GB2230467A - Energizing track-running toy vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

A wind-up device for a motor in a toy vehicle which runs on a track includes a track recess which is aligned with the vehicle drive wheels 38 when the vehicle is held at the wind-up station. An electric motor drives a roller 36 beneath the recess so as to rotate the drive wheels 38. An arm 24, 42 above the wind-up station can be depressed to both close the electric motor circuit and press down on the vehicle so that the drive wheels are rotated and energy is stored within the vehicle's motor. On releasing the arm, the motor circuit opens, but abutment 44 still holds the vehicle. Depression of a release button then permits a further rise of the arm and the vehicle moves off along the track. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN TOYS This invention relates to toys and in particular to the winding up of motors such as a clockwork motor or a flywheel motor in toy vehicles.

Traditionally clockwork driven toy vehicles had a hand operated key which was used to tension the clockwork spring to store energy to drive the vehicle. More recently, however, mechanisms have been provided which enable the user to "pull back" the toy vehicle, that is to say press it down, and pull the vehicle in reverse, with the result that the drive imparted to the wheels rewinds the clockwork spring to be wound, whether the vehicle is pushed forwardly or backwardly, provided the user presses down reasonably hard on the vehicle.

It is an object of the present invention, however, to provide a mechanism for rewinding a motor such as a clockwork motor in a toy vehicle from a separate electric motor drive.

According to the invention there is provided a wind-up device for a motor in a toy vehicle comprising a track over which the vehicle is designed to pass, recess means in the track aligned with the drive wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle is held at a wind-up station, an electric motor drive for roller means beneath the recess whereby rotation of the roller means imparts rotation to the drive wheels of the vehicle when aligned at that station, a stop member suspended from an arm above the said station, the stop member having contact means capable of contacting the top of the vehicle, the contact means being mounted on an arm capable of being depressed both to actuate the electric motor drive and to press the vehicle's drive wheels into contact with the roller, so that the drive wheels of the vehicle in turn transmit energy to be stored in the motor of the vehicle.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the arm additionally has abutment means to contact the vehicle and prevent it's passing beyond the wind-up station until the arm is released. Thus, the user can press down the arm to actuate the drive means and energize the motor and then, when the arm is released, it will cease to press down on the car but the abutment means will retain the car at the wind-up station until after the user actuates an additional release means to move the abutment clear of the vehicle which can then drive forward under its own power from the motor.

The device of the invention is ideally suited to form part of a track over which the vehicle is to run so that once each circuit the vehicle will pass the wind-up station and the motor can, if the user desires, be recharged with energy. The motor in the vehicle can be a clockwork motor or a flywheel. When the motor is a clockwork motor it is desirable that the arrangement be such that the spring can be wound by the well-known press-down and pull-back action on the vehicle.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention additional release means are provided, so that, when the arm has pressed the vehicle down to energize the motor, the abutment means will retain the car at the wind-up station until the additional release means are operated to raise the arm and abutment means and so allow the toy vehicle to move away under it's own power.

A suitable toy vehicle which can be used with the wind-up device of the invention is shown as described in our pending GB Patent Application No: 8917057.5 to which reference is directed for a full description.

A device according to the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a track including a toy car and a wind-up station; Figure 2 is an enlarged broken-away perspective view of the wind-up station; and Figures 3a to f are a series of diagrams showing the steps in the winding-up of the motor of the toy car and the operation of the wind-up station.

The toy 10 shown in Figure 1 of the drawings includes a track 12, which for convenience is shown in the form of a single closed loop, and a toy car 14 which will normally travel around the track in the direction of the arrow 15. Forming part of the track 12 is a wind-up station 16. This includes a hump shaped piece of track 18 over which a toy car 14 can run as part of the track. The rest of the track 12 has upright side walls 20 and 22 on either side to assist in guiding the car 14.

The wind-up station 16 includes at the top of the hump an arm 24 which extends upwardly from one side wall 26. In addition, an operating button 28 and a release button 30 are provided on the top of an opposite side-wall 32.

