FR2462919A1 - CIRCUIT OF MINIATURE VEHICLES - Google Patents

Abstract

IN THIS CIRCUIT, THE VEHICLES CONTROLLED A, B HAVE A STEERING MECHANISM 2, 9, 10 CONTROLLED BY TWO COILS 16, 17 WHICH CAN ACT ON A SLIDING CORE 14 TORQUE TO THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE. THE CORE MAY BE PLACED IN EITHER OF ITS EXTREME POSITIONS BY THE APPLICATION OF A CONTINUOUS TENSION OF EITHER POLARITY APPLIED TO FRICTIONERS 26, 27 FROM THE ROUTE OF THE CIRCUIT, WHILE THAT IN THE MIDDLE POSITION OF CORE 14, THE COILS RECEIVE IN PARALLEL, AN ALTERNATIVE TENSION WHICH KEEP THE VEHICLE IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE APPLIED TENSION SELECTION IS PROVIDED BY THE PLAYER THROUGH A HAND HELD HANDLE.

Description

The present invention relates to the games constituted by the circuits of

  miniature vehicles in which the players drive through their vehicles, a road

  miniature closed loop. According to the U.S. Patent

  No. 3,113,812 there is already known such a circuit of miniature vehicles comprising in combination a road whose roadway is divided into at least two parallel tracks which can be followed by the choice of the vehicles and in which are embedded longitudinally conductors

  electric vehicles, at least two miniature vehicles

  each with an electric motor coupled to the

  the vehicle by means of a freewheel and which can, as desired, receive its electrical energy

  through the intermediary of a pair of friction

  duckers embedded in the said tracks, each vehicle

  additionally carrying a steering mechanism controlled by the

  polarity of the current flowing in said pair of conductive

  and a power and control device

  to allow individual adjustment of the current in all

  the pairs of conductors, both in intensity and polarity to control the operation of vehicles to which

  these pairs of conductors are respectively affected.

  In this known circuit, when the polarity of the supply voltage applied to a given vehicle is

  reversed, the drive motor changes direction of rotation

  tation and causes the actuation of the steering mechanism

  in the corresponding direction. Since the engine

  is coupled to the driving wheels of the vehicle via

  of two freewheels, for each direction of rotation it only drives one of its driving wheels,

  which causes the vehicle to move obliquely

  that way of the road while being pressed permanently against the vertical side wall bordering laterally the corresponding way of the roadway. In addition, the engine maintains the direction in the chosen position until the player again operates the direction

  in the opposite direction, after which it remains in the new

  chosen position. Given the fact that the vehicle

  so progresses by being constantly supported against

  one or the other of the vertical side walls extends

  along the road, the progression is not regular

  re and there is a continuous friction against these walls. In addition, the transmission mechanism between the engine and the driving wheels is relatively complex, because it is responsible for always transmitting the same direction of rotation to these wheels whatever the direction of rotation.

of the motor.

  The aim of the invention is to provide a circuit for

  miniature vehicles of the type defined above but without

  seen the disadvantages just mentioned.

  To this end, the subject of the invention is a circuit for miniature vehicles, characterized in that the steering mechanism of each vehicle comprises two control coils selectively acting on a core which is coupled to the steering wheels of the vehicle to place this core. respectively in two positions

  external or a median position, in that said provision

  The supply and control system includes, for each

  vehicle, a selector capable of applying to each

  r of conductors assigned to the vehicle considered either an alternating voltage corresponding to said median position, or a DC voltage of one or the other polarity corresponding to the other positions, and that each motor is connected to the vehicle's wipers by

  via a full-wave rectifier bridge.

  Thanks to these characteristics, during a change

  the road can be controlled by the player.

  direction irrespective of the direction of rotation of the

  driving the vehicle, while

  gression in a straight line of it, the wheels

  these are maintained in a right median position. As a result, the drive motor can be coupled to

  drive wheels of the vehicle through a simu-

  full freewheel always transmitting the drive force to both driving wheels at a time.

