EP2745897B1 - Toy - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a system for a toy with a road connected to an electrical energy source, at least one vehicle for operation on the road, at least one wireless hand controller with accumulator for controlling the vehicle and a charging station for charging the accumulator, according to the preamble of claim 1 ,

Such toy racetracks are known and serve to carry out races between several vehicles for entertainment purposes. At least the speed of the vehicles, in some cases their steering angle is controlled via a hand controller. In most toy racetracks, the vehicles are supplied via the roadway with the electrical energy required for the drive. This offers the possibility of influencing the speed of the vehicles via the voltage applied by the road to the drive of the respective vehicle. The hand controller provided for controlling the vehicle can accordingly be connected to a control device of the roadway. Communication of the manual controller with the vehicle is then not required, whereby the structure and thus the manufacturing cost of the toy racetrack can be kept low. Furthermore, this configuration has the advantage that cost-effective, wired hand controller can be used, since the movement of a hand controller operating player relative to the control device of the roadway can be easily limited to the defined by the connection cable radius.

However, it is also known to carry out the hand controller wirelessly, whereby their use is no longer limited to the length of the cable corresponding range. Accordingly, the player operating the hand controller can freely move within the limits of the range of wireless data transmission. The Communication of the known wireless hand controller for toy racetracks with the controller relies on transmission of infrared rays. For the power supply of the infrared transmitter of the known wireless hand controller batteries are used, which are replaced after the discharge and - if they are rechargeable - must be charged in an external charger. In addition to the expense of replacing and recharging the replaceable batteries, the problem may arise that game play may need to be interrupted or not started at the desired time, as the batteries are discharged to operate the wireless hand controller ,

The publication US 2004/192162 A1 describes a toy vehicle with a controllable by a wireless controller vehicle.

Based on this prior art, the present invention seeks to provide an improved generic system. In particular, the reliability of the wireless hand controller of the generic system should be increased.

This object is achieved by a system of the type mentioned above with the features characterized in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the system according to the invention are the subject of the dependent claims and will become apparent from the following description of the invention.

The invention is based on the idea to improve the reliability of the wireless hand controller of a generic system in that in this an accumulator is integrated, which can be loaded via a charging station. In order to integrate the charging station advantageous in a generic toy is further provided to use the intended for the operation of the toy connection of the roadway with an electrical energy source at the same time to supply the charging station with electrical energy.

An inventive system of a hand controller with accumulator and a charging station for charging the accumulator (and preferably a roadway) is according to the invention characterized in that the charging station has connecting means for electrically connecting the charging station with the roadway of a toy according to the invention. In this case, not only the components that comprise the lane (s) for the vehicle, but also all the associated electrical functional components, such as a module having the control device for the roadway, are understood as the roadway.

In this context, a connection "via the roadway" means that the roadway (at least) a portion of the electrical lines between the charging station (and in particular electrical contact elements of the charging station, which are intended for contact with corresponding contact elements of the manual regulator,) and the electrical energy source, which is preferably a transformer connected to a domestic electricity grid (in particular for providing DC voltage of eg 14.8V or 18V).

In a preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, it is provided that the charging station is electrically connected to the roadway via a (preferably repeatedly pluggable and detachable) plug connection.

As a "plug connection" while a connection is referred to, which leads by a simple relative movement of the connection partners to a frictional, positive or other (for example, magnetic) fixation.

Such a connector between the charging station of the manual controller and the road allows a simple and comfortable assembly and disassembly of the toy and - especially if the roadway is formed of a variety of interconnected (especially by simply mating) connectable roadway segments - a space-saving accommodation in disassembled Status. Furthermore, it can be achieved that - if the roadway is provided at several sections with suitable connection means - the charging station can be connected as needed to a particular section of the roadway.

In a preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention provided that the wireless hand controller via radio (ie electromagnetic waves in the radio frequency range) is connected to a control device for the vehicle. The advantage of such a wireless connection is that it - unlike the known infrared connection - no direct contact between a transmitter and a receiver is required. As a result, as reliable as possible communication between the hand controller and the control device is ensured so that interruptions that can adversely affect the game play can be avoided.

It can be provided that the control device is connected to the roadway or forms a part thereof, so that the vehicle can be controlled, for example, by influencing the voltage applied by the roadway (directly or indirectly) to a drive of the vehicle. Of course, however, it is also possible to integrate the control device in the vehicle itself, so that the hand controller communicates directly with the vehicle.

A track-guided embodiment of the system according to the invention with the advantage of easy guidance of the toy along the roadway without the need for additional steering devices in the vehicle is achieved in that the roadway has a guide groove and the vehicle has a guide keel which engages in the guide groove.

