US20070037479A1 - Slotless toy racetrack and radio-controlled toy racecar kit - Google Patents
Slotless toy racetrack and radio-controlled toy racecar kit Download PDFInfo
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- US20070037479A1 US20070037479A1 US11/202,890 US20289005A US2007037479A1 US 20070037479 A1 US20070037479 A1 US 20070037479A1 US 20289005 A US20289005 A US 20289005A US 2007037479 A1 US2007037479 A1 US 2007037479A1
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- racetrack
- sidewalls
- section
- base portion
- sections
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- 238000004088 simulation Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000001125 extrusion Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000009751 slip forming Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 8
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
- A63H18/00—Highways or trackways for toys; Propulsion by special interaction between vehicle and track
- A63H18/02—Construction or arrangement of the trackway
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
- A63H18/00—Highways or trackways for toys; Propulsion by special interaction between vehicle and track
- A63H18/02—Construction or arrangement of the trackway
- A63H18/06—Construction or arrangement of the trackway designed to cause movement of a vehicle by alteration of the inclination of part of the trackway
Definitions
- the present invention relates to slotless toy racetrack and kit for racing toy radio-controlled race cars.
- toy race car sets that include a plurality of track segments that assemble into an endless track.
- one form of track segment includes a plurality of generally-parallel slots formed in the top or road surface of the track.
- the slots guide competing racecars along generally non-overlapping paths of travel.
- the competing racecars are guided and separated from one another by a plurality of guide rails or guide walls, which define discrete racing lanes, each of which is slightly wider than the width of the car.
- Neither of these track configurations simulates real-life auto racing wherein cars bump, draft, pass and obstruct one another. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a toy racetrack, which includes barriers to contain the racecars on the track, but which allows competing racecars to bump, draft, pass and obstruct one another.
- Some known slotless track segments have sidewalls that extend along the lengthwise-extending edge.
- the sidewalls may either be integrally formed with or releasably connected to the road surface portion of the track segment.
- the track segments are connected by male/female connectors on the ends of the road surface portion to form a smooth, continuous road surface.
- the track segments do not have connectors to align the abutting sidewall ends and form a flush interface. If the sidewall ends are not properly aligned, the inwardly-protruding portion of the misaligned sidewall interferes with the racecar riding along the wall. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a racetrack segment, which includes sidewall fasteners for aligning the sidewalls of two abutting track sections in an end-to-end configuration with a flush interface
- the invention comprises a slotless toy racetrack that is constructed by assembling a plurality of straight and curved racetrack sections in an end-to-end configuration.
- the racetrack is especially useful with radio controlled racecars and is wide enough so that the cars can pass one another while competing.
- the racetrack sections have a top road surface, a bottom surface, opposed longitudinally-extending side edges, and opposed, laterally-extending first and second connection ends.
- the first connection end of one racetrack segment connects to the second connection end of another racetrack section.
- the connection ends of one racetrack segment are interchangeably connectable with either connection end of another racetrack section.
- Sidewalls are fixed to and extend along the length of the side edges.
- the sidewalls have outer surfaces, and facing inner surfaces that define the width of the road surface.
- the sidewalls have first and second ends that are coterminous with the first and second connection ends, respectively, of the base portion.
- the sidewalls may be integrally formed with the base portion and may have a thickness that is less than the thickness of the base portion.
- Base fasteners connect the base portion of two abutting track sections in a continuous, end-to-end configuration.
- Sidewall fasteners align the sidewalls of two abutting track sections in an end-to-end configuration with a flush interface.
- the sidewall fasteners do not contact any portion of the inner surface of the sidewalls so that the inner connection between sidewalls is smooth and uninterrupted.
- the base fasteners and sidewall fasteners comprise male and female elements at opposed ends of the racetrack section.
- the base fasteners and sidewall fasteners are preferably integrally formed with the base portion and sidewalls, respectively, so that the fasteners do not get lost or separated.
- the sidewall fasteners are fixed to the outer surface of the sidewalls.
- the sidewall fasteners comprise clips that overlap the intersection of abutting sidewall ends.
- each sidewall is not integrally formed with the base portion the racetrack sections. Instead, each sidewall connects to the inner and outer periphery of the assembled track sections.
- each sidewall comprises an endless extrusion or belt having a lip portion and a wall portion.
- the base portion of each racetrack section includes a longitudinally-extending groove, which is proximate each side edge and which extends along the length of the side edges. The grooves receive the lip portion of the snap-on sidewalls.
- the wall portion of the sidewalls extends upwardly transverse, and preferably perpendicular, to the plane of the base portion.
- the invention also provides a toy racecar kit, which includes a plurality of motorized, radio-controlled racecars having a width WC, and a plurality of racetrack sections such as described above.
- the racetrack sections include at least one straight section and at least one curved section for constructing an endless raceway.
- the width of the racetrack sections W is preferably at least twice the width WC of the racecars so that the cars can pass one another during competition. Further, because the track is slotless, the cars can bump, draft and interfere with one another.
- the plurality of racetrack sections can be assembled in a configuration that resembles a famous racecourse such as Talladega Superspeedway, Pocono Raceway, Watkins Glen International, Texas Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway, or Daytona International Speedway.
