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Trim adjustment for toy vehicle steering

  • US 8,231,427 B2
  • Filed: 07/11/2011
  • Issued: 07/31/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. In a toy vehicle including a chassis having opposing right and left sides and opposing front and rear ends, a right steerable road wheel on said right side of said chassis, a left steerable road wheel on said left side of said chassis, a right turning member supporting said right steerable road wheel and a left turning member supporting said left steerable road wheel, each of said right and left turning members being pivotally mounted to said chassis to pivotally support a separate one of said steerable road wheels from said chassis, a rigid steering link extending across said chassis in a width direction, said steering link having a right end, a left end and a central portion therebetween, said right and left ends of said steering link being operatively connected with said right and left turning members, respectively, an actuator mounted onto said chassis and moving said steering link linearly side to side on said vehicle, wherein said right and left road wheels are pivoted by the motion of said steering link, the improvement comprising:

  • an adjustable trim mechanism mounted to said chassis, said adjustable trim mechanism comprising;

    a trim adjustment member repositionably mounted on said chassis so as to be accessible for manual access on an underside of said chassis, wherein repositioning said trim adjustment modifies a position on said chassis at which said steering link and road wheels are maintained in said neutral position; and

    two spaced-apart beams extending between said trim adjustment member and said steering link generally orthogonally with respect to said steering link, a first end of said two beams extending into contact with part of said steering link and a second end of said beams coupled with said trim adjustment member so as to be pivoted by said trim adjustment member around a pin extending vertically from said chassis;

    a bias member extending generally orthogonally with respect to said two beams coupling together said two beams at a location between said first and second ends.

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