GB2096905A - Inclining upper body of a running toy - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for inclining an upper body of a running toy comprises a track (12) with a guide channel (14) and a running toy (10) having a set of wheels (22, 22) forcibly driven and running along adjacent the guide channel (14), wherein in order to increase an actual drive feeling the running toy is provided with a base plate (26) having at least two wheels being constantly contacted with the upper surface of the track (12) and further having a guide means of one or two pins engageable with the guide channel (14). The base plate (26) supports a laterally swingable upper body (34) of the toy. Between the base plate (26) and the upper body (34) is arranged an operating means (48) which includes an arm rod (50), a pin (52), an upright shaft (54) and a working part (56). The operating means (48) is engaged at its lower end through the pin (52) with the guide channel (14) for inclining the upper body (34) toward the center of radius of the curvature in the curved portion of the track (12). The wheels (22) may be coated at their peripheries with a material (24) of high friction coefficient. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An apparatus for inclining an upper body of a running toy on a track This invention relates to an apparatus for inclining an upper body of a running toy, such as a bicycle or motorbike on a track. More particularly, the invention relates to the apparatus for inclining the upper body of the running toy toward the center of radius of the curvature, with its base plate being parallel to the track when the toy runs on a curved portion of the track.

The conventional running toy, such as the bicycle or the motorbike, always keeps its upper body upright even when it runs on the curved portion of the track, thereby bringing about disadvantages of readily falling down by centrifugal force applied to the toy running on the curved track and of reducing an actual drive feeling of the running toy.

In order to eliminate the advantages described hereinbefore, the inventor has created a novel operating mechanism for inclining the upper body of the toy toward the center of radius of curvature while running on the curved portion of the track.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for inclining an upper body of a running toy, especially a bicycle or motorbike, comprising a track with a guide channel and a running toy having a set of wheels forcibly driven and is runnable along the guide channel on the track, characterized in that the running toy is provided with a base plate having at either side at least two wheels constantly contacted with the upper surface of the track and further having a guide means engageable with the guide channel, that the base plate supports a laterally swingable upper body of the running toy, and that between the base plate and the upper body is arranged an operating means which at its lower end is engaged with the guide for inclining the upper body toward the center of radius of the curvature in the curved portion of the track.

The operating means may comprise an arm rod, a pin, an upright shaft and a working part.

In the apparatus according to the invention, the guide means may be comprised of two pins, which are engaged with the guide channel in front of and behind the base plate, respectively.

In order to improve the smooth running of the toy on the curved track of small curvature and to facilitate setting of the toy on the track, the guide means may be comprised of a single pin, for example arranged in front of the base plate and engaged with the guide channel, and the wheels being constantly contacted with the upper surface of the track may be coated at their peripheries with a material having a high friction coefficient.

One way of carrying out the invention is described in detail below with reference to drawing which illustrate preferred embodiments, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views of the apparatus used in two different embodiments A and B of the invention, respectively; Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views of the operation means of the two different embodiments A and B according to the invention, respectively; Figure 5 is a partial pictorial view of the upper body of the toy; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the base plate with the driving motor used in the Embodiment B according to the invention; Figures 7, 8 and 9, 10 are plan views of the apparatus of the embodiments A and B respectively, wherein each base plate thereof is positioned on the straight or curved portion of the track;; Figure 11 is a plan view of the apparatus of another embodiment B, wherein the base plate is positioned on the curved portion of the track; and Figure 12 is a front sectional view of the apparatus of Figure 11.

In Figures 1 and 2, a running toy is placed on a track 12 provided with a guide channel 14 which is engageable with a guide means. The guide means may be comprised of two pins 1 6 and 18 as shown in Figure 1, or alternatively may be comprised of a single pin 20 as shown in Figure 2.

In the embodiment of Figure 2, only the front pin 20 is engaged with the guide channel 14 but wheels 22, 22 arranged behind the pin 20 are coated at their peripheries with a material 24 such as rubber, having a high friction coefficient.

The running toy 10 is provided at its bottom with a base plate 26 for bearing a motor 28 which drives the wheels 22, 22, a worm gear 30 and a gear 32 meshed with the worm gear 30 as shown in Figure 6. On the base plate 26 is mounted an upper body 34 swingable in a lateral direction.

