Flipper mechanism for toy vehicles

Abstract

A flipper device for upsetting a toy vehicle. The flipper device is adapted to be attached to the rear end of a motorized toy vehicle and the flipper device includes a target area which may be hit by the front end of another toy vehicle. The flipper device is comprised of a stationary bracket, a rotatably mounted movable bracket, and a rubber band for providing the necessary force to ensure that the movable bracket is rotated from the stationary bracket so as to upset the toy vehicle.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to toy vehicles and more particularly to a novel flipper device for upsetting toy vehicles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Toy vehicles have been very popular with children for a number of years. In the past few years, toy racing vehicles having a small electric motor and a rechargeable battery have been marketed with great success. These motorized toy racing vehicles travel at a relatively high speed on racing tracks that usually include a number of deflecting means or switching means to provide increased entertainment to the racing set. While these racing sets simulate adult races, they do not simulate the upsetting of racing cars when such cars collide.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel flipper device to simulate the upsetting of a racing car.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flipper device that may be attached to a conventional toy racing car.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a flipping device that may be attached to the rear end of a first toy racing car so that it may be actuated by a second toy racing car that is attempting to pass the first toy racing car.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the objects set forth above, the present invention provides a novel flipper device for upsetting toy vehicles. The flipper device is adapted to be attached to the rear end of a motorized toy vehicle and the flipper device includes a target area which may be hit by the front end of another toy vehicle. The flipper device is comprised of a stationary bracket, a rotatably mounted movable bracket, and a rubber band for providing the necessary force to ensure that the movable bracket is rotated from the stationary bracket so as to upset the toy vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional objects, advantages and characteristic features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy racing vehicle having a flipper device mounted thereon in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the flipper device of FIG. 1 shown in its actuated and unactuated state, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded plan view of the flipper device of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a turned-over toy racing car with the flipper device actuated in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of a toy vehicle 10 in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Attached to the rear end of the toy vehicle 10 is a flipper mechanism 11 having a target area 12. The toy vehicle 10 is of the well-known SIZZLERS-type having an electric motor and a rechargeable battery.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a perspective view of the flipper mechanism 11 of FIG. 1, in its unactuated state and in its actuated state as illustrated by the dashed lines. The flipper mechanism 11 is basically comprised of a stationary bracket 13, a movable bracket 17 and a rubber band 18. The flipper mechanism 11 may be attached to the underside of the toy vehilce 10 by means of mounting pins 14 and 15. The stationary bracket 13 and the movable bracket 17 may be constructed of plastic, metal or other suitable material.

Referring now to FIG. 3 there is shown an exploded plan view of the flipper mechanism 11 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The movable bracket 17 may be mounted to the stationary bracket 13 by means of the retaining lug 20b of the stationary bracket 13 and the opening 20a of the movable bracket 17. A rubber band 18 may then be placed over a hook 19b of the stationary bracket 13 and stretched so that the other end of the rubber band may be placed over the hook 19a of the movable bracket 17. The rubber band may be further held in place by means of a pair of grooves 22 and 23 of the movable bracket 17. Thus, the movable bracket 17 is then rotatably mounted on the stationary bracket 13. The flipper mechanism 10 is held in its unactuated state by placing a L-shaped member 21b of the stationary bracket 13 under a surface 21a of the movable bracket 17. The L-shaped member 21b and the surface 21a comprise the trigger mechanism of the flipper mechanism 11. Referring now also to FIGS. 2 and 4, when a toy vehicle comes up from behind the toy vehicle 10 and hits the target area 12 of the flipper mechanism 11, the surface 21a of the movable bracket 17 is urged away from the L-shaped member 21b of the stationary bracket 13. The movable bracket 17 is then free to rotate from the stationary bracket 13 by means of the energy in the rubber band 18, as illustrated by the position of the movable bracket 17'.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a plan view of a turned-over toy vehicle 10 with the flipper mechanism 11 in its actuated state. Further illustrated in FIG. 4, is the mounting of the flipping mechanism 11 in the toy vehicle 10. The pair of mounting pins 14, 15 may be inserted into a pair of openings 16a and 16b of the toy vehicle 10 and may be retained there by means of an interference fit.

Thus, although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to a particular embodiment, for example, a rubber band as a means for retaining the movable bracket to the stationary bracket, nevertheless, various changes and modifications obvious to a person skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, for example, a spring to urge the movable bracket away from the stationary bracket, are deemed to lie within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A flipper mechanism for a toy vehicle comprising:

a target area;

actuating means for flipping a toy vehicle upon impact of said target area by an external source, said actuating means including a stationary member, a movable member, and a spring means, said movable member including said target area and being rotatably mounted to said stationary member, said stationary member having an L-shaped tab and said movable member having an underside surface in the flipper mechanism's unactuated state, the L-shaped tab receiving the underside surface of said movable member, said spring means connecting said stationary member to said movable member and upon impact of said target area by an external source, said underside surface is urged away from said L-shaped tab under the force of said spring means to allow the movable member to rotate away from said stationary member; and

means for removably mounting the flipper mechanism to one of the ends of said toy vehicle.

2. A flipper mechanism for a toy vehicle comprising:

a target area;

actuating means for flipping a toy vehicle upon impact of said target area by an external source, said actuating means including a stationary member, a movable member, and spring means, said movable member being rotatably mounted to said stationary member by means of an L-shaped tab of said stationary member that is mounted within an opening of said movable member, said spring means connecting said stationary member to said movable member so as to rotate said movable member away from said stationary member upon actuation of said actuating means; and

means for removably mounting the flipper mechanism to one of the ends of said toy vehicle.

3. A flipper mechanism for a toy vehicle comprising:

a target area;

actuating means for flipping a toy vehicle upon impact of said target area by an external source, said actuating means including a stationary member, a movable member, rotatably mounted to said stationary member, and a spring means connecting said stationary member to said movable member so as to rotate said movable member away from said actuating means, said stationary member including a hook member, said movable member including a hook member and a pair of grooves, one end of said spring means being held by said hook member of said stationary member with the other end of said spring means being held by said hook member of said movable member, with the middle portion of said spring means being retained within said pair of grooves; and

means for removably mounting the flipper mechanism to one of the ends of said toy vehicle.