As seen in Figures 1 and 2 two openings 34 are provided in the base 35 of the track at the top of the hump approximately in line with the arm 24. Immediately beneath these openings are positioned a pair of driven rotatable rollers 36 and the tops or uppermost points of these rollers 36 are approximately flush with the base 35. The rollers 36 are positioned such that, when the car 14, rests on the top of the base 35 approximately in line with the arm 24, then its driven wheels 38 will then rest on and be supported on the top of the driving rollers 36.

At the top of the arm 24 is a transverse portion 40 which is bent over the base 35 and extends to approximately the centre -line. This portion 40 in turn supports an enlarged end 42 which has a bulbous abutment 44 at the front and slightly enlarged rear end 46. As best shown in Figures 3b, d and f, the abutment 44 is designed to engage the front windscreen or the like of the toy car 14 and so retains the car against forward movement, ie.

movement to the left in the sense viewed in Figures 3b, d and f. Thus, even if the cars internal clockwork mechanism, not shown, is fully wound and the drive wheels 38 are urging the car to the left in the sense seen in Figures 3b, d and f, the abutment 44 will still retain the car in place.

As will be explained in more detail later, the end 46 is designed to be pressed against the roof of the toy car so as to press this down so that the driving wheels 38 are pressed firmly into contact with the rollers 36 during a wind-up operation.

As best seen in Figure 3a, the operating button 28 comprises an outer hollow portion 48 and a inner portion 50 slidably mounted within the portion 48, the two portions being resiliently urged apart by a spring 52. Referring to Figure 2, the arm 24 is connected to the inner portion 50 by means of a U-shaped wire connector 54. Both the arm 24 and the button 28 are constrained by being mounted in their respective walls 32 and 26 to move in an up and down sense and a spring 56 beneath the arm 24 resiliently urges it upwardly. The crosspiece 58 of the connector 54 is pivotally mounted to spaced points to the body and so, when the button 28 is depressed, the arm 24 will also move downwardly against the action of the spring 56.

Beneath the hollow outer portion 48 of the button 28 are a pair of electrical contacts 60. These are normally separate but when the button 28 is pressed down to its fullest extent, a downwardly extending flange 62 on the portion 48 presses the upper contact against the lower contact 60. This completes an electrical circuit including a motor 62 and batteries 64.

Referring to Figure 2 the output of the motor 62 is connected to a pinion 66. This in turn drives a series of reducing gear pairs 68 which ultimately drive a pinion 70. This pinion 70 is mounted fast on a shaft 72 on which the two rollers 36 are also mounted fast. Thus, when the motor 62 is energized, it will in turn rotate the rollers 36.

Integrally formed with the portion 48 of the operating button 28 is an outwardly projecting flange 74 which is capable of being contacted by a slide 76. The latter has an inclined slot 78 into which a pin 80 projects. The pin 80 is integrally formed with the release button 30. The release button itself is urged upwardly by means of a spring 82. When the release button 30 is depressed against the action of the spring 82, however, the pin 80 will slide along the inclined slot 78 and cam the slide 76 towards the left as viewed in Figures 3a, c and e.

The slide 76 includes a pointed end 84 which engages with the flange 74 and an inclined cam surface 86 which can be engaged by the underside of the flange 74 to move the slide 76 towards the left as viewed in Figures 3a, c and e as the operating button 28 is depressed.

In order to operate the toy 10, the car 14 is allowed to run around the track 12 and eventually it will arrive at the wind-up station 16, passing up the inclined hump shaped piece of track 18 and the front windshield of the car 14 will contact the abutment 44 on the arm 24.

This will cause the car to be arrested and positioned such that its drive wheels 38 are resting on the rollers 36 (see Figures 3a and b).

Then, when the user presses the operating button 28 downwardly (Figures 3c and d), this will close the contacts 60 and so energize the motor 62 and rotate the rollers 36. In addition the downward movement of the operating button 28 will be transmitted through the connector 54 to the arm 24 which will move downwardly against the action of the spring 56. As a result the end 46 will press firmly against the roof of the car and so press the driving wheels 38 into good frictional and driving contact with the rollers 36. The motor 52 will continue to be energized as long as the outer portion 48 of the operating button 28 is depressed relative the inner portion 50 and so the drive wheels 38 will be rotated and the clockwork mechanism in the car 14 wound up.

