Toy vehicle with adjustably positioned wheels
First Claim
1. A toy vehicle comprising:
- a chassis having opposing lateral sides;
an axle having a central axis and supported by the chassis for rotation with ends of the axle extending laterally outwardly from the opposing lateral sides of the chassis;
a pair of vehicle supporting, ground contacting wheels located parallel to one another on the opposing lateral sides of the vehicle; and
a pair of wheel support housings, each wheel support housing being fixedly secured on a separate end of the axle at a location on the wheel support housing off geometric center of the wheel support housing for eccentric rotation of the wheel support housing on the axle with rotation of the axle, each wheel of the pair being mounted on a separate one of the pair of wheel support housings for rotation on the one wheel support housing and with respect to the wheel support housing about a geometric center of the wheel radially displaced away from the central axis.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A toy vehicle has a chassis, two axles, two pairs of wheels and four identical wheel support housings. Each wheel is mounted on a separate end of a separate one of the two axles by one of the wheel support housings. The wheels are mounted for rotation on the housings, which are mounted off center on the axles so as to rotate eccentrically around the axles with the wheels. Wheels on either lateral side of the chassis are driven by separate propulsion motors driving separate gear trains in the chassis to propel the vehicle. Collars around the axles and pairs of gears within the wheel support housings themselves couple the wheels with the gear trains. The axles are rotated together through a third shaft driven by a separate accessory motor to vary the eccentric position of the wheel support housings and thereby alter the appearance and performance of the vehicle. Slip clutches with angled, mating faces, effectively coupling the axles with the third shaft. The faces are spring biased together and remain engaged over limited ranges of angular movement. This permits each slip clutch to act as a suspension for the wheel support housings and the wheels supported on each axle protecting those downstream drive components from being overloaded and broken. The clutches further permit alteration of the phase between the wheel axles. Independent radio control of an accessory motor and two propulsion motors is provided.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A toy vehicle comprising:
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a chassis having opposing lateral sides; an axle having a central axis and supported by the chassis for rotation with ends of the axle extending laterally outwardly from the opposing lateral sides of the chassis; a pair of vehicle supporting, ground contacting wheels located parallel to one another on the opposing lateral sides of the vehicle; and a pair of wheel support housings, each wheel support housing being fixedly secured on a separate end of the axle at a location on the wheel support housing off geometric center of the wheel support housing for eccentric rotation of the wheel support housing on the axle with rotation of the axle, each wheel of the pair being mounted on a separate one of the pair of wheel support housings for rotation on the one wheel support housing and with respect to the wheel support housing about a geometric center of the wheel radially displaced away from the central axis.
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2. A toy vehicle comprising:
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a chassis having opposing lateral sides; an axle having a central axis and supported by the chassis for rotation with ends of the axle extending laterally outwardly from the opposing lateral sides of the chassis; a pair of vehicle supporting, ground contacting wheels located parallel to one another on the opposing lateral sides of the vehicle; a pair of wheel support housings, each wheel support housing being fixedly secured on a separate end of the axle at a location on the wheel support housing off geometric center of the wheel support housing for eccentric rotation of the wheel support housing about the axle with rotation of the axle, each wheel of the pair being mounted on a separate one of the pair of wheel support housings for rotation on the one wheel support housing about a geometric center of the wheel radially displaced away from the central axis; a first wheel drive gear mounted on the axle for free rotation with respect to the axle on one lateral side of the chassis proximal one of the pair of wheels; and a first driven wheel gear in engagement with the first wheel drive gear and fixedly coupled with the one wheel for rotation with the one wheel about the geometric center of the one wheel. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A toy vehicle comprising:
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a chassis having opposing lateral sides; a first axle having a central axis and being supported by the chassis for rotation on the chassis about the central axis of the first axle; at least a first wheel supported on the first axle with a geometric center of the first wheel being radially displaced away from the central axis of the first axle in all possible configurations of the first wheel with respect to the first axle; a second axle having a central axis and being supported on the chassis for rotation on the chassis about the central axis of the second axle, the central axes of the first and second axles being parallel to one another and longitudinally displaced from one another on the chassis; at least a second wheel supported on the second axle with geometric center of the second wheel being radially displaced away from the central axis of the second axle in possible configurations of the second wheel with respect to the second axle; and a shaft rotatably coupled with each of the first and second axles for simultaneous rotation of the shaft with the first and second axles. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A toy vehicle comprising:
