TAKARA - JEEG ROBOT - Ristampa dal 1999

Si tratta della ristampa, originale Takara, del primo modello di Jeeg Robot, prodotto nel 1976 e predecessore dei micronauti Mego (GIG per il mercato italiano), che noi tutti abbiamo conosciuto nella nostra infanzia.
I micronauti, infatti, altro non erano che la riproduzione per il mercato americano, italiano e greco del modellino del Jeeg, prodotto dalla Takara, qualche anno prima.

Rispetto al modello originale, le differenze estetiche sono davvero minime e stanno nelle punte delle trivelle, la ristampa le ha più arrotondate, nel taglio degli occhi, meno affilato nella ristampa, e nelle scritte sotto i piedi, la ristampa può essere o made in taiwan o made in cina a differenza dell'originale made in japan.

La versione che vi presento è quella con il box italiano di più recente produzione.

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...non sarà sicuramente paragonabile al moderno SOC...ma se pensate che era già così più di 35 anni fa!! Chi di noi non lo avrebbe voluto?? Con tutto il rispetto per i micronauti....

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...nella confezione sono presenti anche due pugni di ricambio e due missili "centrali" sparabili tramite pulsante posto dietro la figura.

Questo è uno dei pezzi che hanno fatto la Storia del Giocattolo.
Uno dei meglio riusciti di sempre quanto a robustezza e giocabilità.
Non tutti lo sanno, ma Jeeg Robot d'Acciaio o Kotetsu Jeeg in lingua jappa è frutto di una geniale operazione di merchandising
La Takara per contrastare lo strapotere della concorrente Popy (divenuta leader nel mercato del giocattolo giapponese grazie ad diritti di Mazinga Z) ideò un nuovo Chogokin magnetico (giocabilissimo) ed ingaggiò il Maestro Go Nagai perchè creasse un anime (cartone animato) che fungesse da supporto commerciale al giocattolo già progettato.
Così nacque Kotetsu Jeeg e la Takarà vendette dei bilici di Chogokin magnetici, tanto che per soddisfare il mercato, subito dopo la prima produzione detta Trivelle a punta 1° versione" (che si caratterizza oltre ovviamente per le trivelle a punta, anche per la scritta NET sotto il piede dx e per l'assenza della scritta japan in caratteri occidentali) furono fatte subito 2 successive produzioni. La seconda produzione è detta "Trivelle a punta 2° versione" e si caratterizza, oltre ovviamente per le trivelle a punta, per la scritta NET sotto il piede sx e per la presenza della scritta japan in caratteri occidentali. La terza produzione (credo la versione più rara sotto il profilo collezionistico, considerato il numero più esiguo di pezzi) è detta "Trivelle Tonde". Qui la scritta NET ritorna sotto il piede dx, ma sotto quello sx è presente la scritta japan in caratteri occidentali.
In tutte e tre le produzioni made in japan suddette i pezzi del chogokin sono rigorosamente numerati.
Negli anni "90 viene prodotta una prima ristampa cinese con trivelle tonde (viene contestualmente ristampato anche il Cavallo Pansaroid (Antares nella traduzione italiana) .
Nel 2000 viene prodotta una seconda ristampa cinese, quella postata da Daredavid.
Le ristampe (sia quella degli anni "90 sia l'ultima) non hanno i pezzi numerati, il polistirolo interno è sostituito da plastica, ma , sopratutto, le calamite e le molle di sparo (dei pugni e del missile centrale) sono molto meno potenti di quelle degli originali.
Io ho un pezzo originale jappo in collezione (trivelle a punta 2° versione) ed ho regalato a mio figlio una ristampa cinese (un bel set composto da Jeeg+Pansaroid in scatola unica), che penso sia il suo giocattolo preferito.
Orbene, il confronto diretto è impietoso: la cura nell'assemblaggio, la qualità delle plastiche, la tenuta delle calamite e la potenza delle molle di sparo sono imparagonabili.
Le ristampe sono di fatto analoghe quanto alle caratteristiche summenzionate ai nostrani Micronauti della GIG, ovviamente prodotti su licenza Takara.
Sul punto segnalo anche l'esistenza della versione giapponese dei micronauti Baron Karza e Force Commander prodotti direttamente dalla Takara in giappone (di qualità eccezionale, praticamente la stessa dei Jeeg originali), con teste dei personaggi scolpite in modo differente rispetto alle versioni occidentali, nonché della versione americana Mego e di qualla inglese Airfix (queste due praticamente identiche a quella italiana GIG).

illustrazioni all'interno della confezione...

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Data di priorità e registrazione 23 settembre 1976

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a magnetic toy having removable appendages and more particularly to an articulated toy doll having an interior magnet securing a pair of armature plates.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Magnets have been utilized in the toy industry for various purposes such as adhering magnetizable members to a basic structure.

Examples of magnetized structures in the toy industry can be found in the Gordon U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,155 and in the Yonkers U.S. Pat. No 2,970,388. Under examples of magnetic structures for retaining removable items can be found in the Budreck U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,697 and the Italian Pat. No. 514,679 directed to a magnetized life-size manikin.

It is always a goal of the prior art to provide an easily assembleable and relatively inexpensive construction to meet the highly competitive demands of the toy industry. Likewise, an additional goal is to provide unique and novel features which appeal to children.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an articulated toy utilizing a magnetic force for retaining removable appendages. A hollow magnet can be operatively positioned within body housing shells. Held to the magnet by its magnetic flux are a first and second armature plate having joint portions formed there between with beveled cuts. The joint portions secure the appendages in any desired position.

