U.S. patent application number 11/951956 was filed with the patent office on 2009-06-11 for rolling and flipping vehicle.
This patent application is currently assigned to Lund and Company Invention, L.L.C.. Invention is credited to Bruce Lund, Cesar Ramirez.
Application Number | 20090149113 11/951956 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40722148 |
Filed Date | 2009-06-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090149113 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lund; Bruce ; et
al. |
June 11, 2009 |
Rolling and Flipping Vehicle
Abstract
A remotely controlled four-wheeled toy vehicle has first and
second parallel rotational axes with a first pair of wheels
disposed and rotational about the first rotational axis in first
and second opposing directions, and a second pair of wheels
disposed and rotational about the second rotational axis in first
and second opposing directions. Each of the wheels has a circular
periphery and a flap disposable in inboard and outboard positions.
A remote control causes rotation of the first and/or second pairs,
together or independently. The flaps are all disposed substantially
on or within the circular peripheries of their associated wheels
during their inboard positions and all extend external to the
circular peripheries during their outboard positions. Each flap is
disposed in its inboard position allowing its associated wheel to
roll along a support surface in one of the first and second
directions and is disposed in its outboard position denying its
associated wheel to roll along the support surface in the other
direction to cause the vehicle to flip over relative to the support
surface.
Inventors: |
Lund; Bruce; (River Forest,
IL) ; Ramirez; Cesar; (Chicago, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FRANCIS EDWARD MARINO
394 MEREDITH NECK ROAD
MEREDITH
NH
03253
US
|
Assignee: |
Lund and Company Invention,
L.L.C.
Chicago
IL
|
Family ID: |
40722148 |
Appl. No.: |
11/951956 |
Filed: |
December 6, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/454 ;
446/431 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 17/004 20130101;
A63H 17/262 20130101; A63H 30/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/454 ;
446/431 |
International
Class: |
A63H 17/385 20060101
A63H017/385; A63H 17/26 20060101 A63H017/26 |
Claims
1. A wheeled vehicle comprising: a rotational axis; a wheel having
a circular periphery and disposed and rotational about said
rotational axis in first and second opposing directions; a flap
affixed to said wheel and disposable in inboard and outboard
positions; said inboard position being on or within said circular
periphery; and said outboard position extending external to said
circular periphery; wherein said flap is disposed in said inboard
position allowing said wheel to roll along a support surface when
said wheel rotates in said first direction; and wherein said flap
is disposed in said outboard position denying said wheel to roll
along the support surface when said wheel rotates in said second
direction.
2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said flap is displaced from said
inboard position to said outboard position by centrifugal force
about said rotational axis during said rotation in said second
direction.
3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein said wheel is a first wheel and
said vehicle further comprises: a second wheel, displaced from and
parallel to said first wheel and having a second circular
periphery, said second wheel disposed and rotational about said
rotational axis, in said first and second opposing directions; a
second flap affixed to said second wheel and disposable in second
inboard and outboard positions; said second inboard position being
on or within said second circular periphery; and said second
outboard position extending external to said second circular
periphery; wherein said second flap is disposed in said second
inboard position allowing said second wheel to roll along the
support surface when said second wheel rotates in said first
direction; and wherein said second flap is disposed in said second
outboard position denying said second wheel to roll along the
support surface when said second wheel rotates in said second
direction.
4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein said rotation of said first and
second wheels in said second direction and said denials of said
first and second wheels to roll along the support surface cooperate
to cause the wheeled vehicle to flip over relative to the support
surface.
5. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein said rotational axis is a first
rotational axis and said vehicle further comprises: a second
rotational axis displaced from and parallel with said first
rotational axis; a third wheel having a third circular periphery
and disposed and rotational about said second rotational axis in
said first and second opposing directions; a third flap affixed to
said third wheel and disposable in third inboard and outboard
positions; said third inboard position being on or within said
third circular periphery; and said third outboard position
extending external to said third circular periphery; wherein said
third flap is disposed in said third inboard position allowing said
third wheel to roll along the support surface when said third wheel
rotates in one of said first and second directions; and wherein
said third flap is disposed in said third outboard position denying
said third wheel to roll along the support surface when said third
wheel rotates in the other of said first and second directions.
6. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein said rotation of said third wheel
in said other of said first and second directions and said denial
of said third wheel to roll along the support surface cooperate to
cause the wheeled vehicle to flip over relative to the support
surface.
7. The vehicle of claim 6 further comprising a remote-control for
causing said wheels to rotate in said first or second
directions.
