Back to results
US 6,206,751 B1Granted
Toy vehicle with motor-driven and free-wheeling modes of use
AssigneeNew Bright Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorKeung Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A toy vehicle is provided that is adapted for motor driven, battery powered operation, and in which the wheels can be disengaged from their gear train to permit free-wheeling use. The gear train for transmitting rotation from the motor drive shaft to the axle includes a worm gear mounted to the axle. The worm gear can be axially shifted along the axle with a manually manipulatable switch to engage and disengage the axle from the gear train. The switch preferably also controls transmission of electric power to the motor. In a presently preferred embodiment, electrical powers transmitted from the battery compartment to the motor solely by suitably disposed contact plates and, thus, is a “‘no wire’ design”.
Claims18
A wheeled toy vehicle comprising:
- a chassis having end walls, side walls, and top and bottom walls defining at least one interior compartment;
- a first axle having first wheels mounted to each longitudinal end thereof, mounted to the chassis for rolling rotation about a longitudinal axis thereof;
- a second axle having second wheels mounted to each longitudinal end thereof, mounted to the chassis for rolling rotation about a longitudinal axis thereof;
- said chassis defining a battery compartment for supporting an electrical battery oriented such that a longitudinal axis thereof extends generally longitudinally of the chassis between the first and second axles;
- an electric motor mounted in the interior compartment of the chassis and having a drive shaft extending generally longitudinally at least from said motor substantially to said first axle;
- a worm operatively coupled to said motor shaft so as to be rotated thereby;
- an output gear selectively operatively coupled to the worm so as to be driven by the worm, said output gear being coaxially mounted to said first axle;
- a hub structure fixedly mounted to said first axle;
- said output gear being axially slidable relative to said first axle from a first position in which said output gear is axially offset from and disengaged from said hub structure, disengaged from said worm, and rotatable relative to said first axle, and a second position in which said output gear is operatively engaged with said hub structure and operatively engaged with said worm for transmitting rotation of said worm to said hub structure, thereby to rotate said first axle and said first wheels mounted thereto;
- a mode selecting structure mounted so as to be laterally slidable relative to said drive shaft, said mode selecting structure being engaged with said output gear so that lateral displacement of said mode selecting structure displaces said output gear axially along said first axle into and out of engagement with said hub structure, said output gear being rotatable relative to said mode selecting structure;
- and
- electrical contact structure for selectively transmitting electric power from a battery said in battery compartment to said motor,
- wherein said output gear defines a clutch outer member and said hub structure defines a clutch inner member, said clutch outer member having an inner peripheral surface for selectively engaging in a force transmitting manner an outer peripheral surface of said clutch inner member.
10 more elements
A wheeled toy vehicle which may be selectively motor driven or manually driven in a free wheeling mode, comprising:
- a chassis;
- at least one laterally extending axle having wheels mounted at each end thereof for rotation therewith;
- the chassis including a battery receptacle for releasably supporting an electrical battery;
- an electric motor mounted to the chassis and having a drive shaft extending therefrom;
- a plurality of contact plates for electrically connecting a battery mounted in the battery receptacle to the motor for rotating the drive shaft, said contact plates including a first, resilient contact element resiliently engaging a second contact structure;
- a gear train for transmitting rotation from the drive shaft to said axle, including a worm for being rotated according to rotation of said drive shaft and a worm gear mounted to the axle, said worm gear being selectively operatively engaged with said worm for being rotated thereby, said axle being freely rotatable relative to said worm when said worm gear is disengaged from said worm;
- and
- manually manipulatable switch structure for selectively displacing the worm gear relative to said axle for selectively operatively engaging said worm gear and said worm and selectively disengaging said worm gear from said worm, to selectively transmit rotation of the worm via the worm gear to the axle for motor driven operation and to selectively interrupt transmission of rotation of the worm to the axle for free-wheeling operation, respectively, a portion of said switch structure engaging said first, resilient contact element upon lateral displacement of said switch structure to displace said worm gear axially along said axle to disengage said worm gear from said worm, thereby to disengage said first, resilient contact element from said second contact structure and, thereby, electrically disconnect the battery receptacle and the motor, further comprising a clutch element fixedly mounted to said first axle;
- said switch structure selectively axially displacing said worm gear from a first position in which said worm gear is axially offset from and disengaged from said clutch element and disengaged from said worm, and a second position in which said worm gear is operatively engaged with said clutch element and operatively engaged with said worm for transmitting rotation of said worm via said clutch element to said axle.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.