JP7133068B1 - working toy - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an action toy that can prevent gears from being damaged and can reliably mesh the gears. Means: It is axially movable, can selectively take a first position where the gears are disengaged and a second position where the gears are engaged, and is biased toward the first position by a first coil spring. a movable shaft capable of returning to a predetermined position with a predetermined biasing force and capable of moving in one direction by operating the operator; and a sliding body linked to the movable body via a second coil spring. and the movable shaft is moved to the second position by bringing the sliding body into sliding contact via the second coil spring that is energized by operating the movable body by operating the operator. [Selection drawing] Fig. 9

Description

The present invention relates to motion toys.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, motion toys are known that include a gear mechanism and an operator that engages or disengages the gears in the gear mechanism (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In this action toy, one gear is provided on the movable shaft, and the movable shaft is configured to be movable between a first position and a second position in the axial direction and is urged toward the first position, The one gear and the other gear (mating gear) are disengaged at the first position, and the one gear and the other gear are engaged at the second position.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-39758

In the moving toy, the movable shaft (sliding gear shaft) is brought into pressure contact with the engaging portion having the engaging step formed at the base end of the lever, and the lever is operated when the gears are engaged with each other. As a result, the movable shaft is slid in the axial direction against the pressure contact force.
By the way, when gears are meshed with each other, it is necessary that the teeth of one gear match the gap between the teeth of the other gear.
However, if the timing is not good, the teeth of one gear may collide with the teeth of the other gear when the lever is operated, and the gears may not mesh well. In this case, the teeth of one gear and the teeth of the other gear are strongly pressed against each other by operating the lever, which may damage the gears. In addition, when the teeth of one gear collide with the teeth of the other gear, there is a possibility that the gears may lose their grip on the lever and give up on meshing with each other.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of such circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide an action toy that can prevent damage to gears and that can reliably mesh gears.

The first means is
A gear is provided and is axially movable such that movement causes the one gear and the other gear to disengage from each other in a first position and the one gear and the other gear to engage each other. a movable axis that can selectively assume a second position;
a first coil spring that biases the movable shaft toward the first position;
and a manipulator serving as a trigger for moving the movable axis,
a movable body that can return to a predetermined position with a predetermined biasing force and can move in one direction by operating the operator;
a movement direction changing mechanism having a sliding contact body which is linked to the movable body via a second coil spring and which is always in contact with the movable shaft due to the biasing force of the first coil spring;
with
The motion direction changing mechanism brings the sliding contact body into sliding contact with the movable shaft by the biasing force of the second coil spring that is accumulated when the movable body moves in one direction from the predetermined position. It is characterized in that it is configured to move the movable shaft to the second position against the biasing force of the first coil spring.

A second means comprises, in the first means,
a latch mechanism for alternately latching and unlatching the movable body at a position spaced apart from the predetermined position each time the operator is operated;
The latch mechanism is characterized in that, while the movable body is latched, the biasing force of the second coil spring biases the movable shaft toward the second position via the sliding contact body. .

A third means is, in the second means,
When the manipulator is operated, it protrudes into the course of the movable shaft to prevent the movable shaft from moving to the second position, and when the manipulator is released, it retreats from the course of the movable shaft. A stopper is provided to allow movement of the movable shaft to the second position,
When the movable body moves in one direction from the predetermined position by operating the manipulator, the movable body can be started with a delay from the manipulator, and the stopper can enter the course of the movable shaft before the movable body is started. It is characterized by being configured to

A fourth means is that in the third means, when the movable shaft is already at the second position when the operator is operated, the stopper is bent by sliding contact with the outer circumference of the movable shaft. A spring portion is provided for escaping from the course.

A fifth means is, in any one of the second to fourth means,
a motor that operates a gear mechanism that performs a predetermined operation by meshing the one gear and the other gear; and a leaf switch that operates the motor,
The movable body is provided with a contact portion that contacts and turns on the leaf switch when the movable body moves in one direction from the predetermined position, and the contact portion latches the movable body. When the movable body returns to the predetermined position after the latch is released, the contact with the leaf switch is released to release the leaf switch. It is characterized in that it is turned off.

