US20020158411A1

US20020158411A1 - Motion toy bird

Info

Publication number: US20020158411A1
Application number: US09/843,699
Authority: US
Inventors: Jack Tang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-04-30
Filing date: 2001-04-30
Publication date: 2002-10-31

Abstract

A motion toy bird includes a head, the head having a fixed upper beak and a movable lower beak, a beak driving mechanism mounted inside the head and controlled to move the lower beak relative to the upper beak, a body coupled to the head, the body having two slots at two opposite lateral sides thereof, a bird head driving mechanism mounted inside the body and controlled to rotate the head relative to the body, an eccentric linking mechanism mounted inside the body and driven by the bird head driving mechanism to make an action of eccentric rotation, two wings mounted in the slots of the body and driven by the eccentric linking mechanism to move up and down upon operation of the bird head driving mechanism, and two legs fastened to the body at a bottom side.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to toys and, more specifically, to a motion toy bird, which has driving means controlled to rotate the head, open/close the beak, and turn the wings up and down.

Regular toy birds are simple standing display toys that have the outer appearance of a bird. These conventional toy birds are monotonous because they cannot simulate the action of a living bird.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a motion toy bird, which has means controlled to rotate the head, open/close the beak, and turn the wings up and down, simulating the motion of a living bird. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the motion toy bird comprises a head, the head comprising a fixed upper beak, and a pivoted lower beak, the lower beak having a middle part pivoted to the head below the upper beak and a rear end suspending inside the head; a beak driving mechanism mounted inside the head and controlled to move the lower beak relative to the upper beak; a body coupled to the head, the body having two slots at two opposite lateral sides thereof; a bird head driving mechanism mounted inside the body and controlled to rotate the head relative to the body; an eccentric linking mechanism mounted inside the body and coupled to the bird head driving mechanism and driven by the bird head driving mechanism to make an action of eccentric rotation; two wings disposed at two opposite sides of the body and coupled to the eccentric linking mechanism, the wings each having a lug respectively inserted through the slots of the body and coupled to the eccentric linking mechanism and driven by the eccentric linking mechanism to move up and down upon operation of the bird head driving mechanism; and two legs fastened to the body at a bottom side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a motion toy bird constructed according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. [0004]
FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. [0005]
FIG. 3 is another sectional elevation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. from [0007] 1 through 3, a motion toy bird 10 is shown comprising a head 11, body 21, two wings 31, and two legs 41.
The [0008] head 11 comprises a bottom coupling hole 12, an upper beak 13, a lower beak 14, a beak driving mechanism 15, and a spring 16. The upper beak 13 is fixedly connected to the head 11. The lower beak 14 has a middle part pivoted to the head 11, and a sector gear 141 fixedly disposed at the rear side thereof. The beak driving mechanism 15 comprises a DC motor 151, a pinion 152 fixedly mounted on the motor shaft of the motor 151, and a gear wheel 153 meshed between the pinion 152 and the sector gear 141 of the lower beak 14. By means of controlling the forward/backward rotation of the DC motor 151, the lower beak 14 is alternatively moved up and down relative to the upper beak 13. The spring 16 is connected between the rear side of the lower beak 14 and a part inside the head 11 to hold the lower beak 14 closed on the upper beak 13.
The [0009] body 21 comprises a front coupling hole 22, two side slots 23 at two opposite sides, a coupling neck 24, which couples the body 21 to the head 11, a bird head driving mechanism 25, and an eccentric linking mechanism 26. The coupling neck 24 comprises an upper disk 241 fixedly fastened to the bottom coupling hole 12 of the head 11, a bottom disk 243 connected to the upper disk 241 and revolvably coupled to the front coupling hole 22 of the body 21 for enabling the head 11 to be rotated relative to the body 21. The bird head driving mechanism 25 comprises a DC motor 251, a helical gear 252 fixedly mounted on the motor shaft of the DC motor 251, a transmission device 253, and a crank 257. The transmission device 253 comprises a bottom gear 254, and a top disk 255. The top disk 255 has an upright eccentric rod 256. The crank 257 has one end coupled to the body 21, a rod 258 disposed at the other end and inserted into a slot 243 in the bottom disk 243, and an elongated sliding slot 259 disposed on the middle and coupled to the upright eccentric rod 256 of the top disk 255. The eccentric linking mechanism 26 is mounted in the body 21, comprising a gear 261, a helical gear 263, two eccentric wheels 265, and two links 267. The gear 261 and the helical gear 263 are fixedly mounted on a gear axle 262 for synchronous rotation. The eccentric wheels 265 are respectively eccentrically coupled to the two ends of the gear axle 262. The links 267 each have a coupling hole 268 at one end. The other end of each of the links 267 is respectively stopped at the periphery of each of the eccentric wheels 265. The gear 261 is meshed with the helical gear 252 of the DC motor 251. The helical gear 263 is meshed with the bottom gear 254 of the transmission device 253.
The [0010] wings 31 each comprise a lug 32 respectively inserted through the side slots 23 of the body 21 and coupled to the coupling hole 268 of each of the links 267. When turning the eccentric linking mechanism 26, the links 267 are forced to move the wings 31 alternatively up and down.
The [0011] legs 41 are respectively connected to the body 21 at the bottom side, and supported on a base 50.
The toy bird produces a motion when operating the [0012] DC motors 151;152.
When starting the [0013] motor 151 of the beak driving mechanism 15, the lower beak 14 is turned downwards and opened from the upper beak 13. When cutting off power supply from the motor 151, the spring power of the spring 16 immediately pulls the lower beak 14 to its former close position.
When starting the [0014] DC motor 251 of the bird head driving mechanism 25, the helical gear 252 is driven to rotate the gear 261 of the eccentric linking mechanism 26, thereby causing the helical gear 263 to rotate the bottom gear 354 of the transmission device 253. During rotary motion of the bottom gear 354 of the transmission device 253, the crank 257 is forced to rotate the disks 241;243 and the head 11, and at the same time, the eccentric wheels 263 are rotated to move the links 267, causing the links 267 to turn the wings 31 up and down.
A music IC and programmable control circuit assembly (not shown) is installed in the [0015] body 21 or the base 50, and adapted to control the operation of the motors 151;152, causing the toy bird 10 to move the head 11, the lower beak 14, and the wings 31 when driving the music IC to produce sound.
Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. [0016]

