Four wheel drive toy locomotive

• US 6,089,952 A
• Filed: 01/28/1998
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Learning Curve International, Inc. (TOMY Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Learning Curve International, Inc. (TOMY Company Limited)
• Inventors: Toht, Donald, Katz, Jeff, Dowd, Paul, Isaksson, Will
• Primary Examiner(s): Muir, D Neal
• Application Number:
  US09/014,499
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 446/431, 446/443, 446/444, 446/445, 446/447, 446/457, 446/462, 446/465, 446/467, 446/463
• US Class Current: 446/463
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/00 Model railways propulsion by special interaction between vehicle and track A63H18/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/10 electrically driven

Abstract

A battery operated miniature toy locomotive for use in a toy railway system is claimed. The toy railway system comprises a toy railway track configuration made up of a plurality of wooden toy railway track segments. Each wooden track segment has a pair of uniformly spaced depressions extending from a first connecting end to a second connecting end of each wooden track segment. The toy locomotive has a first pair of wheels positioned at a proximal end of the toy locomotive and a second pair of wheels positioned at a distal end of the toy locomotive. The first and second pairs of wheels are adapted for placement within the depressions formed on each wooden track segment. The toy locomotive further comprises a locomotive housing which has an interior surface and an exterior surface, and a motor for providing energy to the first pair of wheels and the second pair of wheels. The motor is positioned within the housing and operatively connected with the first pair of wheels and the second pair of wheels wherein both pairs of wheels are simultaneously powered by the motor.

Claims

1. A self-powered toy vehicle which is attachable to a second toy vehicle and capable of transferring movement to the second toy vehicle, the self-powered toy vehicle comprising:

a housing having an interior surface and an exterior surface;

a first wheel system and a second wheel system each having a pair of wheels, at least a portion of each wheel extending beyond the exterior surface of the housing;

a motor engaging a gear assembly for providing energy to the first wheel system; and

a selectively activated clutch assembly interconnected to the gear assembly for disengaging the gear assembly from the first wheel system in response to a damaging external force provided to the self-powered toy vehicle wherein the first wheel system can be separately temporarily released from the gear assembly in response to the damaging external force; and

a transmission switch interconnected to the selectively activated clutch assembly providing a spring force to engage and disengage the gear assembly.

2. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein the selectively activated clutch assembly comprises:

a first clutch plate and a second clutch plate in mirror image relationship, the first and second clutch plates being cooperatively engageable;

a block key in communication with the first clutch plate for transferring energy from the motor to the first clutch plate;

a wheel gear in communication with the second gear for transferring energy to the first wheel system; and

a clutch spring interconnected to the transmission switch for providing an engaging force by which the first and second clutch plates are engaged.

3. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 2 wherein the engaging force can be offset by an external force applied to the first wheel system wherein the first and second clutch plates partially disengage allowing the first and second clutch plates to slidably rotate against each other wherein the external force is not transferred to the gear assembly.

4. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 3 wherein the transmission switch can be selectively positioned between a forward position, a reverse position, and a neutral position wherein the selectively activated clutch assembly is engaged in the forward and reverse positions and disengaged in the neutral position.

5. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 4 wherein the selectively activated clutch assembly further comprises a pivotable lever for supporting the clutch spring, the pivotable lever being engageable with the transmission switch wberein selectively positioning the transmission switch in the forward and reverse positions causes the pivotable lever to move the clutch spring into a position to provide the engaging force to the first clutch plate.

6. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 2 wherein the wherein assembly comprises a wobble gear assembly between the motor and the selectively activated clutch assembly, the wobble gear assembly engaging the motor at a first end and the clutch assembly at a second end for transferring energy from the motor to the first wheel system.

7. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 6 wherein the wobble gear assembly comprises:

a pinion connected to a drive shaft which extends from the motor;

a crown gear for engaging the pinion on one side and having an eccentric spur gear driver on an opposing side;

a spur gear in communication with the eccentric spur gear driver wherein a rotational movement provided to the crown gear produces an orbital movement in the spur gear;

an internal gear powered by the spur gear wherein the orbital movement of the spur gear produces a rotational movement in the internal gear; and

a rod connected at a first end to the internal gear and having a second end for transferring energy to the first wheel system wherein the rotational movement by the internal gear is transferred along the rod to the first wheel system.

