GB2266848A - Magnetic toy. - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy comprises a toy figure 31 which may rest on a surface of a support surface 6. The figure includes a primary portion and a secondary portion movable relative to the primary portion. A tertiary portion, movable relative to one or both of the other portions, may be present. The figure suitably includes a body, head and tail. A magnet 5 below the surface is moved along a non-circular path to attract a further magnet associated with a portion, e.g. the head, of the toy figure. The magnet 5 may be driven by a planetary gear 4. A sound generation means, for intermittent use, may be included in the toy. The support surface may include a portion, e.g. a rock 7, which projects from the surface to provide an obstruction to the movement of the toy figure. <IMAGE>

Description

A TOY This invention relates to a toy in which a toy figure resting on a support is caused to perform various movements in response to displacement of a magnet beneath the surface.

A toy is known in which a permanent magnet located beneath a support surface is moved along a circular path. A toy figure which incorporates a permanent magnet is entrained and follows the circular path as a result of the attraction existing between the two magnets. Because the toy figure moves continuously around a circle, the known toy has limited amusement value.

An object of the present device is to provide a toy in which a toy figure resting on such a support surface is caused to perform a greater variety of actions when entrained by the moving magnet.

According to the invention there is provided a toy comprising a toy figure, a support having a surface against which the figure may rest, the figure including a primary portion and a secondary portion which is movable relative to the primary portion; the support being provided with a magnet which is separated from the toy figure by said surface, and drive means for causing the magnet to move along a non-circular path, the secondary portion of the toy figure being of magnetic material or being associated with magnetic material.

In the preferred embodiment, the toy figure rests on a substantially horizontal planar top surface of the support. As the magnet within the support is moved along its non-circular path, the toy figure ,s so as to follow the magnet. The two port nO(ìS the figure move relative to each other during such entrainment so as to achieve a more interesting effect than in the known toy.

The figure may take the form of a creature, such as a mammal, bird, dinosaur or other animate creature, or an imaginary animal, doll or robot, or a machine, in which the primary portion represent the body of the creature and the secondary portion its head.

The unpredictability of the movements performed by the figure may be enhanced by providing a decorative projection on the support surface so as to form an obstruction to free movement of the figure. Since the magnet performs non-circular movements adjacent the underside of the support surface, the figure resting on the surface is attracted by the magnet and caused to perform a gyratory movement which is obstructed and varied by the decorative member.

The figure may be made to perform complex and varied movements by arranging a permanent magnet on a planetary gear which in use rotates as it is made to run around a ring gear by the drive means housed within the support.

A train of gears may be used to transmit drive from the drive means to a rotary crank on which the planetary gear is mounted. The planetary gear may mesh with an internally toothes stationary ring gear or with a stationary sun gear.

Moreover, it is possible to cause the figure to perform more varied and interesting movements by providing a tertiary portion thereon which is coupled with the secondary portion in such a manner as to mop it 8.

direction opposite to that of the secondary portion.

The tertiary member may represent the tail of the creature, Furthermore, it is possible to create a more realistic impression by providing the toy with means which cause sounds to be generated as the figure performs its movements. A contact piece may be adapted to be intermittently brought into contact with a gear in the drive train from the drive means so as to generate sounds of a chirping, barking, or howling nature such that the figure might produce.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of toy in accordance with the invention with a support surface portion removed from a base member of the support, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the drive mechanism, Figure 3 is a transverse section through the support, Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of planetary gear and associated components, Figure 5 is a plan view showing an example of the locus of the movement of the magnet, Figure 6 is a side view, partially cut away, showing the interior construction of a toy figure, and, Figure 7 is a plan view of the toy figure to illustrate the movement of the toy figure.

Referring to the drawings, a toy includt figure 31 @@ this embodiment formed to represent a dinosaur, antr.

support upon which the figure may freely rest. The figure 31 has relatively movable head and tail portions 32 and 33 respectively. The support comprises a hollow cylindrical base member 1 onto which a cover 6 may be fitted. The cover has an upstanding rim bounding a substantially planar surface on which the figure may rest and be made to gyrate by means to be described.