  It can therefore be seen that thanks to the invention,

  that vehicles are controlled to progress in a straight line, they remain clear of the side walls of the road and therefore roll without side friction on the road. Note also that the steering wheels after being controlled in one or the other direction automatically return to the middle position, which mimics very closely the operation of a motor vehicle

in real conditions.

  Other features of the invention appear

  will be in the following description given

  only by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Fig.1 represents an elevational view and

  section of a miniature vehicle belonging to the following

  the invention, the bodywork of this vehicle not being shown;

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle represented

felt in Fig.1;

  FIGS. 3 and 4 show, by corresponding views,

  respectively to those of Fig.1 and 2, an uncontrolled vehicle that can be used in the circuit according to the invention; - Fig.5 is an electrical diagram of the vehicle of Fig.1 and 2; - Fig.6 is an electrical diagram of the vehicle of Fig.3 and 4; - Figure 7 shows a complete diagram of the supply and control device of one of the vehicles of the circuit according to the invention; - Fig.8 shows a schematic sectional view

  a selector assigned to one of the vehicles following the

  vention; - Fig.8a is a view, on a larger scale, of a switch used in the selector according to Fig.8, the view being taken along the line 8A-8A thereof;

  Fig.9 is a perspective view of a por-

  circuit according to the invention showing a revolution counter; and - Fig.10 is an electrical diagram of the meter

shown in Fig.9.

  Referring first to Figs. 1,2 and 5, firstly, the arrangement of one of the vehicles A or B of the controllable circuit will be described. This vehicle comprises a chassis 1 mounted on two driving wheels 2 and two steering wheels 3. The driving wheels 2 are integral with a shaft 4 passing through the frame and on which is mounted a freewheel 5. The latter may be of any known design. The input gear 6 of the freewheel 5 meshes with an output gear 7 of an electric motor 8 placed on the central part of the

  chassis and providing the drive of the vehicle.

  The steering wheels 3 which are arranged in the conventional manner in the steering mechanisms, can be controlled by means of a control rod 9 which is articulated by these two ends on legs

  respectively of the steering wheel assemblies

  3. A rod 11 is fixedly mounted in the metal part

  diane of the rod 9 and extends rearwardly according to

the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

  The latter also includes a support 12

  crosswise on the frame 1 backwards by

  port to the rod 9. This support 12 has a passage

  13 in which a movable member can slide

  the 14 forming magnetic core. Passage 13 opens

  on the front face of the support 12 by a recess 15 through

  towards which extends the back end of the rod he who

  is stuck in the middle portion of the core 14.

  Two coils 16 and 17 are respectively mounted around the support 12 on either side of the recess 15 and are thus able to cooperate with the core 14

  to bring him into one or other of his ex-

trêmes, respectively.

  A bracket 18 is mounted behind the support 12.

  This stem has a vertical partition 18a fixed by

  rivets 19 on the frame 1 and a horizontal plate

  18b forming circuit board and on which are mounted

six diodes 20 to 25 (Fig.5).

  The vehicle also has a pair of rubs

  26 and 27 which terminate at their ends

contact by a bowl 28.

  As can be seen in FIG. 5, the rubbers 26 and 27 which are symbolized by a line in the diagram

  of this figure, are in contact with a pair of conductive

  29b and 29c which are embedded in the roadway of the

  route forming the circuit according to the invention. These drivers

  are more particularly visible on the view in

perspective of Fig.9.

  The conductors 29b and 29c are associated with a

  29a, the latter being intended to come into contact

  with a shoe 27a of the other vehicle, this shoe being

  it is symmetrically with respect to a central shoe such as 26 below the chassis of this vehicle. The latter then does not include the shoe 27 shown in FIG. In Fig.5, we have symbolized the connection of this

  with the electric circuit of the corresponding vehicle

  dotted line. In Fig.9, we see that

  the circuit route has two materialized tracks

  by drivers 29a to 29c and

  ductors 31a to 31c. These groups of drivers are

  mounted in parallel so that each vehicle

  it can be powered by one or other of these groups.

