Toy vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9375648-B2
Application number	US-201113117534-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2011
Priority date	May 28, 2010
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A toy vehicle is provided. The toy vehicle having: a vehicle chassis defining a first interior region; a leg movably secured to the vehicle chassis for movement from a first position to a second position, wherein the leg and a wheel rotatably secured to the leg is extended away from the chassis when the leg is moved to the second position; a spring for providing a biasing force to retain the leg into the first position; and an actuation unit received within the first interior region of the chassis and operably coupled to the movable leg member and a body portion movably secured to the chassis, the actuation unit being configured to overcome the biasing force of the spring and move the leg to the second position when the body portion is moved with respect to the chassis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toy vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle chassis defining a first interior region;
a body portion movably secured to the chassis;
a leg member movably secured to the vehicle chassis for movement about an axis from a first position to a second position, wherein the leg member and a wheel rotatably secured to the leg member is moved relative to the chassis when the leg member is moved between the first position and the second position, the leg member having a gear secured to an end of the leg member for rotation about the axis, wherein rotation of the gear about the axis causes rotation of the leg member about the axis and relative to the vehicle chassis, wherein the leg member further comprises a first leg portion and a second leg portion, wherein the gear is secured to the first leg portion , the first leg portion is pivotally mounted to the second leg portion and the wheel is rotatably secured to the second leg portion;
a spring for providing a biasing force to retain the leg toward the first position; and
an actuation unit received within the first interior region of the chassis and operably coupled to the movable leg member, the actuation unit being configured to overcome the biasing force of the spring and move the leg member to the second position when the body portion is moved relative to the chassis, the actuation unit including a gear portion that is engaged with the gear to drive the gear to rotate the leg member as the body portion is moved relative to the chassis.

2. The toy vehicle as in claim 1 , wherein the gear is spring biased into a position corresponding to the first position of the leg member by the spring.

3. The toy vehicle as in claim 2 , wherein the actuation unit includes an actuation member, and the gear is coupled to the actuation member, the actuation member being configured to be moved by the body portion.

4. The toy vehicle as in claim 1 , wherein the leg member is coupled to a first cam member and a second cam member pivotally secured to the chassis, and the first cam member is actuated by the body portion when the body portion moves relative to the chassis.

5. The toy vehicle as in claim 4 , wherein the first cam member is coupled to a lever pivotally mounted to the chassis, and the body portion further comprises a tab member that engages the lever and moves the leg member to the second position when the body portion is moved relative to the chassis.

6. A toy vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle chassis having a pair of wheels each independently secured to the chassis via a leg member movably secured to the vehicle chassis for movement about an axis between a first position and a second position, wherein each leg member and wheel rotatably secured to that leg member is extended away from the chassis when the leg member is moved to the second position and wherein each leg member has a gear secured to an end of the leg member for rotation about the axis, and wherein each leg member further comprises a first leg portion and a second leg portion, the first leg portion is secured to the gear at one end and pivotally mounted to the second leg portion at the other end, and the corresponding wheel is rotatably secured to the second leg portion;
a spring for providing a biasing force to retain each leg member into the first position;
a body portion moveably mounted to the chassis wherein the body portion can be moved towards the chassis in a plurality of directions; and
an actuation unit received within an interior region of the chassis and operably coupled to each gear of each leg member, the actuation unit being configured to selectively extend either or both of the pair of wheels from the toy vehicle by rotating the gear about the axis and thus moving the leg members to the second position from the first position, wherein movement of the leg members from the first position to the second position is in response to the body portion being moved in one of the plurality of directions towards the chassis.

7. The toy vehicle as in claim 6 , wherein the gear is spring biased into a position corresponding to the first position of the leg member by the spring.

8. The toy vehicle as in claim 7 , wherein the gear is coupled to an actuation member that is configured to be moved by the body portion.

9. The toy vehicle as in claim 6 , wherein each leg member is coupled to a pair of cam members pivotally secured to the chassis, and one of the cam members is actuated by the body portion as the body portion moves with respect to the chassis.

10. The toy vehicle as in claim 9 , wherein one of each of the pair of cam members is coupled to a lever pivotally mounted to the chassis and wherein the body portion further comprises a tab member configured to engage the lever and move the leg member to the second position when the body portion is moved with respect to the chassis.

11. The toy vehicle as in claim 9 , wherein the pair of cam members are spring biased into a position corresponding to the first position of the leg member by the spring.

Assignees

• Hippely Keith Alan
• Wu Joseph
• Chu Patrick
• Wong Denise
• Wong Edward
• Mattel Inc

Inventors

• Hippely Keith Alan
• Wu Joseph
• Chu Patrick
• Wong Denise
• Wong Edward

Classifications

• A63H17/262 Primary

  Chassis; Wheel mountings; Wheels; Axles; Suspensions; Fitting body portions to chassis · CPC title

• A63H13/00

  Toy figures with self-moving parts, with or without movement of the toy as a whole · CPC title

• A63H33/003

  Convertible toys, e.g. robots convertible into rockets or vehicles convertible into planes · CPC title

• A63H17/004

  Stunt-cars, e.g. lifting front wheels, roll-over or invertible cars · CPC title