MODULAR TOY AIRCRAFT WITH CAPACITOR POWER SOURCES

• US 20080014827A1
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Chui, Chi, Kang, Paulo, Strom, David, Amireh, Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 8,133,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/58
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/02 Model aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/22 Electric drives power supply through track A63H18/12

Abstract

Toy aircraft, modular toy aircraft, capacitor-based modular power systems, and toy aircraft kits are disclosed. Toy aircraft may include a self-contained power system and an airframe. The self-contained power system may include at least one propulsion unit operable to propel the toy aircraft and a power unit. The power unit may include a capacitor that is electrically connected to the at least one propulsion unit. The capacitor may be configured to provide power to the at least one propulsion unit to propel the toy aircraft. The airframe may include a wing, a first mount configured to removably retain the at least one propulsion unit, and a second mount configured to removably retain the power unit.

Claims

1. A toy aircraft, comprising:

a self-contained power system, comprising;

at least one propulsion unit operable to propel the toy aircraft; and

a power unit comprising a capacitor, wherein the capacitor is electrically connected to the at least one propulsion unit and the capacitor is configured to provide power to the at least one propulsion unit to propel the toy aircraft; and

an airframe including a wing, wherein the airframe comprises;

a first mount configured to removably retain the at least one propulsion unit; and

a second mount configured to removably retain the power unit.

2. The toy aircraft of claim 1, wherein:

the airframe includes a fuselage;

the first mount comprises a first receptacle disposed on the wing, and the first receptacle is configured to removably receive at least a portion of the at least one propulsion unit; and

the second mount comprises a second receptacle disposed on the fuselage, and the second receptacle is configured to removably receive the power unit.

3. The toy aircraft of claim 2, wherein the first mount is configured to retain the at least one propulsion unit in a selected one of a plurality of predetermined orientations relative to the wing.

4. The toy aircraft of claim 2, wherein the second mount is configured to receive the power unit in a predetermined orientation.

5. The toy aircraft of claim 1, wherein the wing comprises an extruded polystyrene foam panel and the wing is at least partially frictionally retained relative to the fuselage.

6. The toy aircraft of claim 5, further comprising at least one molded plastic clip configured to at least partially retain the wing in a predetermined position relative to the fuselage.

7. The toy aircraft of claim 6, wherein at least one of the at least one molded plastic clips is configured to induce a dihedral into the wing.

8. The toy aircraft of claim 5, wherein at least a first portion of the fuselage comprises an extruded polystyrene foam panel and at least a second portion of the fuselage comprises an expanded polypropylene foam.

9. A modular toy aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage having first and second sides;

a wing connected to the fuselage, the wing including first and second portions extending from respective first and second sides of the fuselage;

a first motor unit;

a first propeller driven by the first motor unit;

a second motor unit;

a second propeller driven by the second motor unit;

a power unit, comprising a capacitor electrically connected to at least one of the first and second motor units, wherein the capacitor is configured to deliver current to at least one of the first and second motor units to propel the modular toy aircraft;

a first motor unit mount disposed on the first portion of the wing, wherein the first motor unit mount is configured to removably receive the first motor unit in at least one first predetermined orientation relative to the wing;

a second motor unit mount disposed on the second portion of the wing, wherein the second motor unit mount is configured to removably receive the second motor unit in at least one second predetermined orientation relative to the wing; and

a power unit mount disposed on the fuselage, wherein the power unit mount is configured to removably retain the power unit in a third predetermined orientation relative to the fuselage.

10. The modular toy aircraft of claim 9, wherein the first motor unit mount is configured to retain the first motor unit in a selected one of a plurality of first predetermined orientations, the first propeller at least partially generates forward thrust for the modular toy aircraft when the first motor unit is in any of the first predetermined orientations, the second motor unit mount is configured to retain the second motor unit in a selected one of a plurality of second predetermined orientations, and the second propeller at least partially generates forward thrust for the modular toy aircraft when the second motor unit is in any of the second predetermined orientations.

11. The modular toy aircraft of claim 10, wherein the first motor unit mount is configured to render the second motor unit inoperative if the second motor unit is received by the first motor unit mount.

12. The modular toy aircraft of claim 10, wherein the first motor unit mount is configured to preclude receiving the second motor unit in any of the second predetermined orientations.

13. The modular toy aircraft of claim 9, wherein the fuselage and the wing each comprise at least one extruded polystyrene foam panel, the fuselage includes an aperture configured to at least partially frictionally receive the wing, and at least one reinforcing member is provided to maintain the wing in a predetermined orientation relative to the fuselage.

14. A capacitor-based modular power system, comprising:

a first motor unit, comprising;

a first housing;

a first motor disposed within the first housing; and

a first propeller driven by the first motor;

a second motor unit, comprising;

a second housing;

a second motor disposed within the second housing; and

a second propeller driven by the second motor; and

a power unit, comprising;

a third housing; and

a capacitor disposed within the third housing, wherein the capacitor is electrically connected to the first and second motors.

15. The capacitor-based modular power system of claim 14, further comprising a first pair of flexible insulated electrical conducting members electrically connecting the first motor to the capacitor and a second pair of flexible insulated electrical conducting members electrically connecting the second motor to the capacitor.

16. A toy aircraft, comprising:

a wing having a trailing edge;

a fuselage; and

a capacitor-based modular power system as recited in claim 15, wherein the wing is configured to nondestructively removably receive the first and second motor units proximate the trailing edge and the fuselage is configured to nondestructively removably receive the power unit.

17. The toy aircraft of claim 16, wherein the wing includes at least one retention device configured to at least partially retain at least one of the first and second pairs of flexible insulated electrical conducting members.

18. The capacitor-based modular power system of claim 14, wherein the capacitor includes first and second leads, each of the first and second motors is electrically connected to the first and second leads of the capacitor, the third housing comprises a first charging interface having first and second charging contacts, the first charging contact is electrically connected to the first lead, and the second charging contact is electrically connected to the second lead.

19. A toy aircraft kit, comprising:

a capacitor-based modular power system as recited in claim 18;

a toy aircraft airframe, comprising;

a fuselage;

a wing configured to extend from the fuselage;

a first mount disposed on the wing and configured to removably retain the first motor unit;

a second mount disposed on the wing and configured to removably retain the second motor unit; and

a third mount disposed on the fuselage and configured to removably retain the power unit; and

a charging unit, comprising;

a fourth housing, wherein the fourth housing is configured to receive at least one battery; and

a second charging interface disposed on the fourth housing, wherein the second charging interface includes third and fourth charging contacts, the third and fourth charging contacts are electrically connected to the at least one battery, and the second charging interface is configured to hold the third and fourth charging contacts in contact with respective ones of the first and second charging contacts when the second charging interface is engaged with the first charging interface.

20. The toy aircraft kit of claim 19, wherein the first charging interface comprises a receptacle disposed on the third housing, the second charging interface comprises a probe extending from the fourth housing, and the receptacle is configured to at least partially frictionally retain the probe therein.