Toy vehicle with thermochromic material

• US 4,917,643 A
• Filed: 06/26/1987
• Issued: 04/17/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MetTel, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Hippely, Keith, Wood, Larry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Application Number:
  US07/067,519
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 446/14, 446/219, 446/465, 427/148, 106/21
• US Class Current: 446/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/1031 using colour indicators
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/26 Details; Accessories drive mechanisms A63H29/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/913 Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture

Abstract

A toy vehicle spray painted with paint containing thermochromic material which changes color as the temperature of the vehicle varies. Selected portions of the toy vehicle may be painted with the thermochromic material to provide a variety of patterns, designs, numbers, letters or other indicia which change color in response to temperature variations. In addition, different portions of the toy vehicle may be painted with different paints containing different color thermochromic materials.

Claims

1. A toy vehicle comprising a vehicle body having an initial appearance resulting from at least a portion of said vehicle body being coated with thermochromic paint means having an initial color, said thermochromic paint means for changing said initial appearance by changing said initial color in response to temperature variation of said vehicle body, said thermochromic paint means including thermochromic material capable of changing color due to said temperature variation in order to vary said initial appearance of said vehicle body to a substantially different appearance.

2. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein said thermochromic paint means comprises thermochromic paint containing said thermochromic material painted onto said body.

3. The toy vehicle of claim 2 wherein substantially all of said vehicle body is painted with said thermochromic paint.

4. The toy vehicle of claim 3 wherein the appearance is changed from an opaque dirty car to a transparent clean car and vice versa.

5. The toy vehicle of claim 2 wherein substantially all of said vehicle body is coated with said thermochromic paint containing said thermochromic material.

6. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein said thermochromic material changes color from a colored opaque material resembling a dirty car to a transparent material resembling a clean car.

7. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein said vehicle body is made out of metal.

8. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein said vehicle body is made out of plastic.

9. A toy vehicle comprising a vehicle body having an initial appearance resulting from at least a portion of said vehicle body being coated with thermochromic paint means forming a design having an initial color, said thermochromic paint means for changing said initial appearance by changing said initial color of said design in response to temperature variation of said vehicle body, said thermochromic paint means including thermochromic material capable of changing color due to said temperature variation in order to vary said initial appearance of said vehicle body to a substantially different appearance.

10. A toy vehicle comprising a vehicle body having an initial appearance resulting from at least a portion of said vehicle body being coated with thermochromic paint means forming at least one letter having an initial color, said thermochromic paint means for changing said initial appearance by changing said initial color of said letter in response to temperature variation of said vehicle body, said thermochromic paint means including thermochromic material capable of changing color due to said temperature variation in order to vary said initial appearance of said vehicle body to a substantially different appearance.

11. A toy vehicle comprising a vehicle body having an initial appearance resulting from at least a portion of said vehicle body being coated with thermochromic paint means forming at least one number having an initial color, said thermochromic paint means for changing said initial appearance by changing said initial color of said number in response to temperature variation of said vehicle body, said thermochromic paint means including thermochromic material capable of changing color due to said temperature variation in order to vary said initial appearance of said vehicle body to a substantially different appearance.

12. A toy vehicle comprising a vehicle body having an initial appearance resulting from (a) a first portion of said vehicle body being coated with a first thermochromic paint means for changing said initial appearance in response to temperature variation of said vehicle body, said first thermochromic paint means including a first thermochromic material, and (b) a second portion of said vehicle body being coated with a second thermochromic paint means for changing said initial appearance in response to temperature variation of said vehicle body, said second thermochromic paint means including a second thermochromic material, said first and second thermochromic materials capable of changing color due to said temperature variation from a first color at a first temperature to a second color at a second temperature in order to vary said initial appearance of said vehicle body to a substantially different appearance.

13. The toy vehicle of claim 12 wherein said first and second thermochromic materials have different first colors.

14. The toy vehicle of claim 13 wherein said first and second thermochromic materials change color to different second colors at different second temperatures.

15. The toy vehicle of claim 13 wherein said first and second thermochromic materials change color to different second colors at about the same second temperature.

16. The toy vehicle of claim 12 wherein said first thermochromic material changes color from a colored opaque material to a transparent material.

17. The toy vehicle of claim 12 wherein said first and second thermochromic materials have the same first color.

18. The toy vehicle of claim 17 wherein said first and second thermochromic materials change color to different second colors at different second temperatures.

19. The toy vehicle of claim 17 wherein said first and second thermochromic materials change color to different second colors at about the same second temperature.