US20150147935A1

US20150147935A1 - Battling mobile toy

Info

Publication number: US20150147935A1
Application number: US14/344,766
Authority: US
Inventors: Yuki Satou; Yoshitake Tsutsui
Original assignee: Bandai Co Ltd
Current assignee: Bandai Co Ltd
Priority date: 2011-09-20
Filing date: 2012-09-19
Publication date: 2015-05-28
Also published as: CN202822770U; WO2013042672A1; JP5044716B1; KR20140037946A; CN102580321A; JP2013066514A

Abstract

A battling mobile toy has a toy body, a travelling unit provided in the toy body, and a figure body mounted on top of the toy body. A front portion of the toy body is provided with a slope and a thrusting portion. The slope slopes downward to the front. The thrusting portion is provided in a front portion of the slope, and is tapered downward to the front. The thrusting portion is thrust between another mobile toy and a travel surface to flip the other mobile toy over. A lower portion of the toy body is provided with a gap into which the thrusting portion of the other mobile toy is thrust from the side.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a battling mobile toy.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

In related art, toys exist with which multiple figure bodies are made to fight against each other to compete for supremacy. As such battling toys, various technologies have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1 discloses a toy battle system using two figure bodies (toy bodies). A torso member as a main element of each of the figure bodies has a wheel for moving the figure body, left and right arms for attacking an opponent, a movable plate provided on the front, and a head that pops out in synchronization with movement of the movable plate. The head is configured to pop out when an attack with the left arm or the right arm hits the movable plate. Users enjoy boxing play by attacking the opponent's movable plate with the left arm or the right arm while moving the figure bodies.

CITATION LIST

Patent Document

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-79964 (FIG. 4)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

With the demand for simple and fun toys in recent years, there is a desire for battling toys that allow victory/defect to be determined by a simple action. However, the toy disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires numerous actions until victory/defeat is determined, including movement of the toy body, an attack with the arm, and popping-out of the head.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumferences, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a battling mobile toy that is fun and with which victory/defeat is determined by a simple action.

Solution to the Problem

A battling mobile toy according to the present invention is a battling mobile toy including a toy body that has a travelling unit. The toy body includes a thrusting portion that is tapered forward, the thrusting portion being provided in a front portion of the toy body, and a gap into which the thrusting portion of another battling mobile toy can be thrust, the gap being provided in a lower portion of the toy body and being open on a lateral side.
Preferably, the battling mobile toy according to the present invention further includes a projection that projects laterally from the toy body, and the projection abuts against the projection of the other battling mobile toy when the battling mobile toy passes the other battling mobile toy. Preferably, the battling mobile toy according to the present invention further includes a stick that extends forward of the projection, and the stick is capable of abutting against the projection of the other battling mobile toy. Preferably, the battling mobile toy according to the present invention further includes a battery to drive the travelling unit, and the battery is disposed at a position higher than a center in a vertical direction of the toy body. Preferably, the battling mobile toy according to the present invention further includes a battery to drive the travelling unit, and the battery is disposed at a position shifted to one of left and right sides with respect to a center in a lateral direction of the toy body. Preferably, in the battling mobile toy according to the present invention, the travelling unit includes left and right wheels, and the left and right wheels are disposed so as to fit within a width dimension of the toy body. Preferably, in the battling mobile toy according to the present invention, a front portion of the toy body curves outward in plan view.

Effect of the Invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a battling mobile toy that is fun and with which victory/defeat is determined by a simple action.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a general configuration of a battle system using a battling mobile toy according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the battling mobile toy according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the battling mobile toy;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the battling mobile toy;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the battling mobile toy;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the battling mobile toy;

FIGS. 7A to 7D each illustrate a shape of a projection, of which FIG. 7A is a view along an arrow VIIA of FIG. 4, and FIGS. 7B to 7D illustrate modifications of the shape, respectively corresponding to cross-sections taken along lines VIIB-VIIB, VIIC-VIIC, and VIID-VIID of FIG. 7A;

FIGS. 8A to 8C illustrate operation of the battling mobile toy, of which FIG. 8A illustrates two mobile toys before collision, FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of a thrusting portion and a gap, and FIG. 8C illustrates two mobile toys after collision;

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate operation of the projection, of which FIG. 9A illustrates two mobile toys before collision, and FIG. 9B illustrates two mobile toys after collision;

