GB2026331A - Toy car - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy car capable of automatically following a course in which both righthand and lefthand bends occur, which car is provided with automatic indicating means 10 for automatically indicating when in use, the rightward or leftward turning of the car respectively. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A toy car The present invention relates to a toy car for describing a figure 8-shaped path.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a toy running car which is more amusing and attractive for playing children.

At present, there are many car toys which may run on a straight line or a circle, but there is none like the present toy running car characterized in that it may run on a figure 8shaped course and indicate rightward or leftward turns of the car by means of at least one flashing indicator.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a toy car capable of automatically describing a path in which both right hand and left hand turns occur, which car is provided with automatic indicating means for automatically indicating when in use, the rightward or leftward turning of the car respectively.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a toy car for describing a figure 8-shaped path, comprising a base plate; a body shell; a pair of front and of rear wheels and a guide wheel; a cell box located within the car and adapted to house dry cells; a support shaft extending from the cell box; an elongate member pivotably mounted on said support shaft and having a slot in a front and in a rear portion thereof; bearing means on the front portion of the base plate having a vertical shaft journaled therein; an arm fixed to the upper end of the vertical shaft and having a pin mounted on its end; said vertical shaft being provided with a rotary frame at its lower end in which the guide wheel is supported so as to turn said guide wheel in a direction opposite to that of the front end of the elongate member; a mechanism frame housing and electric motor and a transmission means; said motor being adapted to drive the rear wheels via said transmission means; an axle of the rear wheels being provided with a worm which engages with a worm gear mounted on a crank shaft; said crank shaft having a crank arm on which a pin is mounted; and the elongate member being operatively connected with the arm by the pin of said arm being located in the front one of said slots and operatively connected with the crank shaft by the pin of said crank shaft being located in the rear one of said slots; whereby the guide wheel is turned periodically right and left as the rear wheels are driven so that the toy car describes a figure 8 or sinuous path.

Since the toy car of the present invention is as defined above, when the motor is caused to rotate, the rear wheels are driven and the crank shaft is rotated. Therefore, the crank pin revolves round the crank shaft so that the pivoted beam swings right and left as an axis of the support shaft. The arm fixed to the shaft of the frame is also made to swing by engagement of the front slot of the pivoted beam and the pin of the arm. Therefore, the guiding wheel mounted in the rotary frame turns so as to describe a figure 8 or sinuous path. The rear end of the elongate member turns to the same side as that to which the guide wheel turns. Accordingly, the flashlight indicates the direction of turning of the car.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toy car of the present invention from the rear; Figure 2 is a plan view of the car of Fig. 1 with the body removed from the base plate thereof; Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a mechanism for changing the position of the direction indicator; Figure 4 is a plan view showing a transmission means and a pair of rear wheels; Figure 5 is a sectional side view along the line V-V of Fig. 4; Figure 6 is a connection diagram illustrating an electric circuit comprising an electric motor, dry cells, a switch, an electric bulb and a contact member.

Referring to the drawings, a toy car of the present invention comprises a base plate 1, a body shell 2 and pairs of front wheels 3 and rear wheels 4. A cell box 5 is fixed onto a central portion of the base plate 1 and has dry cells (not shown) inserted therein from beneath. A threaded support shaft 6 is vertically mounted on the cell box 5 and an elongate member 7 is pivotably mounted on said support shaft 6. Said elongate member 7 has a front slot 8 in a front end portion thereof and a rear slot 9 in the middle of a rear portion thereof, relative to the support shaft 6 and is provided with an electric bulb 10 at the rear end thereof. A bearing plate 11 is fixed onto the front portion of the base plate 1 and a vertical shaft 1 2 is journaled in said bearing plate 11.An arm 1 3 is fixed to the upper end of the vertical shaft 1 2 and has a pin 14 mounted on its end. The vertical shaft 1 2 is provided with a rotary frame 1 5 at its lower end in which an axle of guide wheel 1 6 is journaled so that said wheel 1 6 is turned in a direction opposite to that of the front end of the elongate member 7.A mechanism frame 1 7 is fixed onto the rear portion of the base plate 1 and is provided with an eledtric motor 1 8 and a transmission means 1 9. Said motor 1 8 is adapted to drive the rear wheels 4 via the transmission means 1 9 and an axle 20 of the rear wheel 4 is provided with a worm 21 which engages with a worm gear 22 mounted on a crank shaft 23. Said crank shaft 23 has a crank arm on which a pin 24 is mounted.

The elongate member 7 connects with the arm 1 3 by the front pin 14 being located in the slot 8 and connects with the crank shaft 23 by the rear pin 24 being located in the slot 9. The electric bulb 10 attached to the rear end of the pivoted beam 7 is spaced from the rear end wall of the body shell 2 by a little interval. Said bulb 10 is electrically connected to the dry cells (not shown) by contact of a semi-circular cam of an intermediate shaft 25 and a contact member 26 and is arranged to be lit intermittently. The rear end wall of the body shell 2 has openings 27 and 28 at right and left portions thereof, respectively. Said openings 27 and 28 are covered with coloured transparent plates 29 and 30.

