Remote-controlled toy trash truck

• US 6,264,528 B1
• Filed: 03/17/1999
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DOAN Steve, Steve Doan
• Original Assignee: Steve Doan
• Inventors: Barker, James R., Doan, Steve D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Muir, D. Neal
• Application Number:
  US09/270,545
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 446/424, 446/427, 446/428, 446/429, 446/454, 446/456, 446/466, 446/433, 280/676, 280/677, 280/678, 280/685, 280/683
• US Class Current: 446/424
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/06 with tipping bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/3044 Loading stations, e.g. with conveyors, elevators, cranes cranes, winches or the like per se A63H17/12

Abstract

The instant invention is directed toward a toy trash truck. More specifically, it relates to a remote-controlled toy trash truck capable of forward motion and realistic operation. The toy vehicle includes a propulsion system, including a plurality of tires, operably affixed to a frame member. There is also a trash-holding bin mounted on the frame member, and a load-lifting arm operably connected to the frame member and capable of lifting items (e.g., actual or simulated trash) for placement into the trash-holding bin. A signal receiver that receives and interprets signals from a remote-control device may be mounted on the frame member.

Claims

1. A toy trash truck comprising

a propulsion system operably affixed to a frame member, said propulsion system including a plurality of tires;

a trash-holding bin mounted on said frame member, said trash-holding bin comprising a bottom wall, a top wall, an overhead door selectively covering a trash hatch through said top wall, and a purge door, both of said doors being capable of moving between an open position and a closed position, and further wherein said overhead door is slidably mounted to a top of said trash-holding bin;

a load-lifting arm operably connected to said frame member and capable of lifting items for placement into said trash-holding bin;

an elevation system for lifting said trash-holding bin into a raised, dumping configuration and lowering said trash-holding bin into a lowered, loading configuration, said elevation system comprising

a can-lift actuator arm;

a can lifting tower affixed to said bottom wall;

a lift force transfer arm rotatably connected at a first pivot connection to said can-lift actuator arm, and said lift force transfer arm rotatably connected at a second pivot connection to said can lifting tower; and

a central lift-assist cylinder.

2. The truck of claim 1 further comprising a signal receiver that receives and interprets signals from a remote-control device.

3. The truck of claim 1, wherein said propulsion system further comprises at least one main drive motor and a driveline operably connecting said at least one main drive motor to at least one driven tire of said plurality of tires.

4. The truck of claim 3, wherein said at least one main drive motor further comprises an output shaft and said driveline further comprises a series of gears drivingly connecting said output shaft of said at least one main drive motor to a drive shaft, and further wherein said drive shaft is drivingly connected to at least one differential for transferring propulsive energy from said drive shaft to said at least one driven tire.

5. The truck of claim 4, wherein said drive shaft further comprises at least one universal joint.

6. The truck of claim 4, wherein said drive shaft further comprises a driving taper gear and wherein said at least one differential further comprises at least one driven taper gear engaged with said at least one driving taper gear.

7. The truck of claim 6 wherein said at least one driven taper gear is mounted on an axle drivingly connected to said at least one driven tire.

8. The truck of claim 7 further comprising a scissor suspension system supportingly connecting said axle to said frame member.

9. The truck of claim 6, wherein said series of gears comprises a first drive gear mounted for rotation with said output shaft of said at least one main drive motor, and a drive shaft gear mounted for rotation with said drive shaft.

10. The truck of claim 9, wherein said series of gears are rotatably supported in a gear-mounting frame.

11. The truck of claim 2, wherein said frame member comprises at least one main longitudinal beam, wherein said load-lifting arm comprises at least one U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arm having a rear leg and a front leg, and wherein said rear leg is pivotally attached to said at least one main longitudinal beam at a main lift arm pivot pin, and wherein said front leg is capable of supporting a load of said items to be placed in said trash-holding bin when said overhead door is in its open position.

