Claims
- 1. A plural-speed miniature treaded toy vehicle for use with electrical battery means that comprise a dry-cell battery, and for both generally conventional-toy operation at at least one speed on a generally flat surface and climbing-toy operation at at least one reduced speed with greater torque on a steep and/or irregular surface; said vehicle having, when such battery means are in use therewith, major weight components positioned to provide a generally symmetrical, compact, balanced and relatively low arrangement that enhances such climbing-toy operation; said vehicle comprising:
- a chassis that has a front end and a rear end;
- rotary driving means mounted to the chassis for rolling rotation about at least one laterally extending front axis and at least one laterally extending rear axis;
- endless-belt tread means supported from and driven by the rotary driving means, and disposed to engage such surfaces to propel the vehicle relative such surfaces;
- means mounted to the chassis to releasably support such electrical battery means;
- an electric motor mounted to the chassis, and having a driveshaft;
- means on the chassis for electrically connecting such battery means, when supported in the supporting means, to the motor, so that such battery means power the motor driveshaft;
- a speed-reduction mechanism mounted to the chassis and connecting the motor driveshaft to said wheel means to transmit rotation from the driveshaft to the rotary driving means with a mechanical advantage, said speed-reduction mechanism comprising, rotatably mounted to each of said front and rear ends of the chassis,
- a worm adapted to be powered by the motor shaft,
- a worm gear adapted to engage and be driven by the worm, and
- an axle positioned at a corresponding one of the front and rear axes; and
- means associated with the speed-reduction mechanism for selecting among a plurality of values of the mechanical advantage, including at least one value providing such generally conventional-toy operation for generally flat surfaces and at least one other value providing such climbing-toy operation with greater torque for steep and/or irregular surfaces;
- the rotary driving means comprising front rotary driving means mounted to the axle that is mounted to the front end of the chassis, and rear rotary driving means mounted to the axle that is mounted to the rear end of the chassis;
- the front and rear rotary driving means being adapted to be powered respectively by the worm gears that are mounted to the front and rear ends of the chassis; and
- the tread means comprising an endless-belt tread that is looped over, suspended between, and driven by both of the front and rear rotary driving means;
- at least major portions of the motor and of such battery means, when such battery means are supported in the supporting means, being at approximately the same height as the rotary driving means, to particularly enhance such climbing-toy operation at said other value on such steep and/or irregular surfaces; and
- the speed-reduction mechanism comprises, rotatably mounted to the housing at each of said front and rear ends,
- a driver gear adapted and disposed to be powered from the motor shaft, and
- two spur-gear-and-worm clusters adapted and disposed to be powered by the driver gear, the said worm that is adapted to be powered by the motor shaft being provided selectably by either one of the two spur-gear-and-worm clusters;
- the worm gear is shiftable relative to the spur-gear-and-worm clusters, to engage and be driven by either of the two spur-gear-and-worm clusters;
- the axle is adapted and disposed to be driven by the worm gear; and
- the rotary driving means are adapted and disposed to be driven by the axle.
- 2. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein:
- each of the two spur-gear-and-worm clusters comprises a spur-gear section and a worm section;
- the spur-gear section of a first one of the two spur-gear-and-worm clusters is adapted and disposed to be driven by the driver gear; and
- the spur-gear section of the other one of the two spur-gear-and-worm clusters is adapted and disposed to be driven by the spur-gear section of the first spur-gear-and-worm cluster.
- 3. The toy vehicle of claim 2, wherein the respective worm sections are of opposite pitch.
- 4. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein:
- each of the two spur-gear-and-worm clusters comprises a spur-gear section and a worm section;
- the spur-gear section of each of the two spur-gear-and-worm clusters is adapted and disposed to be driven directly by the driver gear.
- 5. The toy vehicle of claim 4, wherein the respective worm sections are not of opposite pitch.