8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein said remote control is adapted to
cause said rotations of said first and second wheels independently
of said third wheel.
9. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising: a flap pivot axis
disposed parallel to said rotational axis and adjacent to said
circular periphery; and wherein said flap is disposed substantially
along said circular periphery during said first position; said flap
pivots about said pivot axis from said inboard position to said
outboard position; and said flap is substantially tangentially
disposed relative to said circular periphery during said outboard
position.
10. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a remote-control for
causing said wheel to rotate in said first or second
directions.
11. A method of controlling the rolling of a wheeled vehicle along
a support surface comprising: rotating a wheel having a circular
periphery about a rotational axis in a first direction wherein a
flap affixed to said wheel is disposed in a inboard position within
said circular periphery and said wheel is thereby allowed to roll
along the support surface; and rotating said wheel about said
rotational axis in a second direction, opposite to said first
direction, wherein said flap becomes disposed into a outboard
position extending external to said circular periphery and denying
said wheel to roll along the support surface.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising: employing
centrifugal force to cause said flap to become disposed into said
outboard position during said rotation in said second
direction.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein said wheel is a first wheel and
said method further comprises: rotating a second wheel, displaced
from and parallel to said first wheel and having a second circular
periphery, about said rotational axis in said first direction
wherein a second flap affixed to said second wheel is disposed in a
second inboard position within said second circular periphery and
said second wheel is thereby allowed to roll along the support
surface; and rotating said second wheel about said rotational axis
in said second direction wherein said second flap becomes disposed
into a second outboard position extending external to said second
circular periphery and denying said second wheel to roll along the
support surface.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said rotation of said first and
second wheels in said second direction and said denials of said
first and second wheels to roll along the support surface cooperate
to cause the wheeled vehicle to flip over relative to the support
surface.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein said rotational axis is a first
rotational axis and said method further comprises: rotating a third
wheel having a third circular periphery and disposed and rotational
about a second rotational axis displaced from and parallel with
said first rotational axis in one of said first and second opposing
directions wherein a third flap affixed to said third wheel is
disposed in a third inboard position within said third circular
periphery and said third wheel is thereby allowed to roll along the
support surface; and rotating said third wheel about said second
rotational axis in the other of said first and second opposing
directions wherein said third flap becomes disposed into a third
outboard position extending external to said third circular
periphery and denying said third wheel to roll along the support
surface.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein said rotation of said third
wheel in said other of said first and second directions and said
denial of said third wheel to roll along the support surface
cooperate to cause the wheeled vehicle to flip over relative to the
support surface.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising: employing a
remote-control to cause said wheels to rotate in said first or
second directions.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising; employing said
remote control to cause said rotations of said first and second
wheels independently of said third wheel.
19. The method of claim 11 further comprising: employing a
remote-control to cause causing said wheel to rotate in said first
or second directions.
20. A remotely controlled four-wheeled toy vehicle comprising:
first and second parallel rotational axes; a first pair of wheels
disposed and rotational about said first rotational axis in first
and second opposing directions, each of said first pair having a
first circular periphery and a flap disposable in inboard and
outboard positions; a second pair of wheels disposed and rotational
about said second rotational axis in first and second opposing
directions, each of said second pair having a second circular
periphery and a flap disposable in inboard and outboard positions;
a remote control for causing rotation of said first and second
pairs in said first and second opposing directions, together or
independently; wherein said flaps are all disposed on or within
said circular peripheries of said associated wheels during said
inboard positions and said flaps all extend external to said
circular peripheries of said associated wheels during said outboard
positions; and wherein each flap is disposed in its inboard
position allowing said associated wheel to roll along a support
surface when said associate wheel rotates in one of said first and
second directions, and each flap is disposed in its outboard
position denying said associated wheel to roll along the support
surface when said associate wheel rotates in the other of said
first and second directions to cause the vehicle to flip over
relative to the support surface.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is related to wheeled vehicles.
Particularly, the invention is related to wheeled toy vehicles.
More particularly, the invention is related to remotely-controlled
wheeled toy vehicles.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Remotely controlled toy vehicles are well known and commonly
used for entertainment. Typically, such toys have wheels, some or
all of which are remotely controllable to roll in a forward
direction at the command of the user. Less typically, the wheels
are also controllable to roll in a backward direction and/or to be
turned for steering the vehicle.
[0003] There are presently no convenient, economical, and simple
means for causing a remotely controlled toy vehicle to flip over to
reverse its direction from forward to backward, and such is a
feature and an object of the present invention.
