Patent Application
20110124423
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rocking horse and, more particularly, to a rocking horse that is marchable and steerable in addition to on-site rocking.
2. Description of the Related Art
A type of rocking horse includes a seat, a horse head-shaped plate fixed on a front end of the seat, and a handlebar on opposite sides of the horse head-shaped plate. An arcuate frame is fixed by front and rear support beams to the seat, allowing the rocking horse to rock on the ground when a user moves his or her body. However, the rocking horse can merely rock on the site.
Thus, a need exists for a rocking horse that can march in addition to on-site rocking.
The present invention solves this need and other problems in the field of movable rocking horses by providing, in a preferred form, a marchable and steerable rocking horse including a main frame having a seat and an arcuate frame spaced from the seat in a vertical direction. The seat includes front and rear ends spaced in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. The front end of the seat includes upper and lower faces spaced in the vertical direction. The lower face includes left and right sides spaced in a width direction perpendicular to the vertical and longitudinal directions. The main frame is rockable in the longitudinal direction when the arcuate frame is located on a ground. A left leg includes an upper end pivotably connected to the left side of the lower face of the front end of the seat and a lower end spaced from the upper end of the left leg in the vertical direction. The lower end of the left leg slightly extends beyond a bottom face of the arcuate frame. A right leg includes an upper end pivotably connected to the right side of the lower face of the front end of the seat and a lower end spaced from the upper end of the right leg in the vertical direction. The lower end of the right leg slightly extends beyond the bottom face of the arcuate frame in the vertical direction. The main frame moves forward in the longitudinal direction when the lower ends of the left and right legs contact the ground while the main frame rocking in the longitudinal direction. A steering mechanism includes a handlebar mounted above the upper face of the front end of the seat. A steering rod is fixed to the handlebar and rotatably extends from the upper face through the lower face of the front end of the seat. An actuating rod is fixed to and extends transversely to the steering rod and allows the handlebar to rotate relative to the seat.
A first end of the actuating rod presses against the left leg when the handlebar is rotated in a first direction, lifting the lower end of the left leg above the ground so that the main frame turns leftward while the main frame rocking in the longitudinal direction. A second end of the actuating rod presses against the right leg when the handlebar is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction, lifting the lower end of the right leg above the ground so that the main frame turns rightward while the main frame rocking in the longitudinal direction.
In the most preferred form, the arcuate frame includes left and right arcuate beams spaced in the width direction. The lower ends of the left and right legs are intermediate the left and right arcuate beams in the width direction. The main frame further includes a front connecting plate interconnected between the left and right arcuate beams. The front connecting plate is located in front of the left and right legs in the longitudinal direction. A cushioning member is mounted to the lower end of each of the left and right legs. The left leg is at a first acute angle to a first vertical line and located behind the first vertical line in the longitudinal direction when the cushioning member of the left leg comes in contact with the front connecting plate. The right leg is at a second acute angle to a second vertical line and located behind the second vertical line in the longitudinal direction when the cushioning member of the right leg comes in contact with the front connecting plate. Furthermore, a spring is mounted between each of the left and right legs and the seat to return the left and right legs. Further, the main frame further includes a front support beam located interconnected between the seat and the arcuate frame. A movable plate is pivotably mounted to the front support beam. The movable plate is pivotable between a first position pressing against the left and right legs to prevent the lower ends of the left and right legs move beyond the bottom face of the arcuate frame in the vertical direction, allowing on-site rocking of the main frame in the longitudinal direction and a second position not pressing against the left and right legs such that the main frame marches in the longitudinal direction when the lower ends of the left and right legs contact the ground while the main frame rocking in the longitudinal direction.
The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments of this invention described in connection with the drawings.
The illustrative embodiments may best be described by reference to the accompanying drawings where:
All figures are drawn for ease of explanation of the basic teachings of the present invention only; the extensions of the figures with respect to number, position, relationship, and dimensions of the parts to form the preferred embodiments will be explained or will be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood. Further, the exact dimensions and dimensional proportions to conform to specific force, weight, strength, and similar requirements will likewise be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood.
