Reconfigurable toy assembly

• US 4,516,948 A
• Filed: 02/28/1984
• Issued: 05/14/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takara Co., Ltd. (TOMY Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Takara Co., Ltd. (TOMY Company Limited)
• Inventors: Obara, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US06/584,460
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 446/95, 446/94, 446/93, 446/97, 446/99, 446/268, 446/376, 446/431, 446/433, 446/434, 446/465, 446/470, 446/478, 446/487
• US Class Current: 446/95
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/003 Convertible toys, e.g. robots convertible into rockets or vehicles convertible into planes

Abstract

A reconfigurable toy assembly having foldable portions to allow the toy assembly to simulate a toy combination vehicle having a tractor unit and a trailer unit separatably connected to each other. The tractor unit when separated from the trailer unit is reversibly reconfigurable into a robotic humanoid form, while the trailer unit is reversibly reconfigurable into a play space for the robotic humanoid.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable toy assembly wherein a toy vehicle is reversibly reconfigured into a toy robotic humanoid and a play space, said assembly comprising:

a tractive unit; and

a trailer section;

said tractive unit and trailer section being separatably connected to each other and adapted to form said toy vehicle in the connected state, and said tractive unit being adapted to be foldable and pivotal at proper portions thereof so as to be reversibly reconfigured into said toy robotic humanoid, while said trailer section being adapted to open and close at proper portions thereof and having therein an unfoldable play space to be used for a play with said toy robotic humanoid.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the tractive unit includes a frame body having a pair of front wheels, a cabin member pivotally mounted to the frame body, a pair of tractive unit rear members pivotally connected to the frame body, a pair of fender members respectively movably connected to the tractive unit rear members, a pair of chassis members pivotally connected to the frame body, and a robotic humanoid head member movably mounted to the frame body, the tractive unit when reconfigured into a toy robotic humanoid has the cabin member forming a portion of a robotic trunk, the tractive unit rear members and fender members forming the robotic humanoid arms, the chassis member forming the robotic humanoid legs and the head member is moved to a position above the cabin member.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the trailer section includes a base section and a pair of frame members are pivotally mounted to the base section, the frame members are capable of pivotal movement to lie in a plane containing the surface of the base section to provide a play space.

4. The invention of claim 2 wherein the chassis members further include respective pivotally mounted rear chassis members that can be pivoted to form the supporting feet of the robotic humanoid configuration.

5. The invention of claim 2 wherein each chassis member supports at least one wheel.

6. The invention of claim 2 wherein the trailer section has a bearing hole and each chassis member provides half of a connecting shaft for interconnecting the tractive unit withe the bearing hole.

7. The invention of claim 2 wherein the trailer section includes a base section and a pair of frame members pivotally mounted to the base section, the frame members are capable of pivotal movement to lie in a plane containing the surface of the base section to provide a play space.

8. The invention of claim 3 wherein a launching member is mounted on the play space and is capable of propelling accesory vehicles.

9. The invention of claim 3 wherein an extendable crane assembly is mounted on the base section.

10. The invention of claim 3 wherein at least one metal sheet is mounted on the surface of a frame member adjacent the surface of the base member.

11. The invention of claim 7 wherein a launching member, capable of propelling accessory vehicles, and an extendable crane assembly are mounted on the play space.