Amusement devices: toys – Construction toy – Having parts assembled for relative movement
Patent
1993-06-04
1994-11-01
Hafer, Robert A.
Amusement devices: toys
Construction toy
Having parts assembled for relative movement
446128, 446 36, 403 57, 464151, A63H 3312, A63H 3308, F16C 1100, F16D 316
Patent
active
053603648
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cardan joint for transmission of rotation between a first and a second rotating part of a toy building set comprising various building elements having different types of coupling means, e.g. ball heads or coupling studs positioned with mutual modular measures.
Cardan joints are widely used within mechanics, where they constitute one of the most important coupling types for transmission of rotation from one rotating part to another. Such cardan joints are so dimensioned as to function optimally in precisely the function for which they are used. Such power transmission may be for cars, machines etc, where the dimensioning has been made in view of the power to be transmitted, the angle between the two rotating shafts and a number of other parameters, such as cost, space and life. Precisely in view of the special demands placed on the strength of the cardan joints, cardan joints will normally never be constructed for use within several areas.
Cardan joints for use in connection with existing toy building sets must meet entirely different demands than the above mentioned kind of cardan joints, as for this use it is not a question of critical mechanical loads, but on the contrary a wish for large flexibility, i.e. the existent need is for such a cardan joint being directly suited for building into various constructions and at the same time being easy to assemble and disassemble.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,534 describes a universal coupling for transmitting torque from one shaft to another shaft. The universal coupling is for use in connection with toys. The first shaft of the coupling is provided with a ball head with protruding pins, while the second shaft is provided as a socket with longitudinal side slots for adaption of the pins of the ball head. In some scases it is inexpedient that the socket has longitudinal side slots, since the socket will than have to be provided with relatively thick walls in order to obtain the necessary thickness.
It is the object of the invention to devise a cardan joint for transmission of rotation between two rotating parts of a toy building set, the cardan joint being directly suited for building integral with the existing elements of the building set.
The object is achieved in that a first rotating part comprises a shaft with a coupler head in the form of radially projecting flaps in the axial direction of the shaft, the coupler head being so shaped that the contour of the flaps in a circular coupling area between the first and the second rotating part essentially follows a spherical surface, and that the second rotating part has a cavity for receiving the first rotating part, and that the second rotating part is provided with at least one pin projecting radially within and being displaceable along the flaps of the first rotating part. The second part is provided with one or more pins, carrier pins, which in operation are in mesh with the flaps of the first part and are displaceable along these flaps. The travel of the pins along the flaps depends on the angle between the two axes of rotation. The transmission of rotation between the two rotating parts is provided by contact between a carrier pin and a flap.
Advantageously, the first rotating part may comprise a cardan ball with axially progressing tracks being adapted for cooperation with one or more carrier pins projecting radially inwards the cavity formed by the second rotating part. By these axial tracks being provided evenly distributed around the cardan ball in the radial direction the cardan joint is easy to assemble and disassemble, as the cardan ball must merely be passed into the second part by an axial movement in order to pass one or more carrier pins into engagement with arbitrary longitudinally progressing tracks on the cardan ball.
The second rotating part may then be provided with locking bosses for releasably retaining the cardan ball, some of these bosses being provided on axially resilient tongues which, when the ball is in
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patent: 3406534 (1968-10-01), Chapper
patent: 3638352 (1972-02-01), Christiansen
patent: 3648404 (1972-03-01), Ogsbury et al.
patent: 3713248 (1973-01-01), Heubl
Hatting Jan
Poulsen Ole V.
Hafer Robert A.
Interlego A.G.
Muir D. Neal
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