U.S. patent application number 11/335576 was filed with the patent office on 2007-02-22 for rear axle of a chassis for a toy vehicle.
This patent application is currently assigned to Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft. Invention is credited to Uwe Reuter.
Application Number | 20070042674 11/335576 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36914466 |
Filed Date | 2007-02-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070042674 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Reuter; Uwe |
February 22, 2007 |
Rear axle of a chassis for a toy vehicle
Abstract
This rear axle of a chassis is suitable for installation in a
toy vehicle which is operated as a track-guided vehicle on a
raceway. The chassis has a front and rear axles and a guide wedge
which is movable about a vertical pivot axle to cooperate with a
groove on the track in the front area. The rear axle is driven by
an electric motor, with the rear axle and the electric motor
together forming a module. To optimize the driving properties of
the toy vehicle, the module of the toy vehicle is held in position
on a receptacle section of the chassis with the mediation of a
guide arm-spring system.
Inventors: |
Reuter; Uwe; (Althengstett,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CROWELL & MORING LLP;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP
P.O. BOX 14300
WASHINGTON
DC
20044-4300
US
|
Assignee: |
Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche
Aktiengesellschaft
Stuttgart
DE
|
Family ID: |
36914466 |
Appl. No.: |
11/335576 |
Filed: |
January 20, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/465 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 17/262
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/465 |
International
Class: |
A63H 17/00 20060101
A63H017/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 21, 2005 |
DE |
10 2005 002 883.7 |
Claims
1. Chassis rear axle arrangement for a toy vehicle operated as a
track-guided raceway vehicle having a front axle and a guide wedge
movable about a vertical pivot axle cooperates with a track groove
at a chassis front area, the rear axle driven by an electric motor
which together form a module wherein the module is held in position
on a receptacle section of the chassis via a guide arm-spring
system.
2. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the
guide arm spring system comprises at least one guide arm and at
least one spring arm.
3. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the
guide arm is arranged to extend between the module and the
receptacle section in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and
in a central longitudinal plane.
4. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein the
guide arm spring system comprises at least one guide arm and at
least one spring arm.
5. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein the
guide arm is mounted on the module and the receptacle section of
articulated joints.
6. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 5, wherein the
articulated joints are film joints.
7. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 2, wherein the
guide arm-spring system comprises two spring arms on sides of a
central longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
8. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 7, wherein the
guide arm is arranged to extend between the module and the
receptacle section in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and
in a central longitudinal plane.
9. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 2, wherein the
at least one guide arm and at least one spring arm are connected to
at least one of upright bearing sections of the module and the
receptacle section.
10. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 2, wherein
the at least one guide arm and the at least one spring arm are
arranged on sides of a roll axle viewed from a side of the toy
vehicle, said roll axle rising from bottom to top against a travel
direction of the toy vehicle.
11. Chassis rear axle arrangement as recited in claim 10, the at
least one guide arm is situated above the roll axle, and the at
least one spring arm is situated beneath the roll axle.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No.
______ (Our Ref. No. 028987.57318US) filed in Jan. 20, 2006, based
on German Application No. 10 2005 002 882.9 filed in Germany on
Jan. 21, 2005 and to U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Our Ref No.
028987.57317US) filed on Jan. 20, 2006, based on German Application
No. 10 2005 002 612.5 filed in Germany on Jan. 20, 2005.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a rear axle of a chassis
for a toy vehicle operated as a track-guided raceway vehicle having
a front axle and a guide wedge movable about a vertical pivot axle
to cooperate with a track groove at a chassis front area, the rear
axle being driven by an electric motor which together form a
module.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,126 shows a model toy vehicle having a
chassis with a front axle and a rear axle. The rear axle and a
drive motor, which is behind the rear axle as seen in the travel
direction, are positioned on a platform which is mounted on a pivot
block in a rear area and is supported on perpendicular springs in a
front area such that the platform executes relative movements
against the action of the springs in driving operation via the
pivot block.
[0004] Unpublished German Patent Application DE 10 2004 011 934.1
discloses a track-guided toy vehicle having a chassis with a front
axle and a rear axle. A guide wedge mounted on the front axle is
rotatable about a pivot axle running perpendicular to the chassis
and cooperates with a groove in a track for the vehicle. The toy
vehicle is driven by an electric motor which is installed in the
chassis adjacent to the rear axle but between the front axle and
rear axle.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a chassis
for a track-guided toy vehicle that is optimized with regard to
speed and steering properties by simple design measures.
