MXPA00008412A - Toy vehicle jumpset with crossing rise and descent paths - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy vehicle jumpset includes a booster (14) coupled to a trackway (11) for receiving toy vehicles (47). The output of the booster is coupled to an upwardly curved, vertical launch ramp (15) which directs the toy vehicles in a vertical rise. An inverted vertical loop (16) is positioned to receive the upwardly directed toy vehicles and redirect the toy vehicles downwardly to a landing ramp (17) in a travel path which crosses the vertical rise path. A return trackway guides the toy vehicles from the landing ramp back to the booster entrance to repeat the cycle. A pair of safety shield sleeves (30, 31) are supported by a tower (20) between the launch ramp and the inverted vertical loop to prevent the user from leaning into the vehicle travel path and risking potential injury.

Description

EQUIPMENT FOR JUMPING OF TOY VEHICLE WITH CROSSED LIFTING AND DESCENT ROADS SPECIFICATION FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to play equipment for toy vehicles, particularly those that use a toy vehicle accelerator or driver in combination with a jump ramp and a landing ramp.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Toy vehicle play equipment has proven to be an extremely popular and long-lasting toy product category. Over the years a number of variations of toy vehicle play equipment have emerged to further define the types of products. One of the most pervasive and long-lasting types of play equipment for toy vehicles that has developed substantially in recent years, is that referred to as jump equipment for toy vehicles. These toy vehicle equipment acquires its name due to the use of a slipway which includes one or more launching ramps directly in an upward direction, followed by an empty space on the track together with a separate landing ramp. Through the use of a combination of jump ramps and landing ramps, toy vehicles can be propelled down a confined road and directed to the jump ramp causing them to be thrown up and forward flying through the air to through the empty space and at the end land on the landing ramp to continue traveling. Such jump equipment is further improved with various loops and curves in the sliding path of the toy vehicle. The toy vehicles themselves have been provided in a substantial variety and have included toy vehicles energized by batteries, or self-driven, vehicles that are rotating or free-rotating and are accelerated by ramps energized by gravity, directed in a downward direction, long, or free-rolling vehicles which are not energized but which are accelerated down the slip path by devices known as impellers. Such impellers are well known in the art and provide one or more rotating driving wheels along the entire length of the sliding track by rotating under battery power. As the vehicle enters the impeller, the rotating disc for the wheel engages the vehicles and accelerates them. In most thrusters, a pair of opposing wheels are operative to accelerate the vehicle and keep its travel path in a straight line down the track. For example, U.S. Patent No. 3,641,704 issued to Sims et al. discloses an ACCELERATOR FOR A TOY VEHICLE having a pair of rotating wheels positioned on opposite sides of a toy vehicle slide which are coupled by gears to a common drive motor. The drive motor is energized by a battery power source and causes the wheels that are coupled to the vehicle to rotate in synchrony. As the vehicle enters the driving area, the wheels engage the vehicle from opposite sides and due to its rotation accelerate the vehicle.

U.S. Patent No. 3,590,524 issued to De et al. describes a TOY VEHICLE ACCELERATOR similar to the accelerator described above, with the added advantage of having a pair of oppositely directed accelerating devices, placed in a common housing such that the sliding paths in both directions can be coupled to the driver, and the vehicles they receive acceleration in both directions of travel. A variety of jumping equipment for toy vehicles have been provided in the art such as that described in U.S. Patent No. 4,767,053, issued to Cook et al, which discloses a MULTIFUNCTION TOY JUMP EQUIPMENT, which can be used to form a curl and ramps for use during play with toy vehicles. Two tower members with mating notches are mounted on a base to form a curl and ramps of the slide of the toy vehicle. Toy vehicles can be rolled over the curl and the ramps through a support frame and flexible parts.

