U.S. patent application number 10/472411 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-13 for drive controller.
Invention is credited to Ishimoto, Zenichi.
Application Number | 20040092200 10/472411 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 11737152 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040092200 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ishimoto, Zenichi |
May 13, 2004 |
Drive controller
Abstract
A drive controller has means for detecting that a ship body
lands on the water, and a function of allowing a drive upon
detection of the landing and of inhibiting the drive upon
non-detection of the landing.
Inventors: |
Ishimoto, Zenichi; (Tokyo,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Alan W Young
A Professional Corporation
Suite 106
4370 Alpine Road
Portola Valley
CA
94028
US
|
Family ID: |
11737152 |
Appl. No.: |
10/472411 |
Filed: |
September 17, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
March 22, 2001 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP01/02302 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/153 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63H 21/22 20130101;
A63H 30/04 20130101; A63H 23/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/153 |
International
Class: |
A63H 023/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A drive controller comprising: water-detecting terminals
provided at a bottom of a ship body; a water-detecting circuit for
detecting the presence and absence of a short circuit current
formed by a contact of said water-detecting terminals to a water; a
motor driving switch being electrically connected to said
water-detecting circuit for selecting a connection and a
disconnection thereto; a super-reproducing receiving unit for
detecting a signal which has been received through a filter from an
antenna; a control circuit connected to an output side of said
super-reproducing receiving unit; a steering unit being connected
through a steering drive-amplifier to one of output sides of said
control circuit; a driving motor drive-amplifying unit being
connected through said motor driving switch to another of said
output sides of said control circuit, for amplifying a driving
signal; and a motor driving unit connected to an output side of
said driving motor drive-amplifying unit, wherein if said ship body
lands on the water and the water is present between said terminals,
then said motor driving switch is closed to cause said motor
driving unit to operate.
2. A radio-controlled toy ship having water sensor for radio
control, comprising: water-detecting terminals provided at a bottom
of a ship body; a water-detecting circuit for detecting the
presence and absence of a short circuit current formed by a contact
of said water-detecting terminals to a water; a motor driving
switch being electrically connected to said water-detecting circuit
for selecting a connection and a disconnection thereto; a
super-reproducing receiving unit for detecting a signal which has
been received through a filter from an antenna; a control circuit
connected to an output side of said super-reproducing receiving
unit; a steering unit being connected through a steering
drive-amplifier to one of output sides of said control circuit; a
driving motor drive-amplifying unit being connected through said
motor driving switch to another of said output sides of said
control circuit, for amplifying a driving signal; and a motor
driving unit connected to an output side of said driving motor
drive-amplifying unit.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a driver for a toy, and to a drive
controller for driving a screw operable only in the water.
[0003] 2. Background Art
[0004] A mobile body is frequently subject to a model controlled by
a radio controller. A model of ship often utilizes a screw as
driver similarly to the true ship. In fact, the screw has been used
by taking into account a simple structure of a driver unit thereof
as compared to a water-jet-type ship or a hovercraft-type ship.
[0005] The end of the screw may often comprise three extremely
sharp impeller blades which rotate in the water by the driver unit
in order to generate a driving force, differently from automobiles.
The sharp impeller blades of the screw for a toy ship have the
following disadvantages. There is no problem as long as the screw
rotates in the water. The rotation of the screw in air may cause
any injury by making fingers into contact with the rotating screw,
or any damage to both the rotating screw and an article by making
the rotating screw into contact with the article. In accordance
with "European Safe Regulation", the toy ship with the screws
rotating in air is not qualified.
[0006] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a drive controller for controlling a screw operable only in
the water.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
[0007] In order to solve the above issue, the drive controller in
accordance with the present invention comprises: water-detecting
terminals provided at a bottom of a ship body; a water-detecting
circuit for detecting the presence and absence of a short circuit
current formed by a contact of said water-detecting terminals to a
water; a motor driving switch being electrically connected to said
water-detecting circuit for selecting a connection and a
disconnection thereto; a super-reproducing receiving unit for
detecting a signal which has been received through a filter from an
antenna; a control circuit connected to an output side of said
super-reproducing receiving unit; a steering unit being connected
through a steering drive-amplifier to one of output sides of said
control circuit; a driving motor drive-amplifying unit being
connected through said motor driving switch to another of said
output sides of said control circuit, for amplifying a driving
signal; and a motor driving unit connected to an output side of
said driving motor drive-amplifying unit, wherein if said ship body
lands on the water and the water is present between said terminals,
then said motor driving switch is closed to cause said motor
driving unit to operate.
