GB2225961A

GB2225961A - Toy with rotary member

Info

Publication number: GB2225961A
Application number: GB8823531A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chan Yun Lam
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-10-06
Filing date: 1988-10-06
Publication date: 1990-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 2008-10-06
Also published as: GB2225961B; GB8823531D0

Abstract

A toy, such as a toy cooker, comprises a rotating member 5 driven by compressed air e.g. for simulating an air extractor mechanism 6. A battery-powered motor (Figure 4) acts through gears and a pin-and-slot mechanism to cause a bar member to execute lengthwise translational motion. This motion is conveyed to a pair of bellows for supplying compressed air to a tube 19 at the back of a simulated cooker hob, and hence via tube 7 to extractor 6. Vibrational movement, for e.g. a boiling simulator, may be provided by a pin located e.g. at the centre of a simulated ring burner, said pin being caused by the translational motion of the bar member to vibrate. <IMAGE>

Description

TOY WITH ROTARY MEMBER The present invention relates in general to toys but more specifically to toy cookers having a simulated air extractor mechanism.

It is known to provide toys with rotating parts having a mechanism involving either clockwork or electric power wherein the coupling between the power source and rotating parts is either mechanical or electric. In both cases there is a danger of a child's finger being injured by the rotational movement, and also such a coupling is difficult to achieve in toys which are designed to be dismantled and re-assembled.

According to the present invention there is provided a toy comprising means for generating compressed air, a rotary member having an axis of rotation and means, operatively connected to said compressed air generating means for conveying the resulting compressed air to a position adjacent said rotary member such that, in use, said rotary member is caused to rotate about its axis.

The means for generating compressed air preferably comprises an electric motor, a bellows and means for converting rotation of said electric motor into translational motion for driving said bellows.

Said converting means preferably comprises a gear wheel operatively connected to said motor, a projecting member eccentrically mounted on said gear wheel and an elongate bar member having an aperture therein elongate in a direction perpendicular to the length of the bar within which the projecting member is located, such that the component of the motion of the projecting member in the direction of the length of the bar member causes translation motion of the bar therealong, but the component of the motion of the projecting member perpendicular to the length of the bar member results in motion of the projecting member within the aperture.

The bar member preferably has a ridge in a direction perpendicular to the length of the bar member and an elongate pin member located in contiguous relationship with said bar member and perpendicular thereto, such that translational motion of said bar member causes said pin member to execute translational motion in a direction perpendicular to that of said bar member.

A non-limiting embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is an isometric sketch of a toy cooker according to the present invention in which the base portion and the back plate have been separated; Fig. 2 is a front view of the cooker of Fig. 1; Fig.3 is a sectional view of the cooker of Fig.

1 taken along the line single 'A-A' of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the internal mechanism of the cooker of Fig. 1 for generating compressed air; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the simulated extractor fan of the cooker of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, the toy cooker comprises a base portion 1 and a back plate 2, the base portion being provided at the rear thereof with three apertures 3 into which can be slotted three corresponding lugs 4 of the back plate so as to assemble the toy cooker. The base portion is provided with two simulated ring burners between which is disposed a simulated grill element. There are further provided two control knobs towards the front of the base portion, one of which is adapted to make and break an electrical connection within the base portion, described in more detail below.

The back plate 2 is provided with a simulated air extractor in the form of a fan wheel 5 located within a housing 6 and driven in use by pulses of compressed air supplied by a tube 7 attached to, and located behind, the back plate. The simulated air extractor is shown in greater detail in Figure 5.

The compressed air is generated by a compressor located within the base portion 1 which supplies pulsed compressed air to a nozzle 8 located on the base portion adjacent one of the apertures 3 such that, on mounting the back plate 2 on the base portion, the tube 7 is caused to mate with the nozzle 8 thereby connecting the supply of compressed to the simulated air extractor. This connection is shown in more detail in Fig. 3.

The compressor will now be described with reference to Fig. 4. The compressor comprises a battery-powered motor which drives a series of gears 10, 11, 12, 13 the last of which has eccentrically mounted thereon a projecting tooth 14 which engages an aperture within a bar member 15. The aperture is elongated in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the figure so that only that component of motion of the projecting tooth 14 in the plane of the figure is transmitted to the bar member. The bar member has an end plate 16 formed integrally therewith which has two slots for holding end-nipples 17 from a respective pair of bellows 18.One of the bellows is connected to a tube 19 which leads to the nozzle 8, and the other bellows is connected to a further tube 12 which leads to a further nozzle (not shown) which can be used to supply compressed air to a second simulated air extractor or any other device powered by compressed air.