FIG. 10 illustrates the effect of roundness of a front wall;

FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate a modification of the battling mobile toy, of which FIG. 11A illustrates a configuration of the modification, and FIG. 11B illustrates operation of a stick; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of another modification of the battling mobile toy.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Throughout the description of the embodiment below, like elements are denoted by like reference numerals. The terms front/rear and left/right as used herein refer to front/rear and left/right with respect to the direction of travel of a battling mobile toy.
A battle system 10 including a battling mobile toy according to the present invention has a base 11, and multiple (two in this case) battling mobile toys 20 and 20A that travel on a travel surface 12 of the base 11. The mobile toys 20 ad 20A are, for example, so-called radio-controlled machines that are controlled by radio.
In the battle system 10, multiple users control their respective transmitters 13 and 13A to move the mobile toys 20 and 20A into contact or collision with the opponent's mobile toy 20 or 20A. For example, victory/defeat is determined when the mobile toy 20 or 20A flips the opponent's mobile toy 20 or 20A over within a predetermined period of time (the user who flips the opponent's mobile toy over is the winner). Alternatively, victory/defeat or superiority/inferiority may be determined when the mobile toy 20 or 20A drops the opponent's mobile toy 20 or 20A from the base 12, or drops a figure body 21 or 21A of the opponent.
A configuration of the mobile toy 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. Since the basic configuration of the mobile toy 20A is the same as that of the mobile toy 20, a detailed description of the mobile toy 20A is omitted.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the mobile toy 20 has a toy body 30, the figure body 21 modelled on a character that is interchangeably mounted on top of the toy body 30. The toy body 30 has a box-shaped chassis 40, a body 50 that covers the chassis 40 from above, left and right projections 31 that project laterally from the body 50, and an antenna 22 for receiving a radio signal from the transmitter 13 (see FIG. 1). The toy body 30 is capable of, for example, straight-ahead movement (direction indicated by an arrow (1)) and a pivot turn (direction indicated by an arrow (2)), and is capable of moving to a desired position.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, a travelling unit (a pair of left and right wheels 41 in this case) is provided in the lower portion of the chassis 40. The wheels 41 are located close to the rear portion of the chassis 40, and are driven by a driving unit (not illustrated) such as an electric motor. A support portion (for example, a slide member that slides on the travel surface, or a general driven wheel) 42 is provided in front of the wheels 41. The support portion 42 supports the front portion of the chassis 40 with respect to the travel surface 12. The travelling unit is not particularly limited to wheels. The travelling unit may be configured in any way as long as the travelling unit is able to move the mobile toy 20 with respect to the travel surface 12.
The chassis 40 is provided with a battery (for example, a dry battery) 43 that supplies electric power to the driving unit, and a battery box (not illustrated). Preferably, the battery 43 and the battery box are disposed at a position higher than a center C1 in the vertical direction of the toy body 30. By disposing the battery 43, which has a relatively large mass among the components of the mobile toy 20, at a high position in this way, the center of gravity of the mobile toy 20 becomes high, which makes the mobile toy 20 unstable and thus vulnerable to being flipped over.
By making a portion (for example, an upper portion or a lower portion) of the chassis 40 removable, and using this portion as a lid, it is possible to exchange the battery 43, or incorporate various components into the chassis 40.
The body 50 is detachably mounted on the chassis 40. The body 50 has a substantially box shape that is open on the bottom. The body 50 has a top wall 51 that covers the top surface of the chassis 40, left and right side walls 52 that cover the side surfaces of the chassis 40, a front wall 53 that covers the front surface of the chassis 40, and a rear wall 54 that covers the rear surface of the chassis 40. A support 32 extends upwards from the top wall 51. A predetermined portion of the figure body 21 (a portion in the vicinity of the waste of the figure body 21 in this case) is detachably mounted on a distal end portion 32 a of the support 32.
