WO2010004459A1

WO2010004459A1 - Collapsible toy vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2010004459A1
Application number: PCT/IB2009/052618
Authority: WO
Inventors: Valerio Aprile Di Cimia
Original assignee: PRODUZIONI EDITORIALI APRILE SpA
Current assignee: PRODUZIONI EDITORIALI APRILE SpA
Priority date: 2008-07-07
Filing date: 2009-06-18
Publication date: 2010-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 2011-01-07
Also published as: ITTO20080095U1

Abstract

A collapsible toy vehicle having a body (1) with an upper part (2) and two sides (3) adapted to oscillate between a flattened state and an upright state wherein the sides extend essentially parallel or, respectively, orthogonal to the upper part (2). Traction springs, consisting of elastic rings (8), are provided for countering the passage of the two sides (3) from the upright state to the flattened state and for causing the snap-return from said flattened state to said upright state, upon command.

Description

"COLLAPSIBLE TOY VEHICLE" * * *

TEXT OF THE DESCRIPTION

The object of the present invention is a collapsible toy vehicle, i.e. having a structure such to acquire - starting from its normal configuration - a substantially flat shape or low thickness in any case for packaging thereof in a box or similar relatively thin containers. Known from the Unites States patent US-6,468,128 is a collapsible toy vehicle having a body with an upper part and two sides hinged at the opposite sides of the upper part in such a manner to oscillate between a flattened state and an upright state wherein such sides are extended substantially parallel or, respectively, orthogonal to the upper part. Provided for are elastic means for countering the passage of the two sides from the upright condition to the flattened condition, and to cause the snap-return of the two sides from the flattened condition to the upright condition, upon command.

According to the abovementioned Unites States document, the elastic means are made up of torsion springs, typically pin springs, arranged at the joints between each side and the upper part of the body of the toy vehicle.

Besides being relatively complicated, in terms of the manufacturing and assembly of the toy vehicle, this arrangement also presents risks for the safety of users, typically children, since the free arms of the torsion springs are protruding and may cause injury when handling the toy vehicle.

The object of the present invention is that of overcoming such drawbacks, and this object is attained due to the fact that a collapsible toy vehicle of the above-defined type is essentially characterised in that the aforementioned elastic means consist of traction springs .

Advantageously, such traction springs consist of simple elastic rings.

Now, the invention shall be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, strictly- provided by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

- figure 1 is a schematic perspective top-view, representing the collapsible toy vehicle according to the invention, in its normal configuration, figure 2 is a bottom-perspective view of the collapsible vehicle,

- figure 3 is a view analogous to figure 1 showing the collapsible vehicle in its collapsed state,

- figure 4 is a view analogous to figure 2 with the toy vehicle still in the collapsed configuration,

- figure 5 is an exploded view of figure 4, and

- figure 6 shows an enlarged detail of figure 4. With reference to the drawings, the collapsible toy vehicle according to the invention has a body 1, whose shape is strictly by way of example, including an upper part 2 and two sides 3 hinged at opposite sides of said upper part 2 around respective direct axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Such axes are defined by a pair of pins 4, visible in figure 5, rotatingly coupled on each of which are two respective arms 5 of the respective side 3.

In addition, each side 3 rotatingly supports a pair of wheels 6.

Besides the respective joints at the upper parts 2, the arms 5 have respective mushroom-like pins 7 wound onto which are two traction springs consisting of simple elastic rings 8, which thus interconnect the two sides 3 keeping them normally in the upright state represented in figures 1 and 2 and corresponding, as already mentioned, to the normal usage configuration of the toy vehicle.

The upper part 2 is in turn made up of an front portion 9 and a rear portion 10 mutually hinged to one another around a transverse axis defined by a pin 11, shown in figure 5. The two portions 9, 10 are normally maintained in the configuration shown in figures 1 and 2 by means of a further traction spring, in this case also consisting of a simple elastic ring 12 wound around the corresponding mushroom-like pins 13, 14 of the front portion 9 and the rear portion 10 of the upper part 2 respectively.

Indicated with 15 is control member, consisting of a lever inserted into an opening 16 in the rear portion 10 and hinged to the latter around a transverse axis defined by a pine indicated with 17 in figure 5. The control lever 15 bears - at the front - a transverse abutment plate 18 adapted to cooperate with two of the corresponding arms 5 of the two sides 3, as clarified hereinafter.

The configuration of the toy vehicle is altered from the normal state in figures 1 and 2, wherein the sides 3 are oriented essentially perpendicularly with respect to the upper parts 2, at the collapsed state represented in figures 3 and 4, by simply diverging the two sides 3 from each other, so as to position them - against the return action exerted by the two elastic rings 8 deformed under traction - essentially parallel with respect to the upper part 2. At the same time, the front portion 9 of the upper part 2 is rotated slightly upwards, with respect to the rear portion 10, against the action of the elastic ring 12 itself also deformed under traction, in such a manner that the body 1 of the toy vehicle acquires a generally flattened state of minimal thickness. This configuration is maintained due to the interaction between a transverse stop element 18 of the control lever 15 and the aforementioned pair of arms 5 of the sides 3, which in turn retain the front portion 9 rotated with respect to the rear portion 10 of the upper part 2.

The body 1 is returned from this collapsed or flattened state to the normal upright state by simply manually operating the control lever 15, pressing it downwards. This causes disengagement between the abutment crosspiece 18 and the two arms 5 of the sides 3, which are thus snap-returned by the elastic rings 8, rotating around the respective pins 4 until arranged in the upright state of figures 1 and 2. At the same time, the front portion 9 of the upper part 2 is released and rotated, by the elastic ring 12, around the respective pin 11, also returning it to the state of figures 1 and 2.

It is apparent from the preceding description that the toy vehicle according to the invention is manufacturable in an easy and inexpensive manner, in particular, due to the configuration of the return springs consisting of simple elastic rings 8 and 12 which, besides guaranteeing efficient operation passing from the collapsed state to the upright normal use state, do not imply any safety problems with regard to users .

Obviously, the construction details and embodiments may widely vary with respect to the details described and illustrated, without however departing from the scope of protection of the present invention, as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A collapsible toy vehicle, having a body (1) with an upper part (2) and two sides (3) hinged at opposite sides of the upper part (2) in such a manner to oscillate between a flattened state and an upright state wherein the sides extend essentially parallel or, respectively, orthogonally to said upper part (2), elastic means (8) being provided for to counter the passage of the two sides (3) from said upright state to said flattened state, and to cause the snap-return of said two sides (3) from said flattened state to said upright state upon command, characterised in that said elastic means consist of traction springs (8) .

2. The toy vehicle according to claim 1, characterised in that said traction springs consist in elastics (8 ) .

3. The toy vehicle according to claim 2, characterised in that said elastics are annular.

4. The toy vehicle according to claim 3, characterised in it comprises two annular elastics (8) wound around the respective mushroom-like pins (7) borne by the respective articulation arms (5) of the sides (3) and the upper part (2) of the body (1) .

5. The toy vehicle according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the upper part

(2) comprises two parts (9, 10) mutually articulated to rotate in a generally flattened position following the passage of the two sides (3) from said upright state to said flattened state, against the action of a further traction spring (12) .

6. The toy vehicle according to claim 5, characterised in that said further traction spring consists of an elastic (12) .

7. The toy vehicle according to claim 6, characterised in that said elastic (12) is annular.

8. The toy vehicle according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that an oscillating control lever (15) located at said upper part (2) of the body (1) is provided for the snap-return of said two sides (3) from said flattened state to said upright state.