Toy and method of toy operation
OwnerJulian Edward Lopez, Michael Yeunginventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a drive mechanism for launching a figurine. The drive mechanism can include a housing, a rotary drive supported in the housing and being drivingly engageable with the figurine for launching the figurine outwardly from the housing, and a locking element movable between a locked position, in which the locking element engages the rotary drive to prevent movement of the rotary drive with respect to the housing, and an unlocked position, in which the locking member is moved away from the rotary drive.
Claims17
A drive mechanism for launching a figurine, the drive mechanism comprising:
- a housing including a hub;
- a rotary drive supported in the housing and being drivingly engageable with the figurine for launching the figurine outwardly from the housing;
- and
- a plurality of locking elements positioned around a perimeter of the hub, each locking element movable between a locked position, in which one of the locking elements engages the rotary drive to prevent movement of the rotary drive with respect to the housing, and an unlocked position, in which one of the locking elements is moved away from the rotary drive,
- wherein the rotary drive includes a spring-biased pull string.
A method of operating a drive mechanism having a housing and a rotary drive supported in the housing, the method comprising:
- engaging a figurine with the rotary drive;
- moving the housing and the figurine together toward a first orientation with respect to ground to move a locking element into engagement with the rotary drive to prevent movement of the rotary drive with respect to the housing;
- moving the housing and the figurine together toward a second orientation with respect to the ground to move the locking element away from the rotary element;
- and
- launching the figurine upwardly away from the housing,
- wherein moving the housing and the figurine together toward the first orientation with respect to the ground includes moving the locking element along a ramp supported in the housing.
A method of operating a drive mechanism of a flying toy, the method comprising:
- providing a housing at least partially supporting a rotary drive;
- engaging a figurine with the rotary drive;
- engaging the rotary drive with a locking element to prevent rotation of the rotary drive with respect to the housing when a longitudinal axis of the figurine is oriented at an angle with respect to ground that is less than a predetermined acute angle;
- disengaging the locking element from the rotary drive to allow rotation of the rotary drive with respect to the housing when the longitudinal axis of the figurine is substantially normal to the ground;
- and
- launching the figurine upwardly away from the housing,
- wherein engaging the rotary drive with the locking element includes moving the locking element substantially radially and along a ramp supported in the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.