Patent Application
20120058707
This present application relates generally to children's toys; in particular, the present application relates to a hand-pushable toy vehicle.
Miniature vehicles fascinate children. From MATCHBOX cars to remote control race cars to themed tricycles, children enjoy playing with or riding on miniature human powered vehicles. Historically, toy vehicles may be divided into one of several categories. Some vehicles are larger and designed for the child to ride in, for example, a tricycle or wagon like vehicle. Some vehicles are smaller and designed for a child to play with using a single hand, for example, a MATCHBOX car. Other toy vehicles fall in between the large size of a tricycle and the small size of a matchbox bar. Theses intermediate vehicles may come with removable and/or mechanical parts for entertaining children, for example a toy construction vehicle.
All of these toy vehicles provide different play experiences to children. Handheld toy vehicles provide a relatively stationary or small area play experience, in which the child can play with the toy in a relatively small area, requiring little child movement. Larger, riding toy vehicles are typically powered by pedals or another child (e.g., by pushing the vehicle), and require a large amount of room in which to use them. Because the child is typically riding the vehicle, the child also receives limited exercise or movement.
For these and other reasons, improvements are desirable.
In accordance with the following disclosure, the above and other problems are addressed by the following:
In a first aspect, the present disclosure includes a hand-pushable toy vehicle comprising a platform arrangement capable of receiving and operatively connecting to a platform skin having an outer appearance of a vehicle. The hand-pushable toy vehicle further includes two front wheels rotatably coupled to the platform arrangement, wherein the front wheels rotate independently of each other and two rear wheels rotatably coupled to the platform arrangement, wherein the rear wheels rotate independently of each other.
In certain embodiments, the hand-pushable toy vehicle also includes a handle arrangement extending upwardly from the platform arrangement and positioned to be held in both hands of a child operator during manipulation of the hand-pushable toy vehicle. The handle arrangement is capable of supporting at least a portion of the child operator's weight while the child operator is in contact with the handle arrangement. The hand-pushable toy vehicle in generally between approximately 4 inches and approximately 36 inches in height, between approximately 4 and approximately 36 inches in width, between approximately 5 and approximately 46 inches in length, and the platform arrangement is sized and shaped to prohibit a passenger from riding on the hand-pushable toy vehicle.
In a second aspect, the present disclosure includes a hand-pushable toy vehicle comprising a platform arrangement having a front, a rear, and opposing sides, the platform arrangement capable of receiving and operatively connecting to a platform skin having an outer appearance of a vehicle. The hand-pushable toy vehicle further includes two front wheels rotatably coupled to the platform arrangement at a first common mounting location proximate to the front of the platform arrangement, wherein the front wheels rotate independently of each other and two rear wheels rotatably coupled to the platform arrangement at a second common mounting location proximate to the rear of the platform arrangement, wherein the rear wheels rotate independently of each other.
In certain embodiments, the hand-pushable toy vehicle also includes a pair of handles extending upwardly from the platform arrangement along the sides of the platform arrangement and at opposing positions between the first common mounting location and the second common mounting location, each of the handles having an adjustable height and positioned to be held in a hand of a child operator during manipulation of the hand-pushable toy vehicle. The hand-pushable toy vehicle is capable of supporting at least a portion of the child operator's weight while the child operator is in contact with the handle arrangement. The hand-pushable toy vehicle in generally between approximately 8 inches and approximately 24 inches in height, between approximately 4 and approximately 18 inches in width, between approximately 10 and approximately 24 inches in length, and the platform arrangement is sized and shaped to prohibit a passenger from riding on the hand-pushable toy vehicle.
In a third aspect, the present disclosure includes a hand-pushable toy vehicle comprising a platform arrangement having a front, a rear, and opposing sides, the platform arrangement integrated with a platform skin having an outer appearance of a vehicle. The hand-pushable toy vehicle further includes two front wheels rotatably coupled to the platform arrangement at a first common mounting location proximate to the front of the platform arrangement, wherein the front wheels rotate independently of each other and two rear wheels rotatably coupled to the platform arrangement at a second common mounting location proximate to the rear of the platform arrangement, wherein the rear wheels rotate independently of each other.