- the kit may include simulations of the grandstands, buildings, or landscape of the famous course.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a straight toy racetrack section in accordance with an embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective of adjoining track sections shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a curved toy racetrack section in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary top plan view of interconnected racetrack sections shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5 - 5 of FIG. 4 showing a first embodiment of the base fasteners
- FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but showing an alternative embodiment of the base fasteners
- FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but showing an additional embodiment of the base fasteners
- FIGS. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-elevational view of interconnected racetrack sections of FIG. 1 showing a first embodiment of the sidewall fasteners;
- FIGS. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-elevational view of interconnected racetrack sections showing another embodiment of the sidewall fasteners
- FIGS. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-elevational view of interconnected racetrack sections showing a further embodiment of the sidewall fasteners;
- FIGS. 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-elevational view of interconnected racetrack sections showing yet another embodiment of the sidewall fasteners;
- FIGS. 12 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-elevational view of interconnected racetrack sections showing an additional embodiment of the sidewall fasteners;
- FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 13 - 13 of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 14 - 14 of FIG. 9 ;
- FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 15 - 15 of FIG. 10 ;
- FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 16 - 16 of FIG. 11 ;
- FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 17 - 17 of FIG. 12 ;
- FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a toy racetrack in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 19 - 19 of FIG. 18 ;
- FIGS. 20-29 are schematic illustrations of assembled configurations of toy racecar kits in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
- FIG. 30 is a cross-section view taken along lines 30 - 30 of FIG. 3 .
- a toy racetrack section in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1 and is designated generally by reference numeral 10 .
- the racetrack section 10 generally comprises an elongate, planar base portion 12 having a top road surface 14 , a bottom surface 16 , opposed, longitudinally-extending side edges 18 , and opposed, laterally-extending first and second ends 20 , 22 , respectively.
- Sidewalls 24 are fixed to and extend along the length of the side edges 18 .
- the sidewalls 24 are integrally formed with the base portion 12 of the racetrack section 10 , which is preferably formed from a plastic moldable material.
- the sidewalls 24 extend along the entire length of the base portion 12 and have first 26 and second 28 ends that are coterminous with the first 20 and second 22 ends of the base portion 12 .
- the sidewalls 24 also extend upwardly transverse, and preferably perpendicular, to the plane of the base portion 12 .
- the sidewalls 24 may have a thickness that is less than the thickness of the base portion 12 .
- Base fasteners 30 connect the base portion 12 of two abutting track sections 10 in a continuous, end-to-end configuration as best seen in FIG. 4 .
- the base fasteners 30 comprise a plurality of male tabs 32 fixed to the first connection end 20 and female undercuts 34 formed in the second connection end 22 of the racetrack section 10 .
- the tabs 32 at the first end 20 of the base portion 12 of a first racetrack section 10 interconnect with the slots 34 at the second end of the base portion of a second racetrack section 10 , thereby joining the racetrack sections in an end-to-end configuration.
- the base fasteners 30 are preferably integrally formed with the base portion 12 so that the fasteners do not get lost or separated.
- the base fasteners 30 may comprise other forms of connectors such as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 .
- the base fasteners comprise male tabs 132 fixed to the first end 20 and female slots 134 formed in the second end of the racetrack section.
- the base fasteners comprise dovetailed male tabs 232 and female undercuts 234 .
- Sidewall fasteners 30 align the sidewalls 24 of two abutting track sections 10 in an end-to-end configuration with a flush interface as best seen in FIG. 4 .
- the sidewall fasteners 30 comprise a male tab 38 fixed to the outer surface of each sidewall 24 at the first connection end 20 , and a female bottomless socket 40 fixed to the outer surface of each sidewall 24 at the second connection end 22 .
- the tabs 38 at the first end 20 of a first racetrack section 10 insert into the sockets 40 at the second end 22 of a second racetrack section 10 , thereby aligning the sidewalls in an end-to-end configuration with a flush interface.
- the sidewall fasteners may comprise other connectors such as shown in FIGS. 10-12 and 15 - 17 .
- the sidewall fasteners 136 comprise a bottomless female socket 140 fixed to the outer surface of each sidewall 24 at both the first connection end 20 and second connection end 22 .
- a tab 138 extends through both sockets 140 to align the abutting sidewalls.
- the sidewall fasteners are preferably integrally formed with sidewalls so that the fasteners do not get lost or separated from the racetrack section.
- the sidewall fasteners 236 comprise a barbed male tab 238 fixed to the outer surface of each sidewall 24 at the first connection end 20 , and a female bottomless socket 240 fixed to the outer surface of each sidewall 24 at the second connection end 22 .
- the sidewall fasteners 336 comprise a dovetail-shaped male tab 338 fixed to the outer surface of each sidewall 24 at the first connection end 20 , and a dovetail-shaped female socket 340 formed in each sidewall 24 at the second connection end 22 .
- the sidewall fasteners are located on the outer surface of the sidewall or do not contact any portion of the inner surface of the sidewall so that the inner connection between the sidewalls is smooth and uninterrupted.
