Drive for toy with suction cup feet

• US 6,036,572 A
• Filed: 03/04/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chau-King Sze
• Original Assignee: Chau-King Sze
• Inventors: Sze, Chau-King
• Primary Examiner(s): MUIR, DAVID N
• Application Number:
  US09/034,814
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 446/92, 446/177, 446/330, 446/352, 446/351, 446/354, 446/355, 446/356, 446/288, 446/431, 446/448, 446/485
• US Class Current: 446/177
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/18 Figure toys which perform a realistic walking motion
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/36 Details; Accessories

Abstract

An electrically-powered device incorporated in a toy comprising a motor-driven mechanism and a pair of robotic-limbs each with a resilient sucker to emulate human walking motion on vertical wall or on ceiling, providing the surface is virtually smooth and leveled. The motor and gear assembly is housed in the gearbox while a gear-engaged shaft adjoins a pair of driving wheels, which output the force to a pair of geneva wheels. The geneva wheels that are coupled with the limbs rotate in varied velocity as long as the driving studs of the driving wheel dwells. A lever is disposed in the limb and is actuated by the driven wheel to lift up the sucker that is located at the bottom of the limb, whenever the limb is designated to leave the surface. The pair of driving wheels are properly orientated while one of the geneva wheels is arranged at 180 degree out of phase to its counterpart to ensure either one of the limbs clinched firmly onto the surface.

Claims

1. A device employed in motorized toys comprising:

a motor-driven mechanism; and

a pair of mechanical limbs driven and governed by said motor-driven mechanism,

wherein each mechanical limb comprises a resilient sucker movably seated at the bottom of the limb, and said motor-driven mechanism is operative to drive the said mechanical limbs along a defined path,

wherein said motor-driven mechanism comprises a gearbox, operative to drive a pair of driving wheels seated on both sides of said gearbox, said device further comprising a gear-engaging shaft protruding from the gearbox for coupling said driving wheels, and a pair of geneva wheels coupled and driven by said driving wheels, and

wherein each geneva wheel is provided with a plurality of slots in different transversal curvatures to achieve intermittent maneuver and variant velocity of revolving.

2. The device employed in motorized toys according to claim 1 wherein each driving wheel comprises a plurality of constituent driving studs projecting outwardly from a facet of said driving wheel and dispersed in a polar array with the common center concentric with the axle of the gear-engaging shaft.

3. The device employed in motorized toys according to claim 1 wherein each driving wheel comprises a concentric pin projecting from a facet thereof, for purpose of delimiting certain mechanical movement of a respective one of the limbs.

9. The device employed in motorized toys according to claim 3 wherein an elongated slot is built in each limb to accommodate the concentric pin of a respective one of the driving wheels.

4. A device employed in motorized toys comprising:

a motor-driven mechanism; and

a pair of mechanical limbs driven and governed by said motor-driven mechanism,

wherein each mechanical limb comprises a resilient sucker movably seated at the bottom of the limb, and said motor-driven mechanism is operative to drive the said mechanical limbs along a defined path,

wherein said motor-driven mechanism comprises a gearbox, operative to drive a pair of driving wheels seated on both sides of said gearbox, said device further comprising a gear-engaging shaft protruding from the gearbox for coupling said driving wheels, and

a pair of geneva wheels coupled and driven by said driving wheels, and

wherein each limb further comprises a toggle linkage, and each geneva wheel comprises a cam in crescent shape located on a facet of said geneva wheel, said cam being operative to actuate and release said toggle linkage, and said cam of each geneva wheel being operative to elevate a lever linking to a respective one of said resilient suckers.

5. The device employed in motorized toys according to claim 4 wherein each limb further comprises a sucker-assembly operative to adjust the rising and receding of said respective resilient sucker, and said toggle linkage of each limb is operative to shove and retract a respective one of said sucker-assemblies in respective of operative position of the crescent-shaped cam of a respective one of said geneva wheels.

6. The device employed in motorized toys according to claim 5 wherein said sucker-assembly of each limb comprises a sleeve, cubical shank to be fitted in said sleeve, an actuator and a swivel base.

7. A device employed in motorized toys comprising:

a motor-driven mechanism; and

a pair of mechanical limbs driven and governed by said motor-driven mechanism,

wherein each mechanical limb comprises a resilient sucker movably seated at the bottom of the limb, and said motor-driven mechanism is operative to drive the said mechanical limbs along a defined path,

wherein each limb comprises a sucker-lifting lever linked to a respective one of said resilient suckers, and

wherein said sucker-lifting lever of each limb is formed with a plurality of lifting tabs on an upper portion thereof and one bent tab at a lower portion thereof, said bent tab being linked to the respective resilient sucker.

