheet or they are marked out with mere out¬ lines or their colouring is left to the user. The parts are detached from the printing sheet via perforations or they are left completely or partly attached to the sheet, to be detached by the end user by cutting or by some other method. After being detached, the parts are to be connected together using joint structures accord¬ ing to the invention, assembling parts detached from the same sheet.

In the embodiment illustrated by Fig. 1, a pivot part 3 is attached to a frame part 2, in this case to the shoulder of a figure representing a human being. A bearing part 4, which has an aperture 5 adapted to the pivot part 3, is mounted on the pivot part by its aper¬ ture. A locking part 6, which is so designed that it

covers the free surface of the pivot part 3 and part of the surface of the bearing part, is attached to the visible surface of the pivot part. At the same time, the locking part also locks the bearing part 4 so that it can be freely rotated about the pivot part 3. An adapter 7 provided with an opening 8 corresponding to the lock¬ ing part 6 is attached to the visible surface of the bearing part 4. Thus, the bearing part 4 and the adapter 6, which are attached to each other, can be freely ro- tated together about the pivot part 3 while the locking part 6 prevents them from coming off. A movable element 1, in this figure an arm, is attached to the visible surface of the adapter 7, so the movable element can be turned about the pivot pin. In the embodiment presented in Fig. 2, a pivot part 3 is attached to a frame part 2. A bearing part 4, provided with an aperture 5 adapted to the pivot part 3, is mounted on the pivot part by its aperture. A locking part 6, which is so dimensioned that it covers the pivot part 3 and part of the surface of the bearing part 4, is attached to the surface of the pivot part 3 so that it locks the bearing part 4, preventing it from coming off from the pivot part 3. Thus, the bearing part 4 can be freely turned about the pivot part 3. A movable element 1, in this figure an arm, is attached to the visible surface of the bearing part 4, so the movable part can be turned about the pivot part into desired positions, in which it remains by virtue of the friction properties of the material, e.g. paper, cardboard etc., from which the locking part 6 and other parts of the joint struc¬ ture have been fabricated.

In the embodiments presented in Fig. 2 and 3, the bearing parts 4 are substantially identical, but in the embodiment in Fig. 3 the adapter 7 has been left out as it is not needed because this embodiment makes use of the plasticity of the thin sheet-like material, so the movable element 1 can be joined directly to the visible surface of the bearing part 4.

In the embodiment illustrated by Fig. 3, a pivot part 3 is attached to a frame part 2. A movable element 1, which is provided with an aperture 5 adapted to the pivot part 3, is mounted on the pivot part 3 by its ap¬ erture. A locking part 6, made to dimensions fitted to cover the aperture 5 of the movable element 1 and at least part of the surface of the movable element 1, is attached to the surface of the pivot part 3. Thus, the movable element 1 can be freely turned about the pivot part 3 and repeatedly set into desired positions, in which it remains due to the friction properties of the material from which the locking part 6 and other parts of the joint structure have been fabricated.

In Fig. 1-3, the frame part, movable element, pivot part, bearing part, locking part and adapter are made of the same sheet-like material, e.g. cardboard.

In the embodiment presented in Fig. 4, a locking part 6 is attached to a frame part 2. A pivot part 3, made to dimensions suitably smaller than the locking part, is attached to the surface of the locking part. A movable element 1, provided with an aperture 5 adapted to the pivot part 3, is mounted on the pivot part 3 by its aperture 5. A locking part 6, made to dimensions suitably larger than the aperture 5 ^' of the movable ele-

ment 1, is attached to the surface of the pivot part 3. Thus, the movable element 1 can be repeatedly set to different positions without being released from the pivot part 3. A pivot part 3b, of dimensions suitably smaller than this second locking part 6, is attached to the surface of the corresponding locking friction part 6b. A second movable element lb, provided with an aper¬ ture b adapted to pivot part 3b, is mounted onto pivot part 3b by its aperture 5b. A locking part 6c, made to dimensions suitably larger than the aperture 5b of mov¬ able element lb, is attached to the surface of pivot part 3b. Thus, the movable element 5b can be repeatedly set to different positions without being released from the pivot part 3b. The movable elements 1 and lb can be adjusted independently of each other to different posi¬ tions, in which they are held by the friction of the locking parts.

In Fig. 1-4, the areas of adhesion of the parts of the joint structures are marked with cross-hatched shad- ing. In Fig. 5, the movable assemblies are indicated with hatched shading, while the numbers and letters re¬ fer to parts used in different joint structure.

After being mounted, the movable parts can be set to different positions around the pivot pin. For in- stance, in figures representing human beings or animals, by cautiously bending the lower limbs outwards, the model can also be set into a straddled or riding posi¬ tion. Different fittings, such as headgear, produced from the same printing sheet as the model itself or from other suitable material, can be fitted in slits provided in the profile parts, or they can be mounted directly on

the model regardless of such slits.

In the foregoing, the joint structure has been de¬ scribed by referring to only a few examples of its em¬ bodiments. It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that many variations and applications of the joint structure are possible.