Further, the guide pins 16, 1 8 and 20 are extended downwardly from the base plate 26 into the guide channel 14, wherein the two pins 1 6 and 18 are arranged in front of and behind the base plate 26 according to the embodiment A of Figure 1 , while the single front pin 20 is provided in accordance with the embodiment B. Thus, the guide pins 1 6, 18 and 20 may allow the running toy or the base plate 26 to run along the guide channel 14.

The motor 28 placed on the base plate 26 may be supplied with an electric power either from electrically conductive tracks (not shown) arranged parallel to the guide channel 14 or from a battery (not shown) placed on the base plate 26.

Further, the wheels 22, 22 may be driven by means of a spring (not shown).

Alternatively, the wheels 22, 22 arranged at either side of the base plate 26 may run idle but instead a front wheel 36 or a rear wheel 38 mounted to the upper body 34, as described hereinafter, may be forcibly driven for running. Of course, the guide channel 14 is not limited to a groove format but may take a form of protrusion where a bifurcated guide element in lieu of the pins may be extended from the base plate 26 and placed over the protrusion for running the toy along the guide channel 14.

In order to support the upper body 34 swingably to the base plate 26, fitting shafts 40 and 42 are arranged in front of and behind the base plate 26, respectively, to be mounted into securing holes 44 and 46 of the upper bore 34, as best shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6.

In Figures 3 and 4, an operating means 48 which allows the upper body 34 to be inclined relative to the base plate 26 toward the center of radius of the curvature when running on the curved portion of the track 12, is comprised of an arm rod 50, a pin 52, an upright shaft 54 and a working part 56, as best shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The arm rod 50 is extended in front of the base plate 26, from a front end of which is protruded downwardly the pin 52 which is inserted into the guide channel 14. To the rear end of the arm rod 50 is fixed the upright shaft 54 in such a way that swivel movements of the arm rod 50 may rotate the upright shaft 54 as shown with arrows in Figures 3 and 4 which at its upper part is bent forwardly to form the working part 56.

As best shown in Figures 5 and 6, a longitudinal slit 58 is provided in the upper body 34 above the securing hole 44 for receiving the working part 56, thereby allowing the upper body 34 to be inclined in the moving direction of the pin 52 around the fitting shaft 40 and 42 as shown in Figure 3.

Thus, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the working part 56 is directed straight forwardly on the straight portion of the track 12, thereby maintaining the upright state of the upper body 34 relative to the base plate 26. On the other hand, when the track 12 or the guide 14 is curved to the left as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the arm rod 50 is moved to the left relative to the base plate 26 for urging the slit 58 to the left, thereby allowing the upper body 34 to be inclined around the fitting shaft 40 and 42 to the left side. Similarly, on the curvature of the track 12 to the right, the upper body 34 is inclined to the right side relative to the base plate 26. When the track 12 comes to the straight portion again, the upper body 34 is also restored to its upright state.

Thus, upon running of the toy unit on the curved portion of the track 1 2, the inclination of the upper body 34 toward the center of radius of the curvature allows its center of the gravity to deviate inwardly and therefore the centrifugal force applied upon the high speed could not fall the running toy down, thereby producing the actual drive feeling of a motorbike, for example.

Both the front wheel 36 and the rear wheel 38 mounted rotatably to the upper body 34 may be contacted with the upper surface of the track 1 2, or either one of them together with the wheels 22, 22 may be contacted with the track 12. Numerical references 60 and 62 show fittings for the front and rear wheels 36 and 38, respectively. Although not shown in the drawings, a driven doll may be ridden on the upper body 34.

Figures 11 and 12 show another embodiment of the invention. The apparatus of this embodiment includes the track 12 with the guide channel 14 and the running toy with the driven wheels 64 which are mounted to the base plate 66 and constantly contacted with the upper surface of the track 12. At least one of the wheels 64 is driven by a motor 68 through a gear 69 or a spring (not shown). The wheels 64 may be coated at their peripheries with a material of high friction coefficient, as described hereinbefore with reference to the embodiment B according to the invention. In order to supply electric power to the motor 68, brushes 70 and 72 may be constantly contacted with electrically conductive tracks 74 and 76 on the track 12, respectively. Of course, a battery (not shown) may be loaded as a power source on the base plate 66.

