Modular toy aircraft with capacitor power sources

• US 8,133,089 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Amireh, Nicholas, Kang, Paulo, Strom, David, Chui, Chi Keung
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hylinski, Alyssa
• Application Number:
  US11/740,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20080014827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 446/33, 446/34, 446 57- 60
• US Class Current: 446/58
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/02 Model aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/22 Electric drives power supply through track A63H18/12

Abstract

Toy aircraft, modular toy aircraft, capacitor-based modular power systems, and toy aircraft kits are disclosed. Toy aircraft may include a self-contained power system and an airframe. The self-contained power system may include at least one propulsion unit operable to propel the toy aircraft and a power unit. The power unit may include a capacitor that is electrically connected to the at least one propulsion unit. The capacitor may be configured to provide power to the at least one propulsion unit to propel the toy aircraft. The airframe may include a wing, a first mount configured to removably retain the at least one propulsion unit, and a second mount configured to removably retain the power unit.

Claims

1. A toy aircraft, comprising:

an airframe; and

a self-contained modular power system configured to be optionally used with the airframe to propel the toy aircraft and to be optionally used separated from the airframe, comprising;

a propulsion unit operable to propel the toy aircraft, the propulsion unit including a mounting foot;

a power unit configured to provide power to the propulsion unit to propel the toy aircraft, and remains electrically connected to the propulsion unit while the self-contained modular power system is being separated from the airframe; and

a flexible connection that links the propulsion unit to the power unit and is configured to permit relative movement between the propulsion unit and the power unit;

the airframe comprising;

a wing;

a propulsion unit mount configured to removably retain the propulsion unit, the propulsion unit mount including a mount aperture, wherein the mounting foot may be removably inserted into the mount aperture and rotated to engage the propulsion unit with the propulsion unit mount; and

a power unit mount spaced from the propulsion unit mount and configured to removably retain the power unit independently of the propulsion unit mount removably retaining the propulsion unit.

2. The toy aircraft of claim 1, wherein:

the airframe includes a fuselage;

the propulsion unit mount aperture includes a first receptacle disposed on the wing, and the first receptacle is configured to removably receive at least a portion of the propulsion unit; and

the power unit mount comprises a second receptacle disposed on the fuselage, and the second receptacle is configured to removably receive the power unit.

3. The toy aircraft of claim 2, wherein the propulsion unit mount is configured to retain the propulsion unit in a selected one of a plurality of predetermined orientations relative to the wing, defined by a series of mechanical detents, wherein the propulsion unit generates thrust along a thrust axis and the thrust axis is substantially parallel to a lower surface of the wing when the propulsion unit is in each of the predetermined orientations.

4. The toy aircraft of claim 2, wherein the power unit mount is configured to receive the power unit in a predetermined orientation.

5. The toy aircraft of claim 1, wherein the wing comprises an extruded polystyrene foam panel and the wing is at least partially frictionally retained relative to the fuselage.

6. The toy aircraft of claim 5, further comprising at least one molded plastic clip configured to at least partially retain the wing in a predetermined position relative to the fuselage.

7. The toy aircraft of claim 6, wherein at least one of the at least one molded plastic clips is configured to induce a dihedral into the wing.

8. The toy aircraft of claim 5, wherein at least a first portion of the fuselage comprises an extruded polystyrene foam panel and at least a second portion of the fuselage comprises an expanded polypropylene foam.

9. A modular toy aircraft, comprising:

an airframe, comprising;

a fuselage having first and second sides;

a wing connected to the fuselage, the wing including first and second portions extending from respective first and second sides of the fuselage;

a first motor unit mount disposed on the first portion of the wing, the first motor unit mount including a first mount aperture;

a second motor unit mount disposed on the second portion of the wing, the second motor unit mount including a second mount aperture; and

a power unit mount disposed on the fuselage; and

a modular power system configured to be optionally used with the airframe to propel the toy aircraft and to be optionally used separated from the airframe, comprising;

a first motor unit including a mounting foot that may be removably inserted into the first mount aperture and rotated relative to the first motor unit mount to engage the first motor unit with the first motor unit mount;

a first propeller driven by the first motor unit;

a second motor unit;

a second propeller driven by the second motor unit;

a power unit configured to deliver current to at least one of the first and second motor units to propel the modular toy aircraft and remains electrically connected to the at least one of the first and second motor units while the modular power system is being separated from the airframe; and

at least one flexible connection linking the power unit to the at least one of the first and second motor units and permitting movement of the power unit relative to the at least one of the first and second motor units;

wherein the first motor unit mount is configured to removably receive the first motor unit in at least one first predetermined orientation relative to the wing;

wherein the second motor unit mount is configured to removably receive the second motor unit in at least one second predetermined orientation relative to the wing; and

wherein the power unit mount is configured to removably retain the power unit in a third predetermined orientation relative to the fuselage.

