Automobile having selective drive wheels

• US 4,684,355 A
• Filed: 07/01/1986
• Issued: 08/04/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takara Co., Ltd. (TOMY Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Takara Co., Ltd. (TOMY Company Limited)
• Inventors: Inomata, Noriyuki, Urakawa, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Downey, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US06/880,693
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 446/95, 446/464, 446/457
• US Class Current: 446/464
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/262 Chassis; Wheel mountings; Wheels; Axles; Suspensions; Fitting body portions to chassis

Abstract

A toy automobile having selective drive wheels comprising a body, a chassis and pairs of front and rear wheels, in which either a front wheel windup spring drive unit or a freewheel holder along with a front axle is detachably arranged in a front space of the chassis, and in which either a rear wheel windup spring drive unit or a freewheel holder along with a rear axle is detachably arranged in a rear space of the chassis, whereby a selection between front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, four-wheel drive or four-freewheel is made possible.

Claims

1. A toy automobile having selective drive wheels, comprising:

a body;

a chassis having front and rear spaces, which is detachably mounted to the body;

a pair of front wheels which are rotatably mounted to the chassis through either a front wheel windup spring drive unit or a first freewheel holder, which is detachably arranged in the front space of the chassis; and

a pair of rear wheels which are rotatably mounted to the chassis through either a rear wheel windup spring drive unit or a second freewheel holder of the same type as the first freewheel holder, which is detachably arranged in the rear space of the chassis, whereby a selection between front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, four-wheel dirve or four-freewheel is made possible.

2. A toy automobile as defined in claim 1, wherein the chassis is provided with engaging projections in the front and the rear spaces, and the front wheel windup spring drive unit, the rear wheel windup spring drive unit, and both the first freewheel holder and the second freewheel holders are provided with engaging grooves or corners, in which the engaging projections of the former are engaged with the engaging grooves or corners of the latter when the latter is arranged in the front or the rear space of the former.

3. A toy automobile as defined in claim 2, wherein the front and the rear spaces of the chassis integrally constitute a container portion, and the container portion is provided with engaging projections in the upper inner middle portions of its side walls in the front and the rear spaces.

4. A toy automobile as defined in claim 3, wherein the freewheel holder is provided with pairs of front and rear axle slits in its side walls at distances L₁ and L₂ from its front end wall, and the container portion of the chassis is provided with front and rear axle slits in its side walls at distances L₁ and L₂ from the inlets of its grooves and its rear end wall, respectively.

5. A toy automobile having selective drive wheels, comprising:

a chassis having front and rear spaces;

a pair of front wheels which are rotatably mounted to the chassis through either a front wheel windup spring drive unit or a first freewheel holder, which is detachably arranged in the front space of the chassis; and

a pair of rear wheels which are rotatably mounted to the chassis through either a rear wheel windup spring drive unit or a second freewheel holder, which is detachably arranged in the rear space of the chassis, whereby a selection between front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, four-wheel drive or four-freewheel is made possible.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein the chassis is provided with engaging projections and front rear axle slits.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein the front wheel windup spring drive unit, the rear wheel windup spring drive unit, and the first and second freewheel holders are provided with engaging grooves or corners that engage the engaging projections.

8. The invention of claim 6 wherein the chassis is further provided with a plurality of engaging grooves and slots.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein the front wheel windup spring drive unit, the rear wheel windup spring drive unit, and the first and second freewheel holders are provided with a plurality of projections that can interface the slots and grooves of the chassis.

10. A toy automobile comprising:

a chassis member having front and rear inner spaces;

a first driving unit including a pair of front wheels, which is capable of being detachably mounted to said front space of said chassis member;

a second driving unit including a pair of rear wheels, which is capable of being detachably mounted to said rear space of said chassis member; and

wheel holder means including a pair of wheels, which is capable of being detachably mounted on either said front or rear space of said chassis member.

11. The invention of claim 10 wherein the chassis is provided with engaging projections and a plurality of slots and grooves.

12. The invention of claim 11 wherein the first driving unit, second driving unit, and the wheel holder means are provided with engaging grooves or corners that can engage the engaging projections, and further provided with a plurality of projections that can engage the slots and grooves.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein the engaging projections are fixed on opposite sides of the chassis and disposed in both the front and rear inner spaces.

14. The invention of claim 13 wherein the slots and grooves are positioned on opposing sides of the chassis.