A marchable and steerable rocking horse according to the preferred teachings of the present invention is shown in the drawings and includes a main frame 1 having a seat 11 and an arcuate frame 12 spaced from the seat 11 in a vertical direction. The seat 11 includes front and rear ends spaced in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. The front end of the seat 11 includes upper and lower faces spaced in the vertical direction. The lower face includes left and right sides spaced in a width direction perpendicular to the vertical and longitudinal directions. Front and rear support beams 131 and 132 are interconnected between the seat 11 and the arcuate frame 12. In the most preferred form shown, the arcuate frame 12 includes left and right arcuate beams spaced in the width direction. Front and rear connecting plates 14 and 15 are interconnected between the left and right arcuate beams. The main frame 1 is rockable in the longitudinal direction when the arcuate frame 12 is located on the ground.
In the preferred form shown, the rocking horse further includes a moving leg mechanism 2 having left and right pivotal seats 21 and 22 respectively formed in the left and right sides of the lower face of the front end of the seat 11 of the main frame 1. The left pivotal seat 21 receives an upper end of a left leg 25. A left pin 28 extends through the upper end of the left leg 25 and a pin hole in the left pivotal seat 21, allowing pivotal movement of the left leg 25 relative to the left pivotal seat 21. A left elastic element 23 in the preferred form shown as a torsion spring is mounted between the upper end of the left leg 25 and the seat 11 for returning the left leg 25. The left leg 25 further includes a lower end spaced from the upper end of the left leg 25 in the vertical direction. The lower end of the left leg 25 slightly extends beyond a bottom face of the arcuate frame 12. The right pivotal seat 22 receives an upper end of a right leg 26. A right pin 28 extends through the upper end of the right leg 26 and a pin hole in the right pivotal seat 22, allowing pivotal movement of the right leg 26 relative to the right pivotal seat 22. A right elastic element 24 in the form of a torsion spring is mounted between the upper end of the right leg 26 and the seat 11 for returning the right leg 26. The right leg 26 further includes a lower end spaced from the upper end of the right leg 26 in the vertical direction. The lower end of the right leg 26 slightly extends beyond the bottom face of the arcuate frame 12 in the vertical direction. The lower ends of the left and right legs 25 and 26 are intermediate the left and right arcuate beams in the width direction. The front connecting plate 14 is located in front of the left and right legs 25 and 26 in the longitudinal direction. In the most preferred form shown, a cushioning member 251, 261 made of rubber or the like is mounted to the lower end of each of the left and right legs 25 and 26.
Each of the left and right legs 25 and 26 is at an acute angle Y of about 2°-5° to a vertical line X and located behind the vertical line X in the longitudinal direction when the cushioning member 251, 261 of the leg 25, 26 comes in contact with the front connecting plate 14. Thus, the main frame 1 moves forward in the longitudinal direction when the lower ends of the left and right legs 25 and 26 contact the ground while the main frame 1 rocking in the longitudinal direction (see
In the preferred form shown, the rocking horse further includes a steering mechanism 3 including a handlebar 31, a steering rod 32, and an actuating rod 33. The handlebar 31 is mounted above the upper face of the front end of the seat 11. In the most preferred form shown, the handlebar 31 includes a horse head-shaped plate and a pair of handle grips on opposite sides of the horse head-shaped plate. The steering rod 32 is fixed to the handlebar 31 and rotatably extending from the upper face through the lower face of the front end of the seat 11. The actuating rod 33 is fixed to and extends transversely to the steering rod 32 and allows the handlebar 31 to rotate relative to the seat 11. The actuating rod 33 includes first and second ends.
In the preferred form shown, the rocking horse further includes a positioning mechanism 4 having movable plate 41 pivotably mounted to the front support beam 131 by a hinge plate 42, so that the movable plate 41 can move relative to the front support beam 131 between a first, extended position and a second, folded position.
The rocking horse according to the preferred teachings of the present invention can turn when desired. Specifically, when the handlebar 31 is rotated rightward, the second end of the actuating rod 33 presses against the right leg 26 (
It can be appreciated that the movable plate 41 is in the second, folded position not pressing against the left and right legs 25 and 26 such that the main frame 1 marches in the longitudinal direction when the lower ends of the left and right legs 25 and 26 intermittently contact the ground while the main frame rocking in the longitudinal direction.
On the other hand, when the movable plate 41 is moved to the first, extended position (
Thus since the invention disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof, some of which forms have been indicated, the embodiments described herein are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is to be indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.
