SPACE-SAVING CHILDREN'S RIDEABLE TOY

Abstract

A rideable toy, e.g., for children, provides space-saving features compared to similar rideable toys. The toy includes a base structure with a set of driving wheels and a motor. An inflatable body is attachable to the base structure. The inflatable body introduces a space-saving feature, as it can be deflated when not in use, thus saving on storage and shipping space. The toy may also include safety features, such as electrodes that signal incorrect attachment of the inflatable body and thereby prevent operation of the toy. The toy can be controlled either by a dedicated remote control or through an application on a mobile device. The toy maty also achieve space savings from a foldable or inflatable seat, hinges to fold the base, and specific interlocking mechanisms.

Description

BACKGROUND

Ride on toys are a long standing popular product among children throughout the world. Such items include ride-in and ride-on vehicles, and the like, which are typically motorized but in some cases are manually powered. These items typically have a rideable base structure that is enclosed in a rigid themed shell, such as a sports car, a truck, or the like. However, the large, rigid themed shell poses a significant problem for both the users, retailers, and manufacturers because it causes the products to be large, heavy, and voluminous. As a result, they require significant floor space for manufacturers, shippers, retailers, and end users.

SUMMARY

To address these problems, embodiments of the invention provide an effective space-saving system for rideable toys. Specifically, various embodiments provide a space-saving rideable vehicle toy that retains the size of a typical items when in use but can be compacted when not.

In one or more embodiments, a rideable toy comprises a base structure equipped with a set of driving wheels and a motor, which is controlled via a remote control or steering mechanism attached to the base. The toy further includes an inflatable body, which not only adds interactive elements and aesthetics, but also enables significant space saving when deflated. In various embodiments, the toy may include an adjustable or foldable seat, hinges to fold the base, castor wheels for stability, and specific interlocking mechanisms between the inflatable body and base structure. A control system within the rideable toy converts commands from the remote control into signals for the motor, facilitating movement and operation.

In one or more embodiments, safety features may be installed, such as a circuit of electrodes that disable the motor if the inflatable body is not properly secured to the base structure. Embodiments of the toy may also have the added advantage of being controlled by an application run on a mobile device, providing user-friendly operation and interactive play.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a base structure of a rideable toy, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates an inflatable top structure for a rideable toy, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates an assembly of the top structure onto the base structure, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of an assembly of the top structure onto the base structure, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an embodiment of a communication system for controlling the rideable toy, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

The figures depict various embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a base structure 100 of a rideable toy, in accordance with one or more embodiments. As depicted, the base structure 100 includes a base 105, a motor 110, a pair of powered drive wheels 115, a pair of castor wheels 120, and a seat 125.

The base 105 may be formed from a single plate, or as depicted, the base 105 may have one or more hinges 130 to enable the base to be folded when not in use. When hinged, the base 105 may comprise multiple smaller plates connected by the hinges 130. The smaller plates may fold in either direction. For example, if the base 105 is attached to a seat 125 on a top surface of the base 105, the hinges 130 may be attached to enable the smaller plates of the base 105 to fold towards an opposite bottom surface thereof. Alternatively, the hinges 130 may be arranged to enable the smaller plates of the base 105 to fold upwards towards the seat 125. The hinges 130 may enable the smaller plates of the base 105 to fold partially (i.e., less than 180 degrees) or fully (i.e., 180 degrees) for maximum space savings.

In the embodiment shown, the base structure 100 includes two drive wheels 115 attached to the base 105 on opposite sides. In other embodiments, the base structure 100 includes a single drive wheel 115, which may be placed in the center of the base structure 100 and possibly wide enough to provide stability to the base structure 100. The drive wheels 115 are coupled to the motor 110, which is configured to drive each of the drive wheels 115 independently and forward or backward. This way, by driving just two wheels 115, the motor 110 can turn the base structure 100 in either linear direction, forward or backward, and in either rotation, right or left.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the base structure 100 includes only two drive wheels 115, which, as discussed above, can move the base structure 100 in any direction. The castor wheels 120 placed at a front and back of the base 105 by applying three or four points of contact with the ground, and thereby stabilize the base structure 100 and prevent it from dragging on the ground when in use. More generally, the castor wheels 120 are located at any point not on a line between the driving wheels 115, so that the castor wheels 120 provide stabilizing support to prevent the base structure 100 from dragging on the ground when the rideable toy is moving. Alternative structures other than castor wheels 120 may be used for the same or similar purpose.

