The present application relates generally to toys and, in particular, to one or more toy vehicles with unique designs.
Toys provide entertainment for different users, such as children. For example, a toy may include various features with which a child may play. An example toy that may entertain a child is a toy vehicle, which may emulate the appearance, movement, and/or feel of a real-world vehicle. New toys with new features, such as toy vehicles with unique designs and/or appearances, can provide added play value and provide additional entertainment. Thus, innovative toy advancements are continuously desired.
A toy vehicle is presented herein. According to one example embodiment, the toy vehicle includes a body, a first axle, a second axle, and a third axle connected to the body, a first wheel and a second wheel defining a first pair of wheels coupled to the first axle, a third wheel and a fourth wheel defining a second pair of wheels coupled to the second axle, a fifth wheel and a sixth wheel defining a third pair of wheels coupled to the third axle, and a support configured to couple to an additional toy vehicle. The first wheel, the third wheel, and the fifth wheel are positioned on a first side of the body and the second wheel, the fourth wheel, and the sixth wheel are positioned on a second side of the body. Tilting the body to the first side causes the first wheel, the third wheel, and the fifth wheel to lean towards a central plane bisecting the body, and tilting the body to the second side causes the second wheel, the fourth wheel, and the sixth wheel to lean towards the central plane.
According to another example embodiment, the toy vehicle includes a body, three axles connected to the body, three pairs of wheels that are each coupled to a respective axle of the three axles, and a support configured to couple to an additional toy vehicle. The toy vehicle and the additional toy vehicle are of the same width.
A toy vehicle playset is also presented herein. According to an example embodiment, the toy vehicle playset includes a first toy vehicle with a first plurality of wheels and a second toy vehicle with a second plurality of wheels. A quantity of the first plurality of wheels is greater than a quantity of the second plurality of wheels, and the second toy vehicle is configured to couple to the first toy vehicle. The first toy vehicle and the second toy vehicle are of the same width.
Other systems, methods, features, and advantages will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are included within this description and are within the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The toy vehicle playset presented herein may be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. Unless dimensions of elements of the drawings are specifically called-out and described herein, it should be understood that the elements in the figures are not necessarily to scale and that emphasis has been placed upon illustrating the principles of the toy vehicle playset. In the figures, like-referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.
Overall, a toy vehicle is presented herein. The toy vehicle includes a first body, first axles, and first wheels. The toy vehicle is configured to couple to an additional toy vehicle. For example, the additional toy vehicle may include a second body, second axles, and second wheels. A first quantity of the first axles and of the first wheels of the toy vehicle is greater than a second quantity of the second axles and of the second wheels of the additional toy vehicle. The increased quantity of the first axles and of the first wheels provides sufficient stability and support that, among other advantages, allow the toy vehicle to stably carry and/or haul the additional toy vehicle. The increased quantity of axles and wheels may also create more haptic feedback for a user “driving” the toy vehicle and/or allow the toy vehicle to traverse new and unique obstacles or surfaces. Still further, the increased number of axles and wheels also creates a unique appearance that may increase the visual appeal of the toy vehicle to a user to encourage interactive play with the toy vehicle. In some embodiments, the toy vehicle includes a hitch or tow hook configured to couple to the additional toy vehicle to enable the toy vehicle to drag the additional toy vehicle. In additional or alternative embodiments, the toy vehicle includes a base on which the additional toy vehicle may be placed to enable the toy vehicle to carry the additional toy vehicle. The increased interactive engagement between the toy vehicle and the additional toy vehicle may provide diverse playability and enhance user experience.
In certain embodiments, the first wheels 110 includes a greater quantity of wheels than the second wheels 116. As an example, the primary toy vehicle 102 may include six first wheels 110, whereas the secondary toy vehicle 104 may include four second wheels 116. As another example, the primary toy vehicle 102 may include greater than six first wheels 110 (e.g., eight first wheels 110) and the secondary toy vehicle 104 may include greater than four second wheels 116 (e.g., six second wheels 116). The first axles 108 also includes a greater quantity of axles than second axles 114 to connect the first wheels 110 to the first body 106. For instance, the first axles 108 may have half as many as the first wheels 110 such that each first axle 108 couples to a pair of the first wheels 110. Additionally, the first body 106 of the primary toy vehicle 102 is larger than the second body 112 of the secondary toy vehicle 104 to accommodate the greater quantity of axles and wheels. By way of example, the first body 106 may be longer (e.g., have a greater length) than the second body 112.
