Patent Application
20230138167
The present invention relates to the field of toy vehicles and, in particular, to track pieces for toy vehicles that include new connection arrangements.
Toy vehicles continue to be popular products. Trackways for use with toy vehicles may be set up in multiple configurations. They may be open or closed looped. The toy vehicles used on the trackways can be free-wheeling unpowered vehicles or vehicles which utilize an on-board power drive mechanism. Generally, track pieces may be connected together to create a trackway in multiple configurations. As new track pieces are developed, legacy connector arrangements may not be compatible. However, greater flexibility in arrangements of legacy track pieces with new track pieces may be desirable, for example, to increase or extend the play value of a track set. Moreover, connector arrangements that allow new and interesting track set configurations are continuously desired, since such new configurations add play value to new and/or existing track sets.
The present invention relates to a connection arrangement for a tile for a toy vehicle. In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, a tile track piece for a toy vehicle includes: a first face; a first set of primary connection assemblies of a first type disposed on the first face, each primary connection assembly including a male coupler and a female coupler configured to engage corresponding connectors of a second set of primary connection assemblies included on a second tile; and a first set of receiving portions of secondary connection assemblies disposed on the first face, wherein each secondary connection assembly is a second type of connection assembly, and wherein each receiving portion is configured to receive at least a portion of a connector.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a tile track piece, wherein: the first set of primary connection assemblies includes two or more primary connection assemblies; and the first set of receiving portions of the secondary connection assemblies includes two or more receiving portions.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a tile track piece, wherein each receiving portion of the first set of receiving portions further includes a through-hole configured to receive at least a portion of a locking protrusion of the connector.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a tile track piece, further including: a second face perpendicular to the first face; and a second set of receiving portions disposed on the second face.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a tile track piece, wherein the tile track piece further includes another set of primary connection assemblies on the second face.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a tile track piece, wherein each receiving portion of the first set of receiving portions is disposed between the male coupler and the female coupler of each primary connection assembly.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a tile track piece, further including a plurality of lateral faces wherein each lateral face of the plurality of lateral faces includes a set of primary connection assemblies and a set of receiving portions of the second type of connection assembly.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method of connecting at least three track pieces for a toy vehicle, the method including: coupling a first tile track piece to a second tile track piece via a primary connection assembly of a first connection type; and coupling an elongated track piece to the first tile track piece via a secondary connection assembly of a second connection type.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein coupling the first tile track piece to the second tile track piece includes: mating a first male coupler of the first tile track piece with a second female coupler of the second tile track piece; and mating a second male coupler of the second tile track piece with a first female coupler of the first tile track piece.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein coupling the elongated track piece to the first tile track piece includes: inserting a first engaging portion of a connector into a first slot of the secondary connection assembly disposed in the first tile track piece; and inserting a second engaging portion of the connector into a second slot disposed in the elongated track piece.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including: coupling a second elongated track piece to the second tile track piece including: inserting a third engaging portion of a second connector into a third slot of a secondary connection assembly disposed in the second tile track piece; and inserting a fourth engaging portion of the second connector into a fourth slot disposed in the second elongated track piece.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a track piece for a toy vehicle including: a tile having a substantially flat front lateral face, a substantially flat back lateral face, a substantially flat first side lateral face, a substantially flat second side lateral face, each lateral face having: two primary connection assemblies of a first connection type, each primary connection assembly configured to engage a primary connection assembly of a second tile, and two slots of secondary connection assemblies of a second connection type, wherein each slot is configured to receive at least a portion of a connector; and a top face perpendicular to each lateral face.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a track piece, wherein each primary connection assembly includes a male coupler protruding from a corresponding face, and a female coupler extending into the corresponding face.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a track piece, wherein each slot of the secondary connection assembly is disposed between the male coupler and the female coupler of each primary connection assembly.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a track piece, further including the connector that extends from an elongated track piece having the second connection type.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a track piece, wherein the connector is configured to engage a second slot of a second track having the second connection type.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a track piece, wherein at least two faces of the tile each include a third primary connection assembly.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a track piece, wherein at least two faces of the tile each include a third secondary connection assembly.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a toy play set including the track piece and further including: the second tile; and one or more additional elongated track pieces.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a toy play set, wherein the toy play set is configurable into a plurality of configurations.
