U.S. patent application number 11/085341 was filed with the patent office on 2006-01-12 for toy vehicle with stabilized front wheel.
This patent application is currently assigned to BANG ZOOM design Ltd.. Invention is credited to Neil Hamilton, Michael G. Hoeting.
Application Number | 20060009119 11/085341 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35541982 |
Filed Date | 2006-01-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060009119 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hoeting; Michael G. ; et
al. |
January 12, 2006 |
Toy vehicle with stabilized front wheel
Abstract
A toy vehicle with a flywheel operatively associated with a
front wheel. The toy vehicle comprises a chassis having a front end
supported by the front wheel and a rear end supported by a rear
wheel. A motor is operatively connected to the flywheel to rotate
the flywheel and generate a gyroscopic effect while the toy vehicle
is moving. The flywheel is adapted to rotate independently of the
front wheel. Accordingly, the front wheel rotates about the axle
whenever the toy vehicle is in motion whereas the flywheel rotates
about a front axle whenever the motor is energized. The motion of
the toy vehicle may be controlled by a propulsion drive operatively
associated with the chassis and drivingly coupled to the rear
wheel. The direction of the toy vehicle may be controlled by a
steering drive.
Inventors: |
Hoeting; Michael G.;
(Cincinnati, OH) ; Hamilton; Neil; (Taylor Mill,
KY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOOD, HERRON & EVANS, LLP
2700 CAREW TOWER
441 VINE STREET
CINCINNATI
OH
45202
US
|
Assignee: |
BANG ZOOM design Ltd.
Cincinnati
OH
|
Family ID: |
35541982 |
Appl. No.: |
11/085341 |
Filed: |
March 21, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60586561 |
Jul 9, 2004 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/440 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 29/20 20130101;
A63H 17/16 20130101; A63H 17/262 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/440 |
International
Class: |
A63H 17/16 20060101
A63H017/16 |
Claims
1. A toy vehicle, comprising: a chassis having front and rear ends
front and rear wheels operatively connected to and supporting the
respective front and rear ends, the front wheel being moveable to
steer the toy vehicle; a flywheel operatively associated with the
front wheel, the flywheel being adapted to rotate independently of
the front wheel; and a motor operatively connected to the flywheel
to rotate the flywheel and generate a gyroscopic effect to
stabilize the toy vehicle while the toy vehicle is moving.
2. The toy vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a fixed axle,
the front wheel being rotatably mounted about the fixed axle; and a
motor mount fixedly connected to the axle, the motor being
positioned within the motor mount.
3. The toy vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: two or more
intermeshing gears operatively connecting the motor and the
flywheel.
4. The toy vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a drive belt
operatively connecting the motor and the flywheel.
5. The toy vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a power supply
operatively associated with the chassis; and one or more wires
electrically coupling the power supply to the motor.
6. The toy vehicle of claim 5, further comprising: a front fork
operatively connecting the front wheel to the front end of the
chassis, the front fork having substantially parallel first and
second members operatively connected to each other; and an axle
fixedly attached to the front fork, the front wheel being rotatably
mounted about the fixed axle and positioned between the first and
second members; wherein at least one of the first and second
members is hollow so that the one or more wires may be routed
therethrough from the power supply to the motor.
7. The toy vehicle of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of the
fixed axle is hollow so that the one or more wires may be further
routed from the at least one hollow member to the motor without
interfering with the rotation of the flywheel or front wheel.
8. The toy vehicle of claim 5, further comprising a first set of
wires operatively connecting the power supply to a first end of the
front fork; and a second set of wires operatively connecting a
second end of the front fork to the motor; wherein the first and
second members are adapted to conduct electricity.
9. The toy vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a front fork
operatively connecting the front wheel to the front end of the
chassis, the front fork having substantially parallel first and
second members operatively connected to each other; and a steering
drive supported by the chassis and operatively connected to the
front fork, the steering drive being adapted to generate steering
outputs to steer the toy vehicle.
10. The toy vehicle of claim 9, further comprising: a fork coupler
pivotally connected to the front end of the chassis, the front fork
being connected to the fork coupler so as to pivot about a
castering axis.
