GB2089224A

GB2089224A - Magnet actuated toys

Info

Publication number: GB2089224A
Application number: GB8040015A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: CHINA JAPAN WING TIN RESEARCH
Current assignee: CHINA JAPAN WING TIN RESEARCH
Priority date: 1980-12-13
Filing date: 1980-12-13
Publication date: 1982-06-23

Abstract

Of two interrelated toys, one is self-driven and the other is provided with a permanent magnet. The former is provided with a contact switch which is switched on when a magnet is placed within a critical distance, thereby enabling the self-driven toy to be actuated by putting the latter near it. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Magnet actuated toys This invention relates to a magnet triggered toy set comprising two discrete toys, one of which is provided with driving means and a switch or switches capable of being switched on by a permanent magnet to energize said driving means. A permanent magnet is incorporated into the other toy to actuate the self-driven toy. Preferably, the shapes of the two toys are fabricated in the form of correlative things, e.g. a dog and a bone, a cat and a fish, or a rabbit and a carrot, and so forth.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of a perferred embodiment of the same taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: Brief description of the drawings Figure lisa perspective view of the chassis of an embodiment according to this invention; Figure 2 is the wiring diagram of the same embodiment; Figure 3 is a sequence of graphical representations showing a cycle of the motion of the same embodiment at different stages; Figure 4 is the operation of this embodiment; Figure 5 is another embodiment of this invention;; Detailed description ofpreferred embodiment With reference now to the drawings, Figure 1 shows the chassis of a preferred embodiment according to this invention comprising driving means and two magnetically triggered relays (la) (1b) respectively positioned at the front portion and rear portion of the toy and electrically connected with said driving means and source (2) in the manner as illustrated in the circuit diagram thereof in Figure 2. When a magnet is put in front of the self-driven toy, within a critical distance, only the contacts in relay (1 a) is made, whiel those in (1 b) remain broken, thus causing the obverse, rotation of motor (3) to drive the toy to march forwardly.On the other hand, when a magnet is put in the vicinity of the rear part of the toy within a distance, another circuit is made to allow a current to pass through the contacts in relay (1 b), thereby counter-rotating motor (3) to cause the reversing of the toy.

in this preferred embodiment, the marching movement is achieved by means of the alternate tramping of two pairs of stationary legs (4a (4b) immovably mounted on the chassis and two pairs of mobile legs (5a) (5b) mounted on both side of the chassis and mechanically connected therewith in an up-anddown reciprocable manner so that the formers and the latters may alternately touch the surface whereon the toy stands, and support the weight of the toy, and displace it during the alternation of the supporting legs. Economically, the up-and-down reciprocation of this preferred embodiment is accomplished by two pairs of crank arms (6) worked by motor (3) through the transmission of a train of reduction gears (7).The operation of the toy will be better understood from the sequence of the consecutive motions of a cycle of the alternation of supporting legs shown in Figure 3, in which the black spot indicates the shaft portion of crank arm (6), whereas the tiny circle indicates the free end attached to mobile frame (8) whereon mobile legs are mounted, frame (8) being expressed by dotted lines in Figure 3.

The shaded area indicates the surface whereon the toy stands. A cycle comprises a downward stroke and an upward stoke, in respect of the position of mobile frame (8) relative to the remaining portions of the toy. The state from (A) to (B) falls in the downward stroke. In (A), mobile legs (5a) are lowered to touch the surface, and then substitute stationary legs (4a) to support the weight of the toy.

In (B) the stationaly legs which previsously supported the toy are now raised and suspended in the air. In (C), the tiny circle passes the nadir of its route and brings this toy into upward stroke, thus the lifted toy is lowered, with its stationary legs first touching the surface at a spot preceding the last position where it stood on its stationary legs by a distance substantially equal to twice the radius of the crank arm (i.e. twice of the length of the distance between the black spot and the tiny circle), and next replacing the mobile legs to support the toy. In (D), the mobile legs are lifted up, and then lowered to touch the surface and return to the original state (A), thus finishing a whole cycle.

The lure as shown in Figure 4, which contains a permanent magnet therein, is shown hovering in front of the nose of the self-driven toy dog lolling its tongue wherein the magnetically-sensitive switch is installed, to actuate the toy. When the player desires to stop the dog, he only need to remove the bone to a distance from which the intensity of the magnetic field is not strong enough to maintain the contacts, thus breaking the once established circuit to reach his object. When the bone is put in the vicinity of the tail of the dog wherein another magnet-triggered switch is incorporated, the circuit that causes the counter-rotation of the motor, hence causing the retrogression of the dog, when two magnets are respectively put within the effective range near the nose and the tail, both circuits are made, and the two currents countervail. As a result, this toy doesn't work.

It must be announced that the above embodiment only helps the Examiner to understand this invention, and is nevertheless not restrictive per se. For example, another embodiment illustrated in Figure 5 shows the use of other kind of reciprocating mechanism to drive the limbs of the dog alternately moving back and forth. Preferably, the dog has a resiliently openable muzzle that can be opened to elastically hold the bone for continuous marching purpose. The reciprocating mechanism can be any available kinds of yet known means and is not intended to describe here.