The increased length of the first body 106 and corresponding greater quantity of wheels may provide greater stabilization of the primary toy vehicle 102. For instance, the first wheels 110 may sufficiently support the first body 106 (e.g., block deformation, such as flexure, of the first body 106) and enable a wide variety of desirable orientations (e.g., by blocking flipping or rolling) of the primary toy vehicle 102 during movement. In certain embodiments, each of the first axles 108 may be movable relative to the first body 106 to increase movability of the primary toy vehicle 102. As an example, each first axle 108 may rotate relative to the first body 106, thereby enabling corresponding rotation of the first wheels 110 to help turn the primary toy vehicle 102. Additionally or alternatively, each first axle 108 may move into and out of the first body 106 to adjust extension of the first wheels 110 relative to first body 106, such as to enable the first wheels 110 to conform to a contour of a surface along which the primary toy vehicle 102 moves and facilitate movement of the primary toy vehicle 102 along an uneven surface. As a specific example, each first axle 108 may extend through two slots defined by the first body 106, and the slots may allow each first axle 108 to independently rotate, translate laterally, translate along a length of the slot, and/or tilt.
The primary toy vehicle 102 and the secondary toy vehicle 104 are configured to couple to one another. In the illustrated embodiment, the primary toy vehicle 102 includes a support 118, which is configured to couple to a mount 120 of the secondary toy vehicle 104 to couple the primary toy vehicle 102 and the secondary toy vehicle 104 to one another. In additional or alternative embodiments, the primary toy vehicle 102 may include a mount configured to couple to a support of the secondary toy vehicle. In either case, coupling of the support 118 to the mount 120 may enable the primary toy vehicle 102 to carry or drag the secondary toy vehicle 104. Thus, movement of the primary toy vehicle 102 drives corresponding movement of the secondary toy vehicle 104.
In the depicted embodiment, the intermediate wheels 154C are positioned closer to the rear wheels 154B to help provide increased stability at the second end 158 of the toy vehicle 150 and/or to help carry/support an additional toy vehicle. This positioning may also “free” the front wheels to be more maneuverable and help ensure that the first toy vehicle 150 has a desirable turning radius and desired steering control. However, in other embodiments, the intermediate wheels 154C may be positioned in any location between the front wheels 154A and the rear wheels 154B. Alternatively, the intermediate wheels 154C need not include the same axle and connection mechanism as that of the front wheels 154A and/or of the rear wheels 154B. In fact, in some embodiments, the “intermediate wheels” may comprise a single wheel.
The first toy vehicle 150 also includes a hitch 160 serving as the support for the first toy vehicle 150. The hitch 160 extends from the body 152 at the second end 158 in the illustrated first toy vehicle 150. However, in additional or alternative embodiments, the first toy vehicle 150 may include a hitch extending from the body 152 at the first end 156. The hitch 160 is configured to couple to an additional toy vehicle to couple the first toy vehicle 150 and the additional toy vehicle to one another. For instance, the hitch 160 may include two fingers 162 that are offset from one another to form a gap 164 therebetween, and each finger 162 has a hook or arcuate shape to form a recess 166 of the hitch 160.
In some embodiments, the hitch 160 is configured to move relative to the body 152 to transition the first toy vehicle 150 between various configurations.
The first toy vehicle 150 is coupled to the second toy vehicle 200 via the hitch 160. Specifically, the hitch 160 is coupled to a mount (not shown) extending from the body 206 of the second toy vehicle 200. As such, the first toy vehicle 150 is configured to drag the second toy vehicle 200. That is, movement of the first toy vehicle 150 drives corresponding movement of the second toy vehicle 200.
The third toy vehicle 350 further includes an arm 360 extending from the body 352 (e.g., from the first end 356 toward the second end 358) and a hitch 362 coupled to the arm 360. The arm 360 and the hitch 362 cooperatively serve as the support for the third toy vehicle 350. In some embodiments, the hitch 362 of the third toy vehicle 350 has a similar configuration as that of the hitch 160 of the first toy vehicle 150 and includes two fingers 364 defining a gap 366 and a recess 368. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the hitch 362 is configured to move (e.g., via a manually applied force) relative to the arm 360. For instance, the hitch 362 may be pivotably coupled to the arm 360 at a hinge 370 so that the hitch 362 is configured to rotate relative to the arm 360 via the hinge 370.
The body 452 of the fifth toy vehicle 450 includes a base 460 (e.g., a flatbed) and a prop 462 serving as the support for coupling to an additional toy vehicle. That is, each of the base 460 and the prop 462 is configured to engage with the additional toy vehicle to secure the fifth toy vehicle 450 and the additional toy vehicle to one another. The prop 462 extends along the middle of the base 460 from the first end 456 to the second end 458. For example, the base 460 may include a space 464 in which the prop 462 is positioned. Moreover, the fifth toy vehicle 450 includes a fin 466 (e.g., a spoiler) positioned at the second end 458, and the prop 462 may extend to the fin 466.
