Toy vehicle collision course

Details Toy vehicle collision course Toy vehicle collision course

2000-04-24

2002-11-12

Ackun, Jacob K. (Department: 3712)

Amusement devices: toys

Rolling or tumbling

C446S444000, C446S429000, C104S054000, C104S055000, C104S053000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06478654

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to toy vehicles and more particularly, to a toy vehicle collision course having more then one intersection in which toy vehicles may crash into each other.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are a variety of toy vehicle track assemblies that include continuous and non-continuous tracks for impelled or self-powered toy vehicles. These track assemblies are compiled of track sections that connect together to allow various track layouts to be constructed. To enhance appealing qualities of the track assemblies various accessories may be added, for example, impelling mechanisms may be used to propel the vehicles through the track assemblies or looping sections may be used to increase appealing qualities of the track assemblies. The use of multiple looping track sections have also been provided in prior track assemblies. However, multiple looping track sections are typically only provided in linear succession of loops. This tends to extend the track assemblies and thereby takes up a lot of horizontal space.
Other track assemblies may include crash collision courses, which connect two or more intersecting track sections or may narrow the track from a double to a single track line, providing for the possibility of two or more vehicles colliding into each other if the vehicles enter the intersection at the same time. Generally, such intersecting or narrowing track sections provide for a single intersection where the vehicles may collide.
As such a need exists to provide multiple-looping sections in a vertical, not horizontal, succession. Meaning that the assembled multiple-looping sections can remain assembled because it uses minimal space. Also, providing multiple collision intersections within the multiple looping sections further increases the enjoyment available from the track assemblies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vertically disposed collision course having at least two vertically stacked looping track sections. Each looping track section is so configured that a portion thereof intersects with a portion of another looping track section, such that a mid-air collision with one or more vehicles may occur.
The illustrated embodiment, which is by way of example, includes three vertically disposed looping track sections, each looping track section begins at a beginning area that connects to an upwardly extending curved section, peaks at an apex, and then travels along a downwardly extending curved section. The upwardly and downwardly extending curved sections may each be separately divided into a lower and upper portion. The lower portion of the downwardly extending curved section of a looping track section connects (or feeds into) to the beginning area of the succeeding looping track section. To complete the course, the downwardly extending curved section of the last (or third) looping track section feeds into the beginning area of the first looping track section. Each vertically disposed looping track section is furthermore, unsymmetrical, causing the ending area of a looping track section to be positioned at a height different than the position of looping track section's beginning area Also, each beginning area of the vertically looping track sections is positioned at a height directly above or below the other beginning areas, creating vertical stacked looping sections that are substantially planar in respect to each other.
Each looping track section further intersects with other looping track sections to define four junctions. To permit a vehicle to travel through the junction, on either intersecting track section, each track section has a gap formed at such intersection. These gaps are sufficiently sized to allow the vehicle to travel un-obstructively through such intersection, and exit the junction on the same track section the vehicle was traveling on when it entered the junction. While the gaps are sufficiently sized to permit the vehicle to travel over or through the gaps, the gaps also provide the means for a collision between the vehicles. If at any time two vehicles traveling along different track sections enter the same junction a mid-air collision will occur, if the vehicles comes into contact with each other while traveling through or over the same gap within the junction.
To impel the vehicles through the vertically disposed looping track section, three pairs of drive rollers are positioned separately about each beginning area. Since each beginning area is positioned at a height above another beginning area, the drive rollers may be vertically stacked and rotatably driven by a single pair of axles.
Numerous other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.


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