Fighting figure toy

Abstract

A fighting toy of the type including a base movably mounting at least two figures for movement relative to each other and having an actuator for each figure. Through the actuators, the players can cause their figure to fight with an opponent's figure. Each of the figures is mounted for movement toward and away from the other figure and for rotative movement about a generally vertical axis. Each is additionally provided with a contacting surface which may be brought into contact with the opposing figure. A latch is provided for each of the figures for normally holding the same in an upright position and when the latch is tripped by contact with the contact element of the opposing figure, the figure whose latch is contacted is biased for movement towards a prone position signalling the end of the fight.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a fighting toy and, more particularly, a fighting toy of the type wherein two or more figures are controlled by an opposing player and moved to fight each other. Typical of the prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 3,235,259 to Glass et al.

Over the years there have been a number of proposals of toys or games wherein two or more figures are controlled by a respective player in a manner simulating a fight. Typically, means are provided whereby the figures may be made to undergo controlled, compound movement relative to a base and to each other in an attempt to strike the figure of the opposing player. Means are also provided whereby, when one of the figures strikes a blow on the other figure at a predetermined position thereon, some particular type of action designating such a hit will occur so as to signal the achievement of a point or the end of a fight, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved fighting toy of the type wherein two or more figures are mounted for controlled movement by an operator to simulate a fight. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide such a game that is simple and economical in construction.

The exemplary embodiment of the invention achieves the foregoing object in a structure including a base having two figures mounted thereabove. Each of the figures is mounted for movement relative to the base and to each other by means including a slide whereby the position of the figures on the base can be reciprocated towards and away from each other. The figures are also mounted on the slide for rotation relative thereto so that the angular position of the figure relative to the base and to the other figure can be selectively changed. The resultant compound movement permits a high degree of manipulation of the various figures for the purpose of simulating the fight.

A single operator is provided for each of the figures and includes a handle operating portion pivotally secured to the slide. By reciprocating the handle, the slide may be made to reciprocate. The handle also includes a sector gear which is in mesh with a spur gear secured to the figure. As a result, rotation of the handle will cause the figure to undergo the aforementioned rotation.

In the preferred embodiment, each of the figures is provided with a projection with which it may strike the opposing figure. In the preferred embodiment, each projection terminates in a striking element which is connected to the figure by a resilient connection such as the spring so that the striking element will move with the figure and also may move relative to the figure under the influence of inertia.

Each of the figures is further mounted on its respective slide for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis. A spring is employed to bias the figure away from a normal upright position to a prone position about the horizontal axis. Each figure is also provided with a latching mechanism normally latching the figure in the upright position. An exterior latch operator emerges from the figure and when hit by the striking element of the opposing figure, will cause the unlatching of the latch mechanism with the result that the figure that has been contacted on its latch operator will fall to a prone position.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fighting toy made according to the invention;

FIg. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the fighting toy;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of the toy illustrating a latch mechanism in an unlatched state;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the toy with parts broken away for clarity;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the game, again with parts shown in section for clarity; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of a portion of the mounting for the figure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An exemplary embodiment of a fighting toy made according to the invention is illustrated in the drawings and, with reference to FIG. 1, is seen to include a base, generally designated 10, which is elongated and which mounts two normally upright figures, each generally designated 12, which are mounted for compound movement relative to the base 10 and to each other. More specifically, each of the figures 12, which as shown, appear as bears, is mounted for reciprocal movement toward and away from the center of the base 10 by means to be described in greater detail hereinafter and further is mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis, which axis is shiftable. Since the construction of the figures 12 and the various appurtenant structure with respect to each is identical one to the other, only one will be described hereinafter.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, the interior of the base 10 is hollow and within the interior thereof, near the upper surface and along both sides, are ledges 14. Mounted on the ledges 14 for reciprocal movement in the direction of elongation of the base 10 is a slide 16 for each of the figures 12. The upper surface of the base 10 includes a pair of elongated slots 18 extending in the direction of elongation of the base 10 and extending upwardly through each is the hub 20 of a spur gear 22 which is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis by any suitable means to the respective slide 16.

Each slide 16 further mounts a figure operator 24. Specifically, one end of the operator 24 is mounted as by pivot pin 26 for pivotal movement about a substantially vertical axis to the slide 16. The same end of the operator 24 includes a sector gear 28 in mesh with the associated spur gear 22. An opposite end of the operator 24 includes a handle portion 30 which extends exteriorly of the ends of the base 10 through slots 32 provided for that purpose.

