Electromechanical toy with momentary actuator dual purpose cam mechanism preserving battery life

• US 8,188,390 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Inventors: Poirier, Mark Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): FRIEDHOFER, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US12/731,026
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 446/330, 446351-353, 446/358, 446/457, 446/461, 446/462, 446/486, 345/156, 345/157, 345/160, 345/161, 345/163, 200/17.R, 200 1901- 1905, 200/19.18, 200/33.R, 200/36, 200/38.R, 200/38.F, 200/38.FA, 200/38.FB, 200/40, 200/35.A, 200/33.B, 200/500, 200/501, 200/520, 200/529, 200532-534, 200/535, 200/329, 200/337, 200/35.H, 200/19.2
• US Class Current: 200/38.FA
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/02 imitating natural actions, e.g. catching a mouse by a cat, the kicking of an animal
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/22 Electric drives power supply through track A63H18/12
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/008 with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction

Abstract

A low cost cam mechanism facilitating an automatic shut off mechanism preserving battery life in a toy. A rotatable cam including a recess captures an internal actuator and completely shuts down a motor at a defined cam rotation to preserve the battery life in the toy. A resetting biasing lever coupled, to a manually operable actuator advances the cam and is then moved from engagement so as to completely shut down the motor at the defined cam rotation even if the manually operable actuator continues to be depressed. Further Thusly the internal actuator 18 facilitates limited activations of the motor for automatically shutting off a rotating cam mechanism to prevent repetitive continued operation. Further the internal actuator may provide powering up the motor and rotating the cam for “try me” operation for limited demonstrative operations of the toy while packaged or configured in a point of sale environment.

Claims

1. A cam mechanism facilitating an automatic shut off mechanism for a toy, comprising:

a motor;

an electrical power source;

an electrical switch in a circuit with the motor;

an internal actuator adjacent the electrical switch, the actuator is alternately in one of a first position where the motor is not powered and a second position in mechanical communication with the electrical switch for powering the motor;

a rotatable cam coupled with the motor, the rotatable cam including a peripheral cam surface having a recess where the internal actuator in the first position is captured in the recess, and where the internal actuator in the second position rides along the peripheral cam surface outside the recess and is in mechanical communication with the electrical switch powering the motor while the rotatable cam is operated by the motor;

a protrusion element at the cam; and

a manually operable actuator for applying a force upon the protrusion and advancing the cam forcing the internal actuator from the first position to the second position powering up the motor and rotating the cam, further rotation of the cam will move the internal actuator to the second position automatically shutting off the motor.

2. The cam mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the internal actuator pivots between the first and second positions and further comprises a finger projection at an end of the pivoting internal actuator for riding along the peripheral cam surface and for being captured by the recess.

3. The cam mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the electrical switch includes a leaf switch adjacent the pivoting internal actuator at an end opposite the finger projection.

4. The cam mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the leaf switch closes the electrical circuit powering the motor when in contact with the pivoting internal actuator in the second position, and opens the electrical circuit shutting off power to the motor when the pivoting internal actuator is in the first position and pivoted away from contact with the leaf switch.

5. The cam mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the manually operable actuator includes a biasing lever for advancing the cam and automatically resetting into position for further cam advancement.

6. The cam mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the protrusion pivots the biased lever from engagement with the cam after one cam revolution preventing inadvertent advancement of the cam if the manually operable actuator is depressed.

7. The cam mechanism according to claim 6, further comprising a gear system coupling the cam to the motor driving rotation of the cam when the internal actuator is in the second position.

8. The cam mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising one or more linkages in mechanical communication with the cam and one or more appendages coupled to the linkages for repetitively moving the one or more appendages when the cam is rotating.

9. The cam mechanism according to claim 8, further comprising a pathway in mechanical communication with the cam wherein the one or more linkages travel along the pathway with the coupled appendage which are moved repetitively as the cam rotates.

10. A method for automatically shutting off a rotating cam mechanism, comprising the steps of:

providing a motor;

providing a power source;

providing an electrical switch in a circuit with the motor;

providing an internal actuator adjacent the electrical switch, the actuator is alternately in one of a first position where the motor is not powered and a second position in mechanical communication with the electrical switch for powering the motor;

providing a rotatable cam coupled with the motor, the rotatable cam including a peripheral cam surface having a recess where the internal actuator in the first position is captured in the recess, and where the internal actuator in the second position rides along the peripheral cam surface outside the recess and is in mechanical communication with the electrical switch powering the motor while the rotatable cam is operated by the motor;

coupling a protrusion element at the cam;

providing a manually operable actuator for applying a force upon the protrusion;

advancing the cam forcing the internal actuator from the first position to the second position powering up the motor and rotating the cam; and

further rotation of the cam will move the internal actuator to the second position automatically shutting off the motor.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the internal actuator further provides a finger projection captured by the recess while in the first position and riding along the peripheral cam surface when pivoted to the second position.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the electrical switch further provides a leaf switch adjacent the pivoting internal actuator at an end opposite the finger projection, and further comprising the steps of pivoting the internal actuator to the second position in contact with the leaf switch closing the electrical circuit and powering the motor and pivoting the internal actuator to the first position away from contact with the leaf switch opening the electrical circuit and shutting off power to the motor.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the manually operable actuator further provides a biased lever for advancing the cam and automatically resetting into position for further cam advancement.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of pivoting the biased lever from engagement with the cam when the protrusion contacts the lever after one cam revolution preventing inadvertent advancement of the cam if the manually operable actuator is depressed.

15. The method according to claim 13, further providing a gear system coupling the cam to the motor driving rotation of the cam.

16. The method according to claim 10, further providing one or more linkages in mechanical communication with the cam and one or more appendages coupled to the linkages for repetitively moving the one or more appendages when the cam is rotating.

17. A combination cam mechanism repetitively moving one or more appendages and facilitating an automatic shut off mechanism for a toy, comprising:

a motor;

an electrical power source;

an electrical switch in a circuit with the motor;

an internal actuator adjacent the electrical switch, the actuator alternately in one of a first position where the motor is not powered and a second position in mechanical communication with the electrical switch for powering the motor;

a rotatable cam coupled with the motor, the rotatable cam including a peripheral cam surface having a recess where the internal actuator when in the first position is captured in the recess, and where the internal actuator in the second position rides along the peripheral cam surface outside the recess and is in mechanical communication with the electrical switch powering the motor while the rotatable cam is operated by the motor;

one or more linkages in mechanical communication with the cam;

one or more appendages coupled to the linkages and repetitively movable when the cam is rotating;

a protrusion element at the cam; and

a manually operable actuator for applying a force upon the protrusion and advancing the cam forcing the internal actuator from the first position to the second position powering the motor and rotating the cam, further rotation of the cam will move the internal actuator to the second position automatically shutting off the motor.

18. The cam mechanism according to claim 17, wherein the internal actuator pivots between the first and second positions and further comprises a finger projection at an end of the pivoting internal actuator for riding along the peripheral cam surface and for being captured by the recess.

19. The cam mechanism according to claim 18, wherein the manually operable actuator includes a biased lever for advancing the cam and automatically resetting into position for further cam advancement, the cam protrusion pivots the biased lever from engagement with the cam after one cam revolution preventing inadvertent advancement of the cam if the manually operable actuator is depressed.

20. The cam mechanism according to claim 17, further comprising a gear system coupling the cam to the motor driving rotation of the cam when the internal actuator is in the second position, and further comprising a pin at the gear system wherein the one or more linkages travel along the pin and repetitively move coupled appendages.