Control means for toy

Details Control means for toy Control means for toy

1999-10-12

2001-03-27

Ricci, John A. (Department: 3712)

Amusement devices: toys

Having permanent magnet

And member movable in spaced relation to moving magnet

Reexamination Certificate

active

06206746

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention which is the subject of this application relates to a control means for use in controlling the movement of an article along a playbase which, in combination, form a toy. The toy is for use, typically by a child who, by manipulating the control means causes the remote movemnent of the article along the playbase. The control means are hidden from view with the exception of the portion which is to be manipulated so that the article appears to be moving independently. The article to be moved can be a scaled version of any of a human, animal or machine and the playbase can be shaped to define an environment or series of environments in which the child would expect to find the article in real life, thus adding to the realism.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One known embodiment of a toy of this type is disclosed in Patent Application No. 9710939.1 in which the control means and article both include at least one magnet therein such that when the article and control means are placed in proximity, with the playbase intermediate, a magnetic field is created which is of sufficient strength so as to cause the article to “follow” the movement of the control means when powered. The control means includes a portion which is exposed to be moved by the child and said movement is translated by a pantograph arrangement to cause linear movement of the housing in which the magnet is contained.
A problem with the known form of control means is that the housing in which the magnet is mounted is only movable in the one, horizontal, plane and so the area of the playbase over which the article can be moved is also required to be substantially planar to ensure that the magnetic field strength is maintained at all times so that the article is still under the influence of the control means.
This restricts the shape of the playbase and hence environment which can be depicted and thus reduces the reaction of the environment depicted.
A second disadvantage is that the conventional control means, due to the arrangement of lever members relative to the portion which can be moved by the child, can only be moved within the bounds of a relatively restricted portion of the playbase. Thus, the article cannot be moved across the whole playbase and so once more the reaction of the toy is affected.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the invention is to provide a control means for an article to move the same along a playbase and to allow the control means to be of a form to allow the article to be remotely moved via the control means along a playbase which need not be planar. A further aim is to provide the control means in a form which allows the housing in which a magnet is provided to be swept across substantially all of the area of the playbase, and hence allows the article to move across substantially all of the playbase. A further aim of the present invention is to provide further realism and animation to the toy by causing the article to move both under the influence of the magnetic field and to have an additional component of movement. Said additional component of movement is typically representative of movement found in the real life article depicted in the toy.
In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a toy, said toy comprising a playbase, an article moveable along the top of said playbase, a control means provided under said playbase to exert a moving influence on said article and wherein said control means is articulated to allow said means to substantially follow a non-planar playbase and for the article to be moved along the same.
In one embodiment the top of the playbase includes undulating, and/or sloped non-planar portions for the article to move along and said control means is articulated to allow the same to substantially follow the underside of the playbase which is shaped in a similar manner to the top side of the playbase thereby allowing the moving influence to be maintained on the article on the top of the playbase as it moves therealong.
In one embodiment the article includes at least one magnet mounted therein and the control means includes at least one magnet mounted thereon. Typically the magnet is mounted in a housing located at the distal end from the point of actuation of the control means and the articulation is provided between the point of actuation and the distal end so as to allow the distal end of the control means to follow the steps of the underside of the playbase.
In one embodiment there is mounted on the underside of the playbase, guide means which guide the distal end to follow the shape of the underside of the playbase.
In one embodiment the control means includes one or a series, of ball joints which are spaced so as to allow the required extent of actuation.
In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a toy comprising an article, a playbase and control means, to exert a magnetic moving influence on the article to move the same along the playbase, said control means provided on the underside of said playbase and including at its distal end a magnet to create a magnetic field with a magnet in said article and wherein said control means comprises an actuating means connected with a plate for imparting a movement comprising a limited rotating action relative to a second plate, and a linear movement relative to the playbase and said second plate is capable of limited linear movement relative to said playbase and is connected to a series of lever members, on which said magnet is mounted, and at least one of said lever members is secured to, and is pivotally movable in relation to the playbase, thereby allowing the at least one magnet of the control means to be movable about the playbase.
This arrangement typically allows the at least one magnet of the control means to be moved about substantially the whole of the underside of the playbase surface and therefore increases the available area for movement of the article in comparison to conventional control means.
Typically the rotating movement of the second plate relative to the first plate is limited to the movement of a pin in one of the first or second plates along an arcuate slot in the other of the first or second plates.
Typically the linear movement of the first and second plates relative to the playbase is determined by the movement of pins along linear slots in a planar member enclosing the control means with the playbase.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1323232 (1919-11-01), Page
patent: 2036076 (1936-03-01), Philippi
patent: 2138367 (1938-11-01), Bonanno
patent: 2651140 (1953-09-01), Kovac
patent: 3143826 (1964-08-01), Ellis
patent: 3481071 (1969-12-01), Hinkson
patent: 3638357 (1972-02-01), Groh
patent: 3657457 (1972-04-01), Poynter
patent: 3757467 (1973-09-01), Von Winckelmann
patent: 3785648 (1974-01-01), Kobayashi
patent: 3946520 (1976-03-01), Goldfarb et al.
patent: 4012040 (1977-03-01), Fernandes
patent: 4189864 (1980-02-01), Saito
patent: 4208833 (1980-06-01), Wolf
patent: 4834371 (1989-05-01), Hay et al.
patent: 4878878 (1989-11-01), Bittner
patent: 5417605 (1995-05-01), Chan
patent: 873003 (1953-04-01), None
patent: 1072548 (1954-09-01), None
patent: 1112934 (1955-11-01), None
patent: 1111975 (1956-03-01), None
patent: 2333410 (1977-07-01), None
patent: 669167 (1952-03-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Control means for toy does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Control means for toy, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Control means for toy will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2498993