12. The truck of claim 11, wherein a dumpster tilt fork is pivotally mounted on said front leg to pivotally support said load, and wherein a tilt fork pivot system is operatively associated with said dumpster tilt fork, said tilt fork pivot system comprising

a tilt fork actuator arm;

a tilt-fork rotator arm rigidly connected to said dumpster tilt fork; and

a force transfer arm rotatably pinned between said tilt for actuator arm and said tilt fork rotator arm.

13. The truck of claim 11 further comprising cooperating push-pull arms, said cooperating push-pull arms including an upper arm and a lower arm, each of said upper and lower arms having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of said upper arm is pivotally connected to said rear leg of said at least one U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arm at a first location above said main lift arm pivot pin and said second end of said upper arm is pivotally connected to an upper portion of a driven block pivotally mounted to said at least one main longitudinal beam, and wherein said first end of said lower arm is connected to said rear leg of said at least one U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arm at a second location below said main lift arm pivot pin and said second end of said lower arm is connected to a lower portion of said driven block.

14. The truck of claim 13 further comprising

a tilt fork servo motor for rotating a dumpster tilt fork pivotally mounted on said front leg of said at least one U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arm;

a first servo motor for rotating said at least one U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arm about said main lift arm pivot pin;

a second servo motor for opening said overhead door;

a third servo motor for opening said purge door; and

a fourth servo motor for lifting said trash-holding bin.

15. The truck of claim 14, wherein said signal receiver is a wireless receiver, and wherein said truck further comprises a steering unit servo and wherein said truck is steerable through the remote activation of said steering unit servo.

16. The truck of claim 15, wherein said first servo is responsive to a first remote-control signal, said second servo is responsive to a second remote-control signal, said third servo is responsive to a third remote-control signal, said fourth servo is responsive to a fourth remote-control signal, said tilt fork servo is responsive to a fifth remote-control signal, and said steering unit servo is responsive to a sixth remote-control signal.

17. The truck of claim 16, wherein said third remote-control signal is the same as said fourth remote-control signal.

18. The truck of claim 1, wherein said frame member comprises at least one main longitudinal beam, wherein said central lift-assist cylinder has a bottom end and a top end, and wherein said central lift-assist cylinder further comprises concentric sleeves having a coil spring compressed thereby, said bottom end of said central lift-assist cylinder being mounted to said at least on main longitudinal beam, and said top end of said central lift-assist cylinder being connected to said lift tower.

19. The truck of claim 1 further comprising a purge door opening system, said purge door opening system comprising

a purge door actuator arm;

a push cable mounting pin rigidly attached to said purge door; and

a push cable mounted between said purge door actuator arm and said push cable mounting pin.

20. The truck of claim 19, wherein said purge door is hingedly mounted along an edge of said top wall of said trash-holding bin for rotation about at least one purge door hinge, wherein said purge door actuator arm is pivotally mounted to said bottom wall of said trash-holding bin, wherein said push cable has a first end and a second end, and wherein said purge door opening system further comprising

a first push cable guide sleeve to slippingly support said push cable adjacent to said purge door actuator arm;

a guide sleeve support for positioning said first push cable guide sleeve adjacent to said purge door actuator arm;

a second push cable guide sleeve to slippingly support said push cable adjacent to said purge door; and

a guide sleeve mounting bracket for positioning said second push cable guide sleeve adjacent to said purge door.

21. The truck of claim 20, wherein said bottom wall of said trash-holding bin has a cable hole therethrough, and further wherein said push cable passes through said cable hole along the length of said push cable between its said first end and second end.

22. The truck of claim 1 further comprising an overhead door opening system, said overhead door opening system comprising

an overhead door actuator arm;

and

a door opening force transfer arm having first and second ends, said first end of said door opening force transfer arm being pivotally connected to said overhead door actuator arm, and said second end of said door opening force transfer arm being pivotally connected to an underside of said overhead door.

