Motorized toy creature

• US 8,376,804 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2008
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Willett, William, Cheng, Chung Ming (Bryan), Wong, Chun Wing (Edward)
• Primary Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US12/263,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20090137186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175
• US Class Current: 446/368
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/10 Figure toys with single- or multiple-axle undercarriages, by which the figures perform a realistic running motion when the toy is moving over the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

A multi-directional radio controlled toy, having a main vehicle with housing configured as a creature-like head containing propulsion and control components including two drive motors with controller, drive wheels coupled with the motors, power supply and wireless signal receiver coupled with the controller. An unpowered body portion trails the main vehicle and body members movably connected together by articulated couplings to permit body articulation throughout substantially the entire body portion of the creature-like device. A jaw moving mechanism in the main vehicle is powered by the motors to raise an upper jaw portion of the head until tripped by contact of a trigger at the front end of the main vehicle.

Claims

1. A motorized toy in the form of a motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake comprising:

a chassis with an outer housing;

at least first and second ground contacting wheels rotatably supported from the chassis;

a first reversible electric motor operably connected with at least the first of the first and second ground contacting wheels to drive the first wheel;

a second reversible electric motor operably connected with at least the second of the first and second ground contacting wheels to drive the second wheel, the second motor being separately operable from the first motor to maneuver the toy;

a movable member movably coupled with one of the chassis and outer housing; and

a moving mechanism operably connected with the movable member sufficiently to move the movable member from a first position to a second position, the moving mechanism being powered only by simultaneous operation of the first and second motors;

wherein the chassis is one segment of the snake and has a front end and a rear end, a top side and an opposing bottom side, the first and second ground contacting drive wheels being mounted side-by-side on the bottom side between the front end and the rear end, the outer housing has a snake-head-like appearance, the chassis further includes an electric power supply and an electric controller selectively operably connecting at least the first electric motor and the second electric motor with the electric power supply, and the movable member being an upper jaw moving portion of the outer housing hinged to one of the chassis and a remainder of the outer housing;

the toy snake further comprising;

a multi-segmented body pivotally coupled to the rear end of the chassis, the body including at least a plurality of individual body segments connected end to end, a first body segment being articulated to the rear end of the chassis and a front end of each other body segment of the plurality being articulated to a rear end of a proceeding body segment of the plurality, each body segment including a carriage, each carriage having a top side, a bottom side and first and second opposing lateral sides extending between the front and rear ends.

2. The motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake of claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism includes first and second jaw moving mechanisms, the first and second jaw moving mechanisms each including a drive gear and a swing gear on either side of a rack member, each drive gear being driven by a separate one of the first and second motors and meshed with one of the swing gears, each swing gear being moveable along a slot when rotated by the drive gear, the rack member including opposing racks, each of the opposing racks facing away from the other rack and toward a separate one of the swing gears.

3. The motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake of claim 2, wherein the rack member is moveable in a lateral direction such that when both first and second motors are driven in a reverse direction, each swing gear is moved along one of the slots, toward the rack member and into driving engagement with one of the racks and if only one of the first and second motors is driven in reverse, the rack member displaces laterally away from the driving swing gear and the rack member does not advance.

4. The motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake of claim 3, wherein the rack member includes a cam arm and when both first and second motors are driven simultaneously in reverse, both swing gears engage the rack member and drive the rack member in one of a forward and rear directions, wherein moving the rack member in one of the forward and rear directions moves the cam arm against the upper jaw moving portion, pivoting the upper jaw moving portion into an open position.

5. The motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake of claim 4, wherein the chassis includes a latch and trigger and the rack member is spring biased with respect to the chassis such that when the upper jaw moving portion is in the open position the rack member engages the latch to hold the upper jaw moving portion in the open position and the latch may be released to close the upper jaw moving portion by activating the trigger.

6. The motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake of claim 5, wherein the trigger resembles a tongue extending from the front end of the chassis.

7. The motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake of claim 1, wherein the upper jaw moving portion is raised by at least one of the first and second motors.

8. The motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake of claim 7, wherein the upper jaw moving portion is raised by the combined operation of both of the first and second motors.

9. The motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake of claim 8, wherein the upper jaw moving portion is only raised when both the first and second motors are driven in a reverse direction, the reverse directions of the first and second motors being opposite to a direction of the first and second motors used to propel the chassis segment in a forward direction.

