Some children enjoy playing with toys that can be unassembled and reassembled. In particular, toys that feature an automatic disassembly that mimics a crash or explosion can be very popular. The simulated chaos of a crash or an explosion can add an element of excitement to play.
The inventor has recognized that toys that can be unassembled often include many separate parts that are easy to lose. Furthermore, the explosion mode can be short-lived, only providing a moment of visual stimulation. Accordingly, a toy that includes a plurality of pieces that can extend away from the toy in a crash or explosion mode is provided. The pieces can be tethered to the toy, and at least some of the pieces can remain at least partially suspended off the ground by the tethers after extending away from the body of the toy. The tethers can be made from an at least partially resilient material that allows the pieces to continue to move after a simulated crash or explosion is completed. The plurality of pieces can be reset by a common mechanism so that each individual piece does not have to be separately put back together. The tethered pieces can be keyed to the body to facilitate the return of the keyed pieces to substantially the same location every time the pieces are moved back to a retracted state.
The present disclosure is directed to a toy that includes one or more pieces that are separable from the core of the toy, but which remain connected to the core of the toy via corresponding tethers. As explained herein, a sudden transition from the retracted state to the extended state can create an interesting visual effect, simulating a crash, explosion, or other dramatic disassembly. The tethers can hold the tethered pieces away from the toy and/or above the ground, enhancing the visual effect. Pieces held by long tethers can be extended further away from the body, generating the impression that the pieces are separate from the body. This visual effect can be further amplified when the tethers are configured to twist or arc the pieces as they extend, and/or when the tethers are configured to allow the extended tethered pieces to oscillate, vibrate, or wiggle. Furthermore, the extended pieces can be easily reset to the retracted state. While the present disclosure describes an exemplary toy vehicle, it should be understood that the herein described concepts can be applied equally well to a variety of different toys. For example, tethers could be used to extend the eyes, teeth, and/or other parts of a toy monster. These and other features are explained below by way of nonlimiting example.
In the illustrated embodiment, the toy is a car, although this is not required. Car 10 includes a body 12, front wheels 14, back wheels 16, tethers 18, and tethered pieces 20. As can be seen in dashed lines, the tethers can be at least partially enclosed within body 12 when in the retracted state. Accordingly, the tethering mechanism can be at least partially hidden so that it is not obvious that the toy is configured differently than most other toys.
The length of a tether affects the distance the pieces can be extended away from body. Longer tethers can extend pieces farther than shorter tethers. As shown in
The tethers may be made from at least partially resilient materials such as plastic and/or rubber. The resiliency of the tethers can allow them to bend and/or turn within the body to achieve longer extensions. Furthermore, the resiliency can allow the tethered pieces to oscillate or vibrate once extended. In some embodiments, the tethers may be pre-twisted, so that the tethered pieces appear to spin as they extend away from a body. The tethers can additionally or alternatively include a shaped surface that promotes jitteriness as the pieces extend. In some embodiments, some tethers may have a different twist or surface shaping than other tethers. At least some of the tethers can be constructed of sufficiently strong materials and extended away from the toy at a sufficiently high trajectory so that the tethered piece is suspended off of the ground when fully extended.
The individual tethers can be constructed differently than one another. For example, the individual tethers can have different lengths, can be bent in different directions, can be bent by different amounts, can have different twists, and/or can have different resiliencies and/or stiffnesses.
As shown in dashed lines in
It should be noted that the tethers and track may have various configurations, and/or a different mechanism can be used for extending the tethers. For example, two or more tracks may be used. Thus, some of the tethered pieces may be extended by one slide while others are extended by a different slide. When two or more slides, or other extension mechanisms, are present, they can be configured to extend responsive to the same triggering event, or responsive to a different triggering event. Further, the illustrated slide and track mechanism is provided as a nonlimiting example for extending the plurality of tethers, and other extension mechanisms can be used.
As explained above, each of the plurality of tethers can be connected to slide 22. The plurality of tethers can initially be guided in a relatively straight path corresponding to track 24. The direction of a tether can then be changed by a guide, such as ramps 21 and 23. The slide can be biased in a forward direction (corresponding to an extended tether) by spring 28. However, a catch 26 on the slide can prevent the slide from moving forward and extending the tethered pieces. The catch can engage any suitable reference structure, such as a portion of the track, or another portion of the toy body. A spring 30 may apply a force to help maintain the catch in the retracted state.