U.S. Patent No. 4,558,867 issued to Hippely describes A TOY VEHICLE SLIDING GUIDE EQUIPMENT having a sliding guide portion defining a vertical sliding guide loop coupled to a horizontally oriented loop portion in the which the loop defines a sliding guide ramp inclined upwards. A toy vehicle accelerated downwardly of the sliding guide suffers a vertical loop followed by a horizontally placed loop and ending in flight from the angled sliding guide portion upwards. A trapping basket is provided to receive the thrown toy vehicle. U.S. Patent No. 4,394,961, issued to Muller, describes a SLIDING GUIDE FOR TOY VEHICLES WITH JUMPING AND FALLING RAMPS in which a pair of opposingly placed open loop slideways are secured to a guide track Sliding. A toy vehicle enters a portion of the loop and is redirected in an upward and reverse direction through the space between the opposite loop ramp portion, flying through the empty space to be received on the second loop portion and returned to the sliding guide. U.S. Patent No. 3,860,238, issued to Koj ima discloses a CONTINUOUS RUNWAY TRACK having ROUND TRAVEL PORTIONS in which a plurality of the parallel track guides are directed toward a loop station having a rotating drum with multiple channels supporting a plurality of blade wheel teeth. A second group of the tracks of the receiving slide is supported above the first group of the sliding tracks. The vehicles are thrown into the rotating drum and are accelerated around the loop portion of the track and deposited on the second group of tracks of the slideways. U.S. Patent No. 5,102,133, issued to Chilton et al. discloses an INTERRUPTED, INTERRUPTED JUMP ROLL FOR ELECTRIC SLIDING TROLLEYS, which has a pair of tracks coupled to a pair of curved jump ramps, oppositely placed. A free space is formed between the jump loop portions which is adjustable by the movement of the hopping loops one relative to the other. A toy vehicle such as a slot car travels down a slip path or track through the first jump loop, and jumps the empty space between the first and second hop loops, and is retrieved after the second Jump loop and redirected along the runway track. A variety of the first jump equipment for toy vehicles is described in various forms in U.S. Patent No. 798,966 issued to Johnson; U.S. Patent No. 812,595 issued to Roberts; U.S. Patent No. 1,527,006 issued to O'Reilly; and U.S. Patent No. 1,599,982 issued to Bauer. While the devices of the prior art, described above, in many cases, have substantially improved the technique of the jump equipment of the toy vehicle, and in several cases have enjoyed commercial success, it nevertheless remains an unfulfilled need, continuing in the technique of toy vehicles, for jump equipment for toy vehicles more interesting, fun, exciting, and safely operated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, a general objective of the present invention is to provide an improved jumping equipment for toy vehicles. A more particular objective of the present invention is to provide an improved jump equipment for toy vehicles that produces an exciting and prolonged jumping activity while preserving the safety of the jumping equipment operation. In accordance with the present invention, a jump equipment for toy vehicles is provided for use in combination with a toy vehicle, the jumping equipment of the toy vehicle comprises: a slide or track for the toy vehicle, an impeller coupled to the guide of sliding to accelerate a toy vehicle, an upwardly curved launching ramp, coupled to the impeller to receive an accelerated toy vehicle and directing it upwardly along a lifting track, an inverted loop having a portion of entrance to the lifting track and an angled downward exit portion to receive an upwardly moving toy vehicle from the runway of the launching ramp and directing it downward along a downwardly angled downward track, a ramp landing to receive a toy vehicle that travels downward along the downward path, and directing it towards the slide of toy vehicles, and at least one guard collar or collar interposed in the lifting track and the downward track.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are described with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with the additional objects and advantages thereof, can be better understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in which: Figure 1 depicts a perspective view of an equipment of jump for toy vehicles, constructed in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 depicts a partial perspective view of the jump ramp and the landing ramp portions of the toy vehicle jumping equipment of the present invention; and Figure 3 depicts a partial sectional view of the crossed up and down travel paths of the play equipment for toy vehicles of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY Figure 1 describes a perspective view of a jump equipment for toy vehicles, constructed in accordance with the present invention, and in general referred to by the number 10.