To complete the description and in order to provide for a better understanding of the present invention, a set of drawings is provided. The drawings form an integral part of the description and illustrate an embodiment of the present invention, which should not be interpreted as restricting the scope of the invention, but just as an example of how the invention can be carried out. The drawings comprise the following figures:
The following description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is given solely for the purpose of describing the broad principles of the invention. Embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example, with reference to the above-mentioned drawings showing elements and results according to the present invention.
Generally, a tile track piece for a toy vehicle (referred to hereafter as “tile” for clarity) as presented herein includes a primary connection assembly having a first connection type and a secondary connection assembly having a second connection type. The primary connection assembly is configured to directly connect or couple the tile to another tile having a second primary connection assembly. Additionally, other track pieces (e.g., play sets, boosters, elongated tracks, etc.) may be coupled to the tile via the primary connection assembly. The secondary connection assembly is configured to connect the tile to track pieces (e.g., play sets, boosters, elongated tracks, etc.) via a second connection type, different from the first connection type. The second connection type may be a legacy connection type.
The connection assemblies allow any number of tiles and track pieces to be connected in a desired configuration to define one or more vehicle pathways. For example, the primary connection assembly may connect a tile with another tile along a first lateral face of the tile so that the two tiles define at least a first vehicle pathway along which a toy vehicle can travel. Meanwhile, the secondary connection assembly can connect the tile to a track piece (e.g., a legacy or standard type of track piece) along a second lateral face of the tile so that the connected tile and track piece define a second vehicle pathway along which a toy vehicle can travel. Thus, a user can build playsets resembling or including city blocks, tracks/trackways, or some combination thereof.
The tile track pieces presented herein may include or define a trackway/pathways and/or playsets/play features, such as an accelerating device for accelerating the toy vehicles on the vehicle pathway. Such accelerating devices are known generally in the art as “boosters” and often include one or more motor-driven rotating wheels adjacent to a vehicle pathway. As a toy vehicle passes through the booster, the rotating wheels temporarily engage the passing toy vehicle and impart a force thereto.
Now referring to
In the depicted embodiment, a top face 105 of the tiles 100, 100′ includes vehicle pathways 107 and play features 108 (e.g., sidewalks, buildings, parking garages, etc.). The primary and secondary connection assemblies 200, 300 are aligned with the pathway 107 of the tile 100, which aligns the pathway 107 with a pathway 107′ of a connected track piece 100′ and/or of an elongated track piece 120 and/or 130. Notably, when a tile is connected directly with another tile, such as the three-tile layout between tile 100 and two tiles 100′ shown in
The secondary connection assembly 300 is a different type of connection assembly than connection assembly 200. For example, the secondary connection assembly 300 may be a traditional or legacy connection system having a connector 310, separate from the tile 100, 100′, configured to engage receiving assemblies (described below with reference to
The front face 101 includes two primary connection assemblies 200, 200′ and two receiving assemblies 320, 320′ each corresponding to secondary connection assemblies 300, 300′ of
In the depicted embodiment, each male coupler 210, 210′ includes a head 212, 212′, a neck 214, 214′, and a vertically extending gap 216, 216′ defining prongs 218, 218′. The prongs 218, 218′ resiliently flex into the gap 216, 216′ of the head 212, 212′ allowing the head 212, 212′ to resiliently engage and disengage with the female coupler 220′, 220.
Meanwhile, each female coupler 220, 220′ is configured to receive a corresponding male coupler 210′, 210 of the other tile 100′ and/or the elongated track 120. Thus, in the depicted embodiment, each female coupler 220, 220′ comprises a groove 222, 222′ extending into the front face 101. Each groove 222, 222′ is configured to conform to a corresponding head 212′, 212 of the other tile 100′. That is, the heads 212′, 212 of the other tile 100′ are received by the female couplers 220, 220′ with an interference fit. Thus, the tiles 100 and 100′ may by directly coupled to each other via the primary connection assemblies 200, 200′. Moreover, the substantially flat faces 101-104 of the tiles 100, 100′ do not obstruct the primary connection assemblies 200, 200′ and enable the tiles 100, 100′ to be in close contact with one another when coupled together.
