Patent Application
20090075558
Play sets for toy vehicles are popular toys which are known to provide entertainment and excitement to a user. These play sets typically include a track configuration intended to guide a propelled toy vehicle, such as a 1/64 scale die-cast metal toy vehicle, through a course. The track configurations include closed-loop continuous track arrangements and open-end arrangements. Toy vehicles are placed on these play set tracks and propelled across the configuration by hand or by an external propulsion means.
To bring increased entertainment and excitement to play sets, track configurations may include features such as intersecting tracks, loop segments, and other types of track configurations known in the art. Additionally, attempts have been made at incorporating jumps into these race sets by which a traveling toy vehicle is briefly separated from the track to ultimately rejoin the track at a downstream location. However, these attempts have been limited due to the complexities of ensuring that the launched toy vehicle lands on the downstream track segment in a proper orientation to thus allow the vehicle to continue its course of travel. For example, a launched toy vehicle which re-enters the track inverted or misaligned relative to a longitudinal axis of the track would prohibit wheeled forward progress and thus interrupt play.
Accordingly, a play set for toy vehicles is desired which can provide the entertainment and excitement of a toy vehicle launched from a track and which also includes provisions for returning the launched vehicle to the track in a proper orientation to allow continuous play despite any misalignment which may occur during flight.
The invention provides toy vehicle play set including a stunt arrangement launching section configured to launch a propelled toy vehicle into flight, a capturing section configured to receive the toy vehicle from the flight, including a narrowing cross-section configured to align a longitudinal axis of the toy vehicle with a desired direction of travel, and a reorienting section coupled to an outlet of the capturing section configured to upright the toy vehicle if the vehicle exits the capturing section partly or completely inverted.
The invention further provides a play set for toy vehicles including a propulsion arrangement having at least one booster assembly configured to receive a toy vehicle at an inlet and to propel the toy vehicle through an outlet, a first track segment configured to guide the toy vehicle to the inlet, a stunt arrangement disposed in association with the outlet and including a disorienting section configured to rotate the toy vehicle about its longitudinal axis or about an axis angled thereto, and a reorienting section configured to align the longitudinal axis of the toy vehicle with a direction of travel and to engage a wheeled surface of the toy vehicle with a second track segment configured to return the toy vehicle to the propulsion arrangement.
Still further, the invention provides a stunt arrangement for toy vehicles including a funnel section configured to receive a toy vehicle from flight, a tail portion having a first end connected to a bottom of the funnel and a curve portion extending from the funnel through at least thirty degrees to a second end disposed oppositely from the first end, and a cylinder connected to the second end and rotatable about a longitudinal axis, the cylinder including a plurality of frictional elements extending along a length of the cylinder and generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the funnel and tail portion are configured to position the received toy vehicle in a front or tail forward position and the frictional elements are disposed to engage a non-wheeled surface of the toy vehicle and to rotate the vehicle onto a wheeled surface thereof.
These and/or other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
The propelling tracks 30 and the external tracks 40 are each designed for use with toy vehicles that ride on wheels disposed in contact with the propelling tracks 30 and the external tracks 40. The base 20 further includes a propulsion unit configured to accelerate the toy vehicles through the propulsion tracks 30, sending the vehicles at relatively high speeds into the external tracks 40. In this example, the propulsion unit is powered by a motor 50 that is coupled to one or more booster wheels 60 that are each arranged in the propelling tracks 30. The booster wheels 60 may be made of rubber (PVC), foam, or other materials known in the art. Each propelling track 30 may include a single wheel 60 or two oppositely disposed wheels 60. The motor 50, which may be a 6-volt electric motor, rotates the booster wheels 60 at high speeds such that vehicles travel along the propelling tracks 30 contact the rotating wheels 60 and are propelled forward thereby at high speeds that insure the return of the vehicles to the base 20 after each track 40 is traversed. As such, vehicles traveling through the play set 10 may traverse long series of loops and other stunt features of multiple external tracks 40 as long as the play set 10 is operated or until the vehicles crash into one another at the intersections of the propulsions tracks 30.
As mentioned, the external tracks 40 may include any combination of stunts arrangements. In the illustrated embodiment, the tracks 40 each include a loop, twist, and/or spiral section or a combination thereof. Of course, other looping and/or twisting arrangements of the external tracks 40 are contemplated.
At least one of the external tracks 40 may include a jumping and capturing stunt track arrangement 70, as best seen in
The launching section 80 is composed of a straight track 82 having an inlet 40A affixed to an outlet 30B of the propulsion track 30. The launching section 80 further includes a quarter circle track portion 84 disposed in continuation of the straight track 82 and opposite from the inlet 40A.