A sixth means is any one of the second to fifth means, wherein the latch mechanism comprises a rotating member rotatable on the movable body about a predetermined axis and provided with a lock pin at its tip; A heart-shaped cam groove is provided in the fixed portion of the motion toy and engages with the lock pin.

A seventh means is characterized in that, in any one of the first to sixth means, a third coil spring is provided for returning the movable body to the predetermined position with the predetermined biasing force.

According to the present invention, the sliding contact body is operated via the second coil spring, and the sliding contact body is brought into sliding contact with the movable shaft to move to the second position. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent damage to the gears.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a railway vehicle toy that is an example of an action toy of the present invention; It is the perspective view which looked at the internal housing|casing of the vehicle from the left. It is the perspective view which looked at the state which removed the upper frame of the internal housing|casing from the left. It is the perspective view which looked at the internal housing|casing of a vehicle from the right side. It is the side view seen from the left which shows a motor, a gear mechanism, and a driving wheel. It is a rear view showing a gear mechanism and driving wheels. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the meshing relationship changing mechanism as seen from the rear; FIG. 4 is a right side view showing the meshing relationship changing mechanism and its surroundings; FIG. 5 is a rear view showing the operation of the meshing relationship changing mechanism;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a railway vehicle toy 100, which is an example of an action toy. In the description of this toy railroad car 100, front and rear, left and right, and up and down refer to the directions shown in FIG.
This toy railway car 100 includes a leading car 10 (hereinafter referred to as car 10) and a second car 11 (hereinafter referred to as car 11). Vehicles 10 and 11 are connected to each other by couplers 10a and 11a. The coupler 10a and the coupler 11a are made of hook-and-loop fasteners, although not particularly limited.
Of these, the vehicle 10 is provided with a button (operator) 12 protruding from the roof. On the other hand, the roof of the vehicle 11 is formed with a hollow 13 which is rectangular in plan view and opens upward.
The toy railroad vehicle 100 can be driven electrically or manually by operating the button 12 .

2 is a left perspective view of the internal housing 10a of the vehicle 10, FIG. 3 is a left perspective view of the state in which the upper frame of the internal housing 10a is removed, and FIG. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the internal housing 10a of the leading vehicle 10 as viewed from the right;
The internal housing 10a is provided with driving wheels 15, 15 on the left and right sides of the rear portion, and trailing wheels 16, 16 on the left and right sides of the front portion.
The internal housing 10a also includes a battery 17 as a power source, a motor 18 as a power source, a gear mechanism 19 for transmitting the power of the motor 18 to the driving wheels 15, 15, and predetermined gears in the gear mechanism 19. A meshing relationship changing mechanism 20 for changing the meshing relationship is provided.

(Gear mechanism 19)
5 is a left side view showing the motor 18, gear mechanism 19 and driving wheel 15, and FIG. 6 is a rear view showing the gear mechanism 19 and driving wheel 15. FIG.
A gear mechanism 19 that transmits the power of the motor 18 to the drive wheels 15, 15 includes gears 21a to 21k. The gear 21a is provided on the output shaft 22a of the horizontally mounted motor 18. As shown in FIG. The output shaft 22a extends rearward from the motor 18 housing. The gear 21b is a crown gear provided on a shaft 22b extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle 10 and meshing with the gear 21a. The gear 21c is provided on the shaft 22b and rotates integrally with the gear 21b. The gear 21d is provided on a shaft 22c parallel to the shaft 22b and meshes with the gear 21c. The gear 21e is a screw gear provided on the shaft 22c and integrally rotated with the gear 21d.

The gear 21f is provided on a shaft 22d extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle 10, and can mesh with the gear 21e. That is, the shaft 22d is a movable shaft and is provided so as to be movable in the axial direction. disengages the gear 21e. The shaft 22d is biased toward the first position where the gears 21f and 21e are disengaged by the biasing force of a coil spring 23 wound around the shaft 22d.

