Stunt performing toy vehicle

• US 5,919,075 A
• Filed: 11/24/1997
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Inventors: Trammell, Michele P., George, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kien T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carlson, Jeffrey D.
• Application Number:
  US08/977,014
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 446/431, 446/437, 446/439, 446/454, 446/456, 446/465, 446/486, 446/433, 446/441, 446/442, 446/470
• 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 remote control toy vehicle includes an invertible chassis having vehicle body portions on opposite sides thereof, a plurality of highly resilient balloon tire support wheels, a high-torque drive motor assembly for driving at least one of the support wheels and a remote control receiver circuit. The chassis and the support wheels are constructed and positioned so that the support wheels define a three dimensional maximum outer perimeter of the vehicle from which the chassis and the other components of the vehicle are spaced inwardly, and the remote control receiver circuit includes an antenna which is contained within the body of the vehicle. The high torque drive motor assembly, the position of the antenna, and the positions and configurations of the support wheels enable the vehicle to perform a variety of self-inverting, tumbling and deflecting maneuvers.

Claims

1. A toy vehicle, comprising:

a chassis including a first vehicle body portion associated with a first side of said chassis and a second vehicle body portion associated with a second side of said chassis opposite said first side of said chassis, said chassis having a first end, a second end, and a central plane;

said first vehicle body portion having a different appearance than said second vehicle body portion,

a plurality of axle portions associated with said chassis;

four wheels rotatably mounted relative to said chassis, said wheels being mounted on said axle portions,

each of said wheels having a resilient outer elastomeric tire portion and an interior portion defined by said outer elastomeric tire portion so that deformation of said resilient outer elastomeric tire portion causes said interior portion to change shape,

each of said wheels being resilient so that compression of one or more of said wheels against an obstacle causes said one or more wheels to rebound from the obstacle,

each of said wheels having a diameter so that said four wheels define a three-dimensional outer perimeter which is spaced outwardly from said chassis such that no portion of said chassis extends outside of said outer perimeter;

a battery power source supported by said chassis;

a first motor supported by said chassis, said first motor receiving power from said battery power source and being adapted to drive at least one of said wheels on a first side of said vehicle;

a second motor supported by said chassis, said second motor receiving power from said battery power source and being adapted to drive at least one of said wheels on a second side of said vehicle,

said first and second motors being independently and reversibly controllable,

said first and second motors having sufficient torque to pivot said first end of said chassis upwardly when two of said wheels are in engagement with a vertical abutment surface and when said toy vehicle is positioned so that said central plane of said chassis is at an upwardly inclined angle relative to horizontal, said toy vehicle being operable in a first operating position in which said first vehicle body portion faces upward when said toy vehicle is being driven across a horizontal surface and a second operating position in which said second vehicle body portion faces upward when said toy vehicle is being driven across the horizontal surface;

a remote control receiver supported by said chassis, said remote control receiver being adapted to receive radio control signals from a location remote from said chassis for controlling said first and second motors; and

an antenna operatively coupled to said remote control receiver, said antenna being located exclusively within said outer perimeter defined by said four wheels.

2. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second motors have sufficient torque to pivot said first end of said chassis upwardly when two of said wheels are in engagement with the vertical abutment surface and when said toy vehicle is positioned so that said central plane of said chassis is at an upwardly inclined angle of 20 degrees relative to horizontal.

3. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said interior portion of each of said wheels comprises a hollow cavity having gas disposed therein.

4. A toy vehicle, comprising:

a chassis including a first vehicle body portion associated with a first side of said chassis and a second vehicle body portion associated with a second side of said chassis opposite said first side of said chassis, said chassis having a first end, a second end, and a central plane;

a plurality of axle portions associated with said chassis;

four wheels rotatably mounted relative to said chassis, said wheels being mounted on said axle portions,

each of said wheels having a resilient outer elastomeric tire portion and an interior portion defined by said outer elastomeric tire portion so that deformation of said resilient outer elastomeric tire portion causes said interior portion to change shape,

each of said wheels being resilient so that compression of one or more of said wheels against an obstacle causes said one or more wheels to rebound from the obstacle,

each of said wheels having a diameter so that said four wheels define a three-dimensional outer perimeter which is spaced outwardly from said chassis such that no portion of said chassis extends outside of said outer perimeter;

a battery power source supported by said chassis;

a first motor supported by said chassis, said first motor receiving power from said battery power source and being adapted to drive at least one of said wheels on a first side of said vehicle;

a second motor supported by said chassis, said second motor receiving power from said battery power source and being adapted to drive at least one of said wheels on a second side of said vehicle,

