CA1145937A - Coin weighted toy racing car - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A toy racing car is provided having a configuration to simulate a racing car such as a drag car. A support member is attached to the body of the car at a predetermined location to receive a weighted member such as a coin of monetary value. The addition of the coin alters the location of the total center of gravity of the car and positions it so that upon the application of a small additional force, the front wheels will be lifted off the ground to prodide an impression of high speed acceleration.

Description

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Field of the Invention . . .
The present invention is concerned with improvements in and relating to toy cars, and particularly to toy cars intended for use in combination with a monetary coin which can be mounted on the car to change the position of its centre of gravity. Such a toy car, when prop~lled forward, can be made to provide an impression of hiyh speed acceleration with its front wheel assembly being lifted off the ground as a result of the location and weight of the coin.
Description of the Prior Art Numerous forms of toy cars that are self-propelled have been provided by the toy industry. Simulated racing cars and drag cars have been a frequent subject of toy designs. Generally, a common design approach has been to simulate as closely as possible the configuration and appearance of a toy racing car to capture the imagination of a child. Very seldom has a toy been presented to the child that requires an integration of an extemporaneous common object to complete khe structural functioning of the toy vehicle.
The toy industry demands a continued infusion of new toy concepts and is accordingly still receptive to new and novel toy racing car designs to entertain and elicit the interest of children.
Summary of the''Invent'ion In accordance with the present invention there is provided a toy car adapted for use in combination with a monetary coin comprising:
a housing member having a configuration which simulates a vehicle;

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a front wheel assembly attached to the housing member;
a rear wheel assembly including an axle and a pair of wheels attached to the housing member;
a support member attached to the housiny member on the side of the rear wheel assembly further from the front wheel assembly, the said support member being configured to provide an exterior slotted compartment extending parallel to the rear axle, the width of the slot being approximately that of the said monetary coin to provide a removable frictional connection therewith, the monetary coin being removably mountable in the slotted opening and when mounted therein extending upward adjacent the rear surface of the housing member for visible display;
the support member being positioned on the housing member a predetermined distance from the rear axle so that the center of gravity of the car without a coin is forward of the rear axle and with a coin is approximately above the rear axle; and a guide member configured to contact and slide on a support surface when the front wheel assembly is lifted off the support surface, the guide member being positioned to support the vehicle when rotated about the rear axle so that the weight of the car and the coin, as displaced by acceleration of the car, is partially supported by the guide member, and the equilibrium position of all force vectors is rearward of the rear axle, whereby the toy car can be propelled forward to provide an impression of speed which has lifted the front wheel assembly off the ground.
Also in accordance with the present invention there is provided a toy car assembly adapted for use in combination with a monetary coin comprising:

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59~3~7 a housing memher havin~ a confiyuration which simulates a vehicle, including a lower frame mem~er and a housing shell, the lower frame member including an approximately vertical bracket extending rearward and upward adjacent the vertical rear surface of the housing shell at a sufficient distance to provide a friction-al fit o~ the said monetary coin between the housing shell rear surface and the vettical bracket;
a front wheel assembly attached to the housing member;
a rear wheel assembly including an axle and a pair of wheels attached to the housing member;
a self-contained motor assembly attached to the housing member to drive the toy car, the rear vettical bracket being positioned on the housing ~ember a predetermined distance from the rear axle so:that the center of gravity of the car without the coin mounted in the bracket is forward of the rear axle and with a coin is approximately above the rear axle, and a guide member configured to contact and slide on a support surface when the front wheel assembly is lifted off the support surface, the guide member being positioned to support the vehicle when rotated about the rear axle so that the equili~rium of forces on the car and the coin as rotated during asseleration is partially suppor-ted by the guide member and is positioned rearward of the rear aæle whereby the toy car can be propelled forward to provide an impression of speed which has lifted the front wheel assembly off the ground.
Thus, more particularly, the present invention provides a toy car that includes a housing member having a configuration which sijulates a vehicle, usually a racing car. Front and rear . .
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wheel assemblies are operatively attached to the housing member.
The housing member can include an upper body shell and a lower frame member. A vertically up~ard e~tending support bracket frQm the lower frame member provides a cavity or slot wi~h the rear vertical surface of the body shell. The distance between the body shell ~nd the bracket is approximately ~he width of a monetary coin such as a penny or a nickel, preferably the former. With the insertion of a coin into the cavityt the child creates a vehicle whose combined center of gravity is approximately over the rear wheel assembly. A relatively small additional force that can be applied to the car by moving it rapidly forward will rotate the center of gravity to the rear of the rear wheel assembly and will lift the front wheels off the ground. The toy car can be propelled by a spring-wound motor mounted on the frame to provide the addition-al force component and create an impression of speed with the front wheels lifted off the support surface. The specific design of the present invention which incorporates a monetary coin as an operative weighted member of the racing car provides a novel concept to cap-ture the imagination and interest of children.
Specific embodiments of the present invenkion will now be described by way of example, by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
~RIEF DESCRIPTION _ THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment con-sisting of a miniature toy racing car having a spring motor;
FIGIJRE 2 is a side perspective view of the toy racing car of Figure 1 with a monetary coin in position r the Figure illustrat-3a ~,, .?
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ing a mode of operation to wind up the spring motor;
FIGURE 3 illustrates the toy racing car traveling in a forward direc-tion;
FIGURE 4 is a partial side exploded view of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 3;
FIGURE 5 is a schematic side view disclosing the force vectors operative on the car; and FIGURE 6 is a schematic side view disclosing an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCR:IPTION OF: THE: PREFER:RED EMBODIMENTS
The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the toy industry to make and use the present invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor for carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since ~he generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a novel toy car that can be combined with a monetary coin.
The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a new and unique toy car structure that can be operatively combined with a monetary coin such as a penny or a nickel to provide a novel mode of operation. The availability of monetary coins and a child's natural fascination with money enhances the play value and interest of the child in the toy. While the toy car is designed -to be self-propelled, preferably with a relatively inexpensive spring~
wound motor, and it is capable of normal operation without the inclusion of the monetary coin as a weighted member, it has been - 3b -, . . - . .
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~ ~ ~5~37 particularly designed to incorporate the weight of a coin in a specific position along the car body to create an impression of speed which has lifted the front wheels of the car off of a support surface on which it runs.

