TRAVELING TOY

Abstract

A traveling toy includes: an axle; and an axle bearing portion. The axle bearing portion is configured to receive the axle. The axle bearing portion is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from an axial direction of the axle. One side of the substantially rectangular shape of the axle bearing portion is open when viewed from the axial direction.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-127449 filed on Aug. 4, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a traveling toy.

BACKGROUND ART

In the related art, a traveling toy having wheels is known. For example, JP2015-002862A discloses a traveling toy including front wheels attached to an axle and rear wheels attached to an axle protruding from a drive mechanism. The front wheels are configured to be freely rotatable because the axle is inserted into a bearing serving as a hole in an attaching base.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

When the traveling toy is traveling, the axle inserted into the hole rotates together with the wheels. Generally, an axle of a traveling toy is inserted into a hole serving as a bearing with a clearance sufficient to allow rotation. When this is made, a bearing surface and an outer periphery of the axle may rub against each other, resulting in high-pitched abnormal noise, which may be unpleasant to a user.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a traveling toy with reduced occurrence of high-pitched abnormal noise.

A traveling toy according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: an axle; and an axle bearing portion configured to receive the axle, in which the axle bearing portion is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with one side open when viewed from an axial direction of the axle.

According to the above aspect, it is possible to provide a traveling toy with reduced occurrence of high-pitched abnormal noise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will be described in detail based on the following without being limited thereto, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a traveling toy according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when viewed from the front;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the traveling toy according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, when viewed from the rear;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the traveling toy according to the embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3, showing the traveling toy according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bottom surface of the traveling toy according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, with front and rear wheels omitted.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a traveling toy 1 has a form imitating a four-wheeled car that is an open car. The traveling toy 1 is provided with a total of four seats, including two seats on a front side and two seats on a rear side. In the present embodiment, the left side of the front seat is a driver's seat, but the right side can be used as the driver's seat by replacing the steering wheel on either side. On the rear seat, a toy stroller 18 imitating a stroller is provided. The toy stroller 18 is provided with wheels (not shown), is freely attachable and detachable with respect to the rear seat, and can be attached to the rear seat by hooking a handle portion onto a headrest of the rear seat. Note that, in the following description, the front side as a car in the traveling toy 1 is referred to as front, the rear side is referred to as rear, the upper side is referred to as upper, and the lower side is referred to as lower. In addition, the left side will be described as left and the right side will be described as right when viewed from a state of sitting on the seat facing the steering wheel.

The traveling toy 1 includes a body 2 and a vehicle interior member 3 including a seat and a steering wheel. The body 2 is formed integrally, and the vehicle interior member 3 is attached to the body 2. A front component 4 in which a bumper, headlights, and a front panel are integrally formed is attached to a front side of the body 2. On the rear side of the body 2, a lid member 6 for a baggage room is attached to the body 2 so that it can be freely opened and closed. In addition, a rear component 5 including a rear bumper is attached to the rear side of the body 2. Additionally, a front member 7 imitating a front glass is attached in front of the seats of the body 2. Additionally, on the right rear side of the body 2, a gasoline cap member 8 imitating a gasoline cap is attached to the body 2 so that it can be freely opened and closed.

Front wheels 10 and rear wheels 20 of the traveling toy 1 are provided to the body 2 so as to be freely rotatable. The traveling toy 1 does not have a drive source. The traveling toy 1 is formed as a traveling toy for doll play that is played by placing a small doll on the seat of the vehicle interior member 3 and pressing it with a hand.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front wheels 10 and rear wheels 20 include left wheels 11 and 21 and right wheels 12 and 22, and the left wheels 11 and 21 and right wheels 12 and 22 are connected by axles 13 and 23. The axles 13 and 23 are provided with a plurality of grooves 13a and 23a extending in an axial direction. More specifically, the four grooves 13a and 23a are provided on each of the axles 13 and 23. Focusing on the axle 13 of the front wheels 10 shown in FIG. 4, four grooves 13a1, 13a2, 13a3, and 13a4 are provided in which two grooves 13a1 and 13a2 and two grooves 13a3 and 13a4 are in parallel with each other, respectively, and two grooves 13a1 and 13a2 and two grooves 13a3 and 13a4 are arranged to face each other. In other words, grooves 13a1 and 13a3, and grooves 13a2 and 13a4 are arranged to face each other, respectively. The four grooves 23a of the axle 23 of the rear wheels 20 are arranged similarly to the grooves 13a of the axle 13 of the front wheels 10.

The axles 13 and 23 are provided with a plurality of annular ribs 13b and 23b, respectively. Here, focusing on the axle 13 of the front wheels 10, five annular ribs 13b1, 13b2, 13b3, 13b4, and 13b5 are provided on the axle 13. The annular rib 13b1 is provided at the center. Two annular ribs 13b2 and 13b3 and two annular ribs 13b4 and 13b5 are provided in the vicinity of left and right end portions of the axle 13, respectively. Among the two annular ribs 13b2 and 13b3 and the two annular ribs 13b4 and 13b5, the annular ribs 13b2 and 13b4 are provided on an inner side of a front axle bearing portion 40, which will be described below. The annular ribs 13b3 and 13b5 on the left wheel 11 and right wheel 12 sides with respect to the annular ribs 13b2 and 13b4 are provided to fit into the axle bearing portion 40, corresponding to the axle bearing portion 40.

The rear axle 23 also has five annular ribs 23b arranged similarly to the annular ribs of the front axle 13. The annular ribs 23b on both end sides of the axle 23 are provided to fit into an axle bearing portion 50 described below, corresponding to the rear axle bearing portion 50.

