GB2151494A

GB2151494A - Toy vehicle lighting system

Info

Publication number: GB2151494A
Application number: GB08329698A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Man Kwai Lee
Original assignee: New Bright Industrial Co Ltd
Current assignee: New Bright Industrial Co Ltd
Priority date: 1983-11-07
Filing date: 1983-11-07
Publication date: 1985-07-24
Also published as: HK36688A; GB8329698D0; GB2151494B

Abstract

A toy vehicle having a lighting system comprising at least two mutually spaced light transmitting elements 3,4 arranged to be illuminated by a single light source (9) via a single reflector (8) which directs light through all of said elements. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Toy vehicle lighting systems This invention relates to toy vehicles and is particularly directed to the provision of improved lighting systems therefor.

As part of the general effort to improve the realism of toy vehicles it is already well known to provide them with working lights, powered for example from a battery carried by the vehicle, or from an external power source as in mains-powered toy trains and racing cars.

Up to now, however, such lighting systems have involved the provision of a separate light source, i.e. electric bulb, for each light, for example two separate electric bulbs for a pair of headlights in a relatively simple system.

Such arrangements, involving as they must the provision of separate electrical connections and mechanical mounting arrangements for each electric bulb, are undesirably complex, expensive, difficult to assemble, and prone to failure in use.

According to the present invention there is provided a toy vehicle having at least one lighting system comprising at least two mutually spaced light transmitting elements arranged to be illuminated by a single light source via reflector means which directs light from said source to and through said elements.

With such an arrangement two or more light transmitting elements of a lighting system, for example a system of front lights, or front and side lights, or tail lights, may be illuminated by a single electric bulb via suitably arranged reflector means, thus removing all of the complications involved in providing a separate bulb for each light, and also saving electric power in use.

Conceivably the said reflector means could comprise a plurality of separate reflector elements each arranged to reflect light from the light source through at least one of the said light transmitting elements. However, such an arrangement would involve a separate mounting operation for each reflector element. Preferably therefore the said reflector means comprises a single reflector element which, in a further preferred form, extends between at least two light transmitting elements of the system and also serves as a mounting for the light source.

In a preferred form of the invention the said light transmitting elements of the or each said lighting system are incorporated in a first unit, and the said reflector means and light source are incorporated in a second unit. Preferably said units are releasably interconnected.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a battery-driven toy car according to the invention; Figure 2 is vertical cross-sectional view of the front lighting system of the car of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic horizontal crosssectional view of the main elements of the said lighting system.

Referring first to Figure 1, it will be seen that advantage is taken of the principles of the present invention to provide a toy car with a front lighting system comprising an unusually large number of working lights in the form of an array of upper and lower transversely spaced pairs of headlights 1, 2 and 3, 4 and a pair of wrap-round side lights 5. Each of the lights comprises a light-transmitting element made of transparent plastics.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, all of the plastics light-transmitting elements are mounted in a one-piece plastics housing 6 to form a first unit of the front lighting system, and the housing 6 is mounted to the front wall of the car body with the light-transmitting elements received in suitable apertures in such wall. A second unit of the system comprises reflector means in the form of an elongate one-piece reflector element 7 having a rear wall 8 which mounts a single light source in the form of an electric bulb 9 connected to the battery by leads 10, a top wall 11, a bottom wall 12, and end walls 13 and 14.

The reflector unit thus formed is releasably connectible to the housing 6 of the first unit.

mounting the lights, by a push fit as shown in Figure 2, to define a closed chamber 1 5 containing the bulb 9, thus preventing the escape of the light provided by the bulb other than by way of the lights 1 to 5. The manner in which the light from the bulb is reflected to and through the light-transmitting elements is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 3.

Thus in this embodiment the invention provides a toy car with a front lighting system comprising an array of ten working lights, by the provision of only one bulb and one reflector, in a manner which is simple, realistic, inexpensive, reliable, easily manufactured and assembled, and which saves material in manufacture and electric power in use. It will be understood that the car of the illustrated embodiment may readily be provided with a rear lighting system having similar advantages, if desired.

The principles of the present invention are applicable to all other kinds of toy vehicles in addition to cars, for example toy trains, boats, aeroplanes and space vehicles.