Still referring to
Each receiving assembly 320, 320′ is configured to receive at least portion of a corresponding traditional or legacy connector 310 of (see
The receiving assemblies 320, 320′ enable the tile 100 to connect to the second track type 30. That is, the receiving assembly 320, 320′ is configured to receive a legacy connector 310 connected to, or extending from, the second track type 30 (e.g., track 130). The receiving assemblies 320, 320′ are arranged on the tile 100 to align a track 130 with a pathway 107 of the tile 100 via the secondary connection assembly 300, 300′ (see
As depicted in
During operation, the first engagement portion 311A is inserted into a receiving assembly 320 of a tile 100, 100′, 400 until the release button 315 contacts the connector stop 323 and the locking protrusion 314 extend into the through-hole 322. The wings 313 bear against and are supported by the shoulders 324 of the slot 321. Meanwhile, the second engagement portion 311B may be inserted into an elongated track 130 in a similar manner, thereby coupling the tile 100, 100′, 400, and elongated track 130 together (see, e.g.,
With reference to
Tile 502 is a two by one tile (e.g., W≈2D, and L≈D) having four primary connector assemblies 200 and four receiving assemblies 320 disposed at two faces parallel along its width W, and two primary connector assemblies 200 and two receiving assemblies 320 disposed on two lateral faces parallel along its length L. Tile 503 is a one by four tile (e.g., W≈D, and L≈4D) having two faces parallel along its width W each having two primary connector assemblies 200 and two receiving assemblies 320, and two faces parallel along its length L each having eight primary connector assemblies 200 and eight receiving assemblies 320. Accordingly, each face of each tile 500-503 may be coupled to one or more track pieces 100, 100′, 120, and/or 130 via the primary connection assembly 200 and/or via the secondary connection assembly 300.
Now referring to
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since it will be apparent that various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the inventions and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. In addition, various features from one of the embodiments may be incorporated into another of the embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.
It is also to be understood that the track set described herein, or portions thereof, may be fabricated from any suitable material or combination of materials, such as plastic, foamed plastic, wood, cardboard, pressed paper, metal, supple natural or synthetic materials including, but not limited to, cotton, elastomers, polyester, plastic, rubber, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof. Suitable plastics may include high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), or the like. Suitable foamed plastics may include expanded or extruded polystyrene, expanded or extruded polypropylene, EVA foam, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.
Reference may be made to the spatial relationships between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of components as depicted in the attached drawings. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of the present disclosure, the devices, components, members, apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desired orientation. Thus, the use of terms such as “above”, “below”, “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, “left,” “right,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “height,” “length,” “width,” “interior,” “exterior,” “inner,” “outer” or other similar terms merely describe points of reference and do not limit the present invention to any particular orientation or configuration. When used to describe a range of dimensions and/or other characteristics (e.g., time, pressure, temperature, distance, etc.) of an element, operations, conditions, etc. the phrase “between X and Y” represents a range that includes X and Y.
Further, the term “exemplary” is used herein to describe an example or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as exemplary is not to be construed as a preferred or advantageous embodiment, but rather as one example or illustration of a possible embodiment.
Further, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity, and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.
When used herein, the term “comprises” and its derivations (such as “comprising”, “including,” “containing,” etc.) should not be understood in an excluding sense, that is, these terms should not be interpreted as excluding the possibility that what is described and defined may include further elements, steps, etc. Meanwhile, when used herein, the term “approximately” and terms of its family (such as “approximate”, etc.) should be understood as indicating values very near to those which accompany the aforementioned term. That is to say, a deviation within reasonable limits from an exact value should be accepted, because a skilled person in the art will understand that such a deviation from the values indicated is inevitable due to measurement inaccuracies, etc. The same applies to the similar terms, such as, but not limited to, “about,” “around,” and “substantially.”
As used herein, unless expressly stated to the contrary, use of the phrase “at least one of”, “one or more of”, “and/or”, and variations thereof are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation for any and all possible combination of the associated listed items. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of X, Y and Z”, “at least one of X, Y or Z”, “one or more of X, Y and Z”, “one or more of X, Y or Z” and “X, Y and/or Z” can mean any of the following: 1) X, but not Y and not Z; 2) Y, but not X and not Z; 3) Z, but not X and not Y; 4) X and Y, but not Z; 5) X and Z, but not Y; 6) Y and Z, but not X; or 7) X, Y, and Z. Further as referred to herein, “at least one of” and “one or more of” can be represented using the “(s)” nomenclature (e.g., one or more element(s)).
Additionally, unless expressly stated to the contrary, the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., are intended to distinguish the particular nouns they modify (e.g., element, condition, node, module, activity, operation, etc.). Unless expressly stated to the contrary, the use of these terms is not intended to indicate any type of order, rank, importance, temporal sequence, or hierarchy of the modified noun. For example, “first X” and “second X” are intended to designate two “X” elements that are not necessarily limited by any order, rank, importance, temporal sequence, or hierarchy of the two elements.