- the sidewall fastener does contact the inner surface of the sidewalls, it must not interfere with the path of travel of a racecar along the sidewalls.
- the sidewall fasteners comprise C-clips 50 that overlap the intersection of abutting sidewall ends.
- the clips 50 have an undercut 52 in the upper portion that overlaps the top edge of the sidewalls 24 .
- the lower portion 54 of the C-clips contacts the bottom surface 16 of the racetrack section 10 . With sufficient wall height, the slight overlap of the C-clip 50 would not interfere with racecars.
- the base fasteners provide sufficient interlocking force to prevent the racetrack sections from pulling apart until purposefully disassembled. Therefore, it is not necessary that the construction of the sidewall fasteners provide additional longitudinal interlocking force. However, the sidewall fasteners should be designed to align the abutting sidewall ends into an alignment wherein a flush interface between adjacent abutting sidewalls is formed.
- the racetrack sections have a construction in which the first end is designed to interconnect with the second end of another section.
- the invention encompasses a universal construction in which a first racetrack section can interconnect with either end of a second section.
- a universal construction can be achieved by using, for example, the sidewall fasteners show in FIG. 10 , and by providing both male tabs 32 and female undercuts 34 on each end of the base section 12 .
- the racetrack section 110 has a curved shape but a construction similar to the straight racetrack section 10 described above.
- the curved racetrack section 110 has planar but curved base portion 112 having a top road surface 114 , a bottom surface 116 , opposed, longitudinally-extending side edges 118 , and opposed, laterally-extending first and second ends 120 , 122 , respectively.
- the curved racetrack section 110 further includes sidewalls 124 , which have a similar construction to the sidewalls 24 described above.
- the curved racetrack section 110 further includes base fasteners 130 and sidewall fasteners 136 , which may be selected from the variety of fasteners 30 , 36 , respectively, or equivalents thereof, described above.
- the curved racetrack sections 110 are preferably banked to enhance race performance.
- the curved sections 110 are supported at a banking angle by ribs 135 .
- a plurality of straight 10 and curved 110 racetrack sections may be provided as part of a kit wherein the sections may be assembled to resemble the configuration of a famous racetrack, designated generally by reference numeral 60 , used by NASCAR®, IROC®, Indy, or other racing circuits or leagues.
- the kit may also include grandstand simulations 62 , which also resemble the grandstands associated with a particular racetrack.
- the banking angles of the curved sections may resemble the banking angles of a famous racecourse. For example, referring to FIGS.
- the assembled racetrack sections and grandstand simulations may resemble famous racecourses such as: Talladega Superspeedway ( 33 °), Pocono Raceway( 6 - 14 °), Watkins Glen International ( 0 °), Texas Motor Speedway ( 24 °), Martinsville Speedway ( 12 °), Indianapolis Motor Speedway ( 12 °), Atlanta Motor Speedway ( 24 °), Bristol Motor Speedway ( 36 °), Darlington Raceway ( 25 °), or Daytona International Speedway ( 31 °), which are shown in FIGS. 20-29 , respectively.
- the kit may also include simulations of particular objects, buildings, landscape features or landmarks of the famous racecourse.
- the kit includes a lake simulation 64 , which resembles Daytona's interior lake.
- the kit includes the exact number of straight and curved sections, and grandstand simulations, to resemble the configuration of a single, famous racecourse.
- each kit may comprise one track of a series, which is promoted and sold to the consumer.
- the kit may be provided with a greater number of straight and curved sections so that the sections can be assembled into more than one famous racecourse.
- the kit also preferably includes a plurality of radio-controlled toy racecars 66 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the widthwise dimension of the cars 66 and racetrack sections are selected so that at least two cars 66 can be laterally aligned on the track section without interference so that the cars 66 can pass one another.
- the width WC of the cars 66 is less than half of the width W of the racetrack sections.
- the cars 66 may comprise 1:72, 1:64, or 1:32 scale cars which are about 1 to about 2.5 inches wide, while the track may be about 6 in. wide and have sidewalls about 1 ⁇ 2in. high.
- a toy racetrack in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 and is designated generally by reference numeral 70 .
- the racetrack 70 comprises a plurality of straight 210 and curved 310 racetrack sections that are connected in a continuous, end-to-end configuration. With the exception of their shape, the straight and curved racetrack sections have a similar construction.
- the straight racetrack sections 210 generally comprise a planar base portion 212 having a top road surface 214 , a bottom surface 216 , opposed, longitudinally-extending side edges 218 , and opposed, laterally-extending first and second ends 220 , 222 , respectively.
- Base fasteners connect the base portion 212 of two abutting track sections 210 in a continuous, end-to-end configuration as best seen in FIG. 19 .
- the base fasteners may have the construction shown in FIGS. 1-7 .
- each racetrack section 210 includes a longitudinally-extending groove 217 proximate each side edge 218 .
- the grooves 217 extend along the length of the side edges 218 .
