Amphibious toy vehicle

• US 4,540,376 A
• Filed: 03/28/1984
• Issued: 09/10/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Azrak-Hamway International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Azrak-Hamway International Incorporated
• Inventors: Turbowitz, Leslie, Pipa, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US06/594,349
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 446/153, 446/163, 446/164, 446/165, 446/160, 446/457, 446/462, 446/463, 446/464, 446/443
• US Class Current: 446/164
• 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 23/04 Self-propelled boats, ships or submarines
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/00 Drive mechanisms for toys in general

Abstract

An amphibious toy vehicle powered by a water turbine and 4 drive wheels adapted to operate in a forward and backward direction on land and in a forward straight and circular direction in water. A single battery operated motor coupled to a transmission simultaneously drives both the 4 drive wheels and the water turbine. Power shafts from the transmission to the water turbine and the drive wheels are contained in isolated vertical risers extending above the water line so that the vehicle housing cavity containing the battery source, motor and transmission remain water-free without the use of seals.

Claims

1. A toy vehicle buoyant in water having a buoyant housing which is formed with an internal cavity, the level at which said vehicle floats in water defining a vehicle water line, a drive chamber formed in said housing which is isolated from said vehicle internal cavity and which is open to the exterior of said housing below said vehicle water line, said housing having no other openings below the vehicle water line, said drive chamber having at least one vertical riser extending above said vehicle water line to prevent water from flowing from said drive chamber into said internal cavity, a power shaft disposed within said vertical riser and extending above the uppermost portion of said vertical riser, water propulsion means drivingly connected to said power shaft at a point below said vehicle water line, transmission means drivingly connected to said power shaft above said vertical riser, electric motor means drivingly engaged with said transmission means, power source means electrically connected to said electric motor means, at least one of said electric motor means and said power source means positioned in said internal cavity below said vehicle water line and power switch means adapted to connect said power source means to said electric motor means so that said electric motor means will operate and correspondingly drive said water propulsion means.

2. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electric motor means and said power source are both positioned below said vehicle water line.

3. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said water propulsion means comprises a turbine chamber integrally formed with said buoyant housing and a water turbine drivingly connected to said power shaft and disposed within said turbine chamber.

4. An amphibious toy vehicle buoyant in water having a bouyant housing which is formed with an internal cavity, the level at which said vehicle floats in water defining a vehicle water line, at least one pair of drive wheels mounted for rotation on said buoyant housing, a drive chamber formed in said housing which is located from said internal cavity and which is open to the exterior of said housing below said vehicle water line, said housing having no other openings below said vehicle water line, said drive chamber formed with a first vertical riser and a second vertical riser which extend above said vehicle water line to prevent water from flowing from said drive chamber into said internal cavity, a first power shaft disposed within said first vertical riser and extending above the uppermost portion of said first vertical riser, water propulsion means drivingly engaged to said first power shaft at a point below said vehicle water line, said water propulsion means comprising a turbine chamber integrally formed with said vehicle housing and a turbine disposed within said turbine chamber, a second power shaft disposed within said second vertical riser and extending above said second vertical riser, said pair of drive wheels drivingly connected to said second power shaft at a point below said vehicle water line, transmission means drivingly connected to said first and second power shaft at a point above said vehicle water line, electric motor means drivingly engaged with said transmission means, power source means electrically connected to said electric motor means, at least one of said electric motor means and said power source means positioned below said vehicle water line, and power switch means adapted to connect said power source means to said electric motor means so that said electric motor means will operate in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction causing said amphibious toy vehicle to operate in forward and rearward directions on land and in forward and forward circuitous directions in water.

5. An amphibious toy vehicle as claimed in claim 4 wherein, said electric motor means and said power source means are positioned below said vehicle water line.