WO1992006757A1

WO1992006757A1 - Toy road track module

Info

Publication number: WO1992006757A1
Application number: PCT/EP1991/001920
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sebastiano Restuccia
Original assignee: F.Lli Rustuccia S.D.F.
Priority date: 1990-10-11
Filing date: 1991-10-08
Publication date: 1992-04-30
Also published as: EP0505550A1; IT9021706A0; DE69111418D1; EP0505550B1; AU8666891A; ATE125167T1; IT9021706A1; DE69111418T2; IT1247893B

Abstract

A module is described which is suitable for forming a toy road track, by linking together a certain number of them by sloting by means of a suitable joint which, as well as making a physical connection, functions as a hinge which allows sinusoidal movement of the track in addition to, obviously, a rectilinear movement. This module also has uni-directionality as a special characteristic, giving the completed track a pleasant aspect, together with extremely simple assembly.

Description

TOY ROAD TRACK MODULE

The present invention concerns a unidirectional element which, united to a certain number of other identical elements, allows a toy road track to be realised.

It is known that modules suitable for forming a toy road track already exist on the market, generally consisting of recti¬ linear and curved pieces, in addition to other accessories which allow the realisation of variable routes giving free rein to children's creativity.

Said elements however have some inconveniences for example the constraint of a determined linear direction of the track as a function of the size of the modular components and the method of coupling between these which in time, after a certain number of assemblies, no longer guarantees the perfect continuity of the track compromising its use. The foregoing, not guaranteeing perfect coordination between the elements in the assembly stage, produces poor vertical and horizontal stability of the track.

The present invention removes these disadvantages in practice inasmuch as it allows toy road tracks to be realised with very easy assembly and great horizontal and vertical stability, without the use of any type of tool and without paying particular attention to a precise coordination between one element and another, since they are unidirectional and self- aligning. In practice each element is provided in its lower part with a female resilient fork joint which is coupled with the corresponding male joint, forming a hinge fulcrum to confer also horizontal sinusoidal movement to the track.

The vertical stability is however obtained by means of flat support feet which interact with the corresponding flat protrusions of the successive module, without losing adhesion, even arranging the elements for the minimum radius of curvature, which brings the opening out of the outermost part of the outside of the curve to a maximum.

The continuity of the containing edges of the track is constituted by a series of little cylindrical pylons on the two lateral edges of each modular element and by means of the tabs present on each of the little pylons, forming an upper border without the solution of continuity, imitating, for play purposes, motorway guard rails as well as increasing the vertical stability of the track.

In practice this module for toy road tracks could also assume different forms, which all fall in the scope of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in a certain detail, purely as an example and not limiting its scope and with reference to the various figures on the appended sheets of illustrative drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective top view of the element in question;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the lower supporting part of the element in question;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a portion of the track realised by assembling several modules according to the present invention in a chain;

Figure 4 shows a plan view of the supporting bottom of the module, highlighting the coupling between some modules and the possibility of angular rotation in order to form the curves of the track; and

Figure 5 shows a top view of some modules assembled to form a curve.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the unidirectional module 1 in question comprises a flat supporting part 2 forming the track 3 and two cylindrical elements 4, partially rounded off in the vertical direction, functioning as a module of lateral containment of the track.

The support plate has two symmetrical slightly rounded off corner shaped parts 6 forming the areas which interact with each other after assembly, to form the running plane of the track, provided with knurled areas 19 to improve the adherence of the toy cars or other vehicles which run on it.

One of the shaped edges comprises an elongated element 7, conforming to a female flexible joint, while the opposite shaped side comprises a male joint 8.

The female element 7 as is well demonstrated in the cited drawings, comprising a round central eye 9, linked to the two elongated and relatively flexible tabs 10, opened out at the sides into a V form. The male joint element 8 consequently comprises an elongated part 11 with rounded end 12, taken under protruding shaped part 13 of running floor 3 of the track.

Practically the assembly between the two elements 1 is unidirectional and by a simple snap action using light pressure in order to insert the round end 12 of the male fastening member

8 into the eye 9 corresponding to the female fastening member 7.

This automatically coordinates the alignment between the two elements 1 allowing the contemporaneous positioning of them according to a rectilinear axis or with a certain angulation to form the curves of the track, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. In fact, the fastening members also form the rotation fulcrum 13 of the horizontal angular rotation between each element and the next.

The torsional stability is however guaranteed by the coupling between frontal shaped part 5 of the running floor and the two supporting protrusions 14 of the next module. In fact, even with the arrangement of elements 1 to form a curve 15, said surfaces are always interacting, as shown in figures 3, 4 and 5. The two cylindrical lateral elements cited previously include an elongated tab 16 and enclosed seat 17 having an equal section; this allows the coupling between the tab 16 of a module and the seat 17 of the successive ones, without interrupting the continuity of the barriers 18, 19 formed by a succession of many modules, practically imitating the hoziontal motorway guard rails.

As shown in figure 3 forming a curve, the internal barrier 18 will have all the tabs 16 compacted-in their respective seats 17 while the outside of each element and relative tabs will be opened out without however losing the continuity between the cylindrical elements 4 of each module. One must also underline the fact that being realised in a plastic material and therefore relatively flexible, the present module 1 also allows the formation of a vertical sinusoidal movement of the track while always maintaining the previously cited structural stability unaltered.

It is clear that different colourings of each module or parts of said module can be provided, to make tracks answering the necessity of play and the creativity of the adolescent as far as possible. From the present description one can understand how practical and simple it is to make up toy car tracks, even during very early infancy, with the module element in question, emphasizing the fact that the present form of embodiment is not limiting to the scope of the invention, but on the contrary it must comprise numerous modifications, additions, variations or substitutions of elements without by this altering either its spirit or its object and without leaving its scope of protection, as shown by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Module for toy road track, characterised in that it essentially comprises a shaped flat part provided with a male and female joint, as well as two lateral cylinders with coupling tabs to make up the above mentioned track, both with rectilinear and horizontal or vertical movement.

2. Module according to claim 1, characterised in that said male-female joints allow the elements to be linked one behind the other exclusively in a uni-directional way.

3. Module, according to claim 1, characterised in that the profiles of the support floor, configurated as slightly rounded off corners, allow interaction between the various modules, such as to form a running floor with sufficient continuity also in the event that courses of curved track are made.

4. Module according to claim 3, characterised in that the running floor has knurled areas adapted to improve the adherence of the toy vehicles which run along it.

5. Module according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the male joint is constituted by an elongated part with a round end, taken under the protruding part of the running floor of the track, while the female joint, comprises a round central eye into the end part of the male joint is inserted, said eye being joined to two lateral flexible tabs which define the degree of rotation of an element enclosed by the adjacent ones which are attached to it.

6. Module, according to claim 1, characterised in that the male-female joints also form a linking fulcrum which allows the opening out on the outside of a series of elements to form the curves of the track.

7. Module, according to claim 1, characterised in that the support base also comprises two flat protruding parts which confer structural torsional stability to the track, interacting with the shaped contour of the running floor.

8. Module, according to claim 1,_ characterised in that the lateral cylinders comprise, in addition to protruding tabs, also an enclosed seat suitable for receiving and interacting with the said tabs, in order to form a continuous guard rails barrier on the sides of the track, imitating the horizontal barriers of motorways.

9. Module, according to claim 8, characterised in that even while making up parts of curved track, by opening out the little cylinders to the outside of the same, the tabs run in the respective enclosed counter-seats without losing contact even at the limit of expansion.

10. Module for toy road track, as described above and as illustrated in the various figures of the appended sheets of drawings.