Real sounds toy engine

• US 5,702,283 A
• Filed: 05/31/1996
• Issued: 12/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Larami Limited
• Original Assignee: Larami Limited
• Inventors: Watson, Daniel M. Jr., McKeon, Thomas M., Mednick, Melvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US08/657,780
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 446/7, 446/397, 446/409, 446/404, 446/484, 446/485, 434/373, 434/374, 434/389, 434/393
• US Class Current: 446/397
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/34 Arrangements for imitating the noise of motors
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/30 Imitations of miscellaneous apparatus not otherwise provided for, e.g. telephones, weighing-machines, cash-registers savings boxes A45C1/12; toy ticket punches G07B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/00 Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical musical tops A63H1/28; sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14; music, sound or noise production in general G10

Abstract

The present invention is a real sound-producing toy engine. It includes a main housing having a simulated automobile engine exterior and a plurality of activation sites located at the main housing for activating a plurality of different real sounding motor-related sounds. It also includes a plurality of switches, there being at least one for each of the activation sites which is connected thereto. Each of the switches has an off-position and an on-position, each of the switches being also connected to at least one sound-producing mechanism. There is an engine start-up activation site at the main housing and a switch connected to the engine start-up activation site, with sound-producing device capable of producing an engine start-up sound, including a running engine sound which simulates an idling engine, and at least one power source connected to the foregoing. In some embodiments there is an oil fill port activation site having a pressure switch and simulated oil container. There may also be a spark plug, a distributor cap, wires and a sparking switch activation site. In addition, the main housing may also include an air filter and a valve cover.

Claims

1. A real sound-producing toy engine, which comprises:

(a) a main housing having a simulated automobile engine exterior;

(b) a plurality of activation sites located at said main housing for activating a plurality of different real sounding motor-related sounds;

(c) a plurality of switches, there being at least one for each of said activation sites which is connected thereto, each of said switches having an off-position and an on-position, each of said switches being also connected to at least one sound-producing means and being connected to a power source;

(d) an engine start-up activation site being one of said plurality of activation sites and an engine start-up switch connected to said engine start-up activation site, said engine start-up switch being connected to an engine start-up sound-producing means capable of producing an engine start-up sound, including a running engine sound which simulates a turning over of an engine followed by an idling engine, said engine start-up sound-producing means being one of said at least one sound-producing means; and

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(e) at least one power source operably connected to said plurality of switches so as to activate a corresponding one of said plurality of activation sites to operate a corresponding one of said at least one of sound-producing means when said plurality of switches are in their on-positions, wherein said at least one power source is said power source when a number of said at least one power source is one.

2. The toy engine of claim 1, wherein said engine start-up activation site is a rotatable keyhole having a first position corresponding to said engine start-up switch off-position, and having a second position corresponding to said engine start-up switch on-position, and further includes a key for insertion in and rotation of said keyhole for turning said engine start-up switch to said engine start-up switch on-position and opposite rotation for turning said engine start-up switch to said engine start-up switch off-position.

3. The toy engine of claim 1, wherein said engine start-up sound-producing means of said engine start-up activation site includes a first sound simulating a revving engine and a second simulating an idling engine.

4. The toy engine of claim 2, wherein said sound producing means of said engine start-up activation site includes a first sound simulating a revving engine and a second sound simulating an idling engine.

5. The toy engine of claim 1, wherein said sound-producing means of said engine start-up activation site includes a first sound simulating a turning over engine and a second sound simulating an idling engine.

6. The toy engine of claim 2, wherein said sound-producing means of said engine start-up activation site includes a first sound simulating a turning over engine and a second sound simulating an idling engine.

7. The toy engine of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of activation sites includes an oil fill port, said oil fill port having a pressure switch to activate an oil fill port sound-producing means, said pressure switch being one of said plurality of switches, and further including a separate simulated oil container insertable into said oil fill port such that when said separate simulated oil container is inserted into said oil fill port and said pressure switch is moved from a pressure switch off-position to a pressure switch on-position, said oil fill port sound-producing means produces a pouring sound simulating the glubbing of air pockets when oil is poured from a container into an engine.

