GB2388054A

GB2388054A - Model racing car system

Info

Publication number: GB2388054A
Application number: GB0309250A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Mallet; Luke Edward Fisher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-04-26
Filing date: 2003-04-24
Publication date: 2003-11-05
Also published as: GB0210492D0

Abstract

A model racing car system comprises a track 10 and an electrically powered model vehicle 40. The track 10 and the vehicle 40 have mutually acting components for guiding the vehicle 40 along the track 10. The track 10 may have a slot 16 and the vehicle 40 a component 44 which is captively guided in the slot, this component 44 may have contact with conductors for transferring electrical power. The car 40 may be held captive to the track 10 by electromagnetism. The car 40 may be controlled by a controller which is either directly electrically linked to the vehicle 40 or by remote control. The track 10 may be formed of interconnecting section, each section comprising a laminate made up of a base 12 and two top sections 14 forming a slot between and each top section having a conductive coating 24 or layer on the underside. The captive contact member 44 may be separable from the vehicle body.

Description

Title: Model racing system DESCRIPTION

This invention concerns a model racing system.

Model racing systems generally comprise as sectional track having a slot or a pair of parallel slots running the length of the track, each slot being flanked by its own pair of positive and negative electrical contact strips. The cars have a spigot or the like that fits the slots and so serves to guide the car along the track.

On the underside of the car there are brushes that make electrical contact with the contact strips to transmit electrical power fed to the track to an electric motor in the car for driving the wheels of the car.

These existing model-racing systems have a number of drawbacks. The cars can easily leave the track at higher speeds or around bends causing disruption to a race. Furthermore, these systems are only suitable for model vehicles on at least three wheels due to the balance required.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved model racing system.

According to this invention there is provided a model racing system comprising a track and a powered model vehicle for travailing on the track, wherein the track has a slot and the vehicle has a component captively guided in the slot as the vehicle moves along the track.

The preferred model racing system of the invention will be electrically powered. Thus, the vehicle preferably includes an electric motor for driving

wheels or the like of the vehicle in response to electrical power input via a preferably variable power controller. The power controller may be electrically directly linked to the vehicle or a wireless power transmission system may be used. In a preferred embodiment, the track will include conductors for transferring electrical power from an external electrical power source, such as mains powered transformer, to the vehicle by contact. Preferably contact is with the captive guiding component.

The track is preferably provided in sections that connect together. Plug and socket type connectors are preferably provided at ends of the track components for connecting them together both for physical and electrical integrity. A preferred track section is a lacerate comprising a base and two to,o parts forming a slot therebetween and each having a conductive coating or layer on its underside. The top parts preferably have lips facing each other to form a rebated slot. The two top parts, therefore, have isolated conductive layers or coatings side by side, one of which can be the negative electrode and the other the positive. Electrical power can be supplied to the conductive layers or coatings via connectors at outer edges of the track sections. The captive contact member can be a contact plate on a rod or the like mounted to the vehicle. The contact member is preferably urged upwardly to contact the conductive layers or coatings when the vehicle is on the track. The contact member is preferably provided with spring biasing for that purpose. A preferred contact member has

rotatable bearings for making contact with the conductive layers or coatings. The bearings may be balls or rollers.

The captive contact member is preferably provided as part of a unit that is separable from the vehicle body under certain conditions. To improve realism, it is preferred that the contact member unit separate from the vehicle body when predetermined stresses are applied to the contact member due to a combination of speed and track formation, such as when the vehicle has to negotiate tight bends and is travailing at an excessive speed.

In an alternative embodiment, the track will not have a slot but the vehicle will be held captive thereto by electromagnetism. The track will still have a conductive layer or coating but that will act as an electromagnet and a vehicle will have a reciprocal magnet to hold the vehicle on the track by electromagnetic attraction. By incorporating chip recognition, it may be possible to steer and power vehicles individually, so that they can travel anywhere on the track.

It is envisaged that embodiments of the invention will not only be suitable for model racing involving four and even three wheeled vehicles but because of the use of a captive component two wheeled model racing vehicles, such as negator bikes, may be possible.

This invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a track component for a model racing car circuit; Figure 2 is an end view of the track component of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a track component connection;

Figures 4 and 5 are schematic representations of model racing cars for use on the track components of Figures 1 to 3; and Figure 6 shows the racing car of Figure 4 and 5 on a track component.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, a track for a model racing car circuit is constructed from track components, such as component 10, joined end to end to form a continuous circuit. The track components may be straight as illustrated but may also contain bends, so that a realistic circuit can be constructed having straights and bends of deferent degrees. A track component 10 has a base layer 12 and top layer components 14 on the base layer but slightly spaced apart to provide a slot 16. The top comets 14 each have a hp 18 arm the lips face each other, so that the slot 16 is in effect rebated. At one end of the component the lips are chamfered (20) and at the other end the lips include sprung flaps 22.