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1 Re~erring to Figure 1, a perspective ~iew of a toy

2 racing car 2 is disclosed. The body or shell 4 o~ the vehicle

3 housing can be provided of an~ subjectlve configuration and is

4 preferably molded of plastic. A supporti~g member or bracket 6 extends vertically upward adjacent the rear surface of the body 4 6 to receive and removably hold the weighted member such as a coin 7 of monetary value, e.g.~ a penny or nickel. A spring-wound motor 8 assembly 8 as can be seen in Figure 4 is mounted on a one-piece g frame lO that can also integrally provide the support bracket 6.
~ As can be readily appreciated~ other orms of propulsion 11 can be utilized, but a spring motor assembly that is appropriately 12 geared with a one-way clutching mechnism can provide an efficient 13 and relatively inexpensive prime mover.
14 The housing member 2 includes a lower rame member 5 and the housing shell 4~ the lower frame member 5 has a substan-16 tially L-shaped cross sectional configuration~ as seen in Figures 17 4 and 5~ and includes the vertical bracket 6 which extends upward 18 adjacent the vertical rear sur~ace of the housing shell 4 for a 19 distance substantially less than the diameter of the monetary coin. The bracket 6 is also positioned a distance from the 21 shell 4 of approximately the width of a monetary coln to provide 22 a frictional connection for supporting the coin in a vertical position across the rear surface o~ the housing shell 4 as seen 24 in Figure ~.
Referring to Flgure 2~ the car can ba pushed rearward 26 ~o provide a counter-c~ockwise rotation to the rear wheel assemhly 27 12 to wind the spring motor~assembly 80 A one way clutch mechanis~ i 3~

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11~5937 1 ~not shown) can release a portion of the gear drive to provide a 2 better gear ratio for forward propulsion as is well known in the 3 toy industryn 4 A moneta.ry coin, such as a penny 16, can be removably mounted within the support bracket 6 which provides a slotted 6 compartment extending parallel to the rear axle. When the racing 7 car 2 is released, as shown in Figure 3~ the front wheel assembly 8 14 is lifted off the support surface so that a guide member or 9 portion 18 which forms a curvilinear surface at the bottom of the bra~et 6 contacts the support surface to slide therealongq 11 Referring to Figures 4 and 5 r the toy racing car struc-12 ture has been designed speciflcally so that the combined weight 13 of the monetary coin 16 and the toy racing car 2 will place the 14 center of gravity above or slightly ~orward of the rear axle 20. As l6 .
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1 can be seen in Figure 5, the rotation o~ the front o~ the toy car 2 upw~rd to permit the guid~ member 18 to contact the support sur-3 face is sufficient to alter the position of the combined center of gravity so that it is rearward of the vertical plane of the

5 rear axle 20. The orce vectors Wl in Figure 4 schematically .

6 disclose the weight force vector of the toy racing car without

7 the added weighted member of a monetary coin. This force vector

8 is at a distance,a~from the pivot point between the rear wheel

9 tire and the support surface. The weight force vector of the

10 coin W2 is at a distance c from this pivot point~

11 In Figure 5, the rotation of the toy car has displaced

12 the force vec~or o~ the weighted coin so that it now has a greater

13 moment arm represented by the distance d while the momen~ arm of

14 the car weight force vector Wl is reduced to the distance b~ .

15 Quite simply, the product of d times W2 is greater than the prod-

16 uct of b times Wl~ The difference in~,force (dW2-bWl) is balanced

17 by the guide member when it presses against the support surface ~o

18 keep the toy car in a state of equilibxium.

