GB2068752A - Remote controlled tricycle with articulated doll rider - Google Patents

Abstract

A remote-controlled toy tricycle with doll or other toy figure comprises a loadbearing frame (1) provided with a pair of rear wheels (2-3), a front wheel (5) attached by means of a wheel-carrying support (7) to handlebars (10) and to an axle with cranks and pedals, and a saddle (11) on which is placed and secured the doll having articulated or otherwise supple arms and legs. Atleast one rear wheel (2) is a drive wheel and is driven by a first transmission which is controlled by an electric motor powered by a battery through a control switch, and in that the front wheel (5) is steerable by means of a second transmission controlled by an electric motor which can be controlled from a distance by means of a generator of impulses which can be picked up by a sensor which is located in the electrical circuit of motor of the said second transmission and functions as a switch for said motor. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tricycle with a remote-controlled articulated doll The present invention relates to a toy and more particularly to a tricycle with an articulated doll or other toy figure which can be controlled from a distance.

The main object of the invention is to produce a self-propelled tricycle, for use as a toy, on which is mounted a doll or similar plaything of the type having arms and legs which are at least articulated or otherwise flexible so that the hands and feet can be secured to the handlebars and pedals respectively and follow the movements of the tricycle when it is in motion and in all its manoeuvres in order to simulate riding ofthetricycle by the doll.

The tricycle in question, which comprises a loadbearing frame with a pair of rear wheels, a front wheel which is connected to the handlebars and to the pedals, and a saddle on which the doll sits and is secured in such a way that its hands rest on the handlebars while its legs and feet are attached to the pedals, is characterised by the feature that the tricycle has at least one rear driving wheel driven by a first transmission operated by an electric motor powered by a battery through a control switch and a front guiding wheel which is steerable by means of a second transmission which is controlled by an electric motor which can be controlled from a distance by means of a generator of impulses, for example, acoustic impulses, which can be picked-up by a sensox which is located in the electrical circuit of the motor of the said second transmission to form a switch therein.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a doll and tricycle assembly; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tricycle also indicating certain steering movements of the front guiding wheel; Fig. 3 is a section along the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2 viewed in the direction of the arrows and showing the means for controlling the rear driving wheel; Fig. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV of Fig. 2 viewed in the direction of the arrows and showing the control transmission for the front guiding wheel; and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view ofthetransmis- sion according to Fig. 4.

A toy tricycle with articulated doll therein is illustrated in Fig. 1 wherein a loadbearing frame 1 of the tricycle is provided with a pair of rear wheels 2, 3 rotatably mounted on an axle 4 and a front guiding wheel 5 mounted by means of an axle or pin 6 on a support 7 which comprises the mudguard of the vehicle. Cranks bearing pedals 8 are keyed to pin 6 of the front wheel while the support 7 is fitted with a steering column or shaft which extends upwards through a guide hole made in the frame 1, handlebars 10 of the tricycle being keyed to this column or shaft.

Frame 1 also carries a saddle 11 on which doll 12 is mounted in a sitting position. The doll 12 has articulated or otherwise flexible arms and legs so that the hands 13 can be placed on the handlebars and the feet 14 can be placed on the pedals 8 and can be secured in position, e.g. by means of adhesive material - the doll being secured to the saddle e.g. by means of a component (not shown) which acts as a saddle-back.

One of the rear wheels, e.g. wheel 2, is a driving wheel and for this purpose the said wheel 2 has a hub 2' which is coupled with a hub 15' of a toothed wheel 15 which rotates idly or freely on axle 4 and is controlled by an electric motor 17 through a series of gears 16 comprising a reduction gear. The series of gears 16 is mounted between one side of frame 1 and a removable protective cover 18 which is secured to the said frame whilst the electric motor 17 is enclosed in a compartment made in the said frame and is connected to an electrical power source, such as a battery, through a circuit with a control switch.

The electrical power source, the circuit and the switch are not shown in the drawing as they are provided and combined in known manner.

In practice it is possible by acting on the said switch to close the electrical circuit to start motor 17 to drive the tricycle and subsequently break the said circuit to stop the motor and thus the tricycle.

The tricycle described hitherto also includes a second transmission, as mentioned in the introduction, which is intended to act on the front wheel 5 which is a guiding wheel, orto act on its support 7 to steer the tricycle in different directions under remote control.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the second transmission comprises an electric motor 19 the shaft 20 of which controls via a belt 21 a threaded component 22 which engages a toothed wheel 23 mounted on a vertical pin 24. The motor 19, the screw component 22 and the toothed wheel 23 are mounted in a box 25 to form a unit which can be readily applied to the tricycle frame 1, for example, immediately below the saddle 11.