8. A toy railway system comprising a miniature battery operated toy locomotive attachable to a second toy railway vehicle for traversing along a toy railway track configuration made up of a plurality of wooden toy railway track segments, each wooden track segment having a pair of uniformly spaced depressions extending from a first connecting end to a second connecting end of each wooden track segment, the toy locomotive having a first pair of wheels positioned at a proximal end of the toy locomotive and a second pair of wheels positioned at a distal end of the toy locomotive, the first and second pairs of wheels adapted for placement within the depressions formed on each wooden track segment, the toy locomotive comprising:

a toy locomotive housing having an interior surface and an exterior surface;

a motor for providing energy to the first pair of wheels and the second pair of wheels, the motor positioned within the housing and operatively connected to a first gear assembly which is operatively connected to the first pair of wheels and a second gear assembly which is operatively connected to the second pair of wheels wherein both pairs of wheels are simultaneously powered by the motor;

a first selectively activated clutch assembly and a second selectively activated clutch assembly interconnected to the first and second gear assemblies respectively for separately disengaging the first and second gear assemblies from the first and second pairs of wheels in response to a damaging external force provided to the toy locomotive wherein the first and second pairs of wheels can be separately temporarily released from the first and second gear assemblies respectively in response to the damaging external force; and

a transmission switch interconnected to the first and second selectively activated clutch assemblies providing a spring force to engage and disengage the first and second gear assemblies.

9. A self-powered toy vehicle attachable to a second toy vehicle and capable of transferring movement to the second toy vehicle, the self-powered toy vehicle comprising:

a housing having an interior surface and an exterior surface;

a first wheel system having a pair of wheels, at least a portion of each wheel extending beyond the exterior surface of the housing;

a motor for providing energy to the first wheel system positioned within the housing; and

a first wobble gear assembly engaging the motor at a first end and the first wheel system at a second end for transferring energy from the motor to the first wheel system wherein the wobble gear assembly comprises;

a pinion connected to a drive shaft which extends from the motor;

a crown gear for engaging the pinion on one side and having an eccentric spur gear driver on an opposing side;

a spur gear in communication with the eccentric spur gear driver wherein a rotational movement provided to the crow gear produces an orbital movement in the spur gear;

an internal gear powered by the spur gear wherein the orbital movement of the spur gear produces a rotational movement in the internal gear; and

a rod connected at a first end to the internal gear and having a second end for transferring energy to the first wheel system wherein the rotational movement by the internal gear is transferred along the rod to the first wheel system.

10. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 9 wherein the crown gear has an axis of rotation and the eccentric spur gear driver is located at a position which is off-center from the axis of rotation.

11. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 9 wherein the crown gear freewheels about the rod.

12. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 9 wherein the spur gear freewheels about the rod.

13. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 9 wherein the spur gear comprises an appendage which engages the housing to prevent the spur gear from having a rotational movement whereby the spur gear exhibits the orbital movement.

14. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 9 including a clutch assembly connected to the second end of the rod and positioned between the wobble gear assembly and the first wheel system for disengaging the first wobble gear assembly from the first wheel system wherein each wheel is freewheeling when the clutch assembly is disengaged.

15. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 14 wherein the clutch assembly comprises:

a first clutch plate and a second clutch plate in mirror image relationship, the first and second clutch plates being cooperatively engageable;

a block key in communication with the first clutch plate for transferring energy from the motor to the first clutch plate;

a wheel gear in communication with the second clutch plate for transferring energy to the first wheel system; and

a clutch spring for providing an engaging force by which the first and second clutch plates are engaged.

16. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 15 further comprising a second wheel system having a second pair of wheels, at least a portion of each wheel extending beyond the exterior surface of the housing, and a second wobble gear assembly substantially similar to the first wobble gear assembly and engaging the motor at a first end and the second wheel system at a second end for transferring energy from the motor to the second wheel system.

17. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 9 wherein the motor can be operated in either a forward mode or a reverse mode.

18. The self-powered toy vehicle of claim 9 wherein the first wheel system comprises a tire assembly, an axle, and a drive gear the drive gear having a square aperture and the tire assembly having an elongate, square-ended boss for insertion into the square aperture.

19. A self-powered vehicle which is attachable to a second toy vehicle and capable of transferring movement to the second toy vehicle, the self-powered toy vehicle comprising:

a housing having an interior surface and an exterior surface;

a first wheel system having a pair of wheels, at least a portion of each wheel extending beyond the exterior surface of the housing;

a motor for providing energy to the first wheel system positioned within the housing; and

a pinion connected to a drive shaft which extends from the motor;

a crown gear for engaging the pinion on one side and having an eccentric spur gear driver on an opposing side;

a spur gear in communication with the eccentric spur gear driver wherein a rotational movement provided to the crown gear produces an orbital movement in the spur gear;

an internal gear powered by the spur gear wherein the orbital movement of the spur gear produces a rotational movement in the internal gear; and

a rod connected at a first end to the internal gear and having a second end for transferring energy to the first wheel system wherein the rotational movement by the internal gear is transferred along the rod to the first wheel system.