Toy vehicle with integral ball playing apparatus

• US 5,759,083 A
• Filed: 01/24/1997
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Soma International Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Soma International Ltd.
• Inventors: Polumbaum, Douglas, O'Meallie, Sean R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUIR, DAVID N
• Application Number:
  US08/786,743
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 446/429, 446/430, 446/435, 446/333, 446/334, 446/335, 446/336, 446/437, 446/470, 446/471, 273/129 V
• US Class Current: 446/435
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/004 Stunt-cars, e.g. lifting front wheels, roll-over or invertible cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/006 Missile-launching means on toy vehicles

Abstract

A toy vehicle has an object projecting apparatus mounted on a chassis and enclosed by a removable body or cover. The object projecting apparatus includes a spring loaded arm and a catch and release mechanism. The spring loaded arm can be shaped like a baseball bat or have a hand or shoe for hitting, throwing or kicking a ball. The catch and release mechanism preferably has several spaced apart movable tabs which selectively engage a catch tab o the arm. This allows the spring loaded arm to be releasably held at one of several positions so that when released the arm will strike or throw a ball at different forces, each force corresponding to the selected position.

Claims

1. A toy vehicle useable as either a toy vehicle or a game projectile projector comprising:

a) a chassis shaped as a toy vehicle chassis with a hinged liftable body with said chassis normally contained under said body when said body is closed upon said chassis; and

b) an object projecting apparatus mounted on the chassis, said apparatus comprised of;

i) a spring biased arm which can be moved from a rest position to at least one biased position, the arm configured to simulate one of an arm, a leg and a playing piece which is moved to one of strike and throw another playing piece simulating a sports game projectile; and

ii) a catch and release mechanism to which the spring biased arm is engagable when in a biased position and a command actuated trigger release which is normally hidden.

2. The toy vehicle of claim 1 also comprising a body releasably connected to the chassis and sized to enclose the object projecting apparatus.

3. The toy vehicle of claim 2 also comprising a hinge connected between the body and the chassis.

4. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein the toy vehicle is in the shape of a sports car.

5. The toy vehicle of claim 1 also comprising an object holder mounted on the chassis adjacent the arm so that an object placed on the object holder will be struck by the arm when the arm is released by the catch mechanism.

6. The toy vehicle of claim 5 wherein the object holder is movably attached to the chassis so that the object may be projected in a desired direction.

9. The toy vehicle of claim 1 also comprising a platform attached to the chassis and a base on which the object projecting apparatus is mounted, said base having a forward end pinned to the platform and an opposite end slidingly attached to the platform permitting the spring loaded arm to be oriented in different directions.

12. The toy vehicle of claim 1 also comprising a cupped hand attached to the arm which hand is sized to hold a ball.

13. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein the arm is in the shape of a baseball bat.

14. The toy vehicle of claim 1 also comprising a shoe attached to the arm.

15. The toy vehicle of claim 1 also comprising a goal spaced apart from the toy vehicle.

16. The toy vehicle of claim 15 wherein the goal is configured to be converted to one of a toy road sign and a toy road barrier.

7. The toy vehicle of calim 1 also comprising a platform removably attached to the chassis on which the object projecting apparatus is mounted.

8. The toy vehicle of calim 1 also comprising a platform attached to the chassis in a manner so that the platform is movable relative to the chassis.

10. The toy vehicle of calim 1 also comprising a mounting extending from the chassis and a hinge connected between the mounting and the catch and release mechanism which permits the catch and release mechanism to be folded down against the platform.

11. The toy vehicle of calim 1 also comprising a finger tab attached to the arm so that the arm may be conveniently rotated relative to the catch and release mechanism.

17. A toy vehicle comprising:

a) a chassis shaped as a toy vehicle chassis, and

b) an object projecting apparatus mounted on the chassis comprised of;

i) a spring biased arm which can be moved from a rest position to at least one biased position; and

ii) a catch and release mechanism to which the spring biased arm is engagable when in a biased position, wherein the catch and release mechanism has a plurality of spaced apart movable tabs that releasably engage the arm, the tabs being positioned so that the arm may be retained at a selected position corresponding to a position of one of the plurality of tabs when moved relative to the catch and release mechanism and then released by movement of the tab at the selected position.

18. The toy of claim 17 also comprising a catch tab extending from the arm for engagement of the movable tabs of the catch and release mechanism.

19. The toy vehicle of claim 17 wherein the movable tabs are radially arranged.

20. A toy vehicle comprising:

a) a chassis shaped as a toy vehicle chassis; and

b) an object projecting apparatus mounted on the chassis comprised of;

i) a spring biased arm which can be moved from a rest position to at least one biased position;

ii) a catch and release mechanism to which the spring biased arm is engagable when in a biased position; and

iii a catch tab extending from the arm and wherein the catch and release mechanism comprises a series of radially aligned spaced notches which may be selectively engaged by the catch tab.