Inflatable radio control car

• US 6,659,837 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alvimar Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alvimar Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Lieberman, Marvin S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, JAMILA O
• Application Number:
  US10/286,612
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 446/220, 446/221, 446/225, 446/226, 446/465, 446/454, 446/470, 446/456, 446/457, 446/431
• US Class Current: 446/220
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/262 Chassis; Wheel mountings; Wheels; Axles; Suspensions; Fitting body portions to chassis
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/06 Air-filled or inflatable toy figures connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00

Abstract

A remote control car made of plastic sheet has an body with fixed wheels and a remotely controlled electromechanical drive unit with rotatable wheels in a cavity in the bottom of the inflatable body.

Claims

1. An inflatable remote control car operable with a radio control transmitter and receiver set including battery power means, comprising an inflatable car body formed of thin air-impervious plastic sheet material, a remote control receiver, and an electrically-powered wheeled drive unit controlled by said receiver, said car body comprising top, bottom, front, rear and side parts which when inflated define a car body shape, and four non-rotating wheels extending downward below the bottom of said car body, said bottom part including an upward recess situated generally centrally of said front, rear and sides of said car body, said upward extending recess defined by front and rear walls, opposite side walls and a top wall which is a ceiling of said recess, said front, rear and side walls tending, when the car body is inflated, to bow inward into said recess, said remote control receiver and drive unit situated in said recess with wheels of said drive unit extending downward to an elevation below the elevation of said inflatable wheels, said receiver operable to receive commands, from said transmitter to cause said drive unit via its rotatable wheels to move said car forward and backward and to turn.

2. An inflatable car according to claim 1 wherein said front, rear and side walls of said recess, when said car body is inflated, press inwardly and against said drive unit.

3. An inflatable car according to claim 1 wherein said car and drive unit in a combination have a center of gravity located generally in the vicinity of said recess.

4. An inflatable car according to claim 1 wherein said recess has a generally rectangular box shape, and said drive unit has a similar generally rectangular box shape, the drive unit fitting within said recess.

5. An inflatable car according to claim 1 wherein said plastic sheet comprises PVC.

6. An inflatable car according to claim 1 wherein said car body has internal structure comprising I-beams which extend to and are joined to said front, rear and side walls of said recess to thereby define the general shape of said recess.

7. An inflatable car according to claim 1 wherein said drive unit has at least three wheels, with at least one said wheels being driven by said drive unit.

8. An inflatable car according to claim 1 wherein said car body defines an upper passenger generally open compartment generally centrally located between front and rear and extending from the roof of said body downward to a mid-level plane and a lower passenger compartment extending from said mid-level plane downward to a floor, said floor also being the ceiling of said recess.

9. An inflatable car according to claim 8 wherein said lower passenger compartment comprises a plurality of adjacent sub-compartments aligned horizontally whose tops establish said mid-plane and whose bottoms establish said floor.

10. An inflatable car according to claim 1 wherein said car body comprises a plurality of compartments which are in mutual air communication such that they are all inflatable from a single air inlet valve.