Toy top set and launcher
AssigneeTomy Company, Ltd.
InventorYukihiro Shindo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A toy top includes a pinion gear and a locking portion. A launcher includes a rack belt and a holder. The rack belt includes an elastically deformable belt portion on which rack teeth capable of intermeshing with the pinion gear are formed. The toy top is set to the holder by intermeshing the rack teeth with the pinion gear. A rotational force is then applied to the toy top by pulling the rack belt to rotate the pinion gear. A space is formed in the holder, which is disposed in a vicinity of an intermeshing portion of the rack teeth and the pinion gear. The space allows deformation of the belt portion so that the belt portion previously attached to the holder does not interrupt setting the toy top to the holder.
Claims7
A toy top set, comprising:
- a toy top comprising a pinion gear which is disposed on an input shaft disposed on a body portion and having a same center axis with a rotation shaft, and a locking portion which is disposed directly above the pinion gear on the input shaft and which protrudes outward in a radial direction over a valley of the pinion gear;
- and
- a launcher comprising a rack belt comprising an elastically deformable belt portion on which rack teeth capable of intermeshing with the pinion gear are formed, and a holder to which the rack belt is attached,
- wherein the launcher is configured to launch the toy top such that the toy top is set to the holder by intermeshing the rack teeth with the pinion gear below the locking portion so as to fit the belt portion below the locking portion, a rotational force is then applied to the toy top by pulling the rack belt in a predetermined direction to rotate the pinion gear, and subsequently the intermeshing of the pinion gear and the rack teeth is released,
- wherein a space is formed in the holder, which is disposed in a vicinity of an intermeshing portion of the rack teeth and the pinion gear and which allows elastic deformation of the belt portion so that the belt portion of the rack belt previously attached to the holder does not interrupt setting the toy top to the holder, and
- wherein the holder comprises a belt guide which is configured to be in contact with an opposite face from the rack teeth of the belt portion to guide the belt portion so that the pinion gear and the rack teeth intermesh with each other by means of elasticity of the belt portion.
A launcher used for a toy top which comprises a pinion gear which is disposed on an input shaft disposed on a body portion and having a same center axis with a rotation shaft, and a locking portion which is disposed directly above the pinion gear on the input shaft and which protrudes outward in a radial direction over a valley of the pinion gear, comprising:
- a rack belt comprising an elastically deformable belt portion on which rack teeth capable of intermeshing with the pinion gear are formed;
- and
- a holder to which the rack belt is attached,
- wherein the launcher is configured to launch the toy top such that the toy top is set to the holder by intermeshing the rack teeth with the pinion gear below the locking portion so as to fit the belt portion below the locking portion, a rotational force is then applied to the toy top by pulling the rack belt in a predetermined direction to rotate the pinion gear, and subsequently the intermeshing of the pinion gear and the rack teeth is released,
- wherein a space is formed in the holder, which is disposed in a vicinity of an intermeshing portion of the rack teeth and the pinion gear and which allows elastic deformation of the belt portion so that the belt portion of the rack belt previously attached to the holder does not interrupt setting the toy top to the holder, and
- wherein the holder comprises a belt guide which is configured to be in contact with an opposite face from the rack teeth of the belt portion to guide the belt portion so that the pinion gear and the rack teeth intermesh with each other by means of elasticity of the belt portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.