U.S. patent application number 11/736349 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-06 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 | 20070207699 11/736349 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46327742 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070207699 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hoeting; Michael G. ; et
al. |
September 6, 2007 |
TOY VEHICLE WITH STABILIZED FRONT WHEEL
Abstract
A toy vehicle generally comprises a chassis, front and rear
wheels supporting the chassis, and a flywheel configured to rotate
within the front wheel to provide a gyroscopic effect. An
engagement mechanism housed within and operatively coupled to the
front wheel is configured to rotate the flywheel in a first
direction when driven by the front wheel in the first direction.
The engagement mechanism is also configured to allow the flywheel
to continue to rotate in the first direction independently of the
front wheel when the front wheel decelerates.
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.
2150 Alpine Place
Cincinnati
OH
45206
|
Family ID: |
46327742 |
Appl. No.: |
11/736349 |
Filed: |
April 17, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11085341 |
Mar 21, 2005 |
|
|
|
11736349 |
Apr 17, 2007 |
|
|
|
60586561 |
Jul 9, 2004 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/440 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 17/21 20130101;
A63H 29/20 20130101; A63H 17/262 20130101; A63H 17/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/440 |
International
Class: |
A63H 17/21 20060101
A63H017/21 |
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 configured to rotate within the
front wheel; and an engagement mechanism including a first
component housed within and operatively coupled to the front wheel
so as to be driven thereby and a second component coupled to the
flywheel so as to rotate therewith, the first component being
configured to engage the second component when driven by the front
wheel in a first direction so that the flywheel is rotated in the
first direction as well, the second component being configured to
cease engaging the first component when the front wheel decelerates
in the first direction such that the flywheel continues to rotate
in the first direction independently of the front wheel.
2. The toy vehicle of claim 1, the front wheel having a front axis,
the first component including a first arcuate portion rotatable
about the front axis and the second component defining a socket in
which the first arcuate portion rotates, the engagement mechanism
further comprising: a first friction element configured to
frictionally engage the first arcuate portion and an outer rim of
the socket when the first component is rotated in the first
direction, the first friction element further configured to cease
engaging the first arcuate portion and the outer rim when the front
wheel decelerates in the first direction.
3. The toy vehicle of claim 2, the first friction element being a
spherical ball positioned within the socket.
4. The toy vehicle of claim 2, the first friction element being a
cylindrical disc positioned within the socket.
5. The toy vehicle of claim 2, the first component including a
second arcuate portion, the engagement mechanism further
comprising: a second friction element configured to frictionally
engage the second arcuate portion and the outer rim of the socket
when the first component is rotated in the first direction, the
second friction element further configured to cease engaging the
first arcuate portion and the outer rim when the front wheel
decelerates in the first direction.
6. The toy vehicle of claim 1, the first component being a paw
wheel having an arm extending therefrom, and the second component
defining a socket in which the paw wheel rotates, the socket having
a plurality of notches configured to engage the arm when the paw
wheel is rotated in the first direction.
7. The toy vehicle of claim 6, the arm being a resilient arm,
wherein the paw wheel includes a plurality of the resilient
arms.
8. The toy vehicle of claim 1, the first component being a ratchet
wheel having a plurality of projections and the second component
being a ratchet tab pivotally connected to the flywheel, the
ratchet tab configured to engage one of the plurality of
projections when the ratchet wheel is rotated in the first
direction and configured to be deflected by the plurality of
projections when the ratchet wheel is rotated in a second
direction.
9. The toy vehicle of claim 8, the ratchet tab being biased against
the ratchet wheel.
10. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first component of the
engagement mechanism is operatively coupled to the front wheel by a
gear train, the gear train being configured to rotate the first
component at a faster rate than the front wheel thereby causing the
flywheel to rotate faster than the front wheel.
11. The toy vehicle of claim 1, the first and second components of
the engagement mechanism being configured to allow the front wheel
to rotate in a second direction independently of the flywheel.
12. 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.
13. The toy vehicle of claim 13, 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; wherein the toy vehicle travels on a surface and
the castering axis projects ahead of where the front wheel contacts
the surface.
14. The toy vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a propulsion
drive operatively associated with the chassis and drivingly coupled
to the rear wheel.
15. 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 configured to rotate within
the front wheel; and an engagement mechanism housed within and
operatively coupled to the front wheel so as to be driven thereby,
the engagement mechanism being configured to rotate the flywheel in
a first direction when driven by the front wheel in the first
direction; wherein the engagement mechanism is further configured
to allow the flywheel to independently rotate in the first
direction when the front wheel decelerates in the first
direction.