10. The modular toy aircraft of claim 9, wherein:

the first motor unit mount is configured to retain the first motor unit in a selected one of a plurality of first predetermined orientations, defined by a series of mechanical detents, the first propeller at least partially generates forward thrust for the modular toy aircraft when the first motor unit is in any of the first predetermined orientations, and the first propeller generates forward thrust along a first thrust axis that is substantially parallel to a first lower surface of the wing when the first motor unit is in each of the first predetermined orientations; and

the second motor unit mount is configured to retain the second motor unit in a selected one of a plurality of second predetermined orientations, defined by a series of mechanical detents and the second propeller at least partially generates forward thrust for the modular toy aircraft when the second motor unit is in any of the second predetermined orientations, and the second propeller generates forward thrust along a second thrust axis that is substantially parallel to a second lower surface of the wing when the second motor unit is in each of the second predetermined orientations.

11. The modular toy aircraft of claim 10, wherein the first motor unit mount is configured to render the second motor unit inoperative if the second motor unit is received by the first motor unit mount.

12. The modular toy aircraft of claim 10, wherein the first motor unit mount is configured to preclude receiving the second motor unit in any of the second predetermined orientations.

13. The modular toy aircraft of claim 9, wherein the fuselage and the wing each comprise at least one extruded polystyrene foam panel, the fuselage includes an aperture configured to at least partially frictionally receive the wing, and at least one reinforcing member is provided to maintain the wing in a predetermined orientation relative to the fuselage.

14. A toy aircraft having a modular power system comprising:

an airframe, comprising;

a wing;

a first motor unit mount disposed on the wing, the first motor unit mount including a first mount aperture;

a second motor unit mount disposed on the wing, the second motor unit mount including a second mount aperture;

a modular power system comprising

a first motor unit, comprising;

a first housing;

a first motor disposed within the first housing;

a mounting foot that may be removably inserted into the first mount aperture and rotated relative to the first motor unit mount to engage the first motor unit with the first motor unit mount; and

a first propeller driven by the first motor;

a second motor unit, comprising;

a second housing;

a second motor disposed within the second housing;

a mounting foot that may be removably inserted into the second mount aperture and rotated relative to the second motor unit mount to engage the second motor unit with the second motor unit mount; and

a second propeller driven by the second motor; and

a power unit, comprising;

a third housing;

wherein the power unit is electrically connected to the first and second motors, and the power unit is configured to provide power to at least one of the first and second motors to drive at least one of the first and second propellers; and

wherein the modular power system is configured to be optionally separated from and used apart from the airframe, and the power unit remains electrically connected to both the first and second motors while the power unit and the first and second motor units of the modular power system are being separated from the airframe.

15. The toy aircraft of claim 14, further comprising:

a first pair of flexible insulated electrical conducting members electrically connecting the first motor to the power unit when the modular power system is separated from and used apart from the toy aircraft; and

a second pair of flexible insulated electrical conducting members electrically connecting the second motor to the power unit when the modular power system is separated from and used apart from the toy aircraft.

16. The toy aircraft of claim 15,

wherein the airframe includes a fuselage and the wing has a trailing edge;

wherein the wing is configured to nondestructively removably receive the first and second motor units proximate the trailing edge and the fuselage is configured to nondestructively removably receive the power unit.

17. The toy aircraft of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first and second pairs of flexible insulated electrical conducting members is routed externally to the wing, and the wing includes at least one retention device configured to at least partially retain the externally routed one of the first and second pairs of flexible insulated electrical conducting members.

18. The toy aircraft of claim 14, wherein the power unit includes first and second leads, each of the first and second motors is electrically connected to the first and second leads of the power unit, the third housing comprises a first charging interface having first and second charging contacts, the first charging contact is electrically connected to the first lead, and the second charging contact is electrically connected to the second lead.

19. The toy aircraft as recited in claim 18;

the toy aircraft airframe further comprising;

a fuselage, the wing configured to extend from the fuselage;

a third mount disposed on the fuselage and configured to selectively removably retain the power unit; and

a charging unit, comprising;

a fourth housing, wherein the fourth housing is configured to receive at least one battery; and

a second charging interface disposed on the fourth housing, wherein the second charging interface includes third and fourth charging contacts, the third and fourth charging contacts are electrically connected to the at least one battery, and the second charging interface is configured to hold the third and fourth charging contacts in contact with respective ones of the first and second charging contacts when the second charging interface is engaged with the first charging interface.

20. The toy aircraft kit of claim 19, wherein the first charging interface comprises a receptacle disposed on the third housing, the second charging interface comprises a probe extending from the fourth housing, and the receptacle is configured to at least partially frictionally retain the probe therein.