A pin or peg 26 is secured eccentrically to the toothed wheel 23 and this is designed to project through a hole 25' made in the upper side of the box 25. This peg 26 acts as a crank pin and is connected to one end of a rod 27 which extends forwardly towards the support 7 of the front wheel 5. The other end of rod 27 is connected to a pin 27' in an eccentric position with respect to the steering column or shaft 9 which is keyed to the support itself together with the handlebars 10 of the tricycle in such a way that the angular movements of the support 7 together with the handlebars and therefore the front wheel follow the rotation of toothed wheel 23 controlled by electric motor 19 through the agency of rod 27 to alter the direction of movement of the tricycle.

A sensor 28, such as, for example, a microphone capable of picking up the acoustic impulses produced by an acoustic generator operated by the child playing, is inserted in the circuit of electric motor 19.

The sensor 28 is secured, for example, to the frame of the tricycle and acts as a switch breaking and closing the supply circuit to the motor. The electrical circuits of motor 17 which drives the driving wheel and motor 19 which controls the guiding wheel 5 are combined so that the second motor 19 can be started via sensor 28 only if the first motor 17 is already in operation, i.e. when the tricycle is moving. The two circuits are constructed to form a sensitive combined circuit by appropriate means using e.g. a printed cir cuit or a board 29 located on the side of frame 1 and enclosed in a protective cover 18' on the opposite side to the one which encloses the transmission controlling the rear drive wheel 2.

Therefore generally when the tricycle is in move ment driven by motor 17 through the series of gears 16, the front guiding wheel 5 is not steered until impulses are generated with an acoustic generator which activates sensor 28.

When sensor 28 is activated motor 19 is temporar- ilyenergised resulting in a partial rotation of the toothed wheel 23 which steers the front wheel 5 via the rod 27 to change the direction of movement of the tricycle. Thus by suitably activating the impulse generator it is possible to steer the front wheel progressively in one direction or the other even by different amounts so as to guide the tricycle from a distance in whatever direction is desired and giving the appearance that it is the doll which is riding and steering the tricycle.

It is clear that alterations may be made to the details of the embodiment described above without, however, going beyond the scope of the invention.

Thus, for example, an impulse sensor of some other type may be used instead of an acoustic sensor, whilst the transmissions provided for driving and manoeuvering the tricycle respectively may differ structurally from those shown in the drawing, provided that in all cases the child playing with the tricycle is able to manoeuvre it from a distance and that the doll follows the movements ofthe pedals and the handlebars.

Claims (7)

1. A remote-controlled toy tricycle with doll or other toy figure comprising a loadbearing frame provided with a pair of rear wheels, a front wheel attached by means of a wheel-carrying support to handlebars and to an axle with cranks and pedals, and a saddle on which is placed and secured the doll having articulated or otherwise supple arms and legs, characterised in that at least one rear wheel is a drive wheel and is driven by a first transmission which is controlled by an electric motor powered by a battery through a control switch, and in that the front wheel is steerable by means of a second transmission controlled by an electric motor which can be controlled from a distance by means of a generator of impulses which can be picked up buy a sensor which is located in the electrical circuit of motor of the said second transmission and functions as a switch for said motor.

2. A tricycle and doll as claimed in claim 1, in which the feet of the doll are attached to the pedals of the tricycle in order to follow their movement.

3. A tricycle and doll as claimed in claims 1 and 2, in which the rear wheels are idly mounted on an axle secured to the frame and in which a rear drive wheel has a hub which engages with the hub of a toothed wheel which is freely rotatable on the axle and is driven through a series of gears by the electric motor of the first transmission; said motor, which is sec ured to the frame of the tricycle, being provided with an electrical circuit fitted with a switch.

4. tricycle and doll as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, i n wh ich the wheel-carrying support of the steerable front wheel is connected eccentrically of the pivotal axis of the support to one end of a rod the oppositeend of which is pivotally connected to an axle acting as a crank pin which is located eccentricalls on a toothed wheel driven bythecorrespond- ing electric motor; the angular steering displacements of tfte front wheel corresponding to the rotation of said toothed wheel.

5. A tricycle and doll as claimed in claims 3 and 4, in which the electric motor controlling the means for steering the front wheel is powered by a battery via an electrical circuit which includes a sensorfunctioning as a switchwhich is capable of picking up impulses generated ata distance by an impulse generator; said circuit being combined with the circuit of the motor controlling the rear wheels so that the front wheel may only be steered when the said motor is in operation driving the tricycle.

6. A tricycle and doll as claimed in claim 4, in which the motor and the toothed wheel controlling the steering rod are housed in a box member and form an independent unit.

7. Atoytricycle and figure constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.