The front wall 53 has a slope 55 that slopes downward to the front. A lower front portion of the slope 55 is provided with a thrusting portion 56. The thrusting portion 56 is thrust so as to scoop out a lower portion of the other mobile toy 20A (see FIG. 1) from the side. The thrusting portion 56 is tapered downward to the front, with its sharp tip 56 a being located in close proximity to the travel surface 12. To allow the thrusting portion 56 to be easily thrust underneath the other mobile toy 20A (see FIG. 1), the thrusting portion 56 and the slope 55 are preferably provided with a roundness R1 that curves inward in side view. In addition, preferably, a height position P1 of the tip 56 a from the travel surface 12 is set lower than a height position P2 of a lower edge 57 of the side walls 52 (or a height position P3 of an undersurface 44 of the chassis).
As illustrated in FIG. 4, a lower portion of the toy body 30 is provided with a gap 58 that is open on the lateral side. The gap 57 is a space defined between the mobile toy 20 and the travel surface 12, and extends from the lower edge 57 of the side wall to the undersurface 44 of the chassis. A thrusting portion 56A (see FIG. 1) of the other mobile toy may be thrust into the gap 58.
Preferably, the left and right side walls 52 are shaped so as to diverge to the left and right as the left and right side walls 52 extend downward. For example, the side walls 52 are provided with a roundness R2 that curves inward, and a width dimension W1 between the lower portions of the left and right side walls 52 is set larger than a width dimension W2 between their upper portions. Consequently, the lower edge 57 is oriented slightly outward, which allows easy entry of the thrusting portion 56A (see FIG. 1) of the other mobile toy into the gap 58.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, the battery 43 may be disposed at a position shifted to either one of the left and right sides (the left side indicated by an arrow (3) in this case) with respect to a center C2 in the lateral direction of the toy body 30. Displacing the center of gravity of the battery 43 with a large mass with respect to a center C2 in the lateral direction in this way allows the mobile toy 20 to easily flip over to the side in which the battery 43 is disposed. Consequently, the side portion of the mobile toy 20 opposite to the side in which the battery 43 is disposed may serve as a vulnerable point that is vulnerable to collision impact.
Preferably, the lower edge 59 of the front wall 53 may be formed so as to curve outward in plan view. For example, the lower edge 59 is formed in a substantially V-shape so as to taper forward in plan view. Further, the tip 56 a of the thrusting portion 56 is provided with a roundness R3, and edge portions on both the left and right sides of the tip 56 a are also provided with a roundness R4. The sizes of the roundnesses R3 and R4 may be set to any sizes. Like the front wall 53, a lower edge 61 of the rear wall 54 may be provided with roundnesses R5 and R6.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, preferably, the left and right wheels 41 are disposed so as to fit within the width dimension of the toy body 30. In this case, a width dimension W3 between the left and right wheels 41 is set smaller than a width dimension W4 of the body 50 (more preferably, a width dimension W5 of the chassis 40). By setting the width between the wheels 41 narrow in this way, the flipping angle in the lateral direction of the mobile toy 20 becomes small, which allows the mobile toy 20 to easily flip over.
Next, a configuration of the projection 31 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7D.
As illustrated in FIG. 7A, the projection 31 is substantially disc-shaped. The projection 31 comes into abutment with a projection 31A (see FIG. 1) of another mobile toy when passing the other mobile toy. The projection 31 may be formed so as to have only a lower half side (semi-disc shape) indicated by an arrow (4). The fact that the projection 31 may be changed to a semi-disc shape as described above may also apply to the modifications of the projection 31 described below.
As illustrated in FIG. 7B, the projection 31 may have a truncated cone shape that combines a flat side surface 31 a and a tapered outer circumferential surface 31 b. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 7C, the projection 31 may have a shape obtained by combining a convex surface (for example, a spherical surface) 31 c that curves outward, and a tapered outer circumferential surface 31 b. Further, alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 7D, the projection 31 may have a shape whose entire side surface is formed as a convex surface (for example, a spherical surface) 31 e. The shape of the projection 31 is not limited to the above-mentioned shapes. The shape of the projection 31 may be changed to any shape such as a concave shape or a polyhedral shape in accordance with the specifications required for the mobile toy 20. Further, knurled grooves or stripes may be provided in the outer circumferential surface or side surface of the projection 31.