As shown in FIG. 5, the front axle bearing portion 40 is provided on each of the left and right as a left and right pair, respectively, and is formed integrally with the body 2. The axle bearing portion 40 has a bottom surface 41a, which is a lower surface of a long rectangular box-shaped base 41 provided on the body 2, and side surfaces 42a1 and 42b1, which are facing inner surfaces of two cantilevered side plates 42a and 42b having a tongue shape, erected downward from the base 41 and provided to face each other. The bottom surface 41a and the side surfaces 42a1 and 42b1 are continuous by a recessed curved surface, and the side surfaces 42a1 and 42b1 are formed substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface 41a. The axle bearing portion 40 is formed into a substantially rectangular shape by the bottom surface 41a and the side surfaces 42a 1 and 42b1, with one lower side open when viewed from the axial direction of the axle 13.

The side plates 42a and 42b are provided with protrusions 42a2 and 42b2 at distal ends. The protrusions 42a2 and 42b2 are provided across a width direction of the side plates 42a and 42b. The protrusion 42a2 protrudes toward the side plate 42b, and the protrusion 42b2 protrudes toward the side plate 42a.

On the other hand, the rear axle bearing portions 50, which are provided as a left and right pair, are also similarly formed integrally with the body 2 and have a bottom surface 51a and side surfaces 52a1 and 52b1. The bottom surface 51a and the side surfaces 52a1 and 52b1 are continuously connected by a recessed curved surface, and the side surfaces 52a1 and 52b1 are formed substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface 51a. The front side surface 52a1 is formed, on a lower side of the body 2, as an inner surface of a plate portion 52a bent at a right angle from a plate-shaped frame 2a with a plate surface facing left and right. The rear side surface 52b1 is formed as an inner surface of a cantilevered side plate 52b having a tongue-shape. The bottom surface 51a is part of the lower surface of the body 2. A protrusion 52a2 protruding toward the side plate 52b is provided at a distal end of the plate portion 52a, and a protrusion 52b2 protruding toward the plate portion 52a is provided at a distal end of the side plate 52b. The protrusions 52a2 and 52b2 are provided across the width direction of the plate portion 52a and the side plate 52b.

The axle bearing portions 40 and 50 are formed into a substantially rectangular shape by the bottom surface 51a and the side surfaces 52a1 and 52b1, with one lower side open when viewed from the axial direction of the axles 13 and 23. The axles 13 and 23 are maintained to be freely rotatable in the axle bearing portions 40 and 50. The movement of the axles 13 and 23 in an escape direction (downward direction) is regulated by the protrusions 42a2, 42b2, 52a2 and 52b2, but when attaching and detaching the axles 13 and 23, the cantilevered side plates 42a, 42b and 52b are flexed and resiliently deformed.

In a state in which the axles 13 and 23 are received and maintained in the axle bearing portions 40 and 50, an area in which the surfaces of the axles 13 and 23 are in contact with the substantially rectangular axle bearing portions 40 and 50 is small, so an occurrence of high-pitched abnormal noise caused by the surfaces of the axles 13 and 23 rubbing against the axle bearing portions 40 and 50 with each other is reduced. Additionally, the grooves 13a and 23a are provided, so that the contact area with the axle bearing portions 40 and 50 is further reduced, thereby further reducing the occurrence of high-pitched abnormal noise.

In addition, in the axle bearing portions 40 and 50, the annular ribs 13b3 and 13b5 of the axle 13 and the annular ribs 23b on both end sides of the axle 23 are arranged correspondingly, so the contact area is further reduced because the annular ribs 13b and 23b are in contact with the bottom surfaces 41a and 51a and side surfaces 42a1, 42b1, 52a1, and 52b1 of the axle bearing portions 40 and 50.

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure as described above, a traveling toy of the following aspects can be provided.

A traveling toy according to a first aspect includes an axle, and an axle bearing portion configured to receive the axle, in which the axle bearing portion is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with one side open when viewed from an axial direction of the axle.

According to this configuration, a contact area between the axle and the axle bearing portion is reduced, so an occurrence of high-pitched abnormal noise can be reduced which occurs due to a surface of the axle and the axle bearing portion rubbing against each other when the traveling toy is caused to travel.

In the traveling toy according to a second aspect, the axle bearing portion has a bottom surface and two side surfaces provided to extend substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface and to face each other, and at least one of the two side surfaces is defined by an inner side of a cantilevered side plate.

According to this configuration, the axle can be freely attached and detached with respect to the axle bearing portion by flexing the cantilevered side plate.

In the traveling toy according to a third aspect, the axle includes a plurality of grooves extending in the axial direction and an annular rib provided to correspond to the axle bearing portion.

According to this configuration, the plurality of grooves can reduce entanglement of a foreign object, such as a finger, into the axle, while allowing the annular rib to contact the axle bearing portion.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be variously changed without departing from the scope.

Claims

1. A traveling toy comprising: an axle; andan axle bearing portion configured to receive the axle,wherein the axle bearing portion is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with one side open when viewed from an axial direction of the axle.

2. The traveling toy according to claim 1, wherein the axle bearing portion comprises: a bottom surface; and two side surfaces provided to extend substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface and to face each other, andwherein at least one of the two side surfaces is defined by an inner side of a cantilevered side plate.

3. The traveling toy according to claim 1, wherein the axle comprises a plurality of grooves extending in the axial direction and an annular rib provided to correspond to the axle bearing portion.