Preferably, the articulated toy has a humanoid appearance and the appendages can simulate arms and legs. At least one of the appendages can contain a manually operated firing mechanism for discharging a portion of the simulated appendage as a projectile. For example, an arm appendage can contain a spring loaded mechanism within its forearm for firing a projectile fist. Additionally, the body cavity can also include a spring loaded projectile firing mechanism. Since the appendages are removable, accessory toy items can be appended to the body and various subcombinations of toy assemblies are possible, limited only by the imagination of the child.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an articulated toy of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of an articulated toy doll, and

FIG. 3 is a side view of a modified articulated toy doll of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following description is provided to enable persons skilled in the toy industry to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a toy assembly that can be manufactured in a relatively economical manner. The mode of the present invention specifically described in the accompanying drawing is in the form of a mechanical or robot man. Variations of this design structure to provide other forms of toy designs within the parameters of the present invention is possible.

Referring to FIG. 1, an articulated toy assembly in the form of a robot doll is disclosed in an exploded perspective. The body of the doll encapsulates magnetic means for providing magnetic flux to retain appropriate appendages. The exterior body or hollow housing 2, includes a pair of housing half shells or breast members 4 and 6 a pair of waist half shells 8 and 10. Aligned within the exterior body structure is a hollow or apertured magnet 12 and a pair of armature plates 14 and 16.

The armature poles or plates 14 and 16 are identically cut from a sheet of thin steel and having a central opening corresponding to the configuration of the cavity in the hollow magnet 12. Arcuate cuts 52 on the periphery of the respective plates are aligned so that an arcuate cut on one plate will form a joint portion with an arcuate cut on the other plate. These joint portions have a beveled edge 54 that are complimentary to the spherical configuration of the ball joints 56 that are mounted on respective appendages to be subsequently discussed.

An alignment post 18 on the rear half shell 4 and a corresponding alignment post 20 on the waist half shell 8 are designed to position the magnet 12 and the respective armature plates 14 and 16 within the body 2. These respective mounting posts can be positioned either on the front half shell 6 or on the rear half shell 4.

The rear breast half shell 4 further includes an alignment receptacle 22 for receiving a firing actuator 24. A pair of pins 26 on the actuator 24 are designed to rest on alignment shoulders 28 in the alignment receptacle 22.

Breast half shells 4 and 6 include appropriate semicircular peripheral edge openings 58 that have a complimentary beveled edge 60 of approximately the same common radius of curvature as the beveled edge 54 on the arcuate cuts 52. Thus, a spherical configuration complimentary to the spherical ball joints 56 on the appendages are provided to provide an adequate contact for the transmission of magnetic flux and for relative freedom of movement of the appendage.

An actuator lever 30 extends through and exteriorly of the rear half shell 4. A firing mechanism 32 is aligned with the breast half shell 6 through a series of alignment pins 34 that extend through a series of holes 36 in the front half shell 6. The firing mechanism 32 also extends through the cavity of the magnet 12 and mates with the alignment receptacle 22 to capture an actuator spring 38.

The actuator spring 38 seats against a shoulder 40 on the actuator 24. The spring 38 biases the lever 30 in an upper vertical direction about its pins 26. When the spring is depressed by the insertion of a projectile such as the rocket 42, a disk 44 on the rocket will cam a hook 46 of the actuator 24 upward until it passes inwardly and permits the hook 46 to capture and retain the projectile 42 against the bias of the spring force. A vertical downward depression of the actuator 30 will release the hook 46 and accordingly, permit the rocket to be propelled by the spring energy as shown in FIG. 2.

The respective breast half shells and waist half shells can be held together by screws 48 and 50 respectively. Alignment pins and complimentary holes (not shown) can be provided on the various half shells as known in the art. Preferably the half shells are plastic parts.

As disclosed in each of the figures, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is a humanoid or robot-like shaped toy. In this regard, the appendages have some simulation to that of a human; that is, a pair of legs 62 and 64, a pair of arms 66 and 68 and a head 70 are provided. Both the arm and leg appendages are further individually articulated with movable joints or hinges 72.

The arm appendages 66 and 68 are additionally novel in that the forearm housing 74 of each arm appendage includes a projectile firing mechanism. In this regard a hooked lever 76 somewhat analogous to the chest actuator 24 is pivotally mounted in a longitudinal slot in the forearm 74. A compression spring 78 is mounted against a shoulder on the lever 76.

A simulated fist projectile 80 has a rear extending shaft terminating in a disk 82 that is capable of camming the hooked end of the lever 76 upward to be fastened by the hook. By the appropriate depression of the lever 76, the spring energy is released and the fist projectile 80 is fired. Referring to FIG. 2 a schematic of the present invention is disclosed with both the rocket projectile 42 and the fist projectile 80 being fired.

FIG. 3 discloses a further modification of the present invention wherein an accessory simulated rocket attachment 84 can be mounted directly on the back of the exterior body 2 or with an adaptor 86 attached directly to an arm socket joint. The cone shaped portion 88 of the rocket can be removable and can also form a projectile for firing from either the chest or forearms of the toy.

Finally, the armature plates 14 and 16, shown in FIG. 1, are held in place by the flux of the magnet 12. The beveled cuts 54 on the joints 52 insure an adequate surface contact with the spherical joints 56 of each of the appendages. This contact is sufficient to permit an optional placement of the appendage at any rotational position with the assurance that it will remain relatively stationary.

The present invention not only provides a unique and versatile toy, but it permits a relatively inexpensive construction with a minimum of manufacturing problems. Since various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention by a person skilled in the toy industry, the present invention should be measured solely from the following claims in which I claim.

Figata! la versione originale è quella con trivelle appuntite, e non stondate.

Io ho la ristampa Takare Black Version e la ristampa anime version con Panzeroid entrambi MIB