Gyroscopic toy

• US 6,406,349 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2000
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyinnovation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Toyinnovation, Inc.
• Inventors: Chung, Caleb
• Primary Examiner(s): Ackun, Jr., Jacob K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Francis, Faye
• Application Number:
  US09/627,614
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 446/236, 446/245, 446/247, 446/248, 446/249, 446/256, 446/259, 446/260, 446/261, 446/264, 446/266
• US Class Current: 446/235
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 1/04 with string or band winding devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 1/20 with figure-like features; with movable objects, especially figures
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/20 Flywheel driving mechanisms

Abstract

A gyroscopic toy is provided having a shaft to which is coupled a flywheel. A drive gear is used to spin the shaft and flywheel for spinning the toy. A pinion gear is rotated to impart spin energy to the shaft and flywheel and thus to the toy. A gearing mechanism couples the drive gear to the pinion gear when the pinion gear is rotated in a first direction and decouples from the drive gear when the pinion gear is rotated in a second opposite direction. A transmission may be provided allowing for at least two different gearing sets to be selectively coupled to the drive gear when the pinion gear is rotated in the first direction.

Claims

1. A gyroscopic toy comprising:

a housing;

a shaft coupled to the housing and extending in the housing, wherein the shaft can rotate relative to the housing;

a flywheel coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the shaft rotates the flywheel;

a gear plate penetrated by the shaft;

a drive gear coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the drive gear causes rotation of the shaft;

a first gear coupled to the gear plate;

a floating gear coupled to the gear plate, wherein the floating gear can move from a first position to a second position, wherein when in the first position, the floating gear is coupled to the drive gear and to the first gear, and wherein when in the second position, the floating gear is decoupled from the drive gear;

a pulley;

a pinion gear coupled to the pulley and to the first gear, wherein rotation of the pulley causes rotation of the pinion gear and thereby rotation of the first gear;

a torsion spring coupled to the pulley and to the housing, wherein rotation of the pulley torques the torsion spring; and

a string wound around the pulley.

2. A toy as recited in claim 1 further comprising a tip extending from an end of the shaft, said tip being external of the housing.

3. A toy as recited in claim 2 wherein the tip is threaded on to the shaft.

4. A toy as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a slot formed on the gear plate; and

a pin extending from the floating gear and fitted within the slot, wherein the slot guides the movement of the pin and the gear between the first and second positions.

5. A toy as recited in claim 1 further comprising a floating plate, wherein the floating gear is rotatably coupled to the floating plate, and wherein the floating plate pivots to move the floating gear between the first and second positions.

6. A toy as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

a slot formed on the gear plate;

a pin extending from the floating plate and fitted within the slot, wherein the slot guides the movement of the pin and thus of the floating plate and the floating gear between the first and second positions.

7. A toy as recited in claim 1 wherein the first gear is rotatably coupled to the gear plate about a rotating axis, the toy further comprising a floating bracket pivotally coupled to the gear plate about the rotating axis, wherein the floating gear is rotatably coupled to the floating bracket and wherein the bracket pivots about the rotating axis for moving the floating gear between the first and second positions.

8. A toy as recited in claim 1 wherein the first gear comprises two coaxial sections, wherein the floating gear is coupled to a first section of the first gear and wherein the pinion gear is coupled to the second section of the first gear.

9. A toy as recited in claim 8 wherein the first section has a greater diameter than the second section.

10. A toy as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a second gear comprising a first section and a second section coaxial with the second gear first section, wherein the second gear first section is coupled to the first gear; and

an intermediate gear coupled to the second section of the second gear wherein the intermediate gear can be coupled to the pinion gear, and wherein when the intermediate gear is coupled to the pinion gear, the first gear is decoupled from the pinion gear.

11. A gyroscopic toy comprising:

a housing;

a shaft coupled to the housing and extending in the housing, wherein the shaft can rotate relative to the housing;

a flywheel coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the shaft rotates the flywheel;

a gear plate penetrated by the shaft;

a drive gear coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the drive gear causes rotation of the shaft;

a first gear coupled to the gear plate;

a floating gear coupled to the gear plate, wherein the floating gear can move from a first position to a second position, wherein when in the first position, the floating gear is coupled to the drive gear and to the first gear, and wherein when in the second position, the floating gear is decoupled from the drive gear;

a pulley;

a pinion gear coupled to the pulley and to the first gear, wherein rotation of the pulley causes rotation of the pinion gear and thereby rotation of the first gear;

a torsion spring coupled to the pulley and to the housing, wherein rotation of the pulley torques the torsion spring; and

a string wound around the pulley, wherein as the string is being pulled it causes the pulley to rotate in a first direction causing the first gear to rotate in a direction for moving the floating gear to the first position and rotating the shaft and torquing the torsion spring for generating a force for rotating the pulley in an opposite second direction when the string is released, wherein as the pulley rotates in the second direction it causes the floating gear to decouple from the drive gear.

