US3871129A - Toy car with auxiliary drive wheels - Google Patents

Toy car with auxiliary drive wheels Download PDF

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Publication number
US3871129A
US3871129A US326770A US32677073A US3871129A US 3871129 A US3871129 A US 3871129A US 326770 A US326770 A US 326770A US 32677073 A US32677073 A US 32677073A US 3871129 A US3871129 A US 3871129A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
switch
undercarriage
driving wheel
positioning
camming
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US326770A
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English (en)
Inventor
Duncan Tong
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
PLAYART Ltd
Original Assignee
PLAYART Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by PLAYART Ltd filed Critical PLAYART Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3871129A publication Critical patent/US3871129A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H17/00—Toy vehicles, e.g. with self-drive; ; Cranes, winches or the like; Accessories therefor
    • A63H17/26—Details; Accessories
    • A63H17/36—Steering-mechanisms for toy vehicles
    • A63H17/40—Toy vehicles automatically steering or reversing by collision with an obstacle

Definitions

  • a motor-driven toy vehicle has an auxiliary driving wheel or set of wheels mounted on a retractable undercarriage and a switch which is so arranged that operation of the switch member from an on to an off position acts to retract the undercarriage.
  • the vehicle is a car which is provided with a mystery drive which enables it to circumvent obstacles placed in its path.
  • This drive comprises an undercarriage which is mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane and also for movement in an approximately vertical direction.
  • the drive from the motor to the wheels in this embodiment is such that it tends to cause the undercarriage to rotate when the vehicle is not in contact with the ground, as well as causing the wheels to rotate.
  • the frictional force on the wheels is sufficient to ensure that when the vehicle is placed on the ground, the undercarriage is substantially prevented from rotating, so that the vehicle moves in a reasonably straight line.
  • the driving wheels are prevented from rotating and this causes the undercarriage to rotate instead, so that the vehicle changes direction.
  • the undercarriage is preferably in the form of a plate, carrying the motor and wheels which is arranged to pivot about a horizontal axis.
  • the plate is resiliently biassed into the position in which the wheels are engaged with the ground and a camming device connected to the switch member urges it into an upper position in which it cannot engage with the ground when the switch is moved to the off position.
  • the undercarriage is resiliently biassed out of engagement with the ground and a camming device connected to the switch member urges the undercarriage into a lower position for engagement with the ground when the switch is moved to the on position.
  • the electrical circuit of the motor may be completed by a contact formed by or on part of the movable undercarriage which engages with a fixed contact on the chassis of the vehicle.
  • FIG. 1 is a plan view of the mechanism of a toy car embodying one form of the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism of FIG. 1 with the drive engaged;
  • FIG. 3 is a section on the line A A of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a partial underneath plan view of the car of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 5 shows a similar view to that of FIG. 2 but with the drive disengaged
  • FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to that of FIG. 5 of an alternative embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 6;
  • FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the mechanism of FIGS. 6 and 7;
  • FIG. 9 is a section on the line A A of FIG. 8.
  • FIG. 10 is a partial underneath plan view of the alternative embodiment.
  • the vehicle includes a chassis in theform of an underpan 2 which carries two pairs of freely rotatable non-steering wheels 4 and 6.
  • the front end 8 of the underpan carries a rectangular mounting plate 10 which is pivoted at 12 so that it can rotate upwardly away from the underpan 2.
  • the plate 10 is urged away from the underpan by means of a spring 14, one end 16 of which is held in an abutment l8 fixed to the side of a battery compartment 20 and the central portion of which is wrapped around the pivot 12.
