Constructional building set comprising gear box casings

Details Constructional building set comprising gear box casings Constructional building set comprising gear box casings

1997-05-05

1999-04-06

Hafer, Robert A.

Amusement devices: toys

Construction toy

Having parts assembled for relative movement

446128, A63H 3312, A63H 3308

Patent

active

058909435

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a constructional building set comprising gear box casings which are provided with guide grooves and shaft passages constructed such that transmission elements can be inserted into the guide grooves from the outer side of the gear box casing so that the transmission elements are positioned in alignment with the shaft passages.
In connection with constructional building sets e.g. for the building of toy vehicles, cranes, machinery and the like the gear box casings with inserted transmission elements perform various transmission tasks which can be achieved using known gear wheels, racks, chain drives and similar transmission elements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Particularly in connection with toy constructional building sets it is important in view of the motor function of the child that these gear box casings with transmission elements are as simple to assemble as possible. Thus, the Danish Patent No. 161 868 discloses a steering mechanism comprising a rack assembly including a rack and a gear wheel which can engage the rack. The gear wheel is mounted in a housing through which also the rack extends, there being provided a groove through which the gear wheel is inserted into the housing, said groove being closed at one end in a manner such that the gear wheel, when inserted into the housing, is positioned in alignment with shaft passages which are provided in the housing so that a shaft can easily be inserted through the shaft passages in the housing as well as the shaft hole on the gear wheel. When the shaft is pulled out of the housing and the gear wheel-again, the gear wheel can thus drop freely out of the housing.
The object of the present invention is to provide a toy constructional building set comprising gear box casings which enable and facilitate assembly of the gear housing, the transmission elements and the associated shafts to a higher degree than the prior art. Another object is to provide a toy constructional building set enabling the shafts to be pulled out from a mounted gear unit without the individual transmission elements dropping out of the gear box casing, thereby enabling easy and quick transfer of a gear unit comprising gear box casing and transmission elements e.g. from one toy structure to another.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This is achieved, in that the gear box casing in the toy constructional building set stated in the opening paragraph additionally comprises means for releasable geometrical retention of the transmission elements in the position in alignment with the shaft passages after insertion of the transmission elements into the gear box casing.
This geometrical retention may be established in expedient embodiments either by using one or more locking elements adapted to be releasably secured on the gear box casing, such that the guide grooves are blocked from the outer side of the gear box casing, or in that the gear box casing is provided with snap means positioned at the guide grooves in such a manner that the transmission elements are secured by the snap means in the gear box casing in alignment with the shaft passages.
The locking elements may be formed by a cover plate in an expedient embodiment which ensures extremely simple disassembly and assembly of the gear unit.
The snap means may expediently be formed by constrictions in the above-mentioned guide grooves whereby the snap means form an integral part of the guide grooves.
When the gear box casing is provided with coupling knobs, the gear box casing may be incorporated as a unit in a constructional building set comprising building blocks having similar coupling means.
In the latter connection, it is expedient that the gear box casing has an outer configuration with dimensions corresponding to a whole multiple of given modular measures in length, depth and width thereby providing many possibilities of building two or more gear units in the constructional building set together.


BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention

REFERENCES:
patent: 3638352 (1972-02-01), Christiansen
patent: 4109398 (1978-08-01), Hida
patent: 4458441 (1984-07-01), Bril
patent: 5071384 (1991-12-01), Poulsen
patent: 5259803 (1993-11-01), Lyman
patent: 5346420 (1994-09-01), Glickman
patent: 5411428 (1995-05-01), Orii et al.

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