Image capturing toy

• US 9,028,291 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Martino, Anthony M, Ostendorff, Eric C, Cao, Kevin K, Hardouin, Christopher J, Sheltman, David A, O'Connor, Stacy L
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYLINSKI, ALYSSA MARIE
• Application Number:
  US13/219,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20120052767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 446/71, 446/78, 446/431, 446/487, 446/491, 446/436, 446/470, 396/27, 396/429, 396/433, 206/316.2
• US Class Current: 446/71
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/287 Cameras therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/00 Toy vehicles, e.g. with self-drive; convertible into other toys A63H33/003; Cranes, winches or the like; Accessories therefor traffic games with figures moved by players A63F9/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/44 Toy garages for receiving toy vehicles; Filling stations
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/00 Other toys

Abstract

An image capturing toy may include a toy vehicle that may include at least one wheel and a camera, the camera including a camera lens and/or a housing that may include a first aperture and a wheel chock configured to inhibit displacement of a wheel. The housing may be moveable from an open position in which the toy vehicle may be placed in and removed from the housing, to a closed position in which the housing releasably encases the toy vehicle such that the camera lens is accessible through the first aperture and the wheel chock engages the at least one wheel.

Claims

1. An image capturing toy comprising:

a toy vehicle including at least one wheel and a camera, the camera including a camera lens disposed on a front of the toy vehicle and a record button disposed on a top of the toy vehicle that causes the camera to capture and store a video file on an image memory; and

a housing including a first aperture, a second aperture, and a wheel chock configured to inhibit displacement of a wheel;

wherein the housing is moveable from an open position in which the toy vehicle may be placed in and removed from the housing, to a closed position in which the housing releasably encases the toy vehicle such that the camera lens is accessible through the first aperture, the record button is accessible through the second aperture, and the wheel chock engages the at least one wheel.

2. The image capturing toy of claim 1, wherein the wheel chock is disposed on opposing portions of the at least one wheel such that rotation of the at least one wheel is inhibited.

3. The image capturing toy of claim 1, wherein the wheel chock further includes a side member configured to inhibit lateral movement of the at least one wheel.

4. The image capturing toy of claim 1, wherein the first aperture is defined by a first housing member configured to cover a portion of the toy vehicle, and the wheel chock is disposed in a second housing member;

and

wherein the first housing member and the second housing member together releasably encase the toy vehicle.

5. The image capturing toy of claim 1, wherein the toy vehicle further includes an electrical connector and the housing includes a third aperture, the electrical connector being accessible through the third aperture when the toy vehicle is inside the housing and the housing is in the closed position.

6. The image capturing toy of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes a bracket assembly configured to removably attach the housing to one of a belt and a solid surface.

7. The image capturing toy of claim 6, wherein the bracket assembly includes a first bracket fixed to the housing and a second bracket removably attachable to the first bracket, wherein the second bracket is configured for attachment to one of a belt and a solid surface.

8. The image capturing toy of claim 1, wherein the wheel chock includes an inclined member having a curvature substantially corresponding to the curvature of the wheel, the inclined member configured to support the wheel such that rotation of the wheel is inhibited.

9. The image capturing toy of claim 1, wherein the toy vehicle further comprises an image display, the housing substantially covering the image display in the closed position.

10. An image capturing toy comprising:

a toy vehicle including at least one wheel and a camera, the camera including a camera lens toward a front of the toy vehicle and a record button on a top portion of the toy vehicle that causes the camera to capture and store an image;

a first housing member configured to cover a portion of the toy vehicle, the first housing member defining a first aperture and a second aperture; and

a second housing member including a wheel chock configured to inhibit displacement of a wheel;

wherein the first housing member and the second housing member together releasably encase the toy vehicle such that the camera lens is accessible through the first aperture, the record button is accessible through the second aperture, and the wheel chock is adjacent the at least one wheel.

11. The image capturing toy of claim 10, wherein the toy vehicle further includes an electrical connector that is accessible when the first housing member and the second housing member releasably encase the toy vehicle.

12. The image capturing toy of claim 10, wherein the wheel chock further includes a side member configured to inhibit lateral movement of the at least one wheel.

13. The image capturing toy of claim 10, wherein the second housing member includes a bracket assembly configured to removably attach the second housing member to one of a belt and a solid surface.

14. The image capturing toy of claim 13, wherein the bracket assembly includes a first bracket fixed to the second housing member and a second bracket removably attachable to the first bracket, wherein the second bracket is configured for attachment to at least one of a belt and a solid surface.

15. The image capturing toy of claim 10, wherein the wheel chock includes an inclined member having a curvature substantially corresponding to the curvature of the wheel, the inclined member configured to support the wheel such that rotation of the wheel is inhibited.

16. The image capturing toy of claim 10, wherein the toy vehicle includes an image display that is not accessible when the first housing member and the second housing member releasably encase the toy vehicle.

17. An image capturing toy comprising:

a toy vehicle including a front wheel, a rear wheel and a camera, the camera including a functional switch disposed on a top portion of the toy vehicle and a camera lens disposed adjacent the front wheel and directed toward the front of the toy vehicle; and

a housing defining a cavity substantially conforming to at least the top portion of the toy vehicle, the housing including a first aperture, a second aperture, a front wheel chock, and a rear wheel chock;

wherein the front and rear wheel chocks are configured to inhibit displacement of a wheel in at least one direction; and

wherein the housing releasably encases the toy vehicle such that the camera lens is accessible via the first aperture, the functional switch is accessible via the second aperture, the front wheel chock inhibits movement of the front wheel in a first direction and the rear wheel chock inhibits movement of the rear wheel in a second direction.

18. The image capturing toy of claim 17, wherein one of the front wheel chock and the rear wheel chock is disposed on opposing portions of a wheel.

19. The image capturing toy of claim 17, wherein the toy vehicle further includes an electrical connector disposed proximate the rear wheel and opposite the camera lens, and the housing includes a third aperture, the electrical connector being accessible via the third aperture.

20. The image capturing toy of claim 17, wherein the housing includes a first housing member and a second housing member having a closed position in which the housing releasably encases the toy vehicle and an open position in which the toy vehicle may be removed from the housing.

21. An image capturing toy comprising:

a toy vehicle including a front wheel, a rear wheel and a camera, the camera including a camera lens disposed adjacent the front wheel and directed toward the front of a toy vehicle and a functional switch disposed on a top of the toy vehicle;

a first housing member having a first end and a second end, the first housing member including a first aperture proximate one of the first end and the second end and including a second aperture; and

a second housing member removably engaged with the first housing member at the first end and hingedly attached to the first housing member at the second end, the second housing member including two wheel chocks disposed proximate one of the first end and the second end;

wherein the first housing member and the second housing member are configured to releasably and securely encase the toy vehicle such that the camera lens is accessible through the first aperture and the functional switch is accessible via the second aperture.

22. The image capturing toy of claim 21,

wherein the two wheel chocks include inclined members having a curvature substantially corresponding to the curvature of the wheels, wherein the inclined members are configured to support one of the wheels such that rotation of the one of the wheels is inhibited.

23. The image capturing toy of claim 22, wherein the two wheel chocks further include a side member configured to inhibit lateral movement of the one of the wheels.

24. The image capturing toy of claim 21, wherein the second housing member includes a platform having four corners and the two wheel chocks are disposed proximate to two of the four corners.