Toy power tool

• US 6,062,939 A
• Filed: 08/07/1998
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Weber, Gary E., DeRubes, John D., Parker, Kenneth G., Hoppy, Joseph E., May, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Muir, D. Neal
• Application Number:
  US09/130,516
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 446/1, 446/38, 446/40, 446/102, 446/104, 446/144, 446/145, 446/240, 446/246, 446/266, 446/404, 446/405, 446/406, 81/177.7, 81/177.8
• US Class Current: 446/145
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/3072 Tools or machine-tools

Abstract

A toy power tool is shown having a tool-holding housing and a handle housing rotatably connected at interfacing surfaces inclined to the central axes of both housings. Relative rotation of the housing about a transformation axis perpendicular to the inclined interfacing surfaces transforms the tool from one desired configuration to another. A 180° rotation of the tool-holding housing relative to the handle housing transforms the tool between a straight configuration with the central axes of the housings being aligned, and a L-shaped configuration with the central axes of the housings being at right-angles. Detents between the interfacing surfaces position the housings at the desired configurations, and double as switches that are connected to a sound producing circuit on a printed circuit board mounted parallel to the interfacing surfaces. An internal gear mechanism converts linear input motion to the relative rotary motion of the housings. The detents between the interfacing surfaces create more resistance to relative rotation of the housings in one direction than the other, thus causing the clutch spur gear to slip relative to the clutch bevel gear in one direction and engage in the other, causing transformation of the housings. Tools are mounted for movement into and out of the housings, with simulated cutting sounds being produced when a trigger is actuated at the same time as the tool is pressed into the housing.

Claims

1. A toy tool, comprising

a first housing having a first central axis;

a second housing having a second central axis and being rotatably connected to said first housing at an interfacing surface that is inclined at an angle relative to said first and second central axes; and

an actuator mounted to said first housing and having an input portion, said actuator converting linear motion of said input portion with respect to said first housing into relative rotation between said first housing and said second housing.

2. The toy tool according to claim 1, wherein

said actuator includes a gear train mounted within said first housing, said gear train including a bevel gear that can be rotated to cause said second housing to rotate relative to said first housing between a position wherein said first and second central axes are substantially aligned and a position wherein said first and second central axes are substantially perpendicular to each other.

3. The toy tool according to claim 2, wherein

said second housing supports a simulated tool for movement into and out of said second housing parallel to said second central axis.

4. The toy tool according to claim 3, further including an electronic sound generating circuit that produces a cutting sound when said simulated tool is moved into said second housing.

5. The toy tool according to claim 4, wherein a trigger is movably mounted on said first housing, and said electronic sound generating circuit produces the cutting sound when said simulated tool is moved into said second housing at the same time as said trigger on said first housing is actuated.

6. The toy tool according to claim 5, wherein said electronic sound generating circuit produces an electronic transformation sound when said second housing is rotated relative to said first housing about a transformation axis perpendicular to said interfacing surface.

7. The toy tool according to claim 3, wherein said simulated tool is a toy screwdriver bit when said first and second central axes are aligned.

8. The toy tool according to claim 3, wherein said simulated tool is a toy drill bit when said first and second central axes are perpendicular to each other.

9. The toy tool according to claim 3, wherein said simulated tool is a toy sawblade.

10. The toy tool according to claim 2, wherein said gear train further includes a rack mounted in said first housing to said input portion of said actuator for linear motion, said rack engaging a spur gear and said spur gear being interconnected through a clutch to said bevel gear.

11. A toy tool, comprising:

a tool-holding housing having a first central axis;

a handle housing having a second central axis and being rotatably connected to said tool-holding housing at an interfacing surface disposed at an angle with respect to said first and second axes such that said tool-holding housing can be rotated about a transformation axis that is substantially perpendicular to said interfacing surface to move said tool-holding housing between a first position wherein said first central axis forms a first angle with said second central axis and a second position wherein said first central axis forms a second angle different from said first angle with said second central axis;

an actuator that causes said tool-holding housing to rotate about said transformation axis; and

said actuator converts a linear input to said actuator to rotary motion of said tool-holding housing.