[0004] There are presently no convenient, economical, and simple
means for causing a remotely controlled toy vehicle to flip over to
reverse its direction from backward to forward, and such is a
feature and an object of the present invention.
[0005] There are presently no convenient, economical, and simple
means for causing a remotely controlled toy vehicle to selectively
flip over to reverse its direction from forward to backward or from
backward to forward, and such is a feature and an object of the
present invention.
[0006] Further features and objects of the invention will become
apparent upon review of the disclosure of various exemplary
embodiments provided herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention may be embodied in a remotely
controlled four-wheeled toy vehicle having first and second
parallel rotational axes with a first pair of wheels disposed and
rotational about the first rotational axis in first and second
opposing directions, and a second pair of wheels disposed and
rotational about the second rotational axis in first and second
opposing directions. Each of the wheels may have a circular
periphery and a flap disposable in inboard and outboard positions.
A remote control may cause rotation of the first and/or second
pairs, together or independently. The flaps may all be disposed
substantially on or within the circular peripheries of their
associated wheels during their inboard positions and may all extend
external to the circular peripheries during their outboard
positions. Each flap may be disposed in its inboard position
allowing its associated wheel to roll along a support surface in
one of the first and second directions and may be disposed in its
outboard position denying its associated wheel to roll along the
support surface in the other direction to cause the vehicle to flip
over relative to the support surface.
[0008] In use, a remote control may be used to cause the rotations
of one or more of the vehicle's wheels in a first direction,
wherein the flap affixed to that wheel is disposed in its inboard
position, allowing the wheel to roll along the support surface, and
the remote control may be used to cause the rotations of one or
more of the vehicle's wheels in a second direction opposite to said
first direction, wherein the flap becomes disposed into its
outboard position, denying the wheel to roll along the support
surface.
[0009] Centrifugal force may be employed to cause the flaps to
become disposed into their outboard positions during rotation in
the second direction. The rotation of the wheels in said second
direction and the denials of those wheels to roll along the support
surface may cooperate to cause the wheeled vehicle to flip over
relative to the support surface.
[0010] Further features and aspects of the invention are disclosed
with more specificity in the Detailed Description and Drawings of
an exemplary embodiment provided herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with
reference to the following drawings showing an exemplary embodiment
there-of. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to
scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the
principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings,
like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout
the several views.
[0012] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a four-wheeled toy
vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the vehicle of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle of FIG. 1
upside-down after being flipped over and being remotely controlled
by a user;
[0015] FIG. 4A is a side view of a wheel of the vehicle of FIG. 3
rolling in the forward direction with its flap in its inboard
position;
[0016] FIG. 4B is a side view of the wheel of FIG. 4A rolling
further in the forward direction with its flap in its inboard
position;
[0017] FIG. 5A is a side view of the wheel of FIG. 4A rolling in
the backward direction with its flap moving towards its outboard
position;
[0018] FIG. 5B is a side view of the wheel of FIG. 5A rolling
further in the backward direction with its flap in its outboard
position;
[0019] FIG. 6A is a sectional side view of the vehicle of FIG. 1
taken at line 6-6 of FIG. 2 showing the denial of rolling caused by
the flaps being in their outboard positions; and
[0020] FIG. 6B is a sectional side view of the vehicle of FIG. 1
taken at line 6-6 of FIG. 2 showing the flipping of the
vehicle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] Reference is first made to FIGS. 1 through 3, where there is
shown a remotely controlled four-wheeled toy vehicle 100 according
to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0022] Chassis 102 encases a first unseen motor for causing the
rotation of front wheels 104LF and 104RF about front axis 106, and
a second unseen motor for causing the rotation of rear wheels 104LR
and 104RR about rear axis 108. Chassis 102 further encases an
unseen steering control mechanism for causing the turning of front
wheels 104LF and 104RF to steer the vehicle, and an unseen receiver
for accepting commands from remote control 112 and converting those
commands into signals to cause the aforesaid wheel rotations and
turnings.
[0023] In FIG. 3, vehicle 100 has been flipped over and is shown
upside-down, hence wheels 104LF has swapped positions with wheel
104RF, wheel 104RF has swapped positions with wheel 104RR, and the
straps 128 of flaps 122 are facing upward. While the vehicle in its
upright position of FIGS. 1 and 2 will flip over when attempting to
move forward, the vehicle in its upside-down position of FIG. 3
will flip over when attempting to move backward.