  Fig.5 also shows that the engine 8 of the vehicle

  It is fed from the wipers 26 and 27 (or 27a) via four of the six diodes (diodes 22 to) forming a full-wave rectifier bridge. Furthermore, the diodes 20 and 21 are respectively assigned to the coils 16 and 17 while being mounted in opposition so that when a voltage of a determined polarity

  is applied to the power supply conductors respec-

  In the vehicle concerned, only one of the coils is energized, the opposite diode 20 or 21 then blocking the current generated by this voltage. It is also understood that regardless of the voltage, continuous or alternating, applied on the supply conductors, the motor 8 is always traversed by a direct current

  which flows in the same direction. This engine therefore always runs

  days in the same direction regardless of the order of the

  steering mechanism that has just been described.

  FIGS. 3 to 6 show an accessory vehicle C that can be used in the circuit according to the invention. This vehicle, hereinafter called "trainard", is

  intended to move at a relatively constant speed

  and low compared to other vehicles 1 and B, the

  players who can not intervene to change the progress

  if we. The saddle C comprises a frame 32 mounted on four

  33 and 34 respectively and carrying a drive motor 35. The drive wheels 33 are driven by direct drive by the motor 35 by means of pinions 36 and 37. As for the steering wheels 34, they

  are fixed on the frame 32 so as to have a

  immutable. In other words, by referring to

  Fig.9, the trainer can only ride on the track mat-

  operated by the drivers 29a to 29c. The engine 35 of the

  trunk is fed through three rubs

  38a to 38c mounted below its frame and in permanent contact with the respective conductors 29a to 29c of the channel concerned. The rubbers have the same shape 7. as the rubbers of the vehicles A and B. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the motor is fed through six diodes 39a to 39f respectively connected to the rubbers

  38a to 38cide that the motor 35 is always part-

  run by a direct current in the same direction regardless of the voltage applied toconducteurs 29a to 29c. Of course, the saddle C may be adapted to roll on the track materialized by the conductors 31a to 31c (Fig.9), by changing the inclination of the steering wheel 34 relative to the frame 32. It should be noted that, as one as can be seen in FIG. 9, the saddle C is supported against vertical walls 40 bordering the road of the circuit of

and other.

  Referring now to Fig.7, will be described

  the complete diagram of the feeding and com-

  the circuit according to the invention. This device

  carries a transformer 41 whose primary can be connected

  strung to an alternative power source., such as the sector for exampleet whose secondary has two outlets 4la and 41b and a central tap 41c. The latter is connected in parallel to the conductors 29b and 31b of the circuit route. The sockets 41a and 41b are connected via conductors 42 and 43 to a selector 44 which, as hereinafter described, is in the form of a hand-held gun.

  It should be noted that the feeding and com-

  Fig.7 has two selectors assigned

  vehicles A and B and intended to be

  born respectively by two players using the circuit

according to the invention.

  The selector 44 comprises a three-position switch 45 comprising a movable contact 46 and three fixed contacts 47, 48 and 49, the contacts 47 and 49 being used to control the direction of the corresponding vehicle, while the intermediate contact 48 is used when the vehicle progresses in a straight line. The movable contact 46 of the switch 45 is connected via a conductor 50 to the slider 51 of a rheostat 52, one of whose terminals is connected by a conductor 53 to an electronic circuit 54 which is an oscillator intended to mimic the noise of the vehicle controlled by the corresponding selector 44. This circuit 54 will be described in detail

thereafter.

  The opposite line 55 of the electronic circuit 54 is connected to one of the terminals of a connection plug 56 connecting this line 55 in parallel with the conductors 29c.

  and 31c of the circuit route. In case the selection

  44 is assigned to the other vehicle, this terminal

  is connected to the conductors 29a of the same road.

  This connection is shown in the diagram of FIG.

the dotted line 57.

  The fixed contact 47 of the switch 45 is connected to the cathode of a diode 58 whose anode is connected by the conductor 43 to the socket-41a of the transformer 41. This contact 47 is also connected to the cathode of a diode 59 whose anode is connected by the driver 42 to

  the plug 41b of the same transformer.