[0008] A radio-controlled toy ship in accordance with the present
invention has a water sensor for radio control, comprising:
water-detecting terminals provided at a bottom of a ship body; a
water-detecting circuit for detecting the presence and absence of a
short circuit current formed by a contact of said water-detecting
terminals to a water; a motor driving switch being electrically
connected to said water-detecting circuit for selecting a
connection and a disconnection thereto; a super-reproducing
receiving unit for detecting a signal which has been received
through a filter from an antenna; a control circuit connected to an
output side of said super-reproducing receiving unit; a steering
unit being connected through a steering drive-amplifier to one of
output sides of said control circuit; a driving motor
drive-amplifying unit being connected through said motor driving
switch to another of said output sides of said control circuit, for
amplifying a driving signal; and a motor driving unit connected to
an output side of said driving motor drive-amplifying unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a drive
controller in accordance with the present invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION:
[0010] Other details, advantages and features of the present
invention will be apparent from the following embodiments described
with reference to the accompanying drawing.
[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the drive controller comprises
water-detecting terminals 2 for contacting with an external water,
a water-detecting circuit 4 for detecting a short circuit current
caused by contacting with water, a motor driving switch 6 having a
closed state and an opened state which are controlled by the
water-detecting circuit 4, a control IC 8 for generating a steering
signal and a driving signal based on a received information, a
driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16 for amplifying a driving
signal, a driving motor unit 18 including a motor which rotates
with an amplified current for causing a screw to rotate, a steering
drive-amplifier 20 for amplifying a steering signal, a steering
unit 22 for changing a direction of a steering plate based on the
amplified steering signal, an antenna 14 for receiving an AM-wave,
a filter unit 12 for removing a noise from the AM-wave received at
the antenna 14, a super-reproducing receiving unit 10 for detecting
a signal transmitted from the filter unit 12 and performing a low
frequency amplification, and a battery 24 for supplying a
power.
[0012] The antenna 14 is electrically connected to the filter unit
12. The filter unit 12 is electrically connected to the
super-reproducing receiving unit 10. The super-reproducing
receiving unit 10 is electrically connected to the control IC 8.
The control IC 8 provides an electrical connection between the
motor driving switch 6 and the steering drive-amplifier 20. The
steering drive-amplifier 20 is electrically connected to the
steering unit 22. The motor driving switch 6 is electrically
connected to the driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16 and the
water-detecting circuit 4. The driving motor drive-amplifying
circuit 16 is electrically connected to the driving motor unit 18.
The water-detecting circuit 4 is electrically connected to the
water-detecting terminals 2. Those elements are also connected to
the battery 24.
[0013] The antenna 14 may have any shape, provided that the antenna
14 comprises a conductor capable of receiving an electric wave. It
is preferable that the antenna 14 comprises a wire.
[0014] The filter 12 may comprise any active filter or any passive
filter, provided that the filter 12 comprise an electric filter
which passes, in a frequency band, an electromagnetic wave to be
received. In this embodiment, the filter 12 comprises a passive
filter which passes the wave at 27 MHz.
[0015] The super-reproducing receiving unit 10 has functions of
detecting the electromagnetic wave which has passed through the
filter and generating a tone signal to be transmitted to the
control IC 8.
[0016] The control IC 8 has a function of generating a steering
signal and a driving signal from signal patterns predetermined
based on the generated tone signal, and another function of
transmitting the steering signal and the driving signal to the
steering drive-amplifier 20 and the motor driving switch 6,
respectively.
[0017] Upon receipt of the steering signal, the steering
drive-amplifier 20 has functions of current amplification to the
necessary current for driving a servo motor integrated in the
steering unit 22, and supplying the amplified current to the
steering unit 22.
[0018] The steering unit 22 is driven by the amplified current and
has a function of changing a direction of a rudder to right or
left.