One or two pins 78 similar to those as shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be extended downwardly from the base plate 66 and inserted into the guide channel 14 of the track 12, thereby allowing the base plate 66 to run along the guide channell4.

In Figure 12, an operating means 80 of rod shape is provided upright in the center of the base plate 66 (for example, behind the pin 78 or between the two pins) and is laterally swingable by means of a shaft 82. The lower part of the operating means 80 is inserted into the guide channel 14, while the upper part thereof is provided with the upper body 84 of the running toy.

In accordance with the last embodiment using the wheels 64, the upper body 84 may be inclined, as in the preceding embodiments, toward the center of radius of curvature upon running on the curved portion of the track 12, thereby allowing the center of gravity of the toy to deviate inwardly. Thus, the centrifugal force resulting from the high running speed could not remove the pin 78 from the groove guide 12 and thereby the amusing high speed cornering or running at a corner of the track may be achieved.

In Figures 11 and 12, the numerical reference 86 shows a fitting for the shaft 82 arranged on the base plate 66, while the reference numeral 88 shows a long slit provided in the base plate 66, into which the operating means 80 is inserted.

As described hereinbefore in accordance with the invention, the running toy for example the bicycle or the motorbike may run on the track of any shape and allow the upper body to be inclined toward the center of radius of the curvature when running on the curved portion of the track 12, thereby providing a very amusing and exciting toy.

Further, the inclination angle of the upper body may exactly follow the extent of radius of curvature in the curved portion of the track 12.

Furthermore, in accordance with the embodiment B of the invention, since the running toy may run with the single pin, a drift driving or a high speed driving technique at the corner with the wheels being slided may become possible.

Since the driving wheels 22 and 64 are coated at their peripheries with a material of high friction coefficient, an exceilent straight running without an lateral slippage may be achieved in the normal running, while the drift driving with the wheels being laterally slided may also be achieved at the corner when the running velocity exceeds a certain limit.

As hereinbefore fully described, the apparatus for inclining the upper body according to the invention is provided with one or two pin(s), the driving wheels (which may be coated with a material of high friction coefficient) and the operating means for allowing the upper body to be inclined relative to the base plate toward the center of radius of the curvature in the curved portion of the track thereby allowing the base plate to be stabilized by the two wheels arranged at either sides thereof when running straight forwardly and the upper body to be kept upright by the operating means. Thus, the apparatus according to the invention may provide a stable running condition not only on the straight portion but also on the curved portion of the track and also permit the driving of high technique, especially at the corner, thus increasing an actual and satisfactory drive feeling.

Now it will be appreciated that in accordance with the invention, many conspicuous effects may be achieved, for example an inclination of the upper body on the curved track, a smooth inclination even on the small curvature of the track for providing an actual and satisfactory drive feeling, as well as easy setting of the toy on the track.

Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described hereinbefore it will also be appreciated that various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (3)

1. An apparatus for inclining an upper body of a running toy, especially a bicycle or motorbike, on a track comprising a track (12) with a guide channel (14) and a running toy (10) having a set of wheels which are forcibly driven and running along the guide channel (14) of the track (12), characterized in that the running toy (10) is provided with a base plate (26) having at either side at least two wheels being constantly contacted with the upper surface of the track (12) and further having guide means (1 6, 1 8 or 20) engageable with the guide channel (14), that the base plate (26) supports a laterally swingable upper body (34) of the running toy (10), and that between the base plate (26) and the upper body (34) is arranged an operating means (48) which at its lower end is engaged with the guide channel (14) for inclining the upper body (34) toward the center of radius of the curvature in the curved portion of the track (12).

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the operating means (48) comprises an arm rod (50), a pin (52), an upright shaft (54) and a working part (56).

3. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 or 2, in which the guide means is comprised of a single pin (20) engageable with the guide channel (14) and the wheels (22 22) are coated at their peripheries with a material (24) of a high friction coefficient.