In certain embodiments, the hand-pushable toy vehicle also includes a pair of handles integrated into the platform skin at opposing positions between the first common mounting location and the second common mounting location and positioned to be held in a hand of a child operator during manipulation of the hand-pushable toy vehicle. The hand-pushable toy vehicle is capable of supporting at least a portion of the child operator's weight while the child operator is in contact with the handle arrangement. The hand-pushable toy vehicle in generally between approximately 8 inches and approximately 24 inches in height, between approximately 4 and approximately 18 inches in width, between approximately 10 and approximately 24 inches in length, and the platform arrangement is sized and shaped to prohibit a passenger from riding on the hand-pushable toy vehicle.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed invention.
The present disclosure relates generally to a hand-pushable toy vehicle for use by children (e.g., approximate ages 2-10). The toy vehicle is adjustable and steerable in a number of different ways. Through use of the hand-pushable toy vehicle according to the embodiments herein, a child can experience greater movement during play than with handheld toy vehicles, without the safety concerns of a larger vehicle a child may ride in/on.
The hand-pushable toy vehicle 4 is sized so to require a child operator to bend over at the waist in order to contact the handles of the hand-pushable toy vehicle. A number of sizes could be used, depending upon the target age and size of the child intended to use the hand-pushable toy vehicle 4. In certain embodiments, the hand-pushable toy vehicle 4 is between approximately 8 inches and approximately 24 inches in height, wherein height is the distance from the ground to the top of the hand-pushable toy vehicle (e.g., at handles 10). In certain embodiments, the hand-pushable toy vehicle 4 could be between approximately 10 inches and approximately 22 inches in height. In certain specific embodiments, the hand-pushable toy vehicle 4 is between approximately 12 inches and approximately 20 inches in height. The hand-pushable toy vehicle can be, in such embodiments, approximately 16 inches in height.
In certain embodiments, the hand-pushable toy vehicle 4 (and platform arrangement 5) is between approximately 4 and approximately 18 inches in width, wherein width is defined at the distance from a wheel on one side of the vehicle to a wheel on the opposing side of the vehicle. The hand-pushable toy vehicle may be between approximately 6 and approximately 16 inches in width; for example, in certain embodiments, the hand-pushable toy vehicle is approximately 10 and approximately 12 inches in width.
In certain embodiments, the hand-pushable toy vehicle 4, and platform arrangement 5, may be between approximately 10 and approximately 24 inches in length, wherein length is defined at the distance from the front to the rear of the vehicle. The hand-pushable toy vehicle 4 may be between approximately 12 and approximately 22 inches in length; in particular embodiments, the hand-pushable toy vehicle is between approximately 16 and approximately 18 inches in length.
In some embodiments, the hand-pushable toy vehicle 4, and platform arrangement 5, may be between 4 inches and 18 inches in height, between 5 and 18 inches in width, and between 10 and 24 inches in length. The hand-pushable toy vehicle 4, and platform arrangement 5, may be between approximately 4 inches and approximately 24 inches in height, between approximately 6 inches and approximately 22 inches in height, between approximately 8 inches and approximately 20 inches in height, between approximately 10 inches and approximately 18 inches in height, between approximately 12 inches and approximately 16 inches in height.
In some embodiments, The hand-pushable toy vehicle 4, and platform arrangement 5, may be between approximately 5 and approximately 24 inches in width, between approximately 7 and approximately 22 inches in width, between approximately 9 and approximately 20 inches in width, between approximately 11 and approximately 18 inches in width, between approximately 13 and approximately 16 inches in width.
In some embodiments, The hand-pushable toy vehicle 4, and platform arrangement 5, may be between approximately 10 and approximately 24 inches in length, between approximately 12 and approximately 22 inches in length, between approximately 14 and approximately 20 inches in length, between approximately 16 and approximately 18 inches in length.
A skin 30 can be removably attached over the platform arrangement to provide the appearance of a vehicle to the hand-pushable toy vehicle. In the embodiment shown, the platform skin resembles a truck; however, in alternative embodiments other vehicle appearances could be provided as well. Other example vehicle appearances include a sports car, a school bus, an ambulance or fire truck, or other types of vehicles.
In some embodiments, the handle 10 and the handle support 25 of the handle arrangement will be inside of the platform skin. In other embodiments, the platform skin 30 will attach to the platform arrangement 5 so that the handle arrangement, including the handle 10 and handle support 25, is exterior to the platform skin 30.