Thus, a vehicle having a sufficient initial velocity as propelled from the outlet 30B of the base 20 will traverse the straight track 82 and the quarter circle track 84 of the launching section 80 and then enter free flight at the termination of the quarter circle portion. Such toy vehicle will then generally travel through the first path of travel 90. Subsequently, the vehicle may impact a shield 102 of the deflection section 100 and fall generally through the second path of travel 110 toward a hopper 122 of the capturing section 120. Alternatively, the vehicle may not impact the shield 102 but instead simply reach an apex of flight and then descend downwardly toward the hopper 122. In one embodiment, a toy vehicle launched from the quarter circle track 84 may travel upward approximately thirty inches before beginning its descent toward the hopper 122. The quarter circle track 84 may be angled slightly in a direction toward the hopper 122 in order to ensure that the flight of the vehicle terminates in the hopper 122. The vehicle then proceeds through the hopper 122 and exits the capturing section 120 into a reorienting cylinder of the reorienting section 130. As will be discussed in further detail herein, the hopper 122 is configured to catch the descending vehicle and to orient the vehicle in a head or tail first position and the reorienting section 130 is configured to upright the vehicle if inverted. The properly oriented and uprighted vehicle then rolls out of the reorienting section 130 and into an inlet 30A of a propulsion track 30. The base 20 may then propel the vehicle elsewhere within the race set 10.
The launching section 80 includes the quarter circle track 84 and a stand 86 for support. The straight track 82 may be substantially flat or may gradually or abruptly slope upward or downward to the quarter circle track 84. The quarter circle track 84 curves upward from the proximate end of the straight track 82 and ends abruptly in a substantially vertical orientation.
The stand 86 supports the quarter circle track 84 such that it remains in a consistent position during the operation of the play set 10. The stand 86 includes a pedestal 87 to be positioned on a support surface such as a table, a floor, etc. A spine 88 extends in a substantially vertical direction from the pedestal 87 and is coupled thereto by a connector 89.
The first path of travel 90 extends from the end of the quarter circle track 84, generally parallel to the spine 88, and terminates approximately at the deflection section 100.
As best seen in.
It is noted that the stand 86 which supports the quarter circle track 84 and spine 88 is described herein by way of example only and may include various constructions as long as the constructions are sufficiently stable to remain in position during the operation of the play set 10.
Referring again primarily to
As mentioned, the first path of travel 90 extends generally from the upper portion of the quarter circle track 84 to the shield 102 and the second path of travel 110 extends generally from a lower edge of the shield 102 to an upper edge of the hopper 122 of the capturing section 120. While in free flight in the first and/or second paths of travel 90, 110, vehicles may rotate freely about their longitudinal axis, about an axis perpendicular thereto, or about any axis therebetween. That is, while traversing the paths of travel 90 and 110, a toy vehicle is free to partake in exciting and unpredictable spins, tumbles, flips, etc. Accordingly, the toy vehicle may not reach the capturing section 120 in the proper wheel-down orientation and/or the vehicle may be misaligned relative to the track 40 leading to the base 20. For example, a vehicle may reach the capturing section 120 inverted (wheels-upward) and perpendicular to a direction of travel of the track 40. The capturing section 120 and the reorienting section 130 are configured to correct the orientations of any such misaligned vehicles in order to ensure that the vehicle continues through the stunt arrangement 70 and, if desired, elsewhere within the play set 10.
As can be seen in
Furthermore, the narrowing end of the collector 121 and the tapering and curvature of the tail 123 assist descending vehicles to be positioned either head first or tail first, i.e., frontward or backward, for entry into the reorientation section 130. In this manner, a descending vehicle strikes a portion of the collector 121 where the relatively steep walls of the collector 121 result in the vehicle sliding downward toward the tail 123. The circular cross-sectional shape and the decreasing diameter of both the collector 121 and the tail 123, and the curvature in the tail 123, naturally orient the downwardly sliding toy vehicle into a head or tail first position. That is, the collector 121 and the tail 123 are configured such that the toy vehicle may not pass therethrough when its longitudinal axis is not substantially aligned with the longitudinal axes of the collector 121 and the tail 123. In this way, the vehicle is delivered in the frontward or backward position to the reorienting section 130.
The collector 121 may be made of a similar transparent or semi-transparent material as that of the shield 102 to allow users to observe the vehicles being collected and to insure that any impacts between the vehicles and the collector 121 will be at least partially absorbed to thus minimize the occurrence of vehicles ejecting from the collector 121 upon hard impact.
The supporter 124 is positioned on a support surface that may be level with the surfaces on which the pedestal 87 of the stand 86 and the base 20 are positioned. The supporter 124 may be connected to any part of the collector 121 or the tail 123 and maintains a position of the capturing section 120 during the operation of the play set 10.
