GB2147514A - Toy vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy vehicle incorporates an electric motor (14) which accelerates a flywheel in a drive housing (13) when downward pressure is applied to the vehicle so that a rear axle (18) of the vehicle rises in slots (20) and closes switch contacts (27). When the vehicle is released the axle (18) is moved downwards by a spring (21) relatively to the vehicle chassis (5), thereby opening the contacts (27) and de-energising the motor (14). Simultaneously a gear (26) on the axle (18) comes into mesh with a gear (23) rotated by the flywheel so that the vehicle is then driven while the energy in the flywheel is dissipated. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Toy vehicle One common type of toy vehicle has ground wheels which are permanently connected to and driven by an electric motor, which is energised by batteries housed within the vehicle, when a switch is closed. The disadvantage of this type of vehicle is that the batteries which can be accommodated within the vehicle necessarily have a smail capacity.

As a result, they are incapable of providing enough power to drive the vehicle quickly, particularly over surfaces such as a pile carpet, and they run down very quickly. Furthermore, if the vehicle runs into an obstruction, and the switch is not immediately opened, energy is wasted in attempting to drive the motor against a high load. The vehicles are thus frustrating, and expensive in battery replacement, for the child user.

Another known form of toy vehicle has what is known as a "friction drive". Such a vehicle incorporates a flywheel which is permanently connected via gearing to the vehicle wheels. The flywheel is accelerated by holding the vehicle and repeatedly pushing it along the floor so that the ground wheels are rotated, and hence the flywheel via the gearing.

When the vehicle is then released on the floor, the ground wheels are driven by the flywheel until the energy in the flywheel has been dissipated. The problem with this type of toy vehicle is that it is tedious to have repeately to push the vehicle along the floor to accerate the flywheel, and there is a tendency to bang the vehicl onto the floor in an attempt to increase the frequency of the pushing cycle and this can cause damage to the vehicle.

Also, the gearing between the flywheel and ground wheels is such that it is difficult to accelerate the flywheel to as high an angular velocity as is desirable.

In accordance with the present invention, a toy vehicle incorporates a flywheel and an associated clutch mechanism which, when engaged, couples the flywheel to at least one ground wheel of the vehicle to drive the wheel when the flywheel is rotated, and which, when disengaged, uncouples the flywheel from the ground wheel; and a battery powered electric motor which is coupled to the flywheel to rotate the flywheel when an associated electrical switch is closed.

This construction provides an ingeneous combination of the previous kinds of vehicles incorporating a battery powered electric motor and a flywheel. Thus, with the vehicle stationary, and with the clutch mechanism disengaged, the switch may be closed to cause the electric motor to accelerate the flywheel to the maximum possible angular velocity. The switch may then be opened and the clutch engaged to cause the ground wheel and hence the vehicle to be driven from the energy in the flywheel until the energy is dissipated, without any drain on the battery.

The clutch mechanism may be a simple engagement and disengagement of a pair of meshing gears, one of which is mounted on a common shaft with, or otherwise rotatable with, the flywheel; and the other of which is mounted on, or otherwise rotatable with, an axle carrying the driven ground wheel or a pair of driven ground wheels. Engagement and disengagement of the gears may then be provided by mounting the axle movably on the chassis of the vehicle with an associated spring, so that the axle is spring loaded to a position in which the gears are engaged, but displaced against the spring action to a position in which the gears are disengaged, when downward pressure is applied to the vehicle.

Although the electrical switch, in an electrical circuit connecting the battry and motor, may be operated independently of the clutch mechanism, they are preferably operated simultaneously, such that the switch is automatically opened when the clutch is engaged and vice versa. This may be accomplished by making the electrical switch dependent upon the movement of the axle relatively to the vehicle chassis, when downward pressure is applied to the vehicle, as mentioned above.

Thus the switch may comprise a pair of contacts which are normally spaced one above the other by their own resilience, to provide an open configuration, but the lower one of which is engaged by the axle and raised into contact with the other, to provide a closed configuration, when the axle rises relatively to the vehicle chassis upon downward pressure being applied to the vehicle.

One example of a toy motor car constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view; Figures 2 and 3 are diagrammatic sectional views taken on the line ll-ll in Fig. 1, showing different operative positions of the parts; and, Figure 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation, partly in vertical section, of part of the left hand side of the car.

The car comprises a moulded plastics base plate 5, which forms a chassis, and carries the movable and operative parts. Overlying the chassis is a moulded plastics hollow body 6, which is secured to the chassis plate by four self tapping screws which pass through bosses 7, one at each corner of the chassis plate, and screw into complementary apertures in the body 6. A tab 8 projecting from each side of the body is located in a complementary recess in the chassis plate additionally to secure the body to the chassis plate.

Two pillars 9 extend integrally upwards from the chassis plate to support the roof of the body 6.