19 The inertia force that is generated when the car is

20 initially released to be driven by the spring motor assembly 8 i5

21 sufficient to of~set any initial equilibrium or force balance that

22 maintained the front wheels against the support surface. When the

23 car is rotated upward, th~ resultant alteration in the length of

24 ~he moment arms is suffici~nt to maintain the car so that it wiIl

25 slide along the guide member 18 with the front wheels 14 alevated.

26 The resulting impression that is created for the child i5 that

27 the ~orque speed generated ~y the motor of the ~ar was suffiaient

28 to lift t~e front wheel assembly of~ the ground ~n a manner that

29 ~s frequently seen in drag rac~

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As can be readil~ appreciated, the car design can be altered to accommodate the weight of any specific coin or other forms of weighted members. The important design guideline is that the car without the coin is still stable and is propelled with all four wheels on the support surface, and when the coin is added it becomes balanced about the rear wheel so that only a slight propulsion force is sufficient to elevate the front wheels and make the car assume the appearance of being subjected to excessive speed. ~, Referring to Figure 6, an alternative embodimen-t of the present invention is discIosed wherein a pivotable support member 22 is connected to the body 4 by a friction fit that permits a subjective positioning of the support member 22 relative to the rear surface of the vehicle. By virtue of this arrange-ment, variations in the weight o different coins can be -compensated by a relative positioning o the pivotable suppork member 22. The bottom rear surface of -the -toy car can be dimensioned relative to the position of the rear wheels to serve the function o a guide member as described earlier.
Persons skilled in the toy field would be capable of modifying the various embodiments of the present mvention ~; within its generic teachings.
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Claims (11)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A toy car adapted for use in combination with a monetary coin comprising:
a housing member having a configuration which simulates a vehicle;
a front wheel assembly attached to the housing member;
a rear wheel assembly including an axle and a pair of wheels attached to the housing member;
a support member attached to the housing member on the side of the rear wheel assembly further from the front wheel assembly, the said support member being configured to provide an exterior slotted compartment extending parallel to the rear axle, the width of the slot being approximately that of the said monetary coin to provide a removable frictional connection therewith, the monetary coin being removably mountable in the slotted opening and when mounted therein extending upward adjacent the rear surface of the housing member for visible display;
the support member being positioned on the housing member a predetermined distance from the rear axle so that the center of gravity of the car without a coin is forward of the rear axle and with a coin is approximately above the rear axle; and a guide member configured to contact and slide on a support surface when the front wheel assembly is lifted off the support surface, the guide member being positioned to support the vehicle when rotated about the rear axle so that the weight of the car and the coin, as displaced by acceleration of the car, is partially supported by the guide member, and the equilibrium position of all force vectors is rearward of the rear axle, whereby the toy car can be propelled forward to provide an impression of speed which has lifted the front wheel assembly off the ground.

2. A toy car as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support member is pivotably mounted to permit a subjective positioning relative to the housing member, whereby variations in the weight of different coins can be compensated by the relative position of the pivotable support member.

3. A toy car as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing member includes removable housing shell and a lower frame member, the lower frame member having substantially an L-shaped cross sectional configuration, wherein the lower frame member includes an approximately vertical bracket extending rearward and adjacent the vertical rear surface of the housing shell to form the support member and provide a vertical positioning of the coin across the rear surface of the housing shell.

4. A toy car as claimed in claim 3, further including a self-contained motor assembly mounted only on the lower frame member and operatively connected to the rear wheel assembly, whereby various configurations of housing shells can be provided on a common lower frame member.

5. A toy car as claimed in claim 4, wherein the self-contained motor assembly is spring powered.

6. A toy car as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the monetary coin is a Canadian penny.

7. A toy car as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the monetary coin is a Canadian penny.

8. A toy car assembly adapted for use in combination with a monetary coin comprising:
a housing member having a configuration which simulates a vehicle, including a lower frame member and a housing shell, the lower frame member including an approximately vertical bracket extending rearward and upward adjacent the vertical rear surface of the housing shell at a sufficient distance to provide a frictional fit of the said monetary coin between the housing shell rear surface and the vertical bracket;
a front wheel assembly attached to the housing member;
a rear wheel assembly including an axle and a pair of wheels attached to the housing member;
a self-contained motor assembly attached to the housing member to drive the toy car, the rear vertical bracket being positioned on the housing member a predetermined distance from the rear axle so that the center of gravity of the car without the coin mounted in the bracket is forward of the rear axle and with a coin is approximately above the rear axle, and a guide member configured to contact and slide on a support surface when the front wheel assembly is lifted off the support surface, the guide member being positioned to support the vehicle when rotated about the rear axle so that the equilibrium of forces on the car and the coin as rotated during acceleration is partially supported by the guide member and is positioned rearward of the rear axle whereby the toy car can be propelled forward to provide an impression of speed which has lifted the front wheel assembly off the ground.

9. A toy car assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the monetary coin is a Canadian penny.

10. A toy car assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the vertical bracket has a height substantially less than the diameter of the coin, whereby the coin is visually displayed as a major portion of the rear view of the toy car.

11. A toy car assembly as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the self-contained motor assembly is spring powered.