  The fixed contact 49 is connected to the anode of a diode 60 whose cathode is connected by the conductor 43 to the socket 41a of the transformer 41, while this same contact is also connected to the anode of a diode 61 with the cathode is connected via the driver

  42 to transformer socket 41b 41. In addition, the

  the node of the diode 59 and the cathode of the diode 61 are

  linked together to the intermediate contact 48 of the switch 45. Finally, the anode of the diode 58 is connected to the cathode of the diode 60, the junction point being, as

  already indicated, connected to the driver 43.

  The cathodes of the diodes 58 and 59 are furthermore

  nected to a buzzer 62 forming the horn, the other terminal of

  this buzzer 62 being connected via a

  switch 63 to the anodes of the diodes 60 and 61. A conden-

24629 1 9

  64 is connected between the cathodes of the diodes 58 and

  59 and the anodes of the diodes 60 and 61.

  The electronic circuit 54 which is therefore intended

  to mimic the sound of the vehicle A or B with which it is associated

  1, comprises a full-wave rectifier bridge 65, an oscillator circuit 66 composed of two transistors 67,

  68 and a power transistor 69 feeding a loudspeaker

  speaker 70. This circuit constitutes an oscillator of

  For example, conventional power is supplied by the current flowing in the motor of the vehicle A or B concerned. Indeed, the bridge

  full-wave rectifier 65 is connected in series

  be the rheostat 52 and the vehicle circuit, so

  that its supply voltage actually depends on the

  the current flowing in the motor 8 of this

  deny. Of course, the electronic circuit 54 is facul-

  tative and in case it is not foreseen, it can be

  the rheostat directly to the socket 56 of the circuit in pre-

  seeing a driver 71 and omitting the drivers

53 and 55.

  Fig.8 and 8A represent one of the selectors

  44 of the circuit according to the invention. As can be seen

  tater, this selector takes the form of a pistol with

  both a trigger 72 for controlling the speed of the vehicle that it is intended to supply and a steering wheel 73 by means of which the player can act on the direction

of the vehicle.

  In FIG. 8, the rheostat 52 and the slider 51 which is coupled to the trigger 72>, the latter being mounted articulated on an axis 74 of the body 75 of the selector, rubs against the rheostat 52 and thus places

  circuit a greater or lesser part of it.

  chette 72 is recalled by a spring 76 which is attached

  at a fixed point 77 of the body 75 of the selector.

  Also shown in FIG.

  42, 43 and 56a which are appropriately linked

  to the various selector members 44.

  The movable contact 46 of the switch 45 is solidly

  of a cup 78 which is rotatably mounted on a sup-

  port 79 itself arranged in a wall portion of the body of the selector 44. The cup is attached to a sleeve 80 integral with the flywheel 73. This sleeve is traversed by a

  sliding rod 81 acting on the contacts of the inter-

  switch 63 also mounted on the support 79 and can be actuated by a push button 82 provided in the center

of the steering wheel 73.

  Finally, the selector 44 also contains the cir-

  cooked oscillated 54 and the buzzer 62.

  Figs. 9 and 10 show a device

  towers that can be associated with the circuit that we have just

  to describe. This device comprises a gantry 83 which straddles

  be the circuit route to a given place so that

  vehicles A and B can pass below this

tick.

  Two counters 84 and 85 are arranged in the door

  and actuated respectively to the vehicles A and B. To operate the counter 84, the vehicle A has under the flag of its body, a permanent magnet 86 indicated

  in dotted lines in Fig.9. This permanent magnet 86 co-operates

  with a set of two switching elements 87a and 87b placed respectively above the tracks 29a to 29c and 31a to 31c, but in a position such that only the magnet 86

  is able to operate these elements when the vehicle

  A passes below the gantry 83. Similarly, the vehicle B (not shown) has a permanent magnet in the body of its body which is not placed to the right as in the vehicle A, but to the left of way that it can actuate elements of mutation 88a, 88b placed

  also over tracks 29a to 29c, 31a to 31c respec-

  but in a position corresponding to the location where the permanent magnet is provided in the vehicle B. Thus, each vehicle can operate its own meter 84 or progress on the track 29a to 29c or on the track 31a to

  31c. The meter can therefore record all the steps

  sages of a given vehicle under the portico 83.