The motor 1 8 rotates upon closing of a switch 31 and the rear wheels 4 are driven whereby the car runs. The crank pin 24 revolves simultaneously with rotation of the motor 1 8 round the crank shaft 22 so that the elongate member 7 pivots right and left about the axis of the support shaft 6. The arm 1 3 is also made to swing by engagement of the slot 8 and the front pin 14 with pivoting of the elongage member 7. Therefore, the guiding wheel 1 6 mounted in the rotary frame 1 5 turns right and left contrary to swing of the arm 1 8. Accordingly, the toy car may describe a figure 8 path. The rear end of the elongate member 7 to which is attached the electric bulb 10 moves to the same side as that of the direction of turn of the car. Accordingly, when the toy car turns right, the electric bulb 10 flashes at the right side and when the toy car turns left, the electric bulb 10 flashes at the left side so as to indicate the turning direction of the toy car.

As described above, the present invention is capable of providing a new and amusing toy which may attract children's interest.

While particular embodiments of the present toy running car have been illustrated and described, it is obvious that many modifications and variations of the present toy running car are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practised otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims (11)

1. A toy car capable of automatically describing a path in which both righthand and lefthand bends occur, which car is provided with automatic indicating means for automatically indicating when in use, the rightward or leftward turning of the car respectively.

2. A toy car according to claim 1, wherein the indicating means is provided with at least one electric lamp arranged to be lit at the right or left hand side of the car respectively.

3. A toy car according to claim 2, wherein the lamp is arranged to flash intermittently when in use.

4. A toy car according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the indicating means comprises an electric lamp mounted at the end of a pivotable elongate member and wherein the lamp is arranged to be movable from one side of the car to the other in accordance with the turning direction of the car.

5. A toy car according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the car is provided at its front and/or rear corners with openings or windows through which the lamp is visible when located therebehind.

6. A toy car according to any preceding claim comprising a base plate; a body shell; a pair of front and of rear wheels and a guide wheel; a cell box located within the car and adapted to house dry cells; a support shaft extending from the cell box; an elongate member pivotably mounted on said support shaft and having two slots therein arranged longitudinally thereof, one on either side of the support shaft; bearing means on a front portion of the base plate having a vertical shaft journaled therein for rotation; an arm fixed to the upper end of the vertical shaft and having a pin mounted on its end; said vertical shaft being provided at its lower end with the guide wheel so that pivoting movement of the elongate member acts to turn said guide wheel in a direction away from the direction in which the front end of the elongate member is moved; a mechanism frame housing an electric motor and a transmission means; said motor being adapted to drive the rear wheels via said transmission means; an axle of the rear wheels being provided with a worm which engages with a worm gear mounted on a crank shaft; said crank shaft having a crank arm on which a pin is mounted; and the elongate member being operatively connected with the arm by the pin of said arm being located in a forward one of said slots and operatively connected with the crank shaft by the pin of said crank shaft being located in the rearward one of said slot; whereby in use the guideway wheel is turned periodically right and left as the rear wheels are driven so that the toy car describes a figure 8 or sinuous path.

7. A toy car according to claim 6, wherein the elongate member is provided with an electric bulb at its rear end which is spaced from a rear wall of the body shell by a little interval and is arranged to be electrically connected with dry cells by contact between an intermediate shaft of the transmission means and a contact member so as to radiate flashlight, and wherein the rear wall of the body shell has openings at right and left sides thereof and said openings are covered with coloured transparent plates so as to indicate the direction of turning of the toy car.

8. A toy car for describing a figure 8shaped path; comprising a base plate; a body shell; a pair of front and of rear wheels and a guide wheel; a cell box located within the car and adapted to house dry cells; a support shaft extending from the cell box; an elongate member pivotably mounted on said support shaft and having a slot in a front and in a rear portion thereof; bearing means on the front portion of the base plate having a vertical shaft journaled therein; an arm fixed to the upper end of the vertical shaft and having a pin mounted on its end; said vertical shaft being provided with a rotary frame at its lower end in which the guide wheel is supported so as to turn said guide wheel in a direction opposite to that of the front end of the elongate member; a mechanism frame housing an electric motor and a transmission means; said motor being adapted to drive the rear wheels via said transmission means; an axle of the rear wheels being provided with a worm which engages with a worm gear mounted on a crank shaft; said crank shaft having a crank arm on which a pin is mounted; and the elongate member being operatively connected with the arm by the pin of said arm being located in the front one of said slots and operatively connected with the crank shaft by the pin of said crank shaft being located in the rear one of said slots; whereby the guide wheel is turned periodically right and left as the rear wheels are driven so that the toy car described a figure 8 or sinuous path.

9. A toy car which includes a mechanism whereby when in use the car atuomatically makes successive leftward and rightward turns to describe a figure 8 or sinuous path.

10. A toy car substantially as hereinbefore described with refersnce to the accompanying drawings.

11. The features hereinbefore disclosed, or their equivalents, in any novel selection.