Radio-controlled toy car with a rolling mechanism

• US 5,727,986 A
• Filed: 08/08/1996
• Issued: 03/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fertig-Stubenfoll Design Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Fertig-Stubenfoll Design Group LLC
• Inventors: Stubenfoll, Leonard, Ishimoto, Zenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): MUIR, DAVID N
• Application Number:
  US08/694,285
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 446/431, 446/437, 446/454, 446/456, 446/457, 446/441, 446/462, 446/230, 446/290
• US Class Current: 446/437
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/004 Stunt-cars, e.g. lifting front wheels, roll-over or invertible cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

A rolling mechanism for a radio-controlled toy car causes a rolling motion of the radio-controlled toy car around a longitudinal direction along which the radio-controlled toy car travels. The rolling mechanism includes a rotation arm, which extends to have a component orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. The rotation arm has a free end and a pivotally fixed end, around which the rotation arm rotates, so that the free end defines a circle in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, where the circle completely encompasses the radio-controlled toy car in view of the perpendicular plane. A rotation mechanism is provided to be mechanically connected to the pivotally fixed end for forcibly rotating the rotation arm around the pivotally fixed end so as to roll the radio-controlled toy car around the longitudinal direction.

Claims

1. A mechanism for rolling a toy vehicle about the vehicle'"'"'s longitudinal axis, the mechanism comprising:

a driving motor transmission for transmitting a motive force that propels the vehicle;

a rotation arm having a free end extending beyond a peripheral extent of the toy vehicle projected on a plane perpendicular to the vehicle'"'"'s longitudinal axis, and a pivotable fixed end around which said rotation arm rotates;

a shaft connected to said fixed end for rotating said rotation arm;

a flat gear movable along said shaft and for rotating said shaft;

a worm gear connected to said driving motor transmission for selectively driving said flat gear;

a spring member for impelling said flat gear along said shaft away from said worm gear;

a pivotable rod for selectively impelling said flat gear along said shaft towards said worm gear; and

means for moving said pivotable rod against a force from said spring member to selectively engage said flat gear with said worm gear, whereby the motive force from said driving motor transmission drives said rotation arm to roll the toy vehicle about the vehicle'"'"'s longitudinal axis.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein said means for moving comprises a solenoid electromagnet with a movable permanent magnet that moves responsive to application of a current to said solenoid electromagnet, said permanent magnet being connected to said pivotable rod to engage said flat gear with said worm gear upon application of the current to said solenoid electromagnet.

3. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein said means for moving comprises an auxiliary motor connected to a transmission gear system for translating a force from said auxiliary motor into motion of said pivotable rod.

4. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a disk member connected to said shaft and a spring connected to an eccentric position on said disk member for urging said shaft to a position at which said rotation arm is extended upwardly.

5. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotation arm is made of a material resistive to friction and having a small friction coefficient.

6. The mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein said rotation arm is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate and nylon.

7. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotation arm includes piano wires to increase in strength thereof.

8. A mechanism for rolling a toy vehicle about the vehicle'"'"'s longitudinal axis, the mechanism comprising:

a rotation arm having a free end extending beyond a peripheral extent of the toy vehicle projected on a plane perpendicular to the vehicle'"'"'s longitudinal axis, and a pivotable fixed end around which said rotation arm rotates;

a shaft connected to said fixed end for rotating said rotation arm;

an auxiliary motor separate from means for propelling the vehicle, said auxiliary motor for generating a rotational force; and

a rotational force transmission connecting said auxiliary motor to said shaft, whereby a force for rotating said rotation arm is independent of a force for propelling the vehicle.

9. A toy vehicle comprising:

a chassis having a longitudinal axis;

a body on said chassis;

a driving motor on said chassis for propelling the vehicle;

a driving motor transmission for transmitting a motive force from said driving motor to vehicle motive means;

a rotation arm having a free end extending beyond a peripheral extent of said body projected on a plane perpendicular to said chassis'"'"' longitudinal axis, and a pivotable fixed end around which said rotation arm rotates;

a shaft connected to said fixed end for rotating said rotation arm;

a flat gear movable along said shaft and for rotating said shaft;

a worm gear connected to said driving motor transmission for selectively driving said flat gear;

a spring member for impelling said flat gear along said shaft away from said worm gear;

a pivotable rod for selectively impelling said flat gear along said shaft towards said worm gear; and

means for moving said pivotable rod against a force from said spring member to selectively engage said flat gear with said worm gear, whereby the motive force from said driving motor transmission drives said rotation arm to roll the toy vehicle about said chassis'"'"' longitudinal axis.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said means for moving comprises a solenoid electromagnet with a movable permanent magnet that moves responsive to application of a current to said solenoid electromagnet, said permanent magnet being connected to said pivotable rod to engage said flat gear with said worm gear upon application of the current to said solenoid electromagnet.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said means for moving comprises an auxiliary motor connected to a transmission gear system for translating a force from said auxiliary motor into motion of said pivotable rod.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a disk member connected to said shaft and a spring connected to an eccentric position on said disk member for urging said shaft to a position at which said rotation arm is extended upwardly.

13. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein said rotation arm is made of a material resistive to friction and having a small friction coefficient.

14. The vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein said rotation arm is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate and nylon.

15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein said rotation arm includes piano wires to increase in strength thereof.

16. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein said body is provided with a plurality of convex portions which are made of a material resistive to friction but with a small friction coefficient to protect said body from damage due to friction when the vehicle turns upside down.

17. The vehicle as claimed in claim 16, wherein said convex portions are made of a material selected from the group consisting of metals, polycarbonate and nylon.

18. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein said vehicle motive means comprise tires with guard rings made of a material resistive to friction but with a small friction coefficient so that said guard rings extend outwardly to protect said tires from damage due to friction when said vehicle turns over and lies on its side.

19. The vehicle as claimed in claim 18, wherein said guard rings are made of a material selected from the group consisting of metals, polycarbonate and nylon.

20. A toy vehicle comprising:

a chassis having a longitudinal axis;

a body on said chassis;

a driving motor on said chassis for propelling the vehicle;

a driving motor transmission for transmitting a motive force from said driving motor to vehicle motive means;

a rotation arm having a free end extending beyond a peripheral extent of said body projected on a plane perpendicular to said chassis'"'"' longitudinal axis, and a pivotable fixed end around which said rotation arm rotates;

a shaft connected to said fixed end for rotating said rotation arm;

an auxiliary motor separate from said driving motor and said driving motor transmission, said auxiliary motor for generating a rotational force; and

a rotational force transmission connecting said auxiliary motor to said shaft, whereby a force for rotating said rotation arm is independent of a force for propelling the vehicle.