As depicted, the seat 125 is attached to a top surface of the base 105. The seat 125 may be a rigid structure, which may be detachable to the base 105 for easier storage and space savings. Alternatively, the seat 125 may fold up against the base 105 to increase the compactness of the base structure 100. In yet other embodiments, the base structure 100 may not include a seat, which instead may be provided by an inflatable structure that is later attached to the base structure 100 (discussed below).

FIG. 2 illustrates a top structure 200 for a rideable toy, in accordance with one or more embodiments. The top structure 200 includes an inflatable body 205, which may be shaped for any desired theme, such as a vehicle, an animal, or other form desired for a rideable toy. The inflatable body 205 can be inflated to a size and shape for use when riding the toy. In one or more embodiments, the inflatable body 205 is formed from a resilient material, like a plastic, which contains one or more air bladders that when inflated with air take the desired shape of the shell of the rideable toy. The inflatable body 205 is shaped to include an outer shell formed around an inner cavity 210, which is shaped and sized to enable a person (e.g., a child) to sit within the cavity 210 when riding on or in the toy.

In one or more embodiments, the inflatable body 205 also forms a seat on which a rider can sit. Forming a seat of a rider with the inflatable body 205 obviates the need for the seat 125, shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1. Since the seat 125 may be formed of a rigid material, eliminating the seat 125 with an equivalent structure formed by the inflatable body 205 provides additional space saving that enables the rideable toy to be compacted into a smaller form.

In one or more embodiments, the top structure 200 also includes an apron 215 that is attached around at least part of, and possibly the entirety of, a bottom circumference of the inflatable body 205. The apron 215 may be connected to the inflatable body 205 along its outside perimeter, its inside perimeter, or both. The apron 215 may not inflate like the inflatable body 205, but rather hangs from the inflatable body 205. When the top structure 200 is placed on top of the base structure 100, the apron 215 may hang over a portion of the base structure 100, including where the top structure 200 and base structure 100 interface.

FIG. 3 illustrates an assembly of the top structure 200 onto the base structure 100. As illustrated, the top structure 200 is placed over the base structure 100 so that the seat 125 lays within the inner cavity 210 of the inflatable body 205 of the top structure 200. When the top structure 200 is installed, the apron 215 is wrapped around at least a top portion of the base 105. In one or more embodiments, the apron 215 may include a gasket affixed around it to create a seal between the apron of the top structure 200 and the base 105. Such a seal may use plugs, screws, or the like to increase the durability of the gasket. The gasket may either be on the outer or the inner perimeter of the inflatable body 205.

In one or more embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the base structure 100 further includes one or more electrodes 140 disposed on the base 105 in a location that contacts a conductive portion of the top structure 200 when installed on the base structure 100. For example, when the top structure 200 is installed onto the base structure 100, the electrodes are activated (e.g., shorted by a conductive portion of the top structure 200). As discussed in more detail below, the electrodes 140 are coupled to the motor 110 to disable or enable the motor 110. In this way, the rideable toy is usable only when the top structure 200 is installed properly.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of an assembly of the top structure 200 onto the base structure 100. In this embodiment, the top structure 200 is fixed to the base structure 100 by a non-inflating rigid bottom portion 410 attached to the inflatable body 205 within the cavity 210. When the top structure 200 is placed over the base structure 100, a gasket 420 is placed over the rigid bottom portion 410 of the top structure 200. Then, screws 430 are inserted through the gasket 420, the rigid bottom portion 410 of the top structure 200, and into corresponding holes in the base structure to attach the top structure 200 to the base structure 100. In other embodiments, different types of fasteners or mechanical affixing mechanisms can be used.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an embodiment of a communication system for controlling the rideable toy, in accordance with one or more embodiments. As shown, a remote control 510 sends signals to the base structure 100, which includes a control system 530 that receives the signals. The remote control 510 may be physically untethered from the toy but wirelessly coupled to it to control the toy. The remote control 510 may be a dedicated remote control specifically designed for the rideable toy, or it may be an application that runs on a mobile device, such as a mobile phone. The remote control 510 communicates with the control system 530 on the toy via a network 520, which may use a short range protocol like Bluetooth because the person using the remote control 510 is likely sitting on the base structure 100 and is thus in close proximity to it.