A central portion of the chassis plate 5 is provided with an upstanding battery housing 10 which is accessible from beneath and closed by an underneath cover plate. The battery housing contains the usual terminals for engagement with dry cells and the terminals are connected to lead wires 11 and 12.

Adjacent to its rear, the chassis plate 5 carries a subsidiary upstanding drive housing 1 3 with a lateral extension accommodating an electrical motor 14, the rotor of which has a core of carbon steel. The motor rotor is fixed on a shaft 1 5 which projects into a rounded portion of the drive housing 1 3 and there carries a heavy metal flywheel 16.

The chassis plate 5 also carries a freely rotatable front axle carrying two front wheels 1 7 and a rear axle 1 8 carrying two rear wheels 1 9. The axle 18 is supported in two elongate slots 20, which are each inclined upwardly and rearwardly, in the side walls of the drive housing 1 3. The axle 18 is urged to the lower ends of the slots 20, that is the chassis plate 5 and body 6 are urged upwardly relatively to the rear wheels 1 9 and to the ground, by two hairpin springs 21 mounted one inside each side wall of the drive housing 1 3. This is shown in Fig. 2.

When the body 6, and hence the chassis plate 5, are pushed downwards, by the user's hand, with the wheels resting on the ground, the axle 1 8 rises up the slots 20 against the action of the springs 21 to the position shown in Fig. 3. Mounted on the inside of the right hand side wall of the drive housing 1 3 is a rotatable stub shaft 22 to which are fixed smaller and larger pinion gears 23 and 24.

The gear 24 permanently meshes with a smaller pinion gear 25 fixed to the shaft 15, on which the flywheel 16 is fixed. The smaller gear 23 meshes with a further pinion gear 26, which is fixed on the axle 18, when the axle is at the lower ends of the slots 20, as shown in Fig. 2, but the gears are clear of one another when the axle 1 8 is at the upper end of the slots 20, as shown in Fig. 3.

Two springy metal strips 27, one overlying the other, are secured by a screw 28 to the chassis plate 5, with an insulating plate 29 interposed between the two strips. The strips form electrical contacts and the forwardly projecting portions of the strips are clear of one another when the axle 18 is at the lower ends of the slots 20. When the axle 1 8 is at the upper ends of the slots 20, the lower strip 27 is urged upwardly and makes electrical contact with the upper strip. The lead wire 11 from one battery terminal is connected to one terminal 30 of the motor 14 and the other terminal 31 of the motor is connected by a lead wire 32 to the lower contact strip 27.

The lead wire 12 leads from the other battery terminal to the upper contact strip 27.

To operate the car, the user presses down on the body 6, causing the axle 1 8 to rise to the upper ends of the slots 20 and cause the contacts 27 to engage one another. This completes the electrical circuit from the batteries to the motor which then accelerates the flywheel 1 6. At this time the flywheel is disconnected from the rear axle 18, owing to the Fig. 3 configuration. When the body 6 is then released, the axle 1 8 moves down to the lower ends of the slots 20. thus bringing the gears 23 and 26 into mesh. whereupon the energy in the flywheel 1 6 drives the rear axle 1 8 and the rear wheels 1 9 through the gear train 25. 24, 23, 26. At this time the motor is de-energised because the axle 1 8 has moved downwards away from the contact strip 27, allowing them to move apart under their own resilience.

Claims (6)

1. A toy vehicle incorporating a flywheel and an associated clutch mechanism which.

when engaged. couples the flywheel to at least one ground wheel of the vehicle to drive the vehicle when the flywheel is rotated, and which, when disengaged, uncouples the flywheel from the ground wheel; and a battery powered electric motor which is coupled to the flywheel to rotate the flywheel when an associated electrical switch is closed.

2. A toy vehicle according to claim 1, in which the clutch mechanism involves engagement and disengagement of a pair of meshing gears. one of which is rotatable with the flywheel and the other of which is rotatable with an axle carrying the driven ground wheel or a pair of driven ground wheels.

3. A toy vehicle according to claim 2, in which engagement and disengagement of the gear is provided by mounting the axle movably on the chassis of the vehicle with an associated spring. so that the axle is spring loaded to a position in which the gears are engaged, but displaced against the spring action to a position in which the gears are disengaged, when downward pressure is applied to the vehicle.

4. A toy vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the switch is automatically opened when the clutch is engaged and vice versa.

5. A toy vehicle according to claim 4, when dependent upon claim 3, wherein the switch comprises a pair of contacts which are normally spaced one above the other by their own resilience, to provide an open configuration, but the lower one of which is engaged by the axle and raised into contact with the other, to provide a closed configuration, when the axle rises relatively to the vehicle chassis upon downward pressure being applied to the vehicle.

6. A toy vehicle substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.