Wheeled turbine-powered toy vehicle and launcher apparatus

• US 4,498,886 A
• Filed: 02/14/1983
• Issued: 02/12/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adolph Eddy Goldfarb
• Original Assignee: Adolph E. Goldfarb
• Inventors: Goldfarb, Adolph E., Everitt, Delmar K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US06/466,081
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 46/44, 46/206, 46/209, 46/202
• US Class Current: 446/202
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/10 Driving mechanisms actuated by flowing media
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/20 Flywheel driving mechanisms

Abstract

A wheeled turbine-powered toy vehicle and launcher apparatus. The toy vehicle has at least three spaced-apart ground engaging wheels on which it is supported and a drive mechanism operatively coupled to at least one of the wheels for transmitting rotation to the wheel. The drive mechanism includes a rotatably energy storing flywheel and an air turbine operatively coupled to the flywheel. The apparatus further includes an air delivery tube having a mouthpiece open to the atmosphere for the user to place into his or her mouth and blow air into. The tube has an outlet which is disposed adjacent to the air turbine for directing air against the turbine blades to cause the turbine to rotate. The toy vehicle is designed for use alone or with a launcher. In a preferred form, the launcher supports the toy vehicle above any surface to permit the user to blow into the mouthpiece and impart high speed rotation to the turbine and thus the flywheel, while the ground-engaging drive wheel or wheels of the toy vehicle are free to rotate. For convenience the launcher and toy vehicle mounted on it may be hand-holdable; after the energy has been imparted, the launcher and vehicle may be placed on the ground and the vehicle released and propelled forwardly. In one form the launcher includes a biased propelling member for initially overcoming the vehicle'"'"'s inertia. In another form the toy vehicle may be manually released from the top of an incline ramp.

Claims

1. In combination, a turbine-powered wheeled toy vehicle for energization by a child user'"'"'s breath and for operation on a play surface, and a launcher for such vehicle;

said combination being adapted to permit such child user to hold the vehicle and launcher in his hand, in an energization position, and to use his breath to bring the vehicle turbine up to speed when the vehicle and launcher are held in such an energization position, and to place the vehicle and launcher in a proper release position upon such play surface after the turbine is up to speed, and to then release the vehicle onto such play surface in an operating position, with the turbine still up to speed and with the vehicle in a suitable orientation relative to such play surface;

said combination comprising;

(a) a toy vehicle that is small enough to be readily hand-held by such child user and that has;

a flywheel that is rotatably mounted to the vehicle, and that is positioned and adapted to engage such surface and thereby to propel the vehicle relative to such surface,

an air turbine integral with the flywheel, and

an air conduit mounted to the vehicle, and having an inlet adapted to receive such a user'"'"'s breath, and having an outlet disposed adjacent the turbine to effectively convey such breath to the turbine to energize the turbine;

(b) a small launcher that is small enough and otherwise adapted to be hand-held by such child user and that is adapted to be placed stablely upon such surface, and that comprises;

gripping means for releasably gripping the vehicle, while the launcher is hand-held by such child user, in condition for receipt of such user'"'"'s breath by the conduit inlet,

supporting means for supporting the vehicle, with the flywheel disengaged from the launcher, and with the flywheel disengaged from such surface even if the launcher is placed upon such surface, for free-wheeling rotation by the flywheel when the vehicle is gripped by the gripping means and when such user'"'"'s breath is received by the conduit inlet,

releasing means, actuable by such user, for releasing the vehicle from the gripping means, and

impelling means for impelling the vehicle, when it is released by the gripping means, from the launcher to such surface so that the flywheel can engage such surface to propel the vehicle;

whereby said combination assists such child user to use his breath to bring the vehicle turbine up to speed when the vehicle and launcher are held in the child user'"'"'s hand in such an energization position, and to place the vehicle and launcher in a proper release position upon such play surface after the turbine is up to speed, and to then release the vehicle onto such play surface in an operating position, with the turbine still up to speed and with the vehicle in a suitable orientation relative to such play surface; and

a blow tube that is;

secured to the launcher;

adapted to be placed in such user'"'"'s mouth, while the launcher is hand-held by such user, to receive such user'"'"'s breath; and

positioned, aligned, and adapted to convey such breath to the inlet of the air conduit of the vehicle, when the vehicle is gripped by the gripping means.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said flywheel member and said turbine are coaxial and interconnected for common rotation.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said drive wheel is also coaxial and interconnected with said flywheel member and said turbine for common rotation.

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein there is a gear train on said frame between said flywheel member and said drive wheel.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said gear train substantially reduces the speed of rotation from said flywheel member to said drive wheel.

9. The combination of claim 7 wherein said drive wheel is located generally centrally side-to-side and said wheel means also includes a pair of rotatable support wheels.

2. In combination, a wheeled toy vehicle that is self-powered by an air turbine, and a launcher for said vehicle;

the said combination comprising;

(a) a toy vehicle having a frame, rotatable ground engaging wheel means on the frame proportioned and arranged to maintain the vehicle upright and including at least one drive wheel, and drive means on the frame and operatively coupled to said drive wheel for imparting rotation to said drive wheel, said drive means including a rotatable energy storing fly wheel member and an air turbine operatively coupled to said fly wheel member to impart rotation to the fly wheel member;

(b) a launcher which includes means for supporting said toy vehicle in a predetermined position on the launcher, said lancher being positionable on a supporting surface for launching of the toy vehicle; and

(c) user blow means, at least in part mounted on the launcher, for directing a flow of user-blown air against said air turbine so as to cause it to rotate, said blow means comprising;

a mouthpiece mounted on the launcher, open to the atmosphere and positioned for the user to place into his or her mouth and blow air into, and

conduit means with an outlet, said conduit means being connected to and in communication with the mouthpiece for directing air blown into the mouthpiece out of said outlet,

said outlet being positioned, when said vehicle is in said predetermined position on the launcher, so that said outlet is adjacent to said air turbine so as to direct air at said air turbine so as to cause it to rotate;

said launcher further including a movable starter element mounted on said launcher for longitudinal movement in a rear to front direction,

said element being positioned to engage the toy vehicle when the latter is mounted on the launcher and to propel the vehicle forwardly along the launcher to overcome the vehicle'"'"'s inertia in a standing start;

whereby substantially all the energy stored in the flywheel may be utilized to maintain rapid forward travel of the vehicle after such start.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein:

said starter element includes means which engage the vehicle, and

said launcher further includes;

means for biasing said starter element in the forward direction, and

latch means for restraining forward movement of said starter element and said vehicle in response to said biasing means until said latch means are released by the user.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said launcher comprises a pair of spaced apart parallel side rails and said toy vehicle includes outwardly extending projections at either side thereof for resting upon said side rails, said vehicle being supported by said projection means and side rails so that said drive wheel is out of engagement with other surfaces and free to rotate.