GB2181066A - Steerable toy motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy motor vehicle comprises a vehicle body 1 provided with steerable wheels 2 and driven rear wheels 4. A steering linkage 11 is coupled to the steerable wheels 2. An electric motor 6 drives the rear wheels 4 through a gear train 7, and also drives a pinion 9 through a gear 8. A removable cassette 100 containing a control cam 113 and a drive gear 112 is insertable into a slot 5 in the vehicle body for the gear 112 to be engaged and rotated by the pinion 9. The cam 113 engages a roller 13 on the steering linkage 11 and controls the steering of the vehicle in accordance with the profile of the cam. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Toy motor vehicle This invention relates to a toy motor vehicle, and more particularly to such a vehicle having steering capability.

The object of the invention is to provide a toy motor vehicle having programmable steering.

The invention provides a toy motor vehicle comprising a vehicle body, a plurality of ground-engaging wheels including at least one steerable wheel, a vehicle drive motor, a steering linkage coupled to the steerable wheel or wheels, a removable cassette containing a steering control cam and a drive wheel for rotating the control cam, and a slot in the body adapted to receive the cassette in a position for the drive wheel to be coupled for rotation by the drive motor and for the cam to be operatively engaged with the steering linkage to control the steering of the vehicle in accordance with the profile of the cam.

The profile of the cam determines the steering programme performed by the vehicle. By providing a plurality of interchangeable cassettes each consisting of a cam of predetermined profile, the programme to be performed can readily be selected from among the choice available.

A diagram indicating the direction of the path over which the vehicle will be steered in correspondence with the profile of the cam may be provided on an outer face of the cassette. Suitably the drive wheel and the cam within the cassette are coaxial and are rotatably journalled in the cassette. While the drive wheel may be a plain wheel driven by frictional engagement with a capstan shaft rotated by the vehicle drive motor, preferably the drive wheel is a gear wheel and meshes with a pinion driven through a gear train from the vehicle drive motor when the cassette is inserted into the slot in the vehicle body.

The steering linkage may comprise a steering arm having one end coupled to the steerable wheel or wheels and a free end engagable with the cam to follow the profile thereof upon rotation of the cam by the gear wheel.

Suitably the free end of the steering arm comprises a roller for engaging the cam.

The invention is applicable to any toy motor vehicle having a steerable wheel or wheels, such as a tricycle vehicle having only one steerable wheel, or to any multi-wheel toy vehicle having any number of steerable wheels.

The vehicle drive motor may be any type of suitable motor, but will typically be an electric motor powered by batteries carried within the vehicle body. The vehicle body may include a switch means responsive to insertion of the cassette to energise the motor.

An embodiment of a toy motor vehicle in accordance with the present invention is shown by way of example in the accompany ing drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of the toy motor vehicle, with a cassette inserted, Figure 2 is a top plan view of the vehicle of Figure 1 but with the cassette removed, Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the cassette, Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but in median horizontal section, Figures 5 to 7 are diagrammatic views illus trating the operation of the programmable steering, Figures 8, 10 and 12 are top plan views of respective alternative cassettes, and Figures 9, 11 and 13 are horizontal sections through the alternative cassettes of Figures 8, 10 and 12, respectively.

Referring to the drawings, the toy motor vehicle shown is a six wheeled vehicle com prising a vehicle body 1, a pair of driven rear wheels 4, a pair of steerable front wheels 2, and a pair of intermediate wheels 3. The front end of the vehicle body comprises a slot 5 adapted to form a reception housing for a removable cassette 100.

An electric drive motor 6 is mounted within the vehicle body 1, and drives the rear wheels 4 through a gear train 7 in order to propel the vehicle. Batteries (not shown) are carried within the vehicle body to power the motor 6.

The motor 6 also drives a pinion 9 through a gear train 8 for the purpose of steering the vehicle, as will be explained.

