EP0110386B1 - Wheeled toy vehicle following a ferromagnetic conducting track - Google Patents

Abstract

Rolling miniature model (1) moving on a ferromagnetic guiding track (7), such as a railway vehicle or a motor vehicle, provided with at least one permanent magnet (2) arranged under the miniature model and at a certain distance over the guiding track (7); the permanent magnet or magnets (2) are discretly arranged in/on the specific imitating parts of the vehicle which are situated under the miniature model (1), such as the accessories (5, 6) and/or the wheels (8) and/or the bogies, respectively the chassis, etc.; those magnets may also constitute the imitations. This measures greatly improve the adherence of the wheels (8) to the guiding circuit, respectively to the track (7), and this in the most discrete possible way, reduce the risk of derailment of the miniature model and eliminate the skidding of the wheels (8) on the tracks (7) when climbing.

Description

The invention relates to a rollable model toy vehicle or model automobile that is movably guided on a ferromagnetic guide line, with at least one permanent magnet on its underside at a distance above the guide line and with it.

US-A-2 838 009 describes an electrically drivable railway vehicle which is provided as a toy and which is movably guided on ferromagnetic rails. For the purpose of improving the adhesion, the wheels are designed with permanent magnets or are influenced by them in order to be able to achieve a magnetic force flow between the running surface of the wheels and the rail. This construction requires a lot of effort and, due to its indirect influence, an additional space requirement.

The model railway vehicle conveyed by the German utility model 1 806 055 also makes use of a permanent magnet that violates the prototype, is conspicuously visible on the underside of the vehicle at a short distance from the rail.

The permanent magnets used in the two model vehicles mentioned above to achieve the goals set there give the vehicles a clumsy and repulsive appearance for model railroad enthusiasts. They are also not suitable for improving the stability of tipping and running, or the frictional engagement of the drive wheels of a model vehicle, without at the same time not significantly changing its external appearance, which is supposed to come as close as possible to the original of large-scale technology.

Furthermore, the total weight of the model vehicles is not insignificantly increased by the permanent magnets of the type mentioned attached to the model vehicle, which in turn leads to increased friction in the vehicle bearings, which is already caused by the desired attraction between the vehicle wheel and the guideway due to the magnetic effect are more stressed.

The present invention is therefore based on the object, while avoiding a high total weight and to achieve a favorable usable volume, to create a model vehicle in which the permanent magnets are not recognizable to the outside viewer, without adversely affecting the tensile force and running stability.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the permanent magnets are designed as rare earth cobalt magnets and are arranged inconspicuously on and / or in vehicle-specific, static parts modeled on the model and / or even form these replicas.

According to the invention, rare earth magnets are used as permanent magnets, of which z. B. cobalt samarium magnets prove to be particularly advantageous. The latter make it possible for the model vehicle to easily master line gradients of more than 100%. The extremely high magnetic force that even tiny magnets made of this material can exert, for example, practically no slip between a rail and a drive wheel of a model locomotive equipped with cobalt samarium magnets. A model locomotive provided with tiny magnets of this type can even move upside down on a track while traveling on it.

The very small dimensions of cobalt samarium magnets, despite their large magnetic effect, allow them to be used in parts of the substructure of model vehicles, e.g. B. in oil coolers, on or in the bogies of or in equipment boxes under the Model D train car, in pressure vessels or the like, practically invisible to the outside viewer, which must be positioned relatively just above the rail made of ferromagnetic material, to be able to exercise their full magnetic effect optimally. The cobalt samarium magnets would be completely invisible if they were inserted into the respective mold by means of die-casting or injection molding during the manufacture of the individual parts that form the substructure of model vehicles and cast in during the casting process. Any loss of field strength of the cobalt-samarium magnets during the brief temperature increases during casting can be compensated for by re-magnetizing the magnets after the cast parts have been removed from their shape.

While, for example, model railroads have so far achieved the static friction required for the drive wheel / rail system by means of additional metal weights arranged specifically in the locomotive or in the railcar, when using cobalt samarium magnets, any superfluous weight in the drive or waive other railway wagons.

This has the advantage that now all body parts of model vehicles can be made from light, robust materials, in particular plastics. The lightweight construction could lead to considerable cost reductions in the production of model vehicles. In addition, the lifespan of a model vehicle produced in lightweight construction is likely to be longer compared to the model vehicles built to date in heavier quality, since the impact force is lower if it falls accidentally on stone floors or the like.

When dimensioning the permanent magnets of high magnetic field strength used in accordance with the invention, in particular the Cobalt samarium magnets, in relation to the model vehicles that receive them, must be carefully weighed up and coordinated between the intended goals, namely a good static friction between the drive wheel / rail system on the one hand and the requirement for a not too high bearing load on the axle bearings Railcars and / or railroad cars on the other hand. The conventional bearings of model vehicles may need to be strengthened, taking into account the increased bearing pressure that is generated by the body that carries the magnets and is thus attracted to the ferromagnetic guideway, which loads the bearings.

Finally, the greatly increased adhesion of the drive wheels of a railcar or the wheels of the wagons to be pulled on a model railroad could mean that, due to the now greatly reduced slip between wheel and rail, tight curves cannot be negotiated, or only with difficulty, if the wheel on the outside and the inside wheel is rigidly connected to one another via an axle. If necessary, this problem could be solved by arranging a differential gear between the drive wheels of a railcar. The wheels of the railway wagons should no longer be rigidly connected to each other, but should only be freely stored on their axles.

If, for whatever reason, the permanent magnets used according to the invention are not to be permanently attached to the model vehicles, they could also be retrofitted to or removed from them.

A model vehicle designed according to the invention could also be produced with wheels made of electrically non-conductive material, for example made of plastic, if the current is drawn from the control route via sliding contacts.