- the racetrack sections 210 of this embodiment do not have integrally formed sidewalls. Instead, the racetrack includes an inner 221 and outer 223 snap-on sidewall than connects to the inner and outer periphery of the assembled track sections 210 , 310 .
- Each sidewall 221 , 223 comprises an endless extrusion or belt having a wall portion and a lip portion 225 , which inserts into the grooves 217 of the base portion 212 .
- the wall portion 227 of the sidewalls 221 , 223 extends upwardly transverse, and preferably perpendicular, to the plane of the base portion 212 .
Abstract
A slotless toy racetrack that is constructed by assembling a plurality of straight and curved racetrack sections in an end-to-end configuration. The racetrack is especially useful with radio controlled racecars and is wide enough that the cars can pass one another while competing. The racetrack sections have a base portion and sidewalls fixed to and extending along the length of side edges. The sidewalls have facing inner surfaces defining the width of the road surface and outer surfaces. Base fasteners connect the base portion of two abutting track sections in a continuous, end-to-end configuration. Sidewall fasteners align the sidewalls of two abutting track sections in an end-to-end configuration with a flush interface.
Description
- The present invention relates to slotless toy racetrack and kit for racing toy radio-controlled race cars.
- There are many toy race car sets that include a plurality of track segments that assemble into an endless track. To guide the cars around the track, one form of track segment includes a plurality of generally-parallel slots formed in the top or road surface of the track. The slots guide competing racecars along generally non-overlapping paths of travel. In another form of track segment, the competing racecars are guided and separated from one another by a plurality of guide rails or guide walls, which define discrete racing lanes, each of which is slightly wider than the width of the car. Neither of these track configurations simulates real-life auto racing wherein cars bump, draft, pass and obstruct one another. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a toy racetrack, which includes barriers to contain the racecars on the track, but which allows competing racecars to bump, draft, pass and obstruct one another.
- Some known slotless track segments have sidewalls that extend along the lengthwise-extending edge. The sidewalls may either be integrally formed with or releasably connected to the road surface portion of the track segment. The track segments are connected by male/female connectors on the ends of the road surface portion to form a smooth, continuous road surface. However, the track segments do not have connectors to align the abutting sidewall ends and form a flush interface. If the sidewall ends are not properly aligned, the inwardly-protruding portion of the misaligned sidewall interferes with the racecar riding along the wall. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a racetrack segment, which includes sidewall fasteners for aligning the sidewalls of two abutting track sections in an end-to-end configuration with a flush interface
- The invention comprises a slotless toy racetrack that is constructed by assembling a plurality of straight and curved racetrack sections in an end-to-end configuration. The racetrack is especially useful with radio controlled racecars and is wide enough so that the cars can pass one another while competing.
- The racetrack sections have a top road surface, a bottom surface, opposed longitudinally-extending side edges, and opposed, laterally-extending first and second connection ends. The first connection end of one racetrack segment connects to the second connection end of another racetrack section. Alternatively, the connection ends of one racetrack segment are interchangeably connectable with either connection end of another racetrack section.
- Sidewalls are fixed to and extend along the length of the side edges. The sidewalls have outer surfaces, and facing inner surfaces that define the width of the road surface. The sidewalls have first and second ends that are coterminous with the first and second connection ends, respectively, of the base portion. The sidewalls may be integrally formed with the base portion and may have a thickness that is less than the thickness of the base portion.
- Base fasteners connect the base portion of two abutting track sections in a continuous, end-to-end configuration. Sidewall fasteners align the sidewalls of two abutting track sections in an end-to-end configuration with a flush interface. Preferably, the sidewall fasteners do not contact any portion of the inner surface of the sidewalls so that the inner connection between sidewalls is smooth and uninterrupted.
- In a preferred embodiment, the base fasteners and sidewall fasteners comprise male and female elements at opposed ends of the racetrack section. The base fasteners and sidewall fasteners are preferably integrally formed with the base portion and sidewalls, respectively, so that the fasteners do not get lost or separated. Preferably the sidewall fasteners are fixed to the outer surface of the sidewalls. Alternatively, the sidewall fasteners comprise clips that overlap the intersection of abutting sidewall ends.
- In an alternative embodiment, the sidewalls are not integrally formed with the base portion the racetrack sections. Instead, each sidewall connects to the inner and outer periphery of the assembled track sections. In a preferred embodiment, each sidewall comprises an endless extrusion or belt having a lip portion and a wall portion. The base portion of each racetrack section includes a longitudinally-extending groove, which is proximate each side edge and which extends along the length of the side edges. The grooves receive the lip portion of the snap-on sidewalls. When assembled, the wall portion of the sidewalls extends upwardly transverse, and preferably perpendicular, to the plane of the base portion.
- The invention also provides a toy racecar kit, which includes a plurality of motorized, radio-controlled racecars having a width WC, and a plurality of racetrack sections such as described above. The racetrack sections include at least one straight section and at least one curved section for constructing an endless raceway. The width of the racetrack sections W is preferably at least twice the width WC of the racecars so that the cars can pass one another during competition. Further, because the track is slotless, the cars can bump, draft and interfere with one another.
