Remote controlled toy vehicle

• US 5,921,843 A
• Filed: 12/04/1997
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Inventors: Ribbe, David J., Skrivan, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kien T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fernstrom, Kurt
• Application Number:
  US08/985,263
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 446/456, 446/433, 446/431, 446/435, 446/441, 446/442, 446/443, 446/470
• US Class Current: 446/433
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/14 Endless-track automobiles or trucks

Abstract

A remote controlled, all-terrain toy vehicle has treads on both its left and right sides. Each tread extends over front and rear oversized, resilient wheels that allow the vehicle to travel on its top and bottom sides in forward and reverse. The vehicle is adapted for high performance on hard, flat surfaces, such as pavement, as a result of an elevated ridge on the tread that ensures low surface area contact with the ground and, which in turn, reduces ground resistance and increases the operating speed of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A toy vehicle comprising:

a body;

first and second front wheels rotatably attached to the body;

first and second rear wheels rotatably attached to the body;

a first tread extending between the first front wheel and the first rear wheel; and

a second tread extending between the second front wheel and the second rear wheel;

wherein the wheels and treads are sized and positioned relative to the body so that the treads define a maximum outer perimeter of the toy vehicle and permit the vehicle to travel when the body is in an upright configuration and when the body is in an inverted configuration, and at least one of the treads includes a ridge running longitudinally along an exterior surface of the tread and extending beyond all other portions of the tread.

2. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein each of the wheels has a diameter greater than a height of the body.

3. The toy vehicle of claim 2, wherein the front and the rear wheels extend, respectively, beyond the front and the rear of the body.

4. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein the front and the rear wheels extend, respectively, beyond the front and the rear of the body.

5. The toy vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver positioned in the body, and

a motor configured to provide power to at least one of the wheels,

wherein the receiver is configured to receive signals from a remote control device and to control the motor in response to the signals.

6. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the treads includes an interior circumferential surface and elements extending from the interior surface to define a recessed track in which at least a portion of at least one wheel travels.

7. The toy vehicle of claim 6, wherein the track is defined by a plurality of elements on opposite sides of the tread.

8. The toy vehicle of claim 6, wherein the elements are configured to engage at least one of the wheels.

9. The toy vehicle of claim 8, wherein at least one of the wheels includes cogs that are engaged by the elements.

10. The toy vehicle of claim 9, wherein the cogs are positioned in two or more rows that run longitudinally along the circumference of the wheel.

11. The toy vehicle of claim 6, wherein at least one of the wheels includes a plurality of tiers running longitudinally along the circumference of the wheel, and at least one of the tiers travels within the track defined by the tread.

12. The toy vehicle of claim 11, wherein the tiers consecutively decrease in diameter from the center-most tier moving outward.

13. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein the ridge is centered on the exterior surface of the tread.

14. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the treads further comprises a rib running transversely along the width of the tread and extending beyond an exterior surface of the tread.

15. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein the wheels are resilient.

16. A toy vehicle comprising:

a body;

a front resilient wheel rotatably attached to the body;

a rear resilient wheel rotatably attached to the body; and

a tread extending between the front wheel and the rear wheel, the tread including an interior circumferential surface and elements extending from the interior surface to define a recessed track in which at least a portion of at least one wheel travels,

wherein the tread includes a ridge running longitudinally along an exterior surface of the tread and extending beyond all other portions of the tread.

17. The toy vehicle of claim 16, wherein the ridge is centered on the exterior surface of the tread.

18. The toy vehicle of claim 16, wherein the track is defined by a plurality of elements on opposite sides of the tread.

19. The toy vehicle of claim 16, wherein the elements are configured to engage at least one of the wheels.

20. The toy vehicle of claim 19, wherein at least one of the wheels includes cogs that are engaged by the elements.

21. The toy vehicle of claim 16, wherein the tread further comprises a rib running transversely along the width of the tread and extending beyond an exterior surface of the tread.

22. The toy vehicle of claim 16, wherein at least one of the wheels includes a plurality of tiers running longitudinally along the circumference of the wheel, and at least one of the tiers travels within the track defined by the tread.

23. The toy vehicle of claim 16, wherein each of the wheels has a diameter greater than a height of the body.

24. The toy vehicle of claim 23, wherein the front and the rear wheels extend, beyond the front and the rear of the body.

25. The toy vehicle of claim 16, further comprising at least one middle wheel that travels on the interior surface of the tread.

26. The toy vehicle of claim 25, wherein the middle wheel has a smaller diameter than do the front wheel and the rear wheel.

27. The toy vehicle of claim 16, further comprising a turret having a mechanism configured to launch projectiles.

28. A tread for a toy vehicle, the tread comprising:

a belt defining continuous interior and exterior surfaces, and projections extending from the interior surface to define a recessed track; and

a narrow, central ridge running longitudinally along the exterior surface and extending beyond all other portions of the exterior surface.

29. A toy vehicle comprising:

a body;

a front wheel rotatably attached to the body;

a rear wheel rotatably attached to the body; and

a tread extending between the front wheel and the rear wheel, wherein the wheels are resilient and the tread includes a ridge running longitudinally along an exterior surface of the tread and extending beyond all other portions of the tread.