Toy vehicle with pivotally mounted side wheels

• US 6,589,098 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bbx Design Group Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Jason, Sullivan, Mark, Jaffe, Jonathan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Application Number:
  US09/777,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 446/469, 446/466, 446/470, 446/431, 280/677
• US Class Current: 446/465
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/004 Stunt-cars, e.g. lifting front wheels, roll-over or invertible cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

A radio-controlled toy vehicle is provided with four non-steerable wheels, two on each lateral side of the vehicle. In one embodiment, the wheels on each lateral side are drivingly coupled with a separate, reversible motor. The vehicle is steered by controlling the operation and direction of each motor. In another embodiment, the wheels on each lateral side are drivingly coupled with a single reversible motor. The vehicle is steered through one-way clutches which allow the wheels on one lateral side to operate in either a forward or a reverse direction while the wheels on an opposite lateral side always rotate in the same direction. In both embodiments, a pivoting beam is centrally located on one lateral side, with the wheels on that side being rotatably attached to the beam. The pivoting beam provides for infinite ranges of suspension positions. In operation, the vehicle proceeds until it encounters an obstacle. Depending upon the size of the obstacle relative to the size of the vehicle wheels, the vehicle either rolls over the obstacle or climbs up the obstacle and flips over. In yet another embodiment, two beams are provided, each supporting a pair of front and rear wheels on separate lateral sides of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A toy vehicle comprising:

a chassis having a front end, a rear end and first and second lateral sides;

a first pair of wheels located on the first lateral side, the wheels of the first pair being the frontmost and rearmost wheels on the first lateral side;

a second pair of wheels located on the second lateral side, the wheels of the second pair being the frontmost and rearmost wheels on the second lateral side of the chassis;

at least one prime mover on the chassis drivingly coupled with at least one of the first pair of wheels wherein the prime mover is a first electric motor drivingly coupled with the first pair of wheels and further comprising a second electric motor independently operable from the first motor and drivingly coupled with the second pair of wheels; and

a first beam pivot mounted to pivot on the first lateral side of the chassis approximately halfway between the front end and the rear end, the first pair of wheels being rotatably mounted on the first beam, distal from the chassis.

2. The toy vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising a second beam mounted to pivot on the second side of the chassis approximately halfway between the front end and the rear end, the second pair of wheels being rotatably mounted on the second beam.

3. The toy vehicle according to claim 2 wherein all road contacting wheels of the vehicle on the first lateral side of the chassis are mounted on the first beam.

4. The toy vehicle according to claim 3 wherein all road contacting wheels of the vehicle on the second lateral side of the chassis are mounted on the second beam.

5. The toy vehicle according to claim 2 wherein all road contacting wheels of the vehicle on the second lateral side of the chassis are mounted on the second beam.

6. The toy vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the first electric motor is drivingly coupled with the first pair of wheels via a plurality of gears rotatably mounted on the first beam and the second electric motor is drivingly coupled with the second pair of wheels via an identical plurality of gears rotatably mounted on the chassis.

7. The toy vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising:

a first drive pinion is drivingly connected with the first motor;

a first front wheel gear fixedly mounted to a first front wheel of the first pair of wheels and drivingly coupling the first front wheel with the first drive pinion;

a first rear wheel gear fixedly mounted to a first rear wheel of the first pair and drivingly coupling the first rear wheel with the first drive pinion;

a second drive pinion drivingly connected with the second motor;

a second front wheel gear fixedly mounted to a second front wheel of the second pair and drivingly coupling the second front wheel with the second drive pinion; and

a second rear wheel gear fixedly mounted to a second rear wheel of the second pair and drivingly coupling the second rear wheel with the second drive pinion.

8. The toy vehicle according to claim 7 wherein at least one idler gear drivingly couples the first drive pinion with the first front wheel gear, an identical number of idler gears drivingly couple the first drive pinion with the first rear wheel gear, an identical number of idler gears drivingly couple the second drive pinion with the second front wheel gear, and an identical number of idler gears drivingly couple the second drive pinion with the second rear wheel gear.

9. The toy vehicle according to claim 7 wherein the first drive pinion rotates a common axis with the first beam.

10. The toy vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the first beam is mounted to rotate completely about an axis transverse to the chassis.

11. The toy vehicle according to claim 10 further comprising a drive gear drivingly coupled between the first prime mover and at least one wheel of the first pair of wheels and mounted on the first lateral side of the chassis to also rotate on the transverse axis coaxially with the first beam, the first beam and the drive gear rotating with respect to one another and the chassis on the transverse axis.

12. The toy vehicle according to claim 1 wherein a second beam is mounted to pivot on the chassis, distal from the first beam, the second pair of wheels being rotatably mounted to the second beam.

13. The toy vehicle according to claim 1 wherein none of the wheels is steerably mounted to pivot with respect to the chassis about a vertical axis.

14. The toy vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the first beam can releasably lock to the chassis.

15. A toy vehicle comprising;

a chassis having a front end, a rear end and first and second lateral sides;

a first pair of wheels located on the first lateral side, the wheels of the first pair being the frontmost and rearmost wheels on the first lateral side;

a second pair of wheels located on the second lateral side, the wheels of the second pair being the frontmost and rearmost wheels on the second lateral side of the chassis;

at least one prime mover on the chassis drivingly coupled with at least one of the first pair of wheels;

a one-way automatically engaging clutch drivingly coupling at least one of the second pair of wheels with the prime mover in one direction; and

a first beam pivot mounted to pivot on the first lateral side of the chassis approximately halfway between the front end and the rear end, the first pair of wheels being rotatably mounted on the first beam, distal from the chassis.

16. The toy vehicle according to claim 15 further comprising a second one-way clutch drivingly coupling at least one of the second pair of wheels with the prime mover in a direction opposite to the one direction of the first one-way clutch.

17. The toy vehicle according to claim 15 wherein each of the first beam and second beam is rotatable more than 360 degrees on the chassis.

18. The toy vehicle according to claim 15 wherein none of the wheels of the first pair and second pair is steerably mounted to pivot with respect to the chassis about a vertical axis.

19. The toy vehicle according to claim 15 wherein at least the first beam can be releasably locked to the chassis.