- In another embodiment of the invention, the plurality of racetrack sections can be assembled in a configuration that resembles a famous racecourse such as Talladega Superspeedway, Pocono Raceway, Watkins Glen International, Texas Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway, or Daytona International Speedway. Additionally, the kit may include simulations of the grandstands, buildings, or landscape of the famous course.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a straight toy racetrack section in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective of adjoining track sections shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a curved toy racetrack section in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary top plan view of interconnected racetrack sections shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5-5 ofFIG. 4 showing a first embodiment of the base fasteners; -
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar toFIG. 5 but showing an alternative embodiment of the base fasteners; -
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar toFIG. 5 but showing an additional embodiment of the base fasteners; - FIGS. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-elevational view of interconnected racetrack sections of
FIG. 1 showing a first embodiment of the sidewall fasteners; - FIGS. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-elevational view of interconnected racetrack sections showing another embodiment of the sidewall fasteners;
- FIGS. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-elevational view of interconnected racetrack sections showing a further embodiment of the sidewall fasteners;
- FIGS. 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-elevational view of interconnected racetrack sections showing yet another embodiment of the sidewall fasteners;
- FIGS. 12 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-elevational view of interconnected racetrack sections showing an additional embodiment of the sidewall fasteners;
-
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 13-13 ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 14-14 ofFIG. 9 ; -
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 15-15 ofFIG. 10 ; -
FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 16-16 ofFIG. 11 ; -
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 17-17 ofFIG. 12 ; -
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a toy racetrack in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 19-19 ofFIG. 18 ; -
FIGS. 20-29 are schematic illustrations of assembled configurations of toy racecar kits in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and, -
FIG. 30 is a cross-section view taken along lines 30-30 ofFIG. 3 . - For the purpose of illustration, there is shown in the accompanying drawings several embodiments of the invention. However, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown therein and described below.
- A toy racetrack section in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown in
FIG. 1 and is designated generally byreference numeral 10. Theracetrack section 10 generally comprises an elongate,planar base portion 12 having atop road surface 14, abottom surface 16, opposed, longitudinally-extending side edges 18, and opposed, laterally-extending first and second ends 20, 22, respectively.Sidewalls 24 are fixed to and extend along the length of the side edges 18. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1 , thesidewalls 24 are integrally formed with thebase portion 12 of theracetrack section 10, which is preferably formed from a plastic moldable material. Preferably, thesidewalls 24 extend along the entire length of thebase portion 12 and have first 26 and second 28 ends that are coterminous with the first 20 and second 22 ends of thebase portion 12. Thesidewalls 24 also extend upwardly transverse, and preferably perpendicular, to the plane of thebase portion 12. Thesidewalls 24 may have a thickness that is less than the thickness of thebase portion 12. -
Base fasteners 30 connect thebase portion 12 of two abuttingtrack sections 10 in a continuous, end-to-end configuration as best seen inFIG. 4 . In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1 , thebase fasteners 30 comprise a plurality ofmale tabs 32 fixed to thefirst connection end 20 andfemale undercuts 34 formed in the second connection end 22 of theracetrack section 10. Thetabs 32 at thefirst end 20 of thebase portion 12 of afirst racetrack section 10 interconnect with theslots 34 at the second end of the base portion of asecond racetrack section 10, thereby joining the racetrack sections in an end-to-end configuration. Thebase fasteners 30 are preferably integrally formed with thebase portion 12 so that the fasteners do not get lost or separated. - The
base fasteners 30 may comprise other forms of connectors such as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7 . Referring toFIG. 6 , the base fasteners comprisemale tabs 132 fixed to thefirst end 20 andfemale slots 134 formed in the second end of the racetrack section. Referring toFIG. 7 , the base fasteners comprise dovetailedmale tabs 232 andfemale undercuts 234. -
Sidewall fasteners 30 align thesidewalls 24 of two abuttingtrack sections 10 in an end-to-end configuration with a flush interface as best seen inFIG. 4 . In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1 , thesidewall fasteners 30 comprise amale tab 38 fixed to the outer surface of eachsidewall 24 at thefirst connection end 20, and a femalebottomless socket 40 fixed to the outer surface of eachsidewall 24 at thesecond connection end 22. Thetabs 38 at thefirst end 20 of afirst racetrack section 10 insert into thesockets 40 at thesecond end 22 of asecond racetrack section 10, thereby aligning the sidewalls in an end-to-end configuration with a flush interface. - The sidewall fasteners may comprise other connectors such as shown in