- 6. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein:
- said establishing and selecting means comprise manually manipulable means for effectuating the said selecting among plural values; whereby such user by manipulating the effectuating means may operate the vehicle either as a generally conventional toy or as a climbing toy;
- the said effectuating means are accessible to such user at the side of the toy vehicle housing while the vehicle rests upon such surfaces, and are manipulable by finger pressure applied in that area;
- whereby such user by applying such finger pressure without removing the vehicle from such surfaces may operate the vehicle either as a generally conventional toy or as a climbing toy, in which latter instance the tread means and greater torque cooperate to provide particularly enhanced climbing-toy operation for extremely steep and/or irregular surfaces.
- 7. The toy vehicle of claim 2, wherein:
- said establishing and selecting means comprise manually manipulable means for effectuating the said selecting among plural values; whereby such user by manipulating the effectuating means may operate the vehicle either as a generally conventional toy or as a climbing toy;
- the said effectuating means are accessible to such user at the side of the toy vehicle housing while the vehicle rests upon such surfaces, and are manipulable by finger pressure applied in that area;
- whereby such user by applying such finger pressure without removing the vehicle from such surfaces may operate the vehicle either as a generally conventional toy or as a climbing toy, in which latter instance the tread means and greater torque cooperate to provide particularly enhanced climbing-toy operation for extremely steep and/or irregular surfaces.
- 8. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein:
- said establishing and selecting means comprise manually manipulable means for effectuating the said selecting among plural values; whereby such user by manipulating the effectuating means may operate the vehicle either as a generally conventional toy or as a climbing toy;
- the said effectuating means are accessible to such user at the side of the toy vehicle housing while the vehicle rests upon such surfaces, and are manipulable by finger pressure applied in that area;
- the establishing and selecting means are also operable for disengaging the worm gear entirely from both spur-gear-and-worm clusters, thereby disengaging the rotary driving means from the motor shaft to place the toy vehicle in "rolling neutral"; and
- the effectuating means are manipulable to effectuate such disengaging, alternative to effectuating such selecting of mechanical advantage; whereby such user by applying such finger pressure without removing the vehicle from such surfaces may:
- (1) place the toy vehicle in "rolling neutral"; or
- (2) operate the vehicle as a generally conventional toy on generally flat surfaces; or
- (3) operate the vehicle as a climbing toy on relatively steep and irregular surfaces, in which case the tread means and greater torque cooperate to provide particularly enhanced climbing-toy operation for extremely steep and/or irregular surfaces.
- 9. The toy vehicle of claim 2, wherein:
- said establishing and selecting means comprise manually manipulable means for effectuating the said selecting among plural values; whereby such user by manipulating the effectuating means may operate the vehicle either as a generally conventional toy or as a climbing toy;
- the said effectuating means are accessible to such user at the side of the toy vehicle housing while the vehicle rests upon such surfaces, and are manipulable by finger pressure applied in that area;
- the establishing and selecting means are also operable for disengaging the worm gear entirely from both spur-gear-and-worm clusters, thereby disengaging the rotary driving means from the motor shaft to place the toy vehicle in "rolling neutral"; and
- the effectuating means are manipulable to effectuate such disengaging, alternative to effectuating such selecting of mechanical advantage; whereby such user by applying such finger pressure without removing the vehicle from such surfaces may:
- (1) place the toy vehicle in "rolling neutral"; or
- (2) operate the vehicle as a generally conventional toy on generally flat surfaces; or
- (3) operate the vehicle as a climbing toy on relatively steep and irregular surfaces, in which case the tread means and greater torque cooperate to provide particularly enhanced climbing-toy operation for extremely steep and/or irregular surfaces.
- 10. The toy vehicle of claim 8, also comprising electrical contact means for:
- completing an electrical connection between the motor and such battery, when such battery is received by the housing and the worm gear is engaged with either of the two spur-gear-and-worm clusters; and
- interrupting the electrical connection when the worm gear is not engaged with either spur-gear-and-worm cluster;
- said completing and interrupting means being actuated by the effectuating means, whereby such user by applying such finger pressure without removing the vehicle from such surfaces may:
- (1) operate the toy as an unpowered rolling toy vehicle; or
- (2) operate the toy vehicle as a generally conventional toy on generally flat surfaces; or
- (3) operate the toy vehicle as a climbing vehicle on relatively steep and irregular surfaces, in which case the tread means and greater torque cooperate to provide particularly enhanced climbing-toy operation for extremely steep and/or irregular surfaces.