said first and second motors having sufficient torque to pivot said first end of said chassis upwardly when two of said wheels are in engagement with a vertical abutment surface and when said toy vehicle is positioned so that said central plane of said chassis is at an upwardly inclined angle relative to horizontal, said toy vehicle being operable in a first operating position in which said first vehicle body portion faces upward when said toy vehicle is being driven across a horizontal surface and a second operating position in which said second vehicle body portion faces upward when said toy vehicle is being driven across the horizontal surface;

a remote control receiver supported by said chassis, said remote control receiver being adapted to receive radio control signals from a location remote from said chassis for controlling said first and second motors; and

an antenna operatively coupled to said remote control receiver, said antenna being located exclusively within said outer perimeter defined by said four wheels.

5. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 4 wherein said first and second motors have sufficient torque to pivot said first end of said chassis upwardly when two of said wheels are in engagement with the vertical abutment surface and when said toy vehicle is positioned so that said central plane of said chassis is at an upwardly inclined angle of 20 degrees relative to horizontal.

6. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 4 wherein said first and second motors have sufficient torque to pivot said first end of said chassis upwardly when two of said wheels are in engagement with the vertical abutment surface and when said toy vehicle is positioned so that said central plane of said chassis is at an upwardly inclined angle of approximately seven degrees relative to horizontal.

7. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 4 wherein said first and second motors have sufficient torque to pivot said first end of said chassis upwardly when two of said wheels are in engagement with the vertical abutment surface and when said toy vehicle is positioned so that said central plane of said chassis is at an upwardly inclined angle of approximately ten degrees relative to horizontal.

8. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 4 wherein said interior portion of each of said wheels comprises a hollow cavity having gas disposed therein.

9. A four-wheeled toy vehicle, comprising:

a chassis including a first vehicle body portion associated with a first side of said chassis and a second vehicle body portion associated with a second side of said chassis opposite said first side of said chassis, said chassis having a first end, a second end, and a central plane;

a plurality of axle portions associated with said chassis;

four wheels rotatably mounted relative to said chassis, said wheels being mounted on said axle portions,

each of said wheels having a resilient outer elastomeric tire portion and an interior portion defined by said outer elastomeric tire portion so that deformation of said resilient outer elastomeric tire portion causes said interior portion to change shape,

each of said wheels being resilient so that compression of one or more of said wheels against an obstacle causes said one or more wheels to rebound from the obstacle,

each of said wheels having a diameter so that said four wheels define a three-dimensional outer perimeter which is spaced outwardly from said chassis such that no portion of said chassis extends outside of said outer perimeter;

a battery power source supported by said chassis;

a first motor supported by said chassis, said first motor receiving power from said battery power source;

a second motor supported by said chassis, said second motor receiving power from said battery power source,

said first motor being adapted to drive at least one of said wheels on a first side of said vehicle and said second motor being adapted to drive at least one of said wheels on a second side of said vehicle so that said vehicle is capable of being steered via said motors;

said first and second motors having sufficient torque to pivot said first end of said chassis upwardly when two of said wheels are in engagement with a vertical abutment surface and when said toy vehicle is positioned so that said central plane of said chassis is at an upwardly inclined angle relative to horizontal, said toy vehicle being operable in a first operating position in which said first vehicle body portion faces upward when said toy vehicle is being driven across a horizontal surface and a second operating position in which said second vehicle body portion faces upward when said toy vehicle is being driven across the horizontal surface;

a remote control receiver supported by said chassis, said remote control receiver being adapted to receive radio control signals from a location remote from said chassis for controlling said first and second motors; and

an antenna operatively coupled to said remote control receiver, said antenna being located exclusively within said outer perimeter defined by said four wheels.

10. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 9 wherein said first and second motors have sufficient torque to pivot said first end of said chassis upwardly when two of said wheels are in engagement with the vertical abutment surface and when said toy vehicle is positioned so that said central plane of said chassis is at an upwardly inclined angle of 20 degrees relative to horizontal.

11. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 9 wherein said first and second motors have sufficient torque to pivot said first end of said chassis upwardly when two of said wheels are in engagement with the vertical abutment surface and when said toy vehicle is positioned so that said central plane of said chassis is at an upwardly inclined angle of approximately seven degrees relative to horizontal.

12. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 9 wherein said first and second motors have sufficient torque to pivot said first end of said chassis upwardly when two of said wheels are in engagement with the vertical abutment surface and when said toy vehicle is positioned so that said central plane of said chassis is at an upwardly inclined angle of approximately ten degrees relative to horizontal.

13. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 9 wherein said interior portion of each of said wheels comprises a hollow cavity having gas disposed therein.