FIGS. 10-12 and 15-17. Referring toFIGS. 10 and 15 , thesidewall fasteners 136 comprise a bottomlessfemale socket 140 fixed to the outer surface of eachsidewall 24 at both thefirst connection end 20 andsecond connection end 22. Atab 138 extends through bothsockets 140 to align the abutting sidewalls. The sidewall fasteners are preferably integrally formed with sidewalls so that the fasteners do not get lost or separated from the racetrack section. - Referring to
FIGS. 11 and 16 , thesidewall fasteners 236 comprise a barbedmale tab 238 fixed to the outer surface of eachsidewall 24 at thefirst connection end 20, and a femalebottomless socket 240 fixed to the outer surface of eachsidewall 24 at thesecond connection end 22. Referring toFIGS. 12 and 17 , thesidewall fasteners 336 comprise a dovetail-shapedmale tab 338 fixed to the outer surface of eachsidewall 24 at thefirst connection end 20, and a dovetail-shapedfemale socket 340 formed in eachsidewall 24 at thesecond connection end 22. - Preferably, the sidewall fasteners are located on the outer surface of the sidewall or do not contact any portion of the inner surface of the sidewall so that the inner connection between the sidewalls is smooth and uninterrupted. However, if the sidewall fastener does contact the inner surface of the sidewalls, it must not interfere with the path of travel of a racecar along the sidewalls. For example, in the embodiment shown in
FIGS. 9 and 14 , the sidewall fasteners comprise C-clips 50 that overlap the intersection of abutting sidewall ends. Referring toFIGS. 9 and 14 , theclips 50 have an undercut 52 in the upper portion that overlaps the top edge of thesidewalls 24. The lower portion 54 of the C-clips contacts thebottom surface 16 of theracetrack section 10. With sufficient wall height, the slight overlap of the C-clip 50 would not interfere with racecars. - In the embodiments shown in
FIG. 1 and 4-7, the base fasteners provide sufficient interlocking force to prevent the racetrack sections from pulling apart until purposefully disassembled. Therefore, it is not necessary that the construction of the sidewall fasteners provide additional longitudinal interlocking force. However, the sidewall fasteners should be designed to align the abutting sidewall ends into an alignment wherein a flush interface between adjacent abutting sidewalls is formed. - In the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 1 , the racetrack sections have a construction in which the first end is designed to interconnect with the second end of another section. However, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention encompasses a universal construction in which a first racetrack section can interconnect with either end of a second section. A universal construction can be achieved by using, for example, the sidewall fasteners show inFIG. 10 , and by providing bothmale tabs 32 andfemale undercuts 34 on each end of thebase section 12. - In another embodiment of the invention, the
racetrack section 110 has a curved shape but a construction similar to thestraight racetrack section 10 described above. Thecurved racetrack section 110 has planar butcurved base portion 112 having atop road surface 114, a bottom surface 116, opposed, longitudinally-extending side edges 118, and opposed, laterally-extending first and second ends 120, 122, respectively. Thecurved racetrack section 110 further includessidewalls 124, which have a similar construction to thesidewalls 24 described above. Thecurved racetrack section 110 further includes base fasteners 130 andsidewall fasteners 136, which may be selected from the variety offasteners - Referring to
FIG. 30 , thecurved racetrack sections 110 are preferably banked to enhance race performance. Thecurved sections 110 are supported at a banking angle byribs 135. - A plurality of straight 10 and curved 110 racetrack sections may be provided as part of a kit wherein the sections may be assembled to resemble the configuration of a famous racetrack, designated generally by
reference numeral 60, used by NASCAR®, IROC®, Indy, or other racing circuits or leagues. The kit may also includegrandstand simulations 62, which also resemble the grandstands associated with a particular racetrack. Additionally, the banking angles of the curved sections may resemble the banking angles of a famous racecourse. For example, referring toFIGS. 20-29 , and the banking angles described below in parentheses, the assembled racetrack sections and grandstand simulations may resemble famous racecourses such as: Talladega Superspeedway (33°), Pocono Raceway(6-14°), Watkins Glen International (0°), Texas Motor Speedway (24°), Martinsville Speedway (12°), Indianapolis Motor Speedway (12°), Atlanta Motor Speedway (24°), Bristol Motor Speedway (36°), Darlington Raceway (25°), or Daytona International Speedway (31°), which are shown inFIGS. 20-29 , respectively. - The kit may also include simulations of particular objects, buildings, landscape features or landmarks of the famous racecourse. For example, referring to
FIG. 29 , the kit includes alake simulation 64, which resembles Daytona's interior lake. - In a preferred embodiment, the kit includes the exact number of straight and curved sections, and grandstand simulations, to resemble the configuration of a single, famous racecourse. In this embodiment, each kit may comprise one track of a series, which is promoted and sold to the consumer. Alternatively, the kit may be provided with a greater number of straight and curved sections so that the sections can be assembled into more than one famous racecourse.