16. The toy vehicle of claim 16, the engagement mechanism being
operatively coupled to the front wheel by a gear train, the gear
train being configured to allow the engagement mechanism to rotate
the flywheel at a faster rate than the front wheel.
17. The toy vehicle of claim 16, the engagement mechanism being
configured to allow the front wheel to rotate in a second direction
independently of the flywheel.
18. A toy vehicle, comprising: a chassis having first and second
ends; first and second wheels operatively connected to and
supporting the respective first and second ends; a flywheel
configured to rotate within the first wheel; and an engagement
mechanism including a first component housed within and operatively
coupled to the first wheel so as to be driven thereby and a second
component coupled to the flywheel so as to rotate therewith, the
first component being configured to engage the second component
when rotated in a first direction by the first wheel so that the
flywheel is rotated in the first direction as well, the second
component being configured to cease engaging the first component
when the first wheel decelerates in the first direction such that
the flywheel continues to rotate in the first direction
independently of the first wheel.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application
Ser. No. 11/085,341, filed Mar. 21, 2005, which claims the benefit
of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/586,561 to
Hoeting et al., filed Jul. 9, 2004, the disclosures of which are
incorporated by reference in their 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.
[0008] In one embodiment, the flywheel is driven by a motor and
rotates independently of the front wheel to generate a gyroscopic
effect while the toy vehicle is moving. 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.
[0009] In another embodiment, an engagement mechanism is housed
within and operatively coupled to the front wheel so as to be
driven thereby. The engagement mechanism is configured to rotate
the flywheel such that a separate motor, such as the one used in
the other embodiment, is not required. More specifically, the
engagement mechanism rotates the flywheel in a first direction when
driven by the front wheel in the first direction, but allows the
flywheel to continue to rotate in the first direction independently
of the front wheel after the front wheel decelerates in the first
direction. The flywheel may even continue to rotate in the first
direction when the front wheel stops rotating in the first
direction.
[0010] In one embodiment, the engagement mechanism includes a first
component driven by the front wheel about a front axle of the toy
vehicle and a second component coupled to the flywheel. The first
component engages the second component when rotated in the first
direction so that the flywheel also rotates in the first direction.
When the front wheel and first component decelerate in the first
direction, the second component ceases engaging the first component
such that the flywheel continues to rotate in the first direction
independently of the front wheel. The first and second components
may also be configured to allow the front wheel to rotate in a
second direction without the first component engaging the second
component. To this end, the first and second components act as a
one-way engagement mechanism.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] 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.
[0012] FIG. 1 is a side view, partially cut away, of one embodiment
of a toy motorcycle according to the invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a side view similar to FIG. 1 showing internal
components of the toy motorcycle;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a top view of the toy motorcycle in FIG. 1 showing
the operation of the steering servo;
[0015] FIGS. 4A and 4B are exploded perspective views of the front
wheel of the toy motorcycle shown in FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view similar to FIG. 4A
showing an alternate flywheel design;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the front wheel of the toy
motorcycle shown in FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a cross-section view similar to FIG. 6 showing an
alternate front fork design;
[0019] FIG. 8 is a side view similar to FIG. 1 showing a toy
motorcycle with an engagement mechanism and flywheel according to
an alternative embodiment of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the front wheel of
the toy motorcycle shown in FIG. 8;
[0021] FIGS. 10A-10C are schematic views illustrating the operation
of the engagement mechanism shown in FIG. 8;
[0022] FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic views illustrating the
operation of an engagement mechanism according to another
embodiment of the invention; and
[0023] FIGS. 12A and 12 are schematic views illustrating the
operation of an engagement mechanism according to yet another
embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] 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.
[0025] 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.
[0026] 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.
[0027] 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.
[0028] 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.
[0029] 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.
[0030] 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.
[0031] 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.
[0032] 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.
[0033] 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.
[0034] 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.
[0035] 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.
[0036] 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.
[0037] 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.
[0038] 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.
[0039] 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.
[0040] 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.
[0041] 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.
[0042] FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a toy
vehicle 310 having a flywheel 312 configured to rotate within a
front wheel 314 to generate a gyroscopic effect. The components of
the toy vehicle 310 other than those housed within the front wheel
314 may be the same as those discussed above with reference to
FIGS. 1-7. Accordingly, like reference numbers are used in FIG. 8
to refer to like elements from the embodiment shown FIGS. 1-7.
[0043] Rather than including a separate motor for rotating the
flywheel 312, the toy vehicle 310 includes an engagement mechanism
316 housed within the front wheel 314 for rotating the flywheel
312. As shown in FIG. 9, the engagement mechanism 316 generally
includes a first component 318 operatively coupled to the front
wheel 314 and a second component 320 coupled to the flywheel 312.