  • the other end 22 engages under the end of the plate 10.
  • the upward movement of the plate is limited by a rotatable camming device 24 which engages with the plate and which is attached to a switch member 26 on the underside-of the vehicle.
  • the plate 10 carries a motor 28 the shaft of which carries a pinion 30, which is engaged with a large crown wheel 32 mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane in a housing 34 at the front end of the mounting plate 10.
  • the shaft 34 of the crown wheel transmits the drive to auxiliary wheels 35 by means of an arrangement which enables the car to circumvent obstacles and which includes a rotatable housing 36.
  • this housing is shown in a position from the straightahead position so as to illustrate how the drive can be transmitted in various rotational positions.
  • FIG. 3 shows in solid lines, the positions of some of the parts of the mechanism when the drive is in the working position and, dotted, the positions of the parts in their retracted state.
  • the cam holds the plate 10 in engagement with the chassis of the vehicle.
  • the auxiliary drive wheels 35 are engaged with the ground and the effect of this is to lift the front of the vehicle, and the wheels 4 out of engagement with the ground.
  • the electrical circuit to the motor is completed through the plate 10 by its contact with a resilient metal leaf 38 connected to one terminal of the battery compartment which is positioned beneath one edge of the plate.
  • FIG. 6 is a side elevation of an alternative embodiment of the invention in which the plate 40 carrying the motor 42 and undercarriage housing 44 is urged into engagement with the chassis 46 by the spring 48, the cam 50 of switch device 52 being arranged to hold the plate sway from the chassis when the switch is in the off position.
  • the circuit to the motor is completed in the same way as in the first embodiment, i.e., by way of a contact strip 54 (FIG. 7) underlying the edge of the plate 40, so that when the switch is in the on position the plate 40 contacts the strip 54.
  • the layout of the components is otherwise identical to that of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 5.
  • FIGS. 9 and 10 show views of the second embodiment which correspond to the views of the first embodiment in FIGS. 3 and 4.
  • An advantage of the retractable undercarriage is that the vehicle can be used in a free-wheeling manner when the motor is switched off, without damaging the drive or the motor.
  • a battery operated toy vehicle comprising:
  • a retractable undercarriage secured to said body and selectively movable between an operative and an inoperative position
  • At least one driving wheel mounted on the undercarriage for movement therewith
  • a motor mounted in the body and drivingly coupled to said at least one driving wheel
  • biassing means normally urging at least one driving wheel downwardly into engagement with the ground
  • biassing means normally urging said at least one driving wheel out of engagement with the ground
  • a cam coupled to said switch and arranged to cooperate with said undercarriage to retain said undercarriage against downward movement when the switch is open.
  • a cam coupled to said switch and arranged to cooperate with said undercarriage to retain said undercarriage against upward movement when said switch is closed.
  • a battery driven model vehicle comprising:
  • power means including an electric motor and a battery supported by said body;
  • positioning means for selectively positioning said at least one driving wheel into a first position in which said at least one driving wheel can be ground engaging and into a second position in which said at least one driving wheel cannot be ground engaging;
  • said positioning means including biassing means normally urging said positioning means into said first position
  • said positioning means including biassing means normally urging said positioning means to said second position, and means to retain said positioning means in said second position.
  • cammmg means manually operable means having at least two positions for controlling said camming means, said manually operable means in one of said positions controlling said camming to oppose. said biassing means and in another of said positions controlling said camming means to enable said biassing means to move said positioning means into said first position.