8. The device employed in motorized toys according to claim 7 wherein each driving wheel comprises at least one rib extending outwardly from the axle of the driving wheel, said rib being used to lift a respective one of said sucker-lifting levers.

10. A driving device for a toy comprising:

a pair of feet for moving a toy along a surface, each of said feet including a hollow limb, a suction cup movably received in said limb of said each feet for movement along a longitudinal axis between a receded position where said suction cup is within said limb and a lowered position where said suction cup projects outwardly from an lower end of said limb, and a spring for urging said suction cup toward said receded position;

means for driving said feet along a defined locus to bring said suction cups alternately into attachment to a surface; and

means for moving and retaining each of said suction cups to and at said lowered position during cup-attaching movement of a respective one of said feet and for releasing said each suction cup from said lowered position upon completion of said attachment.

11. The driving device according to claim 10 wherein said each suction cup is movably connected to a respective limb through toggle linkages.

12. The driving device according to claim 11 wherein said driving means comprises a pair of first rotational wheels operatively connected respectively to said feet, and said moving means comprises said toggle linkages, said toggle linkages being pivotally connected to said respective limb such that said toggle linkages pivot to move said each suction cup in response to part of movement of a respective one of said first wheels.

13. The driving device according to claim 12 wherein said driving means further comprises a motor operatively connected to said fist wheels, and a pair of second rotational wheels arranged for operative engagement respectively with said first wheels, and said feet are pivotally mounted respectively on said second wheels.

14. The driving device according to claim 13 wherein each of said first wheels comprises a plurality of engaging studs projecting outwardly therefrom and arranged in a polar array with a common center concentric with a rotational axis of said each first wheel, and each of said second wheels has plurality of slots for operative engagement with said studs, said slots of said each second wheel having different transversal curvatures to achieve intermittent maneuver and variant revolving velocity of said each second wheel.

15. The driving device according to claim 13 wherein each of said second wheels comprises a cam located thereon for operative engagement with said toggle linkages of a respective moving means so that when engaged by said cam, said toggle linkages move and retain a respective suction cup to and at said lowered position.

16. A driving device for a toy comprising:

a pair of feet for moving a toy along a surface, each of said feet including a hollow limb, and a suction cup movably received in said limb for movement along a longitudinal axis between a receded position where said suction cup is within said limb and a lowered position where said suction cup projects outwardly from an lower end of said limb;

means for driving said feet along a defined locus to bring said feet alternately into contact with a surface; and

means for manually selecting either one of said receded and lowered positions for each suction cup so that said each suction cup is locked in said one position during operation of said device.

17. The driving device according to claim 16 wherein said selecting means comprises a manually operable swivel member received in a respective limb for swiveling movement about said longitudinal axis, a connecting member secured to a respective suction cup and movably connected to said swivel member for linear movement along said longitudinal axis, and means for converting said swiveling movement of said swivel member into said linear movement of said connecting member.

18. The driving device according to claim 17 wherein said converting means comprises at least one pin on said connecting means and at least one S-shaped slot in said swivel member, said pin being received in said slot such that said pin is guided by said slot upon said swiveling movement of said swivel member to bring said respective suction cup into a selected one of said positions.

19. A driving device for a toy comprising;

a pair of feet for moving a toy along a surface, each of said feet including a limb, a suction cup connected to a lower end of each said limb;

means for driving said feet along a defined locus to bring each said suction cup alternately into attachment to a surface and to subsequently move each said suction cup alternately away from said surface for detachment of said suction cup from said surface;

means for lifting a brim of each of said suction cups in advance of cup-attaching movement of a respective one of said feet;

wherein said lifting means is further adapted to lift said brim of each said suction cup in advance of cup-detaching movement of each said respective foot;

said driving means comprises a motor, and a pair of first rotational wheels each operatively connected to said motor and to said feet; and

said lifting means comprises at least one rib formed on a respective one of said first wheels so that said brim of said each suction cup is lifted in response to part of a rotational movement of said respective first wheel.

20. The device according to claim 19 wherein said rib of said respective first wheel extends outwardly from an axle of said respective first wheel.

21. The device according to claim 19 wherein said lifting means comprises a lifting lever linked to a respective one of said suction cups, said lifting lever being movably connected to a respective one of said limbs for movement between a lower position and an upper position where said lifting lever lifts said brim of said respective suction cup, and said rib of said respective first wheel is located for operative engagement with respective one of said lifting levers so that when engaged by said rib, said respective lifting lever is moved to said upper position.

22. The device according to claim 19 wherein said driving means further comprises a pair of second rotational wheels arranged for operative engagement respectively with said first wheels, said feet are pivotally mounted respectively on said second wheels, and said lifting means further comprises a cam formed on a respective one of said second wheels so that said brim is lifted in response to part of rotational movement of said respective second wheel.