The skipping equipment 10 includes a sliding track or track 11 having a straight slide guide 19, a curved portion 12, an entrance ramp 13 and a curve 18. The entrance ramp 13 is coupled to an impeller 14, the which, according to conventional manufacturing techniques, includes a pair of acceleration wheels 40 and 41, driven by energy, placed on each side of the sliding path of the toy vehicle passing through the impeller 14. In this way , the impeller 14 can, for example, be manufactured in accordance with the structure described in United States Patent No. 3,641,704 or other equivalent structures with the essential function being the ability to accelerate a toy vehicle that traverses the ramp inlet 13 and moves towards the impeller 14. The straight slide guide 19 as well as the curve portions 12 and 18 together with the entrance ramp 13 can be manufactured in accordance with conventional techniques. manufacturing surfaces to provide a combination of molded plastic or extruded plastic elements to form the track or track 11. According to the present invention, the jump equipment 10 further includes a launching chute 15 curved upwards, coupled to the impeller 14 together with a tower 20 formed of vertical segments 26 and 27 and an inverted vertical loop portion 16. The jump equipment 10 further includes a landing ramp 17 coupled to the curved portion 18 of the slipway or track 11. For aesthetic reasons, a base cover 22 that generally resembles a mountain or volcano is placed on a base 21 (seen in Figure 2) that provides support for the launching chute 15, the landing chute 17 and the tower 20. The base cover 22 defines an entry opening 23 that overlaps the lower portion of the launching chute 15, and an exit opening 24 located at the upper end. In addition to an important aspect of the present invention, the tower 20 further supports a pair of guard sleeves 30 and 31 which define to pass through them in a general vertical alignment shown in Figure 3. It is sufficient to note here that the shelter shirts 30 and 31 are placed on the tower 20 to prevent the minor user from tilting his head in the space between the launching chute 15 and the vertical loop 16 In accordance further with an important aspect of the present invention, and as described later in Figure 3 in greater detail, the guard shirts 30 and 31 define respective openings 62 and 65 which, as best seen in the figure 3, facilitate the cross travel path of the jumping equipment of the present invention. In operation, the impeller 14 operates to rotate the wheels 40 and 41 with sufficient speed so that a toy vehicle traverses the entry ramp 13 as illustrated by the toy vehicle 42, and traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow 43, is pulled between the rotating wheels 40 and 41. According to the conventional operation of the impeller 14, the rotation of the wheels 4 0 and 41 quickly accelerates the toy vehicle towards the launching ramp 15. After this, the toy vehicle travels in an upward direction on the launching ramp 15 as illustrated by the arrow 44 passing through the entrance 23 and inside the base cover 22. The curved structure upward of the launching chute 15 (best seen in Figure 2) converts the kinetic energy of the toy vehicle at an upward moment such that the toy vehicle is raised from the launching chute 15 as indicated by the arrow 45 and travels upward due to its moment through guard shirts 30 and 31 as further indicated by arrow 46.

As the toy vehicle is lifted through the guard shirts 30 and 31, it enters the inverted structure of the vertical loop 16 in a position illustrated by the toy vehicle 47. After this the toy vehicle is guided and redirected by the vertical loop 16 towards a downward trajectory leaving the loop 16 in the direction indicated by the arrow 48, and passing through the opening 65 of the jacket 31 as well as the opening 62 of the jacket 30. Finally, the vehicle of Toy emerges from the shirt 30 in the direction indicated by the arrow 49 and lands on the landing ramp 17, after which its moment takes the toy vehicle around the curve 18, through the straight track 19 and the curve 12 to travel again to the entry ramp 13 and finally return to the impeller 14 where the rapid acceleration is again imparted to the vehicle to repeat the travel cycle. According to an important safety aspect of the present invention described below, in greater detail, the use of guard shirts 30 and 31 within the vertical path directed upwardly of the toy vehicle between the launching chute 15 and the vertical loop 16, provides an important safety feature, since the guard shirts prevent the minor user from leaning into the travel path of the fast moving toy vehicle, and as a result risking damage . The manufacture of the guard shirts 30 and 31 to provide the openings 62 and 65 therein facilitates the placement of the guard shirts 30 and 31 in close proximity to achieve this safety purpose, while allowing the toy vehicle move along its downwardly directed path, from the vertical loop 16, to the landing ramp 17. In accordance further with the present invention, the impeller 14 operates at a high energy and a plurality of vehicles can be continuously operated. of toy closely spaced on the jump equipment 10 since the impeller 14 rapidly accelerates each toy vehicle entering and as the track returns to each toy vehicle to the entrance ramp of the impeller 14 after its execution of the vertical lift and Descent through the jump station.

