U.S. patent number 3,892,086 [Application Number 05/387,092] was granted by the patent office on 1975-07-01 for flipper mechanism for toy vehicles.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Mattel, Inc.. Invention is credited to Derek J. Gay, William H. Smedley.
United States Patent |
3,892,086 |
Gay , et al. |
July 1, 1975 |
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.
Inventors: |
Gay; Derek J. (Palos Verdes
Peninsula, CA), Smedley; William H. (Los Angeles, CA) |
Assignee: |
Mattel, Inc. (Hawthorne,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
23528423 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/387,092 |
Filed: |
August 9, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/486;
446/465 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H
17/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63H
17/00 (20060101); A63H 17/02 (20060101); A63h
011/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;46/201,202,211,213,145,106,107 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Shay; F. Barry
Assistant Examiner: Lever; J. Q.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Shirk; Max E.
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.
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.
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