Articulated model vehicle

• US 6,383,054 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2001
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Russell J. Rauch
• Original Assignee: Russell J. Rauch
• Inventors: Rauch, Russell J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris H.
• Application Number:
  US09/953,917
• Time in Patent Office: 232 Days
• Field of Search: 446/454, 446/466, 446/456, 446/468, 446/469, 446/437, 446/465, 446/460, 446/462
• US Class Current: 446/456
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/262 Chassis; Wheel mountings; Wheels; Axles; Suspensions; Fitting body portions to chassis
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/00 Remote-control arrangements specially adapted for toys, e.g. for toy vehicles steering mechanisms for toy vehicles A63H17/36; for model railways A63H19/24, A63H19/28

Abstract

A model vehicle having a normal low-rider configuration is provided with independently repositionable roadway wheels that may be deployed separately and in various combinations, using a manually-switched, battery-powered control, into temporary roadway wheel “hop” positions.

Claims

1. A model vehicle for personal juvenile or adult amusement and entertainment and normally having a low-rider vehicle configuration, comprising:

a model vehicle chassis;

a model vehicle body removably carried by said model vehicle chassis;

rocker arms pivotally attached to said model vehicle chassis and movable to roadway wheel extension and retraction positions;

model vehicle rotatable roadway wheels carried by said rocker arms;

independently operable roadway wheel drive trains carried by said model vehicle chassis and individually connected to a respective one of said rocker arms; and

a hand-held, manually operable, battery-powered control co-operating with and individually controlling said independently operable roadway wheel drive trains, said rocker arms each being spring-biased to a roadway wheel retraction position, and said hand-held, manually operable, battery-powered control being operable to selectively position individual and different combinations of all of said rocker arms in roadway wheel extension positions.

2. The model vehicle invention defined by claim 1, and further comprised of extendible and retractable retention pins carried at the underside of said model vehicle chassis and co-operable retention pin receptacle provided in each said rocker arm, said rocker arm retention pin receptacles each being aligned and engaged with respective extended rocker arm retention pin when said rocker arm is placed non-temporarily in its wheel extension position.

3. The model vehicle invention defined by claim 1, and further comprised of a front set and a rear set of roadway wheels and independently operable and reversible rear wheel drive train carried by said model vehicle chassis and connected to said rear set of roadway wheels;

and

said hand-held, manually operable, battery-powered control being operable to selectively cause said rear wheel drive train to move said model vehicle forward or in reverse.

4. The model vehicle invention defined by claim 3 further comprised of an independently operable front wheel drive train carried by said model vehicle chassis and connected to said front set of roadway wheels;

and

said hand-held manually operable, battery-powered control being operable to selectively cause said front wheel drive train to pivot said front wheel set left or right.