Light display drive for a rocking toy

• US 5,356,329 A
• Filed: 04/15/1993
• Issued: 10/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Handi PAC Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Handi PAC Incorporated
• Inventors: Thornell, Ernest L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Muir, D. Neal
• Application Number:
  US08/046,302
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 472/95, 472/96, 472/98, 472/100, 472/101, 472/102, 472/114, 446/29, 446/484, 446/485, 446/219, 446/236, 446/237, 446/238, 446/242, 446/313, 446/322, 446/325, 446/396, 446/438, 446/462, 362/276, 362/802
• US Class Current: 446/485
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 13/06 Rocking-horses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

A ridable toy which is adapted to be rocked by a child has a body on which the child may sit to rock the toy, a translucent portion, and a centrifugally operated light display visible through the translucent portion. The light display is caused to spin and light up by an arcuate rack drive system which is responsive to the rocking motion induced in the toy by the child.

Claims

1. A ridable toy adapted to be rocked by a child, the toy having a body on which the child may sit to rock the toy, a translucent portion, a centrifugally operated light display visible through said translucent portion, and a drive for operating said light display in response to the rocking of said toy, said drive including free wheeling means for continuously rotating said light display in a single direction while said toy is rocked;

said drive including a drive gear and a fly wheel operatively connected to said drive gear to be rotated thereby, said light display being mounted on said fly wheel, said fly wheel and light display including intermeshing gears which cause said light display to rotate when said fly wheel is rotated;

said free wheeling means including meshing means for engaging and disengaging said drive gear from said fly wheel in response to the rocking of said toy.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein said drive includes a push arm operatively connected to said light display, said push arm bing slidably mounted in said body and extending out of said body to be in contact with a floor, wherein when said body rocks, said body moves with respect to said push arm.

3. The toy of claim 2 further including a housing mounted in said toy.

4. The toy of claim 3 wherein said housing has a floor;

a well defined in said floor, the well having a bottom defining an opening; and

arms extending downwardly from a bottom side of said housing floor.

5. The toy of claim 1 wherein said drive gear includes an axle and is rotatably mounted in a bracket, said bracket including elongate openings which receive said drive gear axle, said meshing means transversely moving said drive gear in said bracket to engage with, and disengage from, said drive gear from said fly wheel.

6. The toy of claim 5 wherein said meshing means includes a rack pivotally mounted in said toy body and a push arm connected to said rack and extending through said toy body to engage a floor such that when said toy is rocked forwardly the rack pivots in one direction, and when the toy is rocked rearwardly, the rack is pivoted in a second, opposite, direction;

said rack having a toothed edge operatively connected to said drive gear to drive said drive gear such that when said rack is pivoted in one of said first or second directions, said drive gear is moved into engagement with said fly wheel to positively drive said fly wheel and when said rack is pivoted in the other of said first and second directions, said drive gear is disengaged from said fly wheel and said fly wheel free wheels in said toy.

7. A ridable toy adapted to be rocked by a child, the toy having

a body on which the child may sit to rock the toy;

a translucent portion mounted upon said body;

a centrifugally operated light display visible through said translucent portion;

a drive for operating said light display in response to the rocking of said toy, said drive including a push arm operatively connected to said light display, said push arm being slidably mounted in said body and extending out of said body to be in contact with a floor, wherein when said body rocks, Said body moves with respect to said push arm;

a housing mounted in said toy, said housing having a floor;

a well defined in said floor, the well having a bottom defining an opening; and

arms extending downwardly from a bottom side of housing floor; and

a rack pivotally secured to said housing arms;

said push arm being pivotally secured to said rack.

8. The toy of claim 7 wherein said rack has an arcuate surface having teeth in an edge thereof, said arcuate section extending into said well through said opening;

said drive mechanism including a driven gear rotatably mounted in said well to be in meshing contact with said rack teeth;

said driven gear being operated by said rack when said rack is pivoted by said push arm.

9. The toy of claim 8, said drive further including a fly wheel mounted in said housing, said fly wheel being driven by said driven gear;

said centrifugal light display being rotatably mounted to said fly wheel to be rotated as said fly wheel is rotated.

10. The toy of claim 9 wherein said drive includes means for allowing said fly wheel to disengage from said driven gear to spin freely.

11. The toy of claim 10 wherein said disengaging means includes means for allowing said driven gear to move transversely, said driven gear being moved into meshing contact with a fly wheel gear when said push arm is pushed upwardly with respect to said body and is moved out of meshing contact with said fly wheel gear when said push arm is pushed downwardly with respect to said body.

12. The toy of claim 10 wherein said said driven gear includes an axle, one end of said axle being journaled in said bottom of said well and another end of said axle being journaled in a bracket mounted to said housing floor above said well;

said transverse moving means including said well floor and said bracket, said well floor and said bracket including an elongate slot, said driven gear axle being journaled in said elongate slots for transverse movement.

13. A drive mechanism for rotating a light display in a rockable toy, said drive mechanism being operatively connected to said light display to rotate said light display in response to rocking motion of said toy;

said toy including a drive a housing mounted therein, said housing having a floor;

a well defined in said floor, the well having a bottom defining an opening; and

arms extending downwardly from a bottom side of said housing floor;

said drive including a push arm operatively connected to said light display, said push arm being slidably mounted in said toy and extending out of said toy to be in contact with a floor, whereby when said top rocks, said toy moves with respect to said push arm; and

an arcuate rack pivotally secured to said housing arms;

said push arm being pivotally secured to said rack.

14. The drive mechanism of claim 13 wherein said rack has an arcuate surface having teeth in an edge thereof, said arcuate section extending into said well through said opening;

said drive mechanism including a driven gear rotatably mounted in said well to be in meshing contact with said rack teeth;

said driven gear being operated by said rack when said rack is pivoted by said push arm.

15. The drive mechanism of claim 14, said drive further including a fly wheel mounted in said housing which is driven by said driven gear;

said light mechanism being rotatably mounted to said fly wheel to be rotated as said fly wheel is rotated.

16. The drive mechanism of claim 15 wherein said drive includes means for allowing said fly wheel to disengage from said driven gear to spin freely.

17. The drive mechanism of claim 16 wherein said disengaging means includes means for allowing said driven gear to move transversely, said driven gear being moved into meshing contact with said fly wheel when said push arm is pushed upwardly with respect to said body and is moved out of meshing contact with said with said fly wheel when said push arm is pushed downwardly with respect to said body.

18. The drive mechanism of claim 17 wherein said said driven gear includes an axle, one end of said axle being journaled in said bottom of said well and another end of said axle being journaled in a bracket mounted to said housing floor above said well;

said transverse moving means including said well floor and said bracket, said well floor and said bracket including an elongate slot, said driven gear axle being journaled in said elongate slots for transverse movement.