GB2230199A - Toy vehicle path layout - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy comprises one or more battery-driven toy vehicles 6 and a plurality of movable barriers 5 capable of being arranged to define a maze of pathways along which the toy vehicle(s) can move. The barriers are locatable in slots 3 of one or more base boards 2. Each vehicle has two wheels (one left and one right) and a sector-shaped plate is associated with each wheel and is of slightly larger radius than the wheel, the two plates being offset so that the vehicle attempts to make alternate right and left turns. The maze layout determines which of these turns are actually made. <IMAGE>

Description

TOY The present invention relates to a toy and in particular to a toy with both educational and play value.

We have sought to provide a toy vehicle which can be used in combination with a maze of pathways which can be designed and constructed in various different ways by the user of the toy.

Accordingly the present invention provides in combination one or more battery-driven toy vehicles and a plurality of movable barriers capable of being arranged to define a maze of pathways along which the toy vehicle can move.

Preferably the toy provides a board or a combination of boards in which there are a number of slots arranged in parallel rows and columns to define a number of squares and the movable barriers are substantially flat, relatively thin blanks, each adapted to be removably fitted into a slot on the board so as to stand perpendicular therefrom. Preferably, a number of the blanks should be arranged around the edge of the board to define an outer barrier with one or more exits to which the aim is that the vehicle should eventually find its way through the maze.

Essentially when the maze is constructed the pathway should be no wider than from one slot to the next so that the toy vehicle fits snuggly into the pathway. Also if the vehicle is eventually to exit from the board the blanks should not be positioned on the board in such a way that "blind alleys" are formed which trap the vehicle.

As stated earlier the vehicle is so constructed that it moves from left to right through 90". Of course when positioned in the maze the vehicle cannot turn fully through 900 because it is constrained from doing so by the blanks forming the walls of the maze. So as the vehicle moves along a pathway it alternately touches first one side wall and then the other side wall. When the vehicle reaches an opening in a wall it will either move through that opening or keep going depending upon whether at the time it reaches the opening it is turning left or right. Similarly the ability of the vehicle to move left and right alternately permits the vehicle to go around a corner and not to get stuck.

The toy can be used with more than one vehicle moving in the maze at anyone time.

Preferably the toy vehicle is of a width that is slightly smaller than the pathway and has rounded edges so that it somewhat reassembles a "bumper" car of a fairground.

The vehicles have a battery-driven motor and are provided with a pair of wheels which may be mounted on a single shaft or if move convenient each wheel may be mounted on an independent shaft. Each wheel is driven by the motor through a series of gears and each wheel is provided with friction means, the friction means on one wheel being offset in comparison to the friction means on the other wheel.

Also provided are reductions gears which together with the friction means cause the vehicle when in motion to turn through 900 first left and then right. Preferably the friction means are wedge-shaped plates having a radius slightly larger than that of the wheels and mounted on each wheel shaft adjacent to the wheel on the inner side thereof.

The angle size of each friction plate is preferably between 120 and 130 degrees depending on the width of the pathway.

The ratio of the reduction gears together with the angle size of the friction plates determines the frequency of the 900 turning which is also dependent on the width of the pathway and the diameter of the wheels.

In a preferred embodiment the ratio of the reduction gears causes the friction plates to run at half the speed of the wheels so giving the wheels time to finish the 900 turn, in this case 0.8 second.

The invention is further illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 shows in plan view some examples of (a) to (h) different ways of placing blanks on the board to form different mazes, Figure 3 a cross-sectional plan view of a vehicle which can be used in accordance with the present invention.

A toy, in accordance with the present invention, shown generally as 1 in Figure 1 consists of a board 2 provided with a number of parallel rows and columns of slots 3 into which blanks 5 can be removably slotted to define a maze along which a battery-driven vehicle 6 with flashing light 40 can travel. Also shown is a second board 2A linked to the board 2 by a bridge 9.

Figure 2 (a) to (h) shows how the blanks 5 can be slotted into the board 2 to form a number of different maze patterns. The examples illustrated in Figure 2 (a) to (d) have two entrances/exits 7 and in Figure 2 (e) to (h) one entrance/exit 8 but if desired no entrance or exit need be provided or more than two can be provided.

Figure 3 shows the motor and gear mechanism for driving a vehicle 6 which can be used in accordance with the present invention. The vehicle 6 is provided with a motor 10 which is powered by batteries housed in housing 11. The motor 10 is operated by an on/off switch 12. Wheels 13 are mounted on independent shafts 14 A and B. Also mounted on the shafts 14 A & B are friction plates 15 which are located adjacent the wheels 13 on the inner side thereof but are offset with respect to one another. These friction plates 15 are also each mounted on one of the shafts 14 A & B. The motor 10 has a shaft 16 at one end of which is a pinion 17.

Pinion 17 meshes with crown gear 18 mounted on shaft 19.

Also mounted on shaft 19 is pinion 20 which in turn meshes with gear 21 mounted on shaft 22. At one end of shaft 22 is a pinion 23 and at the other end pinion 24. Pinions 23 and 24 mesh respectively with a series of gears 25 and 26 located on either side of the motor 10 and mounted on shafts 14A & 14B. The series of gears 25 and 26 also mesh respectively with pinion and gears 27 and 28 mounted on independent shafts 29 and 30.

The batteries can be used also to power a flashing light 40 shown in Figure 1 which operates by the make-and-break of two metallic contact plates 31 and 32 which are activated by gear 26 when the on/off switch 12 is in the "on" position.

Claims (12)

1. A toy comprising a combination of one or more battery-driven toy vehicles and a plurality of movable barriers capable of being arranged to define a maze of pathways along which the toy vehicle can move.

2. A toy as claimed in Claim 1, which includes a board or a combination of boards having a number of slots arranged in parallel rows and columns defining a number of squares.

3. A toy as claimed in Claim 2, in which the movable barriers are substantially flat, relatively thin blanks adapted to be removably fitted into a slot on the board so as to stand perpendicular therefrom.

4. A toy as claimed in Claim 3, in which a number of the barriers are arranged around the edge of the board to define an outer wall with one or more exits.

5. A toy as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, in which the width of the or each pathway is slightly larger than the width of the toy vehicle.

6. A toy as claimed in Claim 5, in which the vehicle has a battery-driven motor and is provided-with d pair of wheels either mounted on a single shaft or mounted on independent shafts.

7. A toy as claimed in Claim 6, in which each wheel is driven through a series of gears and each wheel is provided with a friction means, the friction means on one wheel being offset in comparison to the friction means on the other wheel.

8. A toy as claimed in Claim 7, in which the friction means are wedge-shaped plates with a radius slightly larger than that of the wheel and being mounted on the wheel shaft adjacent the wheel on the inner side thereof.

9. A top as claimed in Claim 8, in which the angle size of each friction plate is between 1200 and 1300.

10. A toy as claimed in any of Claims 7 to 9, in which the vehicle is provided with reduction gears which together with the friction means cause the vehicle in motion to turn through 900 first one way and then the other.

11. A toy as claimed in Claim 10, in which the ratio of the reduction gear is such as to cause the friction plates to run at half the speed of the wheels so that the vehicle completes the 900 turn is 0.8 seconds.

12. A toy as claimed in Claim 1 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.