  Fig.10 shows the electrical diagram of the

  84 which is identical to that used for the meter

  85. The switches 87a and 87b are connected in parallel

  interleaved between the mass and a shaping circuit 89 which transmits the pulses to two counters in decades and 91 respectively connected to the display tubes

  the 92 and 93 units. The circuit of these

  is typical and will not be described in detail

  in this memo. To prevent a vehicle from

  Having passed under the gantry crane while driving between the road lanes, a sidewalk 95 is provided under the portico 83, which forces the vehicles to always pass on one or the other of these lanes. It should be noted that the "trainard" vehicle does not have a permanent magnet and is therefore not able to actuate the switches

mounted in the portico 83.

  During the game, the vehicle C moves in con-

  continue on track 29a to 29c provided that one or the other

  rheostats 52 or both, are actuated by

  the respective players. This vehicle is progressing at a

  is relatively slow given the relatively large gear ratio between the output of the motor 35 and

  pinion 36 coupled to its drive wheels 33 (see Fig.4).

  The sizing of the various electrical elements of the assembly is such that the speed of the vehicle C is approximately constant, even if the rheostats 52 impose only one

  low voltage to drivers of road lanes.

  Vehicles A and B may be driven at the option of

  players on lanes 29a to 29c and 31a to 31c, thanks to the

  particular arrangement of the rubbers 26, 27 and 27a as described above. Considering Fig.7, 8 and 8A, it is seen that when the flywheel 73 is placed in such a way that

  contact 46 is on the beach corresponding to the con-

  fixed tact 48, the motor 8 of the corresponding vehicle receives a DC voltage produced by the diodes 22 to 25 from the AC voltage prevailing on the terminals 41b and 41c of the transformer 41. Under these conditions, the

  coils 16 and 17 are respectively traversed alternately

  by the two alternations of the voltage from the transformer 41, so that the core 14 (Fig.2) is maintained in its central position shown, the steering wheels 3 of the vehicle A or B corresponding being maintained in the upright position. The vehicle continues

  progress on the path he began

  its speed is determined by the position of the trigger 72 of the selector 44 or, in other words

  by the slider 51 of the rheostat 52. Optionally, the cir-

  bake 54 produces the noise of the vehicle at an intensity which is even greater than the current in the engine 8 of the

concerned vehicle is important.

  If the player places the steering wheel 73, for example,

  that the movable contact 46 establishes a circuit with the

  contact 47 (deviation to the left), the vehicle circuit

  The corresponding circuit no longer receives an AC voltage, but a DC voltage from the other half of the secondary of the transformer 41. Under these conditions, the motor 8 continues to rotate depending on the position of the slider 51 of the rheostat 52, while the coil left 17 moves the core so that the steering wheels

  force the vehicle to deviate to the left.

* 16 is not powered since the direct current is

  blocked by the diode 20. Of course, an analogous

  This occurs when the player decides to deflect

his vehicle to the right.

  During the transfer of a vehicle A or B from a

  way to another, the power supply of its engine 8 is inter-

  broken a brief moment, but thanks to its inertia and the presence of the freewheel 5, the vehicle can continue

to ride during this interval.

  When the direction of a vehicle is actuated, the corresponding conductors of the channel, due to the presence of the respective diodes 58 and 60 receive from the secondary part of the transformer 41 between

  terminals 4la and 41c, a rectified single-phase voltage

  this. However, the motor 8 continues to be powered

  the two halves of each period of the tension, thanks to the fact that it receives the other alternations of the

  of the part of the secondary between

  41c and 41b. For a given position of the cursor 51 of the

  rheostat 52, the motor 8 therefore always receives the same quantity

  of energy whether or not the direction is

the player.