The control system 530 may be physically attached to the base structure 100, which may be rigid, for stability. In response to receiving a request signal from the remote control 510, the control system 530 generates one or more driving signals for the motor, which is mechanically coupled to turn the driving wheels 115. The request signals from the remote control 510 may include, for example, forward, backwards, left, right, and stop. In response to receiving one of these signals, the control system 530 translates these commands into driving signals for the motor 110 that would achieve the corresponding command. For example, a received signal associated with the command of right may cause the control system 530 to generate driving signals for the motor 110 that would cause the motor to turn a right driving wheel 115 backwards, a left driving wheel 115 to turn forward, or both, thereby causing the rideable toy to turn right. It is understood that one of skill in the art could achieve various driving motions of the car by mapping appropriate commands from the remote control 510 to various combinations of driving signals. A user may thus operate the rideable toy either in or on the toy, or even a short distance away from it as long as a minimum distance between the remote control 510 and base structure 100 is maintained to enable communication over the network 520.

In one or more other embodiments, instead of a remote control, the rideable toy includes a steering control that is fixed to the base structure 100 and performs the functionality of the remote control 510 discussed above. Although such a design may make the rideable toy bulkier, it obviates the need for the remote control 510, and it could be foldable to minimize the additional bulk and to enable additional space savings for storage.

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure. Specifically, other variations may be included in providing a method of connecting the inflatable body to the base as well as arrangements of the drive units.

Moreover, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A rideable toy comprising: a base structure;a set of driving wheels rotatably coupled to the base structure, wherein the base structure is supported by the set of driving wheels;a motor attached to the base structure and coupled to the set of driving wheels, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the set of driving wheels in response to one or more control signals;a control system communicatively coupled to the motor, wherein the control system is configured to communicate with a remote control to receive one or more driving commands, convert the one or more driving commands to one or more control signals, and then transmit the one or more control signals to the motor; andan inflatable body that includes an interface for attaching the inflatable body to the base structure, wherein the inflatable body forms a cavity therewithin to enable a rider to fit within the cavity.

2. The rideable toy of claim 1, wherein the set of driving wheels comprises two driving wheels, each driving wheel coupled on an opposing side of the base structure.

3. The rideable toy of claim 2, further comprising: a castor wheel mounted to the base structure at a location away from a line between the two driving wheels, such that the castor wheel and two driving wheels form a triangle that stabilizes the base structure.

4. The rideable toy of claim 1, wherein the base structure comprises a plurality of panels connected by hinges, wherein the plurality of panels are foldable to reduce a footprint of the base structure.

5. The rideable toy of claim 1, further comprising: a seat mounted to the base structure.

6. The rideable toy of claim 5, wherein the seat is foldable against the base structure to reduce a dimension thereof.

7. The rideable toy of claim 1, wherein the inflatable body includes one or more air bladders that, when inflated, form a seat.

8. The rideable toy of claim 1, wherein the inflatable body includes an apron that fits around the base structure when the inflatable body is mounted onto the base structure.

9. The rideable toy of claim 1, wherein the inflatable body includes a rigid portion that is mountable to the base structure using a gasket and a set of fasteners.

10. The rideable toy of claim 1, wherein the base structure includes a set of electrodes coupled to the control system, wherein the set of electrodes are configured to provide a signal to the control system indicating whether the inflatable body is mounted to the base structure.

11. The rideable toy of claim 10, wherein the control system is configured to prevent activation of the motor in response to receiving a signal indicating that the inflatable body is not mounted to the base structure.

12. The rideable toy of claim 1, wherein the remote control is physically untethered from the base structure.

13. The rideable toy of claim 1, wherein the remote control comprises a mobile device executing an application.