US3564756A - Toy mine - Google Patents

Abstract

A TOY RESEMBLING A LAND MINE. THE TOY COMPRISES A SPRING-ACTUATED COVER, LATCH MEMBERS AND AN ACTUATING MEMBER, SAID ACTUATING MEMBER HAVING A PORTION WHICH HOLDS SAID LATCH MEMBERS IN LATCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COVER, SAID ACTUATING MEMBER BEING DEPRESSIBLE TO PERMIT SAID LATCH MEMBERS TO DISENGAGE FROM SAID COVER WHEREBY THE LATTER IS VIOLENTLY SPRUNG.

Description

GUNPEI YOKOI.

TOY MINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 12, 1969 lamb f My! fall INVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 23, 1971 GUNPEI YOKOI TOY MINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 12, 1969 Feb. 23, 1971 GUNPEI YQKOI o MINE 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 12, 1969 FIG. 5

FIG. 7A FIG. 7B

United States Patent Office 3,564,756 Patented Feb. 23, 1971 TOY MINE Y Gunpei Yokoi, Kyoto, Japan, assignor to Nintendo Co.,

Ltd., Kyoto, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Aug. 12, 1969, Ser. No. 849,308 Claims priority, application Japan, Feb. 12, 1969, 44/ 12,298 Int. Cl. A63h 33/00 US. Cl. 461 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy resembling a land mine, The toy comprises a spring-actuated cover, latch members and an actuating member, said actuating member having a portion which holds said latch members in latching engagement with said cover, said actuating member being depressible to permit said latch members to disengage from said cover whereby the latter is violently sprung.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a toy and, particularly, to a spring-actuated toy which resembles a land mine in function and shape.

A jack-in-the-box has long been known for its surprising function. This device comprises a box in which is mounted a spring-actuated article of uncanny shape which, when the box is opened, is adapted to be sprung out of the box toward the face of the operator.

The toy of the present invention is of an idea or concept which is entirely different from that of a toy of the above-mentioned kind.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention is to provide a spring-actuated toy of entirely novel concept.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a spring-actuated toy which resembles a land mine in outline or profile and in function.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a spring-actuated toy of the kind specified and which may be played either solely or in combination with another type of toy.

The toy of the present invention has a base member, a hollow cylindrical member secured to said base member, a cover member, a compression coil spring member secured at the opposite ends to said base and cover members, respectively, and extending around said cylindrical member, latch members pivotally mounted at one end on said cylindrical member, said latch members having heads adapted to normally engage said cover member for retaining the latter against the biassing force of said spring member, a depressible actuating member extending axially through said cylindrical member, and a second compression coil spring member extending between said base and actuating members, said actuating member having a central portion normally in contact with the heads of said latch members to hold the heads in latching engagement with said cover member, whereby depression of said actuating member permits said latch members to be pivoted inwardly for allowing said cover member to be violently sprung by first-mentioned spring member.

An increased spring action of the cover member may be obtained by replacing the first-mentioned spring member with another one of an increased resiliency.

The head of each latch member has an outer portion which is provided with a slant under surface which normally is in latching engagement with a complementary step in the cover member which in turn is urged upwardly by the first spring member. The head of each latch member also has an inner portion which is in pressure contact with the peripheral surface of the central portion of the actuating member. Thus, the liability of the operation of the toy, that is, the spring action of the cover member, in response to a force exerted to the actuating member depends on the angles at which the outer and inner portions of the heads of the latch members engage the step in the cover member and the central portion of the actuating member, respectively.

The cover member will produce a surprising sound when violently sprung by the first spring member. An additional sound may be obtained by mounting on the hollow cylindrical member a piece of metal in such a manner that the metal piece is beaten by turns of the first coil spring when the toy is actuated and the spring expands, However, such a metal piece is not a part of the toy according to the present invention.

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will be made apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DMWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the toy mine according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the toy mine taken substantially along line II-II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the toy with a safety plate being removed away;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the position of an actuator and latch members of the toy when the safety plate is removed and the actuator is depressed down;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the toy when the cover thereof is sprung upwardly;

FIGS. 6A to 6C are top, bottom and side elevational views of a cylindrical body containing locking or latching mechanism, respectively; and

FIGS. 7A and 7B are front and side views of a latch member, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The toy of the present invention has a generally frustoconical shape as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 and comprises a generally frusto-conical hollow cover 1, a base 2, a cylindrical hollow body 3 containing therein latching or locking mechanism and releasing or actuating mechanism, and a compression coil spring 4.

The cover 1 is molded from a plastic material and has a central cylindrical wall 5 which extends downwardly from the top to define a central opening 5'. The central wall 5 is provided with a radially inwardly offset lower portion which forms an inwardly downwardly inclined step 6.