Claims (10)

  1. Miniature vehicle circuit comprising in combination a road whose carriageway is divided into at least two parallel tracks which may be followed by choice   vehicles and in which are drowned longitudinally   nally electrical conductors, at least two miniature vehicles driven each by an electric motor coupled to the driving wheels of the vehicle via   a freewheel and which can, at choice, receive its energy.   electricity through rubbers, a   among the drivers buried in the said channels, each   vehicle further comprising a steering mechanism   the polarity of the current flowing in the said   conductors, and a power supply and control device to allow the individual adjustment of the current in all pairs of conductors, both in intensity   polarity to control the operation of vehicles   which pairs of drivers are respectively affected   said circuit being characterized in that the steering mechanism (3, 9, 10) of each vehicle (A, B) comprises two control coils (16, 17) selectively acting on a core (14) which is coupled to steering wheels (3) of the vehicle for placing said core respectively in two external positions or a median position, in that said supply and control device comprises, for each vehicle (A, B) a selector (44) capable of applying to each pair of conductors (29a, 29b, 31a, 31b, 29g, 29b, 31c, 31b) assigned to the vehicle under consideration either an alternating voltage corresponding to said median position, or   a continuous voltage of one or the other corresponding polarity   laying respectively at the other positions of the core (14) and in that the motor (8) of each vehicle (A, B) is   connected to the rubbers (26,27,27a) of the vehicle through   intermediate of a full-wave rectifier bridge.   2. Circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that in each vehicle (A or B), each of said coils (16,17) is connected in series with a diode (20,21) between said rubbers (26,27,27a). ), said diodes (20,   21) being mounted in opposition to each other   be. 3. Circuit according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said selector (44) comprises a three-position unipolar switch (47, 48,49) respectively corresponding to the three positions of said core (14). in that the movable contact (46) of this switch is connected via a speed control rheostat (51,52) to one of the conductors (29a, 31a) of each corresponding pair of conductors tracks, while the external fixed contacts (47,49)   of the switch are connected via diode   opposition (58.60) to secondary school   power supply (41), the intermediate fixed contact   (48) being directly connected to this secondary.   4. Circuit according to claim 3, characterized   in that said transformer (41) comprises a second   mid-point (41c), which is linked to one of the   drivers (29b, 31b) of each of said pairs of conductive   while one (41a) of the outer outlets of the   said secondary is connected to said diodes (58,60) of said selector, the other external socket (41b) being connected   parallel to two diodes in opposition (59,61) connected   respectively to said external contacts of the (45).   5. Circuit according to any of the claims   prior art, characterized in that there is provided for each vehicle, a circuit (54) for mimicking the noise thereof, this circuit being connected in series in the circuit of the motor (8) and being housed, preferably in said selector (44).   6. Circuit according to any one of the   cations 1 to 5, characterized in that there is further provided a vehicle (C) not controlled and arranged to move at almost constant speed and relatively low on   one of the tracks (29a-29c, 31a-31c) of the road.   Circuit arrangement according to Claim 6, characterized   in that said vehicle comprises as many rubbers (38a)   38c) that there are lanes on said road and in that it comprises a motor (35) supplied via opposing pairs of diodes (39e to 39f), at a rate of   pair per driver of each lane.   8. Circuit according to any one of the claims   tions, characterized in that it comprises in   In addition, a tachometer device to enable   successive passages of each vehicle to a single vehicle determined right of the road.   9. Circuit according to Claim 8, characterized   in that said rev counter device comprises a door   that (83) spanning the road and having for each track a switching element (87a, 87b) assigned to a given vehicle (A or B) and operable by a control member (86) housed in the vehicle, and what said   switching elements are connected to a circuit of   and display (90 to 93) progressing by one   each time the one or the other element of tation.   Circuit according to claim 9, characterized   in that said actuating member (86) is a   permanent mantle housed in the pavilion of the bodywork of   each vehicle in a transverse position   relative to and unique to this vehicle and that the switching elements (87a, 87b) are placed in said gantry (83) with the same transverse offset with respect to the axis of each channel (29a to 29c, 31a to 31c), than said permanent magnet.