GB2228208A

GB2228208A - Releasing toy vehicle from a starting area

Info

Publication number: GB2228208A
Application number: GB8902256A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yoshitaka Kimishima
Original assignee: CHIYONO MANUFACTURING Co
Current assignee: CHIYONO MANUFACTURING Co
Priority date: 1989-02-02
Filing date: 1989-02-02
Publication date: 1990-08-22
Also published as: GB8902256D0

Abstract

A starting-arrangement for toy vehicles comprises a starting area on which a plurality of toy vehicles are placed, and a starting mechanism to release vehicles from the starting area sequentially one at a time. The mechanism may sequentially withdraw stop members for the respective vehicles and may comprise a clockwork-driven rod mounting cams which sequentially act on the respective stop members. An additional mechanism may be manually operated to release all the stop members simultaneously.

Description

STARTING ARRANGEMENT FOR TOY VEHICLES This invention relates to a starting arrangement for toy vehicles.

In known arrangements, toy vehicles are started at the same time. For rally cars or aircrafts such arrangements are not appropriate, since rally cars are not started at the same time, and aircrafts do not take off at the same time.

In accordance with the present invention, a starting arrangement for toy vehicles comprises a starting area on which one or more vehicles are placed, and a starting mechanism co-operable with the starting area to release vehicles from the starting area one at a time.

Such an arrangement is extremely simple in design and construction, and furthermore starts vehicles one at a time, rather than simultaneously.

The starting area suitably comprises a plurality of vehicle positions, such that a plurality of vehicles can be placed on the starting area for release one at a time.

Suitably, the starting mechanism operates a number of stop members which protrude above the surface of the starting areas and block the path of toy vehicles in the startinq areas. In particular, the stop members are retracted by the starting mechanism, in order to release vehicles.

Preferably, the starting mechanism comprises a winding down release mechanism, which winding down release mechanism horizontally moves an elongated bar with a number of cams corresponding to the number of stop members, which cams act on the stop members to cause the retraction thereof. The cams are positioned on the elongated bar in such a manner that as the release mechanism winds down, the bar moves horizontally, and one of the cams acts on one of the stop members, and then after an interval of time another cam acts on a second stop member, and so on until all stop members are retracted.

Preferably the release mechanism is manually wound up, and suitably a lock is provided in order to retain the release mechanism in its fully wound up position. When the release mechanism is required to be operated, the lock is released, whereafter the release mechanism winds down and retracts the stop members one at a time.

Suitably, an additional starting mechanism is provided in order to depress all the stop members at the same time, such that the starting arrangement can be adapted to start all the cars simultaneously.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 shows a front view of the starting arrangement in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows an underneath view of the starting arrangement of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the starting arrangement of Figure 1 as shown along lines A-A of Figure 2; and Figure 4 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the starting arrangement of Figure 1 as shown along lines B-B of Figure 1.

In the drawings, a starting arrangement 10 is shown comprising a housing member 12 with the external shape of a starting tower 14 and start grid 16. The start grid 16 is shown with three starting positions 18, each starting position being provided with a stop member 20 protruding throuqh a slot 21 in the starting positions.

As will be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the mechanism for operating the stop member 20 on the start grid 16 comprises an elongated bar 22 having a number of cam portions 24, corresponding to the number of stop members. In the shown example, the bar 22 has three cam portions 24 which act on the three stop members, and the cam portions are so positioned on the bar, such that the cam portions act on their corresponding stop members at different times as the bar is moved, and in particular such that the stop members are retracted one after the other.

The stop members are each pivotally mounted on a pivoting rod 26, and each of the pivoting stop members is provided with a rearward extension 28 made from relatively elastic plastic, which outer end acts against a support surface (see 30) such that when the stop member has been retracted, the stop member is returned to its original position by the elasticity of the rearward extension 28.

In addition to the one by one starting mechanism, a simultaneous released mechanism 32 for all of the stop members is provided, which is operated by depression of a button 34. Depression of this button causes an elongated plate 36 to be depressed, and this plate acts on a forward extension 38 provided on each of the stop members, and in particular operates simultaneously on all three forward extensions 38 such that all three stop members are retracted downwardly. The elongated plate 36 is pivotally mounted by rearward extensions 39 about the same rod 26 that the three stop members are pivotted.

In Figure 4, the mechanism for moving the elongated bar 22 is shown, comprising a wind up mechanism 40 (see Figure 1), which is manually operated, and a series of cogs and wheels which cause rotational movement about a vertical axis to be translated as longitudinal movement along a horizontal plane. In particular, a final cog 41 engages on a toothed member 42 (see Figure 2) provided at the inner end of the elongated bar 22. In consequence, the toothed member 42 acts on this final cog 41 to move the bar 22 with cams in a horizontal manner, which causes the stop members 20 to be retracted one by one.

Suitably, the winding mechanism 40 is shown with a lock mechanism (not shown), which can be operated to engage a cog or wheel and thus lock the wind up mechanism in its fully wind up position, and is such that the lock mechanism can be released in order to wind down the winding mechanism and cause retraction of the stop members for the vehicles on the starting area one at a time.

Such a starting mechanism is suitable for rally cars since rally cars are started one by one, and furthermore is suitable for aircrafts since aircrafts are only allowed to take off one by one.

Claims

C L A I M S:

1. A starting arrangement for toy vehicles comprising a starting area on which two or more toy vehicles are placed, and a starting mechanism to release vehicles from the starting area sequentially one at a time.

2. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the starting mechanism operates a number of stop members which protrude above the surface of the starting area and block the path of toy vehicles in the starting area.

3. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the stop members are retracted by the starting mechanism, in order to release the toy vehicles.

4. An arrangement as claimed in either Claim 2 or 3 wherein the starting mechanism comprises a winding down release mechanism which moves an elongated bar with a number of cams corresponding to the number of stop members, which cams act on the stop members to cause retraction thereof.

5 An arrangement as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the cams are positioned on the elongated bar in such a manner that as the release mechanism winds down, the bar moves continuously and horizontally, whereby one of the cams acts on one of the stop members, and then after an interval of time another cam acts on a second stop member, and so on until all stop members are retracted.

6. An arrangement as claimed in either Claim 4 or 5 wherein the release mechanism is manually wound up, and a lock is provided in order to retain the release mechanism in its fully wound up position.

7. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the lock is releasable, whereafter the release mechanism winds down and retracts the stop members sequentially oneat a time.

8. An arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 7 wherein an additional starting mechanism is provided in order to depress all the stop members at the same time, such that the starting arrangement can be adapted to start all the cars simultaneously.

9. A starting arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.