When using non-magnetic rail material for model railways, such as brass, alpaca, plastic or the like, one could arrange a necessary rust-protected iron rail between the two rail tracks in the area of larger inclines or in narrow rail curves in order to achieve the desired contact effect and only to be achieved in areas where there is a risk of the drive wheels slipping or the model railroad derailing. In any case, the contact effect would hardly be necessary on a level and / or straight line, and may not even be desirable. The rail tracks running on such routes, in particular of garden railways built outdoors, could be made of rust-free non-ferrous metals. This eliminated the effect of permanent magnets attached under the model railway. This could have the consequence that the above-mentioned increased stress on the axle bearings of the model railroad in the area of the non-iron rail parts would be completely eliminated.

In addition to the option of retrofitting existing model vehicles with permanent magnets, the control route can also be retrofitted accordingly. It is conceivable to design guide lines made of electrically non-conductive material in such a way that they can be provided with removable ferromagnetic guide strips in the area of inclines and / or curves, in the area of which the desired effect of a high contact pressure of the drive wheels on the guide route and satisfactory running stability of the entire vehicle is achieved.

Due to the small masses and weights of a model toy vehicle, especially a model train, it has not been possible to produce well-functioning model cogwheel trains. Traction vehicles with wagons always have a tendency to climb up, unhook, derail and crash on the rack. If the weight of the locomotive is increased to prevent it rising in the rack, a higher locomotive power is also required. In addition, only a fraction of the weight is actively used for this purpose, since this additional force does not act perpendicular to the rack, but in the direction of gravity (gravitation).

By attaching suitable magnets to the locomotive above the two rails or above the rack at the correct distance, the vehicles are pulled perpendicular to the rack. The gear wheel can therefore only climb on the rack if the magnetic force of the magnets is overcome, which is prevented if the pressure angle of the rack and pinion gear is selected correctly. With this additional device, any gradients can be mastered with a low locomotive weight. The trailer load is limited by the power of the engines of the traction vehicles.

• Fig. 1 eine schematische Zeichnung eines Modell-Spielfahrzeuges (hier: Modell-Eisenbahn),
• Fig. 2 eine schematische Darstellung einer Modell-Zahnradbahn,

The subject matter of the invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of some exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing. Show it:

• 1 is a schematic drawing of a model toy vehicle (here: model train),
• 2 is a schematic representation of a model gear train,

According to FIG. 1, a model railroad car 1 placed on a guideway (here: railroad track) 7 has a substructure 3 with two bogies or bogies 4, each with two wheels 8. On each side of the model railway wagon, a small permanent magnet 2 of high field strength, if possible a rare earth magnet, such as a cobalt-samarium magnet or the like, is either permanently or removably attached to the most invisible location of the bogies or bogies 4 . The permanent magnets 2 can, however, also be designed as other parts of the substructure 3 of the model railway vehicle 1, for example as a pressure vessel 5 or as a device box 6. According to the invention, however, the magnets can also be cast in these containers 5, 6 or in the chassis 4 even when they are being produced, and can thus be hidden therein from the eye. The line of force, N, S of the magnets 2 is perpendicular to the Leitstrasse 7. In the case of model railcars, the permanent magnets could also be arranged in the oil coolers modeled between the bogies, which is invisible to the eye of the critical model railroad enthusiast as well, which is not shown here.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a model gear train 19, the wheels of which, as usual, are mounted on a double rail 22, 23. Between the two rail tracks 22, 23, a toothed rack 18 is preferably arranged on steep sections and fastened to the sleepers. On the underside of the model gear train 19, a pinion 20 belonging to a pinion 21 is arranged, which in the use position is in engagement with the rack 18. In order to prevent the pinion 20 from rising on the rack 18, in particular on very steep routes, the model gear train 19 is pulled onto the rail strands 22, 23 by means of a permanent magnet 24, which also ensures that the pinion 20 is always in engagement with the rack 18 remains so that the feared ascent of the tooth flanks and notching of the pinion 21 is prevented. In order to achieve a pulling force acting as vertically as possible on the rails 22, 23 and to ensure that the pinion 20 does not rise on the rack 18, it must be ensured that the permanent magnets 24 or other permanent magnets are as close as possible to the pinion 20, either in front of and behind it or above it. A disk-shaped, axially magnetized permanent magnet 25 could possibly also be provided in the pinion 20 itself, which would be optimal with regard to the achievable attraction force between pinion 20 and rack 18.

Claims (4)

1. A rolling model toy vehicle or model motor car guided for movement on a ferromagnetic guiding line and having at least one permanent magnet fitted to its under side with spacing above the guiding line and cooperating with this, characterised in that the permanent magnets (2, 24) are constructed in the form of rare-earth- cobalt magnets and are disposed inconspicuously on and/or in static parts (4, 5, 6) specific to the vehicle and imitating the original and/or themselves form these imitations.

2. A model toy vehicle or model motor car according to Claim 1, characterised in that the permanent magnets (2) are disposed, in the position of use, in parts of the imitations (5, 6) specific to the vehicle, which parts are produced by the diecasting or injection-moulding process.

3. A model toy vehicle or model motor car according to Claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the permanent magnets (2, 9, 10, 11) are adapted to be fitted subsequently into the imitations (5, 6, 8) specific to the vehicle and to be removed therefrom.

4. A model toy vehicle or model motor car according to any one of the claims 1 to 3, characterised in that when a ferromagnetic rack (18) of a model rack railway (19) is used, permanent magnets (24) are disposed inconspicuously in front of and/or behind the pinion (20) of the rack-and-pinion drive (21), which pinion is disposed at the under side of the vehicle, and/or vertically above the point of engagement between pinion (20) and rack (18) and/or in the region axially beside the pinion (20) above the two stretches of rail (22, 23).

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