Fig. 1:

ein erfindungsgemäßes System in einer isometrischen Ansicht;

Fig. 2:

das System gemäß Fig. 1 in einer Aufsicht;

Fig. 3:

einen (teilweisen) Schnitt entlang der Schnittebene III in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4:

eine weitere isometrische Ansicht des Systems gemäß den Fig. 1 bis 3;

Fig. 5:

eine Aufsicht auf das Systems gemäß Fig. 4 (mit nur einem Handregler);

Fig. 6:

einen Schnitt durch das System entlang der Ebene VI in Fig. 5; und

Fig. 7:

einen Schnitt durch das System entlang der Ebene VII in Fig. 5.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. In the drawings shows:

Fig. 1:

a system according to the invention in an isometric view;

Fig. 2:

the system according to Fig. 1 in a supervision;

3:

a (partial) section along the section plane III in Fig. 2 ;

4:

another isometric view of the system according to the Fig. 1 to 3 ;

Fig. 5:

a supervision of the system according to Fig. 4 (with just a hand controller);

Fig. 6:

a section through the system along the plane VI in Fig. 5 ; and

Fig. 7:

a section through the system along the level VII in Fig. 5 ,

That in the FIGS. 1 to 7 illustrated system according to the invention comprises a roadway 1, which is composed of individual, interconnected via connectors roadway segments 2. Shown are a total of two lane segments 2, one of which additionally serves as a connection for a toy control 3 and the other for the connection of a system according to the invention of manual controls 4 and charging station 5. In the lane 1 lanes 6 are integrated in a known manner in which vehicles (not shown) can be performed. For this purpose, each of the lanes 6 comprises a guide groove 7 for guiding the vehicle, which is provided on the bottom side with a corresponding guide element, such as a guide keel, and two metallic contact rails 8, which are arranged on both sides of the guide groove 7. The contact rails 6 are connected via the toy control with an electrical energy source (not shown) and serve to be supplied via sliding contact elements of the respective vehicle this the required for propulsion electrical energy. The height of the voltage applied to the two contact rails 8 each lane 6 electrical voltage is controlled by the toy control 3, which is provided for this purpose with a suitable control device.

The regulation of the voltage applied to the contact rails 8 of each lane 6 electrical voltage is controlled by the toy control 3 based on a desired signal that is transmitted to the toy controller 3 of the respective hand controller 4. As a result, the speed of the vehicle guided in the lane 6 is controlled by way of the manually operated hand controller 4. The transmission of the signals from the manual controls 4 to the toy control 3 via a respective radio link (2.4 GHz). For this purpose, each of the hand controller 4 is provided with a radio transmitter, the wireless with a receiving unit 9 der Toy controller 3 communicates.

Each of the hand controllers 4 is connected to an accumulator 10 (e.g., lithium ion accumulator) interchangeably disposed in a housing of the hand controller 4 via a flap to be opened on the underside of each of the hand controls. The accumulators 10 of both hand controller 4 are rechargeable via the charging station 5. For this purpose, the charging station 5, which is inserted laterally into one of the roadway segments 2, is electrically connected to the electrical energy source, which is also provided for providing the electrical voltage to the contact rails 8, via the roadway. In this case, both the contact rails of one or both lanes can be used as electrical lines, as well as a connection between the connector designed as a connector 11 of the roadway segment (which record the socket 12 formed as a connector of the charging station 5) provided with the electrical power source via separate lines be.

In each of the hand controller 4, a charging control is integrated, which automatically controls the charging voltage with which the respective accumulator 10 is applied. This is intended to prevent overcharging of the respective accumulator 10. About the charge control and a total discharge of the respective accumulator 10 is prevented by the function of the manual regulator 4 is put out of operation when falling below a defined limit voltage.

The charging station 5 forms for each of the two hand controller 4 a corresponding to the shape of a foot of the hand controller 4 recess 13 (here: oval in cross-section), so that the hand controller 4 in only one defined orientation in the charging station 5 can be switched off. This ensures a secure contact between corresponding contact elements of the hand controller 4 and the charging station 5. The contact elements of the hand controller 4 and the charging station 5 are in the form of two contact plates 14, of which in each case a contact plate 14 of the hand controller 4 and a contact plate 14 of the charging station 5 form a pair of contact elements. The contact plates 14 of each pair of contact elements are laterally deflected during contacting a defined distance, whereby they are biased; this leads to a defined Surface pressure in the contact point. This surface pressure ensures a secure electrical contact.

The two each a hand controller 4 associated contact plates 14 of the charging station 5 are arranged in a socket 15 within the corresponding recess 13 of the charging station 5 and connected via a simple cable 16 with the associated connector 12.

Claims (7)

1. System with a track (1) connected to an electrical energy source, at least one vehicle for operation on the track (1), at least one cordless hand controller (4) with accumulator (10) for controlling the vehicle and a charging station (5) for charging the accumulator, characterised in that the charging station (5) is equipped with connecting means for the electrical connection of the charging station (5) with the track (1).
2. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the track (1) is equipped with connecting means for electrical connection with the charging station (5).
3. System according to claim 2, characterised in that the connecting means of the charging station (5) and the track (1) are designed in the form of a plugged connection.
4. System according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the track (1) has a guide slot (7) for a guide keel of a vehicle.
5. System according to claim 4, characterised in that the vehicle has a guide keel which engages in the guide slot (7).
6. System according to one of the claims 1, 2, 4 or 5, characterised in that the charging station (5) is connected electrically with the track (1) via a plugged connection.
7. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the hand controller (4) is connected with a control device for the vehicle by radio.

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