1. A toy vehicle having at least one lighting system comprising at least two mutually spaced light transmitting elements arranged to be illuminated by a single light source via reflector means which directs light from said

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Toy vehicle lighting systems This invention relates to toy vehicles and is particularly directed to the provision of improved lighting systems therefor. As part of the general effort to improve the realism of toy vehicles it is already well known to provide them with working lights, powered for example from a battery carried by the vehicle, or from an external power source as in mains-powered toy trains and racing cars. Up to now, however, such lighting systems have involved the provision of a separate light source, i.e. electric bulb, for each light, for example two separate electric bulbs for a pair of headlights in a relatively simple system. Such arrangements, involving as they must the provision of separate electrical connections and mechanical mounting arrangements for each electric bulb, are undesirably complex, expensive, difficult to assemble, and prone to failure in use. According to the present invention there is provided a toy vehicle having at least one lighting system comprising at least two mutually spaced light transmitting elements arranged to be illuminated by a single light source via reflector means which directs light from said source to and through said elements. With such an arrangement two or more light transmitting elements of a lighting system, for example a system of front lights, or front and side lights, or tail lights, may be illuminated by a single electric bulb via suitably arranged reflector means, thus removing all of the complications involved in providing a separate bulb for each light, and also saving electric power in use. Conceivably the said reflector means could comprise a plurality of separate reflector elements each arranged to reflect light from the light source through at least one of the said light transmitting elements. However, such an arrangement would involve a separate mounting operation for each reflector element. Preferably therefore the said reflector means comprises a single reflector element which, in a further preferred form, extends between at least two light transmitting elements of the system and also serves as a mounting for the light source. In a preferred form of the invention the said light transmitting elements of the or each said lighting system are incorporated in a first unit, and the said reflector means and light source are incorporated in a second unit. Preferably said units are releasably interconnected. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a battery-driven toy car according to the invention; Figure 2 is vertical cross-sectional view of the front lighting system of the car of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic horizontal crosssectional view of the main elements of the said lighting system. Referring first to Figure 1, it will be seen that advantage is taken of the principles of the present invention to provide a toy car with a front lighting system comprising an unusually large number of working lights in the form of an array of upper and lower transversely spaced pairs of headlights 1, 2 and 3, 4 and a pair of wrap-round side lights 5. Each of the lights comprises a light-transmitting element made of transparent plastics. Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, all of the plastics light-transmitting elements are mounted in a one-piece plastics housing 6 to form a first unit of the front lighting system, and the housing 6 is mounted to the front wall of the car body with the light-transmitting elements received in suitable apertures in such wall. A second unit of the system comprises reflector means in the form of an elongate one-piece reflector element 7 having a rear wall 8 which mounts a single light source in the form of an electric bulb 9 connected to the battery by leads 10, a top wall 11, a bottom wall 12, and end walls 13 and 14. The reflector unit thus formed is releasably connectible to the housing 6 of the first unit. mounting the lights, by a push fit as shown in Figure 2, to define a closed chamber 1 5 containing the bulb 9, thus preventing the escape of the light provided by the bulb other than by way of the lights 1 to 5. The manner in which the light from the bulb is reflected to and through the light-transmitting elements is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 3. Thus in this embodiment the invention provides a toy car with a front lighting system comprising an array of ten working lights, by the provision of only one bulb and one reflector, in a manner which is simple, realistic, inexpensive, reliable, easily manufactured and assembled, and which saves material in manufacture and electric power in use. It will be understood that the car of the illustrated embodiment may readily be provided with a rear lighting system having similar advantages, if desired. The principles of the present invention are applicable to all other kinds of toy vehicles in addition to cars, for example toy trains, boats, aeroplanes and space vehicles. CLAIMS

1. A toy vehicle having at least one lighting system comprising at least two mutually spaced light transmitting elements arranged to be illuminated by a single light source via reflector means which directs light from said source to and through said elements.

2. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reflector means comprises a single reflector element.

3. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein said reflector element extends between at least two of said light transmitting elements and also mounts the said light source.

4. A toy vehicle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the said light transmitting elements of the or each said lighting system are incorporated in a first unit, and the said reflector means and light source are incorporated in a second unit.

5. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first and second units are releasably interconnected.

6. A toy vehicle as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein one said lighting system includes transversely spaced front lights.

7. A toy vehicle as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein one said lighting system includes transversely spaced rear lights.

8. A toy vehicle having a lighting system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.