AU622951B2

AU622951B2 - A toy vehicle

Info

Publication number: AU622951B2
Application number: AU45447/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ib Hartmann Berggreen
Original assignee: Interlego AG
Current assignee: Interlego AG
Priority date: 1988-11-29
Filing date: 1989-11-23
Publication date: 1992-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 2009-11-23
Also published as: BR8906002A; DK665388D0; IT8922124V0; IT218853Z2; KR970000158Y1; PT8116Y; JPH02109698U; PT8116U; ES1012231Y; DK665388A; ES1012231U; DK164802B; KR900009740U; CN1043881A; IT8922124U1; CN2187968Y; AU4544789A; JPH0717359Y2; FR2639556B3; FR2639556A3

Description

i I~i- l -iU 622951

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 Form COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: SPriority: Related Art:

I

t TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: INTERLEGO A.G.

"Address of Applicant:--SHIbBR-UGGSTRA-S-E--3- AVOeSS-.

.GH 6340 -BAAR-- SW-IT-ZERLANB- -64O SCxr| Actual Inventor: 4 t 44 I IB HARTMANN BERGGREEN Rungsted Strandvej 19 DK-2950 Vedbaek Denmark A Jz lCR SAddress for Service: GRIFFITH HACK CO., 601 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: A TOY VEHICLE The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1 t I WWM M B •ai l I H|H|BH I~iHi 1 I i i l i ii; l; lil r i ooo 0090 oo n ao 00 ao o 00 4 6 4 6 4 14 I S A Toy Vehicle The invention concerns a toy vehicle with wheels and a rotatably journalled part which is supported at least partly by a wheel.

Many different embodiments of this type of toy are known, which can typically comprise a pair of opposed, circular discs which rest against the four wheels of a toy vehicle so that the discs go round.when the wheels go round. The discs are frequently provided with pictures of e.g. animals so that the picture goes round when the child pulls the vehicle across a substrate.

15 The object of the invention is to provide a toy of the present type which, to a greater degree than the known embodiments, encourages to the children's desire for playing actively with the toy vehicle.

20 This object is achieved in that the toy vehicle is constructed as stated in the characterizing portion of claim 1, since it is thus possible to build different structures with figures on the rotatably journalled part, so that the child gets a visual thrill by watching the structure and the figures in rotation when the vehicle is moved across a substrate. The toy elements mentioned in claim 1 may be of any type, e.g. the one marketed under the trade mark DUPLO The vehicle may be so arranged that the rotatably journalled part is only drawn by a single wheel; but preferably the vehicle has four wheels, all of which support the rotatably journalled part which may be constructed as stated in claim 2. It will be appreciated that a more composite movement of the rotatably journalled part may be obtained if the roll paths differ from a circular form.

L 2 The mechanical coupling means may be positioned as stated in claim 3, the coupling means being preferably positioned on the side of the plate which faces away From the second roll path.

Further, coupling means as stated in claim 4 may be provided, said coupling means preferably facing toward the axis of rotation of the rotatably journalled part.

The coupling means may be of any type, but are preferably "constructed as stated in claim 5, cf. the previously «mentioned trade name.

0600 i000 The invention will be explained more Fully by the following B o i 0 15 description with reference to the drawing, in which fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the toy vehicle, fig. 2 shows the same as fig. 1, as seen from the opposite .o 20 side, while o0 o Figs. 3 and 4 show examples of how the rotatably journalled 0o:0o0 °part may be built together with various toy building ele- *o 00o ments.

o 6 00oo o00 S The embodiment of the toy vehicle of the invention shown 0 in fig. comprises a vehicle base I with four wheels 2, 3, 4 and 5. Preferably, the vehicle is provided with coupling means on the top side and at the ends so that other elements, which belong to a building set, may be mounted on the vehicle, and so that several vehicles may be coupled together to a train of vehicles.

