GB2192554A

GB2192554A - Toy vehicle drive mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2192554A
Application number: GB08617449A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Katsuyuki Taguchi; Tohru Watanabe; Eddie Myson
Original assignee: MATCHBOX INT
Current assignee: MATCHBOX INT
Priority date: 1986-07-17
Filing date: 1986-07-17
Publication date: 1988-01-20
Also published as: EP0254475A1; GB8617449D0

Description

1 GB2192554A 1 SPECIFICATION governor may comprise a toothed lever adapted

to mesh with a gear on the second Toy vehicle drive mechanism gear train to control the speed of rotation of the second gear train.

The present invention relates to a drive 70 It will be apparent that, by achieving disen mechanism for a toy vehicle which enables the gagement of the second gear train from the vehicle to be driven at two different speeds. speed governor by moving the second gear In designing a drive mechanism for a toy train in a radial direction rather than an axial vehicle it is important that the gear trains direction the drive mechanism can be housed should be simple and economic to manufac- 75 in a substantially smaller space transversely of ture and assemble in order to keep the cost the toy vehicle.

of the toy to a minimum. It is also important An embodiment of the present invention will to keep the overall size of the drive mecha- now be described with reference to the draw nism to a minimum as it has to be housed in ing, which is an exploded perspective view of a relatively confined space. 80 a drive mechanism for a toy vehicle.

It is already known from U.K. Patent Appli- In the drawing a drive mechanism for a toy cation No. 2,141,517A to provide a spring vehicle is indicated generally at 10. The drive drive mechanism for a toy vehicle which en- mechanism comprises a housing formed by ables the speed of the drive to be automati- two outer walls 11 and 12 and a centre parti- cally changed from a slow speed to a fast 85 tion wall 13. The three walls 11, 12 and 13 speed. However, in this known drive mecha- are spaced apart but connected together in a nism, the change of speed is achieved by conventional manner by spacing members shifting the gears in an axial direction. The which are not shown in the drawing for clar resulting gear train is therefore complex, in- ity, so as to form two compartments for the volves a spring mechanism other than the 90 drive mechanism.

main drive spring, and takes up substantial An axle 14 passes through the walls of the space in the transverse direction of the housing 10 and gear 16 and is adapted to vehicle. carry the rear wheels of the vehicle. These are It is therefore an object of the present in- not shown but will be attached to the axle 14 vention to Provide a drive mechanism for a 95 so as to rotate with the axle, Moulded inte toy vehicle which enables the speed of the grally with the end wall 11 is a boss 15 drive to be automatically changed from a slow adapted to house a spring which acts as the speed to a fast speed but which is economic energy store means for driving the wheels of to manufacture and can be housed in a rela- the vehicle.

tively small space. 100 A first gear train which is adapted to wind Accordingly, in one embodiment of the pre- up the spring and impart driving motion to the sent invention we provide a drive mechanism wheels as the spring unwinds comprises a for a toy vehicle comprising a first gear train gear 16 which is mounted on the axle 14 and connected to the wheels of the vehicle and an which meshes with a stepped intermediate energy storage means and being adapted to 105 spur gear 17, a floating gear 18 and a gear wind up the energy storage means and then wheel 19 which comprises an outer gear 20, be driven by a release of energy from the a central gear 21 and a projecting spur 22.

energy storage means to drive the vehicle The inner face of the gear wheel 19, which is wheels, a second gear train connected to the not shown, carries means which are con- first gear train, a speed governor controlling 110 nected to the spring within the spring housing the speed of rotation of the second gear train 15 so as to wind the spring up when the gear and thereby the speed of rotation of the wheel 19 is rotated in one direction and so as vehicle wheels and a release mechanism con- to impart driving rotation to the gear train as nected to the first gear train, characterised in the spring unwinds.

that the release mechanism is adapted to di- 115 In use, when the wheels of the toy vehicle sengage the second gear train from the speed are rotated in a reverse direction the gear 16 governor by moving the second gear train in a rotates the intermediate gear 17 in an anti radial direction, thereby enabling the wheels of clockwise direction (as seen in the drawing) the vehicle to be driven directly by the first so as to draw the floating gear 18 down into gear train. 120 engagement with the central gear 21 of the The release mechanism of the present in- gear wheel 19 thereby rotating the gear wheel vention may comprise a rotating arm one end to wind up the spring. The floating gear 18 of which is rotated by the first'gear train and has an integrally moulded axle 23 which rides the other end of which is adap ted to engage in a slot 25 in the housing wall 13. Thus, and move the second gear train in a radial 125 when the spring is released so as to unwind direction. Preferably the rotating arm includes and rotate the gear wheel 19 in the opposite a spring member adapted to return the arm to driving direction, the floating gear 18 rides up its starting position and a gear segment at the wardly out of driving engagement with the in said one end of the rotating arm which termediate gear 17. The outer gear 20 of the meshes with the first gear train. The speed 130gear wheel 19 then meshes with a floating 2 GB2192554A 2 gear 26 which in turn meshes with the small then released and the spring drives the gear gear on the stepped intermediate gear 17 tJ wheel 19 in a forward direction. The axle 14 drive the gear 16 which is solid with the axle and wheels of the vehicle are then driven for 14. wardly through the gears 20, 26, 17 and 16.

