Railways – Car-carried propulsion system – Electric
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-30
2001-01-16
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railways
Car-carried propulsion system
Electric
C104S053000, C104S060000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173654
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a conventional construction, an electric toy racing car track system is formed by a series of track sections which are connected end-to-end together to form two lanes for respective toy cars to run along. Each lane is provided with a pair of power supply rails for supplying electrical power to and a central groove for guiding the respective car to run. The power supply rails are essentially continuous, except briefly at certain lane crossing and/or changing junctions, such that the cars are to be power driven and running by themselves practically at all time, which is found to be uninteresting or unexciting.
The subject invention seeks to provide a toy racing car track system which is more fun to play with and/or offers a change in the manner the cars travel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there is provided a toy racing car track system which comprises a plurality of track sections including electrical power supply rails and connected end-to-end together to form at least one lane for an electric toy car to run therealong, wherein the lane includes a portion having front and rear ends and a carriage supported for movement across the portion in order to convey the car from the front portion end to the rear portion end under the action of momentum of the car and subsequently to self return to the front portion end upon the car leaving the carriage.
Preferably, the portion is in the form of a gap having opposite sides corresponding to the front and rear portion ends and a bottom surface at a level relatively lower than that of the upper surfaces of the adjoining track sections.
In a first preferred embodiment, the gap is provided by a track section having front and rear platforms at opposite ends, said platforms having respective upper surfaces at the same level as that of and being for connection to the adjoining track sections.
More preferably, the platforms also include electrical power supply rails.
It is further preferred that the rear platform has a part including the power supply rails and protruding into the gap, and the carriage has a front end recess for accommodating the said part in order for the car conveyed thereon to regain electrical power when the carriage reaches the rear gap side.
In a second preferred embodiment, the portion is in the form of a gap provided by a track section having opposite ends corresponding to the front and rear portion ends, said track section being positioned to have an upper surface at a level relatively lower than that of the upper surfaces of the adjoining track sections.
More preferably, the adjoining track section at the rear end of the track section providing the gap has a part including the power supply rails and protruding into the gap, and the carriage has a front end recess for accommodating the said part in order for the car conveyed thereon to regain electrical power when the carriage reaches the rear gap side.
It is preferred that the carriage includes a retainer for retaining the car on the carriage in transit.
More preferably, the retainer is movable between a first position for retaining the car and a second position for releasing the car when the carriage reaches the rear gap side.
In a first specific construction, the retainer is in the form of an inverted U-shaped frame having two limbs hinged to opposite sides of the carriage for pivotal movement between a lower position and an upright position corresponding to the said first and second positions.
In a second specific construction, the retainer is provided below the upper surface of the carriage for movement between an upper position and a lower position corresponding to the said first and second positions, and is spring-loaded towards the upper position for retaining the car by a bottom guide pin of the car.
Preferably, an abutment is provided at the rear gap side for hitting by the retainer when the carriage reaches there, whereby the retainer is moved from the first position to the second position.
It is preferred that a resetter is provided for moving the retainer from the second position to the first position after the car has left the carriage.
More preferably, the resetter is provided on the carriage and is movable from a ready position to an operating position for moving the retainer to the said first position.
Further more preferably, the resetter has a rear part which extends beyond the back of the carriage when the resetter is in the ready position, for hitting the rear gap side when the carriage returns there, whereby the resetter is moved to the said operating position.
In a preferred arrangement, the portion or gap is inclined at a small angle upwards to have its rear end or side relatively higher than its front end or side in order for the carriage to self return to the said front end or side under the action of gravity.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3858875 (1975-01-01), Nemeth et al.
patent: 4355807 (1982-10-01), Prehodka
patent: 5174569 (1992-12-01), Ngai
patent: 5452893 (1995-09-01), Faulk et al.
patent: 5542668 (1996-08-01), Casale et al.
patent: 5775227 (1998-07-01), Mullen
Artin Industrial Co. Ltd.
Leydig , Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Morano S. Joseph
Olson Lois A.
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