Figure 2 depicts a perspective view of the assembly of the base portion of the jump equipment, showing the base 21 having a tower receptacle 50 receiving the section 26 of the tower 20. The upper end of the section 26 defines a plug or plug 28 which is received in a receptacle in cooperation with the section 27 of the tower in a snap-fit coupling or by clicking to form the tower 20. The base 21 further supports the launching chute 15 curved upwards , which is insured to base 21 according to conventional manufacturing techniques. The lower end of the launching chute 15 defines a tongue 53 which is attached to the housing of the impeller 14 in accordance with conventional manufacturing techniques. To further secure the impeller 14 against the launching chute 15, a latch 51 of the impeller is secured to the base 21 and defines a hook 52 which further engages a cooperating portion of the impeller 14 (not shown). The base 21 also supports a vertically extending ramp support 25, which defines a receptacle 35 of the latch, on its upper end. The landing ramp 17 defines a positioning rib 36 and a latch 37 which cooperates with the receptacle 35 to secure the upper end of the landing ramp 17 to the support 25. For purposes of illustration, the cover 22 of the base is shown in FIG. representation of broken lines and this defines an entry opening 23 and an exit opening 26 on each end of the launching ramp 15. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, it will be apparent that the toy vehicles accelerated through the driver 14 are again directed upwardly by the upward curve of the launching chute 15 to emerge in a vertical travel path through the outlet 26 of the base cover 22 . It will also be apparent that the vehicles descending through the jump station land on the upper portion of the landing ramp 17 and as a result are directed again to travel along the remainder of the runway 11. Figure 3 describes a view in partial section of the components of the crossed elevation and descent path of the jumping equipment of the present invention. As described above, the jump equipment 10 includes a launching chute 15 directed upwards and a vertical loop portion 16, inverted. The function of the launch ramp 15 is to direct a toy vehicle that traverses the ramp at a high speed, to a substantially vertical trajectory. This vertical path is directed to the receiving portion 32 of the vertical loop 16. In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, the guard shirts 30 and 31 are supported within this vertical travel path of the vehicle 55, and prevent the minor user leans in or otherwise extends his head or face in the potentially dangerous travel path of the toy vehicle. According to a further important aspect of the present invention, the guard jacket 30 is formed of a generally cylindrical wall 60 defining a vertical passage 61 therethrough. An opening 62 is formed in the wall 60 to allow the toy vehicles to cross the passage 61 at an angle as shown in the cross-descent path. Similarly, the shelter shirt 31 defines a generally cylindrical wall 63 having a passageway 64 therethrough. An opening 65 is formed in the wall 63 in order to further accommodate the cross-descent path of the toy vehicles. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a pair of guard shirts 30 and 31 are spaced between the launching ramps 15 and the vertical loop 16. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a different number may be interposed of guard shirts between the launching chute 15 and the vertical loop 16 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will further be apparent to those skilled in the art that while the backup shirts 30 and 31 are illustrated as being formed of generally cylindrical wall portions, the shirts such as the shirts 30 and 31 can be manufactured in different cross sections such as square , rectangular, elliptical, or the like, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, a plurality of substantially thinner guard shirts may be spaced between the launch pad 15 and the vertical loop 16 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In its simplest form, a plurality of collars or rings can be suitably spaced to achieve this safety function. For maximum aesthetic effect and greater excitement however, it has been found that the guard shirts 30 and 31 placed as shown, and formed of a generally transparent material, greatly increase the exciting value of the jump game of the present invention. . In operation, as the toy vehicle leaves the launching chute 15 as indicated by the vehicle 55, it travels upward through passages 61 and 64 of the backup shirts 30 and 31 and is received in the serving portion. input 32 of the vertical loop 16. After passing through the loop 16 quickly, the toy vehicle then continues in a downward direction leaving the exit portion 33 of the vertical loop 16 in the direction indicated by the arrow 57. It will be apparent from the examination of the openings 65 and 62 that the openings are located within their respective guard shirts to facilitate the travel of a toy vehicle through the guard shirts crossing the lifting path of the toy vehicle and forming a cross descent path. The toy vehicle 56 is shown at an approximate intermediate point of this descent to illustrate this alignment. After that, the toy vehicle continues the direction indicated by the arrow 58 and lands on the landing ramp 17 and, as described above, is again directed towards the impeller 14 as shown in figure 1 to repeat the cycle. What has been shown is a fun and entertaining toy vehicle jumping team that provides an exciting vertical eruption of toy vehicles from a simulated mountain or volcano while maintaining complete safety of the operation, and prevents the child user be damaged by high-energy, fast-moving toy vehicles. The jump equipment shown operates continuously using a conventional impeller and the conventional runway or return track to provide virtually unlimited time of enjoyment as the jumping equipment operates. While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the objective in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (8)

