TOY VEHICLE

• US 20130157541A1
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Kafantaris, Constantine Evangelos, Chu, Pak Keung
• Granted Patent: US 9,962,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/230
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/26 Details; Accessories drive mechanisms A63H29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/003 Convertible toys, e.g. robots convertible into rockets or vehicles convertible into planes

Abstract

A reconfigurable toy vehicle is provided, the toy vehicle having: a first configuration and a second configuration; a main body portion, having a forward end, a rearward end and a pair of side members extending from the forward end to the rearward end; at least two telescopic wings attached to the main body portion; a retractable canopy movably secured to the main body portion, the retractable canopy being configured to cover a portion of the main body portion when the toy vehicle is in the second configuration; and a folding rear portion pivotally mounted to the main body portion, wherein movement of the folding rear portion causes the toy vehicle to transition between the first configuration to the second configuration.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable toy vehicle having a first configuration and a second configuration, the toy vehicle comprising:

a main body portion, having a forward end, a rearward end and a pair of side members extending from the forward end to the rearward end;

at least two telescopic wings attached to the main body portion, the at least two telescopic wings transition from a first stowed position to a second deployed position as the toy vehicle transitions from the first configuration to the second configuration;

a retractable canopy movably secured to the main body portion, the retractable canopy being configured to cover a portion of the main body portion when the toy vehicle is in the second configuration; and

a folding rear portion pivotally mounted to the main body portion, wherein movement of the folding rear portion causes the toy vehicle to transition between the first configuration to the second configuration.

2. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the toy vehicle resembles an automobile in the first configuration.

3. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the toy vehicle resembles an airplane in the second configuration.

4. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the at least two telescopic wings comprises a first pair of telescopic wings and wherein the toy vehicle further comprises a second pair of telescopic wings attached to the main body portion, wherein the first pair of telescopic wings are positioned closer to the forward end of the main body portion then the second pair of telescopic wings.

5. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 4, wherein each of the second pair of telescopic wings further comprises at least two wing elements pivotally mounted to each other.

6. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 5, wherein the toy vehicle resembles an automobile in the first configuration and an airplane in the second configuration.

7. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the retractable canopy is in a first stowed position when the toy vehicle is in the first configuration and movement of the folding rear portion causes the retractable canopy to move between the first stowed position and a second deployed position wherein the retractable canopy covers the portion of the main body portion.

8. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 7, wherein the at least two telescopic wings each comprise a main wing portion and a distal wing portion, the main wing portion and the distal wing portion being slidably received within an opening in the main body portion such that they can transition from the first stowed positon to the second deployed position as the vehicle transitions from the first configuration to the second configuration.

9. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 8, wherein the at least two telescopic wings are spring biased into the second deployed position and movement of the folding rear portion actuates a releasable catch that allows the at least two telescopic wings to move into the second deployed position.

10. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 7, wherein the at least two telescopic wings comprises a first pair of telescopic wings and wherein the toy vehicle further comprises a second pair of telescopic wings attached to the main body portion, wherein the first pair of telescopic wings are positioned closer to the forward end of the main body portion then the second pair of telescopic wings.

11. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 1, further comprising a pair of deployable features located behind the folding rear portion, wherein the pair of deployable features are spring biased from a first stowed position towards a second deployed position as the folding rear portion is pivoted away from a rearward end of the main body portion.

12. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 11, wherein at least one of the pair of deployable features is coupled to the retractable canopy and movement of the folding rear portion moves the retractable canopy via movement of the at least one of the pair of deployable features coupled to the retractable canopy.

13. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 12, wherein the retractable canopy is in a first stowed position when the toy vehicle is in the first configuration and movement of the folding rear portion causes the retractable canopy to move between the first stowed position and a second deployed position wherein the retractable canopy covers the portion of the main body portion.

14. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 12, wherein the at least two telescopic wings comprises a first pair of telescopic wings and wherein the toy vehicle further comprises a second pair of telescopic wings attached to the main body portion, wherein the first pair of telescopic wings are positioned closer to the forward end of the main body portion then the second pair of telescopic wings.

15. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 14, wherein each of the second pair of telescopic wings further comprises at least two wing elements pivotally mounted to each other and wherein the toy vehicle resembles an automobile in the first configuration and an airplane in the second configuration.

16. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 14, further comprising a pair of projectile launchers attached to the main body portion for movement between a first stowed position corresponding to the first configuration of the toy vehicle and a second deployed position corresponding to the second configuration of the toy vehicle, wherein the pair of projectile launchers are pivotally mounted to a bottom portion of the toy vehicle.

17. A reconfigurable toy vehicle having a first configuration and a second configuration, the toy vehicle comprising:

a main body portion, having a forward end, a rearward end and a pair of side members extending from the forward end to the rearward end;

a first pair of telescopic wings attached to the pair of side members for movement for movement between a first stowed position and a second deployed position as the toy vehicle moves from the first configuration to the second configuration;

a second pair of telescopic wings attached to the pair of side members, wherein the first pair of telescopic wings are closer to the forward end than the second pair of telescopic wings, the second pair of telescopic wings being configured for movement between a first stowed position and a second deployed position as the toy vehicle moves from the first configuration to the second configuration;

a retractable canopy movably secured to the main body portion, the retractable canopy being configured for movement between a first stowed position and a second deployed position as the toy vehicle moves from the first configuration to the second configuration; and

a folding rear portion pivotally mounted to the main body portion, wherein movement of the folding rear portion causes the toy vehicle to transition from the first configuration to the second configuration by moving the first pair of telescopic wings, the second pair of telescopic wings and the retractable canopy movably from the first stowed position to the second deployed position as the folding rear portion is moved from a first position to a second position.

18. A reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 17, wherein movement of the folding rear portion between the first position and the second position when the toy vehicle is in the second configuration causes the retractable canopy to move between the first stowed position and the second deployed position.

19. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 17, further comprising a pair of projectile launchers attached to the main body portion for movement between a first stowed position corresponding to the first configuration of the toy vehicle and a second deployed position corresponding to the second configuration of the toy vehicle, wherein the pair of projectile launchers are pivotally mounted to a bottom portion of the toy vehicle.

20. The reconfigurable toy vehicle as in claim 17, wherein each of the second pair of telescopic wings further comprises at least two wing elements pivotally mounted to each other and wherein the toy vehicle resembles an automobile in the first configuration and an airplane in the second configuration.