Toy for collecting and dispersing toy vehicles

• US 20060079150A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Nuttall, Michael, Filoseta, Miva, So, Eric, Sheltman, Dave
• Application Number:
  US10/961,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20060079150A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/431
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/26 Details; Accessories drive mechanisms A63H29/00

Abstract

Disclosed is a toy, comprising of rotating means for collecting and dispersing an item and power means coupled to said rotating means, said power means powering said rotating means at a first speed in a first direction to collect said toy, and powering said rotating means at a second speed in a second direction to disperse said toy, said first speed different from said second speed, and said first direction different from said second direction.

Claims

1. A toy, comprising:

rotating means for collecting and dispersing an item;

power means coupled to said rotating means, said power means powering said rotating means at a first speed in a first direction to collect said toy, and powering said rotating means at a second speed in a second direction to disperse said toy, said first speed different from said second speed, and said first direction different from said second direction.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein said item is a scale vehicle

3. The toy of claim 2 wherein said scale is approximately 1/64.

4. The toy of claim 2 wherein said scale is greater than approximately 1/120.

5. The toy of claim 1 further comprising gear means coupled between said power means and said rotating means, said gear means for transmitting torque from said power means to said rotating means.

6. The toy of claim 1 wherein said rotation means comprises rubber.

7. The toy of claim 1 wherein said rotation means comprises foam.

8. The toy of claim 1 wherein said rotation means comprises paddles.

9. The toy of claim 1 wherein said rotation means comprises parallel disks.

10. The toy of claim 1 wherein said rotation means comprises three parallel disks.

11. The toy of claim 1 further comprising a separator means for separating items collected by said rotating means.

12. The toy of claim 1 wherein said first speed is slower than said second speed.

13. The toy of claim 8 wherein said rotating means includes at least one of a paddle wheel and a plurality of parallel disk extensions, said power means includes an electric motor, and said gear means includes at least one of a planetary gear set, a rack and pinion gear set, a mesh gear set, a friction gear set, a tongue and groove gear set, a toothed wheel gear set, a speed reducing gear set, and a speed increasing gear set.

14. A toy, comprising:

a cylinder configured to rotate about an axis, said cylinder configured so that when the toy is placed in a first position, said axis of said cylinder is substantially parallel to a surface on which the toy vehicle can travel;

an electric motor coupled through a gear mechanism to said cylinder, where said motor is configured to rotate said cylinder in a first direction to draw an item into the toy at a first speed, and to rotate said cylinder in a second direction opposite said first direction to expel said item at a second speed higher than said first speed.

15. The toy of claim 14 wherein said item is smaller than, said toy.

16. The toy of claim 14 wherein said motor is further configured to rotate at a third speed.

17. The toy of claim 14 wherein said toy is configured to couple to a track on which said item travels.

18. A toy vehicle, comprising:

a cylinder configured to rotate about its circular axis, said cylinder configured so that when said toy is placed in a first position, said circular axis of said cylinder is substantially parallel to a surface on which the toy vehicle can travel, said cylinder having a plurality of cylindrical extensions extending from said cylinder.

19. The toy of claim 18 wherein said extensions include at least 2 rubber paddle wheels extending from said cylinder.

20. The toy of claim 19 wherein said paddle wheels include a raised texture on said paddles.

21. The toy of claim 20 wherein said cylinder is driven by rotation of at least a wheel of the toy that interface the toy to said surface.

22. The toy of claim 21 wherein said wheel is driven by a user playing with the toy vehicle.

23. The toy of claim 18 wherein said extensions include at least 2 parallel disks extending from said cylinder.

24. The toy of claim 23 comprising at least three parallel disk extensions.

25. The toy of claim 23 wherein said cylinder is driven by an electrically actuated device.

26. The toy of claim 25 wherein said cylinder is driven in a first direction at a first speed, and a second direction at a second speed.

27. A toy, comprising:

a cylinder configured to rotate about its circular axis, said cylinder configured so that when said toy is placed in a first position, said circular axis of said cylinder is substantially parallel to a surface on which the toy vehicle can travel, said cylinder having a plurality of rubber paddles extending radially from said cylinder.

28. The toy of claim 27 wherein said paddle wheels include a raised texture on said paddles.

29. The toy of claim 28 wherein said cylinder is driven by rotation of at least a wheel of the toy that interface the toy to said surface.

30. The toy of claim 29 wherein said wheel is driven by a user playing with the toy vehicle without requiring battery power.

31. The toy of claim 27 wherein said paddles are substantially trapezoidally shaped.

32. A first scale vehicle, comprising:

rubber means for collecting and expelling a second scale vehicle of smaller scale than the first scale vehicle.

33. The vehicle of claim 32 wherein said rubber means comprise rubber fins extending from a cylinder.

34. The vehicle of claim 32 wherein said rubber means comprise rubber paddles extending from a cylinder.

35. The vehicle of claim 32 wherein said rubber means comprise rubber disks extending from a cylinder.

36. A toy, comprising:

a body;

a collection device configured to collect an item and retain the vehicle within the body; and

a release device configured to release the item from the body;

wherein the toy is configured to be operatively coupled to a track for the item.

37. The toy of claim 36 wherein said item is a toy vehicle.

38. The toy of claim 37 wherein said toy is configured to travel along said track.

39. The toy of claim 37 wherein said toy is configured to receive said item while said item travels along said track.

40. A first scale vehicle, comprising:

parallel cylinder extension means for collecting and expelling a second scale vehicle of smaller scale than the first scale vehicle.