Operation of the mobile toys 20 and 20A described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8A to 10. When the other mobile toy 20A travels toward the side portion of the mobile toy 20 as illustrated in FIG. 8A, the thrusting portion 56A of the other mobile toy 20A is thrust into the gap 58 from the side as illustrated in FIG. 8B. As illustrated in FIG. 8C, as the other mobile toy 20A moves further forward, the thrusting portion 56A is thrust so as to scoop out between the mobile toy 20 and the travel surface 12. Then, the mobile toy 20 rides over the slope 55A and tilts. As a result, the mobile toy 20 flips over in a direction indicated by an arrow (5).
When the mobile toy 20 and the other mobile toy 20A pass each other as illustrated in FIG. 9A, the projection 31 and the projection 31A come into collision with each other as illustrated in FIG. 9B. When, upon this collision, for example, the projection 31 is bounced back by or rides over the projection 31A, the mobile toy 20 loses its self-supporting stability, and flips over in a direction indicated by an arrow (6).
According to the mobile toys 20 and 20A that operate as described above, the user is able to launch an attack by using the thrusting portion 56 or 56A or the projection 31 or 31A, and flip the opponent's mobile toy 20 or 20A over. As described above, the only action needed until victory/defeat is determined is to cause the mobile toy 20 or 20A to travel and flip the opponent's mobile toy 20 or 20A over. Therefore, according to the embodiment, it is possible to provide a fun toy with which victory/defeat is determined by a simple action.
As illustrated in FIG. 10, the lower edge 59 of the front wall is formed so as to curve outward. In this regard, the lower edge of the front wall may be formed in a linear shape instead of being curved outward. However, when the lower edge of the front wall is formed in a linear shape, the linear portion or corner portion prevents the mobile toy from flipping over. That is, the mobile toy does not easily roll around. In this regard, because the lower edge 59 is provided with the roundnesses R3 and R4 in the embodiment, the mobile toy 20 easily rolls on the travel surface 12 when flipped over. As a result, the mobile toy 20 may be flipped over more easily.
The mobile toy according to the embodiment has a shape that allows the mobile toy to easily flip over. Upon hitting each other, the mobile toys become unstable in their balance. This allows the operator to enter a battle with a sense of tension that is heightened by the fact that the operator himself/herself does not know whether flipping will occur or not, until his/her own mobile toy or the opponent's mobile toy flips over. Therefore, it is possible to provide a more amusing battling mobile toy.
Next, a modification of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B.
As illustrated in FIG. 11A, a mobile toy 70 has a stick 23 that extends forward of the thrusting portion 56 by a predetermined length L. The stick 23 may come into abutment with the projection 31A of the opponent. As illustrated in FIG. 11B, by hitting the projection 31A with the tip of the stick 23, the opponent's mobile toy 20A may be flipped over in a direction indicated by an arrow (7). According to this modification, the user may attack the opponent's mobile toy 20A with the stick 23, in addition to an attack based on the thrusting portion 56 and the projection 31.
Next, another modification of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12.
As illustrated in FIG. 12, a mobile toy 80 has a mount 33 in an upper portion of the body 50. Multiple kinds of parts may be detachably mounted on the mount 33. For example, depending on the type of the battle, the user may mount a part 34 having a convex shape, or remove the part 34 and mount the stick 23 (see FIGS. 11A and 11B). As a result, the user may enjoy various battles by using an interchangeable part such as the part 34 or the stick 23, in addition to an attack based on the thrusting portion 56 and the projection 31.
While the present invention has been described above by way of its embodiment, it is needless to mention that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. It is apparent to persons skilled in the art that various alterations and improvements may be made to the above-described embodiment. It is apparent from the scope of the claims that embodiments with such alterations or improvements may also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