1. A toy vehicle jumping equipment, for use in combination with a toy vehicle, the toy vehicle jumping equipment comprises: a sliding path or track of the toy vehicle; an impeller coupled to the sliding track for accelerating a toy vehicle; an upwardly curved launch ramp coupled to the impeller, for receiving an accelerated toy vehicle and directing it upwardly along an elevation path; an inverted loop having an entrance portion in the elevation path and an angled downward exit portion, for receiving a toy vehicle directed upwardly from the launch ramp, and directing it downward along a trajectory downhill angled down; a landing ramp for receiving the toy vehicle traveling in a downward direction along the downward trajectory and directing it towards the sliding path of toy vehicles; and at least one guard shirt or sleeve interposed between the lifting path and the lowering path.

2. The toy vehicle jumping equipment according to claim 1, wherein at least one guard shirt defines a wall that forms a lift path passage therethrough, and which defines an opening through which it passes. the descent path crossing the elevation path.

3. The toy vehicle jumping equipment according to claim 2, wherein at least one guard shirt includes a pair of vertically aligned guard shirts having a wall defining a lift path passage therethrough and one. opening of the descent path formed in it.

4. The jumping equipment for toy vehicles according to claim 3, wherein the pair of guard shirts are generally cylindrical.

5. The jumping equipment for toy vehicles according to claim 4, further including a base supporting the launching ramp and the landing ramp, the base being attached to the impeller.

6. The toy vehicle jumping equipment according to claim 5, further including a vertical tower secured to and rising from the base, and wherein the inverted loop and the pair of guard shirts are supported by the vertical tower.

7. A jumping equipment for toy vehicles for use in combination with a toy vehicle, the jumping equipment for toy vehicles comprises: a base having an upwardly curved launch ramp and a downwardly curved landing ramp; an impeller coupled to the launching ramp; a sliding guide or track coupled between the landing ramp and the impeller; an inverted loop supported above the launching ramp, having an entry portion aligned with the launching ramp, and an exit portion aligned with the landing ramp; and at least one guard shirt interposed between the launch ramp and the inverted loop.

8. The toy vehicle jumping equipment according to claim 7, wherein at least one guard shirt includes a pair of shirts each defining a passage therebetween.