As a result of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that by reciprocating the handle 30, the slide 16 may be caused to reciprocate within the base 10. It will also be recognized that by swinging the handle 30, the associated spur gear 22 may be caused to rotate.

Each of the figures 12 includes a flat, base plate 34 which is secured as by a screw 36 to the hub 20 of the associated spur gear 22. Thus, reciprocation of the handle 30 will result in reciprocation of the corresponding figure 12 while rotation of the handle 30 will result in rotation of the corresponding figure 12. Thus, each of the figures 12 is mounted for compound movement on the base and since each have their own handles 30, each is mounted for compound movement relative to each other.

The rear side of each base plate 34 (relative to the front of the figure 12) includes eyelets 38 for receiving a pivot pin 40 or pintle. The lower end of each of the figures 12 includes corresponding eyelets 42 which are alignable with the eyelets 38 to receive the pintle 40 so that the figure 12 is mounted for movement about a generally horizontal axis between a substantially upright position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a prone position approximately 90.degree. from that illustrated. An interconnecting spring 43 is operative to bias each figure towards the prone position.

Within each figure 12 is a latch mechanism, generally designated 44. The same includes a vertically elongated link 46 pivotally mounted by a pin 48 at its upper end to integrally formed, spaced ears 50 within the figure. A leaf spring 52 is also secured within the figure by any suitable means and is arranged to bear against the link 46 and urge the same forwardly with relation to the face of the figure 12.

The lower end of the link 46 includes a latching hook 54 and a similar, but oppositely directed latching hook 56 is formed on the associated base plate 34. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the hooks 54 and 56 may latch against each other to preclude the figure 12 from pivoting about the pivot axis defined by the pintle 40 and against the bias of the spring 43. In other words, the latch 44 is operative to maintain the figure 12 in a normal upright condition.

Extending forwardly and secured to each link 46, is a latch operator 58 terminating in a button-like structure 60 which emerges through an aperture 62 at the front of the figure 12. When the button-like structure 60 is urged rearwardly against the bias of the leaf spring 52, the latch 44 will be unlatched with the result that the spring 43 will immediately move the corresponding figure 12 to the aforementioned prone position.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the figures 12 are provided with staves, generally designated 70, as fighting implements. Each stave 70, as best seen in FIG. 5, includes a projection from the associated figure which is defined by a striking element such as a sphere 72. The sphere 72 is mounted on one end of a stub shaft 74, the other end of which is tightly received within a coil spring 76. A stub shaft 78 secured to the body of the figure 12 proper receives the other end of the spring 76 with the result that the contact member or striking element 72 is resiliently mounted for movement relative to the figure 12 as well as movement with the figure 12. The horizontal position of each of the staves 70 relative to the figure is approximately the same as the position of the button-like structure 60 associated with the latch mechanism 44 of the opposite figure.

Thus, in playing a game, through appropriate manipulation of the handle 30, the striking element 72 of one figure may be brought into contact with the button-like structure 60 of the opposing players's figure as schematically illustrated in FIG. 3. This will result in the unlatching of the figure so that the spring 43 will cause the figure to assume the prone position. Depending upon the rules of the game that may be played with the toy, such an event may signal the scoring of a point for a player or, in the alternative, the winning of the fight by that particular player.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a fighting toy made according to the invention is extremely simple in its construction, thereby providing a toy that is long lived and not prone to mechanical failure. By reason of the simplicity of the toy, the same is susceptible to extremely economic manufacture.

Claims

We claim:

1. A fighting game comprising: a base and at least two figures above said base; a plurality of means, one for each figure, mounting the associated figure for compound movement on the base and including a slide mounted for reciprocal movement on the base, each said slide journalling a spur gear for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, each said figure being secured to the associated spur gear for rotation about said substantially vertical axis therewith, each said slide further pivotally mounting an operator having a gripping portion and an opposed gear portion in mesh with the associated spur gear whereby rotation of said gripping portion will cause rotation of the associated figure and reciprocation of said gripping portion will cause reciprocation of the corresponding figure; a plurality of means, one for each of said figures, mounting the associated figure for further movement between a substantially upright position and a substantially prone position relative to the base; means for normally biasing each figure towards said prone position; latching means operative to hold each figure in its normally upright position; and operating means for said latch means for unlatching said latching means to allow each figure to move to its substantially prone position; each figure including means adapted to contact the operating means of the latching means of the other figure to cause the other figure to move from said substantially upright position to said prone position.