The base 2 is also molded from a similar or the same plastic material as that of the cover 1 and has a generally disc-like configuration. The base 2 has inner and outer cylindrical walls 7 and 8 both projecting upwardly from the common plane of the base 2. A central throughhole 7' is defined by the inner cylindrical wall 7 for the purpose which will be made apparent hereinafter. The with a pair of diametrally opposed flanges 8', 8' projecting radially inwardly from the wall 8. The flanges 8', 8' define therebetween a pair of diametrally opposed notches (not shown) for the purpose to be described later. An annular recess 9 is defined by the base 2 and the inner and outer cylindrical walls 7 and 8.

Radially outwardly of the outer cylindrical wall 8 is formed an upwardly opening annular recess 10 defined between the outer surface of the cylindrical wall 8 and an annular ridge 11 projecting upwardly from the common plane of the base 2 in the peripheral edge region thereof. The annular ridge 11 has three circumferentially spaced flanges 11' (only one of them is shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) projecting radially inwardly from the ridge 11 at the top thereof. The base 2 also has a circular recess 12 provided in the undersurface thereof for the purpose to be made apparent later. The base 2 is opened at the portions under the flanges 11' as seen in FIGS. '2, 3 and 4. This feature, however, does not have any significance in the operation of the toy of the invention but is effective to save the material required.

The compression spring 4 is of a frusto-conical form and extends between the cover 1 and the base 2. More specifically, the spring 4 has bottom end of a turn of large diameter which is received in the annular recess in the base 2 and is held in position between the respective flanges 11' and the bottom of the recess 10. The spring 4 spirally extends about, but in spaced relationship with, the cylindrical walls 5 and 8 of the cover 1 and the base 2, respectively, and is secured at the top end to the radially outer surface of the cylindrical wall 5 of the cover at a portion adjacent the connection of the wall 5 to the top of the cover 1. The resiliency of the spring 4 causes the uppermost turn of the spring to firmly grip the cylindrical wall 5 to frictionally mount the cover 1 on the spring 4.

Referring to FIGS. 6A to 6C, the cylindrical body 3 has a pair of diametrally opposed arcuate flanges 14, 14 of such size and shape as to pass through the aforestated notches defined between the flanges 8', 8' into the annular recess 9. It is, therefore, appreciated that when the bottom of the cylindrical body 3 is received in the recess 9, the body 3 may be rotated manually in a direction to a position in which the flanges 8', 8' of the base 2 and the arcuate flanges 14, 14 are axially registered, respectively. In this position, the cylindrical body 3 is connected to the base 2 against inadvertent axial removal from the recess 9. Each of the arcuate flanges 14, 14 of the cylindrical body 3 has at one end thereof a step 15 which, when the body is rotated as mentioned, is adapted to engage one end of a corresponding flange 8' of the base 2 to stop the rotation of the body 3 when each of the flanges 14, 14 is brought into proper axial registration with one of the flanges 8', 8'.

As seen in FIGS. 6A to 6C, the cylindrical body 3 is hollow and has a generally cylindrical inner surface 15 and an open bottom and a top which is closed excepting a small aperture 16 provided centrally of the top. A pair of diametrally opposed axial grooves 17, 17 are provided in the inner surface 15 adjacent the circumferential centers of the arcuate flanges 14, 14, respectively. In the flanges 14, 14 are provided a pair of parallel elongated recesses or grooves 18, 18 each extending tangentially and intersecting one of the axial grooves 17, 17 at the bottom portion thereof as best seen in FIG. 6B. As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 6A and 6C, the upper part of each of the axial grooves 17, 17 is opened laterally by a lateral window 19'.

Referring back to FIG. 2, a generally hammer-like latch member 20 is positioned in each of the axial grooves 17, 17 in the cylindrical body 3. More specifically, the latch member 20 includes an integral stem portion 21, an integral pivot pin portion 22 projecting laterally in opposite directions from one end of the stem portion 21 and an integral head 23 extending laterally in opposite directions from the other end of the stem portion 22 and arranged perpendicularly with respect to the pivot pin portion 22 as best seen in FIGS. 7A and 7B. As seen in FIG. 2, the stern portion 21 is received in a corresponding axial groove 17, the pivot pin portion 22 is rotatably received in a corresponding tangential recess 18 and the head 23 is disposed in a corresponding lateral groove or window 19. The head 23 has one end 23a which projects radially outwardly from the window 19 and thus from the cylindrical body 3. The head end 23a has an up- CTl wardly and outwardly directed undersurface 23a which is normally adapted to be in engagement with the inwardly and downwardly inclined step 6 in the cover 1. The other end 23b of the head 23 projects radially inwardly from the cylindrical inner surface 15 of the body 3 and has an inwardly and upwardly directed undersurface 23b.