1. A magnetically actuated toy set comprising: a self-driven toy, and another toy provided with a permanent magnet; said self-driven toy having magnetically triggered

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Magnet actuated toys This invention relates to a magnet triggered toy set comprising two discrete toys, one of which is provided with driving means and a switch or switches capable of being switched on by a permanent magnet to energize said driving means. A permanent magnet is incorporated into the other toy to actuate the self-driven toy. Preferably, the shapes of the two toys are fabricated in the form of correlative things, e.g. a dog and a bone, a cat and a fish, or a rabbit and a carrot, and so forth. Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of a perferred embodiment of the same taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: Brief description of the drawings Figure lisa perspective view of the chassis of an embodiment according to this invention; Figure 2 is the wiring diagram of the same embodiment; Figure 3 is a sequence of graphical representations showing a cycle of the motion of the same embodiment at different stages; Figure 4 is the operation of this embodiment; Figure 5 is another embodiment of this invention;; Detailed description ofpreferred embodiment With reference now to the drawings, Figure 1 shows the chassis of a preferred embodiment according to this invention comprising driving means and two magnetically triggered relays (la) (1b) respectively positioned at the front portion and rear portion of the toy and electrically connected with said driving means and source (2) in the manner as illustrated in the circuit diagram thereof in Figure 2. When a magnet is put in front of the self-driven toy, within a critical distance, only the contacts in relay (1 a) is made, whiel those in (1 b) remain broken, thus causing the obverse, rotation of motor (3) to drive the toy to march forwardly.On the other hand, when a magnet is put in the vicinity of the rear part of the toy within a distance, another circuit is made to allow a current to pass through the contacts in relay (1 b), thereby counter-rotating motor (3) to cause the reversing of the toy. in this preferred embodiment, the marching movement is achieved by means of the alternate tramping of two pairs of stationary legs (4a (4b) immovably mounted on the chassis and two pairs of mobile legs (5a) (5b) mounted on both side of the chassis and mechanically connected therewith in an up-anddown reciprocable manner so that the formers and the latters may alternately touch the surface whereon the toy stands, and support the weight of the toy, and displace it during the alternation of the supporting legs. Economically, the up-and-down reciprocation of this preferred embodiment is accomplished by two pairs of crank arms (6) worked by motor (3) through the transmission of a train of reduction gears (7).The operation of the toy will be better understood from the sequence of the consecutive motions of a cycle of the alternation of supporting legs shown in Figure 3, in which the black spot indicates the shaft portion of crank arm (6), whereas the tiny circle indicates the free end attached to mobile frame (8) whereon mobile legs are mounted, frame (8) being expressed by dotted lines in Figure 3. The shaded area indicates the surface whereon the toy stands. A cycle comprises a downward stroke and an upward stoke, in respect of the position of mobile frame (8) relative to the remaining portions of the toy. The state from (A) to (B) falls in the downward stroke. In (A), mobile legs (5a) are lowered to touch the surface, and then substitute stationary legs (4a) to support the weight of the toy. In (B) the stationaly legs which previsously supported the toy are now raised and suspended in the air. In (C), the tiny circle passes the nadir of its route and brings this toy into upward stroke, thus the lifted toy is lowered, with its stationary legs first touching the surface at a spot preceding the last position where it stood on its stationary legs by a distance substantially equal to twice the radius of the crank arm (i.e. twice of the length of the distance between the black spot and the tiny circle), and next replacing the mobile legs to support the toy. In (D), the mobile legs are lifted up, and then lowered to touch the surface and return to the original state (A), thus finishing a whole cycle. The lure as shown in Figure 4, which contains a permanent magnet therein, is shown hovering in front of the nose of the self-driven toy dog lolling its tongue wherein the magnetically-sensitive switch is installed, to actuate the toy. When the player desires to stop the dog, he only need to remove the bone to a distance from which the intensity of the magnetic field is not strong enough to maintain the contacts, thus breaking the once established circuit to reach his object. When the bone is put in the vicinity of the tail of the dog wherein another magnet-triggered switch is incorporated, the circuit that causes the counter-rotation of the motor, hence causing the retrogression of the dog, when two magnets are respectively put within the effective range near the nose and the tail, both circuits are made, and the two currents countervail. As a result, this toy doesn't work. It must be announced that the above embodiment only helps the Examiner to understand this invention, and is nevertheless not restrictive per se. For example, another embodiment illustrated in Figure 5 shows the use of other kind of reciprocating mechanism to drive the limbs of the dog alternately moving back and forth. Preferably, the dog has a resiliently openable muzzle that can be opened to elastically hold the bone for continuous marching purpose. The reciprocating mechanism can be any available kinds of yet known means and is not intended to describe here. CLAIMS

1. A magnetically actuated toy set comprising: a self-driven toy, and another toy provided with a permanent magnet; said self-driven toy having magnetically triggered switches electrically connected with the driving means thereof to control the on-and-off of said means; said switches being capable of being switched on by said toy having permanent magnet.

2. The toy set according to Claim 1, wherein said magnetically triggered switches are equipped at selected portions of said self-driven toy so that the toy can be actuated when said toy having permanent magnet is put near said portions.

3. The toy set according to Claim 1 and 2, wherein said self-driven toy have movable portions mechanically connected with said driving means so as to be worked by said means to make motions relative to the remaining portions of the toy.

4. The toy set as substantially described hereinbefore with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.