The gear 21g is provided on a shaft 22e extending in the left-right direction and meshes with the gear 21f. The gear 21h is provided on a shaft 22f extending in the left-right direction and meshes with the gear 21g. The gear 21i is provided on a shaft 22g extending in the left-right direction and meshes with the gear 21h. The gear 21j is provided on the shaft 22g. A clutch mechanism 24 (see FIG. 6) is provided between the gear 21j and the gear 21i. Clutch mechanism 24 cuts off power transmission between gear 21j and gear 21i when overloaded. The gear 21k is provided on the axle 15a of the drive wheels 15, 15 and meshes with the gear 21j.

According to this gear mechanism 19, when the motor 18 is operated and the gears 21f and 21e are engaged with each other, the power of the motor 18 rotates the driving wheels 15, 15 in the forward direction via the gears 21a to 21k. Also, when the motor 18 does not operate and the gears 21f and 21e are disengaged, the toy railroad car 100 can be driven by hand pushing.

(Meshing relation changing mechanism 20)
7 is an exploded perspective view of the meshing relationship changing mechanism 20 as seen from the rear, and FIG. 8 is a side view of the meshing relationship changing mechanism 20 and its surroundings as seen from the right.
The meshing relationship changing mechanism 20 uses the button 12 as a trigger to move the shaft 22d in the axial direction, and depending on the movement direction, meshes the gear 21f with the gear 21e or disengages the meshing.

The meshing relationship changing mechanism 20 includes a button 12, a vertically movable movable body 31 provided under the button 12, a sliding contact body 32 vertically movable with respect to the movable body 31, the movable body 31 and the sliding contact body 32. , a latch mechanism 34 capable of latching the movable body 31 at the downward movement position, and a stopper 35 provided under the button 12 and operating integrally with the button 12. .

The button 12 is biased upward by a coil spring 12a. An outward protrusion 12b is attached to the outer circumference of the lower end portion of the button 12 . The button 12 is inserted into the opening of the roof of the vehicle 10 from below, and the outward protrusion 12b is engaged with the edge of the opening of the roof of the vehicle 10, thereby preventing the button 12 from coming off upward. A recess (not shown) opening downward is provided on the lower side of the button 12 .

The sliding contact member 32 slides against the right end of the shaft 22 d when moved downward from the initial position, and moves the shaft 22 d axially leftward against the biasing force of the coil spring 23 . An inward claw 32 a is provided at the upper end of the sliding contact member 32 . A pocket 32b that opens upward is formed in the vertical intermediate portion of the sliding contact member 32, and the lower half of the coil spring 33 is inserted into the pocket 32b. A contact surface 32c that can contact the right end of the shaft 22d is formed on the inner surface side of the lower end portion of the sliding contact member 32. As shown in FIG. The contact surface 32c is composed of an upper inclined sliding contact surface 320c and a lower vertical surface 321c. This sliding contact body 32 is attached to the movable body 31 . At the initial position, the right end of the shaft 22d abuts on the upper end of the vertical surface 321c of the sliding contact body 32, which prevents the sliding contact body 32 from moving downward.
The sliding contact body 32 and the shaft 22d which is brought into contact with the sliding contact body 32 by the biasing force of the coil spring 23 constitute a motion direction changing mechanism. This movement direction changing mechanism operates reversibly according to the magnitude of the biasing force of the coil spring 23 and the biasing force of the coil spring 33 .