An actuator 24 is disposed within the cylindrical body 3. The actuator 24 has a central large diameter portion 24a, an integral upper reduced diameter portion or stem 24b which projects upwardly through the aperture 16 in the top of the body 3 and an integral lower reduced diameter portion or stem 24c which projects downwardly into the through-hole 7' in the base 2. A compression coil spring 25 extends between the base 2 and the central portion 24a of the actuator 24 around the cylindrical wall 7 of the base and the lower stem 240 of the actuator. The arrangement is such that the central portion 24a is normally positioned in contact at the peripheral surface thereof with the inwardly projecting head portion 23b of each latch member 20 to cause the undersurface 23a of the other head end 23a to be normally held in engagement with the step 6 in the cover 1 so that the cover may be prevented from being upwardly moved by the spring 4.

With the structure as described in the above, when the upper stem 24]: of the actuator 24 is depressed downwardly against the spring 25, the central actuator portion 24:: is also moved downwardly to disengage from the heads 23, 23 of the latch members 20, 20. At this moment, the force of the spring 4 causes the inwardly and downwardly inclined step 6 of the cover 1 to force the latch members 20, 20 to pivot about the axes of their pivot pin portions 22, 22 as shown in FIG. 4 until the undersurfaces 23a, 23a of the latch members 20, 20 disengage from the step 6 of the cover 1 to permit the latter to be violently sprung upwardly as shown in FIG. 5. At the moment the cover is sprung, the cover violently vibrates to generate surprising sound which, together with the abrupt expansion of the spring 4, surprises an operator as if he is frightened at the operation of a jack-inthe-box.

The toy of the present invention may be used either solely as a kind of frightening device like a jack-in-thebox or in combination with toy car or train built up With pieces of assembling blocks. In the latter use, such a toy car may be caused to run over a toy of the present invention. When the toy car depresses the actuator stem 24]), the cover 1 may be abruptly and violently sprung upwardly against the assembly of the blocks resembling a car so that the assembly is crushed or disassembled into individual pieces of blocks. This operation or phe nomenon resembles the explosion or detonation of a land mine. Thus, the toy of the present invention is termed toy mine.

The cover 1 may be set in a retracted or springingpreparation position by first depressing the actuator 24 against the spring 25, then lowering down the cover to its lowermost position and lastly removing the pressure exerted to the actuator. Each of the head end 23a has an outwardly and downwardly inclined uppersurface by means of which each of the latch members 20,20 is caused to inwardly pivot about the axis of each pivot pin 22 by the lower end of the cylindrical wall 5 of the cover 1 when the latter is lowered. When the downward pressure on the actuator 24 is removed, the spring 25 will move the actuator upwardly so that the outwardly and downwardly inclined uppersurface of the central portion 24a thereof is brought into sliding contact with the undersurfaces 23b, 23b of the heads 23, 23 of the latch members 20, 20 to retract them to a normal position in which the undersurfaces 23a, 23a of the latch heads 23, 23 engage the step 6 of the cover 1 to prevent the latter from being sprung upwardly. When the latch members 20, 20 are moved to the normal retracted position, the actuator 24 is further moved to the uppermost position in which the central portion 24a is in engagement at the uppersurface thereof with the undersurface of the top of the body 3 and at the peripheral surface of the portion 2411 with the latch heads 23, 23 to hold them in contact with the step 6 of the cover 1.

A circular safety plate 26 may be fitted into the recess 12 in the base 2. The plate 26 has a central projection 26' which is adapted to be received into the through-hole 7 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the lower stem 240 of the actuator 24 is received in the hole 7. The projection 26' has such an axial dimension as to contact the bottom end of the lower stem 240 of the actuator 24 when the latter is in its normal or uppermost position. Thus, it will be apparent that when the safety plate 26 is attached in position, the actuator 24 is not movable downwardly whereby the latch members 20, 20 are maintained in latching engagement with the step 6 of the cover 1 to retain same in the retracted position.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy mine comprising a base member, a hollow cylindrical member secured to said base member, a cover member, a compression coil spring member secured at the opposite ends to said base and cover members, respectively, and extending around said cylindrical member, latch members pivotally mounted at one end on said cylindrical member, said latch members having heads adapted to normally engage said cover member for holding the latter against the biassing force of said spring member, a depressible actuating member extending axially through said cylindrical member, and a second compression coil spring member extending between said base and actuating members, said actuating member having a central portion normally in contact with the heads of said latch members to hold said heads in latching engagement with said cover member, whereby depression of said actuating member permits said latch members to be pivoted inwardly for allowing said cover member to be violently sprung by first-mentioned spring member.

2. A toy mine as claimed in claim 1 characterized by a safety plate adapted to be mounted on said base member on the surface opposite to said cylindrical hollow member, said safety plate having a portion which prevents said actuating member from being depressed whereby said cover member is also prevented from being sprung by said first spring member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1969 Oddo 124-16 3/1970 Goldfarb et a1 46-146X US. Cl. X-R-

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