[0024] Referring next to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the forward rotation of
wheel 104, being representative of any one of wheels 104LF, 104RF,
104LR, or 104RR, is shown. Wheel 104 has a circular outer periphery
120 for rolling along support surface 200 as the wheel rotates.
Flap 122 is affixed at its inboard end 124 to wheel 104 within
peripheral pocket 126. The flap includes flexible strap 128, foot
130, and vertebrae 132A and 132B. Strap 128 is preferably made of a
fabric material, such as braided nylon. The strap is secured at its
inboard end 124 into pocket 126 by rivets, gluing, post-forming, or
any equivalent fastening means.
[0025] During the forward rotation of wheel 104, flexible strap 128
bends inwardly into pocket 126 so that the entire flap, including
foot 130 lies within circular outer periphery 120. Wheel 104 is
thusly able to roll smoothly along surface 200. Although the
centrifugal force of the rotating wheel and the weight of the flap
urges the flap to flex outwardly during forward rotation, the
weight of the vehicle as it rolls along the floor is sufficient to
maintain the flap in the shown inboard position as foot 130 crosses
past the support surface as seen in FIG. 4B.
[0026] Referring next to FIGS. 5A and 5B the rearward rotation of
wheel 104 is shown. Due to the flexibility of strap 128 and the
centrifugal force caused by the rotating wheel, flap 122 pivots
outwardly during rearward rotation and moves towards its outboard
direction as seen in FIG. 5A.
[0027] Vertebrae 132A and 132B are preferably plastic bars
adjacently affixed on the outboard side of strap 128. Inward
flexing of strap 128 causes the vertebrae to separate from each
other, so the vertebrae cause no interference to inward flexing of
the flap. But outward flexing causes the vertebrae to approach each
other and as the flap approaches its fully extended outboard
position, vertebrae 132A and 132B come into contact with each other
and deny further outboard flexing of the flap, thereby causing the
stiffening of flap 122 against further outward flexing. As shown in
FIG. 5B, flap 122 becomes a rigid member disposed tangential to
circular outer periphery 120 and rests upon support surface 200,
denying further rearward rotation of wheel 104.
[0028] FIG. 6A shows vehicle 100 with all wheels 104LF, 104RF,
104LR, and 104RR rotating in the rearward direction until each flap
122 rests against support surface 200, as in FIG. 5B, and with
further relative rearward rotation of the wheel relative to the
support surface denied. Further rotation of the wheels and thus be
only relative to the chassis 102, and such further rotation causes
the chassis to be moved relative to the support surface as seen in
FIG. 6B. Such movement causes a flipping over of the entire vehicle
and a reversal of its direction.
[0029] Chassis 102 is symmetrically configured so that its bottom
side appears identical to its top side, so that not matter which
way it is flipped, upside-down or right-side-up, it appears the
same.
[0030] As may be appreciated, selective forward and rearward
rotating of the forward and/or rearward wheels can create numerous
playful and entertaining effects. The vehicle may be flipped about
either its front or rear axis to reverse the vehicle's direction,
or the vehicle can be caused to hop or lift off of the support
surface by only partially rotating the wheels relative to the
chassis after rolling is denied.
In, summary the present invention may be embodied as a wheeled
vehicle having a rotational axis, a wheel having a circular
periphery and disposed and rotational about the rotational axis in
first and second opposing directions, and having a flap affixed to
the wheel and disposable in inboard and outboard positions; the
inboard position being on or within the circular periphery, and the
outboard position extending external to the circular periphery. The
flap is disposed in the inboard position allowing the wheel to roll
along a support surface when the wheel rotates in the first
direction, and is disposed in the outboard position denying the
wheel to roll along the support surface when the wheel rotates in
the second direction. The flap may be displaced from the inboard
position to the outboard position by centrifugal force about the
rotational axis during the rotation in the second direction.
[0031] The vehicle may further have a second wheel, displaced from
and parallel to the first wheel and having a second circular
periphery, with the second wheel disposed and rotational about the
rotational axis in the first and second opposing directions. The
second flap may be affixed to the second wheel and disposable in
second inboard and outboard positions; with the second inboard
position being on or within the second circular periphery, and the
second outboard position extending external to the second circular
periphery. The second flap may be disposed in the second inboard
position allowing the second wheel to roll along the support
surface when the second wheel rotates in the first direction; and
may be disposed in the second outboard position denying the second
wheel to roll along the support surface when the second wheel
rotates in the second direction.
[0032] The denials of the first and second wheels to roll along the
support surface may cooperate to cause the wheeled vehicle to flip
over relative to the support surface.
