Toy vehicle having fanciful facial expression

• US 7,833,081 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Andrews, Mike, Mayer, Mark, Trageser, Mark, Down, Chris, Hippely, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): RICCI, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US11/594,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20070178804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 446/269, 446/280, 446/337, 446/342, 446/343, 446/436, 446/462, 446/465, 446/470
• US Class Current: 446/465
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/005 with self-moving head or facial features with a choice of features A63H3/365; movable eyes A63H3/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/262 Chassis; Wheel mountings; Wheels; Axles; Suspensions; Fitting body portions to chassis
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/266 Movable parts other than toy figures, driven by the wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/395 steered by program

Abstract

A toy vehicle includes a body supported by a plurality of wheels. The body also includes a roof and rear window supporting a plurality of user inputs. Within the toy vehicle body, a microprocessor controlled drive and steering mechanism is operative. The operation of the microprocessor is set by the user inputs. The body further supports a movable bumper mouth and movable eyes and eyebrows behind the windshield.

Claims

1. A toy vehicle comprising:

a body having a windshield, a windshield aperture, and a deformable bumper having a mouth aperture formed therein;

a pair of movable eye pupils supported in said windshield;

a pair of movable eyebrows supported in said windshield;

a drive system supported within said body having a movement mechanism that moves said deformable bumper, said eye pupils and said eyebrows; and

a control mechanism for controlling said drive system

said body further including a backing sheet covering said windshield aperture, said backing sheet being supported behind said movable eye pupils.

2. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 1, wherein said control mechanism accumulates input commands from user inputs to establish a sequence of execution for said toy vehicle.

3. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 1, wherein the body includes user inputs, and said user inputs include a plurality of depressible buttons.

4. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 1, wherein the backing sheet is opaque.

5. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 1, wherein the body includes at least one drive wheel and at least one steerable wheel, and the drive system includes a drive mechanism that is connected to and configured to drive the at least one drive wheel while the movement mechanism moves said eye pupils and eyebrows.

6. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 5, wherein the drive system includes a steering mechanism connected to the at least one steerable wheel, and the control mechanism can control a sequence of movements of the movement mechanism, the drive mechanism, and the steering mechanism.

7. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 1, wherein a portion of the movement mechanism is manually operable.

8. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 7, wherein the portion is a button that can be moved in a first direction and in a second direction, the movement of the button in the first direction resulting in the eye pupils and the eyebrows moving along the first direction, and the movement of the button in the second direction resulting in the eye pupils and the eyebrows moving along the second direction.

9. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 1, wherein the movable eyebrows are pivotally coupled to the body.

10. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 1, wherein the eye pupils and eyebrows are moved relative to the windshield simultaneously.

11. A toy vehicle comprising:

a body having a windshield aperture, a windshield, a plurality of wheels, and a backing sheet covering said windshield aperture;

a pair of movable eye pupils;

a first mechanism for supporting and moving said eye pupils behind said windshield, said backing sheet being supported behind said movable eye pupils;

a pair of movable eyebrows;

a second mechanism for supporting and moving said eyebrows behind said windshield;

a deformable front bumper defining a mouth aperture therein;

a third mechanism for supporting and deforming said front bumper upon said body;

a controller operatively coupled to control said first mechanism and said second mechanism to create facial expressions for said toy vehicle; and

a plurality of user inputs coupled to the body for providing user programming inputs to said controller,

said controller accumulating input commands from said user inputs to establish a sequence of execution for said toy vehicle.

12. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 11, wherein said user inputs include a plurality of depressible buttons.

13. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 12, wherein said controller controls said third mechanism.

14. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 11, wherein said controller controls said third mechanism.

15. A toy vehicle, comprising:

a body having a first aperture and a deformable bumper coupled to the body that defines a second aperture;

at least one movable eye member coupled to the body located proximate to the first aperture;

at least one movable eyebrow coupled to the body located proximate to the first aperture; and

a drive mechanism disposed in the body, the drive mechanism being connected to the deformable bumper to change the shape of the second aperture, the drive mechanism being connected to the at least one movable eye member and the at least one movable eyebrow to move the at least one movable eye member and the at least one movable eyebrow relative to the first aperture, wherein the movement of the at least one movable eye member, the at least one movable eyebrow, and the deformable bumper creates an expression for the toy vehicle.

16. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 15, wherein the body has a windshield disposed in the first aperture and a backing member proximate to the windshield, the at least one movable eye member being disposed between the windshield and the backing member.

17. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 15, wherein the drive mechanism includes a system for moving the at least one movable eye member and the at least one movable eyebrow simultaneously.

18. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 15, wherein the body includes at least one wheel coupled thereto, and the drive mechanism is connected to the at least one wheel to impart motion to the at least one wheel and the body.

19. The toy vehicle set forth in claim 15, wherein the body includes a wheel coupled thereto, and the toy vehicle further comprises:

a controller that controls the drive mechanism so that the drive mechanism executes a sequence of movements, one of the movements including driving the wheel.

20. The toy vehicle of claim 19, wherein the wheel is a first wheel and the body includes a second wheel coupled thereto, and the drive mechanism includes a steering mechanism coupled to the second wheel that steers the second wheel relative to the body, and the sequence of movements includes moving the at least one eye member, moving the at least one eyebrow, steering the second wheel, driving the first wheel, and moving the deformable bumper.