2. A fighting toy according to claim 1 wherein said contacting means includes a striking element resiliently connected to the associated figure for movement therewith and limited relative movement with respect thereto.

3. A fighting toy comprising:

a base adapted to rest on an underlying surface;

at least two generally horizontal reciprocal slides mounted on said base;

at least two normally upright figures, one for each slide, each figure being mounted on one slide so that each figure may be moved toward another figure by reciprocating its respective slide, each figure including means defining a substantially vertical pivot axis mounted on said slide so that said figure can pivot between a normal position and a hit position, a projection constructed and arranged to be brought into contact with another figure, and a target area which is adapted to be engaged by a projection on another figure when said other figure has been moved generally adjacent a first figure and moved into a hit position;

means mounting each of said figures for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis whereby the position of each figure may be changed from a normal upright position to a substantially prone position;

means associated with said target area of each figure for causing the figure to move from its normally upright position to said prone position in response to the contact of the target area by a projection of another figure; and

a plurality of actuators, one for each of said figures, adapted to be manually actuated in a controlled fashion to cause the associated figure to undergo a selected compound movement, each actuator including a handle pivotally mounted on its respective slide for rotation about a substantially vertical axis spaced from said first vertical axis and including a sector gear on one side thereof, a spur gear meshed with said sector gear and mounted for rotation about said first mentioned vertical axis, said spur gear being secured to said figure whereby when said spur gear is rotated by said sector gear, said figure will rotate therewith between its normal and hit positions.

4. A fighting game according to claim 3 wherein each of said projections includes a striking element at the end thereof, said striking element being secured by resilient means to the associated figure whereby the striking element may move relative to the associated figure.

5. A fighting game according to claim 3 wherein said means for causing each figure to move from its normal upright position to a prone position comprises a spring normally biasing the associated figure for rotation about said horizontal axis to said prone position and a latch operative to latch the associated figure in said upright position, said latch including an operating element with said target area forming a part thereof for unlatching the associated figure when said target area is struck by the projection of the other figure.

6. A fighting toy comprising:

a base adapted to rest on an underlying surface;

at least two normally upright figures each being independently mounted for compound movement on the base, each figure including a generally horizontally extending striking element adapted to contact another figure and a target area which is adapted to be engaged by a striking element of another figure;

vertical rotational mounting means for rotatably mounting each of said figures about a generally vertical axis so that each figure can pivot about said axis between a position wherein said striking element is away from another adjacent figure and a hit position wherein said striking element can engage the target area of another adjacent figure;

horizontal rotational mounting means for mounting each of said figures about a generally horizontal axis so that each figure is movable between its normal upright position and a substantially prone position;

means associated with said target area of each figure for causing a figure to move from its upright position to its prone position in response to the engagement of its target area by the striking element of another figure; and

a plurality of actuators, one for each of said figures, for causing the associated figure to undergo said compound movements, including rotational drive means associated with said vertical rotational mounting means for causing the associated figure to pivot about said axis.

7. The fighting toy of claim 3 including reciprocal mounting means for mounting each figure for reciprocal movement toward and away from another figure, said actuators being associated with said reciprocal mounting means to effect the reciprocal movement of its associated figure.

8. The fighting toy of claim 7 wherein said reciprocal mounting means includes a plurality of slides mounted on the base, each for mounting one of said figures and its associated vertical rotational mounting means and horizontal rotational mounting means.

9. The fighting toy of claim 8 wherein each actuator includes a handle pivotally mounted on its respective slide for rotation about a substantially vertical axis spaced from said first vertical axis and including a sector gear on one side thereof, a spur gear meshed with said sector gear and mounted for rotation about said first mentioned vertical axis, said spur gear being secured to said figure whereby when said spur gear is rotated by said sector gear, said figure will rotate therewith between its normal and hit positions.

10. The fighting toy of claim 3 wherein each rotational drive means includes an elongated member having a handle for manual manipulation at one end thereof and being pivotally mounted at the other end thereof in association with said vertical rotational mounting means whereby a figure will pivot about said axis in response to pivotal movement of its associated member.

11. A fighting game according to claim 3 wherein said means for causing each figure to move from Its normal upright position to a prone position comprises a spring normally biasing the associated figure for rotation about said horizontal axis to said prone position and a latch operative to latch the associated figure in said upright position, said latch including an operating element with said target area forming a part thereof for unlatching the associated figure when said target area is struck by the projection of the other figure.