- 11. The toy vehicle of claim 9, also comprising electrical contact means for:
- completing an electrical connection between the motor and such battery, when such battery is received by the housing and the worm gear is engaged with either of the two spur-gear-and-worm clusters; and
- interrupting the electrical connection when the worm gear is not engaged with either spur-gear-and-worm cluster;
- said completing and interrupting means being actuated by the effectuating means, whereby such user by applying such finger pressure without removing the vehicle from such surfaces may:
- (1) operate the toy as an unpowered rolling toy vehicle; or
- (2) operate the toy vehicle as a generally conventional toy on generally flat surfaces; or
- (3) operate the toy vehicle as a climbing vehicle on relatively steep and irregular surfaces, in which case the tread means and greater torque cooperate to provide particularly enhanced climbing-toy operation for extremely steep and/or irregular surfaces.
- 12. A miniature electrically self-powered treaded toy vehicle capable of climbing over rough terrain and obstacles as well as up steep inclines, said vehicle having major weight components positioned to provide a generally symmetrical, compact, balanced, and relatively low arrangement, while also providing adequate ground clearance in the area between the front and rear tread drivers, said vehicle comprising:
- a frame having a pair of opposed sides;
- front rotary driving means and rear rotary driving means mounted to the frame for rolling rotation about respectively mutually parallel but spaced-apart front and rear axes, the distance between the front and rear axes being generally about two inches;
- endless-belt tread means looped over, suspended between, and driven by both of the front and rear rotary driving means;
- an electric motor mounted adjacent to one of said sides of the frame, and having a driveshaft which is perpendicular to the two axes and extends both fore and aft from the motor;
- means mounted to the frame to releasably support electrical battery means, the battery means comprising an elongated dry-cell battery, said battery being located adjacent the other of said sides of the frame in a position with its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the driveshaft and extending substantially the full distance between said front and rear axes, the motor and battery substantially occupying the full width between said opposed sides of the frame, said motor being positioned between said axes and being substantially shorter than the distance between said axes to provide a pair of transmission spaces, one fore and one aft of the motor;
- means for electrically connecting such battery means, when the battery means are supported in the supporting means, to the motor, so that the battery means power the motor; and
- a pair of transmission means, each at least partially disposed in one of said transmission spaces and each comprising a speed reduction mechanism connecting one end of the driveshaft to one of the rotary driving means to transmit rotation from the driveshaft to such rotary driving means with reduced speed and with increased power;
- at least a major portion of said battery, motor and transmission means being at approximately the same height as said front and rear rotary driving means, said frame, motor, battery and transmission means not protruding any appreciable distance below the level of said front and rear axes in the area between said front and rear rotary driving means.
- 13. The toy vehicle of claim 12 wherein, transverse to the driveshaft, said motor is generally rectangular, having a shorter dimension and a longer dimension, said motor being positioned with said shorter dimension extending between said battery means and the frame side.
- 14. The toy vehicle of claim 12 wherein said motor is generally equally distant between said front and rear axes.
- 15. The toy vehicle of claim 12 wherein each of said transmission means comprises a worm driven by the motor, and a worm gear that is driven by the worm and that drives a rotary driving means.
- 16. The toy vehicle of claim 12 said tread means having such flexibility and length as to significantly preserve such ground clearance when the vehicle climbs over objects that can fit between the front and rear rotary driving means.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 438,510, filed Nov. 2, 1982, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 417,554 filed Sept. 13, 1982. Ser. No. 417,554 itself was a continuation-in-part of then-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 233,495, filed Feb. 11, 1981, and now abandoned. The latter application was in turn a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 121,645, filed Feb. 14, 1980, and issued Dec. 22, 1981, as U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,375.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Related Publications (1)
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417554 |
Sep 1982 |
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Continuation in Parts (3)
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438510 |
Nov 1982 |
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233495 |
Feb 1981 |
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121645 |
Feb 1980 |
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