Toy car wash apparatus and method
AssigneeAdolph E. Goldfarb
InventorsAdolph E. Goldfarb, Delmar K. Everitt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A toy car wash for advancing a toy car along a car washing line, applying water to the car, brushing the car, and then rapidly spinning the wet car to remove water. The water is essentially confined within the toy by use of a transparent top cover, a water capturing bottom cover or pan, and effective water removal before the toy car exits the device. The spinning mechanism includes a rotatable cradle that receives the car, and retains it without physical attachment and without further action by the user while it is being spun dry. The device provides a series of separate player-controlled operations which affords continuous user involvement and a high level of play value.
Claims31
A toy car wash comprising:
- (a) means defining an elongated frame having an entrance end and an exit end, and an upper wall;
- (b) means on said frame defining a transparent cover at least partially enclosing an elongated car wash area above said upper wall, and forming, with said frame means, an entrance at said entrance end and an exit at said exit end;
- and
- (c) means mounted on said frame within said car wash area for advancing a toy vehicle along said car wash area, for applying water to the vehicle, and for spinning the wet vehicle to remove water therefrom.
A toy car wash comprising:
- (a) frame means providing an elongated car wash line having an entrance end and an exit end;
- (b) wetting means on said frame means for applying water to a toy vehicle on said car wash line;
- (c) spin drying means on said frame means at a spin drying station located down-line of said wetting means for retaining and spinning the wet toy vehicle to remove water therefrom;
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- (d) transparent cover means on said frame means at least partially enclosing the spin drying station to retain water propelled from the wet toy vehicle as it is being spun.
A manually-powered, multistation, enclosed toy car wash for a toy vehicle, comprising:
- (a) an elongated housing having a top wall and an entrance and exit end;
- said housing defining a car wash line above said top wall and extending forwardly between said ends;
- (b) an elongated transparent top cover mounted on said housing and substantially enclosing said car wash line;
- (c) advancing means on the housing and extending along said car wash line for supporting the toy vehicle and causing it to move forwardly;
- (d) manually operable means for actuating the advancing means;
- (e) means on the housing defining a wetting station along said advancing means, comprising:
- (1) means in said housing defining a reservoir for water;
- (2) means on the housing defining at least one water outlet above said advancing means;
- (3) manually operable pump means operatively connected to said reservoir means and said outlet means to pump water from the reservoir to the outlet, for discharging water onto the toy vehicle;
- (f) means on the housing defining a spin-drying station located forwardly of the wetting station, comprising:
- (1) a support platform for supporting the toy vehicle, the platform being rotatably mounted on the housing;
- (2) retainer means on the platform for receiving and retaining the toy vehicle in place on the platform during rotation of the platform, comprising:
- (a) spaced-apart side retainer curb means,
- (b) operable retainer exit gate means, and
- (c) a support surface between the curb means and inclined downwardly toward the gate means;
- (3) manually operable drive means on the housing for imparting rapid rotation to said platform, comprising:
- (a) manually operable handle pivotally mounted on the housing for reciprocating movement;
- and
- (b) means defining a gear train between the handle and the platform to multiply the movement of the handle.
A method of washing a toy car with water with a minimum of risk of water damage to the surroundings, comprising the steps of:
- (1) providing a housing which essentially encloses an elongated toy car wash line and includes a transparent cover for viewing activity under the cover and along the line, there being an entrance and an exit at opposite ends of the line for a toy car;
- (2) introducing the toy car into the entrance;
- (3) causing, from outside of the housing, the car to advance along the line;
- (4) causing, from outside the housing, water to be applied to the toy car, at a first location along the line;
- (5) causing, from outside the housing, the car to advance to a second location along the line;
- (6) causing, from the outside the housing, the car to spin rapidly at said second location to remove water from the wet car;
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- (7) causing the car to pass outwardly through the exit.
The method of clam 30 wherein at least each of steps (3)-(6) are achieved by separate manual actuation of a mechanism at individual user-selected rates and, within limits of the device, for user-selected durations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.