Toy driving simulator and method of using the same

• US 20030087699A1
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Smokowski, John T., Brumagin, James G., Harris, Peter M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,805,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/3033 simulating driving; Accessories therefor, e.g. steering wheels

Abstract

A toy driving mechanism includes a housing, a display element coupled to the housing, and a controller mounted on the housing and coupled to the display element.

Claims

1. A toy driving mechanism comprising:

a housing;

a first display portion coupled to said housing;

a first controller coupled to said housing;

a second display portion operably coupled to said first controller; and

a third display portion operably coupled to said first controller, wherein movement of said first controller causes substantially simultaneous movement of said second display portion and said third display portion relative to said first display portion.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein said first display portion is fixedly coupled to said housing, said first display portion including an image disposed thereon.

3. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein said first display portion includes an image disposed thereon, said image includes a representation of a road, and said third display portion includes a representation of a boundary corresponding to said road.

4. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth display portion, said third display portion being disposed proximate to a first side of said first display portion, said fourth display portion being disposed proximate to a second side of said first display portion.

5. The mechanism of claim 4, wherein said third display portion is mounted for movement about a first pivot point, said fourth display portion is mounted for movement about a second pivot point, and movement of said first controller causes substantially simultaneous movement of said third display portion and said fourth display portion relative to said first display portion.

6. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein said second display portion resembles a toy vehicle, said second display portion is mounted for movement about a first pivot point, and said third display portion is mounted for movement about a second pivot point.

7. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

a second controller coupled to said housing, said second controller being operably coupled to said second display portion, and movement of said second controller causes movement of said second display portion relative to said housing.

8. The mechanism of claim 7, wherein said second display portion is mounted for movement about a first pivot point, said third display portion is mounted for movement about a second pivot point, movement of said first controller causes substantially simultaneous movement of said second display portion about said first pivot point and said third display portion about said second pivot point, and movement of said second controller causes movement of said first pivot point relative to said housing.

9. The mechanism of claim 8, wherein said first controller includes a steering wheel and said second controller includes a shift lever.

10. A driving simulator mechanism comprising:

a housing, said housing having a plurality of walls defining therebetween an interior region, said housing including a display area;

a drive mechanism, said drive mechanism coupled to said housing;

a toy vehicle disposed in said interior region, said toy vehicle being operably coupled to said drive mechanism; and

a first structure disposed in said interior region, said first structure being mounted for movement relative to said housing, said first structure being operably coupled to said drive mechanism, wherein said toy vehicle and said first structure move substantially simultaneously relative to said housing in response to movement of said drive mechanism.

11. The mechanism of claim 10, wherein said drive mechanism includes a steering wheel, and movement of said steering wheel causes substantially simultaneous movement of said toy vehicle and said first structure relative to said housing.

12. The mechanism of claim 10, further comprising:

a second structure disposed in said interior region, said second structure being operably coupled to said drive mechanism, said first structure resembling a boundary disposed on a first side of said display area, said second structure resembling a boundary disposed on a second side of said display area, and said first structure, said second structure, and said toy vehicle moving substantially simultaneously relative to said housing in response to movement of said drive mechanism.

13. A method of simulating driving using a toy driving simulator including a housing, a drive mechanism coupled to the housing, the housing including a display area, the method comprising the steps of:

moving a toy vehicle relative to the display area, said moving a toy vehicle includes moving the toy vehicle about a first axis; and

moving a first structure relative to the display area, said moving a first structure includes moving the first structure about a second axis, the first axis and the second axis being substantially parallel, said moving a first structure occurring substantially simultaneously with said moving a toy vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the driving mechanism includes a first controller coupled to the housing, the first controller being operably coupled to the toy vehicle and the first structure, said step of moving a toy vehicle including moving the first controller to move the toy vehicle, and said step of moving a first structure including moving the first controller to move the first structure.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first controller includes a steering mechanism, said step of moving a toy vehicle includes rotating the steering mechanism, and said step of moving a first structure includes rotating the steering mechanism.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said moving a toy vehicle includes moving the first axis relative to the housing.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the housing includes a second controller, movement of said second controller causing movement of the first axis relative to the display area.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

moving a second structure relative to the display area, said moving a second structure includes moving the second structure about a third axis, the second axis and the third axis being substantially parallel, said moving a second structure occurring substantially simultaneously with said moving a first structure.

19. A simulated driving environment comprising:

a housing, said housing including a display area;

a steering mechanism coupled to said housing;

a first representation disposed in said display area, said first representation being associated with a toy vehicle;

a second representation disposed in said display area, said second representation being associated with a driving surface, said first representation being disposed in front of said second representation; and

a third representation disposed in said display area, said third representation being associated with said second representation, said third representation being disposed in front of said second representation, wherein said steering mechanism is coupled to said first representation and to said third representation, and movement of said steering mechanism causes movement of said first representation relative to said second representation and movement of said third representation relative to said second representation.

20. The simulated driving environment of claim 19, wherein said first representation and said third representation change their orientations relative to said second representation in response to movement of said steering mechanism.

21. The simulated driving environment of claim 19, further comprising;

a shifting mechanism coupled to said housing, said shifting mechanism being operatively coupled to said first representation, movement of said shifting mechanism causing movement of said first representation relative to said second representation.

22. A method of simulating driving using a driving simulator including a housing, the housing including a display area, a first representation disposed in the display area, the first representation being associated with a toy vehicle, a second representation disposed in the display area, the second representation being fixed relative to the display area, a third representation disposed in the display area, the third representation associated with a boundary defining a portion of a simulated course for the toy vehicle, and a steering mechanism coupled to said housing, said first representation, and said third representation, the method comprising the steps of:

moving the first representation in a first direction relative to the second representation; and

moving the third representation in the first direction relative to the second representation, said moving the first representation occurring substantially simultaneously with said moving the third representation.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the steering mechanism includes a controller coupled to said first representation and said third representation, said step of moving the first representation includes moving the controller to move the first representation, and said step of moving the third representation includes moving the controller to move the third representation.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first representation is mounted for movement about a first pivot point, the third representation is mounted for movement about a second pivot point, and said moving the controller causes the first representation to rotate about the first pivot point and the third representation to rotate about the second pivot point.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the third representation includes a first wall and a second wall, and said step of moving the third representation includes moving the first wall and the second wall relative to the second representation.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

moving the first representation in a second direction relative to the second representation, said moving the first representation in the first direction includes rotating the first representation, and said moving the first representation in the second direction includes translating the first representation.