Toy top and drive unit for spinning the top

• US 5,518,437 A
• Filed: 10/12/1993
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Bandai
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Bandai
• Inventors: Nonaka, Tsuyoshi, Sawada, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUIR, DAVID N
• Application Number:
  US08/134,642
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 446/256, 446/258, 446/259, 446/260, 446/262, 446/263, 446/264
• US Class Current: 446/259
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 1/02 with detachable winding devices

Abstract

A toy top which can also be used as a badge, and a drive unit which can mechanically spin the toy top with ease in a simple manner. The toy top has first engaging portions on the upper surface of the main body thereof, a first hook portion on the outer periphery thereof and a central spindle about which a knob is removably screw-fitted. The toy top comprises a main body having first engaging portions, a first hook portion and a central spindle screw-fitted with a knob while the drive unit comprises a rotatable member having second engaging portions to engage the first engaging portions of the toy top, a spring for rotating the rotatable member, a second hook portion to engage the second hook portion of the toy top and operating member for releasing the engagement of the second hook portion with the first hook portion of the toy top. Further, some modifications of the structures of the toy top and the drive unit are also disclosed. Where the toy top is used as a badge, the knob fitted on the central spindle of the main body of the toy top is first removed and after passing the spindle through the user'"'"'s clothing, the knob is fitted again on the spindle.

Claims

1. A drive unit for imparting rotation to a toy top, comprising:

a base provided with an outwardly extending generally circular wall including an inner surface provided with a cut out and a plurality of first spaced apart inwardly extending projections;

a generally cylindrical boss extending outwardly from said base generally centrally of said circular wall;

a coiled spring mounted on said base around said boss and inside of said circular wall, said spring including a hooked inner end and a hooked outer end, said hooked outer end for engaging one of said first projections to secure said outer end during winding of said spring;

a generally circular, flat rotatable member provided with upper and lower surfaces, said rotatable member provided with a centrally formed hole, said rotatable member for being received within said circular wall with said boss extending upwardly through said central hole, said upper surface of said rotatable member provided with a plurality of outwardly extending projections for engaging the top and for permitting the top to impart rotation to said rotatable member in a first direction of rotation;

said bottom surface of said rotatable member provided with a plurality of outwardly extending and generally centrally disposed hooking teeth for engaging said inner end of said spring to wind said spring upon rotation being imparted to said rotatable member by said top in said first direction of rotation;

a pivotally mounted stop member spring biased toward said circular wall, said stop member provided with an outwardly extending stop projection for extending through said cutout in said wall to engage the top and to prevent the impartation of rotation to the top while said spring is being wound; and

a slidably mounted operating member for engaging said stop member, said operating member spring biased to prevent said operating member from moving said stop projection out of engagement with the top, said operating member for being operated manually to move said stop projection out of engagement with the top to permit said spring to unwind and impart rotation to said top through said projections provided on said top surface of said rotatable member, said rotation imparted to said top being in a second direction of rotation opposite to said first direction of rotation.

2. Combination toy apparatus, comprising:

a toy top and a drive unit for imparting rotation to said top;

said top including a disklike main body having top and bottom surfaces and an outer peripheral surface substantially perpendicular to said top and bottom surfaces, said peripheral surface provided with a tooth-like hook portion and said main body provided with a plurality of through holes extending therethrough from said top surface to said bottom surface, said top including a knob extending centrally outwardly from said bottom surface and said knob provided with a plurality of outwardly extending rib-like members extending perpendicular to said main body, and said top including a generally conical member on which said top rotates and which conical member extends outwardly from said knob;

said drive unit including rotational energy storage means including a coil spring and a rotatably mounted member having a saw-tooth engaging portion for extending into said through holes, said rotatable member having a surface opposite said toy top engagement surface provided with hooking teeth for engaging said coiled spring to wind said coiled spring to provide stored rotational energy upon said top being manually rotated in a first direction of rotation by said rib-like members provided on said knob;

said drive unit further including a pivotally mounted latching member spring biased in a first direction of pivotal movement and which latching member includes a latching shoulder for engaging said tooth-like hooked portion provided on said outer peripheral surface of said main body of said top to prevent said drive unit from imparting rotation to said top while said spring is being wound; and

said drive unit further including an operating member mounted for reciprocal linear movement in opposed first and second directions, said operating member spring biased for linear movement in said first direction and said operating member provided with a release arm for engaging said latching member upon said operating member being moved linearly in said second direction and said operating member for pivoting said latching member in a second direction of pivotal movement opposite to said first direction of pivotal movement to disengage said latching shoulder from said tooth-like portion provided on said periphery of said main body to permit said spring to unwind and impart rotational movement to said rotatable member in a second direction of rotation opposite to said first direction of rotation and to cause said operating member to impart rotation to said top in said second direction of rotation through said saw-tooth engaging portion residing in said through holes.