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  • Toys (AREA)
US326770A 1972-02-17 1973-01-26 Toy car with auxiliary drive wheels Expired - Lifetime US3871129A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB748272 1972-02-17

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3871129A true US3871129A (en) 1975-03-18

Family

ID=9833975

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US326770A Expired - Lifetime US3871129A (en) 1972-02-17 1973-01-26 Toy car with auxiliary drive wheels

Country Status (5)

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US (1) US3871129A (de)
JP (1) JPS4893431A (de)
DE (1) DE2308292A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1342861A (de)
HK (1) HK50177A (de)

Cited By (22)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3932957A (en) * 1975-02-12 1976-01-20 Marvin Glass & Associates Toy vehicle
US4085542A (en) * 1976-07-30 1978-04-25 Tomy Kogyo Co., Inc. Sonic responsive toy vehicle steering system
US4232479A (en) * 1978-10-05 1980-11-11 Von Winckelmann Emil H Toy racing car
US4545776A (en) * 1983-06-24 1985-10-08 Soma Traders Ltd. Steering mechanism for self-powered vehicles and vehicles employing said steering mechanism
US4596534A (en) * 1984-02-14 1986-06-24 Nikko Co., Ltd. Remotely-steered toy car with five wheels
US4810229A (en) * 1986-12-16 1989-03-07 Kabushiki Kaisha Bandai Omnidirectional toy vehicle
US4824413A (en) * 1988-05-09 1989-04-25 Those Characters From Cleveland Toy vehicle with rotatable power pack
US4846758A (en) * 1988-01-25 1989-07-11 Chou Jin Long Erratic toy vehicle with body tilt mechanism
US5549501A (en) * 1995-06-07 1996-08-27 Chain Fong Toys Co., Ltd. Toy car with a liftable steering wheel assembly
US5868600A (en) * 1997-04-21 1999-02-09 Asahi Corporation Toy car
US6412133B1 (en) 1999-01-25 2002-07-02 Aqua Products, Inc. Water jet reversing propulsion and directional controls for automated swimming pool cleaners
US6540583B1 (en) 2001-10-19 2003-04-01 Michael G. Hoeting Toy vehicle
US6626116B2 (en) * 2000-01-07 2003-09-30 Leonard R. Clark, Jr. Outlaw powersliders toy racing vehicles
US20050095953A1 (en) * 2003-10-31 2005-05-05 Bang Zoom Design Ltd., Llc Drifting remotely controlled toy vehicle
US20070128977A1 (en) * 2004-05-07 2007-06-07 Choi Bong K Children's car driven by swiveling operations of a steering wheel
US20080235887A1 (en) * 1999-01-25 2008-10-02 Aqua Products, Inc. Pool cleaner with high pressure cleaning jets
US20080268747A1 (en) * 2007-04-24 2008-10-30 Reynolds Ellsworth Moulton Motion sensor activated interactive device
US20130062153A1 (en) * 2011-09-09 2013-03-14 Dr. Pinhas Ben-Tzvi Self-Configurable and Transformable Omni-Directional Robotic Modules
US8434182B2 (en) 1999-01-25 2013-05-07 Aqua Products, Inc. Pool cleaner with high pressure cleaning jets
US20150087200A1 (en) * 2013-09-24 2015-03-26 Bang Zoom Design, Ltd. Spinning Vehicle Apparatus and Assembly
US11472500B2 (en) 2019-05-22 2022-10-18 Toyota Research Institute, Inc. Mobile platform with retractable drive wheels and steerable wheels
US11673501B2 (en) 2019-10-25 2023-06-13 Toyota Research Institute, Inc. Mobile platform incorporating a ramp structure

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2168260B (en) * 1984-11-26 1989-04-26 New Bright Ind Co Ltd Wheeled and powered toy vehicles
US4892503A (en) * 1987-08-05 1990-01-09 Apollo Corporation Action toy vehicle with controllable auxiliary wheel
GB2214097A (en) * 1988-01-05 1989-08-31 Apollo Corp Toy vehicle
GB2225250B (en) * 1988-10-13 1992-09-09 Far East Toys And Novelties Mf A toy
JPH06134144A (ja) * 1992-10-13 1994-05-17 Myung S Bae 幼児用電動車

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2770074A (en) * 1953-09-03 1956-11-13 Jones Self propelled toy which circumvents obstructions
US3517458A (en) * 1967-10-11 1970-06-30 Yasuta Sato Movable toy having detachable auxiliary driving wheel means

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS4529875Y1 (de) * 1968-01-29 1970-11-16

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2770074A (en) * 1953-09-03 1956-11-13 Jones Self propelled toy which circumvents obstructions
US3517458A (en) * 1967-10-11 1970-06-30 Yasuta Sato Movable toy having detachable auxiliary driving wheel means

