Miniature storage container for a manually propelled toy member

• US 4,959,035 A
• Filed: 11/04/1988
• Issued: 09/25/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD. (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD. (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Murasaki, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US07/267,036
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 446/75, 446/429, 446/430, 446/440, 446/457, 446/459, 446/462, 446/464, 446/63-65, 446/26, 446/28, 446/40, 446/36, 446/263, 273/86 R
• US Class Current: 446/40
• 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 29/24 Details or accessories for drive mechanisms, e.g. means for winding-up or starting toy engines

Abstract

The present invention relates to a toy unit having a movable toy and a flat rectangular toy case having an engaging section disposed therein in which the movable toy is detachably set. Support structure is disposed therein for supporting the movable toy when the movable toy starts movement. The toy case includes a power generating assembly, whereby the toy case has a card shape in the state when the movable toy is set in the engaging section of the toy case.

Claims

1. An improved storage container for a manually propelled toy member comprising:

a thin flat housing member configured to be of a size approximating the user'"'"'s hand, the housing member having a cavity for retainably storing the toy member, and

means in the housing member, at a position apart from the cavity, for transmitting a propulsion force to the toy member including a removable flexible power rack.

2. The storage container of claim 1 further including an internal curved channel for guiding the movement of the power rack member.

3. The storage container of claim 2 wherein the housing member has an approximate dimension of 6 cm wide, 9 cm long and 1.2 cm thick.

4. In an improved toy assembly having at least one manually propelled toy member, the improvement comprising:

an elongated approximately rectangular housing forming the case member and having a relatively small thickness compared to its width and length and configured to be of a size smaller than a hand of the user, the housing having a cavity of a configuration to receive and retain the toy member within approximately the thickness of the housing and the toy member is configured to accommodate the cavity thickness;

means for operatively mounting the toy member for propulsion on the housing, and means for propelling the toy member including a rack and pinion gear system.

5. In an improved toy assembly having at least one manually propelled toy member and a case member for removably storing the toy member, the improvement comprising:

an elongated approximately rectangular housing forming the case member and having a relatively small thickness compared to its width and length and configured to be of a size smaller than a hand of the user, the housing having a cavity of a configuration to receive and retain the toy member within approximately the thickness of the housing and the toy member is configured to accommodate the cavity thickness;

means for operatively mounting the toy member for propulsion on the housing, and means for propelling the toy member, the toy member having a structural component that can move to reduce the exterior thickness of the toy member for storage purposes in the case member.

6. The toy assembly of claim 5 wherein the toy member is configured to simulate a motorcycle, the motorcycle having a set of handlebars mounted for movement towards each other to provide a collapsed storage position for mounting in the cavity.

7. A toy unit comprising:

a movable toy;

a thick card-shaped toy case having a cavity of a dimensional shape of approximately the dimension of the toy member and an engaging section for detachably accommodating said movable toy, and support means for supporting and releasing said movable toy when said movable toy starts movement, and

power generating means including a rack means detachably accommodated in said toy case for applying power to said movable toy, respectively.

8. A toy unit according to claim 7 wherein said rack means comprises a holding portion and a long rack belt contiguous to said holding portion.

9. In an improved toy assembly having at least one manually propelled toy member and a case member for removably storing the toy member, the improvement comprising:

an elongated approximately rectangular housing forming the case member and having a relatively small thickness compared to its width and length and configured to be of a size smaller than a hand of the user, the housing having a cavity of a configuration to receive and retain the toy member within approximately the thickness of the housing and the toy member is configured to accommodate the cavity thickness, means for detachably retaining the toy member, means for operatively mounting the toy member for propulsion on the housing, and

means for propelling the toy member with a subsequent release by the detaching means to permit the toy member to be propelled away from the case member including a rack and pinion gear system.

10. The toy assembly of claim 9 wherein the toy member has a structural component that can move to reduce the exterior thickness of the toy member for storage purposes in the case member.

11. The toy assembly of claim 10 wherein the toy member is configured to simulate a helicopter, the helicopter having a set of rotor blades mounted for movement to be positioned across each other during storage in the cavity.