The front wheel 314 includes a wheel housing 326, a cap 328 secured
to the wheel housing 326 by screws 330, an outer tire 332
surrounding the wheel housing 326, and a front axle 334 fixedly
connected to the front fork 18 (FIG. 8) and rotatably supporting
the wheel housing 326 and cap 328. It will be appreciated, however,
that the front wheel 314 may alternatively comprise first and
second wheel halves (not shown) surrounded by the outer tire 332 so
as to be constructed in a similar manner as the front wheel 24
(FIG. 4A).
[0044] As shown in FIG. 9, the first component 318 is a generally
circular member having a first semi-circular wing or arcuate
portion 338 offset from a second semi-circular wing or arcuate
portion 340. The second component 320 is a generally cylindrical
boss secured to or integrally formed with the flywheel 312 and
defines a socket 342 for receiving the first component 318. First
and second friction elements 344, 346, which may be spherical
balls, are received within the socket 342 between an outer rim 348
and the first component 318. The first and second friction elements
344, 346 enable the first component 318 to engage the second
component 320 to rotate the flywheel 312, as will be described in
greater detail below.
[0045] The front wheel 314 further includes a gear assembly 354
housed within a recess 356 defined by the wheel cap 328. The gear
assembly 354 is retained in the recess 356 by a gear plate 358
secured to the wheel cap 328 by screws 360. Although a wide variety
of configurations are possible, the gear assembly 354 shown in FIG.
9 includes a planetary gear 362, a central gear 364, and first,
second, and third satellite gears 366, 368, 370. The planetary gear
362 is fixedly attached to the front axle 334 by a set screw (not
shown) or the like such that it remains stationary with the front
axle 334 when the front wheel 314 rotates. The first, second, and
third satellite gears 366, 368, 370 are rotatably mounted on
respective first, second, and third axles 372, 374, 376, which
engage the gear plate 358 via respective first, second, and third
througholes 378, 380, 382. Thus, when the rear drive motor 60 (FIG.
2) is activated so that the toy vehicle 310 moves forward and
causes the front wheel 314 to rotate about the front axle 334, the
gear plate 358 causes the satellite gears 366, 368, 370 to rotate
as well. In turn, the satellite gears 366, 368, 370 rotate the
central gear 364, which extends through a central opening 384 in
the gear plate 358 and engages the first component 318 of the
engagement mechanism 316.
[0046] As a result of this arrangement, the first component 318 is
operatively engaged to the front wheel 314 so as to be driven
thereby. Advantageously, the size of the planetary gear 362,
central gear 364, and satellite gears 366, 368, 370 are selected
such that one revolution of the front wheel 314 causes several
revolutions of the first component 318. For example, the first
component 318 may rotate between about five to ten times for each
rotation of the front wheel 314. Additionally, the gear plate 358
confronts the second component 320 of the engagement mechanism 316
when the front wheel 314 is assembled to retain the first component
318 and first and second friction elements 344, 346 within the
socket 342.
[0047] FIGS. 10A through 10C illustrate the operation of the
engagement mechanism 316 in further detail. When rotated in a first
direction 388, the first component 318 causes the first friction
element 344 to frictionally engage the first arcuate portion 338
and outer rim 348 so as to become wedged therebetween. The second
friction element 346 likewise frictionally engages the second
arcuate portion 340 and the outer rim 348 so as to become wedged
therebetween. This positive engagement enables the first component
318 to rotate the second component 320 and flywheel 312 in the
first direction 388. This positive engagement differs from other
engagement mechanism where one member may slip along another member
before full engagement occurs, such as in a traditional centrifugal
clutch. As discussed above, the first component 318 advantageously
rotates at a faster rate than the front wheel 314 because of the
gear assembly 354. Consequently, the flywheel 312 rotates at a
faster rate as well to generate gyroscopic forces that stabilize
the toy vehicle 310.
[0048] When the front wheel 314 and first component 318 decelerate
in the first direction 388, the first and second friction elements
344, 346 release from engagement with the respective first and
second arcuate portions 338, 340 and the outer rim 348 of the
second component 320. This allows the second component 320 and
flywheel 312 to continue rotating in the first direction 388
independently of the front wheel 314. Indeed, as shown in FIG. 10B,
the second component 320 and flywheel 312 may even continue to
rotate in the first direction 388 when the front wheel 314 is
stopped. The configuration of the first component 318 ensures that
the first and second friction elements 344, 346 remain loosely
positioned within the socket 342 so as to cause minimal
interference with the continued rotation of the second component
320. In particular, the continued rotation of the second component
320 faster than the first component 318 urges the first friction
element 344 toward a planar surface 390 and the second friction
element 346 toward a planar surface 392 anytime the first and
second friction elements 344, 346 contact the outer rim 348. The
planar surfaces 390, 392 of the first component 318 extend toward
the outer rim 348 in a direction substantially perpendicular to a
tangent (not shown) of the outer rim 348. Thus, the first and
second friction elements 344, 346 do not become wedged between the
planar surfaces 390, 392 and the outer rim 348.