The above-described bar member 15 is provided with a ridge 20 which is semi-circular in crosssection which cooperates with a pin (not shown) seated in the centre of one of the two simulated ring burners such that oscillation of the bar member within the plane of Fig. 4 causes the pin to oscillate in a direction perpendicular to the plane. A toy saucepan placed on the ring burner will be caused to vibrate thereby so as to simulate boiling. In addition, each ring burner is provided with a respective lamp.

Appropriate electrical connections are made so that operation of one of the control knobs connects a battery (not shown) to the motor and both the lamps.

The control knob is provided with an eccentrically mounted projection which, when the knob is rotated, causes two metal terminals to be brought into contact, thereby completing the electric circuit.

In the above-described device there are no valves present, and so each pulse of compressed air is alternated with a partial vacuum, air being sucked into the bellows from the area surrounding the fan member. This does not, however, prevent the fan member from rotating. It would, of course, be possible to incorporate a valve system in either or both of the bellows to prevent the occurrence of a partial vacuum.

It will be appreciated that in such a device there is minimal danger of a child's finger being injured, since, in the absence of a mechanical linkage between the power source and the rotary member, the rotary member will stop rotating if a child's finger comes into contact therewith. Furthermore, it will be seen that the necessary coupling is in the form of a tube and nozzle which are automatically connected when the back plate is connected to the base portion.

Although the invention has been described in detail with respect to a toy cooker, the invention would of course be applicable to any other toy wherein relative rotation between two members is required.

Examples of such toys might include a toy helicopter the blades of which constitute the rotary member, or a doll's house with an extractor fan.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A toy comprising means for generating compressed air, a rotary member having an axis of rotation and means, operatively connected to said compressed air generating means, for conveying the resulting compressed air to a position adjacent said rotary member such that, in use, said rotary member is caused to rotate about its axis.

2. A toy as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for generating compressed air comprises an electric motor, a bellows and means for converting rotation of said electric motor into translational motion for driving said bellows.

3. A toy as claimed in claim 2 wherein said converting means comprises a gear wheel operatively connected to said motor, a projecting member eccentrically mounted on said gear wheel and an elongate bar member having an aperture therein elongate in a direction perpendicular to the length of the bar within which the projecting member is located, such that the component of the motion of the projecting member in the direction of the length of the bar member causes translational motion of the bar therealong, but the component of the motion of the projecting member perpendicular to the length of the bar member results in motion of the projecting member within the aperture.

4. A toy as claimed in claim 3 wherein the bar member has a ridge in a direction perpendicular to the length of the bar member and an elongate pin member located in contiguous relationship with said bar member and perpendicular thereto, such that translational motion of said bar member causes said pin member to execute translational motion in a direction perpendicular to that of said bar member.

5. A toy cooker substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A toy as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in the form of a toy cooker wherein said rotary member is a simulated air extractor fan.

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

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows

1. A toy cooker comprising means for generating compressed air, a simulated air extractor fan comprising a rotary member having an axis of rotation and means, operatively connected to said compressed air generating means, for conveying the resulting compressed air to a position adjacent said rotary member such that, in use, said rotary member is caused to rotate about its axis.

2. A toy cooker as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for generating compressed air comprises an electric motor, a bellows and means for converting rotation of said electric motor into translational motion for driving said bellows.

3. A toy cooker as claimed in claim 2 wherein said converting means comprises a gear wheel operatively connected to said motor, a projecting member eccentrically mounted on said gear wheel and an elongate bar member having an aperture therein elongate in a direction perpendicular to the length of the bar within which the projecting member is located, such that the component of the motion of the projecting member in the direction of the length of the bar member causes translational motion of the bar therealong, but the component of the motion of the projecting member perpendicular to the length of the bar member results in motion of the projecting member within the aperture.

4. A toy cooker as claimed in claim 3 wherein the bar member has a ridge in a direction perpendicular to the length of the bar member and an elongate pin member located in contiguous relationship with said bar member and perpendicular thereto, such that translational motion of said bar member causes said pin member to execute translational motion in a direction perpendicular to that of said bar member.