The front axle extends through a groove 31 that angles backward and upward. However, triggering bar 32 engages the axle and a spring 33 biases the axle to its forward and downward position (
It should be noted that the above described triggering mechanism is a nonlimiting example, and the extended state can be triggered by various other mechanisms. For example, a trigger bar may be movably coupled with a bumper instead of a front-wheel axle. As a nonlimiting example,
The tethered pieces can be returned to a retracted state from an extended state by pushing one of the tethered pieces back towards the body, as demonstrated in
As demonstrated in
As shown in
Spring 62 can lift upper body 42 when the latch arm becomes disengaged from the catch. As a result, lower jaw 44 can drop open as the upper body lifts up. As described above, the same triggering mechanism also can cause the tethered pieces to become extended, as shown in
After the tethering mechanism and the mouth-opening mechanism have been triggered, one or both of the mechanisms can be reset. For example, only the mouth-opening mechanism can be reset. This can be accomplished by pushing down on upper body 42 until latch arm 52 securely engages catch 54. As described above, the tethering mechanism can be reset by pushing down on one of the tethered pieces. The tethering mechanism can be reset alone, or the tethering mechanism can be reset in combination with the mouth-opening mechanism. If only the tethering mechanism is reset, the mouth can be manually opened by a user, as shown in
The above configuration can facilitate the alignment between the tethered piece and the body. For example, the smaller part of key portion 74 is moved into the larger part of opening 78. In this way, there is increased positional tolerances during initial engagement between the key portion and the opening. As the key portion is further inserted into the opening, the positional tolerances decrease, and the tethered piece is accurately guided into a desired position. The angled surfaces of the opening and the keyed portion limit the tethered piece from snagging on the opening, which could prevent the tethered piece from being fully seated, and as a result, could prevent the tethering mechanism from being fully reset.
The various dynamic transformations described above can be coordinated with lights and sounds produced by toy 10. For example, the toy chassis may include a battery operated sound system that plays prerecorded growling, barking, and roaring noises when the mouth-opening and/or tethering is triggered. Similarly, the chassis may include lights, such as head light that glow a different color when a transformation is triggered. Virtually any number of different sounds or visual effects can be used to make toy transformations even more exciting.
It will be appreciated that the configurations disclosed herein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific embodiments are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various systems and configurations, and other features, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein.
The following claims particularly point out certain combinations and subcombinations regarded as novel and nonobvious. These claims may refer to “an” element or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof. Such claims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. Other combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of the present claims or through presentation of new claims in this or a related application. Such claims, whether broader, narrower, equal, or different in scope to the original claims, also are regarded as included within the subject matter of the present disclosure.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
233166 | Rose | Oct 1880 | A |
341329 | Harden et al. | May 1886 | A |
2303652 | McGaugh et al. | Dec 1942 | A |
2385724 | Olson | Sep 1945 | A |
2449116 | Hatchett | Sep 1948 | A |
2597094 | Gutmann | May 1952 | A |
2757482 | Brown et al. | Aug 1956 | A |
2803920 | Salosky | Aug 1957 | A |
3037772 | Bonanno | Jun 1962 | A |
3176429 | Brown et al. | Apr 1965 | A |
3959920 | Ieda | Jun 1976 | A |
4248006 | Jones et al. | Feb 1981 | A |
4307533 | Sims et al. | Dec 1981 | A |
4568307 | Gabler et al. | Feb 1986 | A |
4578046 | Ohno | Mar 1986 | A |
4580993 | Ohno | Apr 1986 | A |
4586911 | Marakami | May 1986 | A |
4588386 | Kennedy et al. | May 1986 | A |
4717367 | Stubenfoll et al. | Jan 1988 | A |
4762511 | Lee et al. | Aug 1988 | A |
4911669 | Parker | Mar 1990 | A |
5267888 | Hippely et al. | Dec 1993 | A |
5292275 | Swisher et al. | Mar 1994 | A |
5310379 | Hippely et al. | May 1994 | A |
5334078 | Hippely et al. | Aug 1994 | A |
5372534 | Levy et al. | Dec 1994 | A |
5380231 | Brovelli | Jan 1995 | A |
5474486 | Chilton et al. | Dec 1995 | A |
5626506 | Halford et al. | May 1997 | A |
5906528 | Ostendorff et al. | May 1999 | A |
6152801 | Tsai | Nov 2000 | A |
6749482 | Hollis et al. | Jun 2004 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
29724498 | May 1999 | DE |
07163761 | Jun 1995 | JP |
WO 9629268 | Sep 1996 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20070259590 A1 | Nov 2007 | US |