As shown in
As discussed, when a toy vehicle enters the reorienting section 130 from the tail 123, the vehicle is generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the tail 123 and correspondingly with the longitudinal axis of the reorienting section 130. Advantageously, this axis is further in alignment with the direction of travel provided by the propelling track 30 connected to the section 130 opposite from the tail 123. As described, this track section 30 directs a vehicle away from the section 130 and through the base 20. Accordingly, the capturing section 120 delivers a caught vehicle to the reorienting cylinder 130 in axial alignment with the cylinder 130 and with the subsequent propelling track 30.
If a vehicle enters the reorienting section upright with wheels down, the vehicle will simply roll through the reorienting section 130 in accordance with the velocity of the vehicle at the entrance of the cylinder 130. That is, due to the momentum of the vehicle and the downward slope of the cylinder 130, the vehicle will quickly move through the cylinder 130 unaffected by the rotating surfaces 132, 133. However, if the vehicle is partly or completely inverted (e.g., the vehicle is laying on a side or a roof thereof), the vehicle will be prevented from passing through the reorienting tube 130 by the friction between the surfaces 132 and the frame of the vehicle. That is, the friction created between the surface 132 and the vehicle will prevent the vehicle from sliding through the cylinder in the direction of the longitudinal axis thereof. Instead, the vehicle is halted temporarily and the angular momentum of the rotating surfaces 132 will rotate the vehicle about its longitudinal axis to an upright, wheels-down position at which point the vehicle then rolls out of the reorienting section 130 and into the track 30.
According to embodiments of the invention, the launching section 80, the deflection section 100 and the capturing section 120 may be positioned at various positions relative to one another and may be configured to adjust to those various positions. For example, a height of the deflection section 100 relative to the launching section 80, or the angle of the launching section 80, etc., may be automatically or manually adjusted.
The launching angle of the launching section 80 may be configured as desired, in a range from vertical (90°) to nearly horizontal (0°) and even over vertical (90°-180°). The deflection section 100 and the recapturing section 130 would simply be positioned and oriented in accordance with the desired launch angle. Still further, the capturing and reorienting sections 120 and 130 may be utilized without the launching section 80 to orient a toy vehicle traveling along a surface. For example, a stunt arrangement in another embodiment of the invention includes a generally planar track surface upon which a toy vehicle is permitted to tumble, slide, spin, etc. in a direction toward the capturing section 120. Here, the capturing section 120 is a large funneling arrangement disposed at one end of the track surface which gathers the careening, rotating vehicle and, in accordance with description above, orients the vehicle in a head or tail first position and delivers the vehicle to the reorienting section 130 which uprights the vehicle if necessary. The capturing and reorienting sections 120 and 130 may be shaped as shown in
The stunt track arrangement 70 is described in association with the play set 10 by way of example only. The stunt arrangement may be employed in the described continuous play set 10 or as a component in other continuous play sets. The stunt arrangement 70 may be utilized as a portion of a open end play set track configuration where toy vehicles are propelled from a start point to an end point between which the vehicles encounter the stunt arrangement 70 and perhaps other stunt arrangements and/or track configurations. Still further, the stunt arrangement may further be utilized independently as a stand alone play set.
The stunt track arrangement 70 and the play set 10 are described herein as being used in conjunction with the electronically driven booster base 20 which automatically propels toy vehicles therefrom by means of rotating booster wheels. In another embodiment, toy vehicles may be propelled to the arrangement 70 and/or to the play set 10 by a manually operated booster arrangement, such as a pneumatic booster activated by a trigger or pump, or by an impact booster activated by application of a downward force, etc.
As mentioned, the described stunt arrangement 70 and play set 10 may be configured for toy vehicles. Of course the arrangement 70 and set 10 may be configured for any moving toy such as rolling or sliding figurines, rolling balls, etc. Furthermore, the play set 10 and particularly the stunt arrangement 70 may be configured for electronically driven slot vehicles. That is, the track segments 40 and launching segment 80 may include slotting to receive such vehicles and further include conductors as is known in the art for powering such vehicles. The slot vehicles would thus be separated from the track at the launching section 80, allowed to freely rotate in flight, and then captured and reoriented in the sections 120 and 130 as described above. The slot vehicle would then be deposited back onto a slotted track and mated with a slot in a proper orientation for onward travel.
The stunt arrangement 70 may further include magnetic elements to influence the flight of a launched vehicle. For example, such magnetic elements may be disposed at areas on the quarter circle track segment 84. Additionally and/or alternatively, the vehicles 99 used in conjunction with the arrangement 70 may include magnetic elements disposed to influence the flight thereof when launched.
Accordingly, a play set and stunt arrangement is described which provides the entertainment and excitement of a toy vehicle launched from a track and which also includes provisions for returning the launched vehicle to the track in a proper orientation to allow continuous play despite any misalignment of the vehicle which may occur during flight.
In the preceding detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details, that the present invention is not limited to the depicted embodiments, and that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of alternative embodiments. Moreover, repeated usage of the phrase “in an embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Lastly, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used in the present application, are intended to be synonymous unless otherwise indicated. This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