In order to cause the figure to gyrate, it incorporates a magnetic material, which may be a permanent magnet, which is attracted to a permanent magnet 5 adjacent the underside of the surface. The base member 1 is divided by partition 1 narrowly spaced from the cover 6 and moulded from synthetic resin so as to be formed on its upper side with an internally toothed ring gear 3. A planet gear 4 is freely rotatable on a spindle 23a at one end of a crank 23 fast with a drive shaft 22 at its other end. The planet gear meshes with the ring gear so as to be made to rotate as the crank 23 revolves. The magnet 5 is set into one side of the planet wheel.The effect of rotation the crank 23 and the ensuing rotation of the gear 4 causes the magnet 5 to follow the irregular non-circular path depicted in figure 5, the precise shape of which depends upon the relative dimensions and location of the magnet.

Protruding upwards from the cover 6 is a decorative member 7 representing a rock, the member 7 either being pressed from the cover or being secured thereto.

Referring to figures 2 and 3, the driving mechanism housed within the base member 1 will be described.

A motor 11 is housed within the ja:: m-rn-)er 1 , and s*-es as a driving means and is caused to -otate by power supplied from batteries installed in a battery box 10 (with a switching mechanism being not shown). A pinion gear 12 mounted on the shaft of the motor 11 meshes with a gear 13, and a gear 14 integral with the gear 13 meshes with a gear 15. A gear 16 integral with the gear 15 meshes with a gear 17. Mounted concentrically with the gear 17 is a worm gear 18, which meshes with a gear 19. A gear 20 secured concentrically with the gear 19 meshes with a gear 21 (shown by dotted lines in figure 2). The shaft 22 fast with the gear 21 as shown in figures 3 and 4, passes through the partition 2 and protrudes from the top surface thereof and is secured to the crank 23 as previously described.

In this construction, when the motor 11 starts to rotate, the shaft 22 fast with the gear 21 is driven at a reduced speed, and causes the crank 23 to revolve.

The planetary gear 4 is caused to run around the ring gear, and rotate about its own axis. This causes the permanent magnet 5 to follow the complex locus shown in figure 5, which is cyclic but different from a mere circular motion.

As shown in figures 6 and 7, a core piece 36 provided with shafts 34, 35 at the ends thereof is disposed in the main body of the figure 31. The body is formed with projections representing feet. A head portion 32 (constituting a secondary portion of the figure) and the tail portion 33 (constituting a tertiary portion of the figure) are hingedly mounted on the shafts 34, 35, respectively. The head portion 32 and the tail portion 33 are connected to each other by means of a connecting piece 37 at inward portions of the shafts 34, 35, respectively. This cases e --a 0'?--? & and tail portions to move simultaneously in opposite directions, respectively, as indicated by arrows A and B in figure 7.

A magnetic material 38 is mounted at the lower portion of the head portion 32 on a side opposite to the head relative to the shaft 34 (in other words, on the inside of the shaft 34).

Projections 39 protruding downwardly at the forefeet of the figure member are provided so as to permit the figure to move smoothly on the surface.

In the construction as described above, when the figure 31 rests on the surface 6, and the motor 11 is driven, the figure member 31 is attracted by the permanent magnet 5 on the underside of the surface 6 so as to follow the movements of the permanent magnet 5, thereby causing the figure to move about while the head and tail swing from side to side.

Since the magnetic material 38 provided in the figure 31 is not fixed relative to the body of the figure, being incorporated in the head portion 31 which is movable relative to the body, the body is not moved abruptly.

The head portion 32 (or the tail portion) is first made to swing quickly, and thereafter the main body of the figure 31 starts to move, thereby resulting in lifelike and amusing actions.

In addition, the head portion of the figure may be made to swing not only transversely but also vertically.

Instead of incorporating a magnetic material into a nonmetallic head it may be formed from a magnetic material.

The decorative nember ; representing a rock serves not only for decoration but also as an obstruction to movement of the figure. In other words, during its movement, when a part of the figure comes into contact with the decorative member 7 during its advance under the attraction of the permanent magnet 5, the figure is prevented from continuing to follow the movement of the permanent magnet 5 and halts temporarily. Further movement of the magnet may take it through a range of positions where the figure ceases to be attracted by the magnet. The magnet 5 continues to move to away from the figure and eventually arrives at a point where it attracts the figure away from the decorative member.

