Toy vehicle

• US 20040082267A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carrera Toys GmbH
• Original Assignee: Stadlbauer Spiel-Und Freizeitartikel GmbH
• Inventors: Maleika, Hubertus
• Granted Patent: US 7,150,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/444
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/00 Toy vehicles, e.g. with self-drive; convertible into other toys A63H33/003; Cranes, winches or the like; Accessories therefor traffic games with figures moved by players A63F9/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 31/00 Gearing for toys gearing in general F16H
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19367 Swinging carriage

Abstract

The invention relates to a toy vehicle, particularly for track-guided car racing circuits, that comprises a drive motor (10), which has a drive shaft (12), and comprises a driven axle (14), which is provided with wheels. A transmission (16) is mounted between the drive shaft (12) and the driven axle (14), and the transmission (16) is provided in the form of a manual transmission (16) that is shifted by the direction of rotation of the drive motor (10).

Claims

1. A toy vehicle, in particular auto races within guide lanes, comprising a drive motor (10) fitted with a drive shaft (12), further a driven axle (14) equipped with wheels, a gear system (16) being configured between the drive shaft (12) and the driven axle (14), characterized in that the gear system (16) is designed to be a transmission unit (16) shifted by means of the direction of rotation of the drive motor (10).

2. Toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the transmission unit (16) comprises two operative gears, a first gear being associated with a first direction of rotation (30) of the drive motor (10) and a second gear with a direction of rotation (32) of the drive motor (10) running opposite the first direction of rotation (30).

3. Toy vehicle as claimed in either of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the transmission unit (16) is designed in a manner that the drive of the driven axle (14) always is in the same direction (34) regardless of the direction of rotation (30, 32) of the drive motor (10).

4. Toy vehicle as claimed in either of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the transmission unit (16) comprises a mechanical barrier (36) of two positions which is designed and mounted in a manner that, in a first position of the mechanical barrier (36), shifting of the transmission unit (16) when there is a change in rotational direction in the drive motor (10) is precluded and in that, in a second position of the mechanical barrier (36), shifting of the said transmission unit is unhampered.

5. Toy vehicle as claimed in at least one of the above claims, characterized in that the transmission unit (16) comprises the following components:

a first pinion (18) irrotationally joined to the drive shaft (12), a cage (20) rotationally coupled to the drive shaft (12), the cage (20) keeping a second pinion (26) engaged with the first pinion (18) and being pivotable between two end positions jointly with the second pinion (26) about the drive shaft (12) acting as the axis of pivoting, further a first gear (22) irrotationally joined to the driven axle (22) and a second gear (24) irrotationally joined to the driven axle (14), the first and the second gears (22, 24) exhibiting different numbers of teeth and being configured in a manner that, in a first end position of the cage (20), the second pinion (26) meshes with the first gear (22) and, in a second end position of the cage (20), the second pinion (26) meshes with the second gear (24).

6. Toy vehicle as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the first and/or the second gear (22, 24) is a crown gear.

7. Toy vehicle as claimed in claim 4 and claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the mechanical barrier (36) is designed and mounted in a manner to preclude the cage (20) from pivoting when it is in its first position.