12. The toy tool according to claim 11, wherein said actuator includes a rack gear that is moved linearly relative to said handle housing upon receipt of said linear input;

a spur gear engaged with said rack gear;

a first bevel gear selectively connected with said spur gear through a clutch mechanism; and

a second bevel gear nonrotatably connected to said tool-holding housing.

13. The toy tool according to claim 11, further including a simulated tool mounted in said tool-holding housing for movement into and out of said tool-holding housing parallel to said first central axis.

14. The toy tool according to claim 13, further including an electronic sound generating circuit that produces a cutting sound when said simulated tool is moved into said tool-holding housing.

15. A toy tool, comprising:

a handle having a first central axis and a tool-holder having a second central axis;

said handle being rotatably connected to said tool-holder at substantially parallel interfacing surfaces of said handle and said tool-holder for relative rotation about a transformation axis that is substantially perpendicular to said parallel interfacing surfaces and that is oblique to said central axes; and

actuation means for converting a linear motion input to said tool into relative rotation of said handle and said tool-holder.

16. The toy tool according to claim 15, wherein

said actuation means comprises a button, a rack gear connected to said button, a compression spring biasing said rack gear in a first linear direction, a spur gear engaged with said rack gear and a bevel gear that is selectively engaged with said spur gear through a clutch.

17. The toy tool according to claim 16, wherein said rack gear is moved linearly into said handle by pressing on said button, and wherein said bevel gear is engaged with said spur gear through said clutch when said rack gear is moved in said first linear direction by said compression spring.

18. The toy tool according to claim 17, wherein movement of said rack gear in said first linear direction causes said bevel gear to rotate said tool-holder relative to said handle.

19. The toy tool according to claim 18, further including a printed circuit board mounted parallel and adjacent to said interfacing surfaces;

detents being mounted on said printed circuit board and extending into aligned openings through said interfacing surfaces when said handle and said tool-holder are positioned with their central axes aligned and when their central axes are perpendicular.

20. The toy tool according to claim 19, wherein said detents are also switches in sound producing circuits on said printed circuit board.

21. The toy tool according to claim 20, further including a simulated tool bit mounted for movement into and out of said tool-holder wherein movement of said simulated tool bit into said tool-holder actuates another switch in said sound producing circuits.

22. A sound generating toy tool, comprising:

a sound output device producing a first sound simulating a motor, and a second sound simulating operation of the tool on a workpiece;

a first switch coupled to a trigger and to said sound output device and moved to an operation position by movement of said trigger;

a second switch coupled to a simulated tool and to said sound output device and moved to an operation position by movement of said simulated tool, said sound output device producing said first sound when said trigger is moved and producing said second sound when both said trigger and said simulated tool are moved at the same time.

23. The sound generating toy tool according to claim 22, further including a first housing having a first central axis and a second housing having a second central axis;

said first housing being rotatably connected to said second housing at an interfacing surface that is inclined at an angle relative to said first and second central axes; and

a detent provided at said interfacing surface to position said first and second housings in a desired configuration with respect to each other, said detent forming a third switch coupled to said sound output device and being moved to an operation position to cause said sound output device to produce a third sound when said first and second housings are moved away from said desired configuration.

24. The sound generating toy according to claim 23, further including an actuator mounted to said first housing and having an input portion, said actuator converting linear motion of said input portion with respect to said first housing into relative rotation between said first housing and said second housing.

25. A method of transforming a toy tool, wherein the toy tool includes first and second housings, said first and second housings being rotatably connected at interfacing surfaces that are inclined at an angle relative to the central axes of the first and second housings, and an actuator mounted to said first housing and having an input portion;

said method comprising;

rotating said second housing relative to said first housing about an axis perpendicular to said interfacing surfaces, said rotating being performed by moving said input portion with respect to said first housing in a linear direction; and

stopping rotation of said second housing relative to said first housing when the central axis of said second housing is at a desired angle relative to the central axis of said first housing.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein

said step of stopping rotation of said second housing relative to said first housing includes engaging a detent mounted within said first housing with a recess in said second housing.

27. The method according to claim 25, further including

producing a simulated motor sound during said rotating step.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein said toy tool further includes a simulated cutting tool mounted for movement relative to said second housing, said method further including producing a sound simulating operation of said toy tool on a workpiece when said simulated cutting tool moves relative to said second housing.