[0033] The vehicle may further have a second rotational axis
displaced from and parallel with the first rotational axis with a
third wheel (or a pair or coaxial third and fourth wheels) having a
third circular periphery and disposed and rotational about the
second rotational axis in the first and second opposing directions.
A third flap may be affixed to the third wheel and disposable in
third inboard and outboard positions, with the third inboard
position being on or within the third circular periphery and the
third outboard position extending external to the third circular
periphery. The third flap may be disposed in the third inboard
position allowing the third wheel to roll along the support surface
when the third wheel rotates in one of the first and second
directions, may be disposed in the third outboard position denying
the third wheel to roll along the support surface when the third
wheel rotates in the other of the first and second directions.
[0034] The denial of the third wheel to roll along the support
surface may cause the wheeled vehicle to flip over relative to the
support surface.
[0035] The vehicle may include a remote-control for causing the
wheels to rotate in the first or second directions, and the remote
control may be adapted to cause the rotations of the first and
second wheels independently of the third wheel.
[0036] Each of the wheels may include a flap pivot axis disposed
parallel to the rotational axis and adjacent to the circular
periphery, and the associated flap may be disposed substantially
along the circular periphery during the first position. The flap
may pivot about the pivot axis from the inboard position to the
outboard position and become substantially tangentially disposed
relative to the circular periphery during the outboard
position.
[0037] The inventions may also be embodied as a method of
controlling the rolling of a wheeled vehicle along a support
surface, including the steps of rotating a wheel having a circular
periphery about a rotational axis in a first direction wherein a
flap affixed to the wheel is disposed in an inboard position within
the circular periphery and the wheel is thereby allowed to roll
along the support surface, and rotating the wheel about the
rotational axis in a second direction, opposite to the first
direction, wherein the flap becomes disposed into a outboard
position extending external to the circular periphery and denying
the wheel to roll along the support surface.
[0038] The method may include the employment of centrifugal force
to cause the flap to become disposed into the outboard position
during the rotation in the second direction.
[0039] The method may further include rotating a second wheel,
displaced from and parallel to the first wheel and having a second
circular periphery, about the rotational axis in the first
direction wherein a second flap affixed to the second wheel is
disposed in a second inboard position within the second circular
periphery and the second wheel is thereby allowed to roll along the
support surface, and rotating the second wheel about the rotational
axis in the second direction wherein the second flap becomes
disposed into a second outboard position extending external to the
second circular periphery and denying the second wheel to roll
along the support surface.
[0040] The denials of the first and second wheels to roll along the
support surface may cause the wheeled vehicle to flip over relative
to the support surface.
[0041] The method may further include rotating a third wheel having
a third circular periphery and disposed and rotational about a
second rotational axis displaced from and parallel with the first
rotational axis in one of the first and second opposing directions
wherein a third flap affixed to the third wheel is disposed in a
third inboard position within the third circular periphery and the
third wheel is thereby allowed to roll along the support surface,
and rotating the third wheel about the second rotational axis in
the other of the first and second opposing directions wherein the
third flap becomes disposed into a third outboard position
extending external to the third circular periphery and denying the
third wheel to roll along the support surface.
[0042] The denial of the third wheel to roll along the support
surface may cause the wheeled vehicle to flip over relative to the
support surface.
[0043] The method may include employing a remote-control to cause
the wheels to rotate in the first or second directions, and
employing the remote control to cause the rotations of the first
and second wheels independently of the third wheel.
[0044] More specifically, the invention may be preferably embodied
as a remotely controlled four-wheeled toy vehicle having first and
second parallel rotational axes with a first pair of wheels
disposed and rotational about the first rotational axis in first
and second opposing directions, and a second pair of wheels
disposed and rotational about the second rotational axis in first
and second opposing directions. Each of the wheels may have a
circular periphery and a flap disposable in inboard and outboard
positions. A remote control may cause rotation of the first and/or
second pairs, together or independently. The flaps may all be
disposed on or within the circular peripheries of their associated
wheels during their inboard positions and all extend external to
the circular peripheries during their outboard positions. Each flap
may be disposed in its inboard position allowing its associated
wheel to roll along a support surface in one of the first and
second directions and may be disposed in its outboard position
denying its associated wheel to roll along the support surface in
the other direction to cause the vehicle to flip over relative to
the support surface.
[0045] While the invention has been shown and described with
reference to a specific exemplary embodiment, it should be
understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form
and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention, and that the invention should therefore only be
limited according to the following claims, including all equivalent
interpretation to which they are entitled.
* * * * *