This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. Section 119 of Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-9676, filed Dec. 17, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a running toy system, and in particular to a running toy system having a combination of a running toy and a running path on which the running toy runs, wherein a running direction of the running toy is forcibly changed by the running path.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a running toy system wherein a running path on which a plurality of running toys runs has a running path width wherein at least two running toys can run in parallel, running directions of the plurality of running toys are the same, and a nip-and-tuck race is conducted by controlling speeds of the running toys utilizing a remote-control operation is popular. However, a running toy system where users or players can enjoy a race without the need to utilize the remote-control operation has been proposed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-209560). The system is configured such that the running toys are each provided therein with a memory that stores a respective running pattern and running speeds of the running toys are automatically changed by reading the running patterns stored in the memories, whereby the users or players can enjoy a feeling as if they are conducting a remote-control operation.
In the above-mentioned running toy system, when a plurality of running toys is caused to run on the same running path, running speeds of the running toys are automatically changed so that a running state as if a race is conducted is realized but all running directions of the running toys are the same and the running toys simply go around the running path so that users or players may get weary before long.
The present invention has been made so as to solve the above problem. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a running toy system which is based upon a novel idea quite different from conventional or heretofore proposed running toys that simply go around a running path and which can, despite running toys each being provided with a function of only running simply, provide users a new type of enjoyment that cannot be obtained in playing using the conventional or heretofore proposed running toys to compete to see which car runs the fastest.
There is provided a running toy system including: a running toy; a running path on which the running toy runs, the running path including a first running path portion with a running path width allowing running of one running toy, a second running path portion with a wider running path width allowing parallel running of at least two running toys, and a third running path portion whose width increase from one end thereof toward the other end to connect the one end thereof to the first running path portion and the other end thereof to the second running path portion; the running toy including a projecting member adapted to project laterally from a toy main body thereof; and a running lane changing member provided on a running path portion of one or both of the second running path portion and the third running path portion for forcibly changing a running lane of the running toy, wherein when the projecting member of the running toy is engaged with the running lane changing member at a running time of the running toy, the running toy changes a running lane thereof in a direction so that the running toy separates from the running lane changing member.
The running lane changing member can include an engagement plate which is formed to project in an approximately triangular shape toward the inside of the running path in plan view so as to be engaged with the projecting member. The engagement plate of the running lane changing member can have two engagement faces different in inclination angle to a running direction.
The projecting member may be provided so as to be operable to retractably project from a side face of the toy main body, so that a selection about whether the projecting member should be caused to project or to retreat can be made.
Further, the second and third running path portions may each be provided thereon with a mounting portion to which the running lane changing member is detachably attached so that the running lane changing member is attached to any of the mounting portions.
Furthermore, the first running path portion, the second running path portion, and the third running path portion may have bottom plates and side walls provided at both sides of the bottom plates in a standing manner, respectively, a running path width being defined by the side walls at both sides of the bottom plates, and the running path being formed in an endless manner by connecting the first running path portion, the second running portion, and the third running path portion. The running toy can be configured to run simply straight ahead.
Whether or not a lane on which the running toy running on the running path runs is changed is determined according to whether or not the projecting member of the running toy is engaged with the running lane changing member, and when the running toys are caused to run in directions opposite to each other, there occurs a case where the running toys can avoid a frontal collision or a case where they cannot avoid a frontal collision. Thus, a running toy system based upon a novel idea, which can provide users with a new type of enjoyment that cannot be obtained in a conventional running toy system wherein running toys are caused to run in the same direction to simply compete as to the fastest car thereof, can be provided.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, since an impact occurring when the projecting member of the running toy is engaged with an engagement face of the running lane changing member having a large inclination is made large so that a forcible lane change is performed and an impact occurring when the projecting member is engaged with an engagement face of the running lane changing member having a small inclination is made small so that a lane change is made difficult, whether or not lane change occurs can be set according to whether the running direction of the running toy is a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction even if the same running lane changing member is used.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, since whether or not the projecting member is caused to project from a side face of the running toy can be set, when the projecting member is caused to project, a running lane change is performed by the running lane changing member, and when the projecting member is not caused to project, a running lane change is not performed by the running lane changing member, so that whether the running toy is caused to run while conducting a lane change or it is caused to run without conducting a lane change can be set freely.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention, since the mounting member for mounting the running lane changing member is provided on the running path having a wide running path width, a position where running lane change should be conducted can be set freely.
