TRANSFERABLE POWER UNIT SYSTEM FOR TOYS

• US 20150140895A1
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Razor USA LLC (Razor)
• Original Assignee: Razor USA LLC (Razor)
• Inventors: Huang, Joey Chih-Wei
• Granted Patent: US 9,474,985 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/429
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 1/06 with integral winding devices
• 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 27/00 Toy aircraft; Other flying toys toys with parachutes A63H33/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/22 Electric drives power supply through track A63H18/12
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/24 Details or accessories for drive mechanisms, e.g. means for winding-up or starting toy engines

Abstract

A power unit for a toy or a system of toys that can removable receive the power unit. The power unit comprises a drive gear that can provide rotational power to one or more driven components of a toy with which the power unit is associated. The drive gear can comprise multiple drive portions. The toys can comprise a wide variety of toy types.

Claims

1. A toy system, comprising:

a power unit comprising a body, a motor, a drive element driven by the motor and an on-off switch;

a plurality of toy bodies, each of which comprises a driven element, wherein the power unit is insertable into any one of the plurality of toy bodies such that the drive element engages the driven element and the power unit drives the driven element when the on-off switch is turned on.

2. The toy system of claim 1, wherein the drive element comprises at least two different drive portions than can drive different types of driven elements.

3. The toy system of claim 2, wherein the drive element comprises two or more of a spur gear portion, a worm gear portion and a drive coupling portion.

4. The toy system of claim 1, wherein the power unit further comprises a controller within the power unit body.

5. A method of powering one or more toys, comprising:

inserting a power unit into a first toy body to engage a drive element of the power unit with a first driven element of the first toy body;

activating the power unit such that the drive element imparts motion to the first driven element to power the first toy body;

removing the power unit from the first toy body.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising inserting the power unit into a second toy body to engage the drive element of the power unit with a second driven element of the second toy body, and activating the power unit such that the drive element imparts motion to the second driven element to power the second toy body.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a first drive portion of the drive element is utilized during the engaging of the drive element with the first driven element and a second drive portion of the drive element is utilized during the engaging of the drive element with the second driven element.

8. A power unit for a toy body, comprising:

a power unit body;

a motor within the power unit body; and

a drive gear that is rotationally driven by the motor, wherein the drive gear has at least two drive portions that can drive different driven components.

9. The power unit of claim 8, wherein the different driven components includes the same type of driven gear in different orientations.

10. The power unit of claim 8, wherein the different driven components includes different types of driven gears.

11. The power unit of claim 8, wherein the drive gear comprises two or more of a spur gear portion, a worm gear portion and a drive coupling portion.

12. The power unit of claim 8, wherein the power unit further comprises a source of power within the power unit body.

13. The power unit of claim 12, wherein the power unit further comprises a controller within the power unit body.

14. The power unit of claim 13, wherein one or more of the motor, controller and source of power are connected to electrical connectors of the power unit.

15. The power unit of claim 8, further comprising a toy body comprising a void that receives the power unit and includes one or more driven components that are engaged by the drive gear of the power unit.

16. The power unit of claim 15, wherein the toy body is one of a toy vehicle, a toy robot and a toy spinning top.

17. The power unit of claim 8, further comprising a flying vehicle comprising a propulsion arrangement driven by the power unit.

18. The power unit of claim 17, wherein the flying vehicle comprises a powertrain portion comprising the propulsion arrangement and a body portion, wherein the body portion comprises a foam material.

19. The power unit of claim 12, further comprising a charging station configured to receive the power unit and provide power to the power source.