To secure the sixth toy vehicle 500 onto the base 460, the base 460 includes bumps or blocks 508 that defines a recess 510 configured to receive one of the wheels 504 (e.g., one of the front wheels) of the sixth toy vehicle 500. That is, the front wheels 504 of the sixth toy vehicle 500 are configured to be positioned within the recess 510, and the bumps 508 are configured to engage with the front wheels 504 to block movement of the front wheels 504 out of the recess 510. Consequently, the front wheels 504 remain within the recess 510 to block substantial movement (e.g., translation) of the sixth toy vehicle 500 relative to the fifth toy vehicle 450 along a longitudinal axis 512 that would otherwise cause the sixth toy vehicle 500 to roll off the base 460. Thus, the recess 510 helps maintain placement of the sixth toy vehicle 500 on the base 460. The fin 466 of the fifth toy vehicle 450 may also help couple the sixth toy vehicle 500 to the fifth toy vehicle 450. For example, the fin 466 may be configured to engage with another of the wheels 504 (e.g., a rear wheel) and/or the body 506 of the sixth toy vehicle 500 to block movement of the sixth toy vehicle 500 off the base 460, thereby maintaining placement of the sixth toy vehicle 500 on the base 460. That all being said, in other embodiments, a toy vehicle including a base similar to the base 460 of the fifth toy vehicle 450 depicted in
In some embodiments, the wheels 454 of the fifth toy vehicle 450 and the wheels 504 of the sixth toy vehicle 500 may have similar dimensions, such as substantially the same diameters. Thus, the size disparity between the fifth toy vehicle 450 and the sixth toy vehicle 500 (e.g., the increase in length of the fifth toy vehicle 450) may be primarily attributed to the difference in size of the bodies, rather than of the wheels 454, 504. For example, both the fifth toy vehicle 450 and the sixth toy vehicle 500 (as well as the first, second, third, and fourth toy vehicles 150, 200, 350, 400) may be die-cast, small-scale models of monster trucks or another such vehicle (e.g., 1:64 scale monster truck) having oversized wheels compared to a size of the body, such as wheels that have the same or a greater height than that of the body. By comparison, many common toy vehicles are a die-cast, small-scale models of production cars or a similarly sized vehicles, like 1:64 scale toy vehicles produced and sold as HOT WHEELS or MATCHBOX toy vehicles. Thus, the fifth toy vehicle 450 and the sixth toy vehicle 500 (as well as the first, second, third, and fourth toy vehicles 150, 200, 350, 400) may have overall widths (e.g., distance between wheels of the same axle) that are similar to each other, but these widths may be larger than (e.g., double) corresponding dimensions of common toy vehicles.
A dimension (e.g., a distance between the wheels 454 of the same axle) of the fifth toy vehicle 450 may be the same as or substantially similar to a dimension (e.g., a distance between the wheels 504 of the same axle) of the sixth toy vehicle 500. Moreover, as discussed above, the wheels 454 of the fifth toy vehicle 450 and the wheels 504 of the sixth toy vehicle 500 may have similar dimensions. As such, the width and/or diameter of the wheels 454 of the fifth toy vehicle 450 and the width and/or diameter of the wheels 504 of the sixth toy vehicle 500, respectively, may also be similar to one another. For this reason, positioning the sixth toy vehicle 500 on the fifth toy vehicle 450 may align the bodies 452, 506 of the fifth toy vehicle 450 and of the sixth toy vehicle 500 with one another along the lateral axis 534, as well as the wheels 454, 504 of the fifth toy vehicle 450 and of the sixth toy vehicle 500 with another. In other words, the sixth toy vehicle 500 may be vertically aligned with the fifth toy vehicle 450 when the sixth toy vehicle 500 is stacked on the fifth toy vehicle 450. Such an alignment between the fifth toy vehicle 450 and the sixth toy vehicle 500 may help position the sixth toy vehicle 500 to secure to the fifth toy vehicle 450, such as by engaging the frame 530 of the sixth toy vehicle 500 with the prop 462 of the fifth toy vehicle 450 and/or by positioning the wheels 504 of the sixth toy vehicle 500 in the recess 510 of the base 460 of the fifth toy vehicle 450. Furthermore, the overall width of the fifth toy vehicle 450 being the same as the overall width of the sixth toy vehicle 500 results in the third toy vehicle playset 502 (i.e., fifth toy vehicle 450 coupled to the sixth toy vehicle 500) also being the same width. This allows the fifth toy vehicle 450 and the third toy vehicle playset 502 to be played on certain toy vehicle tracks and playsets designed for the sixth toy vehicle 500, even though the fifth toy vehicle 450 and the third toy vehicle playset 502 are respectively longer and taller than the sixth toy vehicle 500.