In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle is combined with a wheel which is generally designated by 6, and which has two roll paths 7 and 8 adapted to rest against respective 3 wheels 3, 4 and 2, 5, respectively. In Lhe embodiment shown, the roll paths are circular, and it will be appreciated that the wheel 6 is caused to go round by the said wheels when the vehicle I is pulled across a substrate. As appears from Fig. 1, the roll path 7 is provided on a ring 9, while the roll path 8 is provided along the rim on a plate 10. The ring and the plate are interconnected by means of connectors, like those shown at 11. A special connector is shown at 12, which, according to the invention is provided with mechanical coupling means in the form of four coupling studs 13 whose mutual distance and position correspond to complementary coupling means on other toy elements belonging to a building set.

Fig. 2 shows the same as Fig. 1, but the toy vehicle is shown here From the other side, so that the outer side of the plate 10 is visible. It appears clearly that the external side oF the plate is provided with a plurality of coupling studs 14 which are similar to the coupling studs 13 and are also mounted in accordance with a module square grid. Further, the underside of the connector 12 is visible, said underside being Formed with a projecting tube 15 which, in combination with some side walls, is adapted to be coupled to a building element which is provided with coupling studs in accordance with the coupling studs 13 on the top side of the plate 12. Then the wheel may also be firmly mounted with respect to adjacent building elements instead of resting against-the wheels oF the toy vehicle.

A particular exciting effect For the child can be obtained by means of the described embodiment and some additional connectible toy elements of a type known per se, as will be explained in connection with the example shown in figs.

3 and 4.

As appears from fig. 3, a building block in the form of a It stylized face 16 is placed on the connctor 12, and a boxshaped, connectible toy element 17 serving as a hat is placed on top of the face 16. When the vehicle is pulled across a substrate, the structure made by the child will rotate so that the child perceives the structure in another manner than when it is stationary. The toy is hereby made more exciting, and even though the child can probably easily imagine how the alternative structure would look like in a stationary state if the elements 16 and 17 re exchanged, the child will be more curious to see how the alternative structure looks when rotated.

0 00 Fig. 4 shows an example of what may be placed on the outer fl~goside of the plate 19, as a consequence of the provision of 0 00 0 0 15 coupling means on it for cooperation with other toy ele- 000 000 ments belonging to a building set. Such toy elements are shown in the form of an element 18 which can typically be used as a rail, and a doll 19 whose hands are formed as a gripper claw 20 adapted to grip the rail 18, which is in turn attached on a pair of the coupling studs 14. It will 000 0(be appreciated that the doll may be placed in many different ways on the rail. Further, it is noted that the underside 0~ 1 of the feet 21 of the doll have a large U-shaped depression adapted to receive the coupling studs 13 or 14 so that the doll may be placed on the plate 10 and be attached to it :000in an upright or forwardly bent position. Of course, the doll, may also be placed on the connector 12, and the connectors 11 are moreover preferably formed as a g..nip which fits the claw h'and 20 of the doll. Then, the doll may be attached solely at the arms inside the wheel 6.

Accordingly, there are numerous possibilities for building various structures on the wheel, and the rotation additionally encourages the child to try various possibilities. This effect, combined with the circumstance that, with the toy, rotation is obtained in a manner known 4 4 per' se by viery simple means, makes the toy extremely expedient for small children.

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Claims

2. A toy vehicle according to claim 1, characterised o Sooin that at least one of the roll paths is provided along Oo 15 the rim of a plate defining said one face with the mechanical coupling means, a a a oa.: 3. A toy vehicle according to claim i, characterised in that the roll paths are connected via connectors, at :least one of which being provided said one face with 20 mechanical coupling means which face is in a plane transverse to the planes of the roll paths.
4. A toy vehicle according to claim 2, characterised in that the rotatable part has a further face with further mechanical coupling means arranged in a modular square pattern and adapted to cooperate by fiction fit with corresponding coupling means on toy elements belonging to a toy building set, and the roll paths are connected by connectors, at least one of which is provided with said further face which further face is in a plane transverse to the planes of the roll paths. i 6A A toy vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the coupling means are formed as projecting coupling studs and corresponding recesses, respectively. DATED this 11th day of February 1992. INTERLEGO A.G. By its Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia 0 0 0 0 0 0 o #9 0 0 a 9~P I-