[0019] The motor driving switch 6 has functions of receiving the
driving signal generated by the control IC 8 and switching
transmission or non-transmission of the driving signal to the
driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16. The water-detecting
circuit 4 with a water sensor detects the presence of water and
generates a water detected signal. Only if the motor driving switch
6 receives the water detected signal, then the motor driving switch
6 transmits the driving signal to the driving motor
drive-amplifying circuit 16, so as to securely prevent that the
screw is rotated by the driving motor unit 18 in the absence of
water. Based on the water detecting signal from the water-detecting
circuit 4, the motor driving switch 6 turns ON in the presence of
water and also turns OFF in the absence of water.
[0020] The water-detecting circuit 4 has functions of always
detecting a voltage between two water-detecting terminals 2 and
detecting the water based on a drop in the voltage between the two
terminals beyond a predetermined value, by taking into account that
a resistance between the two terminals is generated in the presence
of water.
[0021] The water-detecting terminals 2 comprise two conductors but
may be positioned at any positions of a bottom of the ship body. If
the motor comprises an outboard equipment positioned outside the
ship, then the water-detecting terminals 2 may be positioned at the
bottom of the outboard equipment.
[0022] The driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16 has functions
of amplifying the driving signal transmitted through the motor
driving switch 6 and generating a driving current for driving the
driving motor unit 18. The driving motor drive-amplifying circuit
16 is connected to the motor driving switch 6. If the motor driving
switch 6 is OFF-state, then the driving motor drive-amplifying
circuit 16 is placed in an non-operable state, wherein the water
sensor does not detect the water.
[0023] The driving motor unit 18 is driven by a driving current
supplied from the driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16 and has
a function of rotating the screw for driving the toy ship, on which
the present system is provided. If the water sensor does not detect
the water, then the motor driving switch 6 is placed in an
OFF-state, whereby the driving motor unit 18 and the screw do not
rotate.
[0024] The present configuration causes the screw to show no
rotation unless the water sensor detects the water. This prevents
the problems with any rotation of the screw even if the toy ship
does not land on the water, and with any accidental injury and
screw-broken.
[0025] The toy ship of the invention of the present application
needs a transmitter for radio-control. The transmitter has a power
switch, a driving knob, and a steering knob. Placing the power
switch into ON-state enables a transmission of radio wave. Changing
the driving knob results in that a signal for changing the rotation
speed of the driving motor unit 18 is transmitted to the drive
controller integrated on the toy ship. Changing the steering knob
results in that the steering unit 22 controls the rudder of the toy
ship for changing a traveling direction thereof.
[0026] Upon change of the steering knob, an AM wave modulated with
the changed signal is transmitted to the drive controller. The
transmitted signal is then received by the antenna 14 and then
detected by the super-reproducing receiving unit 10, whereby the
tone signal is transmitted to the control IC 8. The control IC 8
generates a steering signal based on the tone signal and transmits
the steering signal to the steering drive-amplifier 20. The
steering drive-amplifier 20 amplifies the steering signal and
transmits the amplified steering signal to the steering unit
22.
[0027] Upon change of the driving knob, the AM wave modulated with
the changed signal is transmitted to the drive controller. The
transmitted signal is then received by the antenna 14 and then
detected by the super-reproducing receiving unit 10, whereby the
tone signal is transmitted to the control IC 8. The control IC 8
generates a driving signal based on the tone signal and transmits
the generated driving signal to the motor driving switch 6.
[0028] At this time, if the water sensor is in ON-state, then the
driving signal is transmitted to the driving motor drive-amplifying
circuit 16, whereby the driving motor unit 18 operates to rotate
the screw.
[0029] If the ship body is departed from the water, then the water
sensor is placed into OFF-state, and the motor driving switch 6 is
placed into OFF-state, whereby the driving signal is not
transmitted to the driving motor drive-amplifying circuit 16,
resulting in that the driving motor unit 18 does not operate and
also the screw is not rotated.
[0030] The use of the water sensor realizes a safety lock function
for preventing any injury and any braking upon rotation of the
screw in nonuse state.
[0031] Whereas the basic configuration and typical embodiment of
the present invention have been described, it will be understood
that a variety of design modifications within the scope and the
object of the present invention are conceivable to one skilled in
the art.
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