Automobile model

• US 7,553,212 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cegielnik; Urszula M
• Application Number:
  US10/511,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20050140109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,267 Days
• Field of Search: 446/469, 446/437, 446/456, 446/454, 446/468
• US Class Current: 446/460
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/262 Chassis; Wheel mountings; Wheels; Axles; Suspensions; Fitting body portions to chassis
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/36 Steering-mechanisms for toy vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/22 Electric drives power supply through track A63H18/12
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

An automobile model comprising a pair of left and right rear wheels 21 which are independently driven by different motors 24, a pair of left and right front wheels 22, and a front wheel-supporting mechanism 30 which supports the front wheels 22 such that each front wheel 22 can turn around a predetermined steering axis AX and such that the front wheels 22 can turn in the same direction in association with each other, wherein the steering axis AX is inclined with respect to a vertical direction such that an upper portion of the steering axis AX is located rearward of a lower portion of the steering axis AX in a traveling direction.

Claims

1. An automobile model comprising:

a pair of left and right driven wheels which are independently driven by different driving sources;

a pair of left and right steered wheels; and

a steered wheel-supporting mechanism which supports the steered wheels such that each steered wheel is adapted to turn around a predetermined steering axis and such that the steered wheels are adapted to turn only in the same direction in association with each other,

wherein the predetermined steering axis is fixedly inclined with respect to a vertical direction such that an upper portion of the steering axis is located rearward of a lower portion of the steering axis in a traveling direction, and

wherein the steered wheel-supporting mechanism is further configured such that, when a speed difference is generated between the driven wheels to turn the automobile model in a turning direction, the steered wheels are naturally steered in the turning direction without any additional steering driving force by a reaction force received from a ground-contact surface.

2. The automobile model according to claim 1, wherein an inclination angle of the steering axis with respect to the vertical direction is set in a range of 20°

to 40°

.

3. The automobile model according to claim 1, wherein the steered wheel-supporting mechanism supports the steered wheels such that center lines of the steered wheels as viewed from directly above in a straight-ahead driving state are inclined with respect to the traveling direction.

4. The automobile model according to claim 1, wherein the steered wheel-supporting mechanism supports the steered wheels such that center lines of the steered wheel as viewed from front in the traveling direction in a straight-ahead driving state are inclined with respect to the vertical direction.

5. The automobile model according to claim 1, wherein the steered wheel-supporting mechanism supports the steered wheels such that the left and right steered wheels are adapted to incline in the same direction in association with each other as viewed from front in the traveling direction.

6. The automobile model according to claim 3, wherein the steered wheel-supporting mechanism supports the steered wheels such that center lines of the steered wheel as viewed from front in the traveling direction in a straight-ahead driving state are inclined with respect to the vertical direction.

7. The automobile model according to claim 6, wherein the steered wheel-supporting mechanism supports the steered wheels such that the left and right steered wheels can incline in the same direction in association with each other as viewed from front in the traveling direction.

8. The automobile model according to claim 1, wherein when the steered wheels are naturally steered in the turning direction, a restorative force is generated that urges the wheels to return to a straight-ahead direction.