Toy car carrier

• US 4,708,683 A
• Filed: 10/29/1986
• Issued: 11/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lehmann, Roger W., Michael I. Satten
• Original Assignee: Lehmann, Roger W., Michael I. Satten
• Inventors: Lehmann, Roger W., Satten, Michael I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US06/924,611
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 446/75, 446/76, 446/71, 446/427, 446/428, 446/434, 446/431, 446/465, 446/435, 206/216
• US Class Current: 446/75
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/05 Trucks; Lorries

Abstract

A toy car carrier having handles which are movable between inoperative and operative positions. When in operative positions, the handles may be held to carry or propel the toy car carrier and to confine the toy cars to the toy car carrier. When the handles are moved to inoperative positions, they release the toy cars for removal from the toy car carrier.

In its preferred form, the toy car carrier is a tractor-trailer type of vehicle wherein both the tractor and the trailer are capable of carrying toy cars, and both are provided with ramps for toy car loading and unloading purposes. A coupling between the tractor and trailer has dual functions: to pivotally couple the tractor and trailer for normal use, and to lock the tractor and trailer relative to each other for carrying purposes.

Claims

1. A toy car carrier comprising:

a. a toy car transport vehicle,

b. wheels mounted on said vehicle, adapting it to be supported and moved on a supporting surface,

c. support means on said vehicle for supporting toy cars, and

d. a pair of handles mounted on opposite sides of said vehicle for movement upwardly into operative position and downwardly into inoperative position,

e. said handles, when in operative position, being provided with means for confining the toy cars to said support means,

f. said handles, when in operative position, being adapted for carrying the vehicle or for propelling it on its wheels on a supporting surface.

2. A toy car carrier in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

a. the handles are pivotally mounted on said vehicle on parallel axes extending longitudinally of the vehicle,

b. whereby the handles are movable into operative and inoperative positions by pivotal movement about said axes.

3. A toy car carrier in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

a. handle holding means are provided to hold the handles in either operative or inoperative position,

b. said handle holding means being disengageable to free the handles from one position for movement into the other position.

7. A toy car carrier in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

a. the means for confining the toy cars comprises a pair of longitudinally extending bars, one in each handle,

b. said bars being situated on opposite sides of the toy cars on the support means when the handles are in operative position,

c. whereby the toy cars are confined to said support means when the vehicle is carried by means of said handles.

8. A toy car carrier in accordance with claim 7, wherein:

a. the longitudinally extending bars are provided with both horizontal and vertical components,

b. said components being adapted to prevent both vertical and horizontal displacement of the toy cars.

4. A toy car carrier comprising:

a. a toy car transport vehicle,

b. support means on said vehicle for supporting toy cars, and

c. a pair of handles mounted on opposite sides of said vehicle for movement upwardly into operative position and downwardly into inoperative position,

d. said handles being provided with means for confining the toy cars to said support means when the handles are in their operative position,

e. handle holding means being provided to hold the handles in either operative or inoperative position,

f. said handle holding means being disengageable to free the handles from one position for movement into the other position,

g. said handle holding means comprising cooperative plugs and sockets,

h. said plugs and sockets being engageable with each other to hold the handles in either operative or inoperative position,

i. said plugs and sockets being disengageable from each other to enable the handles to move from operative to inoperative position and back.

5. A toy car carrier comprising:

a. a toy car transport vehicle,

b. support means on said vehicle for supporting toy cars, and

c. a pair of handles mounted on opposite sides of said vehicle for movement upwardly into operative position and downwardly into inoperative position,

d. said handles being provided with means for confining the toy cars to said support means when the handles are in their operative position,

e. handle holding means being provided to hold the handles in either operative or inoperative position,

f. said handle holding means being disengageable to free the handles from one position for movement into the other position,

g. the handle holding means comprising cooperative plugs and sockets,

h. said plugs and sockets being engageable with each other to hold the handles in either operative or inoperative position,

i. said plugs and sockets being disengageable from each other to enable the handles to move from operative or inoperative position and back,

j. at least one plug being provided on one handle and at least one socket being provided on the other handle,

k. said plug and socket being in registration with each other when the handles are in operative position,

l. whereby said plug and socket are adapted to engage each other to hold the handles in operative position.