12 travel surface
20, 20A battling mobile toy
23 stick
30 toy body
31, 31A projection
41 wheels (travelling means)
43 battery
56, 56A thrusting portion
58 gap
70, 80 battling mobile toy
C1 upper or lower direction from a center
C2 left or right direction of a center
W4 width dimension

Claims

1. A battling mobile toy for engaging a secondary mobile toy having secondary toy body defining a secondary tapered thrusting portion, the battling mobile toy comprising:

a toy body comprising:

a travelling unit configured to enable the toy body to move along a surface, and

a tapered thrusting portion, the tapered thrusting portion defined on a front portion of the toy body, and

wherein the toy body defines a gap on a lateral side of a lower portion of the toy body, the gap configured to receive the secondary tapered thrusting portion of the secondary toy body.

2. The battling mobile toy according to claim 1, further comprising:

a projection that projects laterally from the toy body,

wherein the projection is configured to abut against a secondary projection of the secondary battling mobile toy when the battling mobile toy passes the secondary battling mobile toy.

3. The battling mobile toy according to claim 2, further comprising:

a stick that extends in a forward direction of the toy body,

wherein the stick is configured to abut against the secondary projection of the secondary battling mobile toy when the battling mobile toy engages the secondary battling mobile toy.

4. The battling mobile toy according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery configured to drive the travelling unit,

wherein the battery is disposed at a position above a vertical center point of the toy body.

5. The battling mobile toy according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery configured to drive the travelling unit,

wherein the battery is disposed at a position on a left or right side of a lateral center point of the toy body.

6. The battling mobile toy according to claim 1, wherein:

the travelling unit includes a left wheel and a right wheel;

wherein the left wheel and the right wheel are disposed so as to fit within a width dimension of the toy body.

7. The battling mobile toy according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the front portion of the toy body curves outward with respect to a plan view of the toy body.

8. The battling mobile toy according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mounting member located on a top surface of the toy body, the mounting member configured to detachably connect a figure body to the toy body.

9. The battling mobile toy according to claim 8, wherein:

the mounting member comprises a support extending upwards from the top surface of the toy body, the support comprising a distal end portion,

wherein the distal end portion is configured to detachably connect the figure body to the support.

10. The battling mobile toy according to claim 9, further comprising:

a second mounting member defined on an upper portion of the toy body, the second mounting member configured to detachably connect at least one accessory part to the toy body.

11. The battling mobile toy according to claim 1, wherein the gap is defined by an open space between the surface and a bottom portion of the lateral side of the toy body; and

wherein the tapered thrusting portion is positioned at a height lower than the bottom portion of the lateral side of the toy body.

12. The battling mobile toy according to claim 1, wherein tapered thrusting portion is configured to flip the secondary toy body on its side when movably engaged with the secondary toy body.

13. A battling mobile toy set comprising:

a first battling mobile toy comprising a first toy body that includes:

a first travelling unit configured to enable the first toy body to move along a surface; and

a first tapered thrusting portion provided on a front portion of the first toy body;

wherein the first toy body defines a first gap on a lateral side of the first toy body; and

a second battling mobile toy comprising a second toy body that includes:

a second travelling unit configured to enable the second toy body to move along the surface; and

a second tapered thrusting portion provided on a front portion of the second toy body;

wherein the second toy body defines a second gap on a lateral side of the second toy body;

wherein the second gap of the second toy body is configured to receive the first tapered thrusting portion of the first toy body and wherein the first gap of the first toy body is configured to receive the second tapered thrusting portion of the second toy body.

14. The battling mobile toy set of claim 13, wherein:

the first toy body further comprises a first projection that projects laterally from the first toy body,

the second toy body further comprises a second projection that projects laterally from the second toy body, and

wherein the first projection is configured to abut against the second projection when the first battling mobile toy passes by the second battling mobile toy.

15. The battling mobile toy set of claim 13, wherein the first travelling unit comprises a first set of one or more wheels; and

wherein the second travelling unit comprises a second set of one or more wheels.

16. The battling mobile toy set of claim 13, wherein the first battling mobile toy further comprises a first battery configured to drive the first travelling unit, and wherein the second battling mobile toy further comprises a second battery configured to drive the second travelling unit.

17. The battling mobile toy set of claim 16, wherein first battery is positioned at a location that is at least one of: (i) above a vertical center point of the first toy body and (ii) on a left or right side of a lateral center point of the first toy body; and

wherein the second battery is positioned at a location that is at least one of: (i) above a vertical center point of the second toy body and (ii) on a left or right side of a lateral center point of the second toy body.

18. The battling mobile toy set of claim 13, wherein the first gap is defined by an open space between the surface and a bottom portion of the lateral side of the first toy body; and

wherein the second gap is defined by an open space between the surface and a bottom portion of the lateral side of the second toy body.

19. The battling mobile toy set of claim 13, wherein the first tapered thrusting portion is configured to flip the second toy body on its side when movably engaged with the second gap of the second toy body; and

wherein the second tapered thrusting portion is configured to flip the first toy body on its side when movably engaged with the first gap of the first toy body.

20. The battling mobile toy set of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of figure bodies;

wherein the first toy body further comprises a first mounting member configured to detachably connect any one of the plurality of figure bodies to the first toy body; and

wherein the second toy body further comprises a second mounting member configured to detachably connect any one of the plurality of figure bodies to the second toy body.