11. The toy vehicle of claim 10 wherein when the toy vehicle
travels on a surface and the castering axis projects ahead of where
the front wheel contacts the surface.
12. The toy vehicle of claim 9, further comprising: a receiver
operatively connected to the steering drive, the receiver being
adapted to receive remotely generated steering signals to
selectively move the steering drive and steer the toy vehicle.
13. The toy vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a propulsion
drive operatively associated with the chassis and drivingly coupled
to the rear wheel.
14. The toy vehicle of claim 13, further comprising: a plurality of
intermeshing gears drivingly coupling the motor to the rear
wheel.
15. The toy vehicle of claim 13, further comprising: a drive chain
drivingly coupling the motor to the rear wheel.
16. A remotely controlled, wheel-supported toy vehicle, comprising:
a chassis having front and rear ends; front and rear wheels, the
front wheel being moveable to steer the toy vehicle, the rear wheel
being operatively connected to the rear end; a front fork
operatively connecting the front wheel to the front end of the
chassis; an axle fixedly attached to the front fork, the front
wheel being rotatably mounted about the fixed axle; a flywheel
operatively associated with the front wheel, the flywheel being
adapted to rotate independently of the front wheel; a motor
operatively connected to the flywheel to rotate the flywheel and
generate a gyroscopic effect to stabilize the toy vehicle while the
toy vehicle is moving; a steering drive supported by the chassis
and operatively connected to the front fork, the steering drive
being adapted to generate steering outputs to steer the toy
vehicle; a propulsion drive operatively associated with the chassis
and drivingly coupled to the rear wheel; and a receiver adapted to
receive remotely generated steering and propulsion signals, the
receiver being operatively connected to the steering drive such
that upon receiving a steering signal the steering drive generates
a steering output to steer the toy vehicle, the receiver also being
operatively connected to the propulsion drive such that upon
receiving a propulsion signal the propulsion drive becomes
operative.
17. The toy vehicle of claim 16, further comprising: a power supply
operatively associated with the chassis; and one or more wires
electrically coupling the power supply to the motor.
18. The toy vehicle of claim 17, further comprising: a switch
operatively associated with the power supply such that when the
switch is placed in an on position the motor becomes operative to
rotate the flywheel.
19. The toy vehicle of claim 17 wherein the motor is operatively
connected to the receiver such that the motor becomes operative
when the receiver receives a propulsion signal.
20. The toy vehicle of claim 17, further comprising: a control
board supported by the chassis and electrically coupled to the
receiver, the control board having a timing mechanism adapted to
deactivate the motor after a predetermined time period of
inactivity by the propulsion drive.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority to prior
filed co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
60/586,561 to Hoeting et al., filed Jul. 9, 2004, entitled "Toy
Vehicle with Stabilized Front Wheel," having Attorney Docket No.
BGZ-32, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a toy vehicle,
and more particularly, to a toy vehicle with a stabilized front
wheel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Toy vehicles, and in particular toy motorcycles are
generally known in the art. Toy motorcycles typically include a
chassis supported along a longitudinal axis by front and rear
wheels. Because a toy motorcycle must balance upon those two
wheels, wind and other external forces can easily cause the toy
motorcycle to fall over. For example, when a toy motorcycle is in
motion, bumps in the terrain can cause the motorcycle to become off
balance. Without the use of any stabilization system, toy
motorcycles, and especially remotely controlled toy motorcycles,
are difficult to operate and likely to fall over.
[0004] Several approaches have been tried to enhance a toy
motorcycle's stability. For example, the stability of the
motorcycle can be enhanced by utilizing a four-bar linkage steering
mechanism as described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,891 ("the
'891 patent"), issued to Hoeting et. al. and entitled "Remote
Control Toy with Improved Stability." The four-bar linkage projects
a castering axis ahead of the front wheel to help stabilize the toy
motorcycle, especially over rough terrain.
[0005] Gyroscopic flywheels can also enhance the stability of the
toy wheels. For example, the '891 patent discloses a weighted
flywheel assembly housed within and operatively associated with the
rear wheel of the toy vehicle. A propulsion drive is operatively
coupled to both the rear wheel and the flywheel assembly, and
drivingly rotates both the rear wheel and the flywheel assembly.