On the underside of each top component is an electrically conductive layer or coating 24. The conductive layer or coating 24 has at the side of the track component an electrical connector 26, to which electrical power supply can be coupled. Electrical connectors 28 are provide at one end of the track component for engagement in slots 30 at the opposite end of a like component, in order to make electrical connections between the conductive layers or coatings of end to end connected track components. Also, male and female type connectors 32 are also provided on the sides of the track components in order to

s connect track components in parallel and also to make electrical connections across parallel track components.

Turning to Figures 4 to 6, a model racing car 40 for use with the track of Figures 1 to 3 has an electric motor (not shown) for driving at least one set of wheels 42. Electrical power for the motor is transferred from the conductive layer or coating 24 by a spring loaded contact member 44 mounted in the body of the car. The contact member 44 comprises a rod 46 with a contact plate 48 on its bottom end and a fingerplate 50 at its top end. The rod is slidably mounted through the body or chassis of the car. Approximately midway along its length the rod 46 carries an abutment 52 and a spring 56 is provided on the rod between the abutment and the body or chassis of the car. The spring is arranged to urge the contact plate upwards.

The contact plate 48 extends to either side of the rod 46 and each side has a ball bearing 58 on its upper surface. Each ball bearing 58 is independently electrically connected to a lead 60 for connection to the motor.

The contact plate 48 is intended to travel in the rebated slot of the track as shown in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings and the ball bearings 58 are urged by the spring 56 to contact the underside of the conductive layer or coating 24 on the lips 18 of the track components 10. One side of the track will have its conductive layer or coating electrically negative and the other side electrically positive when connected to a DC electrical power supply. Thus, the electrical power for the motor is supplied via the conductive layers or coatings through the ball bearings to the leads connected to the motor. The contact plate

further serves to hold the car on the track. However' for greater realism it is envisaged that the contact mechanism will be separable from the body of the car, if the car is driven at excessive speeds relative to the track formation. Thus, for example, around tight bends it will be necessary to drive the car at reasonable speeds to avoid the separation of the contact mechanism and the body of the car.

It will also be appreciated that the contact mechanism illustrated may be used in the context of model motorbike racing. Existing model slot racing systems that rely on a spigot running in simple groove cannot be used for model motorbike racing, as there is no means of balancing the bikes.

The aforementioned chamfered ends 20 to the lips 18 and the spring kidded #aps 22 cortisone where track componerts are Joked end to end to provide points at which the contact plates of model cars can be introduced into the rebated slot of the track to prepare the car for racing. Depression of the fingerplate 50 at the top end of the rod facilitates this operation as can be seen from Figure 5 of the drawings.

Claims

1. A model racing system comprising a track and an electrically powered model vehicle for travelling on the track, wherein the track and the vehicle have mutually acting components for guiding the vehicle along the track.

2. A model racing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the track has a slot and the vehicle has a component captively guided in the slot as the vehicle moves along the track.

3. A model racing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is held captive to the track by electromagnetism.

4. A model racing system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the track has a conductive layer or coating that will act as an electromagnet and the vehicle has a reciprocal magnet to hold the vehicle on the track by electromagnetic attraction.

5. A model racing system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the vehicle includes an electric motor for driving wheels or the like of the vehicle in response to electrical power input via a power controller.

6. A model racing system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the power controller is a variable power controller.

7. A model racing system as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the power controller is electrically directly linked to the vehicle.

8. A model racing system as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the power controller is linked to the vehicle by a wireless power transmission system.

9. A model racing system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 8, wherein the track includes conductors for transferring electrical power from an external electrical power source to the vehicle by contact.

10. A model racing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein contact is with a captive guiding component.

11. A model racing system as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the power source is a mains powered transformer.

12. A model racing system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the track is provided in sections that connect together.

13. A model racing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein plug and socket type connectors are provided at ends of the track components for connecting them together both for physical and electrical integrity.

14. A model racing system as claimed in any one of claims 12 or 13, wherein the track section is a laminate comprising a base and two top parts forming a slot therebetween and each having a conductive coating or layer on its underside.

15. A model racing system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the top parts have lips facing each other to form a rebated slot.

16. A model racing system as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein the two top parts have isolated conductive layers or coatings side by side, one of which is the negative electrode and the other the positive.

17. A model racing system as claimed in claim 14, 15 or 16, wherein electrical power is supplied to the conductive layers or coatings via connectors at outer edges of the track sections.

18. A model racing system as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein the captive contact member is a contact plate on a rod or the like mounted to the vehicle.

19. A model racing system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the contact member is urged upwardly to contact the conductive layers or coatings when the vehicle is on the track.

20. A model racing system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the contact member is provided with spring biasing.

21. A model racing system as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein the contact member has rotatable bearings for making contact with the conductive layers or coatings.

22. A model racing system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the bearings are balls or rollers.

23. A model racing system as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 22, wherein the captive contact member is provided as part of a unit that is separable from the vehicle body.

24. A model racing system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the contact member unit is separable from the vehicle body when predetermined stresses are applied to the contact member due to a combination of speed and track formation.

25. A model racing system as claimed in claim 3 incorporating chip recognition, whereby vehicles can be steered and powered individually.

26. A model racing system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.