- The kit also preferably includes a plurality of radio-controlled
toy racecars 66 shown inFIG. 1 . In the preferred embodiment, the widthwise dimension of thecars 66 and racetrack sections are selected so that at least twocars 66 can be laterally aligned on the track section without interference so that thecars 66 can pass one another. Preferably, the width WC of thecars 66 is less than half of the width W of the racetrack sections. For example, thecars 66 may comprise 1:72, 1:64, or 1:32 scale cars which are about 1 to about 2.5 inches wide, while the track may be about 6 in. wide and have sidewalls about ½in. high. - A toy racetrack in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention is shown in
FIGS. 18 and 19 and is designated generally byreference numeral 70. Theracetrack 70 comprises a plurality of straight 210 and curved 310 racetrack sections that are connected in a continuous, end-to-end configuration. With the exception of their shape, the straight and curved racetrack sections have a similar construction. - The
straight racetrack sections 210 generally comprise a planar base portion 212 having a top road surface 214, abottom surface 216, opposed, longitudinally-extending side edges 218, and opposed, laterally-extending first and second ends 220, 222, respectively. Base fasteners connect the base portion 212 of two abuttingtrack sections 210 in a continuous, end-to-end configuration as best seen inFIG. 19 . The base fasteners may have the construction shown inFIGS. 1-7 . - The base portion 212 of each
racetrack section 210 includes a longitudinally-extendinggroove 217 proximate eachside edge 218. Thegrooves 217 extend along the length of the side edges 218. In contrast with theracetrack section 10 described above, theracetrack sections 210 of this embodiment do not have integrally formed sidewalls. Instead, the racetrack includes an inner 221 and outer 223 snap-on sidewall than connects to the inner and outer periphery of the assembledtrack sections sidewall lip portion 225, which inserts into thegrooves 217 of the base portion 212. When assembled, thewall portion 227 of thesidewalls - While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific embodiments, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention.
Claims (20)
1. A toy racetrack section, comprising:
a) a base portion having a top road surface, a bottom surface, opposed longitudinally-extending side edges, and opposed, laterally-extending first and second connection ends;
b) sidewalls fixed to and extending along the length of said side edges, said sidewalls having facing inner surfaces defining the width of the road surface and outer surfaces;
c) base fasteners for connecting the base portion of two abutting track sections in a continuous, end-to-end configuration, and,
d) sidewall fasteners for aligning the sidewalls of two abutting track sections in an end-to-end configuration with a flush interface.
2. The racetrack section recited in claim 1 , wherein the sidewall fasteners do not contact the inner surface of the sidewalls so that the inner interface between sidewalls is smooth and uninterrupted.
3. The racetrack section recited in claim 1 , wherein said sidewalls have first and second ends that are coterminous with said first and second connection ends, respectively, of said base portion.
4. The racetrack section recited in claim 1 , wherein the first connection end of one racetrack segment connects to the second connection end of a second of said racetrack sections.
5. The racetrack section recited in claim 1 , wherein the connections ends of one racetrack segment are interchangeably connectable with either connection end of a second of said racetrack sections.
6. The racetrack section recited in claim 1 , wherein said sidewalls are integrally formed with said base portion.
7. The racetrack section recited in claim 1 , wherein said sidewalls have a thickness that is less than the thickness of said base portion.
8. The racetrack section recited in claim 1 , wherein said base fasteners and sidewall fasteners comprise male and female elements at opposed ends of said section.
9. The racetrack section recited in claim 7 , wherein said base fasteners and said sidewall fasteners are integrally formed with said base portion and sidewalls, respectively.
10. The racetrack section recited in claim 9 , wherein said sidewall fasteners are fixed to the outer surface of said sidewalls.
11. The racetrack section recited in claim 1 , wherein said sidewall fasteners comprise clips that overlap the intersection of abutting sidewall ends.
12. A toy racetrack section, comprising:
a) a base portion having a top road surface, a bottom surface, opposed longitudinally-extending side edges, and opposed, laterally-extending first and second connection ends;
b) sidewalls connected to and extending along the length of said side edges, said sidewalls having facing inner surfaces defining the width of the road surface, and outer surfaces;
c) means for releasably connecting and aligning the base portion and sidewalls of two abutting track sections in a continuous, end-to-end configuration with a flush interface;
wherein the connecting and aligning means does not contact the inner surface of the sidewalls so that the inner interface between sidewalls is smooth and uninterrupted.
13. The racetrack section recited in claim 12 , wherein the first connection end of one racetrack segment connects to the second connection end of a second of said racetrack sections.
14. The racetrack section recited in claim 12 , wherein said connecting and aligning means comprises a longitudinally-extending male element on the first end of said track section and a female receptacle on the second end of said track section, said male element on one track section releasably engaging the female receptacle of another track section.
15. A toy racetrack, comprising:
a) a plurality of straight and curved slotless racetrack sections, each racetrack section having:
i) a base portion including: a top road surface; a bottom surface; opposed longitudinal-extending side edges; and opposed, laterally-extending first and second connection ends;
ii) base fasteners for connecting the base portion of two abutting track sections in a continuous, end-to-end configuration to form an endless raceway; and,
iii) a longitudinal groove in said base portion proximate each side edge extending the length of said section, said grooves of abutting racetrack sections aligning with one another to form an endless groove around the interior and exterior periphery of the raceway;
b) first and second endless sidewalls that connect to the endless grooves in said base portion.
16. The racetrack recited in claim 15 , wherein said endless sidewalls have a lip portion that inserts into the endless groove, and a wall portion that extends upwardly transverse to the plane of the base portion.
17. The racetrack recited in claim 16 , wherein said endless sidewalls comprise a flexible, continuously formed extrusion.