8. The toy engine of claim 1, wherein another one of said plurality of activation sites includes simulated spark plugs, wires running from said simulated spark plugs to a distributor cap, a distributor cap, and a sparking switch being one of said plurality of switches and being under said distributor cap which is in a spark switch off-position when said distributor cap is filled thereon and is in a spark switch on-position when said distributor cap is removed therefrom, such that when said distributor cap is removed therefrom, a sparking sound-producing means being one of said at least one sound-producing means produces a simulated sparking sound.

9. The toy engine of claim 1, wherein said main housing includes a simulated, removable air filter.

10. The toy engine of claim 1, wherein said main housing includes a simulated removable valve cover.

11. A real sound-producing toy engine, which comprises:

(a) a main housing having a simulated automobile engine exterior;

(b) a plurality of activation sites located at said main housing for activating a plurality of different real sounding motor-related sounds;

(c) a plurality of switches, there being at least one for each of said activation sites which is connected thereto, each of said switches having an off-position and an on-position, each of said switches being also connected to at least one of a plurality of sound-producing means and being connected to a power source;

(d) an engine start-up activation site being one of said plurality of activation sites and an engine start-up switch connected to said engine start-up activation site, said engine start-up switch being connected to an engine start-up sound-producing means capable of producing an engine start-up sound, including a rough running engine sound which audibly produces intermittent sounds of differing periodicity, said engine start-up sound-producing means being one of said at least one sound-producing means;

(e) an idle adjustment activation site being one of said plurality of activation sites and an idle switch being one of said plurality of switches, said idle adjustment activation site having a rotatable member connected to said idle switch, said idle switch being connected to said engine start-up activation site, and having an idle switch off-position and an idle switch on-position and when said idle switch is in said idle switch on-position, said rough running engine sound is overrun so as to activate an idle adjustment sound-producing means having a smooth running sound with intermittent sounds of substantially fixed periodicity, said idle switch being connected to said power source and said idle adjustment sound-producing means being one of said plurality of sound-producing means; and

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(f) at least one power source operably connected to said plurality of switches so as to activate said plurality of activation sites to operate said plurality of sound-producing means when said plurality of switches are in their on-position wherein said at least one power source is said power source when a number of said at least one power source is one.

12. The toy engine of claim 11, wherein said engine start-up activation site is a rotatable keyhole having a first position corresponding to said engine start-up switch off-position, and having a second position corresponding to said engine start-up switch on-position, and further includes a key for insertion in and rotation of said keyhole for turning said engine start-up switch to said engine start-up switch on-position and opposite rotation for turning said engine start-up switch to said engine start-up switch off-position.

13. The toy engine of claim 11, wherein said sound-producing means of said engine start-up activation site includes a first sound simulating a revving engine and a second sound simulating an idling engine.

14. The toy engine of claim 12, wherein said sound-producing means of said engine start-up activation site includes a first sound simulating a revving engine and a second sound simulating an idling engine.

15. The toy engine of claim 11, wherein said sound-producing means of said engine start-up activation site includes a first sound simulating a turning over engine and a second sound simulating an idling engine.

16. The toy engine of claim 12, wherein said sound-producing means of said engine start-up activation site includes a first sound simulating a turning over engine and a second sound simulating an idling engine.

17. The toy engine of claim 11, wherein one of said plurality of activation sites includes an oil fill port, said oil fill port having a pressure switch to activate an oil fill port sound-producing means, said pressure switch being one of said plurality of switches, and further including a separate simulated oil container insertable into said oil fill port such that when said separate simulated oil container is inserted into said oil fill port and said pressure switch is moved from a pressure switch off-position to a pressure switch on-position, said oil fill port sound-producing means produces a pouring sound simulating the glubbing of air pockets when oil is poured from a container into an engine.

18. The toy engine of claim 11, wherein another one of said plurality of activation sites includes simulated spark plugs, wires running from said simulated spark plugs to a distributor cap, a distributor cap, and a sparking switch being one of said plurality of switches and being under said distributor cap which is in a spark switch off-position when said distributor cap is filled thereon and is in a spark switch on-position when said distributor cap is removed therefrom, such that when said distributor cap is removed therefrom, a sparking sound-producing means being one of said at least one sound-producing means produces a simulated sparking sound.

19. The toy engine of claim 11, wherein said main housing includes a simulated removable air filter.

20. The toy engine of claim 11, wherein said main housing includes a simulated, removable valve cover.