The head of the movable body 31 faces the recess of the button 12 . An outward claw 31 a is formed in the vertical middle portion of the movable body 31 . In this movable body 31, the claw 32a is positioned above the claw 31a, and the upper end of the coil spring 33 inserted into the pocket 32b contacts the lower surface of the claw 31a. The sliding contact member 32 is assembled so that the lower surface of the claw 32a and the upper surface of the claw 31a are in contact with each other.
A stepped portion 31b is formed in the movable body 31, and the stepped portion 31b is pushed by the button 12 so that the movable body 31 moves downward. The movable body 31 is biased upward by a coil spring 37, and a predetermined gap is formed between the button 12 and the stepped portion 31b in the initial position. This predetermined gap is for operating a later-described stopper 35 prior to the operation of the movable body 31 when the button 12 is pressed when the movable body 31 is at the initial position. Although the movable body 31 is urged upward by the coil spring 37 here, it may be urged upward by the coil spring 33 between the movable body 31 and the sliding contact body 32 .

The stopper 35 is fixed to the button 12 with its head facing the recess of the button 12 . The stopper 35 moves up and down following the button 12 . The stopper 35 is arranged outside a wall 50 (see FIG. 9) through which a shaft hole for supporting the left end of the shaft 22d is formed. When the stopper 35 moves downward, the stopper 35 closes the shaft hole from the outside of the wall 50 to prevent leftward movement of the shaft 22d. An S-shaped spring portion 35a is provided on the base end side of the stopper 35. As shown in FIG. In addition, an inclined sliding contact portion 35b is formed at the lower end portion (tip portion) of the stopper 35. As shown in FIG. When the shaft 22d is present below the stopper 35 when the stopper 35 moves downward, the inclined sliding contact portion 35b slides against the outer periphery of the shaft 22d, causing the spring portion 35a to bend and escape, thereby causing the stopper 35 to move downward. allow.

The latch mechanism 34 is constructed as follows.
As shown in FIG. 8, the right outer surface of the movable body 31 is provided with a rotating member 34b capable of rotating about a shaft 34a. A lock pin 34c is attached to the lower end (tip) of the rotating member 34b. The lock pin 34c is inserted into a heart-shaped cam groove 36a formed in a wall 36 arranged inside the movable body 31. As shown in FIG. A latch mechanism 34 is composed of the rotating member 34b, the cam groove 36a and the coil spring 37. As shown in FIG.

The cam groove 36a is formed so that the portion that becomes the concave portion of the heart faces downward. A whisker-like spring portion 34d is provided at the tip of the rotating member 34b, and the tip of the spring portion 34d can slidably contact a fixed projection 34e as the movable body 31 moves downward. As a result, the lock pin 34c can be smoothly rotated in one direction along the cam groove 36a as the button 12 is operated.
According to this latch mechanism 34, when the movable body 31 is moved downward from the initial position (predetermined) by pushing down the button 12, the tip of the spring portion 34d slides on the fixed protrusion 34e, and the lock pin 34c is engaged with the cam groove 36a. It abuts against a protrusion 360c formed on the outer wall. Next, when the button 12 is released, the movable body 31 is slightly moved upward by the coil spring 37, the lock pin 34c is engaged with the concave portion 361c formed in the inner wall of the cam groove 36a, and the movable body 31 is released. Latched. When the button 12 is pressed again, the lock pin 34c is released from the recess 361c of the heart-shaped cam groove 36a. return.

As shown in FIG. 8, a leaf switch 40 is installed in front of the movable body 31 . The leaf switch 40 has a movable piece 40a and a fixed piece 40b. When the movable body 31 moves downward, the contact portion 31c at the front end of the movable body 31 contacts the movable piece 40a, whereby the movable piece 40a contacts the fixed piece 40b and the leaf switch 40 is turned on. . When the movable body 31 is in the latched state, the movable piece 40a maintains contact with the fixed piece 40b. The motor 18 is operated when the movable piece 40a is in contact with the fixed piece 40b. A main switch 41 is provided near the leaf switch 40 . A knob 41a of the main switch 41 protrudes below the vehicle body of the vehicle 10 and can be operated from below the vehicle body.

(How to play and overall movement)
The main switch 41 is turned on, and the button 12 is pushed downward once against the biasing force of the coil spring 12a from the state shown in FIG. 9(A). As a result, the button 12 moves downward, and as shown in FIG. As it is pushed down, the stopper 35 moves downward. This downward movement of the stopper 35 pushes the stopper 35 into the course of the shaft 22d and prevents the leftward movement of the shaft 22d.