The base 460 of the fifth toy vehicle 450 extends sufficiently outward along the lateral axis 534 to accommodate the wheels 504 of the sixth toy vehicle 500. That is, the base 460 provides a sufficient surface area of engagement with the wheels 504 for the sixth toy vehicle 500 to balance atop the fifth toy vehicle 450. To this end, a width of the base 460 of the fifth toy vehicle 450 along the lateral axis 534 may be greater than a width of the body 506 of the sixth toy vehicle 500 along the lateral axis 534 to accommodate a distance between the wheels 504 of the same axle (e.g., a distance substantially similar to that between the wheels 454 of the same axle) and sufficiently engage with the wheels 504. Thus, the base 460 may overlap with the wheels 454 of the fifth toy vehicle 450 along the lateral axis 534.
The seventh toy vehicle 550 also includes a base 560 (e.g., a flatbed) and a prop 562—albeit a prop 562 with decorative shaping/styling—serving as the support for coupling to an additional toy vehicle via placement of the additional toy vehicle on the base 560. The base 560 includes bumps or blocks 564 that define a recess 566 configured to receive one of the wheels of the additional toy vehicle, thereby blocking substantial movement of the additional toy vehicle relative to the seventh toy vehicle along a longitudinal axis 568. Consequently, placement of the additional toy vehicle on the seventh toy vehicle 550 is maintained.
A dimension (e.g., a distance between the wheels 554 of the same axle) of the seventh toy vehicle 550 may be the same as or substantially similar to a dimension (e.g., a distance between the wheels 604 of the same axle) of the eighth toy vehicle 600, and a width and/or diameter of the wheels 554 of the seventh toy vehicle 550 and a width and/or diameter of the wheels 604 of the eighth toy vehicle 600 may also be similar (e.g., substantially the same dimension) to one another. Thus, the bodies 552, 606 of the seventh toy vehicle 550 and of the eighth toy vehicle 600 may be aligned with one another along the lateral axis 652 and the wheels 554, 604 of the seventh toy vehicle 550 and of the eighth toy vehicle 600 may be aligned with one another along the lateral axis 652 when the eighth toy vehicle 600 is stacked on the seventh toy vehicle 550. Such an alignment may help position the wheels 604 of the eighth toy vehicle 600 in the recesses 566 of the base 560 of the seventh toy vehicle 550 to help secure the seventh toy vehicle 550 to the eighth toy vehicle 600.
The base 560 of the seventh toy vehicle 550 extends sufficiently outward along the lateral axis 652 to accommodate the wheels 604 of the eighth toy vehicle 600. That is, the base 560 provides a sufficient surface area of engagement with the wheels 604 for the eighth toy vehicle 600 to balance atop the seventh toy vehicle 550. To this end, a width of the base 560 of the seventh toy vehicle 550 along the lateral axis 652 may be greater than a width of the body 606 of the eighth toy vehicle 600 along the lateral axis 652 to accommodate a distance between the wheels 604 of the same axle (e.g., a distance substantially similar to that between the wheels 554 of the same axle) and sufficiently engage with the wheels 604. Thus, the base 560 may overlap with the wheels 554 of the seventh toy vehicle 550 along the lateral axis 652.
The body 752 of the ninth toy vehicle 750 includes three pairs of elongated angular openings 762 which support the axles 760. As shown in
Furthermore, because the rear openings 762C, 762D and the intermediate openings 762E, 762F extend in an opposite direction (i.e., toward the second end 758) than a direction (i.e., the first end 756) toward which the front openings 762A, 762B extend, the rear axle 760B and intermediate axle 760C tilt or lean in the same direction with one another and opposite the direction in which the front axle 760A leans or tilts, resulting in the rear wheel 754C and intermediate wheel 754E leaning towards a central plane 770 that bisects the body 752, and the rear wheel 754D and intermediate wheel 754F leaning away from central plane 770. In the embodiment shown in
While the toy vehicles presented herein have 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 disclosure 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. That is, it is believed that the disclosure set forth above encompasses multiple distinct embodiments with independent utility. While each of these embodiments has been disclosed in a preferred form, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. 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 toy vehicles 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.
Additionally, it is to be understood that terms such as “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “height,” “length,” “width,” “upper,” “lower,” “interior,” “exterior,” “inner,” “outer” and the like as may be used herein, merely describe points of reference and do not limit the present disclosure to any particular orientation or configuration. 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 of the disclosure.
Moreover, when used herein, the term “comprises” and its derivations (such as “comprising”, 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. Similarly, where any description recites “a” or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof, such disclosure should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. 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 terms “about” and “around” and “substantially”. For example, the term “approximately” can denote a tolerance of plus or minus 0.002 inches, 0.001 inches, or up to 0.005 inches. The same applies to the terms “about” and “around” and “substantially.” Moreover, for the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B), and the phrase “A, B, and/or C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C).
Finally, the techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112 (f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112 (f).
Number | Date | Country | |
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63601535 | Nov 2023 | US |