The spur gear 22 which is solid with the 70 At the same time, however, the speed at gear wheel 19 extends through an aperture 27 which these gears can rotate to drive the axle in the partition wall 13 into the compartment 14 is constrained by the speed governor formed between the partition wall 13 and the mechanism 34 acting through the gears 31, -end wall 12. Also housed partially within this 30 and 39 on the intermediate gear 17. As compartment is a second gear train compris- 75 the arm 40 is rotated by the gear cylinder 22 ing a gear 30 and a gear wheel 31 having it eventually lifts the gear 30 out of engage inner and outer gears 32 and 33, respectively. ment with the gear 31 thus disengaging the A speed governor 34, which is shown sche- gear 30 and the gear 39 from the speed gov matically in Figure 1, is mounted on the axle eming mechanism and allowing the axle 14 to 14 for free rotation on the axle and is pro- 80 be driven at a faster speed through the first vided with lugs 35 and 36 which engage the gear train.

outer gear 33 of gear wheel 31 to act as an It will be noted that the release mechanism escapement limiting the speed of rdtation of comprising the rotating arm 40 operates on the gear 30. As gear 33 rotates the lugs 35 the cylinder section 37 of the gear 30 to and 36 alternately engage the teeth of gear 85 move the gear cylinder in a radial direction 33 as lug 35 engages so lug 36 disengages. within limits defined by the aperture 38, rather This engaging and disengaging'of one lug at a than an axial direction, thereby minimising the time slows down the speed of rotation of the space needed to house the gear trains within gear wheel 31. The gear 30 is connected to a the overall width of the toy vehicle. A sub cylinder 37 which extends through an aperture 90 stantial saving in the transverse dimension of 38 in the partition wall 13. The cylinder 37 the drive mechanism can thus be achieved carries at its opposite end a gear 39 which over known mechanisms of this kind enabling meshes with the large gear on gear 17. the drive mechanism to be housed in substan The spur gear 22 is operatively connected tially smaller toy vehicle than was possible with the second gear train through a release 95 hitherto while achieving a two speed drive ef mechanism in the form of a rotating arm 40. fect. It will also be seen that the mechanism The arm 40 is mounted intermediate its length for achieving the speed change is relatively for free rotation on a pin 41 which projects simple but robust thereby enabling the drive from the partition wall 13. One end of the mechanism to be produced at an economic arm 40 is formed with a gear segment 42 100 cost.

which meshes with the gear 22 and the other

Claims

end forms a lever 43 which projects beneath CLAIMS the cylinder 36

carrying the gear 39. As the 1. A drive mechanism for a toy vehicle gear 22 rotates with the gear wheel 19, the comprising a first gear train connected to the arm 40 is rotated about the pin 41 from the 105 wheels of the vehicle and to an energy sto position shown in broken line to the position rage means and being adapted to wind up the shown in full line. Towards the end of this energy storage means and then be driven by rotational movement, the lever end 43 of the a release of energy from the energy storage arm 40 engages the cylinder 37 and lifts it means to drive the vehicle wheels, a second upwardly so as to carry the gear 30 out of 110 gear train connected to the first gea.r train, a engagement with the gear 31. Once this speed governor controlling the speed of rota movement has occurred, the gear 30 and gear tion of the second gear train and thereby the cylinder 39 are no longer constrained by the speed of rotation of the vehicle wheels and a speed governing mechanism 34 and the first release mechanism connected to the first gear gear train then immediately starts to rotate at 115 train, characterised in that the release mecha- a faster speed under the action of the spring nism is adapted to disengage the second gear thereby driving the wheels and the vehicle at train from the speed governor by moving the an accelerated forward speed. second gear train in a radial direction, thereby The arm 40 carries an integral leaf spring enabling the wheels of the vehicle to be 44 which is urged against a projecting stop 120 driven directly by the first gear train.

on the partition wall 13 as the arm 40 is
2. A drive mechanism as claimed in claim 1, rotated and which forms an energy store to characterised in that the release mechanism ensure that the arm 40 returns to its starting comprises a rotating arm one end of which is position, shown in broken line. rotated by the first gear train and the other In use, a toy vehicle incorporating the drive 125 end of which is adapted to engage and move mechanism 10 is drawn backwards on a sup- the second gear train in a radial direction.

port surface so as to rotate the vehicle 3. A drive mechanism as claimed in claim 2 wheels which are mounted on the axle 14, characterised in that the rotating arm includes thereby winding up the spring through the first a spring member adapted to return the arm to gear train 16, 17, 18 and 19. The vehicle is 130its starting position.
3 GB2192554A 3
4. A drive mechanism as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, characterised in that the rotating arm has a gear segment at the said one end which meshes with the first gear train.
5. A drive mechanism as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the speed governor comprises a toothed lever adapted to mesh with a gear on the second gear train to control the speed of rotation of 10 the second gear train.
6. A drive mechanism for a toy vehicle substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66/71 High Holborn, London WC1R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, KentBR5 3RD. Printed by Burgess & Son (Abingdon) Ltd. Con. 1187.