During operation, the flywheel assembly rotates substantially
faster than the rear wheel thereby causing a gyroscopic effect that
tends to prevent the toy vehicle from falling over.
[0006] While the stabilization approaches discussed above improve
the stability of toy motorcycles, Applicants believe that
stabilization can be achieved via other approaches as well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides a toy vehicle with a flywheel
operatively associated with a front wheel. The toy vehicle
comprises a chassis having a front end supported by the front wheel
and a rear end supported by a rear wheel. A motor is operatively
connected to the flywheel to rotate the flywheel and generate a
gyroscopic effect while the toy vehicle is moving.
[0008] The flywheel of the present invention is adapted to rotate
independently of the front wheel. For example, the front wheel may
be adapted to freely rotate about an axle that is fixedly attached
to the front end of the chassis. The motor may be positioned in a
motor mount that is fixedly connected to the axle such that the
motor does not rotate about the axle. Accordingly, the front wheel
rotates about the axle whenever the toy vehicle is in motion
whereas the flywheel rotates about the axle whenever the motor is
energized.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of
the invention and, together with a general description of the
invention given above, and the detailed description given below,
serve to explain the invention.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a side view, partially cut away, of a toy
motorcycle in accordance with the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a side view similar to FIG. 1 showing internal
components of the toy motorcycle;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a top view of the toy motorcycle in FIG. 1 showing
the operation of the steering servo;
[0013] FIGS. 4A and 4B are exploded perspective views of the front
wheel of the toy motorcycle shown in FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view similar to FIG. 4A
showing an alternate flywheel design;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the front wheel of the toy
motorcycle shown in FIG. 1; and
[0016] FIG. 7 is a cross-section view similar to FIG. 6 showing an
alternate front fork design.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a toy vehicle 10 is shown
according to the present invention. As illustrated and described
herein, the toy vehicle 10 is a toy motorcycle, and in particular,
a remote-controlled toy motorcycle. The toy vehicle 10 includes a
chassis 12 that has front and rear ends 14, 16, a front fork 18
operatively connected to the front end 14, and a rear suspension 20
operatively connected to the rear end 16. The front fork 18 is
supported by a front wheel 24 that is adapted to steer the toy
vehicle 10 in a desired direction. The rear suspension 20 is
supported by a rear wheel 26. A flywheel assembly 28 is operatively
associated with the front wheel 24 to stabilize the toy vehicle 10
when the toy vehicle is moving. The flywheel assembly 28 will be
explained in greater detail below.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the chassis 12 includes a decorative
shell or casing 30 that covers the internal components of the toy
vehicle 10 and defines the general shape of the chassis 12. The
components of an actual motorcycle may be depicted graphically on
the shell 30 to increase the aesthetic value and consumer appeal of
the toy motorcycle 10. For example, an engine 34, transmission
assembly 36, drive chain 38, and body frame 40 are all depicted
graphically on shell 30 in FIG. 1, even though none of those
features are functional. The toy vehicle 10 may also include a
simulated rider (not shown) sitting upon the chassis 12 and
gripping handlebars 42 which are attached to the front end 14.
[0019] To increase the operability of the toy vehicle 10, body
extensions 48, such as foot pads, may extend outwardly from shell
30. The body extensions 48 are adapted to provide support for the
chassis 12 when the toy vehicle 10 is on its side such that the
rear wheel 26 remains in contact with the ground. Accordingly, the
toy vehicle 10 can, in most situations, right itself when it is
lying on its side without intervention from the operator. That is,
upon application of drive power to the rear wheel 26, the toy
vehicle 10 begins to spin in an arcuate path until the vehicle
becomes upright and is able to operate on both its front and rear
wheels 24, 26. This self-righting characteristic is attractive to
the operator of the toy vehicle 10 because the operator does not
have to walk over to where the toy vehicle 10 is on its side.
Normally, the application of power to the rear wheel 26 is all that
is required to get the toy vehicle 10 back into operation.