A platform arrangement of the present disclosure is capable of receiving and operatively connecting to a platform skin having an outer appearance of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the platform skin is sold separately while in other embodiments it is included with the platform arrangement. In an embodiment the platform skin is easily attached and removed from the platform arrangement in order to change the appearance of the hand-pushable toy vehicle. In another embodiment, the platform skin is permanently attached to the platform arrangement and sold as a complete set.
The platform arrangement may include two front wheels rotatably coupled to the platform arrangement, wherein the front wheels rotate independently of each other and two rear wheels rotatably coupled to the platform arrangement, wherein the rear wheels rotate independently of each other. In an alternative embodiment, the platform arrangement may include additional wheels rotatably coupled to the platform arrangement, wherein the additional wheels rotate independently of each other. The wheels of the present disclosure may be made of plastic, rubber, polymer, resin or some other commonly used material in the art. The wheels may resemble tractor tires, race car tires, tank chains or any variation thereof. In one embodiment, the wheels do not rotate independently of each other. In another embodiment, the wheels do not rotate at all. In a further embodiment, the wheels are coupled to the platform arrangement so when the child operator applies pressure to the left or right side of the hand-pushable toy vehicle, the toy vehicle turns in that direction. The wheels of the present disclosure may be solid, hollow, or inflatable.
The platform arrangement may include a handle arrangement extending upwardly from the platform arrangement and positioned to be held in both hands of a child operator during manipulation of the hand-pushable toy vehicle, wherein the hand-pushable toy vehicle is capable of supporting at least a portion of the child operator's weight while the child operator is in contact with the handle arrangement. The handle arrangement may include a handle and handle support. In one embodiment, the handle arrangement is two independent handles. In another embodiment, the handle arrangement is one continuous handle spanning horizontally across the hand-pushable toy vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the handle arrangement is sized to fit the hands of a child operator. The handle arrangement may include additional padding on the surface of the handle. The padding may include rubber, or silicone, a gel-like substance, foam, or any other commonly used material in the art.
In an embodiment, the platform arrangement comprises a pair of handles extending upwardly from the platform arrangement along the sides of the platform arrangement and at opposing positions between the first common mounting location and the second common mounting location, each of the handles having an adjustable height and positioned to be held in a hand of a child operator during manipulation of the hand-pushable toy vehicle.
In yet another embodiment, the hand-pushable toy vehicle comprises a pair of handles integrated into the platform skin at opposing positions and positioned to be held in a hand of a child operator during manipulation of the hand-pushable toy vehicle.
The platform arrangement of the hand-pushable toy vehicle is sized and shaped to prohibit a passenger from riding on the hand-pushable toy vehicle. In an embodiment, the platform skin is also sized and shaped to prohibit a passenger from riding on the vehicle. In an additional embodiment, the platform skin may have a seat or ledge that would support the weight of a child operator but is not intended to transport a child. In a preferred embodiment, the hand-pushable toy vehicle is designed to support at least the partial weight of a child operator. For example, as a child leans over and pushes into the vehicle using the handle or handle arrangement.
The platform skin may be constructed of injectable mold plastic, resin, polymer, wood, aluminum, carbon, steel, glass, or any other material well know in the art. In an embodiment, the platform skin is a combination of the previously mentioned materials. In an embodiment, the platform skin of the present disclosure is constructed at least partially from a piece of injectable mold plastic. In alternative embodiment, the entire platform skin is constructed of injectable mold plastic.
The platform skin may include at least one fastener for operatively connecting the platform skin to the platform arrangement. The fastener may be a tab, screw, clip, or some other attachment mechanism well known in the art. The plastic skin may include a single fastener or multiple fasteners. In an embodiment, plastic skin contains no fasteners because the platform skin and platform arrangement are not detachable.