Claims

What the invention claimed is:

1. A motion toy bird comprising:

a head, said head comprising a fixed upper beak, and a pivoted lower beak, said lower beak having a middle part pivoted to said head below said upper beak and a rear end suspending inside said head;

a beak driving mechanism mounted inside said head and controlled to move said lower beak relative to said upper beak;

a body coupled to said head, said body comprising two slots at two opposite lateral sides thereof;

a bird head driving mechanism mounted inside said body and controlled to rotate said head relative to said body;

an eccentric linking mechanism mounted inside said body and coupled to said bird head driving mechanism and driven by said bird head driving mechanism to make an action of eccentric rotation;

two wings disposed at two opposite sides of said body and coupled to said eccentric linking mechanism, said wings each comprising a lug respectively inserted through the slots of said body and coupled to said eccentric linking mechanism and driven by said eccentric linking mechanism to move up and down upon operation of said bird head driving mechanism; and

two legs fastened to said body at a bottom side.

2. The motion toy bird of claim 1 further comprising a base adapted to support said legs.

3. The motion toy bird of claim 1 wherein said beak driving mechanism comprises a motor having a motor shaft, a pinion fixedly mounted on said motor shaft, a sector gear fixedly provided a rear side of said lower beak, and a gear wheel meshed between said pinion and said sector gear.

4. The motion toy bird of claim 3 wherein said beak driving mechanism further comprises a spring member connected between said lower beak and a part of said head and adapted to hold said lower beak in a close position closing on said upper beak.

5. The motion toy bird of claim 1 further comprising a coupling neck coupled between said head and said body and driven by said bird head driving mechanism to rotate said head relative to said body, said coupling neck comprising an upper disk fixedly coupled to said head, a bottom disk connected to said upper disk and revolvably mounted in a front coupling hole of said body and coupled to said bird head driving mechanism.

6. The motion toy bird of claim 5 wherein said bird head driving mechanism comprises a motor having a motor shaft, a driving gear fixedly mounted on the motor shaft of the motor of said bird head driving mechanism, a transmission device, and a crank, said transmission device comprising a bottom gear meshed with said driving gear, and a top disk, said top disk having an upright eccentric rod, said crank having one end pivoted to said body, a rod disposed at an opposite end and coupled to said bottom disk of said coupling neck, and an elongated sliding slot disposed on the middle and coupled to the upright eccentric rod of the top disk of said transmission device.

7. The motion toy bird of claim 6 wherein said eccentric linking mechanism comprises a gear axle revolvably supported in said body, a gear fixedly mounted on said gear axle and meshed with the driving gear of said bird head driving mechanism, and a helical gear fixedly mounted on said gear axle and meshed with the bottom gear of said transmission device, two eccentric wheels respectively eccentrically coupled to two distal ends of said gear axle, and two links, said links each having one end respectively stopped at the periphery of said eccentric wheels and an opposite end respectively coupled to the lug of each of said wings.

8. The motion toy bird of claim 7 wherein said driving gear is a helical gear meshed with the gear of said eccentric linking mechanism.