Trick vehicle capable of jumping

• US 4,702,720 A
• Filed: 02/04/1986
• Issued: 10/27/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tomy Kogyo Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tomy Kogyo Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Yoneda, Yosuke, Konta, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/825,853
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 446/308, 446/310, 446/453, 446/489, 446/429, 446/430, 446/437, 446/470, 446/462, 446/466, 446/6, 446/174
• US Class Current: 446/448
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/004 Stunt-cars, e.g. lifting front wheels, roll-over or invertible cars

Abstract

A toy wheeled vehicle includes an inertial element located so as to move between two positions. A spring is associated with the inertial element to accelerate it from its first position to its second position. When the element reaches its second position the force of the acceleration is transferred to the vehicle chassis and the vehicle chassis "jumps" in response to the force.

Claims

1. A toy vehicle which comprises:

a vehicle chassis;

a plurality of wheels mounted on said chassis in positions to contact a support surface, said vehicle moving on said support surface by rolling on said wheels;

an axle, at least one of said wheels attaching to said axle, said axle being rotatively mounted on said chassis for rotation on said chassis, said axle rotated on said chassis in response to rotation on said support surface of said one of said wheels attached to said axle;

a chassis extension fixedly attaching to said vehicle chassis and stationary with respect to said vehicle chassis, said chassis extension including an elevated portion located in an elevated position above said chassis;

an inertial element movably located on said chassis below said elevated portion of said chassis extension, said element vertically movable on said chassis between a locked position and a position wherein said element contacts said elevated portion of said chassis extension;

force means located on said chassis in operative association with said element, said force means for accelerating said element upwardly from said locked position towards said elevated portion of said chassis extension whereby said element contacts said elevated portion of said chassis extension and transfers the force of said acceleration to said chassis to move said chassis with respect to said support surface;

a retaining member movably located on said chassis in operative association with said element so as to move with respect to said element between a position where said retaining member holds said element in said locked position and a position wherein said retaining member releases from said element allowing said element to be moved from said locked position by said force means;

a rotating member movably mounted on said chassis, said rotating member vertically movable on said chassis between an elevated position and a depressed position;

biasing means located on said chassis in operative association with said rotating member;

said rotating member in operative association with said element whereby said element operatively contacts said rotating member and holds said rotating member in its depressed position when said element is in its locked position and said element releases from said rotating member when said element moves towards its elevated position and in response to said element releasing from said rotating member said biasing means moving said rotating member to its elevated position;

said rotating member further in operative association with said retaining member so as to move said retaining member;

rotation transfer means for transfering rotation, said rotation transfer means operatively associated with both said axle and said rotating member so as to transfer rotation of said axle to said rotating member when said rotating member is in its depressed position, whereby

in response to rotation of said axle, said rotation transfer means rotating said rotating member, said rotation moving said retaining member with respect to said element releasing said retaining member from said element such that said element moves from said locked position towards said elevated portion of said chassis extension.

2. The toy of claim 1 including:

said retaining member being pivotably mounted on said chassis to move horizionally on said chassis.

3. The toy of claim 2 including:

retaining member biasing means for biasing said retaining member towards said element.

4. The toy of claim 1 including:

activation means operatively attaching to said element, said activation means for moving said element to its locked position.

5. The toy of claim 4 wherein:

said activation means comprises a shaft attaching to said element and extending upwardly from said element to a position operated on by an operator of said toy.

6. The toy of claim 5 including:

said chassis extension comprises a U-shaped extension of said chassis, said U-shaped extension including an opening, said shaft passing through said opening such that a portion of said shaft is located above said U-shaped extension.

7. A toy vehicle which comprises:

a vehicle chassis;

a plurality of wheels mounted on said chassis in positions to contact a support surface, said vehicle moving on said support surface by rolling on said wheels;

an axle, at least one of said wheels attaching to said axle, said axle being rotatively mounted on said chassis for rotation on said chassis, said axle rotated on said chassis in response to rotation on said support surface of said one of said wheels attached to said axle;

a worm gear fixedly mounted on said axle to rotated in response to rotation of said axle;

a chassis extension fixedly attaching to said vehicle chassis and stationary with respect to the remainder of said vehicle chassis, said chassis extension including an elevated portion located in an elevated position above said chassis;

an inertial element movably located on said chassis below said elevated portion of said chassis extension, said element vertically movable on said chassis between a locked position and a position wherein said element contacts said said elevated portion of said chassis extension;

force means located on said chassis in operative association with said element, said force means for accelerating said element upwardly from said locked position towards said elevated portion of said chassis extension whereby said element contacts said elevated portion of said chassis extension and transfers the force of said acceleration to said chassis to move said cha1ssis with respect to said support surface;

a retaining member movably located on said chassis in operative association with said element so as to move with respect to said element between positions where said retaining member holds said element in said locked position and releases from said element allowing said element to be moved from said locked position by said force means;

a rotating member movably mounted on said chassis, said rotating member including a gear located thereon, said gear operatively connectable to said worm gear so as to rotated by said worm gear;

said rotating member in operative association with said retaining member so as to move said retaining member;

in response to rotation of said axle, said worm gear rotating said rotating member, said rotation of said rotating member moving said retaining member with respect to said element releasing said retaining member from said element such that said element moves from said locked position towards said elevated portion of said chassis extension.

8. The toy of claim 7 including:

said retaining member being pivotably mounted on said chassis to move horizionally on said chassis.

9. The toy of claim 8 including:

retaining member biasing means for biasing said retaining member towards said element.

10. The toy of claim 7 including:

activation means operatively attaching to said element, said activation means for moving said element to its locked position.

11. The toy of claim 10 wherein:

said activation means comprises a shaft attaching to said element and extending upwardly from said element to as position so a to operated on by an operator of said toy.

12. The toy of claim 11 including:

said chassis extension comprises a U-shaped extension of said chassis, said U-shaped extension including an opening, said shaft passing through said opening such that a portion of said shaft is located above said U-shaped extension.