On the other hand, when the movable body 31 is pushed down, the contact portion 31c of the movable body 31 is brought into sliding contact with the movable piece 40a of the leaf switch 40, and the movable piece 40a is brought into contact with the fixed piece 40b. This causes the motor 18 to operate and the gears 21a to 21e to rotate. Further, when the movable body 31 is pushed down, the coil spring 33 between the movable body 31 and the sliding contact body 32 is compressed and energized.
Also, the lock pin 34c of the rotating member 34 abuts against the protrusion 360a of the cam groove 36a and is locked.

Next, when the button 12 is released, the button 12 moves upward by the biasing force of the coil spring 12a and returns to its original position. On the other hand, due to the upward movement of the button 12, the movable body 31 is also slightly upwardly moved with respect to the sliding contact body 32 by the biasing force of the coil spring 37, and the lock pin 34c is caught in the concave portion 361c of the cam groove 36a. Thereby, the movable body 31 is latched. Further, the upward movement of the button 12 causes the stopper 35 to withdraw from the course of the shaft 22d. Then, the biasing force accumulated in the coil spring 33 is released, the sliding contact member 32 moves downward with respect to the movable member 31, the inclined sliding contact surface 320c comes into sliding contact with the right end of the shaft 22d, and the shaft 22d becomes the coil spring. It moves to the left against the biasing force of 23 (Fig. 9(C)). As a result, the gear 21f meshes with the gear 21e, and the driving wheels 15, 15 rotate forward through the gears 21a to 21k, so that the toy railway vehicle 100 runs.

On the other hand, when the button 12 is pushed downward once while the railroad car toy 100 is running, the button 12 comes into contact with the movable body 31 on the way and pushes down the movable body 31 against the biasing force of the coil spring 37. The stopper 35 moves downward. At this time, since the shaft 22d is in the left position, the inclined sliding contact portion 35b of the stopper 35 hits the outer circumference of the shaft 22d, but the spring portion 35a bends the stopper 35 and escapes, so that the button 12 is not prevented from being pushed down. Further, by pushing down the button 12, the lock pin 34c is released from the concave portion 361c of the cam groove 36a, and the latch of the movable body 31 is released.

Next, when the button 12 is released, the button 12 and the stopper 35 are moved upward by the biasing force of the coil spring 12a to return to their original positions. Further, the unlatched movable body 31 moves upward by the biasing force of the coil spring 37 and returns to the initial position. This upward movement of the movable body 31 weakens the biasing force accumulated in the coil spring 33 . As a result, the shaft 22d is moved rightward by the biasing force of the coil spring 23, disengages the gear 21f from the gear 21e, and the toy railway vehicle 100 can be pushed by hand. Also, the sliding contact body 32 and the movable body 31 return to their initial positions.

(Effect of Embodiment)
According to the railway vehicle toy 100 described above, the following main effects can be obtained.
That is, by operating the button 12, the sliding contact member 32 is operated via the coil spring 33, the shaft 22d is moved by the sliding contact, and the gear 21f and the gear 21e are meshed with each other. Even when they interfere with each other, the impact is absorbed, and the gears are pressed against each other with an appropriate force until the gears 21f and 21e mesh with each other, thereby effectively preventing damage to the gears.

In addition, even when the teeth of the gear 21f and the teeth of the gear 21e interfere with each other, the movable body 31 can be latched, so even after the button 12 is released, the two can be reliably meshed.

Further, when the button 12 is operated when the movable body 31 is at the initial position, the stopper 35 protrudes into the course of the shaft 22d to block the movement of the shaft 22d, thereby accumulating the coil spring 33, and then the button is pressed. 12 is released, the stopper 35 retreats from the path of the shaft 22d and the movable body 31 is latched. can be completed. Therefore, the gear 21f and the gear 21e can be stably meshed.

