Drive simulation apparatus

• US 5,399,091 A
• Filed: 04/26/1993
• Issued: 03/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TOMY Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TOMY Company Limited
• Inventors: Mitsumoto, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Application Number:
  US08/051,667
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 434/61, 434/29, 434/70, 434/62
• US Class Current: 434/61
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/16 creating illusions of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/04 for teaching control of land vehicles

Abstract

A drive simulation apparatus is provided with a base, a driving compartment body, a seat, a steering wheel, a non-motorized turning mechanism, road terrain display mechanism and a body vibrating mechanism. The driving compartment body is rotatably provided mounted on the base. The seat accommodates a player and is attached to and rotatable with the body. The steering wheel is rotatably mounted to the body. The non-motorized turning mechanism turns the body with respect to the base when the steering wheel is turned with respect to the body. The road terrain display mechanism displays moving road terrain. The body vibrating mechanism vibrates the body.

Claims

1. A drive simulation apparatus comprising:

a base;

a driving compartment body rotatably mounted on the base;

a seat on which a driver can sit, the seat being attached to and rotatable with the body;

a steering wheel rotatably mounted to the body;

non-motorized turning means for turning the body with respect to the base when the steering wheel is turned with respect to the base;

road terrain display means for displaying moving road terrain, the road terrain display means comprising;

a screen;

a film holder;

a light source;

an endless film with road terrain images thereon, the endless film being wrapped around the film holder with a portion of the film being between the screen and the light source so that the road terrain images on the film can be projected onto the screen;

rotation power supply means for rotating the endless film;

a swinging member coupled to the steering wheel to be rotatable with the steering wheel and having a free end offset from an axis of rotation of the swinging member;

a light holder in which the light source is mounted, the light holder being movable in a direction parallel to a surface of the screen; and

force transmission ropes coupled to the light holder and the free end of the swinging member to transmit motion from the swinging member to the light holder; and

a body vibrating means for vibrating the body.

2. The drive simulation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the turning means comprises:

a first pulley attached to the base;

a second movable pulley rotatable with the steering wheel about a central axis and movable in an arc to be rotatable with respect to the base; and

rope transmission means having a first rope portion and a second rope portion, the rope transmission means attaching the first pulley and the second movable pulley so that when the second movable pulley is rotated in a first direction, tension is applied to the first rope portion to move the second movable pulley and the body in the first direction with respect to the base and so that when the second movable pulley is rotated in a second direction, tension is applied to the second rope portion to move the second movable pulley and the body in the second direction with respect to the base.

3. The drive simulation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a turbo button;

lighted turbo indication means for lighting at least one light source when the turbo button is depressed; and

turbo sound producing means for producing a turbo sound when the turbo button is depressed.

4. The drive simulation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an accelerator pedal; and

switch means operatively connected to the accelerator pedal for supplying a signal to the rotation power supply means to start and stop the rotation of the endless film when pressure is applied to and released from the accelerator pedal, respectively.

5. The drive simulation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a turbo button;

lighted turbo indication means for lighting at least one light source when the turbo button is depressed;

turbo sound producing means for producing a turbo sound when the turbo button is depressed; and

film speed adjustment means for increasing the speed at which the endless film is rotated when the turbo button is depressed.

6. The drive simulation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the swinging member has an indentation which is biased towards a connector having a projection, the connector being rotatable with the steering wheel, the swinging member being coupled to the steering wheel by the projection fitting into the indentation so that when the steering wheel is excessively rotated, the projection escapes from the indentation allowing the connector to turn independently of the swinging member.

7. The drive simulation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a squeak sound switch positioned in the vicinity of the free end of the swinging member so that the free end of the swinging member can contact the squeak sound switch to thereby turn on the squeak sound switch; and

squeak sound producing means for producing a squeak sound when the squeak sound switch is turned on.

8. The drive simulation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotation power supply means is an electric motor.

9. The drive simulation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a horn button; and

a horn sound producing means for producing a horn sound when the horn button is depressed.

10. A drive simulation apparatus comprising:

a base;

a driving compartment body rotatably mounted on the base;

a seat on which a driver can sit, the seat being attached to and rotatable with the body;

a steering wheel rotatably mounted to the body;

non-motorized turning means for turning the body with respect to the base when the steering wheel is turned with respect to the body;

road terrain display means for displaying moving road terrain; and

a body vibrating means for vibrating the body, the body vibrating means comprising;

a movable rack which is tubular in shape, threaded and turnable about a central axis;

vibration power supply means for rotating the movable rack;

a gear rotatably on an axis perpendicular to the axis of the movable rack, the gear being engaged with threads of the movable rack to be rotated thereby; and

a weight located within the driving compartment body and operatively connected to the gear to be movable by the gear.

11. The drive simulation apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the threads of the movable rack are closer together at one end of the rack, the body vibrating means being linked to an accelerator pedal to engage the gear with end of the rack having more closely spaced threads when the accelerator pedal is depressed to thereby increase the speed at which the gear rotates and the weight moves.

12. The drive simulation apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the weight rotates about the same axis about which the gear rotates and the weight is offset from the axis to rotate eccentrically.

13. A drive simulation apparatus comprising:

a base;

a driving compartment body rotatably mounted on the base;

a steering wheel rotatably mounted to the body;

non-motorized turning means for turning the body with respect to the base when the steering wheel is turned with respect to the body, the turning means comprising;

a first pulley attached to the base;

a second movable pulley rotatable with the steering wheel about a central axis and movable in an are to be rotatable with respect to the base; and

rope transmission means having a first rope portion and a second rope portion, the rope transmission means attaching the first pulley and the second movable pulley so that, when the second movable pulley is rotated in a first direction, tension is applied to the first rope portion to move second movable pulley and the body in the first direction with respect to the base and so that, when the second movable pulley is rotated in a second direction, tension is applied to the second rope portion to move the second movable pulley and the body in the second direction with respect to the base; and

road terrain display means for displaying moving road terrain, the road terrain display means comprising;

a swinging member coupled to the steering wheel to be rotatable with the steering wheel and having a free end offset from an axis of rotation of the swinging member;

a light holder in which the light source is mounted, the light holder being movable in a direction parallel to a surface of a screen; and

force transmission ropes coupled to the light holder and the free end of the swinging member to transmit motion from the swinging member to the light holder.