12. A gyroscopic toy comprising:

a housing;

a shaft coupled to the housing and extending in the housing, wherein the shaft can rotate relative to the housing;

a flywheel coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the shaft rotates the flywheel;

a drive gear coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the drive gear causes rotation of the shaft;

a pulley;

a pinion gear coupled to the pulley;

a torsion spring coupled to the pulley and to the housing, wherein rotation of the pulley torques the torsion spring;

a string wound around the pulley; and

a transmission pivotally coupled to the housing, the transmission comprising,

a first gear comprising a first section, a second section and third sections wherein the three sections are coaxial,

a floating bracket pivotally coupled to the first gear,

a floating gear pivotally mounted on the floating bracket and coupled to the first gear first section,

a casing pivotally coupled to the housing,

a second gear coupled to the casing and having a first section coaxial with a second section, wherein the second gear first section is coupled to the third section of the first gear, and

an intermediate gear coupled to the second section of the second gear, wherein the casing can pivot between a first and a second position, wherein when in the first position, the first gear second section is coupled to the pinion and the intermediate gear is decoupled from the pinion and when in the second position, the first gear second section is decoupled from the pinion and the intermediate gear is coupled to the pinion, and wherein rotation of the first gear in a first direction causes the floating gear to couple with the drive gear and wherein rotation of the first gear in the opposite direction causes the floating gear to decouple from the drive gear.

13. A toy as recited in claim 12 wherein the first gear first section and the intermediate gear have different diameters.

14. A toy as recited in claim 12 further comprising a tip extending from an end of the shaft, said tip being external of the housing.

15. A toy as recited in claim 12 further comprising means for retaining the casing in a position.

16. A gyroscopic toy comprising:

a housing;

a shaft coupled to the housing and extending in the housing, wherein the shaft can rotate relative to the housing;

a flywheel coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the shaft rotates the flywheel;

a pinion gear;

a first gear;

a drive gear coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the drive gear causes rotation of the shaft, wherein rotation of the pinion gear in a first direction causes the first gear to couple to the drive gear and rotate the drive gear and wherein rotation of the pinion gear in a second direction opposite the first direction causes the first gear to decouple from the drive gear; and

a floating gear wherein the floating gear couples the first gear to the drive gear when the pinion gear is rotated in a first direction and decouples the first gear from the drive gear when the pinion gear is rotated in the second opposite direction.

17. A gyroscopic toy comprising:

a housing;

a shaft coupled to the housing and extending in the housing, wherein the shaft can rotate relative to the housing;

a flywheel coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the shaft rotates the flywheel;

a pinion gear;

a first gear;

a drive gear coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the drive gear causes rotation of the shaft, wherein rotation of the pinion gear in a first direction causes the first gear to couple to the drive gear and rotate the drive gear and wherein rotation of the pinion gear in a second direction opposite the first direction causes the first gear to decouple from the drive gear;

a pulley coaxially coupled to the pinion gear; and

a string coupled to the pulley, wherein pulling on the string causes the pulley and pinion gear to rotate in the first direction.

18. A toy as recited in claim 17 further comprising a torsion spring coupled to the pinion gear and the housing, wherein rotation of the pinion gear in the first direction torques the spring generating a torque for rotating the pinion gear in the second direction.

19. A gyroscopic toy comprising:

a housing;

a shaft coupled to the housing and extending in the housing, wherein the shaft can rotate relative to the housing;

a flywheel coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the shaft rotates the flywheel;

a pinion gear;

a first gear;

a drive gear coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the drive gear causes rotation of the shaft, wherein rotation of the pinion gear in a first direction causes the first gear to couple to the drive gear and rotate the drive gear and wherein rotation of the pinion gear in a second direction opposite the first direction causes the first gear to decouple from the drive gear;

a second gear coupled to the first gear; and

an intermediate gear coupled to the second gear, wherein the intermediate gear can couple to the pinion gear and wherein when the pinion gear rotates in the first direction it causes the second gear and the first gear to rotate and the first gear to couple to the drive gear and when the pinion gear rotates in the second direction, the first gear decouples from the drive gear.

20. A gyroscopic toy comprising:

a housing;

a shaft coupled to the housing and extending in the housing, wherein the shaft can rotate relative to the housing;

a flywheel coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the shaft rotates the flywheel;

a pinion gear;

a drive gear coupled to the shaft wherein rotation of the drive gear causes rotation of the shaft; and

gearing coupled to the pinion gear, wherein rotation of the pinion gear in a first direction causes the gearing to couple to the drive gear, and wherein rotation of the pinion gear in a second direction opposite the first direction causes the gearing to decouple from the drive gear; and

a transmission, the transmission comprising two gearing sets for coupling to the pinion gear and to the drive gear when the pinion gear is rotated in the first direction.

21. A toy as recited in claim 20 further comprising means for selecting the gearing which would couple to the drive gear when the pinion gear is rotated in a first direction.

22. A toy as recited in claim 20 wherein the gearing ratio of the first set is different from the gearing ratio of the second set.