Furthermore, since the motor 18 is operated before the movable body 31 is latched and the gears 21a to 21e are rotated, the gear 21f easily meshes with the gear 21e.

Also, when the operator 12 is operated to release the latch of the movable body 31, the stopper 35 hits the shaft 22d, but the inclined sliding contact portion 35b slides against the shaft 22d and the spring portion 35a bends and escapes. is allowed to move downward, the unlatching of the movable body 31 is not hindered.

Also, since the operator is the button 12, it is easy to operate.

(Modification)
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without changing the gist of the invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the railroad car toy 100 has been described, but the present invention is applicable not only to automobile toys and other running toys, but also to general motion toys that operate via other gear mechanisms. can.

In the above embodiment, the gears are disengaged at the first position in the direction in which the shaft 22d is biased and engaged at the second position. may

In the above embodiment, the gears are engaged or disengaged by moving the shaft in the axial direction. is also applicable.
In the above embodiment, the gears are disengaged at the first position in the direction in which the shaft 22d is biased and engaged at the second position, but the present invention can be applied to the opposite case. .

10 vehicle 11 vehicle 12 button (operator)
18 motor 31 movable body 32 sliding contact body 34 latch mechanism 34b rotating member 34c lock pin 34d spring portion 35 stopper 35a spring portion 40 leaf switch 100 railway car toy

Claims (7)

A gear is provided and is axially movable such that movement causes the one gear and the other gear to disengage from each other in a first position and the one gear and the other gear to engage each other. a movable axis that can selectively assume a second position;
a first coil spring that biases the movable shaft toward the first position;
and a manipulator serving as a trigger for moving the movable axis,
a movable body that can return to a predetermined position with a predetermined biasing force and can move in one direction by operating the operator;
a movement direction changing mechanism having a sliding contact body which is linked to the movable body via a second coil spring and which is always in contact with the movable shaft due to the biasing force of the first coil spring;
with
The motion direction changing mechanism brings the sliding contact body into sliding contact with the movable shaft by the biasing force of the second coil spring that is accumulated when the movable body moves in one direction from the predetermined position. An action toy, wherein the movable shaft is moved to the second position against the biasing force of a first coil spring. a latch mechanism for alternately latching and unlatching the movable body at a position spaced apart from the predetermined position each time the operator is operated;
The latch mechanism is characterized in that, while the movable body is latched, the biasing force of the second coil spring biases the movable shaft toward the second position via the sliding contact body. A motion toy according to claim 1. When the manipulator is operated, it protrudes into the course of the movable shaft to prevent the movable shaft from moving to the second position, and when the manipulator is released, it retreats from the course of the movable shaft. A stopper is provided to allow movement of the movable shaft to the second position,
When the movable body moves in one direction from the predetermined position by operating the manipulator, the movable body can be started with a delay from the manipulator, and the stopper can enter the course of the movable shaft before the movable body is started. 3. An action toy according to claim 2, characterized in that it is constructed as: The stopper is provided with a spring portion for flexing the stopper by sliding contact with the outer periphery of the movable shaft when the movable shaft is already at the second position when the operating element is operated, and for escaping from the course. 4. A moving toy according to claim 3, characterized in that it is a moving toy. a motor that operates a gear mechanism that performs a predetermined operation by meshing the one gear and the other gear; and a leaf switch that operates the motor,
The movable body is provided with a contact portion that contacts and turns on the leaf switch when the movable body moves in one direction from the predetermined position, and the contact portion latches the movable body. When the movable body returns to the predetermined position after releasing the latch, the contact with the leaf switch is released to release the leaf switch. 5. The action toy according to any one of claims 2 to 4, which is turned off. The latch mechanism includes a rotating member which is rotatable about a predetermined axis on the movable body and has a lock pin at its tip, and a heart-shaped member which is provided at a fixed portion of the moving toy and engages with the lock pin. 6. The motion toy according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized by comprising a cam groove of . The action toy according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a third coil spring for returning the movable body to the predetermined position with the predetermined biasing force.

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