Toy assembly

• US 5,375,847 A
• Filed: 10/01/1993
• Issued: 12/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fromm Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fromm Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Merry, Steven E., Nielsen, Peter M., Fromm, Wayne G., Weinstein, Lee D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Owens, Kerry
• Application Number:
  US08/130,681
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 273/310-316, 434/21, 434/23, 446/175, 446/330
• US Class Current: 463/5
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0291 with a simulated projectile, e.g. an image on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/02 Photo-electric hit-detector systems comprising a light-emitting device for simulating the firing of a gun F41G3/2622; detecting by optical means G01V8/10
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 7/04 disappearing or moving when hit exploding targets F41J5/26; exploding clay-pigeon targets F41J9/165

Abstract

A toy assembly 10 including a ray gun 12 capable of projecting a focused beam of light 25, and an electro-mechanically actuatable target figurine 14 including a body 46, a support 48 for supporting the body of the figurine in an upright position upon a surface, a light receiver 58, a toppling mechanism 60 for causing the figurine to topple over when operated, an energy source 82 within the figurine for powering the toppling mechanism, and a control circuit 78 for initiating the operation of the toppling mechanism when the light receiver is struck by a beam of light projected by the ray gun.

Claims

1. A toy assembly comprising:

a light source for providing an optical information signal; and

an electromechanically actuatable target figurine which may be placed at various locations upon any generally horizontal planar surface, the figurine including a body,

support means in the form of legs for normally supporting the body of the figurine in an upright standing up position at any selected location upon the generally horizontal planar surface,

a light receiver for detecting said optical information signal and for rejecting unlike signals,

toppling means for causing the body and support means to topple over to a fallen down position on the generally horizontal planar surface,

an energy source within the figurine for powering the toppling means, and

control means for initiating the operation of the toppling means when the light receiver detects said optical information signal.

2. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the toppling means includes weight shifting means for changing the center of mass of the figurine from a balanced position to an unbalanced position so that the figurine is no longer balanced upon the support means and will topple over.

3. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein the weight shifting means includes an inclined track, a weight movable along the track, the weight being at a normal at rest position at the low end of the track due to gravity, the center of mass being in a balanced position over the support means when the weight is in its normal at rest position, and moving means for moving the weight upwardly along the track to an unbalanced position where the center of gravity is no longer balanced over the support means whereby the figurine will topple over.

4. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the moving means is a solenoid operated pin which, when actuated, will strike the weight to move it along the track away from its normal at rest position.

5. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the weight is spherical and will roll along the track when moved by the moving means.

6. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the toppling means is a force applying means which causes a force to be exerted against the surface upon which the figurine is standing to cause the figurine to topple over.

7. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein the force applying means is an extensible and retractable vertically shiftable structure which will cause the figurine to topple over when extended, and which may be retracted to permit the figurine to stand upright.

8. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein the extensible and retractable structure is connected to one of the legs to cause it to shift vertically.

9. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein the vertically shiftable structure includes a vertically shiftable rod extending upwardly from the vertically shiftable leg, a spring, and a latch, the rod being spring biased to an extended position, wherein the rod is latched in a retracted position, and wherein when the latch is released the rod is spring biased to the extended position to cause the figurine to topple.

10. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 9 further including a solenoid, the latch being released by the solenoid, the solenoid being energized by the energy source when the light receiver detects said optical information signal.

11. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein is mounted on the body for movement, and wherein the toppling means includes drive means to move said one leg.

12. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said leg is pivotally secured to the body of the figurine, and wherein the drive means includes a motor having an output shaft, a pinion gear carried by the output shaft, and a driven gear connected to the leg which is pivotally secured to the body, said driven gear when driven by the pinion gear causing the leg to move about said pivot causing the figurine to topple over.

13. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said leg is pivotally secured to the body, and wherein the drive means includes a lever carried by the pivotal leg, a latch, the lever normally being latched in a first position, the legs supporting the figurine in an upright position when the lever is in its latched first position, biasing means for biasing the lever to a second position, and release means for releasing the latch when the light receiver initiates operation, the pivotal leg when being biased to the second position after the latch has been released causing the figurine to topple over.

14. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein the release means includes a solenoid for disengaging the latch.

15. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the light source is a ray gun which projects an amplitude-modulated infrared beam.

16. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein the light receiver receives the amplitude-modulated infrared beam and initiates a logic signal, and wherein the control means transmits a driving signal to the toppling means in response to the logic signal.

17. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the figurine includes a tone decoder and a voltage triplet, the voltage triplet being coupled to the oscillator of the tone decoder.

18. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein the figurine is further provided with a sound emitting device, wherein the light receiver receives an amplitude-modulated infrared signal and initiates a logic signal, and wherein the control means transmits a control signal to the sound emitting device to cause it to emit a sound when the light receiver receives the optical information signal.

19. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the assembly further includes a figurine receiving structure having one or more movable coverings which when in a first position may conceal a figurine and when in a second position may expose a figurine, and covering operating means to selectively move one or more of the coverings between their first and second positions.

20. The toy assembly as set forth in claim 19 wherein the figurine receiving structure is further provided with indicia capable of indicating when a figurine has been toppled, and switching means operable to cause the indicia to indicate a hit when the figurine topples.