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a chassis having opposing lateral sides; a first axle having a central axis, the first axle being supported laterally on the chassis for rotation about the central axis of the first axle; a first pair of wheels supported on separate ends of the first axle on either of the opposing lateral sides of the chassis with geometric centers of the first pair of wheels being radially displaced away from the central axis of the first axle; a second axle having a central axis, the second axle being supported laterally on the chassis for rotation about the central axis of the second axle with ends of the first axle projecting laterally outwardly from the opposing lateral sides of the chassis; a second pair of wheels supported on separate ends of the second axle on either of the opposing lateral sides of the chassis with geometric centers of the second pair of wheels being radially displaced away from the central axis of the second axle; and motor means drivingly coupled with at least one driven wheel on each of the opposing lateral sides of the vehicle for rotating each driven wheel without rotation of either of the first and second axles. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A toy vehicle comprising:
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a chassis; a first axle having a first central axis and being supported laterally on the chassis for rotation on the chassis about the central axis; a first vehicle-supporting, ground-contacting wheel having a geometric center; and a first wheel support housing supporting the first wheel for rotation of the first wheel on the wheel support housing and with respect to the first wheel supporting housing about the geometric center of the first wheel, the wheel support housing being supported on the first axle for rotation of the first wheel support housing with respect to the chassis, the first central axis being radially displaced away from the geometric center of the first wheel and at least one of the first wheel and the first wheel support housing being engaged with the first axle for rotation with rotation of the first axle. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A toy vehicle comprising:
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a chassis; a first axle having a first central axis and being supported laterally on the chassis for rotation on the chassis about the central axis; a first vehicle-supporting, ground-contacting wheel having a geometric center; a first wheel support housing supporting the first wheel for rotation of the first wheel on the wheel support housing about the geometric center of the first wheel, the wheel support housing being supported on the first axle for rotation of the first wheel support housing with respect to the chassis, the first central axis being radially displaced away from the geometric center of the first wheel, one of the first wheel and the first wheel support housing being engaged with the first axle for rotation with rotation of the first axle; and a collar rotatably mounted on the first axle and engaged with a remaining one of the first wheel and the first wheel support housing for rotation of the remaining one with rotation of the collar on the first axle. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A toy vehicle comprising:
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a chassis; a first axle supported laterally on the chassis for rotation on the chassis; a first vehicle-supporting, ground-contacting wheel having a geometric center; a first wheel support housing supporting the first wheel for rotation of the first wheel on the wheel support housing and with respect to the wheel support housing about the geometric center of the first wheel, the wheel support housing being supported from the chassis for rotation about an axis displaced radially away from the geometric center of the first wheel; and a first slip clutch rotatably coupling the first wheel support housing with the chassis, the first slip clutch including a spring mounted to permit a limited rotational movement of the wheel support housing with respect to the chassis about a nominal angular position on the first axis and to bias the wheel support housing back to the nominal angular position within the range of limited angular movement.
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29. A toy vehicle comprising:
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a chassis having opposing lateral sides; a first axle having a central axis, the first axle being supported laterally on the chassis for rotation about the central axis of the first axle; a first pair of wheels supported on separate ends of the first axle on either of the opposing lateral sides of the chassis with geometric centers of the first pair of wheels being radially displaced away from the central axis of the first axle; a second axle having a central axis, the second axle being supported laterally on the chassis for rotation about the central axis of the second axle with ends of the first axle projecting laterally outwardly from the opposing lateral sides of the chassis; a second pair of wheels supported on separate ends of the second axle on either of the opposing lateral sides of the chassis with geometric centers of the second pair of wheels being radially displaced away from the central axis of the second axle; and a motor drivingly coupled with at least one driven wheel on each of the opposing lateral sides of the vehicle so as to rotate each driven wheel without corresponding rotation of either of the first and second axles.
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Specification