Cited By (35)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3932957A (en) * 1975-02-12 1976-01-20 Marvin Glass & Associates Toy vehicle
US4085542A (en) * 1976-07-30 1978-04-25 Tomy Kogyo Co., Inc. Sonic responsive toy vehicle steering system
US4232479A (en) * 1978-10-05 1980-11-11 Von Winckelmann Emil H Toy racing car
US4545776A (en) * 1983-06-24 1985-10-08 Soma Traders Ltd. Steering mechanism for self-powered vehicles and vehicles employing said steering mechanism
US4596534A (en) * 1984-02-14 1986-06-24 Nikko Co., Ltd. Remotely-steered toy car with five wheels
US4810229A (en) * 1986-12-16 1989-03-07 Kabushiki Kaisha Bandai Omnidirectional toy vehicle
US4846758A (en) * 1988-01-25 1989-07-11 Chou Jin Long Erratic toy vehicle with body tilt mechanism
US4824413A (en) * 1988-05-09 1989-04-25 Those Characters From Cleveland Toy vehicle with rotatable power pack
US5549501A (en) * 1995-06-07 1996-08-27 Chain Fong Toys Co., Ltd. Toy car with a liftable steering wheel assembly
US5868600A (en) * 1997-04-21 1999-02-09 Asahi Corporation Toy car
US20070101521A1 (en) * 1999-01-25 2007-05-10 Giora Erlich Water jet reversing propulsion and directional controls for automated swimming pool cleaners
US9512630B2 (en) 1999-01-25 2016-12-06 Aqua Products, Inc. Automated swimming pool cleaner having and angled jet drive propulsion system
US9650799B2 (en) 1999-01-25 2017-05-16 Aqua Products, Inc. Automated swimming pool cleaner having an angled jet drive propulsion system
US20040168838A1 (en) * 1999-01-25 2004-09-02 Giora Erlich Water jet reversing propulsion and directional controls for automated swimming pool cleaners
US9650798B2 (en) 1999-01-25 2017-05-16 Aqua Products, Inc. Automated swimming pool cleaner having an angled jet drive propulsion system
US7165284B2 (en) 1999-01-25 2007-01-23 Aqua Products, Inc. Water jet reversing propulsion and directional controls for automated swimming pool cleaners
US6412133B1 (en) 1999-01-25 2002-07-02 Aqua Products, Inc. Water jet reversing propulsion and directional controls for automated swimming pool cleaners
US8434182B2 (en) 1999-01-25 2013-05-07 Aqua Products, Inc. Pool cleaner with high pressure cleaning jets
US20110056031A1 (en) * 1999-01-25 2011-03-10 Giora Erlich Automated swimming pool cleaner with projecting pivot members for changing direction of movement at an adjacent side wall of a pool
US20080235887A1 (en) * 1999-01-25 2008-10-02 Aqua Products, Inc. Pool cleaner with high pressure cleaning jets
US7900308B2 (en) 1999-01-25 2011-03-08 Aqua Products, Inc Water jet reversing propulsion and directional controls for automated swimming pool cleaners
US7827643B2 (en) 1999-01-25 2010-11-09 Aqua Products, Inc. Automated swimming pool cleaner with stationary projecting pivot member
US6626116B2 (en) * 2000-01-07 2003-09-30 Leonard R. Clark, Jr. Outlaw powersliders toy racing vehicles
US6540583B1 (en) 2001-10-19 2003-04-01 Michael G. Hoeting Toy vehicle
US7261615B2 (en) * 2003-10-31 2007-08-28 Bang Zoom Design Ltd., Llc Drifting remotely controlled toy vehicle
US20050095953A1 (en) * 2003-10-31 2005-05-05 Bang Zoom Design Ltd., Llc Drifting remotely controlled toy vehicle
US20070128977A1 (en) * 2004-05-07 2007-06-07 Choi Bong K Children's car driven by swiveling operations of a steering wheel
US20080268747A1 (en) * 2007-04-24 2008-10-30 Reynolds Ellsworth Moulton Motion sensor activated interactive device
US9004200B2 (en) * 2011-09-09 2015-04-14 Pinhas Ben-Tzvi Mobile robot with hybrid traction and mobility mechanism
US20160257357A1 (en) * 2011-09-09 2016-09-08 Pinhas Ben-Tzvi Active Docking Mechanism for Modular and Reconfigurable Robots
US9616948B2 (en) * 2011-09-09 2017-04-11 Pinhas Ben-Tzvi Active docking mechanism for modular and reconfigurable robots
US20130062153A1 (en) * 2011-09-09 2013-03-14 Dr. Pinhas Ben-Tzvi Self-Configurable and Transformable Omni-Directional Robotic Modules
US20150087200A1 (en) * 2013-09-24 2015-03-26 Bang Zoom Design, Ltd. Spinning Vehicle Apparatus and Assembly
US11472500B2 (en) 2019-05-22 2022-10-18 Toyota Research Institute, Inc. Mobile platform with retractable drive wheels and steerable wheels
US11673501B2 (en) 2019-10-25 2023-06-13 Toyota Research Institute, Inc. Mobile platform incorporating a ramp structure

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
HK50177A (en) 1977-10-07
JPS4893431A (de) 1973-12-03
DE2308292A1 (de) 1973-08-30
GB1342861A (en) 1974-01-03

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