GB2048695A

GB2048695A - Amphibian mobile toy

Info

Publication number: GB2048695A
Application number: GB7914790A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: MASUDAYA TOY CO Ltd
Current assignee: MASUDAYA TOY CO Ltd
Priority date: 1979-04-27
Filing date: 1979-04-27
Publication date: 1980-12-17

Abstract

A buoyant amphibian mobile toy is provided with front wheels and rear wheels of which at least one is a driving wheel and with a marine propulsion system, a spring prime mover for driving the driving wheel and the marine propulsion system by unwinding of the spring prime mover and means for operatively disengaging the driving wheel and marine propulsion system during winding up of the spring prime mover. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Amphibian mobile toy The present invention relates to an amphibian mobile toy which may have a body resembling in appearance that of a creature or a vehicle.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an amphibian mobile toy capable of travelling on a floor surface and in water which may have an appearance modelled after a creature or a vehicle so as to attract children's interest.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a buoyant amphibian mobile toy provided with front wheels and rear wheels of which at least one is a driving wheel and with a marine propulsion system, a spring prime mover for driving the driving wheel and the marine propulsion system by unwinding of the spring prime mover and means for operatively disengaging the driving wheel and marine propulsion system during winding up of the spring prime mover.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an amphibian mobile toy having a spring prime mover for actuating driving wheels for motion over a floor and paddles for driving the toy in water; the mobile toy of the present invention has a body which may resemble a creature or a vehicle; it has a body shell and a base plate and is provided externally with front and rear wheels, a pair of paddles and winding means for a spindle of the spring prime mover; said body is buoyant e.g. by means of a float located in an upper portion thereof and has a mechanism frame in a lower portion thereof; said mechanism frame has the spring prime mover and a transmission gearing installed in it; the end of the spring of the prime mover is fixed to a spindle of the prime mover and its other end to the mechanism frame, the spring being wound about said spindle; the spindle is provided with winding means such as a knob at its outer end and with a crown gear at its inner end; said crown gear connects with the transmission gearing which is arranged to actuate a rear wheel drive shaft and a paddle drive shaft; said rear wheel drive shaft has a wheel fixed to each end thereof; said paddle drive shaft has a paddle fixed to each thereof; said drive shafts are arranged to move successively by the transmission gearing; the winding means of the spring spindle may be modelled after various shapes and may resemble, for example, a spare tyre; as the spring is wound up about the spindle, a first driving gear of the transmission gearing is caused to disengage a driven gear of the rear wheel axle since a first shaft of the transmission gearing is supported in a slot bearing; when the spring is unwound about the spindle, the first driving gear of the transmission gearing engages said driven gear of the rear wheel shaft and actuates the rear wheels and the paddles since said first shaft of the transmission gearing returns to its original position in the slot bearing.

When the mobile toy of the present invention is wound up and is released on the floor or the water, it will run on the floor by means of its wheels or will swim on the water.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of an amphibian mobile toy according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mobile toy (of Fig. 1) with a body shell thereof removed; Fig. 3 is a right sectional side view of the toy of Figs 1 and 2, with the body shell, a base plate and mechanism frame cut longitudinally and perpen dicularly thereof; Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of the toy of Figs 1 to 3, the line IV-IV of Figure 2; and Fig. 5 is a plan sectional view thereof along the line V-V in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, a mobile toy is constructed with a body shell 1 and a base plate 2 and is provided with wheels 3, rear wheels 4 and paddles 5 at both sides thereof and a knob 6 of a prime mover spindle 11 at a rear portion thereof. Said knob 6 is modelled after a spare wheel. A float 7 is located in an upper portion of the inside of the body shell 1 and a mechanism frame 8 is fixed onto the base plate 2 in a lower and rear portion of the inside of the body shell 1. The mechanism frame 8 has a rear wheel driving axle 9, the spring spindle 11, a paddle driving axle 12, a first intermediate shaft 13 and a second intermediate shaft 14 journaled in it. One end of a spring 10 is fixed to the spring prime mover spindle 11 and its other end is fixed to the mechanism frame 8.The spring spindle 11 is provided with a crown gear 15 at its inner end and is arranged to engage with a pinion 16 of the first intermediate shaft 13.

Since said shaft 13 is journaled in a slot bearing 17, it is adapted to move in said slot bearing 17 during winding the spring 10 so that a driving gear 18 of said shaft 13 will disengage from a pinion 19 of the rear driving axle 9 and accordingly the rear wheels 4 will not rotate during winding up of the spring 10.

Said intermediate shaft 13 returns to the original position during unwinding the spring 10, therefore said driving gear 18 and said pinion 19 engage with each other and rotation is transmitted to the transmission gearing. A driving gear 20 of the rear wheel axle 9 engages with a pinion 21 of the second intermediate shaft 14 and a driving gear 22 of the second intermediate shaft 14 engages with a pinion 23 of the paddle driving axle 12.

Since the mechanism of the mobile toy may be constituted as described above, if the spring of the prime mover be wound up and the toy laid and released on the floor or the water, it will run on the floor and drive on the water.

As described above, the present invention is capable of providing a new and amusing amphibian mobile toy which may attract children's interest.

While a particular embodiment of the mobile toy of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is obvious that many modifications and variations of the toy are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practised otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

1. A buoyant amphibian mobile toy provided with front wheels and rear wheels of which at least one is a driving wheel and with a marine propulsion system, a spring prime mover for driving the driving wheel and the marine propulsion system by unwinding of the spring prime mover and means for operatively disengaging the driving wheel and marine propulsion system during winding up of the spring prime mover.

2. A toy according to Claim 1, wherein two rear wheels are driving wheels.

3. A toy according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the marine propulsion system constitutes a pair of driving paddles.

4. A toy according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein said means for operatively disengaging the driving wheel and the marine propulsion system comprises a drive transmission shaft therefor which is movable in a slot bearing out of and into engagement with a gearing associated with the spring prime mover during respectively winding up and unwinding thereof.

5. An amphibian mobile toy constructed with a body shell and a base plate and provided with front and rear wheels and paddles at respective sides of said body and a winding means for a spring prime mover at its rear, a float being located in an upper portion of the inside of the body shell and a mechanism frame being fixed onto the base plate inside the body shell, said mechanism frame having a spring spindle, a rear wheel axle, a paddle axle and intermediate shafts of a transmission gearing journaled therein, one end of said spring being fixed to the spring spindle and its other end to the mechanism frame, said spring spindle having a crown gear fixed to its inner end, said crown gear engaging with a first pinion of the first intermediate shaft which is journaled in a slot bearing and adapted to move in said slot bearing so that a driving gear of the first intermediate shaft is disengaged from a pinion of the rear wheel axle during winding up of the spring and so that said first intermediate shaft is adapted to return to an original position in the slot bearing during unwinding of the spring so that said driving gear of the first intermediate shaft is engaged with the pinion of the rear wheel axle, and said rear wheel axle being so connected with the paddle axle through the second intermediate shaft that the paddles may be rotated as said rear wheel axle rotates.

6. A toy according to Claim 5, wherein said winding means comprises a winding knob mounted on said spring spindle.

7. Atoy according to Claim 6, wherein said knob has an appearance of a spare tyre.

8. An amphibian mobile toy, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

9. The features hereinbefore disclosed, or their equivalents, in any novel selection.