10. The motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake of claim 1, wherein each carriage further includes at least one ground contacting support wheel on the bottom side.

11. The motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake of claim 10, wherein the body further includes at least one follower segment without a ground contacting support wheel pivotally connected to the rear end of a final one of the plurality of body segments with at least one ground contacting support wheel.

12. The motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake of claim 1 further comprising a trigger extending from the chassis and outer housing and operably coupled with the moving mechanism to release the upper jaw moving portion from a raised position.

13. The motorized, multi-segmented, articulated toy snake of claim 1, wherein at least one body segment includes a generally planar, upwardly extending fin laterally centered on the top side of the carriage and at least one generally planar wing extending generally laterally outward from each lateral side of the carriage.

14. A motorized toy in the form of a creature comprising:

a chassis with an outer housing;

at least first and second ground contacting wheels rotatably supported from the chassis;

a first reversible electric motor operably connected with at least the first of the first and second ground contacting wheels to drive the first wheel;

a second reversible electric motor operably connected with at least the second of the first and second ground contacting wheels to drive the second wheel, the second motor being separately operable from the first motor to maneuver the toy;

a movable member movably coupled with one of the chassis and outer housing; and

a moving mechanism operably connected with the movable member sufficiently to move the movable member from a first position to a second position, the moving mechanism being powered only by simultaneous operation of the first and second motors;

wherein;

the movable member is a movable jaw member of the creature pivotally coupled with one of the chassis and outer housing;

the moving mechanism is a jaw moving mechanism powered by the first and second motors to raise the movable jaw member; and

the motorized toy further comprising;

a trigger extending from the chassis and outer housing and operably coupled with the jaw moving mechanism so as to release the movable jaw member from a raised position.

15. A motorized toy comprising:

a chassis with an outer housing;

at least first and second ground contacting wheels rotatably supported from the chassis;

a first reversible electric motor operably connected with at least the first of the first and second ground contacting wheels to drive the first wheel;

a second reversible electric motor operably connected with at least the second of the first and second ground contacting wheels to drive the second wheel, the second motor being separately operable from the first motor to maneuver the toy;

a movable member movably coupled with one of the chassis and outer housing; and

a moving mechanism operably connected with the movable member sufficiently to move the movable member from a first position to a second position, the moving mechanism being powered only by simultaneous operation of the first and second motors;

wherein the moving mechanism includes a moving member at least operably engageable with the movable member and a pair of rotary swing members movable along slots on opposite sides of the moving member, the rotary swing members trapping and drivingly engaging with the moving member only with both of the first and second motors being driven simultaneously in predetermined directions.

16. A motorized toy comprising:

a chassis with an outer housing;

at least first and second ground contacting wheels rotatably supported from the chassis;

a first reversible electric motor operably connected with at least the first of the first and second ground contacting wheels to drive the first wheel;

a second reversible electric motor operably connected with at least the second of the first and second ground contacting wheels to drive the second wheel, the second motor being separately operable from the first motor to maneuver the toy;

a movable member movably coupled with one of the chassis and outer housing; and

a moving mechanism operably connected with the movable member sufficiently to move the movable member from a first position to a second position, the moving mechanism being powered only by simultaneous operation of the first and second motors;

wherein the moving mechanism includes a rack member having opposing racks on opposing sides of the rack member, a separate swing gear on either of the opposing sides of the rack member, a separate drive gear on either of the opposing sides of the rack member, each swing gear being driven by a separate one of the first and second motors and each swing gear being moveable along a slot when rotated by the drive gear.

17. A motorized toy comprising:

a chassis with an outer housing;

at least first and second ground contacting wheels rotatably supported from the chassis;

a first reversible electric motor operably connected with at least the first of the first and second ground contacting wheels to drive the first wheel;

a second reversible electric motor operably connected with at least the second of the first and second ground contacting wheels to drive the second wheel, the second motor being separately operable from the first motor to maneuver the toy;

a movable member movably coupled with one of the chassis and outer housing;

a moving mechanism operably connected with the movable member sufficiently to move the movable member from a first position to a second position, the moving mechanism being powered only by simultaneous operation of the first and second motors;

a latch member located and configured to releasably engage the moving mechanism with the movable member in the second position to releasably hold the moving mechanism and the movable member in the second position; and

a trigger extending from one of the chassis and outer housing and operably connected with the latch member in at least the second position to release the latch member from the moving mechanism and permit return of the movable member to the first position.