The figure may then move quickly over a relatively long distance. An action of this kind is not possible in a case where there is no obstruction, because the figure will closely follow the movement of the magnet if it can. Similarly, it is difficult to produce such an action in a case where the magnet 5 inside the base member is confined to moving in a circle because the locus of movement will not bring the magnet close to the figure again.

In addition, in a case where a permanent magnet is incorporated into the figure, when the magnet 5 reapproaches the figure after a period when it was spaced from it, it may happen that the figure member will move away from the magnet 5 by virtue of repulsion between the magnets, depending on the way in which the magnet 5 approaches the figure member.

Furthermore, as shown in figures 2 and 3, gear 24 which meshes with the gear 21 has recessed portions 26 formed circumferentially along its lower outer circumferential portion 25. A swinging piece 30 provided at the bottom outer c cui?;fet-rì.ia' a: portion 25 of the gear 24 has a raised portion 7 formed at one end thereof. Portion 27 is pressed by means of a leaf spring 28 into abutment with the portion 25 and a metal contact piece 29 mounted at the other end thereof. In the arrangement shown in the drawings, the contact piece 29 is located above the gear 13. When the gear 24 is rotated in a direction indicated by an arrow in figure 2, the raised portion 27 of the swinging piece 30 is caused to fit in the recessed portion 26 at the bottom outer circumferential portion.When the swinging piece 30 is swung it causes the contact piece 29 to move downwardly as shown by an arrow so as to be brought into contact with the teeth of the rotating gear 13 causing friction sound to be produced. This gives an impression of the dinosaur giving occasional roars.

The present device is not limited to the above described embodiment and may be modified.

For instance, a clockwork motor or spiral spring may be used as the drive means instead of an electric motor, and the drive mechanism may also be modified. Moreover, the permanent magnet inside the base member may be moved by any means other than the planetary gear which achieves a desired non-circular locus. Alternatively, the mechanism may also be constructed so that cyclic properties are not exhibited throughout the range of movement.

The figure need not be provided with both a movable tail and head. Conceivably, the head and body (and tail, if provided) may be formed from a single piece of material, so that the joints between the relatively movable portions are formed by a natural hinge in the material.

More than one magnet y may be provided.

As has been described heretofore, in the toy according to the present device, the figure can be made to perform amusing and varied actions that would not be possible with conventional automatic toys. Thus, the automatic toy of the present device is found to be very interesting.

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Claims (10)

1. CLAIMS 1. A toy comprising a toy figure, a support having a surface against which the figure may rest, the figure including a primary portion and a secondary portion which is movable relative to the primary portion; the support being provided with a magnet which is separated from the toy figure by said surface, and drive means for causing the magnet to move along a non-circular path, the secondary portion of the toy figure being of magnetic material or being associated with magnetic material.
2. 2. A toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein a portion projects from said surface for providing an obstruction to free movement of the figure under attraction from the magnet.
3. 3. A toy as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the support houses a planetary gear arranged to be driven in rotation by the drive means, and the magnet is associated with said planetary gear.
4. 4. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the figure includes a tertiary portion which is movable relative to the primary portion, the secondary and tertiary portions being so coupled that upon movement of the secondary portion relative to the primary portion, the tertiary portion also moves relative to the primary portion,
5. 5. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the primary portion is shaped to represent the body of a creature, and the secondary portion is shaped to represent the head or tail of a creature.
6. ,. A toy as claimed in claim 4 and claim 5, wherein the secondary portion is shaped to represent the head and the tertiary portion is shaped to represent the tail of a creature.
7. 7. A toy as claimed in any of claims 4 to 6 including a contact piece arranged to make contact intermittently with a rotatable component of the drive means thereby to generate sounds representing those of the creature.
8. 8. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the secondary portion of the figure incorporates a permanent magnet.
9. 9. A toy comprising a support having a substantially planar surface, the support housing a drive motor, a stationary gear, a planet gear in mesh with the stationary gear, a drive mechanism coupling the motor with the planet gear for causing the same to perform planetary motion in mesh with the stationary gear adjacent the underside of the surface, and a permanent magnet associated with the planet gear; and a figure shaped to represent a creature and having a body portion and a head or tail portion movable relative to the body portion, the head or tail portion being formed from or incorporating magnetic material, whereby planetary movement of the planet gear causes the figure to perform a gyratory movement on the surface and the head or tail portion to move relative to the body portion.
10. 10. A toy substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the drawings.