23. The truck of claim 22, wherein said first and second ends of said door opening force transfer arm are pivotally connected by ball joint connections to, respectively, said overhead door actuator arm and said underside of said overhead door.

24. The truck of claim 1, wherein said frame member comprises at least one main longitudinal beam, and wherein said elevation system further comprises

at least one front lift-assist cylinder having an upper end and a lower end, said upper end of said at least one front lift-assist cylinder being mounted to a lower surface of said bottom wall of said trash-holding bin using a first upper mounting pin, and said lower end of said at least one front lift-assist cylinder being mounted to said at least one main longitudinal beam using a first lower mounting pin;

and

at least one rear lift-assist cylinder having an upper end and a lower end, said upper end of said at least one rear lift-assist cylinder being mounted to said lower surface of said bottom wall of said trash-holding bin using a second upper mounting pin, and said lower end of said at least one rear lift-assist cylinder being mounted to said at least one main longitudinal beam using a second lower mounting pin.

25. The truck of claim 24, wherein said lower ends of said front and rear lift-assist cylinders are mounted to said at least one main longitudinal beam using respective first and second mounting plates attached to said at least one main longitudinal beam.

26. The truck of claim 24, wherein said at least one front lift-assist cylinder comprises two front lift-assist cylinders, and wherein said at least one rear lift-assist cylinder comprises two rear lift-assist cylinders, and further wherein each said front and rear lift-assist cylinders comprises an internal sleeve slippingly engaged in a concentric external sleeve, and a coil spring, said coil spring mounted within said external sleeve and pressing on one end of said internal sleeve.

27. The truck of claim 1, wherein said elevation system further comprises at least one spring-loaded support arm having a rearward end mounted to said trash-holding bin and a forward end mounted to said rear leg of said at least one U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arm, said at least one support arm comprising a tubular member housing a spring.

28. The truck of claim 13, wherein a first distance between said first location and said main lift arm pivot pin is the same as a second distance between said second location and said main lift arm pivot pin.

29. The truck of claim 14, wherein said tilt fork servo motor further comprises an output shaft that is operably connected to said tilt fork actuator arm, whereby activation of said tilt fork servo motor rotates said tilt fork actuator arm, thereby driving said force transfer arm, said tilt fork rotator arm;

and said dumpster tilt fork.

30. The truck of claim 14, wherein said first servo motor further comprises an output shaft that is operably connected to said driven block, whereby activation of said first servo motor rotates said driven block, thereby driving said push-pull arms and rotating said at least one U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arm about said main lift arm pivot pin.

31. The truck of claim 14, wherein said second servo motor further comprises an output shaft that is operably connected to said overhead door actuator arm, whereby activation of said second servo motor rotates said overhead door actuator arm, thereby driving said door opening force transfer arm and said overhead door.

32. The truck of claim 31, wherein said second servo motor is mounted to an underside of said top wall of said trash-holding bin, and wherein said output shaft of said second servo motor protrudes through said top wall of said trash-holding bin and is connected to said overhead door actuator arm.

33. The truck of claim 14, wherein said third servo motor further comprises an output shaft that is operably connected to said purge door actuator arm, whereby activation of said third servo motor rotates said purge door actuator arm, thereby driving said push cable and pivoting said purge door about said at least one purge door hinge.

34. The truck of claim 14, wherein said fourth servo motor further comprises an output shaft that is operably connected to said can-lift actuator arm, whereby activation of said fourth servo motor rotates said can-lift actuator arm, thereby driving said force transfer arm and said can-lifting tower.