[0049] The same relationship holds true when the first component
318 is rotated in a second direction 394, as shown in FIG. 10C. In
this situation, the planar surfaces 390, 392 come into contact with
the respective first and second friction elements 344, 346, which
simply roll within the socket 342 so as to not impede the rotation
of the first component 318. This occurs whether the flywheel 312 is
rotating in the first direction 388 or not. To this end, the
engagement mechanism 316 acts as a one-way engagement
mechanism.
[0050] The first and second friction elements 344, 346 shown in
FIGS. 8-10C are spherical balls. It will be appreciated, however,
that many other shapes and configurations are possible. For
example, the first and second friction elements 344, 346 may
alternatively be cylindrical discs (not shown) retained in the
socket 342 by the gear plate 358. Additionally, although first and
second friction elements are shown in the figures, it will be
appreciated that only a single friction element is required to
cause engagement between the first and second components 318, 320.
Alternatively, the first and second components 318, 320 may be
configured to cooperate with more than two friction elements.
[0051] FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate an engagement mechanism 410
according to an alternative embodiment. In this embodiment, the
first component is a ratchet wheel 412 having a plurality of
projections 414 along its outer perimeter and the second component
is a ratchet tab 416 pivotally connected to the flywheel 412. The
ratchet tab 416 positively engages one of the projections 414 when
the ratchet wheel 412 is rotated in the first direction 388 (FIG.
11A). There is no slippage between the ratchet tab 416 and
projections 414 during the engagement process. To facilitate this
engagement, the ratchet tab 416 may be normally biased against the
ratchet wheel 412. As a result of this arrangement, the ratchet
wheel 412 rotates the flywheel 312 when driven in the first
direction 388 by the front wheel 314. When the front wheel 314 and
ratchet wheel 412 decelerate in the first direction 388, the
flywheel 312 is able to continue rotating in the first direction
388 independently of the ratchet wheel 412 because the ratchet tab
416 is simply deflected by (rather than engaged by) the projections
414 as it passes over them. As shown in FIG. 11B, the flywheel 312
may continue to rotate in the first direction 388 even when the
front wheel 314 is stopped. The ratchet wheel 412 and ratchet tab
416 may or may not be positioned in a socket 418 similar to the
socket 342 in FIGS. 8-10C.
[0052] FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate an engagement mechanism 430
according to yet another embodiment. In this embodiment, the first
component is a paw wheel 432 having one or more arms 434 extending
therefrom and the second component is a cylindrical boss 436
coupled to the flywheel 312. The cylindrical boss 436 defines a
socket 438 for receiving the paw wheel 432 and includes a plurality
of notches 440 shaped to cooperate with the arms 434 of the paw
wheel 432. In particular, when the paw wheel 432 is rotated in the
first direction 388 (FIG. 12A), each arm 434 positively engages an
engagement surface 442 on one of the notches 440 so that the
cylindrical boss 436 and flywheel 312 are rotated in the first
direction 388 as well. There is no slippage between the ratchet tab
416 and projections 414 during the engagement process. When the paw
wheel 432 decelerates in the first direction 388 (FIG. 12B), the
notches 440 release from engagement with the arms 434 to allow the
cylindrical boss 436 and flywheel 312 to continue to rotate in the
first direction 388 independently of the front wheel 314 and paw
wheel 432. The notches 440 may include guide surfaces 444 that
contact the arms 434 during this relative rotation, but the guide
surfaces 444 simply cause the arms 434 to flex inwardly so as to
cause minimal interference with the relative rotation. To this end,
the arms 434 may be resilient.
[0053] The design of the embodiments of FIGS. 8-12B assists the toy
vehicle right itself, i.e, standup, from a tipped over position
without user intervention, especially in the situation when the
flywheel is stopped or slowly spinning. As the toy vehicle attempts
to move forward from a dead stop, the front wheel and the stopped
or nearly stopped flywheel resists being rotated. As the flywheel
resists rotating, the front wheel is able to overcome the caster
affect and turn sharper than it normally would. Consequently, the
bike will turn in a tighter radius and create enough centrifugal
force in the toy vehicle to cause the toy vehicle to lift off its
side and onto two wheels quicker than without the resistance of the
flywheel.
[0054] 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.
* * * * *