Eventually when the user realises that the cars' clockwork mechanism is fully wound, he will release the button 28 (Figure 3a). The outer portion 48 can now move upwardly slightly under the action of the spring 52 but can only move upwardly to a limited extent. It moves upwardly sufficiently to allow the contacts 60 to disengage and so the motor 62 will stop and so will the rollers 36.

However, the pointed end 84 of the slide 76 will be engaged under the flange 74 and so prevent significant upward movement of the portion 48 and only allow slight if any upward movement of the inner portion 50 and the arm 24.

The end 46 will no longer press the car firmly down onto the rollers 36 but the abutment 44 will still certainly continue to retain the car 14 against the forward motion which is urged upon it by the drive wheels 38.

When the user wishes to release the car, he presses the release button 30 (Figures 3e and f). This cams the slide 76 to the left as explained above and eventually the pointed end 84 ceases to retain the flange 74 in place. The button 28 and arm 24 are now free to move upwardly under the resilient force from the spring 56. As the arm moves upwardly the abutment 44 will finally clear the roof of the car and the car will be able to move forward under it's own power along the track 12.

The toy car can now circulate around the track and will continue as long as there is energy in its clockwork motor and it is not stopped at the wind-up station. To stop the car there, the user presses the button 28. This depresses the arm 24 so as to bring the abutment 44 to a point where it will contact the car during it's next passage over the humped shaped track 12. As the button 28 is depressed the underside of the flange 74 engages on the inclined cam surface 86 which urges the slide 76 to the left. Eventually the button 28 will be depressed sufficiently to allow the pointed end of the slide 76 to move to the right above the flange 74 and so retain the button 28 and arm 24 in a depressed position (Figures 3a and b). The slide 66 is urged to the right by the effect of the spring 72 and the inclined slot 70.

Therefore, the next time the car tries to pass the device 10 it's windshield will contact the abutment 34 and it will be brought to rest ready for another rewinding operation as described above. It will be noted, however, that in this position of the arm 24, the end 46 is positioned slightly above the level of the roof of the car and so the car can travel until its windscreen is engaged by the abutment 44.

The clockwork driving mechanism for the toy car 14 can be entirely conventional and forms no part of the present invention.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS:

1. A wind-up device for a motor in a toy vehicle comprises a track over which the vehicle is designed to pass, recess means in the track aligned with the drive wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle is held at a wind-up station, an electric motor drive for roller means beneath the recess whereby rotation of the roller means imparts rotation to the drive wheels of the vehicle when aligned at that station, a stop member suspended from an arm above the said station, the stop member having contact means capable of contacting the top of the vehicle, the contact means being mounted on an arm capable of being depressed both to actuate the electric motor drive and to press the vehicle's drive wheels into contact with the roller, so that the drive wheels of the vehicle in turn transmit energy to be stored in the motor of the vehicle.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1 in which the arm additionally has abutment means to contact the vehicle and prevent it's passing beyond the wind-up station until the arm is released.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 2 further comprising an operating button linked to the arm, initial depression of the button to a first position lowering the arm so that abutment means will contact the vehicle and prevent its moving away from the wind-up station, and further depression of the button to a second position further lowering the arm to cause the stop means to contact the top of the vehicle and press the vehicle's drive wheels into contact with the roller means energizing the electric motor to drive the roller means.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 3 in which the operating button comprises a hollow outer portion within which is slidably mounted an inner portion, the portions being resiliently urged apart, and the inner portion being linked to the arm whilst the outer portion has means for contacting and energizing switch means for the electric motor.

5. A device as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4 in which additional release means provided, so that when the arm has pressed the vehicle down to energize the motor, the abutment means will retain the car at the wind-up station until the additional release means are operated to raise the arm and abutment means and so allow the toy vehicle to move away under its own power.

6. A device as claimed in Claim 5 in which the release means comprises a release button which engages a transverse slide which in turn engages the operating button to hold this in a depressed position until actuation of the release button retracts the slide and releases the operating button.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claims which forms part of a track over which the vehicle is to run so that once each circuit the vehicle will pass the wind-up station and the motor can, if the user desires, be recharged with energy.

8. A wind-up device for a motor in a toy vehicle, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.