[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the chassis 12 supports numerous
internal components, such as a propulsion drive 54 and a steering
drive 56, that are enclosed or covered by the shell 30. More
specifically, the chassis 12 supports a power supply 58, a rear
drive motor 60, and a steering servo 62, which are all electrically
coupled to a control board 64 that is supported on the chassis 12
as well. The control board 64 may also be electrically coupled to a
receiver 66 located in the chassis 12 for receiving radio signals
from a remotely-located radio transmitter (not shown). The radio
signals may be received by an external antenna 67 that is
positioned on the chassis 12 and coupled to the receiver 66.
[0021] Still referring to FIG. 2, a gear drive assembly 68 connects
the rear drive motor 60 to the rear wheel 26. The rear drive motor
60 transmits power through the gear drive assembly 68, which in
turn rotates the rear wheel 26 to propel the toy vehicle 10
forward. By enclosing the gear drive assembly 68 and other
components within the shell or casing 30, the toy vehicle 10 is
protected against debris that may clog or damage the propulsion
drive 54 and gear drive assembly 68. In other embodiments, the gear
drive assembly 68 may be replaced with a drive belt system, a chain
drive, or some other means that drivingly couples the propulsion
drive 54 to the rear wheel 26.
[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the steering drive 56 is
operatively connected to the front fork 18, which includes
substantially parallel first and second members 76, 78 (FIGS. 4A
and 4B) spaced about the front wheel 24. The first and second
members 76, 78 are both connected to one or more fork couplers 80,
which in turn are pivotally connected to the front end 14 of the
chassis 12 by a pivot pin 82. Thus, the front fork 18 pivots about
an axis 84. The axis 84 may also be referred to as a castering axis
84 for reasons discussed in more detail below.
[0023] Now referring more specifically to FIGS. 2 and 3, the
operation of the steering drive 56 is shown in greater detail. The
steering drive 56 includes the steering servo 62 and a steering arm
90, which is pivotally connected to the steering servo 62 at pivot
point 92. A link 94 is connected between steering arm 90 and flange
98, which is fixedly coupled to the second member 78 of the front
fork 18. In operation, the steering servo 62 generates steering
outputs that move the steering arm 90, which in turn moves link 94
either backwards or forwards depending on the desired direction for
the toy vehicle 10. Consequently, when link 94 moves, the front
fork 18 pivots about castering axis 84 such that the toy vehicle 10
will turn either left or right relative to longitudinal axis 102.
Alternatively, the link 94 may be pivotally connected to the fork
coupler 80 or directly to a portion of the front fork 18.
[0024] With reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the front wheel 24
comprises an outer tire 112 that surrounds first and second wheel
halves 114, 116. The wheel halves 114, 116 are supported on a front
axle 118 and may be held together by screws 119 that extend through
bores 120 in the first wheel half 114 and into threaded bores 122
(FIG. 6) in the second wheel half 116. The bores 120 and 122 are
positioned around the periphery of the respective first and second
wheel halves 114, 116 such that the wheel halves 114, 116 may be
assembled around the flywheel assembly 28. In other words, the
flywheel assembly 28 may be encased between the wheel halves 114,
116 and housed within the front wheel 24.
[0025] As shown in the figures, the flywheel assembly 28 includes a
weighted flywheel 130, a flywheel plate 132, and a motor 134. The
weighted flywheel 130 may be coupled to the flywheel plate 132 by
screws 136 that extend through bores 138 in the flywheel plate 132
and anchor into corresponding threaded bores 140 (FIG. 6) on the
flywheel 130. The flywheel plate 132 is driven by the motor 134,
which is positioned within a motor mount 144. The flywheel plate
132 and flywheel 130 are adapted to rotate within the front wheel
24 to create a gyroscopic effect. More specifically, the flywheel
plate 132 is adapted to rotate about the front axle 118, which is
fixably attached to the first and second members 74, 78 of front
fork 18. Unlike the flywheel plate 132, the motor mount 144 is
operatively connected to the fixed front axle 118 such that it does
not rotate about the axle 118. For example, a hexagonal portion 145
of the front axle 118 may cooperate with a hexagonal bore 146 in
motor mount 144 to prevent motor mount 144 from rotating about the
axle 118. Wires 148 electrically couple the motor 134 to the power
supply 58 of toy vehicle 10. As discussed below, the wires 148 may
be routed through hollow cavities in the front axle 118 and front
fork 18.