Each of the running toys A does not include a steering mechanism but includes rotating driving wheels 1 that merely go straight ahead. A driving mechanism for rotating the driving wheels 1 may include a spiral spring, a motor, or the like. Any driving mechanism which causes the running toy to go straight ahead can be adopted.
As shown in
As shown in
Incidentally, the first running path portion B1 includes a curved path portion B1a formed in a curved manner and a straight path portion B1b formed in a straight manner, and the third running path portion B3 includes a third running path portion B3a whose width increases in a clockwise direction and a third running path portion B3b whose width increases in a counterclockwise direction.
An endless running path B can be formed by combining the running path portions B1 to B3 (see
The second running path portion B2 and the third running path portions B3 are formed with mounting portions 6 for mounting a running lane changing member C. The mounting portion 6 is protruded in a U-shaped manner from the wall 7 of the running path outwardly, and it is formed with a fitting hole 8 at the center thereof. The height of the mounting portion 6 is set to be lower than the height of the wall 7 of the running path.
As shown in
Regarding the engagement plate 11 of the running lane changing member C, the engagement plate 11 of the first running lane changing member C1 acting on the running toy A running in the clockwise direction is set such that an engagement face 11a having a large inclination angle is positioned on the right side and an engagement face 11b having a small inclination angle is positioned on the left side (
Incidentally, such a configuration can be adopted that the running lane changing member C1 and the running lane changing member C2 are formed in the same shape by setting the inclination angles of the engagement face 11a and the engagement 11b of the engagement plate 11 to be the same.
The height of the base stand 10 is the same as that of the wall 7 of the running path, a recessed portion 12 is formed from a bottom face of the base stand 10 in a U shape, and a fitting shaft 13 is formed at the center of the recessed portion 12 so as to project downwardly. Thus, when the fitting shaft 13 is fitted in the fitting hole 8 of the mounting portion 6, a distal end of the engagement plate 11 projects above the wall 7 of the running path to contact the projecting member 3 of the running toy A that is running, as shown in
When the engagement plate 11 is the engagement plate of the first running lane changing member C1 acting on a running toy A running in a clockwise direction, the projecting member 3 of the running toy A running in the clockwise direction contacts the engagement face 11a having the large inclination angle, and an impact due to the contact is large, so that the running toy A is flipped outwardly and the running lane thereof is changed such that the running toy A hits against the outside wall 7 of the second running path portion B2, as shown in
Incidentally, even if the inclination angles of the engagement face 11a and the engagement face 11b of the engagement plate 11 are set to be the same angle, when the running toy A proceeds from the second running path portion B2 into the first running path portion B1, the running toy A is forced to change its running lane due to contact with the engagement plate 11 but the running toy A is guided by the outside wall 7 of the first running path portion B1 so that the running toy A can be caused to proceed into the first running path portion B1.
Next, a manner of use of the running toy system with the above-mentioned configuration will be explained.
A case shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As described above, when two running toys A are caused to run on the running path B in directions opposite to each other, a case where they can go by each other and a case where they cannot go by each other to crash head-on with each other occur due to a difference between the running speeds of the running toys A, running start positions thereof, or the like, so that a running toy system based upon a novel idea, which can provide users or players with a new type of enjoyment that cannot be obtained in the conventional running toy system wherein running toys run on the running path to go around while simply competing as to the fastest one thereof, can be established.
Incidentally, in the above-mentioned running toy system, the running lane changing member C may be attached so as to act on only the running toy with the projecting member 3 protruded in a state that the projecting member 3 of one running toy (for example, the running toy Ab running in the counterclockwise direction) is rotated inside so as not to project outwardly and the projecting member 3 of the other running toy (for example, the running toy Aa running in the clockwise direction) is caused to project. When such a setting is adopted, as shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2007-9676 | Dec 2007 | JP | national |