The steerable wheels 2 are mounted on the vehicle body so as to be pivotable about ver tical axes 10 for steering, and the two wheels are connected by a steering linkage 11. Steer ing linkage 11 includes a steering arm 12 one end of which is connected to a wheel mount ing so that pivotal movement of the steering arm 12 about the axis 10 controls the steer ing of the vehicle. The free end of the lever 12 carries a roller 13, and a spring 14 con nected between the steering arm 12 when the vehicle body 1 biases the steerable wheels 2 into one extreme end position in which the roller 13 is displaced towards the slot 5.

A cassette 100 comprises a case within which are rotatably journalled a drive gear 112 and a cam 113. The drive gear 112 and the cam 113 are coaxial and are mounted on a common shaft 114. The cassette 100 is in sertable into the slot 5 in the vehicle body 1, and the slot 5 is adapted to receive the cas sette in a position in which the drive gear 112 meshes with the pinion 9 and the roller 13 engages the cam 113. When the drive motor 6 is energised, which may be achieved auto matically upon insertion of the cassette 100 by providing an electric switch (not shown) responsive to insertion of the cassette 100 to energise the motor, the drive wheels 4 are rotated and the vehicle moves. The pinion 9 is also rotated, and rotates the gear wheel 112 and the cam 113.The roller 13 on the steering arm 12 follows the profile of the cam 113, and controls the steering of the vehicle in correspondence with the profile of the cam, an action which will be apparent by examination of Figures 5 to 7. Hence the vehicle is steered along a path which is predetermined by the profile of the cam 113 incorporated in the cassette 100. The direction of the path may be displayed by a diagram 111 applied to an outer face of the cassette 100. The profile of the cam 113 shown Figures 1 to 7 is predetermined so that the direction of the path over which the vehicle is steered is Sshaped as indicated by the diagram 111.

It will of course be appreciated that by inserting into the slot 5 alternative cassettes having cams of different predetermined profile, the programmed direction of the path over which the vehicle will be steered is changed.

Some examples of alternative cassettes are shown in Figures 8 to 13.

Figures 8 and 9 show a cassette 200 in which the cam 213 is circular to steer the vehicle along a straight line path as indicated by diagram 211.

Figures 10 and 11 show a cassette 300 in which the cam 313 has four lobes in order to steer the vehicle over a closed rectilinear path as indicated by 311.

Figures 12 and 13 show a cassette 400 in which the profile of the cam is predetermined in order to steer the vehicle over a "Figure 8" path as indicated by diagram 411.

Claims (8)

1. A toy motor vehicle comprising a vehicle body, a plurality of ground-engaging wheels including at least one steerable wheel, a vehicle drive motor, a steering linkage coupled to the steerable wheel or wheels, a removable cassette containing a steering control cam and a drive wheel for rotating the control cam, and a slot in the body adapted to receive the cassette in a position for the drive wheel to be coupled for rotation by the drive motor and for the cam to be operatively engaged with the steering linkage to control the steering of the vehicle in accordance with the profile of the cam.

2. A toy motor vehicle according to Claim 1, wherein the drive wheel and cam are coaxial and are rotatably journalled in the cassette.

3. A toy motor vehicle according to Claim 2, wherein the cassette comprises a case and an outer-face of the case carries a diagram indicating the direction of the path over which the vehicle will be steered in correspondence with the profile of the cam.

4. A toy motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive wheel in the cassette is a gear wheel and the drive motor drives a pinion through a gear train, the drive wheel meshing with the pinion when the cassette is inserted.

5. A toy motor vehicle according to any one of of the preceding claims wherein the steering linkage comprises a steering arm having one end coupled to the steerable wheel or wheels and a free end engagable with the cam to follow the profile thereof upon rotation of the cam by the drive wheel.

6. A toy motor vehicle according to Claim 5, wherein the free end of the steering arm comprises a roller for engaging the cam.

7. A toy motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive motor is an electric motor, and the vehicle body includes a switch means responsive to insertion of the cassette to energise the motor.

8. A toy motor vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.