The platform skin may resemble a truck, sedan, limousine, convertible, tank, emergency vehicle, spacecraft, buggy, race car, or other commercially available automobile. In an embodiment, the platform skin is a fire truck or a police car. In another embodiment, the platform skin is modeled after vehicles or spacecraft from popular movies or television shows. In an embodiment, the platform skin may also include detachable or non-detachable accessories. For example, a steering wheel, lights, batteries, ladders, hoses, spare tires, guns, or other accessory common to a vehicle or spacecraft.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure will include additional wheels rotatably coupled to the platform arrangement, wherein the wheels are positioned horizontally across the platform from each other. The additional pairs of wheels may be behind, in between, or in front of the front or rear wheels. The additional pairs of wheels may be adjacent to the front or rear wheels to mimic a double wheel configuration, for example, like a tractor trailer. In an embodiment, the hand-pushable toy vehicle will include wheels rotatably coupled to the front or rear of the platform arrangement for allowing the vehicle to spin in circles without moving forward or backward. Some embodiments will include wheels larger in diameter and/or width to accommodate outdoor use. Wheels designed for outdoor use may include larger and/or deeper tread patterns, or tread patterns designed for a particular environment, for example, sand, mud, grass, dirt, and/or snow. In some embodiments, the hand-pushable toy vehicle will be generally designed for outdoor use, for example, the wheels, axles, and/or overall construction of the vehicle will be stronger and/or more resilient. Outdoor wheels may comprise a more resilient rubber and/or plastic.
In an embodiment the two front wheels mount to the platform arrangement at a first common mounting location and the two rear wheels mount to the platform arrangement at a second common mounting location.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the handle arrangement is adjustable along a vertical plane. The ability to adjust the handle arrangement will make the handles more accessible to different size child operators. The range of adjustment may be from 10 inches to less than 1 inch. The adjustment will be small enough to prevent the full extension of the handle arrangement from making the hand-pushable toy vehicle become unstable when a child operators applies pressure to the vehicle. When the handle arrangement is a single handle, the adjustment will affect the overall height of the single handle. When the handle arrangement comprises at least two handles, each individual handle may be adjusted independent of each other.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the handle arrangement is adjustable along a horizontal plane. The ability to adjust the handle arrangement will allow the weight of the child operator to position toward the front or rear of the vehicle. The adjustment will be small enough to prevent the handle arrangement from making the hand-pushable toy vehicle unstable when a child operators applies pressure to the vehicle, for example, by tipping the vehicle over when pressure is applied. When the handle arrangement is a single handle, the adjustment will affect the overall horizontal position of the single handle. When the handle arrangement comprises at least two handles, each individual handle may be adjusted independent of each other.
The adjustment of the handle horizontally or vertically is accomplished using methods well known in the art, for example, as described and displayed in
In certain embodiments, handle arrangement includes a first handle and a second handle; and a first handle support and a second handle support, wherein the first handle attachment fixedly connects the first handle to the platform arrangement and the second handle attachment fixedly connects the second handle to the platform arrangement. The first handle and the first handle attachment are positioned horizontally across the platform arrangement from the second handle and second handle attachment.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the handle arrangement is wider or narrower than the platform arrangement. In an embodiment the handle arrangement is wider or narrower than the platform skin. In another embodiment the first handle and the second handle are positioned at a width greater or narrower than the platform arrangement width or the platform skin width.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the platform skin further comprises at least a first handle and a second handle, the first handle positioned horizontally across the platform arrangement from the second handle. The platform skin may comprises a handle arrangement comprising a single handle. In some cases, the present of a handle arrangement on the platform skin will mean the platform arrangement does not have a handle arrangement. In other cases, the handle arrangement will be present on both the platform skin and the platform arrangement.
In embodiments where the platform skin comprises a handle arrangement, the handle arrangement maybe wider or narrower than the platform arrangement, for example, the first handle and the second handle are positioned at a width greater than the platform arrangement width.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the hand-pushable toy vehicle comprises a platform arrangement having a front, a rear, and opposing sides, the platform arrangement is capable of receiving and operatively connecting to a platform skin having an outer appearance of a vehicle. The at least two front wheels and two rear wheels are rotatably coupled to the platform arrangement at a first common mounting location proximate to the front of the platform arrangement or rear of the platform arrangement, wherein the both the front and rear wheels rotate independently of each other.
In an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the hand-pushable toy vehicle is comprises a platform arrangement having a front, a rear, and opposing sides, the platform arrangement integrated with a platform skin having an outer appearance of a vehicle.
Certain embodiments of the present disclosure will include additional ornamental or functional features commonly found on toy vehicles or model cars. For example, a steering wheel, lights (e.g., battery operated), reflectors, ladders, and the like. The additional features may be detachable or non-detachable as part of the platform skin.
The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the disclosure. Since many embodiments of the disclosure can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.