6. A toy car carrier comprising:

a. a toy car transport vehicle,

b. support means on said vehicle for supporting toy cars, and

c. a pair of handles mounted on opposite sides of said vehicle for movement upwardly into operative position and downwardly into inoperative position,

d. said handles being provided with means for confining the toy cars to said support means when the handles are in their operative position,

e. handle holding means being provided to hold the handles in either operative or inoperative position,

f. said handle holding means being disengageable to free the handles from one position for movement into the other position,

g. the handle holding means comprising cooperative plugs and sockets,

h. said plugs and sockets being engageable with each other to hold the handles in either operative or inoperative position,

i. said plugs and sockets being disengageable from each other to enable the handles to move from operative to inoperative position and back,

j. at least one plug and one socket being provided between each handle and the vehicle when the handles are in inoperative position,

k. said plug and socket being in registration with each other when the handles are in inoperative position,

l. whereby said plug and socket are adapted to engage each other to hold the handles in inoperative position.

9. A toy car carrier comprising:

a. a toy car transport vehicle,

b. support means on said vehicle for supporting toy cars, and

c. a pair of handles mounted on opposite sides of said vehicle for movement upwardly into operative position and downwardly into inoperative position,

d. said handles being provided with means for confining the toy cars to said support means when the handles are in their operative position,

e. the toy car transport vehicle comprising tractor and a trailer,

f. the handles being mounted on the trailer,

g. said tractor being connected to said trailer and being supportable by the trailer when the trailer is carried by means of said handles,

h. whereby the entire toy car transport vehicle is carried when the trailer is carried.

10. A toy car carrier comprising:

a. a toy car transport vehicle,

b. support means on said vehicle for supporting toy cars, and

c. a pair of handles mounted on opposite sides of said vehicle for movement upwardly into operative position and downwardly into inoperative position,

d. said handles being provided with means for confining the toy cars to said support means when the handles are in their operative position,

e. the toy car transport vehicle comprising a tractor and a trailer,

f. said tractor having a coupling mount and said trailer having a coupler which is detachably coupled to said coupling mount for relative pivotal movement between said tractor and said trailer about the coupling axis.

11. A toy car carrier comprising:

a. a toy car transport vehicle,

b. support means on said vehicle for supporting toy cars, and

c. a pair of handles mounted on opposite sides of said vehicle for movement upwardly into operative position and downwardly into inoperative position,

d. said handles being provided with means for confining the toy cars to said support means when the handles are in their operative position,

e. the toy car transport vehicle comprising a tractor and a trailer,

f. said tractor having a coupling mount and said trailer having a coupler which is detachably coupled to said coupling mount for relative pivotal movement between said tractor and said trailer about the coupling axis,

g. the coupling mount being provided with accurate block elements on opposite sides of the coupling axis,

h. said coupler having a disc element centered on said coupling axis,

i. said disc element being engageable by said accurate block elements to couple the tractor to the trailer and provide for the relative pivotal movement between them.

12. A toy car carrier comprising:

a. a toy car transport vehicle,

b. support means on said vehicle for supporting toy cars, and

c. a pair of handles mounted on opposite sides of said vehicle for movement upwardly into operative position and downwardly into inoperative position,

d. said handles being provided with means for confining the toy cars to said support means when the handles are in their operative position,

e. the toy car transport vehicle comprising a tractor and a trailer,

f. said tractor having a coupling mount and said trailer having a coupler which is detachably coupled to said coupling mount for relative pivotal movement between said tractor and said trailer about the coupling axis,

g. the coupling mount being provided with accurate block elements on opposite sides of the coupling axis,

h. said coupler having a disc element centered on said coupling axis,

i. said disc element being engageable by said accurate block elements to couple the tractor to the trailer and provide for relative pivotal movement between them,

j. the disc element being movable past the accurate block elements and into a position where it is locked behind said accurate block elements to prevent relative longitudinal movement between the tractor and trailer,

k. said tractor and trailer being also provided with locking means to prevent relative vertical movement between them and to prevent relative angular movement about a vertical axis,

l. whereby the tractor and trailer are immobilized relative to each other for carrying purposes.

13. A toy car carrier comprising:

a. a toy car transport vehicle,

b. support means on said vehicle for supporting toy cars, and

c. a pair of handles mounted on opposite sides of said vehicle for movement upwardly into operative position and downwardly into inoperative position,

d. said handles being provided with means for confining the toy cars to said support means when the handles are in their operative position,

e. the toy car transport vehicle comprising a tractor and a trailer,

f. the handles being mounted on the trailer,

g. said tractor being connected to said trailer and being supportable by the trailer when the trailer is carried by means of said handles,

h. whereby the entire toy car transport vehicle is carried when the trailer is carried,

i. the tractor being provided with a toy car carrying compartment and with ramp means for access thereto when the tractor and trailer are uncoupled,

j. said ramp means being pivotally movable into closed position relative to said compartment to confine toy cars therein.