[0006] According to the invention, this object has been achieved by
providing that the module of the toy vehicle is held in position on
a receptacle section of the chassis with the mediation of a guide
arm-spring system.
[0007] Main advantages achieved through the present invention
include the control arm-spring system that can be converted between
module and receptacle section of the chassis with justifiable means
and contributes towards increasing the controllable turning speed
with the vehicle equipped in this way and making drifting in
turning more easily controllable. In other words, the control
arm-spring system produces a stabilization due to toe-in steering
of the rear axle and also reduces the oversteering tendency of the
toy vehicle and/or yields improved driving properties of the toy
vehicle. The guide arms and the spring arms are simple parts in
design which can be integrated into the area between the module and
the receptacle section with no problem.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description of the invention when considered in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings.
[0009] FIG. 1 is a plan view from above a rear chassis axle of a
chassis for a toy vehicle according to the present invention,
[0010] FIG. 2 is a side view of the toy vehicle shown in FIG. 1,
and
[0011] FIG. 3 is a plan view similar to that in FIG. 1 but showing
spring functions of the rear axle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] A toy vehicle 1 is shown for track-guided operation on a
raceway 2 consisting of assembled sections of track. The vehicle 1
has a chassis 5 supported by a front axle 3 and a rear axle 4. A
guide wedge 7 provided in the front area 6 of the chassis 5
cooperates with a groove 8 in the track 2 and can be moved about a
vertical pivot axle 9. The guide wedge 7 can be mounted on a pivot
arm which is connected in an articulated joint to pivot bearings
running across the longitudinal direction A-A of the vehicle and
can be equipped with current-consumers that cooperate with track 6.
An electric motor 10 for driving the toy vehicle is installed in
the chassis 5 between the front axle 3 and the rear axle 4 adjacent
to the latter. Electric motor 10 and rear axle 4 are combined to
form a module designated generally by numeral 12 via a gear
transmission 11, with the electric motor 10 that is connected to
the current-consumers, its drive shaft 13 aligned across the
longitudinal direction A-A of the vehicle.
[0013] Module 12 of the toy vehicle 1 is held in position on a
receptacle section 15 of the chassis 5 with the participation of a
control arm-spring system 14. The control arm-spring system 14
consists of at least one guide arm 16 and a spring arm 17, with
another spring arm 18 also being provided in the illustrated
embodiment. The two spring arms 17, 18 are arranged on both sides
of the central longitudinal plane B-B of the toy vehicle 1, whereas
the guide arm 16 extends in the central longitudinal plane B-B. The
guide arm 16 is mounted on the module 12 and/or on the receptacle
section 15 of the chassis with the assistance of articulated joints
19, 20, (e.g., articulated film joints). In contrast with that,
spring arms 17, 18 are fixedly clamped on both the module 12 and on
the receptacle section 15. In addition, the guide arms 16 and
spring arms 17 and 18 are connected to upright bearing sections 21,
22 of the module 12 and/or the receptacle section 15, with the
guide arms 16 and the spring arms 17, 18 running on both sides of a
roll axle 23 as seen in a side view of the toy vehicle 1, with the
roll axle 23 rising from the guide wedge 7 in the direction
opposite the travel direction. The spring arms 17, 18 are arranged
here below the roll axle 23 and the guide arm 16 is arranged above
the roll axle.
[0014] FIG. 3 shows the action mechanism of the guide arm-spring
system 14, namely in driving the toy vehicle 1 through, for
example, a right-hand curve Rk where a lateral force Lksk is acting
on guide wedge 7 from the left to right side of the vehicle and a
lateral force Vask directed in the same direction is acting on the
front axle 3. At the same time, a centrifugal force Fk emanating
from the center of gravity Sp of the toy vehicle 1 is attempting to
displace toy vehicle 1 toward the outside of the curve. Under this
influence, a lateral force Hask which is also acting from the left
side of the vehicle to the right side of the vehicle is acting on
the rear axle 4, with the guide arm 16 transmitting the lateral
force Hask and the rear axle 4 acting by elastic rebound with a
right wheel 24 via the spring arms 17, 18 and by spring deflection
with a left wheel 25.
[0015] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to
illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since
modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit
and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the
art, the invention should be construed to include everything within
the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
* * * * *