35. A toy trash truck comprising

a propulsion system operably affixed to a frame member comprising at least one main longitudinal beam, said propulsion system including at least one main drive motor having an output shaft, a plurality of tires, and a driveline drivingly connecting said output shaft to at least one driven tire of said plurality of tires;

a trash-holding bin having a top wall with a rear edge, said trash-holding bin mounted on said at least one main longitudinal beam, wherein said trash-holding bin is capable of moving between a lowered, resting position and a raised, dumping position, said trash-holding bin further comprising a purge door and an overhead door, both of said doors being capable of moving between an open position and a closed position, and further wherein said overhead door is slidably mounted to said top wall of said trash-holding bin and wherein said purge door is hingedly mounted along said rear edge of said top wall;

a pair of U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arms operably connected to said frame member at a main lift arm pivot pin and capable of lifting items for placement into said trash-holding bin;

a wireless signal receiver that receives and interprets signals from a remote-control device, said wireless signal receiver being supported by said frame member;

a battery power supply coupled with said wireless signal receiver and supported by said frame member;

a plurality of servo motors for rotating said pair of U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arms about said main lift arm pivot pin, opening said overhead door, opening said purge door, and moving said trash-holding bin between said resting position and said dumping position;

a suspension system supportingly connecting said plurality of tires to said frame member; and

an elevation system for lifting said trash-holding bin into said raised, dumping position and lowering said trash-holding bin into said lowered, resting position, said elevation system comprising

a can-lift actuator arm;

a can lifting tower affixed to said bottom wall;

a lift force transfer arm rotatably connected at a first pivot connection to said can-lift actuator arm, and rotatably connected at a second pivot connection to said can lifting tower; and

a central lift-assist cylinder.

36. The truck of claim 35, wherein each of said U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arms further comprises a rear leg and a front leg, and wherein said rear leg is pivotally attached to said at least one main longitudinal beam at a main lift arm pivot pin, and wherein a dumpster tilt fork is pivotally mounted on a distal end of said front leg to pivotally support a load of said items to be placed in said trash-holding bin.

37. The truck of claim 36 further comprising cooperating push-pull arms, said cooperating push-pull arms including an upper arm and a lower arm, each of said upper and lower arms having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of said upper arm is pivotally connected to said rear leg of at least one of said pair of U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arms at a first location above said main lift arm pivot pin and said second end of said upper arm is pivotally connected to an upper portion of a driven block pivotally mounted to said frame member, and wherein said first end of said lower arm is connected to said rear leg of said at least one of said pair of U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arms at a second location below said main lift arm pivot pin and said second end of said lower arm is connected to a lower portion of said driven block.

38. The truck of claim 37 wherein said plurality of servo motors comprises

a first servo motor for rotating said pair of U-shaped main dumpster-lifting arms about said main lift arm pivot pin;

a second servo motor for opening said overhead door;

a third servo motor for opening said purge door;

a fourth servo motor for moving said trash-holding bin between said resting position and said dumping position; and

a tilt fork servo motor for rotating said tilt fork.

39. The truck of claim 38, wherein said truck further comprises a steering unit servo, said truck being steerable through the remote activation of said steering unit servo, and wherein said first servo is responsive to a first remote-control signal, said second servo is responsive to a second remote-control signal, said third servo is responsive to a third remote-control signal, said fourth servo is responsive to a fourth remote-control signal, said tilt fork servo is responsive to a fifth remote-control signal, and said steering unit servo is responsive to a sixth remote-control signal.

40. The truck of claim 39, wherein said third remote-control signal is the same as said fourth remote-control signal.

41. The truck of claim 35, wherein said driveline further comprises a series of gears, a drive shaft, at least one universal joint, and at least one differential for transferring propulsive energy from said drive shaft to said at least one driven tire, and further wherein said series of gears includes a first drive gear mounted for rotation with said output shaft of said at least one main drive motor and engaged with a drive shaft gear mounted for rotation with said drive shaft, and wherein said drive shaft further comprises a driving taper gear and wherein said at least one differential further comprises at least one driven taper gear engaged with said at least one driving taper gear.

42. The truck of claim 41 wherein said at least one driven taper gear is mounted on an axle drivingly connected to said at least one driven tire.

43. The truck of claim 42, wherein said suspension system is a scissor suspension system.