[0026] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the motor 134 is
drivingly coupled to the flywheel plate 132 by a belt drive system
150. The belt drive system 150 includes a pulley 152 coupled to the
flywheel plate 132 and a pulley 154 connected to the motor 134. A
belt 156 connects pulley 152 to pulley 154 such that when the motor
134 is energized, the flywheel plate 132 and weighted flywheel 130
spin about the front axle 118. Although only one type of belt drive
system 150 is illustrated and described herein, any other similar
means may be used in accordance with the present invention to
drivingly couple the flywheel plate 132 to the motor 134. For
example, FIG. 5 shows an alternate configuration of the flywheel
assembly 28. In this configuration, the pulley 152 of FIGS. 4A and
4B is replaced with a gear 162. Similarly, the pulley 154 of FIGS.
4A and 4B is replaced with a gear 164. The gears 162 and 164 are
sized such that they engage one another and the belt 156 in FIGS.
4A and 4B is eliminated. In other words, when motor 134 is
energized, gear 164 drives gear 162 to rotate the flywheel plate
132 and weighted flywheel 130.
[0027] FIG. 6 shows the fully assembled front wheel 24 and flywheel
assembly 28. As shown in the figure, the wires 148 may be
advantageously routed through hollow cavities 168 and 170 in the
front fork 18 and front axle 118, respectively. Such an arrangement
prevents the wires 148 from interfering with the rotation of the
front wheel 24 or flywheel 130. Although only the second member 78
of front fork 18 is shown as having a hollow cavity, the first
member 76 may include a hollow cavity as well. In such an
embodiment the hollow cavity 170 in the front axle 118 would extend
substantially across the entire length of the axle 118 to allow
wires to be routed through both the first and second members 76, 78
before being coupled to the motor 134. Alternatively, the wires 148
could be routed on the outside of the front fork 18 and enter the
hollow cavity 170 through the end of axle 118.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 7, the first and second members 76, 78 of
front fork 18 may be adapted to conduct electricity. In other
words, first and second members 76, 78 form part of the electrical
circuit which provides current to the motor 134. This arrangement
eliminates the need to route wires through hollow cavities in the
front fork 18. Instead, a first set of wires 174 may be used to
operatively connect the power supply 58 to a first end 18a of front
fork 18, and a second set of wires 176 may be used to operatively
connect a second end 18b of front fork 18 to the motor 134. The
first and second sets of wires 174, 176 are each comprised of a
positive wire 180 and a negative wire 182.
[0029] Still referring to FIG. 7, the first and second members 76,
78 are comprised of respective upper shock bodies 184, 186 and
lower shock shafts 188, 190. At the first end 18a of front fork 18,
the positive and negative wires 180, 182 are electrically coupled
to metal plates 192 located in the shock bodies 184 and 186. The
plates 192 transfer any current to springs 194, which in turn
transfer current to lower shock shafts 188 and 190. Current may
also be transferred through these components in the opposite
direction. Accordingly, such an arrangement allows current to flow
from the power supply 58 to the motor 134 via the negative wire 182
and second member 78, and back to the power supply 58 via the
positive wire 180 and first member 76. In order to couple the first
set of wires 174 to the power supply 58, both the positive and
negative wires 180, 182 at the first end 18a of front fork 18 may
be routed through the pivot pin 82.
[0030] To operate the toy vehicle 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the
user places a switch 200 in an "on" position to send power from the
power supply 58 to the control board 64. The power supply 58 may be
any suitable power source, such as rechargeable batteries. Upon
receiving power, the control board 64 may then energize the motor
134 via the wires 148. Because the front axle 118 is fixedly
connected to the front fork 18 and the motor mount 144 is secured
to the front axle 118, the motor 134 does not rotate about the
front axle 118 when activated. Instead, the motor 134 drives pulley
154, which in turn drives belt 156 and pulley 152 in order to
rotate the flywheel plate 132 about the front axle 118. As
discussed below, the rotation of the flywheel 130 with the flywheel
plate 132 increases the stability of the toy vehicle 10 by creating
a gyroscopic effect when the toy vehicle 10 is in motion.
[0031] The forward movement of the toy vehicle 10 is controlled by
the rear drive motor 60, which may be any suitable lightweight
motor but typically is a battery powered DC motor or a lightweight
internal combustion engine. When the rear drive motor 60 is
activated, the rear wheel 26 propels the toy vehicle 10 forward and
the front wheel 24 freely rotates about the front axle 118. Because
the flywheel assembly 28 is not coupled to the wheel halves 114,
116 and tire 112, the flywheel 130 and front wheel 24 rotate
independently of each other. The rotational speed of the flywheel
130 is determined by type of motor 134, along with the sizes of the
belt 156 and pulleys 152, 154 (or gears 162, 164) being used. These
components may be chosen in a manner that enables the flywheel 130
to rotate substantially faster than the front wheel 24 during
normal operation of the toy vehicle 10. This rotation of the
flywheel 130 creates a gyroscopic effect that helps make the toy
vehicle 10 less likely to fall over because of wind or other
external forces, including rough terrain. For example, when the toy
vehicle 10 encounters a bump along its path of motion, the
gyroscopic effect helps keep the vehicle upright and maintain its
current path of travel.
[0032] Additional stability is provided to the toy vehicle 10 by
the castering axis 84. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the toy vehicle
10 travels on a surface 210 and the castering axis 84 projects
ahead of where the front wheel 24 contacts the surface 210. Such an
arrangement provides a positive caster with a trail 220, which
represents the distance between where the castering axis 84
intersects the travel surface 210 and the contact point of the
front wheel 24 with the travel surface 210. As the toy vehicle 10
travels forward, the castering axis 84 effectively pulls the front
wheel 24 along the toy vehicle's path of motion. Thus, this
castering effect or force tends to realign the front wheel 24 with
the toy vehicle's path of motion when the front wheel 24 deviates
therefrom due to rough terrain or the like.
[0033] Although the toy vehicle 10 could function without the
assistance of an operator, it is contemplated that an operator will
remotely control the toy vehicle 10 by means of a radio
transmitter. For example, to initiate forward motion, the operator
sends a propulsion signal which is received by receiver 66. The
propulsion signal is then transmitted to the control board 64,
which energizes rear drive motor 60. Accordingly, the forward
motion of the toy vehicle 10 may be controlled by the operator
sending an appropriate propulsion signal to the toy vehicle 10.
Similarly, steering signals may also be transmitted by the operator
to control the operation of the steering servo 62. Thus, by using a
two-channel transmitter the operator can remotely and independently
control both the forward motion and direction of the toy vehicle
10.
[0034] The motor 134 may be controlled with or without use of the
remote radio transmitter. For example, the toy vehicle 10 may be
adapted such that the motor 134 is activated whenever the switch
200 is placed in the "on" position. In such an embodiment the motor
134 operates independently of the two-channel transmitter and
rotates the flywheel 130 about the front axle 118, even when the
toy vehicle 10 is not in motion. Alternatively, the motor 134 may
be operatively connected to the receiver 66 such that the motor 134
becomes operative when the receiver 66 receives a propulsion
signal. By only activating the motor 134 when the toy vehicle is in
motion, the toy vehicle helps prolong the operable life of power
supply 58 by utilizing less energy over a given period of time. In
a further embodiment, the control board 64 may have a timing
mechanism adapted to deactivate the motor 134 after a predetermined
time period of inactivity by the propulsion drive 54. Such an
arrangement helps prolong the operable life of power supply 58 as
well.
[0035] While the present invention has been illustrated by the
description of one or more embodiments thereof, and while the
embodiments have been described in considerable detail, they are
not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the
appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and
modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The
invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the
specific details, representative apparatus and method and
illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures
may be made from such details without departing from the scope or
spirit of the general inventive concept.
* * * * *