18. A toy racecar kit, comprising:
a) a plurality of motorized, radio-controlled racecars having a width WC;
b) a plurality of slotless racetrack sections, each section having:
i) a base portion including: a top road surface with a width W at least two times greater than WC; a bottom surface; opposed longitudinal-extending side edges; and opposed, laterally-extending first and second connection ends;
ii) sidewalls fixed to and extending along the length of said side edges, said sidewalls having facing inner surfaces defining the width of the road surface and outer surfaces;
iii) base fasteners for connecting the base portion of two abutting track sections in a continuous, end-to-end configuration; and,
iv) sidewall fasteners for aligning the sidewalls of two abutting track sections in an end-to-end configuration with a flush interface;
wherein the plurality of roadway sections includes at least one straight roadway section and at least one curved section for constructing an endless raceway.
19. The kit recited in claim 18 , wherein the plurality of racetrack sections can be assembled in a configuration that resembles a famous racecourse selected from the group consisting of: Talladega Superspeedway, Pocono Raceway, Watkins Glen International, Texas Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway, or Daytona International Speedway.
20. The kit recited in claim 19 , including simulations of at least one of the grandstands, buildings, or landscape of the famous course.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/202,890 US20070037479A1 (en) | 2005-08-12 | 2005-08-12 | Slotless toy racetrack and radio-controlled toy racecar kit |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/202,890 US20070037479A1 (en) | 2005-08-12 | 2005-08-12 | Slotless toy racetrack and radio-controlled toy racecar kit |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20070037479A1 true US20070037479A1 (en) | 2007-02-15 |
Family
ID=37743122
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/202,890 Abandoned US20070037479A1 (en) | 2005-08-12 | 2005-08-12 | Slotless toy racetrack and radio-controlled toy racecar kit |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20070037479A1 (en) |
Cited By (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20100130096A1 (en) * | 2008-11-21 | 2010-05-27 | Access Business Group International Llc | Inductive toy vehicle |
WO2012047513A1 (en) * | 2010-10-08 | 2012-04-12 | K'nex Limited Partnership Group | Toy race track system |
US20140159419A1 (en) * | 2012-12-11 | 2014-06-12 | Leonard W. Baker | Flexible panel member for a trailer side skirt system |
US9050994B2 (en) | 2010-11-18 | 2015-06-09 | Mattel, Inc. | Toy vehicle raceway and rolling cart |
WO2016115080A1 (en) * | 2015-01-14 | 2016-07-21 | Bergan Brent | Toy race car tracks |
US10549797B2 (en) | 2017-04-20 | 2020-02-04 | Wabash National, L.P. | Side underride guard |
US10940817B2 (en) | 2018-02-21 | 2021-03-09 | Wabash National, L.P. | Side underride guard |
US10946824B2 (en) | 2017-09-13 | 2021-03-16 | Wabash National, L.P. | Side underride guard |
RU2754182C1 (en) * | 2020-11-10 | 2021-08-30 | Аркадий Михайлович Глазман | Road for toy vehicles |
US11504639B2 (en) | 2021-01-12 | 2022-11-22 | Mattel, Inc. | Reconfigurable toy vehicle loop |
US20230138167A1 (en) * | 2021-11-04 | 2023-05-04 | Mattel, Inc. | Tile track piece for a toy vehicle |
-
2005
- 2005-08-12 US US11/202,890 patent/US20070037479A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (14)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9901838B2 (en) | 2008-11-21 | 2018-02-27 | Access Business Group International Llc | Inductive systems for vehicles |
US8545284B2 (en) * | 2008-11-21 | 2013-10-01 | Access Business Group International Llc | Inductive toy vehicle |
US20100130096A1 (en) * | 2008-11-21 | 2010-05-27 | Access Business Group International Llc | Inductive toy vehicle |
WO2012047513A1 (en) * | 2010-10-08 | 2012-04-12 | K'nex Limited Partnership Group | Toy race track system |
US8597069B2 (en) | 2010-10-08 | 2013-12-03 | K'nex Limited Partnership Group | Toy race track system |
US9050994B2 (en) | 2010-11-18 | 2015-06-09 | Mattel, Inc. | Toy vehicle raceway and rolling cart |
US20140159419A1 (en) * | 2012-12-11 | 2014-06-12 | Leonard W. Baker | Flexible panel member for a trailer side skirt system |
WO2016115080A1 (en) * | 2015-01-14 | 2016-07-21 | Bergan Brent | Toy race car tracks |
US10549797B2 (en) | 2017-04-20 | 2020-02-04 | Wabash National, L.P. | Side underride guard |
US10946824B2 (en) | 2017-09-13 | 2021-03-16 | Wabash National, L.P. | Side underride guard |
US10940817B2 (en) | 2018-02-21 | 2021-03-09 | Wabash National, L.P. | Side underride guard |
RU2754182C1 (en) * | 2020-11-10 | 2021-08-30 | Аркадий Михайлович Глазман | Road for toy vehicles |
US11504639B2 (en) | 2021-01-12 | 2022-11-22 | Mattel, Inc. | Reconfigurable toy vehicle loop |
US20230138167A1 (en) * | 2021-11-04 | 2023-05-04 | Mattel, Inc. | Tile track piece for a toy vehicle |
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Legal Events
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |